Chipotle Bacon Corn Salad

Smoky and spicy chipotle combined with sweet corn and savory bacon with garlic and red onion for extra yumminess. Serve as a side, snack, or even a salad topping!

Spicy Caramelized Onions

Sweetly smoky caramelized onions with a bit of heat.

Tom Yum

Tom Yum Noodle Soup - a Thai style hot and sour soup with shrimp, tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms.

Spanish Okra

I'd gotten some okra, planning to make some Fried Okra. Then I got back and didn't feel like frying the okra. What to do? I looked around at what materials I had around and decided to make some Spanish Okra. I know okra's got a reputation for having a slimy goo when cooked. It's useful for thickening up dishes, but James likes to avoid the slimy feeling. Slicing the okra into small pieces, cooking with higher heat, and cooking alongside acidic ingredients all help decrease the goo, and they're all methods used in this recipe!

Do you like your okra thick and slimy or do you prefer to cook the slime out?

Spanish Okra

by CJ Huang

Okra, sliced and then simmered with tomatoes and onions for a Spanish Okra. Chili powder gives this dish an extra kick!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
193 grams	6.75 ounces		1	onion, diced
370 grams	13.125 ounces		1 can	tomatoes
421 grams	14 ounces		4 cups	okra, sliced	Fresh or frozen both work. I used frozen.
		1 tablespoon		chili powder

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials, and cook until okra heated through and onion cooked.

Linked to: Your Whims Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, Artsy Fartsy Party, Traffic Jam, Friendship Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Fiesta Friday, Saturday Sparks, Inspire Me Monday, What's for Dinner?, Over the Moon, Tuesdays at Our Home, Inspire Me Monday, Hearth and Soul, Fabulous Party

Feta Avocado Dip

Try this feta avocado dip - creamy and spicy with just the slightest tang.

Sweet and Tangy Cucumber Salad

I'm sure just about everyone's had something like this cucumber salad. It's one of those dishes you always hear about mom or grandma passing down. An easy and tasty "no-fail" recipe. Simple enough to make frequently and tasty enough you'll want to! Bring this simple and refreshing cucumber salad to any barbeque, cookout, or gathering, and all your friends will love you even more! (Results not guaranteed.)

You can just throw everything together and serve. I also like to let all the flavors mix and meld so you'll get more flavor in each bite. Just throw everything together like usual, give it a good shake (or stir) and stick it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

What's your favorite recipe passed down from mom or grandma? Share with us in the comments!

Sweet and Tangy Cucumber Salad

by CJ Huang

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 5 minutes + marinating time
Yield: 4 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
436 grams			1	cucumber, chopped
		1 tablespoon		soy sauce
		2 tablespoons		rice vinegar
		1 teaspoon		sesame oil
		1/2 tablespoon		sesame seeds, toasted	As you can see from the images, sometimes I use white, and sometimes black. :)
		1/4 teaspoon		chili pepper flakes

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials and shake together. (Optional - refrigerate for a few hours to overnight to allow flavors to mix and mingle a bit.)

Linked to: Inspire Me Monday, Fabulous Party, Hearth and Soul, Recipe and DIY, Tasty Tuesday, Little Cottage, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Party in Your PJs, Homestead Blog Hop, Full Plate Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Foodie Friday, Friendship Friday, BFF Open House, Home Matters, Saturday Sparks, Saturday Sharefest, Meal Plan Monday, Our Mini Linky Party, What's For Dinner?, Happiness is Homemade, Dishing It Digging It, Inspire Me Monday, Over the Moon, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mix it Up Monday, Inspire Me Monday

Sesame Chicken Sauce

Sesame Chicken - it's a dish commonly found in Chinese restaurants. It's also one of my favorites. I think There was a time when I'd eat Sesame Chicken at least once a week, usually more. (My parents owned a restaurant, for those of you wondering.) If I'm going to a new Chinese restaurant, the first thing I check out is their Sesame Chicken. Only then will I look at other options. And yes, I frequently use Sesame Chicken as a gauge for determining whether a restaurant is worthy of a return trip. While Sesame Chicken can seem a bit complex, it actually boils down to getting the sauce right. So that's what I'm sharing today - Sesame Chicken Sauce. Feel free to adjust to your own tastes and preferences!

For a recipe on how to cook Sesame Chicken using this sauce, check out this Sesame Chicken recipe. :)

Do you have a certain food you order to "test" a new restaurant? What is it?

Sesame Chicken Sauce

by CJ Huang

A sweetly savory and slightly tangy sauce perfect for Sesame Chicken.

Prep time: 1 minutes
Cook time: 4 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1.5 cups

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		1/2 cup		soy sauce
124 grams	4.375 ounces	1/2 cup		rice vinegar	You can use white wine vinegar as a substitute.
92 grams	3.25 ounces	3/4 cup		brown sugar
136 grams	4.75 ounces	1/4 cup		corn starch	optional - this ingredient is used as a thickener. You can see the difference between the top and bottom pictures.
12 grams	3/8 ounces	1 tablespoon		ginger, grated or minced
6 grams	1/4 ounces	1 tablespoon		chili pepper flakes	I used gochugaru.
18 grams	5/8 ounces	2 tablespoons		sesame seeds	optional - toast beforehand for a bit of extra flavor

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials and heat.
	3. Continue to whisk together materials until thickened.

Linked to: Happiness is Homemade, Inspire Me Monday, Inspiration Monday, Dishing It Digging It, Over the Moon, Merry Monday, Fabulous Party, Recipe and DIY Linky, Tasty Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday, Wine'd Down Wednesday. Wow Me Wednesday, Party in Your PJs, BFF Open House, Traffic Jam, #HomeMattersParty, Funtastic Friday, Saturday Sharefest, Saturday Sparks, Meal Plan Monday, Mini Linky Party, What's for Dinner?, Happiness is Homemade

Apricot Chicken

Juicy chicken, cooked to a spicy and fruity perfection.

Taquitos

These flavorful and cheesy taquitos make an amazing on the go snack or meal. Almost like a taco burrito!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Make your own slow cooker BBQ chicken on a bed of sweet potatoes for some delectable and flavorful sweet potatoes. A main dish and a side in one!

Sofritas

I'd heard about sofritas before, and even tried them at Chipotle, but I always thought it'd be some complex and time consuming recipe beyond what I'd be willing or able to make at home. Then I thought about it some more, and going through some of the flavors, it seemed like you could simply scramble tofu in an adobo tomato sauce. Not too difficult at all! Part of the trick is to use really firm tofu. I've gotten the best results with an extra firm "restaurant" style tofu. I'm not sure what makes a tofu "restaurant" style, but I find it easier to work with than the regular extra firm. I'm even gotten away with just draining really well and not pressing the tofu, my least favorite part of working with tofu. So with the time I saved not needing to press the tofu, I used pan frying it before cooking it in an adobo tomato sauce. Pan frying first is an optional step, although pan frying it first will result in a different texture compared to just cooking the tofu in sauce. Any way you make it, you're sure to enjoy these richly flavorful, spicy, and savory sofritas!

What's your favorite type of tofu to use? Why do you like it?

Sofritas

by CJ Huang

Enjoy sofritas at home! Simply braise tofu in a smoky adobo sauce for some richly flavorful, spicy, and savory sofritas. It's easier than you might think!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
572 grams	20.25 ounces		3 blocks	tofu, drained	I used an extra firm Restaurant style tofu.
98 grams	3.5 ounces		1/2	onion, diced
		1 tablespoon		cilantro
113 grams	4 ounces	1/2 cup	1 small can	green chiles	You could also use roasted poblano peppers.
		1/2 teaspoon		cumin
		1/2 tablespoon		oregano
		2 tablespoons		tomato paste
		2 tablespoons		soy sauce
		1/2 teaspoon		pepper
		4 tablespoons		adobo sauce	I used about half actual sauce and half pureed peppers from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
		1 tablespoon		apple cider vinegar
		1 tablespoon	3 cloves	garlic, minced
		1/2 cup		vegetable broth

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Form sauce by combining all materials except tofu.
	3. Wrap tofu in some cloth, and put between two cutting boards, adding a small weight to the top of the stack to press tofu. (Optional - I skipped this step since I used the extra firm Restaurant style tofu.)
	4. Cut tofu into quarters, and pan fry until sides crisp. (Optional - I only pan fried the two sides with a larger surface area and not all six sides.)
	5. Add sauce from Step 2 and scramble tofu.
	6. Continue to scramble tofu until desired size reached, fragrant, and sauce reduced to desired consistency.

Shared with: Tasty Tuesday, Wednesday Showcase, Wonderful Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Creative Ways, Thursday Favorite Things, Freedom Friday, Throwback Thursday, Foodie FriDIY, Bloggers' Pit Stop, Pinworthy Projects, Saucy Saturday, Happiness is Homemade, What's for Dinner?, Sustainable Sunday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Over the Moon, Melt in Your Mouth, What'd You Do This Weekend?, Turn It Up Tuesday

MaPo Tofu

We'd gotten a box of tofu (the 6 pound box, that is), so I needed to find a way to use it all before it turned into Stinky Tofu. I'd already made several versions of my usual tofu sticks, and James kept requesting MaPo Tofu. So MaPo Tofu it is! MaPo Tofu is originally from the Szechuan (although I think the current spelling is Sichuan) province of China. It's got tofu (obviously) cooked in a fiery and intensely spicy sauce flavored with fermented black beans, chili, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Those Sichuan peppercorns! They're actually not tooooooo spicy. However, after eating some, you'll start to feel a spicy numbing sensation (mala - 麻辣 in Chinese) in your mouth. This hot spiciness and numbing spiciness combo characterizes Sichuan cuisine.

MaPo Tofu will sometimes contain ground pork as additional flavor, and you could add a bit if you'd like. I didn't because I didn't think of it until too late. And then, it was, well - too late. You may notice a few ingredients you don't normally keep on hand - Sichuan peppercorns and fermented black beans. Both are available at Asian groceries or some better stocked groceries, and I am noticing the Sichuan peppercorns more frequently. Sometimes they're labelled as pink peppercorns.

I know I always hate buying a bunch of stuff I'll only use once, but once you've made this MaPo Tofu, you'll definitely want more. You could also make Pink Peppercorn Hot Chocolate with the Sichuan peppercorns, and the fermented black beans work wonderfully as a flavoring for lots of different stir fries. One of my favorites is a bitter melon stir fry.

Do you prefer things more on the spicy side or the mild side?

MaPo Tofu

by CJ Huang

A popular Sichuan dish - you'll want to prepare your tastebuds for this bracingly spicy MaPo Tofu flavored with fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, and Sichuan (pink) peppercorns.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
	1 pound			tofu, cubed
		2/3 cup		chicken stock
		1/4 cup		oil	I used olive oil. You could also use hot pepper oil for some additional heat!
		1.5 tablespoons		chili pepper flakes
		3 tablespoons		ginger, grated
		3 tablespoons		garlic, minced
		2 tablespoons		fermented black beans, rinsed
		1.5 teaspoons		corn starch
		4 tablespoons		green onions, sliced

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Heat Sichuan peppercorns and chili pepper flakes in oil until fragrant.
	3. Stir in ginger.
	4. Mix in garlic, cooking until fragrant.
	5. Add in fermented black beans.
	6. Toss in tofu, making sure it's cooked in the sauce.
	7. Mix corn starch into chicken stock, then pour mixture into pot, simmering until thickened.
	8. Throw in green onions, cooking until just wilted. Serve over rice and garnish with additional green onions if desired.

Falafel

We'd recently gone to a Mediterranean restaurant, and Bobert went crazy over their falafel. I thought I'd make him some baked falafel since he loved it so much and chickpeas have such a dense nutrient profile - with lots of protein, fiber, folate, and minerals. Bobert relished this baked falafel, and he kept asking for more, especially when he saw us eating it too. Little guy does not like getting left out! Bobert scarfed these falafel plain, and we enjoyed dipping these falafel in some tahini dip. Either way's yummy! :)

What's your favorite way to enjoy falafel?

Falafel

by CJ Huang

Chickpeas, cooked and then processed with garlic, onions, and many delectable herbs, formed into patties, and then baked into flavorful falafel.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 30 patties, approximately 1/6 cup each

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
781 grams	27.675 ounces			chickpeas, cooked and drained	approximately 2 cups (12.75 ounces, 361 grams) dried chickpeas
30 grams	1 ounce	1 cup		parsley
414 grams	14.675 ounces		4	onions, diced
		4 teaspoons	4 cloves	garlic, minced
		1 teaspoon		cumin
		1 teaspoon		cilantro
		1 teaspoon		pepper
		1 teaspoon		salt
		1 teaspoon		chili pepper flakes
		1 teaspoon		baking powder

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Pulse together all materials until a homogeneous, coarse paste forms.
	3. Form into patties, then bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Serve with Tahini Dip.

Korean Sauerkraut

We recently got a head of cabbage, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. Then James mentioned he thought some sauerkraut would be good, but I didn't want to risk making a whole cabbage's worth of sauerkraut only to not have it turn out since I remembered the last time I did, and we ended up discarding most of the batch. So I thought maybe I could make a few different batches. As luck would have it, I was also reading through Nourishing Traditions, and they have four sauerkraut recipes! I figured if I made 4 different batches, at least one would turn out, right? Plus, if they didn't, at least we wouldn't have to eat too much before moving onto the next flavor. I'll share these four sauerkraut recipes (regular, Latin American, Korean, Japanese) with you over the next weeks.

This time, we're making another sauerkraut with an international flair. This Korean-inspired sauerkraut captures the spirit of kim chi without being overly spicy. (Although you could easily add chili pepper flakes if you're so inclined.) :) Often, when eating a Korean-style meal, you'll have one main dish, and a plethora of sides, the most common being kim chi. This Korean sauerkraut doesn't taste exactly like kim chi, but it definitely gets the idea across!

Do you prefer your food spicy or mild?

Korean Sauerkraut

by CJ Huang

A Korean-inspired sauerkraut brings together the traditional flavors without being overly spicy.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 10 minutes + fermenting time
Yield: 1/2 quart

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
294 grams	10.375 ounces		1/4	cabbage, shredded
104 grams	3.75 ounces	1/4 cup		carrots, grated
		1 teaspoon		ginger, grated
		1 teaspoon	1 clove	garlic, minced
		1 teaspoon		chili pepper flakes
		1 teaspoon		salt
		1 tablespoon		whey	I strained some from my kefir. You could also strain it from yogurt. Just make sure it's got some cultures in it! :) Or if you prefer not to use whey, you could increase the amount of salt.
12 grams	0.375 ounces			green onions, sliced

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials and mix together.
	3. Place mixture into a jar, and press/beat down until liquid covers all solids.
	4. (Optional - Place a layer of plastic film on top to decrease exposure to oxygen. I like to use this layer of plastic film to slow evaporation and decrease air exposure, but as long as the sauerkraut is covered in liquid, you should be fine.) Allow to ferment at room temperature, tasting the sauerkraut to determine if it has fermented enough. Once fermented to your taste, store refrigerated.

Shared with: Delicious Dishes, Wonderful Wednesday, Waste Less Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Wednesday Showcase, Creative Ways, Pinworthy Projects, What's For Dinner? Sunday, Happiness is Homemade, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sustainable Sunday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, What'd You Do This Weekend?, Turn It Up Tuesday