Chinese Pork Dumplings (Jiaozi)

For the last month and a half, I've had a guest in my home. She hails from Beijing, China, and even though I hadn't met her before she came to stay with me, I feel that we have become fast friends. I have learned so much about China's people, places and culture just by listening to her fascinating stories. Best of all, she has cooked for me on numerous occasions and has taught me so many new ways of cooking Chinese food.

Umami Beef & Potatoes

You guys didn't think this blog would die did you? I did. GG and I have gotten so busy that food blogging became a thing of the past. But tonight, I thought, why not refresh this old blog of ours, even if it's with a recipe of a simple dish that I concocted over 10 years ago. And so, The Red Gingham lives on!

Light & Easy Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is one of those comfort foods that'll warm your soul but could really stick to your ribs at the same time. Anyone who loves meat and potatoes will enjoy Shepherd's Pie because it's essentially ground meat and some mixed veggies topped with a layer of mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown on top. My family loves Shepherd's Pie but since I'm on a quest to shed some weight, I thought, why not make a lighter and healthier version that everyone will still enjoy?

Italian Herb Roast Chicken & Vegetables

I love roast chicken and, for the longest time, was afraid of attempting to roast them whole at home because I always thought it would be hard for some reason and I would end up with really dry chicken. So I just settled for store bought rotisserie chicken and even then, they were sometimes dry or lacking in flavor.

Slow Cooker Braised Garlic Spareribs

I recently had a hankering for some tender pork ribs and by that, I don't mean American style ribs with a sweet BBQ sauce. No, what I wanted was an Asian version with a salty, garlicky sauce perfect for drizzling over steamed white rice. I bought some spareribs over the weekend and today, was finally able to quell my craving. Best of all, these ribs cooked up in my slow cooker while I went about my day. I did spend about 20 minutes in the morning prepping the meat and putting the sauce together but after that, it was all on auto pilot. These ribs made for a fantastic dinner along with some sauteed green beans and steamed rice. Easy peasy.

Red Wine Steak Marinade

Hello again! Yes, I have been away from the blogging world for a couple of months due to work and other endeavors. Big thanks to Gingham Girl for keeping our little blog alive. While I may not have blogged, I have still cooked almost every day, even during the two weeks last month when we were hit with nasty 100 degree temperatures. When the weather gets that hot, we do most of our cooking outside on the grill. Yesterday, the hot weather returned once again, seemingly with a vengeance (it got to 105 degrees!) so I decided to marinate some steaks to throw on the grill.

Classic Meatloaf

From what I've heard, meatloaf has a bit of a bad rep even though it's considered to be a quintessential American comfort food. Apparently, school cafeteria meatloaf with its mysterious lump of meat submerged in some runny brown sauce has some people scarred for life. I wish I could relate but I really can't because I wasn't raised in the American public school system and had never actually tasted meatloaf until I was in my late twenties.

Paula Deen's Old-Time Beef Stew

Beef stew is somewhat new to our dinner table. I never used to cook it "BMVG" (Before Mr. VG) because we used to eat Asian food much more frequently. But since he came along and is the epitome of a meat and potatoes guy, beef stew had to make its appearance somehow. Over the years, I've tried several beef stew recipes ranging from extremely easy to not-so-easy.

Asian Pot Roast

With the arrival of fall and cooler weather, I find myself craving lots of warm comfort foods such as pot roast. The last time I made pot roast was probably several months ago so when my son came grocery shopping with me last week and saw chuck roast on sale, he asked me to make it for one of our "meat night" dinners. I granted his request but instead of the usual, traditional American version, I gave this one an Asian twist. 

Five-spice Pork Chops

Whew, this has been a week of tight work deadlines for me, all in preparation for an expo that my company puts together in Indonesia every year. This year's show is in two weeks so I'll be working pretty much non-stop up to that point. That coupled with the kids' first week back at school has made for very hectic, short days, so much so that some most household chores have had to be put off. Yes, I'm living in a pigsty at the moment, folks. I've got dusty floors and massive laundry piles. Guess what I'll be doing all of this weekend?

Rice cooker chicken rice to the rescue!

So back-to-school fever hit our household today as we scrambled around shopping for last minute school supplies, uniforms and acceptable, "cool enough" clothing for my middle schooler. Throw 100 degree weather into the mix and you've got one very reluctant cook (yours truly) in the kitchen. I could have very easily picked up something quick for lunch but I was determined to stick to my pre-planned menu for the week which listed "chicken fried rice" as today's lunch. With some improvisation and a lot of help from my good ole' trusty rice cooker, I got out of slaving over a hot stove and was instead, able to focus on my to-do list.