the last bite

Pumpkin ravioli by Central Market with sauteed mustard greens and garlic, with a Gorgonzola cream sauce.


Heat some heavy cream and Gorgonzola until melted. Set aside. Stir fry olive oil, minced garlic, and the greens. Add ravioli and top with sauce. Easy.

Lunch and dinner in 218

Chris' lunch: curried noodle with tofu, green beans, and bean sprouts (He takes good pictures).

Our dinner: caramelized tofu and shrimp. I love all things caramelized (kho). Served with bun and fresh veggies.

Also, some green sides: sesamed beans with bean sprouts and chinese broccoli in gingered oyster sauce.

Using up this week's groceries!

Wonton Soup

I've been craving Asian soups for the last 2 weeks. Still haven't been satisfied.

Shrimp and pork wontons from My Thanh:

In chicken broth and ginger, Chinese broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, and topped with cilantro, scallions, and bean sprouts.

The wontons were a little salty. Maybe next time I'll attempt to make my own.

dranks

1) Watermelon, strawberries, bananas, and chopped mint

2) Hot chocolate from Berlin and orange oil. I was trying to recreate an amazing drink I had in Berlin from Kakao-not fully successful, but still tasty

*Also delicious: 1) - bananas, 2) + chopped mint

These goodies are being frozen to enjoy later.

salmon and squash

Salmon fillets with tomato sauce. The salmon was marinated in nuoc mam and garlic for a few hours. I cooked the fish in vegetable broth, I like to have lots of sauce. Topped it with diced tomatoes, onions, scallions, and cilantro. I added a little more nuoc mam and tomato paste to the broth. The sauce thicken for a few minutes on low heat. My mom taught me this recipe, she uses V8 for additional flavor. I forgot to grab some today.

Zuccini, yellow squash, carrots, and mushrooms marinated in balsamic vinegar, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir fried onions and garlic, added the veggies until cooked. Seasoned with salt and pepper, garnished with fresh dill.

Leftovers for the next few days!

cravings

Peach pie, peach cobbler, peaches baked in any way-I love. I modified a recipe from Cooking Light*. Peach crisp: diced peaches with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; topping: minute brand oats in wheat flour, cinnamon and sugar. Soy milk with orange essence was brushed over the top and baked for 1 hour.

And....rice crispie treats! (Some are missing, I couldn't wait to have some)

Some basics

Just a soup and sandwich. I haven't yet made a perfect sandwich, usually just stack up whatever is in my fridge. Tonight: spinach feta cheese spread, hemp hummus, turkey deli slices, red lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and claussen pickles. The bread was drizzled with olive oil and Italian seasoning, then grilled. I use that combo frequently.

The soup is hearty: potatoes, carrots, napa cabbage, baby pork ribs pre-marinated in nuoc mam and ground black pepper, cilantro. Another favorite Mom makes.

So full, can't move.

trung chien

Basically a Vietnamese omelet. This is one of my favorites. Super easy, very filling. Making it reminds me of helping my mom cook when I was growing up. The food that comes from her kitchen is the best.

Eggs with minced shrimp, garlic, onions, scallions, and carrots. Seasoned with nuoc mam, salt, and a little bit of sesame oil.

And for dessert: grape and strawberry shake with basil.

Hope you had a delicious dinner as well.