anniversary dinner part two: the perfect side

My boyfriend loves three things when it comes to food - Peanut Butter, Spicy, and Garlic so that was my inspiration for this Thai inspired cold noodle salad i made to go along with the fried shrimp.  like i have mentioned before i cook in a chaotic way but to me there is method to my madness.  i researched tons of different peanut sauces, and dressings, and noodle this and noodle that until i was able to gather the best of all the recipes and mash it up into what i thought would taste the best.

i started with linguine noodles and used about half a box for the two of us knowing that my boyfriend was going to need some leftovers for lunch the next day.  i like my pasta al dente so after about 12 minutes i drained my noodles and let them cool.  be sure to give your water a good dash of salt and olive oil, this not only flavors the pasta but also prevents your noodles from sticking to each other.  also keep in mind that i am on weight watchers and constantly trying to create health conscious dishes so i did use whole wheat pasta but feel free to use white flour pasta, even soba noodles if you had the time to go to the Asian market.

the sauce is super easy also, i started by adding 1 cup of peanut butter and half a can of coconut milk (again i used the light coconut milk but you can use the full fat if you prefer) and put it on med-low heat.  as the peanut butter began to liquefy i added in a heaping teaspoon of minced garlic, the juice of half a lime and began to squeeze in the siracha paste.  siracha is like a spicy Asian ketchup and it is freaking awesome.  my boyfriend and i can handle a little heat (in and out of the bedroom -- gosh i just set myself up for that one) so i started with a generous squirt, worked it in and then tasted.  the amount of siracha is personal preference only, i ended up using about 4 teaspoons which gave the sauce a nice heat that snuck up on you once the coconut and peanut butter taste subsided.

incorporate the warm noodles [you do not want them to be entirely cooled down, if the pasta is warm the sauce will stick better and really be absorbed better] with the sauce.  allow to cool completely.  now you could stop here... but why would you?  ransack the fridge for all the veggies you have that you need to use up.  i added shredded carrots, thinly sliced red onion, julienne red peppers to my noodle salad.  adding bean sprouts, snap peas, water chestnuts would also be tasty!  this salad is perfect it has subtle heat, elements of crunch and creaminess and lets be honest pasta is always delicious.

stay tuned for the easiest fried shrimp recipe and the chili garlic sauce that passed what Guy Fieri would refer to as the "flip flop test." until next time, eat laugh love and enjoy!

anniversary dinner part one: dessert first

so, i cook for my boyfriend pretty much every chance i get.  and let me tell you, it gets kind of difficult coming up with new and exciting ideas.  my guy is a foodie much like myself, we love to try new places and split as many small plates as we can, its kind of our thing -- so when it comes to cooking for him i feel like it needs to blow his mind everytime, and then again after dinner .. cue bad joke drums..

as he and i approached our 6 month anniversary, i racked my brain for the perfect menu to really show him how much i care about him and here is what i came up with: fried shrimp with chili garlic sauce, thai peanut noodle salad, and chocolate peanut butter cake for dessert.  if that doesnt say "i think your pretty cool" then i dont know what does!

so the way i cook is kind of like organized disaster.  i google as many recipes as i possibly can and then take the best parts of each recipe and sort of then do my own thing.  luckily for me.. and for anyone who eats my food it always comes out well.  i show up at the grocery store, like a wild amazonian princess and start grabbing everything i need:  shrimp, garlic, siracha, coconut milk, peanut butter, limes.  and then i forgot the cocoa powder so i go back and grab that along with chocolate bars, some red bell peppers, red onion, shredded carrots, SHIT i forgot the corn starch so i race through the aisles looking for corn starch, finally when i think i have grabbed everything i make my way to check out and treat myself to a well deserved, ice cold diet coke.  murphey's law teaches that i in fact DO NOT have everything so i run back to the store to get the few things i forgot.

i had made my chocolate cake the night before our anniversary dinner.  i used an amazing Paula Deen recipe for chocolate cake.  it came out light and moist and was just the right amount of buttery. yeah get over it i said buttery..for the filling i combined 1 cup of peanut butter, 8 ounces of cream cheese, a splash of vanilla, and added powdered sugar in until it became thick and creamy.  for the frosting i made a chocolate ganache by melting bittersweet ghiaradelli bars in warm half and half, when the mixture became cool i mixed in room temperature butter until the ganache thickened, and almost turned into a mousse texture.  i wish i could have recorded my boyfriends reaction to the dessert, i think his exact phrasing was "mmmm SHUT THE FUCK UP"  at this point he had not said those three little words, but STFU was almost sweeter.  he was more turned on by the dessert than the sexy lingerie i had worn.. my cooking skills are a blessing and a curse, a real catch 22.

stay tuned, this three course meal is a three course blog, until next time eat laugh love and enjoy!

easy as puff

hello foodies, and let me start this post by apologizing for my time away.  my busy schedule should be no excuse to go this long without sharing my culinary creations...i am forced to quote the wise movie Wedding Crashers- Rule 76: no excuses, play like a champion.  and that i shall do, i am going to share with you this super easy recipe that will take you 30 minutes or less to prep and cooks up so quickly you barely have time to clean up the mess you didn't really make!  how great does that sound?!

so truth be told, this recipe idea came from a culmination of a few different things i saw on pinterest.  the great thing about it is the only ingredient that must stay the same is the pizza dough, everything else can be swapped out.  i started making these pizza puffs for my boyfriend a few months into our relationship.  he works odd hours and he's a guy so his idea of cooking is pretty much making coffee (joking, my boyfriend is actually a good cook -- have i tried anything yet?? NO but he claims to be) and i thought it would be nice to make something that was filling, yummy, and most importantly very easy to reheat.  during this time, the great food truck race was airing on food network, so he and i instantly went into "if we had a food truck mode" and started coming up with all different types of fillings to try and let me tell you the possibilities are endless!

*Here is the basic pizza puff:  one ball of store bought pizza dough can be cut into 12 smaller balls.  stretch the dough gently and kind of stick it to one hand, you are going to need your second hand to stuff the filling and then fold the dough back around itself.

*Filling:  mix one cup of ricotta, a sprinkle of oregano (dried), a generous dash of garlic powder, and some shredded mozzarella.  this is a classic cheesey filling -- add pepperoni, sausage, meatballs for a delightfully meaty italian twist.

*Filling: are you feeling like a fiesta? mix together cheddar and jack cheeses, some taco seasoning, and sauteed onions and peppers.  why not a bit of grilled chicken? 

*Filling: left over steak from dinner?  slice it thin and add in sauteed mushrooms and provolone.  who said a philly steak cant come in a puff?

*Filling:  mix 8 oz cream cheese, with 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing, a grilled chicken breast diced, and add hot sauce- to your liking and voila .. buffalo chicken

are you starting to get the idea?  lots of great ideas!  you will want to put a tablespoon of filling in the dough that is right in the center of your palm.  begin to stretch the sides around the filling until the dough has completely closed in the filling.  place seam side down in your baking dish, brush the top with olive oil to get a nice golden brown and bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes.  

until next time, eat laugh love and enjoy!