by Kami | May 6, 2015 | Chicken, Gluten-Free, Pork, Recipes, Turkey
If your mouth was throwing a party, fresh pineapple, curry powder, and sticky rice would be the superstars on the invite list. I love EVERYTHING about those three. Combine them together AND I won’t stop eating until either my stomach bursts or I run out of food. Whichever comes first. Remember our heart to heart about rice in my Steak Stir-fry recipe? Let me put my hands on your shoulders just in case I need to shake you in a minute. Sticky rice is the only way to go. Not only will it make you look like a master chopstick user, but the quality is MILES above the rest. Just to make sure you don’t get mushy instead of sticky, I suggest buying rice in packaging you can’t read because it’s all in characters. I really like the Homai brand at Costco. Here are a couple of Amazon’s top picks. I’m actually excited to try the Tamanishiki. It sounds legit! It’s worth investing in some quality rice. I lived in Taiwan for 18 months over 8 years ago. Even though time has past, my mouth has a great memory. How could it forget juice running down my chin after gracefully (HA!) biting into a fresh mango? Or the creamy peanut butter that resembled dessert more than a nut butter? Seriously… why does Taiwan’s taste so much better than ours? BUT, one of my most favorite dishes was pineapple fried rice. Let’s just say I don’t think 99% of Taiwan’s ‘restaurants’ would pass FDA’s safety laws. You purchase most meals from street food vendors. The tried and tested method for preventing food contamination was having a fan turned on high with a couple...
by Kami | May 3, 2015 | Beef, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Turkey
Since my stuffed zucchini recipe, I intently assess every vegetable with hopes of eventually stuffing it. Veggies stuffed with other veggies smothered with cheese. Sign me up! Bell peppers obviously beg to be stuffed since they form a little bowl once hollowed out. Now… let’s go stuff these bad boys with some good stuff. My husband is not exaaaaactly a quinoa enthusiast. Shame. However, I always get a little burst of excitement when he doesn’t like something. It’s like an intense game of chess where I move one ingredient here and another there and before you know it… checkmate! He’s falling in love with something he previously hated like these sneaky quinoa scrumptious stuffed peppers. Why did I use a chess analogy? I’m seriously horrible, and he always beats me. I’m way too competitive to admit my subpar chess abilities to him…. so let’s just keep this between you and me. For my fellow quinoa admirers, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and go directly to my balsamic quinoa salad! Now that it’s finally warming up (I kid you not… we had a foot of snow dumped two weeks ago), you’ll want to whip up this recipe the first time you fire up the grill for the season. Okay… chess? Monopoly? I’m getting way off track. Peppers, Kami. Talk about the amazingly delicious stuffed bell peppers! Okay, just a couple parting tips before you get to the recipe. Depending on how large and how much you stuff your peppers, you may need to adjust the baking time. You only need to bake long enough until the ground beef or turkey is thoroughly cooked....
by Kami | Apr 22, 2015 | Beef, Gluten-Free, Recipes
I’m spoiled. I mean COMPLETELY spoiled. Not only have I been able to travel to several countries, but I also have lived in Hong Kong and Taiwan. For my fellow Americans, we’re being robbed. Robbed of true authentic Chinese food! They have luscious fruits and vegetables that are not even found in the States! **Moment for my pity-party** Okay, let me reel it in a little bit. I love me some true Chinese food. It sparks memories of an amazing, unique culture that I’ve grown to love. That’s why lots of love went into this colorful Steak Stir Fry recipe. As for my HHFC (Handsome Husband Food Critic), I think I caught him licking his plate when I started cleaning up after dinner. Okay, I can’t hold back my food photography inner-nerd. Tasty Food Photography… what have you done to me?!?! Look at all the colors! Bell pepper… red and in your face! Broccoli… you green crunchy little devil. Steak… oh you juicy, medium-rare steak… get in my belly! Not only are there lots of contrasting colors, there are lots of complimenting flavors. When eating a stir fry in Taiwan, I enjoyed the textures and natural flavors of the vegetables accented by a mild sauce. Don’t worry. You’ll still get the saltiness you crave from soy sauce, but why insult our vibrant friends… the veggies, I’m talking about the veggies… by smothering them in a sauce that’s more like a gravy? Okay, I think it’s time. Pull up a chair and let’s discuss rice. Rice is NOT made equally. It ranges from grainy to sticky. If you’ve attempted chopsticks, you know grainy is a no-go. Sticky. We...
by Kami | Apr 11, 2015 | Chicken, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Soups, Turkey
Although I’m loving the warm weather, I may have shed a tear that soup season is coming to a close. Wait… was that a tear or are my eyes non-stop watering from allergies? Either way… I had to squeeze in this chicken sausage and rice soup one last time. When it comes to soup, my husband is pretty picky. He likes hearty meals and feels most soups are well… girly food. It’s not that he doesn’t like the taste, he just rarely gets full off of soup. When he doesn’t like to eat something, he might as well triple-dog-dare me. Game on, honey, game on. I’ve played around with this recipe a few times. I found the additional spice from the crushed red pepper to be the cherry on top. He LOVED it! Direct quote, “okay, I think you finally made a man’s soup… I’m getting seconds.” A major part of healthy cooking is using quality ingredients. I can’t emphasize the importance of reading ingredients! Take two extra seconds, flip the package over, and read what ingredients are actually making up the food your purchasing. You’ll be surprised what junk is thrown in our foods. I like Pacific Natural broths. Especially the ‘cage free’ portion on the chicken broth. Thank you documentary, Food, Inc. I don’t know if I’m more scarred or informed after watching it. Either way, I think we all need to open our eyes a little more about what we’re putting in our bodies. Hence, my ‘reading all ingredients’ rule. Well, get ready for this fulfilling, satisfying, flavorful, rich, and yummy-in-your-tummy chicken sausage soup. It will be a winner!...
by Kami | Apr 9, 2015 | Chicken, Pasta, Recipes
Did you know April is peak season for asparagus? If you want that crispy bright green with no signs of shriveling, the time is now! There’s nothing worse than stringy or even worse, soggy asparagus. On the other hand, there’s nothing more enjoyable than having it crisp and perfectly cooked. Well, I have the recipe. You just need the asparagus. Okay, pasta primavera is pretty popular. AND it should be. Twirling your fork in a heap of quality pasta, fresh vegetables, and juicy chicken would get anyone’s mouth watering. However… you know the dream can’t all be true since most primavera sauces are loaded with unhealthy ingredients. Not here, my friends. You know I love my healthy substitutes and have created a creamy, tangy sauce which compliments all our lovely vegetables. Also, this dish was so quick to make! If you’re loving the quick-and-pasta combination, check out my Chicken Spaghetti and Spinach Alfredo. I just wanted to give a shout out to Garofalo pasta. Love ya! Remember how I refuse to play yo-yo with your brain and talk about products that I don’t literally have in my kitchen? Well, trust me. I found this pasta at Costco and have not turned back. It’s a ‘product of Italy’ and I’m pretty sure this is what Venice tastes like. Strongly recommend you trying it. You can purchase it in bulk through Amazon (link below) or Costco. Happy Pasta Primavera Day! Well… that’s not really a thing, but when you make this pasta it will make you feel like celebrating. Mangia! Print Fettuccine Primavera Ingredients 8 oz uncooked whole wheat fettuccine 1 Tbs Olive oil 3 large chicken...
