California roll plate – otherwise known as sushi without the hard work

My husband and I looooove sushi. I mean, what’s not to like? Rice filled with delicous things you get to dip in soy sauce – yum. However, between our location and our lack of funding, it’s a rare treat for us. As the temperatures have been getting hotter, I have been searching for new recipes and have found one that will definitely be a regular.

Awhile back, we went to a 1/2 price appetizer happy hour at the Yard House at Legends. One of their appetizers is called a California Roll, but it is served on a plate instead of rolled traditional sushi style. Soooo much easier.

So we set about recreating this at our house. To my surprise, you can buy sushi rice at HyVee. Follow the directions printed on the package exactly, and you get perfect, restaurant quality sushi rice. 

What you will need:

To serve between 2-4 people (Depending on hunger)

1 cup dry sushi rice (about 1.5 cups cooked)

1 pound imitation crab

2 ounces cream cheese

1 tbsp Miracle Whip

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon soy sauce, + additional for dressing

1/8 teaspoon Siracha

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 whole avocacdo

1 whole medium cucumber

2 stalks green onions

Cook 1 cup (dry measurement) of sushi rice, following directions on package. You should end up with a bit more than 1.5 cups cooked rice. Layer on the bottom of cold bowls (2-4, depending on size).

In large bowl, melt together 2 ounces cream cheese, 1 tablespoon Miracle Whip, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/8 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/8 teaspoon Siracha. Stir. Gently fold in 1 pound imitation crab (or real crab, if you’re feeling fancy :)), and chopped green onions. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon seasame seeds. Layer mixture on top of rice in bowls.

Next, take 1 whole avocado and cut into segments. Arrange on top of crab mixture.

Cut cucumber (with seeds removed) into matchstick sized pieces. Arrange on top of avocado.

Garnish with a drizzle of soy sauce and serve. Delish, and takes 1/2 the time of regular sushi.

Carnitas recipe

I absolutely love almost any form of carnitas … or most any form of pork for that matter. What can I say, I am the daughter of two Iowans. 🙂

The absolute best way to cook carnitas is as follows:

Ingredients:

1 pork roast (about any size. We usually buy one that’s at least 4 pounds – the leftovers are so good)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 limes

1 bunch of cilantro

3 springs of green onions

2 tsps Sea salt

1 tbsp Sesame oil

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsps pepper

1/2 white or yellow onion, cut into pieces

Cut one pork roast into chunks (say about 2 inches by 1 inch). Do not trim away most of fat, as this is part of the cooking process. Marinate for at least 4 hours in a large ziplock bag. For marinade: combine oil, the juice of two limes (save the rind of 1/2 lime), garlic powder and minced garlic, salt, pepper, 1/2 bunch of cilantro roughly chopped, and chopped green onions and pour into bag, shaking to ensure pork has been covered.

Fill stock pot about 1/2 full of water, throw in pork and marinade. Throw in rind of 1/2 lime, chopped onions, and remaining cilantro. Put stock pot on boiler, on high heat, and bring to boil. Turn down heat to medium, turn on fan on range hood, and let cook uncovered for about 2 hours. Water should evaporate, leaving only the melted pork fat at the end to cook the pork in. Before serving, remove any remaining fat on the pork. Cooked pork will be sinfully delicious and melt in the mouth.

You can serve any way you like, but our favorite way is on warmed tortillas with fresh cilantro lime rice, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa and pico de gallo.

Snickerdoodles = heaven

Stack of yumminess

Do you see these? These are snickerdoodles, and they are one of the most underrated cookies in the universe. Everyone craves chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies … all delicious. But these buttery, cinnamony delights can hold their own.

This is a recipe based on the Betty Crocker snickerdoodle recipe, only better.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

2.75 cups flour

2 tsps cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp Kahlua

To roll finished dough in: 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbsps cinnamon

The key changes from the Betty Crocker recipe include the addition of Kaluah, of cinnamon in the cookie dough, of extra salt (a lot of extra salt), extra cinnamon in the sugar/cinnamon rolling mixture and a heavily greased cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream sugar, eggs, cinnamon, kahlua, butter and shortening with mixer until smooth. Add baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt, mix. Slowly add flour, mixing. When dough is finished, roll in balls (about 2 tablespoons big) and roll the balls in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on heavily greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully. Snickerdoodles very quickly go from underdone, to done, to burnt. Will make about 3 dozen.

Remove from pan to cooling rack immediately to avoid over cooking. Enjoy when warm and buttery.

Comfort food for snowy days

It’s snowing like crazy outside, and we’re well on our way to at least 8 inches of snow. This weather means staying inside all day Sunday (not such a bad thing :)), and making a cozy meal of cheesy garlic beer bread and chicken vegetable soup. Mmm.

View out the kitchen windows while cooking:

Where one of our gardens is in the spring. *sniffle*

On to the important part: the food.

Beer bread recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium or large mixing bowl, mix 2 1/4 cups self rising flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 beer. Mix well. Batter will be lumpy and wet.

Pour into well greased bread pan.

Smooth batter a bit. Batter should fill just more than 1/2 the pan.

Then, if you want it to be extra delicious, top with about a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and just a few dabs of butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or so, or until the loaf is golden brown.

Let loaf rest in bread pan for a couple of minutes, then turn upside down - loaf should slide right out. Put right side up on cutting board.

Slice. Heaven.

Serve with any yummy soup. This is my version of the “kitchen sink” soup, made with homemade spicy chili chicken stock, frozen cubed potatoes, cream of chicken soup, corn, green beans, chicken, milk and cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and deliciousness.

Amazing cookies for Valentine’s Day

These are so good. You must make them now. We are cookie monsters in this house and they get two thumbs up from both of us.

A couple of changes I made when making these: I used 5 tsps of Kaluah instead of vanilla. I used salted butter and the salt in the recipe (salt + chocolate = awesome). We didn’t have quite 3 cups of chocolate chips so I put in 3/4 cup of cocoa instead of the required 1/3. The result: Delicious, puffy, crunchy chewy soft cookies with melted chocolate inside. OMG make them NOW.

OMG delicious.

Half-way through, oozing chocolate.

And the smell – oh the smell. Heaven. It got one Springer Spaniel’s attention, that’s for sure.

Oh, hello there. Can I have a cookie?