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Category: Preparation

Experiment: Swimming Angel

Well my new job has keep me quite busy and out of the kitchen, but this week I had a chance to work on a few new recipes – and here are the results from one of them.  Swimming Angel is a popular Thai restaurant dish with steamed spinach, white rice, and a stir fried protein (and maybe some vegetables), covered in a spicy, yet sweet peanut sauce. There is a reason why this dish is popular, it is wonderfully delicious when done well. I think the key aspect of this dish is the sauce – slightly spicy, slightly sweet, slightly nutty, and silky smooth. I researched this sauce once in the past and this simple recipe produces the results I desire. The ingredients are just coconut cream…

White Rice for One

Lately I have been cooking several different side dish staples using sous vide and I thought it was time to start sharing them with you. I know it may seem boring and a bit redundant to write about cooking rice, but trust me this is great information for cooking small amounts of rice perfectly while helping you minimize waste or to help you from over indulging! The first of these posts (except for the Mashed Potato for One post I wrote at this time last year) is cooking white rice for one. I’ll admit, rice is common ingredient in many of my recipes, but it is difficult to cook the optimal serving size for just one person. I’ve tried stove top in my smallest…

Product Review: Loki Smart WiFi Meat Thermometer

Today I want to share with you a cool product I recently received from a Kickstarter I supported. The Loki smart WiFi meat thermometer from Loki Products is a great tool for monitoring your roasted, grilled, and smoked dishes. The Loki app allows you to connect to and control the thermometer, freeing you to do other things while your food does it’s thing – like get tasty in a smoker box – which is today’s test. Here are some pictures of the unit and a few links to learn more about this new kitchen tool. Here it is! What’s in the box? Here is what you get… Unpacked and ready to connect! Check out how simple the instructions are! Did you…

Making Kimchi

Tonight I am going way out on a limb. I have never made kimchi before, but I had some napa cabbage to use up so I thought, “what the heck, why not?”.  I found several recipes online and from them I settled on the tweaked recipe below. I have to say the process for this ‘easy kimchi’ was fun. And do you know what the best part is… I can say I made it!  Now, I wonder what fun things I can make with my kimchi later this week? Save Print Preparing Kimchi Prep time:  120 mins Total time:  2 hours   Ingredients 1 lb napa cabbage, cored and cut up into 1 inch slices 3 oz daikon radish, julienned 1…

Preparing Sauerbraten

Today I am preparing sauerbraten. That’s right, you read that correctly… sauerbraten – that delicious German beef roast which is marinated for 3 days in red wine, vinegar, onions and spices. Will it be for one?  This time, it will make enough for two meals so either invite a friend for dinner or use the leftovers in an out of this world Sauerbraten Stew. Are you ready to start?  I promise with this smaller portion, you will not have to wait for 3 days! Save Print Preparing Sauerbraten Prep time:  25 mins Cook time:  5 mins Total time:  30 mins   Ingredients 1½ – 2 lbs beef bottom round roast ½ cup dry red wine (I am using a German pinot noir…

Preparing Sous Vide Chicken Cordon Bleu

Today, I want to show you how I prepare chicken cordon bleu for cooking sous vide style. If you have ever made chicken cordon bleu before, you know that cheese usually begins spilling out before the chicken is done, making a mess and impacting the final results you hoped for. So rather than use a combination of complicated folds and toothpicks/skewers to avoid this situation, I use the vacuum sealed bag to keep everything tight and in place while it cooks in the water bath. Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly, simply open the vacuum bag and finish preparing the rolled chicken breast by breading and frying or just pan searing it. Another bonus is that you can prepare several chicken breasts at once and conveniently freeze…

Preparing a pork shoulder for pulled pork

In preparation for tomorrow’s pulled pork dinner, I want to brine the pork shoulder overnight. I know it seems like extra work, but the results will speak for themselves – trust me! Here are the ingredients I use to create my brine. Pulled Pork Brine Ingredients: 2 – 3 lb pork shoulder 1/3 cup salt 2 tsp Smoky Mesquite grinder 1/2 tsp ground Chipotle Chili 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp minced onion 1/4 fresh cracked black pepper 2 tbsp molasses 1 qt water (or enough to cover the pork) Preparation: Place all ingredients, except pork, into a large zip closure bag. Add 2 cups of water and close the bag. Swirl the bag to mix spices and dissolve…