Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I originally found this dish at Skinnytaste, but have made some adjustments to fit me. Each time I take a bite of this dish for the first time, I think how good it tastes for the little amount of effort that went into it. This makes me happy.

Salsa chicken can be eaten in so many versatile ways. My favorite is in a burrito bowl with a little rice, shredded cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos. I would like to try it in a salad this summer when the farm stand veggies come back into season, too. My husband prefers it as a burrito. I have also just eaten plain with a touch of salsa. It is salsa chicken, after all. 

Some of the adjustments to the original recipe is the cooking time and the spices. The original called for the chicken to be cooked for four hours. I find that my crock pot dries meat out when it is in there for that long. I have adjusted my total cook time to three and a half hours for this reason.

We also do a lot of Latino cooking in my household, so I have a ton of spices to use. I added cayenne for heat, which can be easily adjusted up or down depending on preference. Then I added oregano and extra cumin to crank up the depth. In the future, I am thinking I will add some chipotle peppers and liquid smoke to make a smokier version... with cheddar cheese. Yes. 

Salsa Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

1 cup and 2 Tbsp. salsa, divided

2 Tbsp. cayene (if you don’t like spicy, I suggest 1 tsp.)

1 Tbsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

Ground black pepper to taste

1 15 oz. can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add 1 cup of salsa, cayenne, garlic salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper. Cook the chicken on low for three hours (see note about cooking time above).

2. Take the chicken out and set aside. Measure 1 cup of the salsa broth from the pot and set aside. Drain the crock pot basin.

3. Add the black beans and the reserved salsa broth and extra salsa back to the crock pot. Set it on warm. 

4. Shred the chicken with a fork. Add it back to the crock pot and stir the ingredients. Leave it in the crock pot to warm for half an hour.

Serve either by itself, as a burrito, as a burrito bowl, or in a salad. Enjoy!

Harvest Mashed Potatoes

I have become addicted to buying produce at the Pole Green Produce Market down the street from me. One of the reasons is that they have had the tastiest fingerling potatoes. I have been roasting them, boiling them, and sautéing them. They have been side dishes and main dishes. Tonight it was a side dish that became the main dish.



I am a huge fan of Pinterest. Back in April, I pinned a recipe from Southern Living, called Harvest Mashed Potatoes. I had been dying to make these and wanted to wait until the fall, because tasty mashed potatoes belong in cooler weather. Summer mashed potatoes just does not do well with me. 

Being a Friday night, my husband and I were too tired to do anything crazy and cumbersome. There was a pork loin defrosted and a jar to Stubb’s to marinade with. I scavenged Pinterest and remembered my harvest potato recipe. We made a few adjustments to the original recipe to use ingredients we had left over and were quite pleased with the outcome. The dish was so tasty that we ate more of the potatoes than the pork loin.



When I first read the recipe, I was skeptical about using horseradish. Butter, milk, potatoes, cinnamon… and horseradish? After tasting the earnest goodness of the cinnamon and the potatoes, I discovered that the horseradish was needed to break up the overwhelming monotony of the sweetness. The spicy pinch gave the dish a little extra kick that allowed the cinnamon to shine even more as it overcame the complexity.

I highly recommend making this dish in either the recipe I created below or the Southern Living recipe linked above. It embodies the full aromatic flavors of fall and makes me feel like the leaves are turning.

Harvest Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Serves 6

Ingredients
18 fingerling potoates, or 2 pounds
2 medium sweet potatoes
¼ cup butter
½ cup half and half
¼ cup sour cream
¼ heaping cup of Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Method

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Wash the fingerlings and quarter. Boil them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes or under tender. Drain them and place in a large bowl.

2. Add the butter, half and half, sour cream, cheese, horseradish, salt, pepper, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Blend the ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth. 

Cilantro Turkey Burger

One of the best things I have done for myself is begin taking photography classes through Flying Photo School. I found a Groupon for them and originally decided to try it on a whim. I have officially completed their Digital 101 and 102 courses.

A few years ago, my husband bought me a decent camera. Before, I was using disposable snap and shoots. Horrific, right? So, once I had a nice camera, I realized that the nice camera doesn’t just take wonderful shots all by itself. I actually had to learn all of the settings. For example, I would play around and mess up a bar that went from, -2 to +2 and have no idea what I did. Then, all the pictures turned out horrible. I became scared of the camera.

When trying to fix it, I pushed buttons like manual focus or changed the settings to “P” or “TV” and didn’t see a difference. I thought TV actually meant it was a video setting. Crazy. 
The long story made short, was that Flying Photo School was an easy way for me to learn the basics of my camera. With the recipe pictures below, hopefully you can see the difference.

If you are interested in checking them out, visit their website at: 

http://www.flyingphotoschool.com/

Now, on to the burger. I made a turkey burger. This was not just any old turkey burger. It was a touch of deliciousness, a glorified tribute to making something healthy and turning it back to being not too healthy again.

Once again, my style for this is flexible. You can add toppings on your own, or subtract others. We used this recipe for three servings, one manly half pound burger, and two smaller quarter pounders for me at different meals. The servings below are proportioned for four quarter pound hamburgers.

Cilantro Turkey Burger Recipe
Serves 4 half pound burgers

Ingredients
12 slices bacon
1 lb ground turkey
1 ½ cup cilantro, chopped
8 slices pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Sriracha, to taste (we used 2 Tbsp.)
Juice of ½ lime
4 hamburger buns
1 large tomato, sliced
1 large avocado, sliced

Suggested Equipment:
Large Skillet
Broiler Pan or Flat Sheet Pan

Directions
1. Heat a skillet to high and cook bacon to desired crispness. When finished, place the bacon on a plate with paper towels but do not discard the bacon grease from the skillet. Set it aside.

2. Mix the turkey and cilantro in a large bowl. Pat out four equal sized burger patties. We roll it into a ball, then press down with hand cupped to keep edges together in a circle. Cook the burgers in the skillet with bacon grease on high heat until cooked through.

3. Heat broiler at standard heat, at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the burgers on the broiler pan and place two slices of pepper jack cheese on top of each. When heat has been reached, put the burgers on top rack and broil until the cheese has melted.

4. Mix the mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lime juice together to form a spicy sauce. 

5. Place the burgers with melted cheese on the bottom hamburger bun. Add three slices of bacon on top of the cheese of each burger. Then divide the tomato and avocado equally to each, placing the tomato and avocado on top of bacon. Drizzle the mayonnaise sauce on top of the stack and finish it with the top bun. Enjoy the masterpiece!

Apple Sausage with Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

Autumn, my favorite season, is finally here. I love the crisp temperatures cooling down and the leaves turning vibrant shades of yellow, red, and orange. Most of all, the local farm stand has baskets filled with no-wax apples and giant sweet potatoes. I purchased a large amount of both items and decided to make a lunch dish for the work week.

When making for something to take to work, I would like it to last at least three to four days. Plus, it is beneficial for it to be easy because I am usually making it on a school night when I have to get up early to teach the next day. Easy meals with little or no fuss are the best. 

In addition to ease, I also need it to be healthy. I have been trying a whole “eat to live” approach this year, as opposed to “living to eat.” I still love to eat, please don’t misunderstand, I am just learning to love eating healthy. This is a relatively new idea for me, after thirty years of eating a diet that increased my waistline. Embracing fresh organic produce has filled me with energy, motivation, and happiness. 

This particular dish was both sweet and savory. I loved the blend of the sausage combined with the apple and sweet potatoes. I also added some dill and onion to break up the sweetness of the other ingredients. Then, the maple syrup tied all of the components together. It was hearty treat. 

When I began to type this recipe out, I realized that it seems a little long. The steps are short, and there is a lot of down time because the ingredients are roasting. The most cumbersome aspect of the dish is all of the chopping. Once that is completed, it’s a piece of cake!

Apple Sausage with Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes and Carrots Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
4 carrots, halved and sliced
1 yellow or white onion, quartered 
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil, plus more to drizzle
3 medium apples, sliced 
4 Chicken Apple Sausage Links (Aidell’s is my favorite)
2 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Mix the potatoes, carrots, onion, and dill together in a bowl. Add the olive oil and toss the ingredients to fully coat them.

3.  Layer the oil coated vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the vegetables in the heated oven for 20 minutes. 

4. While the potatoes, carrots, and onions are baking, slice the apples and place them in the same bowl that contained the vegetable mixture. Swirl the apples around to lightly coat them in oil and dill. Add more if needed.

5. After the vegetables have baked for 20 minutes, add the apples to the pan. Continue baking in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

6. While the apples and vegetables are baking, place the sausages in a skillet. Fill the skillet with water until sausages are at least half way covered. Boil the sausages for ten minutes. 

7. When sausages have finished, drain the water from the pan and allow sausages to cool. Slice the sausages into half inch rounds. Place sausage rounds into serving bowl.

8. When vegetables and apples have finished baking, allow to cool for five minutes. Then, add mixture to the bowl with the sausage. 

9. Drizzle maple syrup over the mixture and stir. 

Irish Nacho Hash

This evening, I came home exhausted, but had an insatiable need to sink my teeth into hearty meal. I had been at work teaching my delightful sixth graders all day, and then went directly to the gym and pushed myself on the elliptical for forty five minutes. I walked in the door to an empty house with my husband still at work and then going to Jiu Jitsu practice. After showering, I realized I was out of yogurt for the morning and went back to the store. I was aggravated. I was tired. I was hungry.

After stacking my yogurts in the fridge, I looked around to see what I had. I was pleased to see half of a large Kirkland ham steak, some cubanelle peppers, and a jalapeno. I knew there were potatoes in my basked, so the first thing that came to mind was a hash. I had some scallions and onions, too. I chose the scallions because they would perish sooner. I was a little weary about the taste because I had never had scallions in hash, but it worked out just fine. 

I knew the potatoes would take the longest, so I boiled them first. Meanwhile, I chopped the other ingredients and began to heat them on the skillet. I left the heat low, for a slow meld of salty ham and spicy jalapeno heat to sink the ingredients. When the potatoes were done, I added them to the skillet, and then they had a chance to absorb the fresh flavors.

While I was heating the ingredients in the skillet, I realized that the scallions and potatoes reminded me of Irish Nachos, or nachos made on top of potatoes instead of tortilla chips. It was then that I decided to add cheese to the concoction, putting the nacho into the hash. When I put the cheese on top right after plating it, the steam from the heating process melted the cheese sufficiently. I did have an idea to add more cheese and place it under the broiler, but I was too tired for the further step.

This meal is straight up filling. I plated mine out, a little less than half, and it was too much. I had to give my husband a little off of my bowl, and then he couldn’t finish his. It was super tasty, with cheesy coated potatoes, salty ham, and peppery heat. I could eat it all over again… when I can fit it. 

When I make this again, I will add sour cream and some diced tomatoes… I dare you to try it, too. 

Ingredients
1 dozen fingerling potatoes, quartered
1 tsp. Olive Oil
8 oz ham steak, diced
2 cubanelle peppers, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
½ cup shredded cheese (or more to taste!)

Method
1. Boil the quartered potatoes in a large pot of water for twenty minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

2. Warm the olive oil in the skillet until temperature is medium low. Add the ham steak, cubanelle peppers, jalapeno, scallions, pepper, and salt and cook until the peppers are soft.

3. Add the potatoes to the skillet. Heat until flavors have united, roughly three minutes.

4. Plate the hash and immediately add the shredded cheese. Mix the cheese gently and let it melt as the steam rises. Let stand for five minutes. Then, eat it. 

Ginger Red

Style: Chinese
My Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://gingerred.com/

Likes: Large portion sizes, very friendly staff and willing to recommend items, pleasant decor

Dislikes: The building is hard to find behind another strip mall

I love good Chinese food. When there is a plate full of meat that is thickly tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce surrounded by crisp vegetables and rice, I am all in. That is exactly what we had at Ginger Red.

This is the first restaurant I have reviewed since we moved to Mechanicsville, VA. We have not been eating out as much because I am trying to eat healthier and we are saving up to buy something to decorate the walls in our very bare apartment. However, every once in a while, there is a need to splurge!

Walking in, we were greeted very quickly with bright smiles and bright red walls. The restaurant was very crisp and clean and we were seated in a corner with lots of windows with sunlight streaming in. There were blinds, but they were not needed.

Our server was one of the nicest wait staff we have ever had. She was sweet with a gentle innocence and eagerness to help out. When we told her we were new to the area, she told us about some of the specials they have on different days of the week. Wednesdays are half of sushi! This makes me excited for future visits. 

Brad ordered the classic Happy Family dish. This was presented with so much fun and flare! It came out on a sizzling skillet and was plated on a cast iron plate in front of us. The vegetables, including the snap peas and baby corn, were crispy and flavorful. Brad was excited because the dish was cheaper than most Chinese restaurants, even cheaper than “the cheap take out places.” The portion size was also larger than the cheaper places.

I ordered the Szechuan Pork, consisting of stir fried pork and vegetables in a sauce that was perfectly balanced with sweet and spicy notes. It tasted fresh and flavor exploded over my taste buds. The portion was so large, that I only ate half of it. I think it is nice having a second helping for the next day. 

Ginger Red, we will be coming back to you for sure. I can’t wait to try more!

Thai Chicken Pasta with Soba Noodles and Peanut Sauce

My husband took a recipe that he had found in the Food Network Magazine as a base and created a masterpiece. We both felt that this dish was better than Thai Chicken Pasta at The Cheesecake Factory. It is rich and creamy, with a mellow peanut butter taste that is supported by the hints of Asian seasonings.

I came home from the gym and he was working on making this. He asked me to try the sauce. It ended up being so good that after he was done making it, I got a spatula to lick the basin of the food processor. I felt like a kid licking the bowl of the brownie batter. Simply put, this peanut sauce is better than brownie batter.

Peanut Thai Chicken Pasta

Serves 6

Noodle Ingredients

¾ strong brewed green tea

1 cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

5 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ peanut oil or macnut oil

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds with additional for garnish

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp ground ginger

2 ½ cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp red chili pepper flakes

1 cup carrots, shredded

16 oz. Asian Soba Noodles

Chicken Ingredients

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, into cubes

1 lb sliced white cap mushrooms

Topping

½ cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. In a large food processor or blender, combine tea, peanut butter, soy, vinegar, brown sugar, peanut oil, sesame seeds, sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and chili flakes.  Process or blend ingredients until creamy.

2. Bring half a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles for two minutes. Remove the noodles immediately, drain in a colander, and bathe in cold water until cool. Drain the cold water, then toss in peanut butter sauce mixture and add shredded carrots. Store noodles in fridge for up to an hour.

3. Mix sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

4. Cook chicken until the pieces are white on all sides. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms soften. Add the above sauce and cook until sauce is rendered and almost gone.

5. To serve, place the noodles in the bottom layer of a bowl, then add the chicken and mushrooms. Top with cilantro and peanuts to taste. 

Chipotle Cilantro Hamburger

I am currently in love with this burger. I love it because it is juicy, and rich, and tangy. I love that it is versatile, that I can eat it with or without a bun and make a size just for me. I love that it leaves room for experimentation because there are so many tastes to compliment it!

The Chipotle Cilantro Burger tastes great with Smoky Potatoes!

The cilantro and chipotle in the meaty mix of the burger tastes a touch spicy, but there is a depth of flavor that will keep me trying to figure out what my taste buds are toying with. It is tangy from the cilantro, and the meat paired with it adds a carnivorous depth. Every bite is worth its undivided attention.

A challenge I am trying to overcome is eating healthier, with smaller, leaner meals. I am alone in this venture because my husband wants a full meal. The helpful aspect about this burger is that we can create three burgers, one large one for Brad, and the last two for my smaller meals. I can also choose to eat it with or without a hamburger bun. The last time, I ate one with, and one without and they were equally as tasty.

In addition to bun, or no bun, we can also choose what to garnish the burger with. My husband chose Hidden Valley Chipotle Ranch Salad Dressing because he liked the way it complimented the tomato on top. I preferred a “shmear” of mayonnaise and a squirt of ketchup.

Since my husband Brad created this recipe, I have to give him all the credit. Thanks hon!


Cilantro Chipotle Hamburger
Serves 4 quarter pound burgers, or 2 half pound burgers

Hamburger Ingredients
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
½ bunch of cilantro, chopped
3 chipotle peppers from can
1 tsp adobo sauce (sauce from can of chipotle peppers)
2 Tbsp fajita seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Hamburger Adornments
Hamburger buns
1-2 Tbsp Shredded Mexican Cheese
Tomato Slices
Ketchup (optional)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Hidden Valley Chipotle Ranch Dressing (optional)

Method

1. Mix all of the above ingredients together and form the desired size patty (see notes above).

2. Pan fry the burgers in a skillet. You won't need a spray of oil. 

3. When finished, tilt the pan and let the oil drip into the sink or bowl. Or, pat the burger with a paper towel. Or, eat as is. 

4. Build the burgers with the desired adornments and garnishes (see notes above)

Smoky Potatoes

I haven’t posted anything in so long because we moved! Moving is an exercise that sucks all time and motivation from the soul by squeezing it to death with uncertainty and problems. Really, our move went just fine, but I had to find my way around town and learn to cook in a kitchen made for one person and not seven.

One awesome thing about moving away from the middle of nowhere is that we now have cable. I can watch the Food Network (among other channels of course)! It has been inspiring the past few weeks to be cooking along with episodes of Chopped reruns and Iron Chef playing in the background.

Our recipe today was actually influenced by Chopped. In one episode, they were using the stems of herbs as an ingredient that they had to use. My husband decided to include our cilantro stems in our potato recipe today!

Also influencing our recipe is the farmer’s market that is just down the street. We are getting some great produce, and I am excited to try and incorporate these healthier, organic items into my daily lifestyle. 

When I returned from the market today, I had these awesome baby potatoes. My husband and I scrounged around for some ideas to be served as a side with a Cilantro Chipotle Hamburger, and Smoky Potatoes is what we came up with.

Smoky Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients

lb baby potatoes, quartered

1 onion, chopped into petals

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

2 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes

1 tsp Cumin

Left over cilantro stems (optional)

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the potatoes and onions on a flat baking pan in a single layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture.

3. Combine the smoked paprika, chili flakes, and cumin in a small bowl.

4. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the pan, and toss the mixtures so that the potatoes and onions are coated with spice.

5. Bake the potatoes and onions for 40-45 minutes, or until browned on the outside and the potatoes are soft. 

Quick Pesto Pork Chops

My Italian great grandparents came to the United States in 1918 when they were teenagers. They lived in Queens and did normal Italian American practices such as have a tomato garden and make wine in their cellar. When my Midwestern grandmother from Kansas married my grandfather during his time at McConnell Air Force base, she flew back to live with him. My red headed German Dutch grandma had to learn how to make Italian food.

One of the greatest things she still makes is pesto sauce. We invited her over for dinner last weekend, and she brought us a Rubbermaid container of her homemade basil pesto. I have never eaten anything green that was this tasty.

I have yet to learn her recipe as she promised she would tell me, but have been fun creating dishes to accompany it with. This evening my husband and I made Pesto Pork Chops.
I had never made them before, but I looked up a few recipes online and compared them, fusing a few things together and added my own touches. I used ideas that spread the pesto over the chop on one side and sprinkling cheese on top to seal it. I added heating minced garlic in olive oil beforehand and simmering the chops in a touch of dry white wine. 

Making a quick version of this recipe was important because we had errands to run this evening. The recipe took no less than ten minutes to prepare four thin pork chops, of the cheap variety of course. If we had used a better pork chop, I would have eaten a whole pig’s worth because each bite was a shock of flavor that ran from the tip of tongue to my fingertips. I credit my grandmother’s pesto that she learned how to make from my great grandmother, but any pesto would be worthy of this quick concoction. 

You will notice that I do not have a finished picture of the plated dish. This is because they were too tasty and were gone before it could be done!

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

4 thinly cut boneless pork chops

¼ cup dry white wine

4 tbsp pesto sauce

4 tsp grated romano, Locatelli Pecorino Romano preferred


Directions

1. Spray a little olive oil spray into a skillet in order to cut down in the amount of olive oil used. Add the olive and garlic. Heat it until warm and you can smell the garlic.

2. Add the pork chops and pour the wine over them. Cook the one side of the pork chop. You will not be able to turn back to this side after the next step, so make sure it is done to your liking. 

3. Turn the pork chops over. Spread 1 tbsp of pesto over the top of each pork chop. Top the pesto with the cheese. The cheese will get slightly melted.

4. Continue cooking the pork chops with the pesto side up until the center has reached at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Good-Bye Ichiban, Restaurant Review

Style: Asian
My Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://www.ichibannewtown.com/

Likes: Different Asian Varieties, Best Sushi in Williamsburg, Gorgeous Asian Themed Décor, the best All-You-Can-Eat Maki Lunch

Dislikes: Can be a little pricey, Service is sometimes slow

Brad and I have been going to Ichiban since it has opened up in New Town a few years ago. When you first walk in to this restaurant, the décor strikes you as elegant and calming. It has an Asian feel with pagoda door frames underneath a rose glass ceiling. It is simply stunning.

Once we are seated and have overcome the stunning décor, we sit down to order. There are so many different choices. They have a small amount of Thai dishes, some Chinese, and others Japanese. In my opinion, their most impressive menu section is their sushi. They have cooked, uncooked, sashimi, nigri, seaweed wrappers, soy bean wrappers, and so much more! Even better, they have a maki lunch during the weekdays, and you can get all you can eat sushi from a pretty decent variety. See the menu below.

When we walked into the restaurant this evening, we had a bittersweet notion that this was to be our last time before we moved. Since it was the last time, we ordered our favorites and had some large portions. I ended up taking home half of a meal.

We started out getting one roll of sushi each. Brad ordered the Godzilla roll, which is a deep fried roll with salmon and tuna inside. It is cut to six pieces and topped with fish roe, spicy creamy sauce and scallions with special tammy sauce on the side.

I ordered a Phoenix roll, which has shredded crabmeat with Japanese mayonnaise, avocado, and rice then deep fried.

As a main course, Brad ordered the House Special Duck. We have found that this entrée is tastier than the Kow Loon Duck, and it is also less expensive. We like this dish because the duck is quite savory, and the sauce is spooned over the textured and deep fried crust. The vegetables that are served with it compliment the taste of the duck and are always crisp without being overly crunchy.

I ordered the Mu Shu Beef. I always thought it was odd that they offer this in beef or chicken, but not pork. Anyhow, I love this dish. The texture of the vegetables provide a slight crisp to the beef and the plum sauce to spoon over it gives it a sweet, tangy taste that tickles the tongue when the pancake wrap has been bitten into.

We did not order the Firecracker Beef at Ichiban tonight, but this also one of our favorites.

Although I praise this restaurant, the customer needs to be patient. The service is often slow, especially when sushi is ordered. It is fine when there is time to kill, but this is definitely not a restaurant to go to if you are trying to grab a bite quickly before a movie, the theater being next door. 

Bombolini Pasta

I was so excited to try Bombolini Pasta that I placed on my Bucket List for this summer. In order to prepare for my excursion, I checked out their website (http://www.bombolinipasta.com/) and read the biographies of the couple who founded it. I looked at the products and created some ideas of what to purchase. Then, I called my grandma and asked her if she wanted to have an Italian fest the next day. It was pizza and Bombolini Day!

When we drove up, I cheered because they had a mini parking lot. YAY! Next, walking in, I saw that two people who were working behind the counter were the owners. Immediately as we walked in, they greeted us with a large welcome and began telling us about the shop after asking if we had been there before. John Kreckman, one of the owners, even offered us a sample of a red wine he was selling.

Bombolini Pasta has fresh pasta that comes with different flavors and cuts. You can purchase the long cuts in the store by choice, and they will cut it there for you! The smaller cuts, such as the ravioli and penne, come prepackaged. I ended up purchasing Sausage Ravioli and Black Pepper Fettuccine.

Since we are preparing to move, we used these purchases to help clean out our fridge. We made our Sausage Ravioli just from things we had in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. The Black Pepper Mushroom Fettuccine was more of a masterpiece that was created from many thoughts and careful planning. The recipes are below.

Black Pepper Mushroom Fettuccine Recipe

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 large Portobello Mushroom Caps, thickly sliced

½ yellow onion, diced

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

¼ cup butter

3 Tbsp cooking sherry

Juice from ½ lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 lb Black Pepper Fettuccine, cooked (or any cooked pasta)

Method

1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a large frying pan

2. When oil is hot, add the mushrooms and onion and cook on medium low heat until the mushrooms reduce in size and become soft

3. Add the sherry and lemon. Continue cooking until flavors have combined, about an additional three minutes

4. Serve mushroom mixture and sauce over cooked pasta

Clean out the Pantry Sausage Ravioli Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 lb Diced Canned Tomatoes (Redpack Preferred)

1 jar Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce (I used Classico)

1 lb cooked sausage ravioli

Method

1. In a large frying pan, cook the sausage, then drain the fat.

2. Add the sausage back to the pan. Add the tomatoes and sauce. Heat the mixture until desired warmth.

3. Spoon sausage and sauce mixture over ravioli.