Homemade Sushi Rolls

I've got a surprise for you guys!

What, you ask?!  Our engagement pictures are done!  And I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE them!  Our photographer Adam did such an amazing job!  If you want to check them out, head on over to his site and let me know what you think!

Andy and I love going out for sushi.  It's probably one of our go-to things for dinner when we're in one of those indecisive modes.  It's always a winner.  But it can get a little pricy sometimes, so every now and then, we'll make it at home!

Ingredients:


2 cups cooked rice
1-2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
cooked shrimp
smoked salmon
cream cheese
Sriracha
avocado
cucumber
nori sheets

The great thing about sushi is that you can practically put anything you want it there!  Just don't over pack!

The only real work you have to do is make the sushi rice.  And that's just basically mixing cooled cooked rice with some seasoned rice vinegar (we don't really have a ratio, just add as much as you see fit!).  

We made two different rolls here:

The first being shrimp, avocado, cucumber inside out roll with Sriracha dots on top.

And the second being a traditional roll of smoked salmon, cucumber, and cream cheese.

Both were equally delicious!  I made a sushi post last year with a great how-to on how to roll sushi, so just check that out here!

Have you ever made your own sushi?  What do you like to put in it?

Spicy Fried Rice w/ Chorizo

Happy Friday guys!  I am so elated that it's rearing up to be the weekend, that it's not even funny.  We've got a pretty jam-packed weekend planned, actually.

Tomorrow morning is the Derby Marathon & Mini.  And no.  My butt is not running in it.  I'm not that in shape yet.  I'll actually be volunteering at one of the Powerade and water stations (mile marker 10/19 for those of you that are actually running!).  The only bad thing about this is... I have to be there at 6:15am.  SIX. FIFTEEN. In the morning.  On a Saturday.  Yeah.  I'm dedicated to giving the runners their fluids.

But it won't be so bad.  I've been on a volunteering kick lately, so it'll be good to get out there and do some good.  (And I get a free t-shirt, so that's always a plus!)

And there's also a free concert (that was supposed to be by the river, but considering Waterfront Park looks pretty much like Atlantis right now, I'm positive that they'll be relocating that) on Saturday night that we plan on going to with a couple friends.  The band?  Soul Asylum.  Yeah, anybody remember that early 90's band?  Most famous for that song "Runaway Train".  Yeah, I was 7 when that came out, so no, I don't really remember that band... but since Andy is a tad bit older than I am, he remembers them clearly.  Which is also funny because he can't ever remember to take out the trash on Mondays, but yet, remembers a band from ages ago.  But I digress. 

Anyway, let's talk fried rice.  Fried rice is one of those things that I believe my mom can make the best.  She always just added in whatever we had laying around the house, and it was always amazing.  Definitely great for dinner all on it's own.  But I'm not bragging.

What I will be bragging about, is this new recipe for fried rice that may give my mom's many versions a run for her money.  It's spicy, it's filling, it's absolutely delicious.  So go ahead, try it out - you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:
Adapted from PigPigCorner's recipe

2-3 cups leftover cooked rice (cold and day old is usually best)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 pieces of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 scallions (green parts only), chopped
1 large cooked chorizo sausage (or whatever meat/protein you want to add - I just had some leftover), chopped
2 tablespoons Sriracha, or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Soy sauce, to taste
3 eggs

In a medium bowl, mix leftover rice with the melted butter and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together Sriracha, sugar, and hot water.  Set aside.

In a large skillet under medium high heat, fry up the bacon pieces until browned and crisp, about 6-8 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Set aside.

Drain pan of the bacon fat, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons still in the pan.  Add the diced onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic and half of the scallions.  Saute for about a minute more.

Add rice to the pan and pour Sriracha mixture over top.  Mix well.  Stir fry for about 3-5 minutes, or until rice is started to "crisp" or brown.

Crack the eggs over the rice and stir to scramble throughout mixture.  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in bacon pieces and chorizo.

Season mixture with soy sauce, I think I used maybe 2-3 tablespoons and it was perfect. 

Stir in sesame oil and remaining scallions.  Serve hot and with extra Sriracha if you'd like!

This was seriously delicious.  We had this with some Red Curry Chicken Wings (recipe soon to come!) and it couldn't have been a better meal.  The best part?  We had a good amount of leftovers, and after making this on Tuesday, they're practically almost gone.  It's almost bittersweet... but then again, I could always just make some more!

How do you guys fix your fried rice?  Leftovers are always useful!

Hope you all have a great weekend and look forward to a new recipe on Monday!

Spicy Macaroni & Cheese

Happy Friday guys!  You don't even know how happy I am that the weekend is finally here!  It was a crazy week back at work - or maybe I'm just being a baby and wanted one more week (or a few) of vacation.  But such is life.  Bills need to be paid and my butt needs to work.  Regardless... the weekend is here.

Tomorrow should be plenty of fun.  It's Thunder Over Louisville and we'll be heading to Slugger Field for the Bats game and a permanent seat for all the fireworks festivities!  I should have some good pictures next week so look out for them!

Now let's talk macaroni.  Macaroni and cheese, to be exact.  There's so many different ways to make the mac, how does one choose a favorite?  Andy... he's a big fan of "the cheesier, the better" - and he makes a mean mac, that's for sure.  But he makes it on the stove, and that's all well and good - But me, I kind of like to spice things up.  Be unique.  I am a fan of baked macaroni and cheese.  You know, you get the crunch of the exterior noodles and then you have the underneath layers of smooth and creamy macaroni.  Definitely good stuff.

Something I don't like is dry macaroni and cheese.  You know, the baked ones that don't have any creaminess to them at all.  Just pretty much flavorless noodles that have cheese (that's not really gooey or creamy) just sort of stuck to the noodles.  Don't know what I mean?  Well... then you're lucky, and you go on eating your good and creamy mac!

How about you guys?  What your favorite way to make the mac?!?  I'd love new suggestions to try!

Ingredients:

12 oz. fusilli pasta
1/4 cup unsalted butter
5 large garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 & 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (more or less, depending on your preference)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 & 1/2 cups wheat bread, cut into small cubes (about 1/4 inch)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions (I did about 10-11 minutes).  Drain pasta well and return to pot.

Grease a large baking dish (9x13) and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter under medium high heat.  Stir in about 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.  Whisk in flour and stir constantly for about a minute.  Then whisk in milk, and season roux with salt and pepper. 

Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.  Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, sriracha, and cayenne pepper.

Pour mixture over pasta and mix well.  Spoon mixture into an even layer in the baking dish.

Wipe skillet clean (or use another one, but I like to keep the dishes to a minimum!) and heat under medium high heat.  Add olive oil to pan and heat until shimmering.  Add bread cubes and cook about 5-7 minutes, or until starting to brown.  Stir in remaining garlic during the last couple minutes of toasting bread to infuse a little bit more flavor.

Top pasta with garlicky bread crumbs and bake for about 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling.

This is a perfect side dish to any spring/summer cookout, or you could be like us and just eat a big plateful for dinner!  I loved the garlicky crunch of the bread in contrast with the subtle heat of the macaroni and cheese.  Give this one a go if you're a macaroni and cheese aficionado like us!

Have a great weekend guys!

Mixed Grill w/ Spicy Bourbon Sauce

Happy Monday everybody!  Honey Caramel Ice Cream won out the poll (by a landslide!) last Friday, so look forward to that sometime this week.  We had a pretty good weekend, going out to dinner with friends and just enjoying this beautiful weather!  Which has turned into gray skies and cold rain!  What a way to start a week off huh?

It was a beautiful weekend in our neck of the woods.  Temps were 65F or above and guess who had to work on Saturday?  Me!  Couldn't enjoy any of it!  Well, any of Saturday, anyway.  I did get a pleasant surprise when I came home Saturday night though - found out I got a $2000 scholarship toward the Fall Quarter of Culinary School!  Major score!

Good thing I had Sunday off... and the weather was still just as nice.  So we took the opportunity to bust out the grill for the first time this year and fire up some good meats!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Bon Appetit's recipe


For Marinade:


3/4 cup dark brown sugar
6 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup mild molasses
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 & 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha
salt and pepper, to taste
3 green onion, chopped

For Meat:

1 rack of baby back pork ribs (2 lbs.)
8 beef back ribs (3 lbs.)
8 chicken drumsticks
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon bourbon

To prepare your marinade, in a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, garlic, molasses, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili powder, ginger, and Sriracha.  Mix until sugar is dissolved.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then add green onions.

Sprinkle meats with salt and pepper on both sides. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Place pork ribs and chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Place beef ribs in a metal baking pan.  Use half of marinade to coat all meats and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.  For remaining marinade, cover and set in fridge until ready to grill.

Position one oven rack in bottom third of oven and another in top third of oven.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Add beef broth to metal pan with beef ribs.  Place ribs meat-side down on top of broth (if not already in that direction).  Cover baking sheet with pork and chicken, as well as pan with beef, tightly with foil.  Place chicken and pork on lower rack and beef in top rack of oven.

Bake the chicken and pork for about 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and open foil.  Cut pork rack into individual ribs pieces and place on a large platter.  Place chicken on platter, as well.  Bake beef for a total of 2 hours, then remove from oven and open foil.  Place beef ribs on platter.

Carefully oil grill racks with a kitchen towel and fire up charcoal grill under medium high heat.

Meanwhile, prepare your bourbon sauce.  Pour the pan juices from pork, chicken, and beef baking sheet/pan into a medium saucepan.  Carefully spoon off the fat.  Boil juices until reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 25 minutes or so.  Add bourbon (I used Woodford) and bring mixture back to a boil.  Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, and additional Sriracha, if desired.

Place meats on grill (I had to do this in 2 batches - had enough room for the pork ribs and chicken on the first batch, and then the beef ribs on the 2nd batch) and brush with reserved marinade.  Grill until slightly charred, about 10 minutes or so, turning occasionally.

Serve meats with prepared bourbon sauce and your choice of grilled veggies (we stuck with potatoes and asparagus). 

This was definitely a great way to kick off the grilling season, let me tell you.  We tried to invite people over so we wouldn't seem so gluttonous with all this meat between the two of us, but nobody bit the offer.  So they definitely missed out!  So next time you need an idea for a barbecue/cookout - let this be your answer!  Enjoy your Monday guys!

Korean Japchae

I know what you're thinking... Jap-what? Japchae. Kind of like a Korean version of Filipino pancit (which I'm still partial to). Andy described it as a taste he's never experienced before... good or bad, I took it as a compliment.

On a side note, another late post and I apologize. Middle of the weeks have been rough. Too many tests crammed in there, but I promise, I'm still lighting up that kitchen! Just a couple more weeks and spring break will be here and I'll be Savannah, Georgia bound... any recommendations of things to do down there for anybody that's been?

Ingredients:

1 rib-eye steak, thinly sliced and most fat removed
1 bunch spinach
2 carrots, julienned
5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, sliced
handful of green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 package vermicelli rice noodles
1/8 cup seasoned rice vinegar

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add rice noodles. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, then drain and place in large bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix well.

Wash the spinach and blanch for about 1-2 minutes. Drain well and mix in with noodles.

In a large skillet under medium high heat, add about 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil and stir-fry the carrots, onions, and garlic. Add that mixture to the noodles.

Add beef and mushrooms to same skillet and cook until beef is done. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Stir in the green onions and add mixture to noodles.

Finally, add in remaining soy sauce and sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mix well and serve!

Like I said, I'm still partial to the Filipino pancit after eating this dish. It was tasty.... different... but tasty nonetheless. Enjoy!