After a hard day’s work of cleaning the backyard up and readying it for summer, I decided what better way to celebrate than with a good meal cooked over charcoal, enjoyed at my outdoor dining table with a nice glass of red wine (because we still have chilly nights here). I consulted with the hubby on what we should have (because he’d been working hard all day too), and he came up with, “Beef – something like stir fry, where beef’s not the main attraction. Or shrimp.” Hmmm, stir fry on a grill?

Instead, I decided on kebabs, since what he mainly wanted was a big dose of vegetables. Surf and turf would be good, over rice. While perusing the store I saw a huge display of oranges which spurred the idea for a ancho chili and orange marinade. (more…)

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Cooking outdoors, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Wine pairings by Courtney

Yesterday morning I’m laying in bed, checking my email and reading the news, when I get an IM from my husband:

“http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/apr/07/how-to-make-shooters-sandwich … this looks soooo goood”

Nevermind the fact that we’re only 10 feet away from each other and he IM’d this to me; he was right. This did look good. So out of bed I hopped, deciding to get ready and head to the farmer’s market to procure some tasty ribeyes from Prather Ranch. After a quick check of the other ingredients (yes, I do have Dijon; no, I don’t have horseradish), we were off on this rainy day to gather our food. (more…)

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Dinner, Lunch, Sandwiches by Courtney

A few weekends ago I finally got around to making my own sukiyaki from a recipe in a new cookbook, Japanese Hot Pots. When we had this for the first time in Japan, I loved the social nature of the meal, chattering as we plopped in the ingredients, the discussion of whether or not the individual pieces were ready for eating yet. It was a lot of fun, and something I so wanted to recreate.

So I did, and it was so much easier than I anticipated! I headed to the Japanese grocer to pick up the ingredients, which did lend a hand in the ease of this meal (my beef was already sliced to the perfect thickness – though you could easily get everything you need at your normal grocery and take the time to slice your own). This was fun in itself, as I got to wander the aisles, seeing what new treasures this grocery had to offer (dried sardines with sticky sweet soy sauce was one!). (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Japanese, World traveller by Courtney

Even though almost every Japanese restaurant I’ve been to has sukiyaki, I’ve never tried it. It always seemed odd to me that two people had to order the meal, and given that I had no idea what it was, I always decided to pass, getting sushi or soba. While we were in Kyoto, one of our options for dinner at the ryokan was sukiyaki. Given that we always ate the same thing at the ryokan, I decided we should try it. Man have I been missing out all this time!

The Japanese seem fond of cooking their meals at the table. In this instance, a gas burner was lit, with a cast iron pot atop. Our hostess brought out two huge plates, one piled high with beef, another with a variety of vegetables. Two eggs were sitting at our place settings, still in their shells. After the pot was heated up, bits of this and that were added to it, and a broth poured over it all – just enough to get everything wet. (more…)

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Dinner, Japanese, World traveller by Courtney

A couple of years back I saw this recipe on an episode of Everyday Italian. The theme of the show was Picnic Planner, as Giada was packing a lunch to surprise her hubby with at work. The show was a bit cheesy, but the recipes had stuck in my mind for a while, especially the pasta. I love arugula and had wanted to make this for quite a while.

Earlier this year when arugula came in in the garden, I knew just what to use it for. I had always kind of thought this recipe was odd for a picnic, but after making it, I decided it was more like a pasta salad — perfect warm or at room temperature. The sauce you pour over it is basically a dijon vinaigrette, which is very quick and easy to make. Thus me making it this week with what I could find in the refrigerator and pantry. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Lunch, Quick and Easy by Courtney