Variations on a Pad Thai Theme

Ok, so I've posted about Pad Thai before. It sounded so delicious for dinner tonight & I had just the right ingredients for what I wanted. The fun thing about Pad Thai is that it is versatile & with a few basic ingredients, it is just about fool proof.

The recipe found here has become the basis for every Pad Thai recipe I make. If tofu isn't your thing, you can use chicken, shrimp, sliced beef, or just use more veggies. I don't always use the rice noodles, but often leftover thin spaghetti. Spring onions are going crazy in my garden right now, but I don't always remember to buy bean sprouts. Tonight I used thinly sliced yellow onion, bell pepper & carrots.

Don't be afraid to play & experiment with recipes -- often they operate more like guidelines rather than strict rules. Cooking should be fun! So enjoy yourself & some fast & delicious Pad Thai this week.

Preview

New recipes & ideas are coming soon -- keep an eye out this week! A great pile of grilled goodness is coming your way just in time for the 4th of July weekend! I can only hope pineapple is on sale.

As always, let me know what you want to see, learn about, & cook. I always love to hear your feedback!

A long time coming

What a week it has been.

We spent all of last week doing basketball camp with our church, what fun! We had a great time working with all of the kids & I always enjoy taking their pictures.

Look at these wonderful kids!

Sharing the Word. Coach Dan & Matt do an excellent job! Matt's enthusiasm is so contagious.

I did get to do a little bit of cooking this week. I used the leftover steak to make a great fast stir-fry.

6-8 oz. leftover steak
1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
green onions, chopped
1 cup brown rice

Cook rice according to directions.

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet or wok. Saute onions until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add peppers and soy sauce and saute another 3-4 minutes until peppers are tender. Slice steak diagonally and add to pan to heat through, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in green onions and serve over rice.

Due to the nature of our week, we didn't eat at home much. We did, however, get some great pizza from Knolla's. They have the best meatlover's pizza!

We were also treated to a wonderful dinner Friday for our anniversary. Hooray for 3 years of marriage! Sweet Basil was our first date & we were so excited to go back. I got the Penne del Mar -- penne pasta with shrimp, scallops & great veggies with a Chardonnay sauce. It is so delicious! Hubby got the Baked Orange Roughy. Also incredibly delicious, can't go wrong with butter, right?

More to come this week!

What a weekend!

First order of business this weekend: youth party!

Totally enamored with their Rubik's cube prizes after finishing their sweet treasure hunt! 

Having a pile of fun trying to work together.
How do we get over the rope?!

Saturday's fun didn't end there. We were able to help Nickki celebrate her birthday. Hooray!
Happy Birthday Cardigan for Nickki!

And a Happy Birthday dinner at Yia Yia's!
Angel Hair Pasta with some of the best grilled chicken I've had in a while. So good!

But surely I was cooking this weekend, right?
Sunday's treat was steak!
Grilled Pepper-Lime Steaks with Steamed Veggie Packets

Marinate your steak of choice for at least 30 minutes in the juice of 3-4 limes, salt, pepper, a sprinkle or so of ground red pepper & red pepper flakes. Make your steak as spicy as you like!

Cut up some of your favorite veggies for a steam packet. Bell peppers & onions are excellent steamed on the grill. Season with a bit of salt & pepper & a spray or two canola oil & wrap in foil. Don't forget to toss in the juiced limes for extra flavor. Toss them on the grill right with your steaks.

Grill your steaks to your preference -- here is a great simple article on grilling steak. Be sure to let your steaks rest for a few minutes to let those juices do their thing before you dive right in. Empty your packets onto your plate & enjoy with your steak!

And more knitting...a sweet friend is expecting a little girl! I can't pass up the opportunity to knit for a little one. Can't wait to see Natalie Nicole in her hat!

This week: basketball camp! Dinner posts will be spare, but its all for great fun!

Kebabs!

For you, Lori!
Grilled Kebabs with the Best Corn Ever!
Serves 2

2 pieces chicken breast
1 bunch cherry tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1/2 yellow onion
2 fresh corn cobs
1 lime

Get your grill ready!

Cut the chicken, peppers & onion into about 1 inch chunks. Load the chicken, peppers, onion & tomatoes onto skewers. Season kebabs and corn with a bit of spray canola oil & salt & pepper.

Grill kebabs and corn until the chicken is cooked, about 10-12 minutes. Just before removing from the grill, squeeze lime over chicken & veggies -- make sure you get a bit on the corn, this is the best part!

Roll cobs in a bit of melted butter and serve with kebabs. Enjoy!

What's for dinner?

So after a crazy week & not buying enough chicken or shrimp or fish this week, we have a super fast vegetarian dinner.

Beans & Rice
Serves 2

2/3 cup brown rice
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 zucchini, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Cook rice with a pinch of salt according to directions or in a rice cooker.

Heat 1 teaspoon EVOO in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion with a bit of salt until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat & add beans, oregano & as much freshly ground pepper as you'd like & simmer for 10 minutes. Add zucchini & cook until some of the beans begin to break down & thicken, & the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes more.

Serve over rice & enjoy! Remember you can always trade out black beans for any kind of bean that you'd like, and the zucchini as well for any fresh veggies that you have on hand. Make it what you like! But be sure to share!

What's for dinner?

Pizza!
I think this is our favorite meal.
Serves 2 with awesome leftovers or 3-4

The great thing about pizzas is that there is no recipe. Do what you like!

Preheat the oven to a super hot 450-500 degrees. If you don't have a pizza stone to preheat with the oven, put your baking pans in while you make your pizzas.

Start out with some flat bread wraps -- these are great, they can minimize your carbs & you can find them in whole grain & other great options. We used 4 total flat breads.

Slather on some tomato sauce. you can used a premade sauce or stir in garlic & onion powder, salt, oregano & basil into about a 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes. Top with a few spoonfuls of browned turkey, beef, chicken, or sausage of your choice. 

Add your chopped veggies, we always use peppers & onions. You can use anything you like: olives, banana peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, asparagus. 

Top with a little "glue" or mozzarella. It will get all melty & delicious & help to hold together your pizza. 

There's no way I would forget the pepperonis! We use turkey 'ronis to help cut down on the calories.

Finally, top with a good sprinkle of parmesan. 

Bake for about 10-12 minutes until nicely browned & bubbly. Let the pizza stand for a few minutes before cutting.

Enjoy your delicious pizza!