Simple Miso Soup recipe

My kid loves miso soup! He especially loves it when there's tofu floating around in the soup, so I often make miso soup for him at home whenever we have tofu in the fridge. Let's get real, we can't always go to a sushi restaurant! This time though, I was out of tofu. But that's okay! Tofu doesn't really add much flavor to the soup. If you would like to add tofu in yours, I recommend silken tofu. You can even add the leftover tofu to your smoothies! I would also like to mention that my kid doesn't like seaweed in his soup so I omit that, but you can add some in yours!

Printable Recipe

Simple Miso Soup

ingredients:
• 2 cups water
• 2-inch kombu
• 2 tbsp Hikari Dashi Iri Genen Miso
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 scallion, finely chopped

instructions:
1)  Rinse kombu briefly in running water. Lightly wipe with a damp paper towel, being careful not to remove too much of the white minerals on the surface of the kombu. In a medium saucepan, soak kombu in water for 10 minutes.
2)  Bring water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Once at a simmer, reduce heat and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove kombu, turn off the heat.
3)  In a ladle, add miso and some of the hot water and stir with a fork/spoon to dissolve miso into a paste. Combine the miso mixture with the rest of the water.
4)  Turn on the heat to low, add soy sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Off the heat and sprinkle in scallions.
5)  Serve hot and enjoy!
    

Baked Barbecue Pork Ribs recipe

Wanna know a secret? We are a carnivore family! We love Brazilian steakhouses where there is a carousel of meats added to your plate before you can even finish shoving your face with the piece that's already on your fork! Okay, so not really a secret. I don't think we can go one day without eating some type of meat, and no, we don't want to try unless necessary.

My husband loves both pork and beef ribs. We had 4 pork ribs and 2 beef back ribs in the freezer at one time! I had to come up with a rub that's enough for at least 3 pork ribs and now I'm gonna share that with you.

I don't like bbq sauce. Is that weird? But I do like the pan drippings from these ribs. That's what I use as a dipping sauce! Again, is that weird? Haha!

Printable Recipe

Baked Barbecue Pork Ribs

For the Spice Rub
ingredients:
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp chipotle chile pepper
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp seasoned salt (Lawry's Less Sodium)
• ½ tsp ground Jamaican allspice
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

instructions:
1)  Add all the ingredients in an airtight container and shake to mix. Add some of this rub in an empty spice shaker to prevent food contamination. Save the rest of the rub in the airtight container.
◘ note: Enough spice rub for 3 ribs.

For the Pork
ingredients:
• 1 slab pork loin back ribs
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (Bragg)
• ¼ cup Weber Real Molasses BBQ Sauce Hickory Smoke

instructions:
1)  Line a roasting pan with foil for easy clean up (optional). Remove the silver skin from the ribs. Cut the ribs in half if necessary to fit in the roasting pan. Pour apple cider vinegar over the ribs, toss to coat.
2)  Using the spice shaker, generously sprinkle the spice rub all over the ribs. Make sure to season all sides. Cover the pan with foil and let ribs sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Take the ribs out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.
3)  Preheat oven to 350° F. With the pan still covered with foil, bake ribs for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
4)  Remove the foil. Using a brush, baste ribs with the pan drippings in a dabbing motion. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
5)  Take the pan out of the oven, baste ribs with the pan drippings again in a dabbing motion. Brush on the bbq sauce all over the ribs. Bake for 15 minutes.
6)  Leave the ribs in the pan and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
◘ tip: Serve ribs with bbq sauce, or pan drippings!
    

Kawa Onigiri recipe

Onigiri -- picnic-perfect food! Sometimes I like to give myself a pat on the back when I come up with something that I think is cool and haven't seen anywhere else. I present to you my very own creation of onigiri, Kawa Onigiri! I don't really know if that makes sense, but it's basically chicken skin onigiri. I made my Easy Teriyaki Chicken and Mushrooms a couple of weeks ago which calls for boneless and skinless thighs. I deboned and skinned the chicken thighs myself, and I saved both in separate freezer bags for later use (like this recipe!). If you don't have chicken skin, no worries! I've got you covered with my Bacon Onigiri! You are so welcome!

You can use whatever furikake blend you like. I used Shake Wakame which has salmon, wakame, seaweed, and sesame seeds. This is my way of sneaking in some fish into my diet since I don't eat a whole lot of fish. Don't hate.

Printable Recipe

Kawa Onigiri

For the Kawa
ingredients:
• 4 chicken skin from thighs
• sea salt
• non-stick spray

instructions:
1)  Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up, then place a wire rack over it. Spray the wire rack with non-stick spray. Lay the chicken skin flat on the rack, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
2)  Let the chicken skin cool on the wire rack and reserve 1 tbsp of the fat drippings for the onigiri.

For the Onigiri
ingredients:
• 1 rice cooker cup sushi rice (1 rice cooker cup = 180 ml)
• 1½ cups water
• 1 tbsp chicken fat drippings
• 1 tbsp furikake
• ½ tsp garlic-pepper seasoning (McCormick Salt Free)
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• nori for wrapping/decorating (optional)
• slices of avocado

instructions:
1)  Put rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under not-too-cold running water. Gently swish the rice around with your hand. Rinse rice until water runs clear, about 2 minutes. Drain rice very well by shaking the strainer.
2)  Transfer rice to a rice cooker and add 1½ cups water. Turn the setting to "Cook". Once the rice cooker switches to "Warm" setting, set the timer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the seasonings.
3)  In a small saucepan over low heat, add the drippings, furikake, and garlic-pepper. Stir around for 1 minute, then off the heat and set aside.
4)  In a bowl, add salt and ½ cup water. Microwave for 20 seconds. Stir the mixture until salt is dissolved; set aside. This is for wetting your hands before shaping the onigiri to prevent rice from sticking to your hands.
5)  Chop the chicken skin. When the 15-minute timer is up, turn the rice cooker off. Using a spoon, scoop as much of the seasonings out of the drippings as you can and add it to the rice, leaving the drippings in the pan. Discard drippings.
6)  Mix the seasonings in with the rice using a rice paddle. Add the chicken skin and fold it into the rice.
7)  Scoop some rice into a ¼ measuring cup, pack it in. Dip your clean hands in the salt-water mixture, turn the measuring cup upside down and catch the rice with one hand. Firmly shape the rice into a ball or any shape you like. Repeat procedure until rice is gone.
8)  Decorate or wrap onigiri with nori, if desired. Serve with slices of avocado.

Bacon Onigiri
ingredients:
• 1 rice cooker cup sushi rice ( 1 rice cooker cup = 180 ml)
• 1½ cups water
• 3 bacon strips, thick cut
• 1 tbsp furikake
• ½ tsp garlic-pepper seasoning (McCormick Salt Free)
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• nori for wrappping/decorating (optional)
• slices of avocado

instructions:
1)  Put rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under not-too-cold running water. Gently swish the rice around with your hand. Rinse rice until water runs clear, about 2 minutes. Drain rice very well by shaking the strainer.
2)  Transfer rice to a rice cooker and add 1½ cups water. Turn the setting to "Cook". Once the rice cooker switches to "Warm" setting, set the timer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon.
3)  In a dry pan over medium-low heat, add bacon and cook for 4 minutes per side. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess grease.
4)  In the same pan over low heat, add furikake and garlic-pepper to the bacon drippings. Stir around for 1 minute, then off the heat and set aside.
5)  In a bowl, add salt and ½ cup water. Microwave for 20 seconds. Stir the mixture until salt is dissolved; set aside. This is for wetting your hands before shaping the onigiri to prevent rice from sticking to your hands.
6)  Chop the bacon. When the 15-minute timer is up, turn the rice cooker off. Using a spoon, scoop as much of the seasonings out of the drippings as you can and add it to the rice, leaving the drippings in the pan. Discard drippings.
7)  Mix the seasonings in with the rice using a rice paddle. Add bacon and fold it into the rice.
8)  Scoop some rice into a ¼ measuring cup, pack it in. Dip your clean hands in the salt-water mixture, turn the measuring cup upside down and catch the rice with one hand. Firmly shape the rice into a ball or any shape you like. Repeat procedure until rice is gone.
9)  Decorate or wrap onigiri with nori, if desired. Serve with slices of avocado.
      

Bacon Onigiri

Marinated Petite Sirloin Steak with Artichoke Sauce recipe

There was a time when petite sirloin steaks were buy one get one free at the store and my husband just could not pass up the offer. Our freezer was loaded with those steaks and to change things up from the usual steaks I cook, I did some pantry-raiding and came up with this recipe. Odd combination, but it works. You get a salty bite from the steak, then kind of like a sour kick from the sauce. My kid even says "more, more steak" when his plate is empty!

Printable Recipe

Marinated Petite Sirloin Steak with Artichoke Sauce

For the Steak
ingredients:
• 2 to 3 petite sirloin steak, boneless (about 1.5 to 1.75 lbs)
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp olive oil
• sea salt for sprinkling

instructions:
1)  Put steaks in a zip top bag and place the bag over a plate. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl (except sea salt), then pour it over the steaks. Squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag then seal it. Massage the marinade into the meat. Refrigerate to marinate for at least 4 hours, turning occasionally.
2)  Take the steaks out of the fridge 1 hour prior to cooking. When ready, remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade.
3)  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. At the first sight of smoke, add the steaks to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a plate or carving board and sprinkle with sea salt. Let steaks rest while you make the sauce.

For the Sauce
ingredients:
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil (or any neutral oil such as canola)
• 1 small Vidalia onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

instructions:
1)  Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic, cook for 4 minutes. Add artichokes along with its marinade, capers, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Give it a stir, then increase heat to medium-high. Cook to reduce liquid, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2)  Turn off the heat and swirl in the butter.
3)  Slice steaks against the grain and on a bias. Place steaks on a plate and spoon the sauce over the top.