Outback Bread

A delightful honey wheat bread with a crunchy outside and a soft and sweet inside.

General Tso's Meatballs

General Tso's Chicken is one of James' favorite things to order at Chinese restaurants, so when I saw this recipe for General Tso's Meatballs on I Breathe, I'm Hungry, I knew I had to give it a try. We didn't have any ground chicken or turkey, so I substituted ground beef. Since then, we've also tried it with ground pork. Great results each time! Aside from changing the meat, I didn't add any water into the sauce. I thought the amount of liquid was good for the amount of meatballs, and we still had a bit of sauce left over at the end. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to freeze these meatballs premade - they were so tasty!

What's your favorite dish to make in meatball form?

General Tso's Meatballs

by CJ Huang

Sweetly spicy and slightly tangy, you've got to try this General Tso's in meatball form!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 42 meatballs

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
	1 pound			ground meat	I used beef.
		2 tablespoons		ginger, grated
		1/4 cup		green onions, sliced
		2 teaspoons	2 cloves	garlic, minced
		1/4 cup		almonds, ground	or 5 tablespoons breadcrumbs
			1	egg
		1/2 teaspoon		sesame oil
		3 tablespoons		rice vinegar
		3 tablespoons		soy sauce
		1 tablespoon		honey
		1 teaspoon		chili pepper flakes

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine meat, ginger, green onions, garlic, egg, and almonds. Mix all materials until homogeneous.
	3. Pan fry meatballs until crispy or bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
	4. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and chili pepper flakes. Pour over cooked meatballs.

Shared with: Wednesday Showcase, Waste Less Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Creative Ways, Throwback Thursday, Foodie FriDIY, Pinworthy Projects, Happiness is Homemade, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, What's for Dinner Sunday, Over the Moon, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, What'd You Do This Weekend?, Turn It Up Tuesday

Basic Asian Dressing

A quick and simple Asian inspired salad dressing with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic mixed with a bit of oil and lime.

Bacon Jam

Sweetly savory and full of bacony goodness, this bacon jam's sure to please.

Chinese Coconut Buns

A sweet coconut filling almost melts into the soft and tender dough of these Chinese Coconut Buns.

Honey Mustard Shrimp

A light, yet flavorful shrimp with honey, white wine, and just a hint of mustard.

Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing / Marinade

A zesty Asian inspired sesame dressing or marinade with fragrant sesame, garlic, ginger, and onion in a rice vinegar and soy sauce base.

Caramelized Baked Chicken Legs

I'm excited to introduce Danielle from Mostly Food and Crafts as the first guest poster on Morsels of Life! Danielle often shares tasty eats, and I know I can always look forward to her bookmarks every Saturday. There's always some tasty treat or fun craft. :) So, without further ado, let's welcome Danielle and her scrumptious recipe - Caramelized Baked Chicken Legs!

---

Hi Everyone! My name is Danielle and I blog over at Mostly Food and Crafts. I blog mostly about cooking for and with my family.

I am so excited to be guest posting here at Morsels of Life today.

I would love it if you stopped my blog to say "Hi" and check out some of my other recipes and crafts.

Delicious and easy Caramelized Chicken Legs the whole family will love.

Pear Brie Quesadillas

Combine pear and Brie cheese with a bit of rosemary for a more "elegant" quesadilla, perfect as an appetizer, snack, dessert, or anytime!

Honey Mustard Dressing

A versatile honey mustard dressing or marinade with just three ingredients!

Balsamic Strawberry Galette

An elegantly rustic tart with slices of strawberries marinated in a honey balsamic sauce with a simple butter crust.

Cranberry Sauce

A quick and simple sweetly tart cranberry sauce.

Grapefruit Ginger Marmalade

Try this chunky marmalade with grapefruit, clementines, and a little ginger!

Korean Cold Noodles

With the temperatures being as high as they are, why not eat some cold
noodles? Not only are these noodles quick, easy, and tasty, they're
(as the name would imply) cold! The materials and methods reflect what
I made, but you could certainly modify the recipe to suit your palate
and desires. I'm told by James that these noodles and sauce aren't authentic,
but my thinking is "if it tastes good, that's close enough!"


Traditional Korean cold noodles, or naengmyeon, are made from
long, thin noodles, usually buckwheat, but potentially potatoes, sweet
potatoes, arrowroot, or kudzu. Sometimes they even add things like
green tea or seaweed! Korean cold noodles originated from
North Korea, especially around Pyongyang and Hamhung, but it became
popular throughout Korea after the Korean War.


Naengmyeon can be divided into two categories - mul
naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon. Mul naengmyeon is
served in a cold soup, and bibim naengmyeon (the kind I made)
is mixed with a sauce and then eaten (like spaghetti). Traditionally,
it's made with a very spicy sauce using gochujang. I was originally going
to add it at the end so each person could use only as much as they
wanted, but then James said Korean cold noodles aren't spicy, so I
didn't end up using any - or maybe I'm just a pansy. . . who knows?







Korean Cold Noodles by

Morsels of Life



(printable version)



A new, light, and refreshing take on Korean cold noodles flavored with
a sweet sesame sauce.




Prep time:


7 minutes






Cook time:


8 minutes



Total time:

15 minutes + cooling time





Yield:

4
servings

Materials:

• 
  
  8 ounces
  
  
  noodles (Buckwheat is traditional.)
  


• 
  
  2 tablespoons
  
  
  gochujang (optional)
  


• 
  
  2 tablespoons
  
  
  vinegar (Rice vinegar is traditional.)
  


• 
  
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  soy sauce
  


• 
  
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  honey
  


• 
  
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  brown sugar
  


• 
  
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  sesame oil
  


• 
  
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  sesame seeds, toasted
  

Optional Toppings:

• 
  
  
  Asian pear, thick julienne
  


• 
  
  cucumbers, thick julienne
  


• 
  
  carrots, thick julienne
  


• 
  
  green onions, sliced
  


• 
  
  hard boiled eggs, sliced
  


• 
  
  perilla (sesame) leaves, thinly sliced
  


• 
  
  kim chi
  

Methods:

1. 
   Cook noodles following package directions.
   


2. 
   Meanwhile, mix gochujang, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, brown
   sugar, and sesame oil together, and set aside.
   


3. 
   Once noodles are finished cooking, drain and rinse with cold water.
   


4. 
   
   Toss noodles with sauce, and refrigerate until ready to eat.
   


5. 
   Serve, and then top with toppings.

This post is linked to: Recipe Sharing Monday

Creamed Corn Cornbread

Cornbread, as you can tell from the name, is a type of bread made from corn, or maize. Maize, like wheat and rye, is actually a grass, and the parts generally consumed by humans is the seed. Each corn kernel is a seed, complete with seed coat, endosperm, and embryo. In fact, it's the composition of the starchy endosperm that differentiates most maize varieties.

The dried corn kernels, once ground into cornflour or cornmeal, can be made into a myriad of tasty eats, ranging from the grits, hoecakes, and hushpuppies typically associated with the American South to polenta, tortillas, and nshima, international foods made from cornflour.

I'd made various types of bread before, so I figured it was about time to make some cornbread. And, whereas I had made cornbread before, I've never used creamed corn, so I wanted to try something with creamed corn. Luckily, Alton Brown's recipe is relatively quick, at 30 minutes total time - raw materials to finished product. Plus, it doesn't require much cleanup - just a cast iron skillet, spatula, and mixing bowl!

So, today, I'm going to share a Southern style cornbread. (Although I did add a honey glaze and sugar to satisfy the more Northern palates of those I shared with.) This cornbread (still not like the Northern style corn cake) goes well with other Southern staples like BBQ and chili, but it's good enough to eat on it's own. In fact, we had some for breakfast!

 




Creamed Corn Cornbread by

Morsels of Life

(printable version)



A slightly sweet Southern style creamed corn cornbread - perfect alone or paired with BBQ or chili.


Prep time:


10 minutes


Cook time:


20 minutes


Total time:

30 minutes


 

Yield:

9
servings

Materials:

• 
  2 cups
  
  
  yellow cornmeal


• 
  1 teaspoon
  
  
  salt


• 
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  sugar


• 
  2 teaspoons
  
  
  baking powder


• 
  1/2 teaspoon
  
  
  baking soda


• 
  1 cup
  
  
  buttermilk


• 
  2
  
  
  eggs


• 
  1.5 cups
  
  
  creamed corn


• 
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  oil


• 
  1 tablespoon
  
  
  honey (optional)


• 
  1 teaspoon
  
  
  water (optional)

Methods:

• Preheat oven to 425F, and place 10 inch cast iron skillet inside.


• Combine corneal, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder together, forming the Dry Team.


• Combine the buttermilk, eggs, and creamed corn, forming the Wet Team.


• Mix the Wet Team with the Dry Team.


• Swirl oil around the hot cast iron skillet, and then pour batter into the skillet.


• Bake until cornbread is golden brown and springs back under slight pressure.


• Mix honey and water. (optional)


• Brush honey/water mixture over top of the cornbread. (optional)

 

This post is linked to: Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table

Tilapia with Honey Ginger Sauce

We're still trying to incorporate more seafood into our diets, or get it back to where it used to be - not sure why it dropped off before. I figured something easy would be the best idea. Long cooking procedures and/or extensive cleaning afterward tend to put recipes in the "do not make again" category pretty fast, especially with a food blog where I need to constantly try out new things. :) This recipe was easy enough, and you can go from raw ingredients to the table in under 15 minutes. Now, that's my kind of meal! You could serve this fish over some rice, like we did, or just by itself. Another option might be over a salad. Just make a bit more of the sauce, and it'll double as the dressing - much healthier and easier than a salad topped with some chicken tenders, especially since tilapia are a low calorie, low carb, and low sodium protein, rich in phosphorus, niacin, selenium, vitamin B₁₂, and potassium!

Tilapia with Honey Ginger Sauce

by CJ Huang

A simple tilapia served with a honey, lemon, ginger, and a soy sauce base.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		1 tablespoon		lemon juice
		1.5 tablespoons		honey
		1.5 tablespoons		soy sauce
				ginger, minced
			2	tilapia fillets
				oil

Methods:

1. Whisk all materials except tilapia and oil together. Taste this mixture and adjust if needed.
2. Heat the oil and add fish to pan.
3. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily.
4. Drizzle sauce over fish.

Beans in Tomato Sauce

Beans are so versatile that I try to keep a reasonable stash of a few types on hand. In addition to their versatility, beans have a lot of fiber (usually ranging from 9-13 grams per cup), complex carbohydrates, folate, iron, and other vitamins and minerals. Not only do beans have all those benefits, but you can usually get them for around a dollar a pound. Not too many other cheap sources of protein can fill you up as cheaply, healthily, and easily. Thus, I decided to make an easy bean dish, cooking beans and then flavoring them with rosemary, bacon, and a bit of tomato, sweetening with some honey (or molasses) and throwing in a bit of spice. Sage could also be a good substitute for the rosemary. As a helpful hint, you want to have the beans mostly, if not completely cooked before adding sugars or calcium as those will prevent the beans from softening up as easily. You can still get them soft, but it will take much longer. That's also the reason the tomato, onion, and honey were added close to the end. The natural sugars from the tomato and onion will slow the softening process, as will molasses, which contains both sugar and calcium!

Beans in Tomato Sauce

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
	1 pound			dry beans	I used kidney beans.
			6 strips	bacon or pancetta, chopped	Or bacon bits
			1	medium onion, chopped
		1 tablespoon		fresh rosemary, torn or chopped
				chili pepper flakes	optional
		2 tablespoons		honey	or molasses
		1/4 cup		tomato paste
		1/4 cup		parsley, dried

Methods:

1. Soak the beans overnight or boil the beans, turn off the heat and soak for one hour with lid on.
2. Simmer the beans until the beans are just soft enough to eat, or you can use a pressure cooker to save time like I did.
3. Cook bacon/pancetta until crispy. If you're using bacon bits, just put those into a pot and continue to the next step.
4. Add chopped onions and cook until they begin to caramelize.
5. Add garlic, chili flakes, and sage, and cook for a few minutes, then add tomato paste and honey or molasses, mixing well to create a homogeneous mixture. This process will create a thick paste. If you'd prefer something thinner, you could add some stock or water.
6. Mix the paste into the beans until it is fairly uniformly distributed.

Honey Lemon Chicken

Once again, it was nearing meal time, and I did not have anything prepared. Thus, I went to the kitchen and looked to see what I could make quickly and easily. Well, I didn't have much, but I did have some drumsticks and lemon. I figured that lemon and honey go together, but I wanted a bit of a different flavor, so I also added in some ginger, and I have to say, it was quite tasty! Quick, easy, and tasty - you can't go too far off target if you're got those elements!

Honey Lemon Chicken

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
				chicken	I used drumsticks.
		1 tablespoon		ginger, minced
		3 tablespoons		lemon juice
		2 tablespoons		honey

Methods:

1. Mix lemon juice, ginger, and honey together to form sauce. Taste the sauce to make sure that the flavors are well balanced.
2. Marinate chicken in sauce overnight if desired. I didn't do an overnight marinade, but I did marinate for a bit in a baking dish to save on cleanup.
3. Bake at 350F until cooked through, turning once about halfway through.

Cha Shao (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Cha Shao (aka 叉燒, char siu, cha siew, Chinese BBQ pork) literally means "fork roasted." Traditionally, this dish was made by skewering seasoned pork on forks and cooking over a fire (and thus, the name). Cha shao can refer to the marinade, or more typically, the roasted barbecue pork that is most commonly made with the marinade. This recipe was much easier than I had expected, having tasted cha shao many times before, but never seeing it prepared. Another benefit to this recipe are the endless variations that can be made to suit your own tastes. If you like a certain taste, add more of it, and if you dislike a certain taste, add less or eliminate. Playing around with different ratios is all part of the fun! This BBQ pork is usually a very red color, and if you wanted that, red food coloring or red pepper paste could be added. Of course in my excitement to make cha shao, I didn't think of those until after I had made the pork, so it didn't look quite right, but it was just as delicious!

Do you like to play around with recipes or do you usually follow exactly?

Cha Shao (Chinese BBQ Pork)

by CJ Huang

Chinese BBQ pork, cooked to perfection with a flavorful hoisin based sauce.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		4 tablespoons		soy sauce
		4 tablespoons		hoisin sauce
		2 tablespoons		honey
		2 tablespoons		rice wine
		1 teaspoon		sesame oil
		1/2 teaspoon		Chinese five spice
		1 tablespoon	3 cloves	garlic, minced
		2 teaspoons		ginger, grated
	1 pound			pork

Methods:

1. Mix all of the ingredients, making sure that the pork is well covered, and marinate overnight.
2. Roast at 350F for 30-45 minutes.
3. Flip pieces of pork over, making sure that the exposed surfaces are covered with sauce.
4. Continue to roast at 350F for 30-45 minutes, until tops are caramelized and slightly burnt.
5. Slice thinly and serve with remaining sauce (or make BBQ pork buns!)