We invited the elders and sisters to dinner tonight and had a huge feast. BBQ ribs, teriyaki chicken, asian salad, potato salad, veggies, bean & corn salad with chips and lemonade. For dessert I had picked up some bakery cookies and two cartons of ice cream to make it easy. My teenage daughter said, "Let's make cookie ice cream sandwiches!". After dinner she went into the kitchen and threw these together. They were impressive and super easy. I like that combo.
cookie ice cream sandwich
cookies from the bakery (we used M&M cookies and chocolate chip cookies)
ice cream (we used Breyer's Heath and Breyer's Waffle Cone)
ice cream scoop
Place a scoop of ice cream onto a cookie. Place another cookie on top. Serve right away.
This soup was just what I was looking for to satisfy my hankering for Asian food- I blame it on the delicious food we had at Kimhoa last weekend. I saw this recipe in a magazine and snapped a picture. I didn't catch the name of the magazine but that's okay because I adapted the recipe anyway. Pretty sure it was a Better Homes and Garden for May or June.
I served it with some cantaloupe bread and fresh strawberries. If you haven't tried cantaloupe bread- it's here.
sesame dan dan noodle bowl
6 ounces Udon noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 pound thinly sliced pork loin, diced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tahini sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup finely chopped pickles
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced
bunch of cilantro
extra chili garlic sauce
In a saucepan, whisk soy sauce, tahini, vinegar, sesaem oil, garlic and garlic chili sauce. Stir in broth. Heat until nice and hot.
In a wok, heat the canola oil and fry the pork until it is nice and brown. Drain if needed (I didn't need to because I cooked it so well the liquid evaporated). Add pickles and garlic. Cook 2 minutes.
Divide noodles into bowls. Spoon broth over the top. Top with pork, onions and cilantro. Definitely top with more chili garlic sauce. It will pack a punch!
Yum!
My friend Julie, whom I ran into while picking blueberries on Friday, sent me this recipe today. I was already planning on making chocolate mousse for Father's Day but suddenly felt that two desserts would be way better than one! I even had all the ingredients on hand which was exciting. I assisted my youngest daughter while she made this delicious, fresh blueberry pie. It was a huge hit.
Thank you, Oregon for the best blueberries in the world.
julie's famous blueberry pie (my friend Julie B.)
crust:
1 1/3 cup crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together. Put in a greased pie plate. Chill.
filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups fresh blueberries
whipping cream
In saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch over medium heat. Add water. Add 1 cup blueberries. Cook and stir constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Take off heat. Fold in lemon juice and 3 cups blueberries. Put into chilled pie crust; chill at least another hour. Serve with whipped cream.
Best Father's Day dinner. My husband isn't a meat and potatoes kind of a guy. Well, sometimes he is but mostly he loves all things fresh. This dinner was fresh and delicious. Everyone loved it- all six of us. We had firsts, seconds and even thirds! We were inspired by a really yummy restaurant we went to yesterday- Kimhoa. We can't wait to go back. For dinner tonight I made some Bulgogi steak, teriyaki chicken, brown jasmine rice, whole wheat angel hair, veggies, spinach and cilantro. I made some of my mom's homemade teriyaki sauce and some other sauces we had in the fridge. I think this might be a once-a-week summertime kind of meal!
asian bowls
teriyaki chicken (see below)
bulgogi (see below)
jasmine rice
angel hair pasta
misc. asian sauces
veggies- we enjoyed carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, green onion and cilantro
Grab a bowl and go to town. There's no right way or wrong way to do it!
mom's teriyaki sauce (my mom)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup oil (I use half that)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients and marinate your favorite meat. For best results, marinate overnight then throw on the grill!
You do not need to use this sauce as a marinade. Great over Asian bowls!
korean bulgogi (a boy from my daughter's 2nd grade class)
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin , 1/8-1/4" thick
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 green onions, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
Combine all the ingredients except the beef in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add the beef to the bowl. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Put the meat on a hot grill sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook until the meat is browned.
My friend Lindsey brought this beautiful layered dip (not so beautiful in this pic) to our BBQ earlier this week. It was sooooo good! She let us keep some leftovers and one of my daughters made a complete meal out of it the next day. A great dish to take to a potluck!
layered greek dip (Lindsey M.)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups prepared hummus
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup sliced green onions
pita chips and/or multigrain tortilla chips
In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and garlic with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and combined.
Spread cream cheese mixutre into a deep 9-inch pie plate or shallow serving dish. Evenly spread hummus on cream cheese layer. Top with cucumber, tomato, olives, feta cheese, and green onions. Cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours. Serve with pita chips. Makes about 2 1/2 cups dip, 16 servings.
Note: Lindsey skipped the cream cheese part because she feels it's just as good without it. She must've doubled the recipe because she made a 9x13 pan of it for the party.
