Early Thanksgiving with my Hubby!

We usually spend our Thanksgiving with my in-laws but I have to work on Friday this year. My hubby is still flying down to SoCal but I'm staying here and spending the holiday with my mom. That doesn't mean we can't have a little celebration of our own beforehand though! I decided to make it a Pre-Thanksgiving weekend because why not right? It started off with Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies. So soft and yummy!

Then following our tradition, I made Bobby Flay's Corn Muffins that we all love so much from Mesa Grill. (Mine were made with yellow corn cuz blue just never comes out very appetizing!) They're spicy and full of bell peppers and corn.

Friday night, I used some of the leftover pumpkin from the cookies to make a VERY yummy Pumpkin and Thai Curry Chicken. Probably not the most traditional recipe given that it's from Betty Crocker but you can't go wrong with Thai over rice noodles. No complaints here!

Just for kicks, I decided to make some super cute Acorn Cookies from my new cookbook, Smart Cookie. I'm totally in love with all the recipes in there using storebought cookies to make some really creative stuff! In case you can't tell, these were made with Nutter Butter, Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Sprinkles and Pretzel Sticks. SUPER CUTE right?

Saturday night was our real Pre-Thanksgiving meal with Herb-Roasted Game Hens over Stuffing. Not much of a recipe here. I just drizzles balsamic vinaigrette over the hens and sprinkled Italian seasoning on top. Baked for an hour and they're golden brown and SUPER tasty!

Finally a Sunday night favorite, braised Chicken Legs. Simply browned and slowly braised in my Dutch Oven with onions, garlic and more Balsamic. Served over (what else?)...STUFFING!

We LOVE Sriracha!

We LOVE Sriracha so much I get the big bottles and still can't seem to keep them around long enough. So when I came across this recipe for Sriracha Chicken, I knew I found a winner! The combination of the spicy, sweet and salty mixture was just perfect! I added some bell peppers and mushrooms for extra flavor and served my chicken over rice noodles. A quick and yummy weeknight dinner!

Quick and Easy Pad Thai at Home

We used to order Pad Thai all the time from our local Thai places but nowadays it's so easy to make my own and it's much faster than takeout too! (Plus, who know if those "No MSG" claims are real or not!) Anyway, here are 2 Pad Thai meals that I've made recently, 1 featuring ground beef and another with chicken. I like to add chopped veggies like bell peppers and mushrooms if I have them but the dish is yummy just with the meat and rice noodles. We like either chopped eggs mixed in or a fried egg on top. The sauce is essentially the same, a combo of fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and of course, Sriracha!

Chicken and Apple with Curry, Who Knew?

I would've never thought of combining Chicken and Apple with Curry but it actually turned out surprisingly good! The fruit really brightened up the flavor and the creamy curry sauce just made it perfect!

Restaurant Chef Inspired Asian Pork Meal

I watchd Anne Burrell make her Asian-Braised Pork recipe and immediately knew I wanted to make something similar. I LOVE braising pork cuz they come out super tender and moist. The main difference is that I made mine with pork cubes, which cook a lot faster. Everything else was pretty much the same except that I finished my dish on the stovetop. I browned the pork cubes that were dredged in cornstarch, added the seasoning and then finished it low and slow for about 30 minutes covered in the pot. I served my yummy pork cubes over rice noodles and it was an Asian feast made in heaven!

Rice Noodles and Crab? Can't Go Wrong!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE rice noodles and imitation crab so when I came across Vermicelli and Crab Meat Stir Fry, I couldn't resist. Yes, I know I sorta cheated with the imitation crab, but we really do love it even more than real crab meat. (I know, CRAZY!) It was so flavorful and easy too. A winner all over! With a fried egg on top, of course!

Coconut Shrimp Curry, YUM!

I came across this recipe for Coconut Shrimp Curry and couldn't wait to try it. Such a great combination of all the spices with the tomatoes and coconut milk. So incredibly flavorful and the shrimp was just succulent. A DEFINILTEY winner and quick too!

Everything's Better with a Fried Egg on Top!

I came across this recipe for Vietnamese Pork Stirfry with Garlic and Chilies and couldn't WAIT to make it. Of course, I had to jazz things up with a fried egg on top! Hubby loved it!

Chinese Takeout at Home is MUCH Better!

Are you a takeout addict? I know I was before I learned how to cook but nowadays I don't trust that stuff. PLUS making dishes at home is much quicker, not to mention healthier. Tonight, I made Kung Pao Chicken and it could NOT have been easier and more satisfying! I marinated my chicken overnight but you can definitely do it in an hour if you're short on time. It might not be the most authentic recipe but trust me, neither is that Chinese place down the street!

Marinade:

2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vegetable oil

Sauce:

1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 dried hot red chilies
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Green onions, for garnish
Rice noodles, for serving

Prep:

1. In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Marinade in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 1 hour.

2. In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chilies and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides.

4. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Stir in sauce and cook another minute.

5. Serve over rice noodles. Drizzle sesame oil on top and garnish with green onions.

Turns out my Hubby Hates Szechuan Pepper!

My hubby LOVES Asian food but it turns out that he hates Szechuan Peppers! WTF? Anyway, he chocked down this Szechuan Noodles with Spicy Beef (not too willingly but with some condiment help). I honestly loved all the flavors but will stay away from those peppers from now on.

Yummy Mango Chicken!

I've been saving this recipe for Malaysian Mango Chicken for a while now and finally made it tonight. Man, was I glad I did! There's nothing like a tropical-flavored dinner to get you out of the freezing winter feeling! The combination of the ketchup, chili sauce, oyster, Worstershire and Steak sauce was AMAZING! The perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy!

Can't Go Wrong with Garlic and Ginger!

It's time for something Asian (AKA non-holiday) so tonight, I made Garlic Ginger Pork and Noodles and used our favorite Rice Noodles. You can't go wrong with the combination especially with the sesame oil and soy sauce!

Everything's Better with a Fried Egg on Top!

We had some ground beef in the fridge and my hubby was asking for Thai food? So what do I do? I basically just cooked it with all my go-to Thai flavors like fish sauce, ginger, lemongrass, curry paste and of course, coconut milk! All served over rice noodles with a fried egg on top! Can't go wrong with that!

Very Simple Chicken Pad Thai

My hubby LOVES Pad Thai and it's really easy to make at home so we rarely order it anymore. This was a winner and with the help of frozen chicken strips, the meal came together in no time. YUM YUM! Who needs to call for takeout anymore?

Ingredients:

Rice noodles, cooked
2 Tbsp oil, divided
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb cooked chicken strips
2 green onions, chopped + more for garnish
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Sriracha

Prep:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add beaten eggs and cook until set. Remove and set aside.

2. Add chicken, green onions, garlic and ginger and cook until browned.

3. Stir in vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar and Srirach and bring to a boil. Deglaze and turn heat off.

4. Stir in eggs to heat through and serve over noodles. Garnish with more green onions.

Ketchup is ALWAYS GOOD!

I came across this recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple and immediately knew I wanted to make it cuz one of the ingredients is KETCHUP! If you know my hubby you know that he LIVES off of Ketchup so I knew he'd love this dish. I really liked the combination of the soy sauce, pineapple and vinegar and of course, my hubby loved the Ketchup!

Crabby Pad Thai

My hubby LOVES Pad Thai and I've finally figured out how to make it just the way he likes it after years of practice. Nowadays I can pretty much make it with anything but he especially likes it with Imitation Crabmeat. My recipe is obviously NOT authentic (I realize that ketchup is not from Thailand) but it's super flavorful and just the way we like it!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
8 oz imitation crabmeat
Rice noodles, cooked
2 green onions, sliced
Sesame oil, for drizzling

Prep:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, lim juice, soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar.

2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble until set. Remove and set aside.

3. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil.

4. Turn heat down to low and add the carbmeat, noodles and green onions. Stir and heat through. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

No-So-Authentic Thai Pork

Tonight, I made Black Thai Pork from the National Pork Board website. (Yes, it does exist!) I'm sure it's far from authentic but I'm not one to judge especially since it was VERY tasty! The combination of peanut butter and all the spices made the dish incredibly flavorful! I'm a sucker for sweet and spicy so this was right up my alley. I served the pork over rice noodles since it's Thai afterall and we LOVED it!

Thai Pork in Chili Sauce WILL Make Your Cold Go Away!

My poor hubby is sick so I thought I'd make something comforting like Thai Pork in Chili Sauce to make him feel better. Man, that spicy curry can really clear your sinuses! I did make a few additions thanks to my favorite Gourmet Garden herbs in a tube so here's my recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 lb ground pork
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp lemon grass paste
1 c chopped canned tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp Fish sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Rice noodles, for serving
Green onions, for garnish

Prep:

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, curry paste, ginger and lemon grass and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, fish sauce and brown sugar. Turn heat down to low and simmer until pork is cooked through, 5 minutes.

4. Serve over rice noodles and garnish with green onions.

Try This If You THINK You Don't Like Satay!

My hubby has always claimed he doesn't like Satay cuz he doesn't like peanut butter. Well, I'm not a big fan of PB either (I know we're weird!) but I sure like Satay and I wanted to prove that he would too. So like any wifey on a mission, I created this recipe for Meatballs in Satay-style Coconut-Peanut Sauce and served them over his favorite rice noodles. The verdict? He LOVED it! Guess he like Satay afer all!

Meatballs:

1/2 lb ground pork
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 c Panko breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk 1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
6 red dried chilies
1 c coconut milk
1/2 c beef broth
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp sugar
Rice noodles, for serving
Green onions, for garnish

Prep:

1. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and roll into 8 1-inch meatballs. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.

2. Add garlic, ginger and chilies and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, broth, hoisin, fish sauce, peanut butter and sugar and bring  mixture to a boil.

3. Add meatballs back and turn heat down to low. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, 15 minutes. Serve over rice noodles and garnish with green onions.

Using Up That Yellow Curry Paste!

I came across this recipe for Thai Karee Curry and remembered having some yellow curry paste in the fridge to use up. I left out the potatoes since I didn't have any and the dish took no time at all to cook! I love the combination of the spicy curry with the creamy coconut milk and the sugar along with the fish sauce added incredible flavor! I served the dish with good old rice noodles in keeping with the Thai theme and our kitchen smelled oh so authentic!