Salmon Ochazuke + Quick Japanese Cucumber Salad

 

I recently bought a new kettle/teapot and I've been in tea heaven! I love tea and I used to have an old metal kettle which started rusting, believe it or not, so I went shopping on Amazon and saw an awesome glass kettle. It now doubles as both my kettle and teapot (since I prefer loose tea) and I've been sipping tea all day long on a daily basis this week.

Spicy Japanese Cold Summer Noodles (Hiyashi Chuka)

We're sizzling in the U. S. of A. these days! Take a look at these temps across the board for this weekend. Lots of record-breaking 90 to 100 degree weather all over the map, including Southern California.

Lighter Pasta Primavera

I've only had Pasta Primavera once in my lifetime and since then, have never ordered it again as vegetables drenched in a heavy cream-based sauce is just not my cup of tea. But then, I chanced upon Giada de Laurentiis' Pasta Primavera recipe and her version sounded so tempting, I just had to try it. There's no cream in her recipe but what it does have are seasoned, oven-roasted veggies tossed with pasta and finished off with grated Parmesan cheese. 

The Stuffed Tomato

The tomato ranks as one of my top 5 favorite vegetables -- yes, I know it's technically a fruit but I think of it as a vegetable -- so when I saw some jumbo beefsteak tomatoes at Fresh & Easy priced at just $1.99 for a 4-pack, I had to buy some so that I could stuff 'em!

Pork Lettuce Wrap

I am thankful that my husband is allowed to work at home a few times a week.  With today’s gas prices, and cost of living, every way you could pinch a penny, is worth it.  However, that also means that I can’t do my work because I have to take care of feeding him…hahaha.

Rotini Salad

My husband and I decided to take a drive to Hacienda Heights last Saturday, which is about 20 miles East of Los Angeles, to visit the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple for the first time.  Let me tell you, I had no idea there was such a gem hidden in the hills of Hacienda Heights. 

Quick Vegetable Soup

There are days when I crave a good tomato based soup and today's one of those days. Back in my college days, I would satisfy such a craving with canned Campbell's Tomato Soup but of course, those days are long gone and I'd like to think I've evolved into a more adept cook armed with better kitchen equipment beyond a cheap can opener and a microwave.

Linguini with Mussels

Hello again everyone! It's been a while since I last posted here. I've been busy with work, and with that, it means that I have not had time to cook anything blog worthy. I'm a landscape designer outside of my blog life and I am thankful that I have clients these days. Anyway, I've managed to squeeze in this quick meal. The weather has been in the mid to high 80's the past few days, and when it gets hot I crave a light seafood meal.

Chinese Chicken Salad

 
Every time I order this salad at a restaurant or try it at someone's home, I cannot help but to compare it to Ms. Kathy's homemade version. The very first time I tried this wonderful salad was at a potluck at work in the early 90's, and it was Ms. Kathy who made it. When I asked what kind of salad it was, one of our co-workers blurted out; "Chinese chicken salad" in the background, to which Ms. Kathy quickly rebutted with, "Excuse me! It's Kathy's Chinese Chicken Salad, OK!"

Chicken Lettuce Wrap

What do you do with leftover chicken? In this case, pan fried chicken breast seasoned with salt garlic powder, and pepper. For the past couple of days I've been thinking about what to do with leftover chicken breast that's probably dry by now and lacking in flavor. I don't know about you, but re-heated chicken breast is never the same for me. So I thought of reviving my leftover rather than letting it go to waste. I'm so happy that it turned out so delicious that I devoured the whole thing, and I did not have to do much to perk it up. I hope you like it too.