Dinner in 30 - Pork Style

I was so tired after work tonight and did not want to deal with the hassle of cooking at all! I just wanted to relax and watch TV but felt guilty since I’ve been eating out a lot. Luckily for me, I stumbled upon this good deal on organic pork at Trader Joe’s and was able to save a few bucks on making a quick meal. This is something you can have form start to finish in 30 minutes – including prep time! Just season the pork and broil for 20 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees and you’re set to go. Next time when you don’t feel like pulling a Martha Stewart for dinner, do this instead.

Ahi

The thing I miss most about Costco is their affordable giant chunk of Ahi Tuna. After eating so much meat lately, I needed fish to cleanse my pallet. Because my local grocery shop often times closes the fish market before I get off work and leave me with just red meat options, I had to jump on this opportunity to buy it – even if it was way too expensive!

After salting your fish lightly with Kosher salt, add on some butter mixed with wasabi and cover with slices of ginger. This will add a real kick to the taste. Pair it with warm soba noodles and you’ve got an entire meal under 15 minutes!

Chicken Fever

What is it about organic, free range, non-antibiotics chicken that I love so much? I crave it all day long. I can’t stop buying it even though it costs more than my hourly wage! I just love the thick, juicy meat. Pan fried with bread crumbs or broiled with rosemary and lime, either way, you have something awesome! Here are a few dishes I made recently with my retirement savings.

P.S. for some reason I am deadly afraid of buying any other kind of chicken – apparently some guy started to grow boobs from eating too much hormone-injected chicken breasts. …..

A New Friend

I’m finally settled in the new apartment and loving it. A friend of ours had asked us to baby sit her plant over the summer but recently returned and took it back. I didn’t think I would miss it very much, but I do. The apartment feels incomplete without it.

Per my usual after work routine, last night I went to Trader Joes to buy organic chicken and other ingredients for dinner and was seduced by the cutest thing ever – a Basil plant. How can I possible say no to fresh green leaves and strong herb scents at the price of $5.99?

The Basil plant inspired me to make green curry for dinner and now I have a friend again amidst the loneliness of a new city.

Cindy

Cindy said to me that she “can’t really cook” and I told her to STFU! Well, not really, but kind of. After a long day of work I met up with her to go groceries shopping. To show her that anyone can cook, I told her to pick out a few random ingredients and without a menu set in mind we’d cook it together.

The dishes below are what we came up with. Flank steak with couscous and arugula /walnut salad and pan fried bell peppers with cherry tomatoes and garlic.

Together we cooked dinner and it was a lot of fun. I packed her the extra meat/vegetables so she could go home and replicate the meal and do it on her own. I’m sure she kicked ass. Come over and we can cook together too. =)

Figs, Friends, Boston

Cooking for yourself is great and the cost savings is a huge bonus! But beyond this, there is something even more rewarding – cooking for your friends.

When I lived in California my calendar was never short of various dinner parties with friends, night on the town with acquaintances, and weekend meals with the family. Since moving to Boston two months ago however, the calendar has been rather empty. So you can only imagine my excitement when I had made enough friends to host a dinner. Thank you guys for coming together and for all the laughs. Hope you all enjoyed the meal inspired by California's black mission figs.

Now anyone who wants a meal, just come to Boston and I'll make sure you are satisfied.

Bell Chili Peppers

Have you ever noticed that the green bell chili peppers are always cheaper than its yellow and red counterparts? I never understood why – maybe because it’s not as sweet?

I had some left over beef after making spaghetti the other night and wasn’t sure what to do with it until I saw the peppers were on sale at the local farmers market. I love anything baked/broiled because it’s healthier for you. This is also a very simple recipe – cook the beef with salt, garlic, mushrooms till its rare, make the couscous, cube the tomatoes, then stuff it in the chili pepper. Broil for 15-20 minutes and dinner is served. Though the portion looks small, it's very filling due to amount of beef and carbs.

Of course I also made strawberry shakes. =).