Happy Birthday Bachan
When I was a little girl, I waited all year long for the days when I could take a little break away from my brother, sister, and maybe even my mom and dad as well, and spend time with my Bachan in Pasasdena. Bachan (or …
Tag: birthday
Maleeya’s First Birthday Celebration and Catering
My niece, Maleeya, just recently turned one on Easter, which was April 8th, so we decided that it would be a good idea to celebrate Easter with our family, including a small birthday celebration for her and then, the following Sunday, have her huge birthday …
Dinner for 8: Happy Birthday Big Sister Keek
Birthdays are my favorite occasions to celebrate. I always have some extravagant plan for someone I love, if it’s at all possible to get done. The weekend of the 12th my big sister, Kristen, had a birthday celebration for the family, and myself and Brandon cooked for everyone. We decided on a last-minute venture all over the place, including a trip to Oxnard farmer’s market and a couple of other grocery stores on the way home. We cut the preparation pretty close, but my family is always pretty flexible when it comes to me cooking. I honestly came up with the menu last-minute, so it’s good I had Brandon with me so he could fill in my brain gaps with the menu. So here’s what we decided on for the fun of it all. (Some photos are missing)
Menu
Appetizers: Buffalo mozzarella, melon, olives, humus, and pita
Whole sautéed head on prawns with garlic
Three color: white, candy cane, and golden beet salad, with prosciutto chips, goat cheese and mixed greens with honey balsamic vinaigrette
Cabernet and Italian herb braised beef and ricotta stuffed shells
Homemade pasta filled with spinach and chicken ricotta and herbs
Homemade basil spinach pesto with pine nuts and aged Parmesan
Vine-ripened red heirloom pomodoro fresco with basil and extra virgin olive oil
Alfredo sauce over chicken-filled fresh tortelli
Tuile cookie with orange pastry cream and fresh blueberries and blackberries
I think my sister was happily stuffed and opening presents like we used to when we were kids. I loved everyone being together and seeing our little addition, Maleeya, join in the fun. I love my family very much and my sister is a huge part of that love. I love you Keek. Happy birthday, you old lady! Just remember, I’ll always look up to you just like I did when we were little like monkey. You’re the best sister ever.
Cheers
-Unrivaledkitch
Little Brother’s Big 25 and Recipe for Pork Chop “Saltimbocca”
As time goes by, it seems that things change and we get lost in the adult whirl wind of life. Though I don’t believe I’m truly an adult at heart, the time has come to come to grip with the fact that I’m not a …
Cyrus’s 2nd Birthday… The Candyshop and Red Velvet Cupcakes
Today is one of my favorite little boys very special day. I remember the day my friend Katie called me to tell me she was expecting and thereafter, all the midnight to 2 a.m. phone calls and text messages with horrible stories of pregnancy woes, …
Birthday celebrations, food, friends and good beets
I love food as a celebration. Large parties, huge spreads of tons of food that have peoples eyes opening wide and mouths salivating and pleasant aromas and sights to only be quieted by the shoveling of food in to mouths. Those are the times I am extremely happy. Life is one big celebration as we know but those days where we can really come together talk about things, people, and places we love and just enjoy the company of those close to us are really something amazing to cherish.
Tonight I did just that.
It was one of my best friends from high school, Michelle’s birthday was last Sunday. She had some mid-terms to finish up so we couldn’t celebrate on her actual birthday but I asked her what she’d like to do, she said nothing which tends to be a growing trend amongst us as we get older, we don’t want to party, we just want to hang out and be mellow. So I said we’re not going to do nothing silly how about I cook for you, she agreed upon request and already my head was thinking about things I wanted to make but haven’t gotten to for a while.
I also informed a good friend of ours, Guy, of the little food party and he said he would join us. I was really excited and happy to have them both over to my place and to be able to cook for them would be really fun. I’ve known Guy since the 6th grade. I’m so grateful to have such amazing friends who are so supportive in my cooking so I took an early morning yoga class and got on my way.
This is the menu I ended up finishing;
Roasted garlic, basil, and Pinot grigio steamed clams & mussels
Braised Chicken, Cacciatore style severed with creamy manchego & smoked gouda white polenta
Thyme Roasted Red potatoes & asparagus
White Zucchini, Organic Red beet, and Avocado Baby Spring Mix salad with White Balsamic Tangerine Vinaigrette
Pineapple and Strawberry Shortbread Tart with Almond Strawberry Curd (no picture)
White Sangria with fresh pineapple, berries and tangerines
Kinda annoyed I didn’t take a good picture of the salad but after all the work i do taking pictures is hardly the priority, I need a photographer but anyway…
I have to say the salad was the most simple delicious thing. Tangerine and parsley along with lovely subtle white balsamic and extra virgin olive oil you have to try it, I think you’ll love it. The creaminess of avocado and the raw white zucchini marinated in the dressing a little ahead of time really makes for something wonderful but different.
White Zucchini, Organic Red beet, and Avocado Baby Spring Mix salad with White Balsamic Tangerine Vinaigrette
Slice 1 white zucchini which is also called Mexican zucchini, I like this particular kind because it doesn’t taste bitter like Italian zucchini tastes sometimes, into pieces that are long and skinny but pleasant to eat
1 avocado ripe sliced
2 hand fulls of spring mix
1 beet boiled and peeled then sliced into thin circles
Dressing
Juice of 1 tangerine
about 3 tablespoons white balsamic
extra virgin olive oil to your preference
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced parsley
Dressing needs to be done with your taste in mind, so put it all together and season!
Mix the zucchini sticks with about 1/2 the dressing or enough to coat and let sit for about 15 minutes, it pickles them a little and makes the dressing stick add the avocado to the mixture when ready to serve and toss together
plate mixed greens and beets arranging as you’d like, then toss with a little more dressing and top with avocado and zucchini
Easy light simple salad.
I hope you enjoy
I’m so tired I think i could sleep all day. I knew i was gonna be tired tomorrow so i put a roast in the slow cooker for tomorrow 🙂 always thinking ahead.
Remember about the Online Bake Sale For Japan
Simple Whipped Cream Pistachio Pie
Pistachio Pie is one of the things I remember as a child. My sister would ask my mom every year to make this simple pie for her birthday dessert. There would be blue candles atop (her favorite color) and she would smile big as …
Cyrus’s 1st Birthday Party Finished Catering
My life turns this… Into this Fruit, Cheese, and Vegetable platter assorted melon some strawberries,and grapes the vegetables carrots, broccoli, celery, and cucumbers jack cheese, cheddar squares Deviled eggs trio of salad a Purple and Green Coleslaw with Salted almonds and honey granny smith …
Pad Thai and Brother in Laws Birthday
Pad Thai I made from scratch
pad thai
3large meal size/5 small sides Servings
________________________________________
1/2 lime
1 egg
4 teaspoons fish sauce (if you don’t want to buy a whole bottle of fish sauce you can use soy sauce it will taste different but it will still be good)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red dried chili flakes i added more i like mine spicy
to taste ground pepper
1 shallot, minced I used white onion cause its what i had
2 tablespoon sugar i think this was upped to about 3 1/2 to 4 table spoons
2 tablespoon tamarind same with this i used the whole pods which was the equivalent of about 4 and a 1/2 pods scrapped from the seed and mashed
1/2 package Thai rice noodles
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2-1/4 lb shrimp
i chicken breast
Optional
1/2 package of tofu – extra firm Optional
2 sprigs of green onion white and green used
2 tablespoons peanuts Optional
1-1/2 cup bean sprouts
Okay heat your walk with vegetable oil add peanuts to oil and roast till brown making sure to take them out when they are still golden as to avoid burning
Add to your remaining oil add your white onion, garlic, green onions and stir till translucent
To this then add your chili flakes, sugar, tamarind paste stir till heated
Then add peanuts, ½ lime squeeze, and fish sauce stir till incorporated and the tamarind is dissolved
Sauce can now be set aside in bowl
Now for the noodles if you’re going to be eating your pad thai right away loosen your noodles now in enough warm/hot water to cover them in a separate bowl. This process takes about 5-7 minutes the noodles should still be a little hard so they can finish cooking with the sauce. This will make the ingredients adhere to the noodles much better and make for a wonderful noodle dish instead of a sticky mess. If you put them in the sauce and realize they aren’t soft enough add a little water to your pad thai and cover and cook a couple of minutes and that should do. If you aren’t eating this right away, I’d suggest making the sauce for the dish and holding off on the noodles till right before.
Anyway
You don’t have to wash out the wok just continue to use the same one with a bit of the sauce in the bottom it will help to cook everything if you find your vegetables are not moving well add a little more sauce or water to the pan
Now add your chicken which has been sliced thin cook about ½ way then 4 minutes add tofu and bean sprouts and cook about 5 minutes finally toss in shrimps and cook another 4-6 minutes till shrimps pink through out
Finally add sauce to meat mixture
Heat and still gently till incorporated
Now if you want to go for a hike or get a shower you can just leave the sauce aside and make the noodles later if not put the noodles with the meat and heat for about 3-5 minutes and there you go
You are now the master of your own pad thai!
If you like adding other veggies do so I love extra cabbage and sprouts and cilantro on top and extra roasted peanuts
I made all this food for my brother in laws birthday party
list follows
Korean flank steak, Albondigas style meatballs, with roasted onions, Spanish rice, and cilantro,crushed red chili and balsamic tri tip, Goma soy chicken drums,scallion celery and black olive Potato salad,layered bean dip, tomatillo salsa verde, pico de gallo…roasted cauliflower, orange yams, maple bacon Brussels sprouts, roasted white zucchini, Balsamic cotija cheese pasta salad with heirloom tomatoes, red onions, parsley and extra virgin olive oil, not pictured pineapple orange cake
the simple things in life avocado BLT on Texas toast and a caramel apple
Cheers
Unrivaledkitch