.chicken tortilla soup.

I was craving this soup from one on my favorite restaurants but did not want to spend the money and energy to go out. After looking this recipe up on allrecipes.com I discovered that I already had all the ingredients so I could easily make it :) I did not have corn tortillas so I used tortilla chips that I already had and just crushed them up. Im sure it would be even better with the real tortillas. Also, you can add much more chili powder and cumin if you like the flavor much stronger like i do :) Enjoy!



Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 (6 inch) corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
4 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked

Preparation
In a large stock pot heat oil. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro and onion. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves and chicken stock. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add salt and cayenne. Simmer for 30 minutes remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Heat through and serve.

.cucumber & tomato salad.

I was introduced to this simple and refreshing salad through a family that I work with. It is so simple and delicious. Great for those lazy and hot summer days and even better if you can get some fresh tomatoes and lemons from a neighbors garden :)



Ingredients
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
Cilantro
2 lemons (or to taste)
Salt to taste

Preparation
Cut vegetable into cubes and add lemon juice and salt to taste, mix. Add cilantro on top. Enjoy!

.grilled corn and shrimp chowder.

I LOVED his soup! It came from my "Nordstrom Entertaining at Home Cookbook." I did change some of the recipe to make it simpler and serve less people. Instead of shucking 3 ears of corn, I just used some frozen corn from my favorite Trader Joe's, im sure a canned corn would also work fine. Good luck and enjoy!



Ingredients
3 ears of corn, shucked
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely choppe
2 cups of red potatoes, peeled and cute into 3/4-inch dice
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 bottles (8 oz.) clam juice
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Bring a saucepan to medium heat, melt the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion, celery, potatoes, and bell pepper and cook. stirring occasionally, until softened, 10-12 minutes. Add the clam juice and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the corn and cream, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Tabasco sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

.skewers & bacon wrapped hot dogs.

Nothing like a fun summer bbq. My friend Megan suggested we wrap hot dogs with bacon and it was so good and easy! For the skewers I marinated them in Kikkoman roasted garlic teriyaki sauce. The last pictures is a fun hot dog man for the kiddos!

.chicken katsu.

This meal took some work to make but it was SO worth it! I did not have a meat mallet so I just cut the chicken sideways to make it thin.



Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed

Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder (i used mustard)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Preparation
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well coated on both sides.
Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Serve over a bed of rice.

.curry.

This is my mom's famous curry recipe. I love curry and this recipe can easily be adapted with your favorite vegetables. The curry mix that she buys is called Golden Curry. It is in a green box in the asian food section. I have seen it at Fresh and Easy, and some other grocery stores. So tasty! Serve over rice.



Ingredients
beef or chicken cut into cubes
1 potato cut into cubes
1-2 carrots cut into cubes
1 onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped (optional)
3-4 pieces of fresh minced garlic

Preparation
1. stirfry meat and onions in oil
2. add garlic and stirfry
3. add carrots - when carrots are heated through add potatoes and stirfry until potato edges look cooked
4. add boiling water (just enough to cover all ingredients)
5. let boil ~10-15 mins (if any meat/fat bubbles remove/skim off top with spoon)
6. add curry sauce mix 2-3 cubes or to taste. Mix continuously on low fire.

ENJOY!!!

.mandarin orange chicken.

This is my favorite "lazy day" recipe. I get the chicken from Trader Joe's for only $4.99. You can fry, microwave, or bake the chicken. I always bake it so that I do not need to add any extra oil. Just follow the directions on the package and serve over rice. Yummy!