Meals for Busy Mommies/Parents

When you have kids, life changes a bit. The pace is different and you no longer have much time to yourself...even in the kitchen. Here are some meals we have used ever since baby Ethan was born. Preparation time varies depending on when and how you prepare. In order to save time on some of these meals, cutting and seasoning sometimes has to be done long before the actual cooking time (e.g. during baby's naptime)

Sample Weekly Menu
(for a sample veggie dish, see older post: http://melbob.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html


MONDAY

Quick Beef Casserole (serves 8)

ingredients:

1/2 lb. 90% lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green pepper , cubed
3 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup frozen peas
2 small carrots, diced
1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups water

cooking:

1. In a skillet, brown the ground beef and drain off the fat.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
3. Cook over medium heat and cover skillet until boiling.
4. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 35 minutes.



TUESDAY

Adobo Chicken/Spareribs

1. Mix 1 cup rice vinegar, 3/4 cup soy sauce (or chicken marinade), dash of pepper, 3-4 bay leaves, garlic cloves chopped.

2. Chop chicken pieces/spareribs. (Typical recipe uses about 3-4 lbs. meat so if using only 1 lb. or less, go easy on the vinegar and soy sauce).

3. Mix #1 and #2 and cook over slow heat (after boiling for 20-30 min.)

4. Dissolve 2 teaspoons cornstarch to 2 tablespoons cold water. Stir into ingredients and then serve.


WEDNESDAY

Stir-fry Flank Steak & Zuchinni

1. Cut slab of flank steak into thin biteable pieces (perpendicular to grain).
2. Marinate/season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, cooking wine, cornstarch (as desired to taste)
3. Cut/chop zuchinni into bite-size pieces.
4. Cook zuchinni in frying pan with oil and sprinkle Mrs. Dash and some salt (to taste)
5. Remove zuchinni once soft from pan.
6. Cook, stir-fry steak in pan with oil until done (slightly red/pink on the inside--not too well done)
7. Serve and place zuchinni at bottom of plate and top with steak.
8. (optional) can add cooked sliced tomatoes for color

THURSDAY

Arroz con Pollo (Rice w/ Chicken)

what you'll need:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use Costco frozen thighs, already boneless and skinless, pre-marinate chinese style)

oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, medium diced

chopped garlic

1 1/2 cup raw long-grained rice

1 cup white wine

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, juice and all

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

1 tsp saffron threads (Trader Joes has it much cheaper)

1 bay leaf (may skip if you dont have)

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup frozen white or yellow corn

cookin' time!

1. Brown seasoned chicken pieces over medium heat with oil until evenly brown. Set aside

2. Add onions, celery, garlic to a big pan.
3. Cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to wilt, about 4 mins. Add rice and cook, stirring for 1 mins.
4. Add white wine and tomatoes and cook for 1 min.
5. Add broth, green chiles, saffron, bay leaf, salt and chicken to the pan and replace the lid.
6. Cook for 20 mins, open twice to stir.
7. Add peas and corn, cover, and cook for 3 more mins. Serve.

FRIDAY

Macaroni/Cheese/Beef Casserole

This one is really quick for a Friday night dinner.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese package (follow package instructions in preparation)
1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery
1/2 lb. ground beef (season with salt, pepper, soy sauce to desired taste)

Put in baking Pyrex pan in oven for at 350 for 1/2 hour. And you're done!!

Mom's Apple Pie

What to do with all the granny smith apples from our baby shower? Well, my mom came up with a great idea!! We used them to make apple pie! Mmmm..yummm

Filling:

1. Approx. 2 quarts of water

2. 1/4 cup of lemon juice

3. 6 lbs. of tart apples (granny smith) Approx. 6-8 of the large size ones.

4. 1 3/4 cup of sugar

5. 1/4 cup of flour

6. 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

7. 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg

Mix it in!

In a large bowl, mix the water with 2 tablespoonsfuls of lemon juice. Peel and pit apples. Cut into slices and let soak in water/lemon mix.

In the meantime, in a large pot, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the remaining lemon juice. Drain the apples (throw away the lemon water), add to sugar mixture and stir gently. Let stand for 20 min. Then cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken (about 30 min.) Let cool. Pack in freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace; apply lids and freeze. Makes about 4 pints.

When ready to use, thaw out apple filling, pour over frozen pie crust, and bake at 375 degree for 30 min. uncovered. Make sure you wrap the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil so it won't burn. Remove the aluminum foil towards the end of the 3o min. so it will turn brown to look better.

Enjoy!

10 Power Foods

When I saw avocadoes listed on the top of this list I was delighted!

1. avocadoes- vitamin C, folic acid, lutein, potassium

2. beans: fibers

3. berries: antioxidants, vitamins

4. dark green veggies: folid acid, vitamins A & C, fiber, antioxidants

5. eggs: vitamin A, protein, iron

6. fatty fish: salmon, black cod, sardines: protein, essential fatty acids

7. nuts: vitamin E, protein

8. organic grass-fed beef: zinc, protein, iron

9. sweet potatoes: vitamins A & E

10. yogurt: calcium, probiotic bacteria, protein

Cool Summer Recipes

Now that summer is here and the Southern California weather is feelin' muggy and humid like over in the East Coast, we could do some cooling especially with FOOD. Yum. So while some of these entrees are not all"cooling", they are typically consumed and prepared during the summer season where grilling, BBQing and lightly tossed salads are commonplace and complimentary!

The following recipes are all compiled and/or modified from ideas from friends' friends and simple and easy recipe cookbooks found on the top shelf of our kitchen cupboard. So enjoy and stay cool!

Shrimp Avocado Salad

As soon as I heard the word "avocado" my ears tuned in quickly. Here is a modified recipe I will actually try tonite!


ingredients:

1) 1 bag of frozen cooked shrimp (Trader's Joe's usually has this with tail or without tail and they sell salad shrimp which is generally smaller)

2) 1 ripe avocado

3) olive oil (garlic roasted or regular)

4) Italian herbs such as oregano, thyme

5) lemon juice (from lemon or bottle)

6) white wine vinegar

7) fresh cilantro or basil

8) 2 Roma tomatoes

9) 1 mango diced in cubes

10) Spring Mix Salad or Romaine lettuce

toss the salad!

Peel and dice the avocado, put the shrimp on top. Add the prepared vinaigrette, mix lightly and cover. Vinaigrette1/3 cup roasted garlic olive oil1/2 cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or substitute lemon juice) 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs or 2 tablespoons finelly chopped fresh herbs. Mix all the ingredients in a jar. Give it a shake before using. I usually use dry oregano and thyme or fresh lemon thyme and basil. Add chopped basil leaves, cilantro, tomatoes and diced mango cubes and then toss.

Sticky Pork Steaks

ingredients:

1) 4 lean pork steaks

2) 1/4 cup plum, hoisin, sweet & sour, or duck sauce

3) 1/3 cup honey

4) 1 tbsp ketchup

5) 1 tsp. dark brown sugar

6) 2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

7) 1 garlic clove finely chopped

8) 1 tbsp. finely chopped ginger

9) 1/4 cup sesame oil

10) dry sherry to taste

grillin' time!

Combine the sauce and mix well together. Preheat grill pan over high heat. Arrange the pork steaks in a single layer and brush tops with sauce then place steaks, sauce side down on the grill for 5 min. Brush the upper sides of steaks with sauce, turn, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and cook steaks for about 10 more minutes or until they are firm and juices run clear when pierced with a toothpick or fork. Serve with rice or pasta.

steak sandwich

ingredients:

1) 1 lb. flank steak

2) 1 clove garlic finely chopped

3) cooking wine to taste

4) soy sauce to taste

5) Kosher salt ( a pinch or 2)

6) sugar sprinkle to taste

7) black pepper

8) french bread

9) sliced mushroom

10) sliced brown onion

11) lettuce, tomatoes

preparation time!

1) Turn on broiler on oven

2) Marinate steak with seasonings above. Place flank steak and broil for 3 minutes and turn over for another 3 minutes until desired quality (rare, medium well, well done). When turning, brush rest of sauce on top.

3) After cool down, slice flank steak into bite size pieces (remember to cut against the grain or perpendicular to direction)

4) Stir fry onions and mushroom..Salt to desired taste and sprinkle brown sugar

5) Slice tomatoes and peel lettuce and place in french bread with the steak.

More summer recipes to come! Keep checkin' Or you can submit your favorite recipes please!!

Mother's Day Dinner

You know how it is...home cookin' always beats the crowds at restaurants and especially on Mother's Day. This year, we had the delight again..of both Moms being here as well as my brother who is back from the East Coast for the summer. We also welcomed 2 lovely visitors whom one actually taught at a culinary art school in Taiwan. So Bob was feelin' the pressure! ; )

We cooked a total of 4 dishes and in addition to the main course meal, Mel's dad made a yummy mango pudding (packed with real mangoes) and a platter of fresh fruit from Bob's mom. With the team work of 3: me, Bob, and my brother, we served a warm dinner at the Law resident this year. Here are the 4 main dishes, 2 of them are what you may already recognize from our previous entries:

1. Salmon with tofu (See previous entry for recipe)

2. Bok Choy with Shitake mushroom (See old entries for recipe)

3. Chicken w/ "Hup cherg gua" (Praying squash)

4. Black bean spare ribs

Black Bean Spare Ribs

ingredients:

- a slab of ribs, cut into separate bite-size pieces
- black bean garlic paste
- salt
- generous amounts of corn starch
-cooking wine

cookin' time!
- after seasoning, place in steamer and steam for 1 hr. or more depending on the amount of ribs

And you're done! Quick, easy, and yummy!

Everything Salmon

Another one of our favorites is salmon. You can't get tired of salmon because there are just an endless array of choices when cooking salmon!

Salmon is reasonably a healthy fish, with the least amount of methylmercury as with other types of fish. The health benefits can be attributed to the high level of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids which are thought to contribute to "brain power". It is generally recommended to eat wild salmon rather than farmed salmon since farmed salmon may contain high levels of dioxins which can cause some health risks.

Onto Bob and Mel's cooking ideas with salmon. The following are dishes we have tried at home. At your own caution, you may also try this at home...haha...

salmon with tofu

This is a relatively quick and simple dish if you don't have time to cook.

1.) Cut up silken tofu (soft) into rectangular pieces. Lightly salt the top or splash some soy sauce lightly on top of each tofu piece.

2.) Cut salmon fillet and place on top of each piece of tofu.

3.) Salt the top of the salmon fillet and glaze with black bean garlic sauce

4.) Pour some cooking wine in the dish

5.) Place saran wrap over dish and cook in the microwave for about 2-4 min. depending on the portion that you have.

grilled salmon

1.) Using a salmon steak (with bone), season both sides lightly with kosher salt (more flavorful than regular salt). Pour some soy sauce to desired taste.

2.) Heat up grilling pan with generous amounts of oil so that the salmon will not stick to the pan during frying.

3.) Once the pan is heated, place salmon steak into pan. In the meantime, cut up some thin slices of ginger and green onion.

4.) Grill for about approx. 5 min. (depending on the size/thickness of steak, grilling time may vary) or until a little charred (brown/gold tone) and occasionally flip the salmon.

5.) When it is almost done, the skin will be slightly charred and the salmon will turn to a fleshy lighter pink color, pour some wine over and more soy sauce if needed. Sprinkle ginger and green onion during the grilling and cover the pan (Oil will splash from fish with the high heat and grilling)

broiled salmon

1. With a salmon fillet or steak, season lightly with kosher salt and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash ( a salt-free blend of onion, spices, black peper, basil, bay, marjoram, savory, thyme, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, mustard, rosemary, garlic...you get the idea!)

2. Turn on broiler setting in your oven. Put in broiling pan and broil until done! Feel free to splash some lemon juice on top too!!

All of these are relatively quick and easy to cook. If you have more salmon recipes, we would like to hear them! As crazy about salmon as we are, we would be more than happy to post them here.

Have a nice day!

Stir-Fry Eggplant with Pork

Bob and Mel love eggplant especially when it's cooked with minced pork. Although it's mostly served by itself as a spicy Szechuan dish when we cook it, we take out the spice and instead make it a little tangy n sweet with vinegar and sugar.

With eggplant, it can get a little tricky because it takes awhile for it to soften up. When we cook it, we like to cut it up into smaller chunks.

ingredients:
1.) minced ground lean pork

2.) 2 eggplants, cut into chunks

3.) vinegar to taste

4.) sugar and salt to taste

5.) vegetable oil

6.) soy sauce to desired taste

7.) oyster sauce to desired taste

cookin' time!

Heat up pan with generous amounts of vegetable oil to glaze the eggplants while stir-frying. The eggplant cooks well with the oil and gives it that glisten and soaks up the oil well. Add salt and sugar, vinegar to taste. Season the minced ground pork with soy sauce, sugar, and oyster sauce. After the eggplant has tenderized, remove from pan and then stir-fry the ground pork. After browned and almost done, add eggplant back into the pan and mix the pork and eggplant together. The eggplant should be ready when a fork can go completely through the chunk easily and eggplant has a "sticky" feel to it.

The Power Breakfast

Mornings are always such a RUSH for Bob and I. It's quite obvious, I'm not a morning person.
And I think I made Bob to be likewise.
But I'm starting to want to change my habit of waking up just 15 min. before I'm out the door for work during the week. Aiyah. Anyway, a friend and I were flipping through this book at BORDERS the other day on the Japanese Diet and what makes the Japanese diet so much more healthier...well, we came across the Japanese POWER Breakfast. The POWER is in the rice and carbs that are not what empty calories fill you up in donuts, pastries..etc...
Well, you know me. Whenever I find something intriguing I always voice it to my hubby. Didn't think he was really listening. But he was. And to my surprise, on Sunday night, he came home with the groceries and whipped up dinner in no time. Dinner you say? Well, I ate it the next morning for breakfast too. Inspired by the Japanese breakfast which consists of miso soup, tofu, bonito flakes, rice, seaweed, & fillet of salmon..Bob made us tofu miso soup w/ udon! Mmmmm...yummmm!

And yes, this morning I ended up drinking what's left and it actually gave me more energy...believe it or not! I didn't feel hungry until later! Try it! Oh, but remember...use low sodium miso soup package!

So, let's put the POWER back into breakfast.

ingredients:

1.) miso paste to taste

2.) dried seaweed for soup

3.) enoki mushroom

4.) 1 package of udon noodles

5.) silken soft tofu (optional) cut in cubes

Something Warm for a Cold Winter Evening

Bob is excellent when it comes to thinking about what to cook on the spot. Coming home from a long day of work, he can just peek in the fridge and throw in the ingredients together to make something that warms our hearts and bodies. Thank God for a husband who cooks! He's always full of great ideas..within minutes too!

But of course, Mel is
right there trying to support him as best as she can.

Sometimes the nights can get cold..especially now when it's winter. So, cooking something like potato soup was the most warm-hearted idea and he got Mel thinking about the soup all day the following day! It reminded both of them of the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup but with a different kick to it.

Here are the ingredients. Remember, Bob cooks by "feeling" so the quantity of each ingredient may not be specified here:

1) Approx. 3 large potatoes, unpeeled, rinsed, diced into cubes
2) 1 sweet brown onion sliced (Mel's idea)
3) cilantro to taste (Mel's idea)
4) about 3 pieces of Italian sausage diced and cooked in frying pan
5) Kosher salt & ground pepper to taste
6) approx 2 Tbs. of flour in cold water until smooth consistency
7) about 3/4 full boiling water in pot
8) 2 drops of vanilla (secret ingredient that brings out the flavor)

Boil potatoes, cooked sausages, flour, cilantro, onions in pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add vanilla. Boil until potatoes are soft to bite.

Enjoy some hot soup tonite!

Christmas Dinner 2005

This Christmas, it was a quieter Christmas compared to previous years. We actually all fit around the dining table, according to our cousin Randy, which is a rare event. It was more personal and we had more intimate conversations. Usually our Christmas dinners would include cousins and grandparents from both sides of the family and we would all spread out around the house, on floors or couches, wherever we find space.

The "Be Our Guest" post did not do justice since the pork loin pictured was not actually Bob's pork loin. On Christmas Dinner, while I cooked sticky rice (Randy's favorite) made with shitake mushroom, ginger, garlic, dried scallop, green scallions, and of course, 2 cups premium sweet rice, and 2 cups of regular short-grain rice,

Bob cooked his pork loin for the second time to treat our family. So besides the number of vegetarian dishes, this was a favorite alongside my parent's roast prime rib! So delight yourself in these almost professional pictures taken by Bob. It looks even better than the pictures taken off the web!

Sushi Delight on Christmas Eve

Around noon on Christmas Eve, it was delightfully quiet in Downtown Brea as many were probably preparing for Christmas dinner in their homes. Lunchtime customers slowly trickled into Octopus Japanese Fusion Restaurant. Bob and I thought we'd give this place a try. It was our first time eating here and both of us were pleasantly surprised. Our salivary glands and tummies were satisfied before we had our awaited movie date for C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.

So next time you're in Brea, CA try this place! You will like it! We guarantee it! And right now, they have a limited manager's special with all sushi 50% off for the lunch menu/sushi bar.

Now the key is, we need to open up our sushi cookbook in our cupboard one of these days and try our hand at making them. Anybody want to try? Or anybody have any tips/suggestions? Fire them our way.

Dessert Time!

A friend of mine requested for more dessert recipes in this kitchen. So, one of our classic favorites is the marble cheesecake brownie.

So...warm up your ovens and get ready to stir n bake this finger-lickin' treat! Who knows? You may even make this for your next party!

ingredients:

1 pkg. (21-1/2 oz.) brownie mix

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 cup BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks (optional)

get bakin'!!

PREPARE brownie mix as directed on package; spread into greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

MIX cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

Add egg; mix until blended. Pour over brownie mixture; cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.

Sprinkle with chocolate chunks.

BAKE at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

Be Our Guest!

Bob and I love to have guests over once in awhile. Guests keep our kitchen and our hearts warm. Good ol' conversation over a home-cooked meal is an occasion not to be missed.

So tonite, Bob tried one of his first pork tenderloin dishes! According to him, it is a variation of Emeril's herb-roasted pork tenderloin. Everything was done by "feeling", which is the way Bob cooks anyway... so sorry there are no exact measurements of food portions below.


main ingredients (for the rub):
1. garlic, garlic, garlic
2. italian herb seasoning
3. lemon juice
4. italian salad dressing
5. sugar
6. Mrs. Dash

in the oven:

Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 min. to sear/brown the pork until golden brown
Rub ingredients on top/sides
Reduce to 350 degrees and bake for another hour.
Temperature needs to be about 140F inside when ready.

The pork should be tender--the lemon juice and vinegar from the italian dressing acts as the meat tenderizer.

It was mmm...mmm..yummy...according to our guests tonite.

Oh, and feel free to submit your own pork tenderloin or other favorite recipes especially now that Christmas is here...thanks.

Home-Cookin'

a Vegetable dish

Mel & Bob always want a "balanced" diet. Right. We try to. While Mel enjoys cooking mostly vegetable dishes, Bob enjoys cooking "the MEAT"...that works right? ; )

"Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat." ~Fran Lebowitz

Well, we all know that vegetables are good for you. So are mushrooms. Studies have indicated that mushrooms are loaded with antioxidants and disease-fighting agents even though it IS a fungi...

Here is a SIMPLE recipe for you to cook at home to accompany your main dishes.

Its white stalks and dark green leaves are incredibly healthy and its light, sweet flavor and crisp texture make it a delicious addition to many different dishes. A quick sauté in the Garlic-Ginger- Scallion Stir Fry Sauce transforms this vegetable into an awesome and aromatic side dish in minutes.

(serves 2)
ingredients
1.) 4 heads of bok choy from your local Chinese supermarket
(there are 2 types, one with white stalks and one with green stalks...we generally prefer the one with green stalks)
2.) 1/4 to 1/2 cup of minced ginger, garlic mixed with chicken stock powder (or you can substitute this with 1/4 cup chicken broth)
3.) vegetable oil
4.) kosher salt to taste
5.) black shitake mushrooms (1 cup sliced)
6.) oyster sauce to taste
7.) corn starch mixed in a tiny bowl of water

cookin' time
In a stir-fry pan, coat lightly with oil in high heat. Place ginger, garlic and sautee for a little while until slightly brown. Add bok choy (cut) and stir in kosher salt to taste and chicken powder for about 5 min. After 5 min. lower heat and simmer until leaves and stalks feel softer. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until preferable texture. Remove from pan. Add more oil to coat and the shitake mushrooms (sliced). Stir fry on medium heat adding splashes of water to keep it moist in the pan. Add oyster sauce to taste. Cover pan for approx. 5-8 minutes or until mushrooms feel soft. Meanwhile mix in 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch in a tiny bowl of water with finger. Pour cornstarch/water mix on top of the mushroom in pan and stir for 30 seconds until a thick bubbly sauce appears. Turn off heat and pour mushroom on top of vegetables.
You can also add cornstarch mixture on vegetables while cooking (optional). It will add an extra creamy layer of sauce with the vegetables too! And wala! There you have it!

And just to stimulate your appetite even more for vegetables , this is a picture I took in Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA.

Welcome to Our Kitchen

If you're thinking it's "soul food" it's definitely not!

Here you will:

1) Stay warm & cozy in our kitchen.
2) Try our favorite recipes.
3) Bring your dishes.
4) Maintain a healthy mind/soul.

We've started this blog with the links of our friends and family as well as some of our favorite sites. Enjoy! Thanks for visiting. Will be updated shortly.