// cheesy ramen //

Ok. I know this isn't a fancy meal or anything, but it has got to be one of the BEST things to eat after a long night of drinking/partying or if you're in need of some comfort food. Now, most Asians just know what this is because...well, we're Asian and we know how to use our resources. Kinda like Iron Chef when you're a poor college kid or after you've had one too many drinks and come home to a fridge with only the bare necessities. Just wanted to post this recipe since some non-AZN friends of mine were wondering how to make this.

I have used all kinds of Asian instant ramen. The best flavors to use are the beef or chicken. I particularly favor this one right now - Shirakiku Tokusen Sio Ramen.

You can basically tweak it with whatever spices you have in your pantry, but I just use half the packet of the ramen seasoning (not the soup base, just the spice) and sprinkle a lil bit of Krazy Jane salt on top.

1. Boil water as you normally would to cook instant ramen.
2. Cook noodles w/out any of the packets.
3. Drain noodles.
4. Add a pat of butter to the same pot (make sure it's dry).
5. On low heat, add drained noodles back in pot. Stir w/the butter.
6. Break up cheese (I use this brand, but you can use whatever cheese you have in the fridge) and mix w/the noodles until melted (over low - med heat).
7. Stir in half of the spice packet that came w/the ramen and some ground pepper. Turn off heat.
8. Nom nom nom!
   

// grilled corn w/Vietnamese sauce //

This is easily one of my favorite foods that I grew up eating. My dad would actually just cut the kernels off of the cob, then grill in the oven. You can either grill it whole on the outside grill until it starts to char (you actually WANT some of the kernels to be dark brown or black) or you can do it stove top, too if you have one of these grill pans.

Living in a loft apt, I have to use the latter. It's pretty simple, you just grill the corn w/out the husks and use a heavy lid (I have a cast iron one that I use) to sit on the corn to push it down in the pan. Use medium heat (maybe high-medium depending on your stove). Again, you want it to be slightly charred in order to maximize the sweetness of the corn when you bite into it, plus the texture makes it THAT much more amazing. Remove from the pan and then cut off the kernels. There's some tools you can purchase to make it easier and this is the cheapest one I've seen for $2.99 that you can find at any kitchenware store.

Then you can serve the corn in small bowls and put about a teaspoon or 2 of this sauce over it and mix. Depends on how big your portion is, but you can just taste it to see if it's enough sauce. The recipe listed says "Cambodian", but we're neighbors so it's basically the same thing. ^_^

I remember calling it "lip gloss sauce" when I was a kid b/c if you eat it off the cob, it makes your lips all shiny from the oil. Hahahaha. Hope you like it!

// grilled steak w/tomatoes & scallions //

Now that the weather in Atlanta has cooled off a lil', grilling out seems perfect. I decided to make some steaks last minute and found a really simple recipe. It basically only uses 6 ingredients and half of them, you probably already have in the pantry. You can use grape or cherry tomatoes and I would use more scallions, too. The recipe said to grill the steaks for 3-4 minutes each side, but it depends on the thickness of your steak. You might need to just do 2 minutes, b/c mine was a little overdone for my liking. Grilling is all about timing and technique and I'm still new, so....

Anyhow, I paired it with some sauteed gai lan and some corn-on-the-cob with Vietnamese sauce. Will post that recipe soon. This main dish should be easily accompanied by any vegetable you can grill, though. So, grill away! Just don't overcook the steak...ugh!

// Asian Chicken Wings & Drumsticks //

Our friend Jerry was getting sent away to Afghanistan thru the military, so we won't see him for another year. We had FAM DIN in honor of him and even made him a lil memory book (thanks Suzuko for diligently sewing the book together) to take w/him. Come home safe, Jerry...we'll have a welcome back dinner fo'sho!

On the menu tonight: Asian style chicken wings/drumsticks and grilled corn on the cob w/special Vietnamese/Cambodian corn sauce. The sauce totally makes a difference! My dad used to grill the corn in the oven until it was slightly charred black on a few sides, then slice the kernels off w/a knife...then drizzle the sauce on and mix it in a bowl. Talk about spoiled kids (only food wise, of course)...

// maple & apple lamb shoulder chops//

I've only made lamb a handful of times, but it always came out too dry or the flavor was never what I wanted. This recipe changed all of that. It was really simple to make and I had most of the ingredients on hand. I was especially excited to use my Martinelli's apple juice that is always stocked in the fridge. The only thing that I tweaked was that I used 2 lamb shoulder chops, instead of the 8 in the recipe, and only half of a green apple and 4 pitted prunes (both sliced). Apparently, most people overlook the lamb shoulder chop cut. I happened to be peeping in the lamb section at Publix and was surprised to see how cheap this cut was (it was less than $4 each!). After simmering for 30 minutes, the meat was practically falling off the bone. I served it w/homemade mashed potatoes, which I basically cooked w/the chicken stock used in the lamb. I just added some butter and salt and pepper as needed. Also, made some steamed spinach on the side to balance it out. You've GOT to try this recipe soon. It's great for the upcoming fall season and is impressive on looks and taste.

// beef & scallion //

Shiitake mushrooms! It's been 5 months since I've updated anything on here. Sorry, folks. Mainly camera issues, but I will try and keep it on track now that I have a working one. Today's dish was out of a craving I had. The only thing that I would do different is use less sauce and slice the beef a lot thinner. The outcome was still good, I just wanted the beef to be more crispy than soft. My side dish was snow pea tip leaves sauteed with minced garlic, rice vinegar, oyster sauce and sesame oil. You can substitute the greens with any other Asian greens, really, but that's my go-to side dish with most Asian meat dishes. Grab the recipe here.

// stuffed shells //

New year...new post. I've been a lil busy towards the end of 2009, but still cooking up new recipes every week. Just haven't had time to post. So, to start off this year I'll show you an easy recipe for stuffed shells that I found. It looks really impressive to those who aren't in the kitchen helping...or to those who don't cook at all. Anyhow, made it for the 1st time for FAM DIN and it came out perfect. Right guys? Of course they'll nod yes because I feed them every week. ^_^