Eating In

There's nothing better than eating in. Eating in once in awhile can save money, increase health (less oil, less preservatives), and increase the quality of taste. Home-cooking is typically the best cure against potential food poisoning and noisy crowds. We have been eating in for the most part of our days since we have a kiddo now. It's just so much trouble packing everything (all the baby stuff, food, portable high chair, and yes, the baby himself) just to dine out. So here's what we've been cookin' at home!

Saturday Mornings Breakfast

Bob discovered a yummy recipe for home-cooked waffles. The taste is far better than those frozen waffles or waffles from those prepared mixes (w/ added preservatives, artificial ingredients).
It takes less than 20 minutes to whip up the batter and if you have a good waffle-maker close by, it makes all the difference...

ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tb. baking powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil or butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla

waffle-it!

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat eggs slightly, stir in milk, butter, and vanilla. Add egg mix all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy).

3. Pour 1 to 1 1/4 cups of batter onto grids preheated, lightly greased waffle baker. Close lid until indicator (beeps) signal ready.

Tofu'ed Out!

There's just so many different ways you can cook tofu and make yummy dishes! Tofu is low in calories, but high in nutritional value, containing iron, calcium, and protein. This is why I also started sneakin' in tofu 9since it's pretty much tasteless w/o any sauce) in the baby cereal for our son. There are different textures of tofu: soft, regular, firm, or dried. It is made from soybeans. Here are some of our tried and true recipes.


simple tofu

Tofu is already cooked so some people like to eat it without heating it again. Silken tofu tastes really good by itself with these added ingredients if you don't have time to cook.

ingredients

block of silken tofu uncut
soy sauce paste (thicker than regular soy sauce)
preserved duck eggs (pay dan--what Chinese sometimes add to their porridge)
green onions, chives
Bonito flakes (can be bought at chinese/japanese supermarket )
sesame oil

Place block of tofu on plate. Pour all wet ingredients over tofu and sprinkle dry ingredients on top. Crack the duck egg and cut up in bit-sized pieces and place on top of tofu before the green onions and bonito flakes.

stir-fry tofu

ingredients

regular or firm tofu
soy sauce
cornstarch
salt
green onions
ground pork/beef (optional) seasoned (soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine)
shitake mushroom (optional)
cookin' it:

1. Cut up tofu block into little cubes
2. Heat oil in skillet/pan
3. Place tofu cubes in pan and pour soy sauce on top (to desired taste). If cooking with mushroom, cook mushroom first with a little oyster sauce for taste. If cooking with meat, stir -fry the meat first since the tofu is basically cooked already, then add tofu)
4. Sprinkle some salt and green onions.
5. Mix a Tbs. or more of cornstarch in cold water and pour when done cooking to thicken the sauce.

Chicken dishes

Chicken is also another healthy food (when eaten in moderation) high in protein and calcium. It can be stir-fried on its own or with mushroom. It can be baked as well. Here are some more recipes we've tried which may take a little more time so plan well!!

Honey-mustard Chicken

ingredients:

1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill or 1 Tbs. dried dill
1 tsp. freshly grated orange peel (or splash of OJ)
1 (2 1/2 lb. chicken) quartered (You can use chicken thigh or drumlets too).

(Serves 4)

cook it!

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Combine mustard and honey in small bowl, Stir in dill and orange peel.
3. Line baking sheeet with foil.
4. Place chicken skin -side down, Brush sauce on top of chicken and coat well.
5. Turn chicken over and gently pull back skin and brush meat with sauce. Pull skin back over.
6. Brush skin with remaining sauce.
7. Bake until juices run clear about 30 min.

Sassy Chicken salad

ingredients

1 10 oz. diced tomatoes (canned) and drained green chilies.
1/2 cup mayo
1 Tbs. honey
1 12.5 oz. can of Kirkland Premium chunk chicken breast (or any other canned chicken breast)
1 cup celery thinly sliced
1 cup grapes (red or green) halved
1/2 cup toasted pecans (optional)

Makin' it:

1. Combine tomatoes, mayo, and honey.

2. Stir in chicken, celery, and grapes.

3. Cover and chill.

Can be served in hollowed out melons, avocadoes, or papayas...

Honey-Lime Chicken Wings

We tried this recipe 2X already and it takes awhile. The 2nd time I cooked this with our guests and it was a good conversation starter in the kitchen since you have to wait for the chicken to get crispy in the oil and you can't leave the kitchen. =P

ingredients:

12 whole chicken wings
2 Tbs. and 2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsps. grated lime zest
2 1/3 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. salt (or to desired taste)
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 1/3 cups vegetable oil for frying.

deep fryin' time!!

1. In large bowl, mix together honey, lime juice, lime peel, garlic, salt, pepper. Set aside.

2. Place flour in plastic bag and shake chicken wings in flour to coat.

3. In large skillet or fryer, fry chicken wings in 1 inch deep oil until cooked through.

4. Place cooked wings in honey/lime mixture and coat well

5. Serve hot.