Dinner

Steamed Pork Buns (Bao Zi)

Last year, for Chinese Lunar New Year, I made…a Strawberries & Cream Pie. Super delicious, but not exactly culturally relevant/appropriate. This year, I was determined to be a Good Chinese Girl and actually cook something Chinese. After all, it’s my dad’s zodiac year, and I wanted to make something in honor of his special year. Steamed pork buns (bao zi) were the first thing that came to mind, because my dad loves them, and they’re one of my favorite things to eat when I go home to see my parents. Plus, I figured steamed buns couldn’t be all that much harder or different than dumplings, which I had tackled a few times before. As it turns out, they are totally different, and I am terrible...

Happy Martin Luther King Day, everyone! And, happy Inauguration! Did you guys watch the festivities on TV this morning? I did, and let me tell you…the view from my couch this year was way better (and warmer) than it was in 2008 when my friends and I packed into the National Mall to see the action. And, watching the inauguration from home meant that I could enjoy a hot, delicious lunch when I got hungry, instead of gnawing on cold, unsatisfying granola bars and wishing the millions of people clogging the streets between Constitution Avenue and my warm apartment would magically disappear. Definitely an improvement, both gastronomically and situationally. And, yes, despite containing no meat, this “burger” was absolutely delicious. The thick portobello patty was juicy...

Happy 2013, everyone! Did you guys eat as much over the holidays as I did? Man, it was ridiculous. Between all the parties and family dinners and weddings, I am stuffed to the gills with good food. Cookies, cake, fudge, roasts, steaks, biscuits, pies, potatoes, pasta…the list just went on and on. Everything was fabulously delicious, of course, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and I’m ready to go back to lighter fare. Like this yummy, low-cal spinach and mushroom pita pizza, for example. How did this recipe come about? Well, a few weeks ago, the folks at Sistema Organa sent me a complimentary bottle of organic, extra virgin olive oil and a package of dried oyster mushrooms to...

Jalapeno Jack Meatloaf with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Did you guys get any Sandy action this weekend? We did. Wind, rain, and power loss – oh my! Fortunately the Northern, VA area didn’t get hit nearly as hard as NJ and NY, and we only lost power for about a day. With all the wine and snacks we stocked up on before the storm, and full charges on both our iPhones and laptops, it really wasn’t too hard to ride out the storm. Sure, the heat in our building isn’t on yet, so it was pretty cold during the storm. And, yeah, the cats were acting even crazier than usual. But hey, we had plenty of tender meatloaf, creamy mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables to fill our bellies and delight our tongues. I’m...

Creamy Garlic Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits

Since starting my pre-wedding diet a few weeks ago, I’ve been pretty good about eating healthy. Lots of fruits/vegetables and lean proteins, limited carb intake, etc. And, any desserts I make get pawned off on other people. Most days, it’s actually not so bad. I’ve almost gotten used to eating right and exercising. But this morning I woke up with a serious craving for biscuits. Big, buttery, flaky biscuits smothered in creamy stuff. It was a craving that couldn’t be denied. Lucky for me (but not so much for my waistline), the Progress Recipe Starter pack I got last week contained a can of creamy roasted garlic sauce and a recipe for Creamy Garlic Chicken and Cheddar Biscuits. I opted to make buttermilk biscuits from scratch...

A few weeks ago the good folks at Progresso asked me if they could send me a pack of their new Recipe Starters to try. Ummm, could they send me a whole bunch of free, yummy, pre-made cooking sauces that will give my dinners oomph and save me from slaving over the stove for hours? Obviously yes. So they did, and my sauces arrived late last week, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The weather is getting colder and I’m starting to crave heartier meals for dinner. Like Chicken Cacciatore, for example, which was one of the recipes that came with my pack of Starters. And oh my lord, it was so easy, and so satisfying. Tender, juicy chicken and pasta drenched in savory, tomato-packed sauce...

Now that I’m working and living on my own, I have a new appreciation for my mom’s ability to put together amazing meals for us every night when I was a kid. Despite juggling grad school, lab, and later, a full time job and my extracurricular activities, she always managed to throw together the most delicious, multi-dish meals for us to feast on every night. Considering all I have the energy to do when I get home from work is sit on the couch and drink wine, that boggles my mind. Looking back, I realize that my mom actually did most of her cooking on the weekends. We always had huge, lavish lunches on Saturday, and then ate the leftovers for lunch and/or dinner...

Hey so, what’s for dinner? Plump, juicy shrimp drenched in garlicky butter sauce and stuffed into toasted bread boats? Delicious! And so, so satisfying. To get the recipe and see more pictures, check out my guest post over at the Mor.sl blog.

Chocolate Beer Batter Cupcakes with Maple Bacon Frosting

OK, stay with me on this one, guys. Chocolate beer batter cupcakes. Maple bacon cream cheese frosting. Crunchy maple-glazed bacon bits. I know it all sounds strange (and a little wrong) on paper, but if you can wrap your mind around all the components and work up the nerve to take the first bite…these cupcakes are the bomb. Srsly, they will literally blow your mind. If you’re a fan of “2 Broke Girls”, you probably recognize these cupcakes from the episode where Max and Caroline go on Spring Break. While house sitting for some clients, the girls make friends with a beer brewer and bacon maker; shenanigans ensue, and Max’s Beer Batter Maple Bacon Spring Bacon Cupcakes are born. Spoiler alert — they’re so good even...

What do you do when you get home from work, your significant other is unusually hungry for dinner, and most of your cook-able foods are still frozen ‘cuz you forgot to pull stuff out of the freezer the night before? You chop up some beef leftover from the weekend, throw it into a warm flour tortilla with miscellaneous chopped vegetables, store-bought guacamole and sour cream, and have yourself a delicious burrito dinner. Oh, and if your S.O. can last another 5 minutes or so without starving to death, you also whip up a quick queso to drizzle over your burrito and elevate it to a whole other level of deliciousness. Om nom nom nom nom…! ** Hey, BlogHer likes this recipe too!

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Dinner

Steamed Pork Buns (Bao Zi)

Open-Faced Portobello Burger

Spinach & Mushroom Pita Pizza

Jalapeno Jack Meatloaf with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Creamy Garlic Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Homemade Hot Pockets

Garlic Butter Shrimp Boats

Chocolate Beer Batter Cupcakes with Maple Bacon Frosting

Beef Rib Burrito with 5-Minute Queso

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