Prepare to feast your eyes on the feast I savored for dinner.  A five-course fusion of Asian cuisine prepared by my loving Hunky Hubby just because. Not for a birthday or anniversary celebration, just an ordinary Thursday night that became extraordinary. Really, how many guys would spend a good portion of their day off willingly cooking, baking and getting dish pan hands? Makes me love my Love all the more, even with his awful no-shave-November goatee.

Our first course was a delightful bowl of Thai butternut squash soup. Tummy warming and taste bud tantalizing is the best way to sum it up.

The original recipe, courtesy of food.com, calls for a 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk. Ours purportedly went bad, but I can attest to the deliciousness of Hubby’s substitution: 1 tablespoon of coconut oil mixed with 1 1/2 cups of skim milk. Also, for non-curry lovers like yours truly, 1 teaspoon of Rogan Josh is a tasty substitute for 1 teaspoon of curry powder.

Vietnamese Meatball Lollipops with Dipping Sauce was our next course. Who doesn’t like eating anything from a stick let alone meatballs?

This recipe was from bettycrocker.com, with one exception: the dipping sauce. I can’t give you a recipe because, as in true foodie fashion, it was a little-this-and-that creation that Hubby whipped up. His version was much lower in sodium and had a drop of Siracha gave a nice kick.

Third course: Spicy Japanese Cucumber Salad

I was told we were having a salad-less salad course but what with being in a fog from a 10 hour day it never occurred to me that we’d be enjoying an Asian cucumber salad. Especially one that looked like a flower and tasted spicy and delicate at the same time.

To make this delight, simply peel the cucumber and after discarding the skins keep peeling – in essence you’re creating cucumber shavings. For a serving of four, use 1 1/2 cucumbers. Prepare a simple dressing by mixing a splash of rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper to desired heat, a bit of freshly grated ginger (again, to taste) and salt to taste (careful with the shaker). Let the cucumbers marinade for several hours. Arrange the shavings in twists to resemble a flower when you’re ready to serve. This salad is so light and refreshing I could eat the entire bowlful by myself!

Fourth course: Chicken Stir Fry

Our fourth course and entree was a sesame topped stir fry with vegetables and chicken in a light Asian sauce. I gave up on the chopsticks and dove in with a fork. Sorry, folks – no recipe. Hubby created as he cooked and ooh I just love it when he does that.

And now, for the sweet finale: Bibingka.  This Filipino coconut cake tastes like a cross between angel food cake and a pineapple-coconut flavored pound cake. A perfect ending to such a special meal.

It was one of those nights when my heart swelled with gratitude as I cherished family time and all the love that my Hubby put into every bite.

Happy Thursday!
Gigi

How can it already be Halloween weekend? The month of October breezed by about as fast as the wind has been whipping these past few nights. It crept up so quickly that I didn’t even finish buying pumpkins. This is the first year that neither of my Beauties carved a pumpkin and while I was a bit bummed, they didn’t give it a second thought what with three parties between this weekend and next. So it was just me and the Hubby who turned pumpkins into works of art this year — all freehand, thank you very much. We hung out at the end of the driveway, stayed toasty by the fire pit, and passed out candy to all of the princesses, cowboys, monsters, super heroes, ladybugs and one particularly adorable little grandpa who was at most 4 years old. Just goes to show that looks can be deceiving.

Our pumpkins, for example, looked like this…

But come dark, they turned into this:

Just as my week #3 soup -a lightened broccoli cheese soup – might have looked rather questionable as I was cooking the other night.

Broccoli, onion, carrots and a bit of garlic simmering in chicken broth would make a delicious soup on its own. The magical transformation of this soup, however, comes after preparing a small bit of roux and adding one cup of 1% milk, thus making a light white cream sauce. Adding the white sauce to the pot and tossing in a cupful of shredded Monterrey jack/cheddar blend transformed what was a brothy broccoli soup into a light and creamy broccoli cheese soup.

Divine I tell you. Not a drop of  leftovers was a sure sign that my Loves agreed. We all enjoy cream soups and I hope I am teaching my girls that reducing fat grams does not equate to reducing flavor.

For all of you broccoli cheese soup lovers out there, do give this light version a try. No trick, it’s all treat. Enjoy!

There’s an old Serbian saying that trumpets the health benefits of eating with a spoon.  A steamy bowlful of white bean, kale & sausage soup counts but, no, sorry, creme brulee does not.

This white bean, kale and sausage soup is probably worth extra credit as it contains the superstar veggie or all veggies. I was floored to learn that just one itty bitty cup of kale contains 206% of the daily value of vitamin A and 134% of the daily value of vitamin C.  I was completely blown away by vitamin K totaling 684%. Six hundred eighty four percent! (Just making sure you caught that. I had to read it a few times myself.)

I used one bunch of kale in this soup and though it didn’t equate to one cup per serving, the kale and white beans contributed to a healthy one pot meal.

White bean, kale and sausage soup was the kickoff to my family’s new weekly soup/stew/stoup night. We’re all on board to make it a night to enjoy an old favorite every now and then but more as an opportunity to try something new, like kale.

Kale can be a bitter green but I found it to be quite tasty when paired with mild flavored Great Northern beans. Add smoked sausage to the mix and it’s a sure winner. Well, it was for most of us anyway. My eldest hasn’t quite developed her taste for kale in leafy form and preferred to puree the soup and enjoy it as a stoup instead. As for the rest of us, we enjoyed every soupy spoonful and the sample I sent over to my sister’s house scored positive reviews.

As one who tries to eat healthy, I admit I am a serious underachiever when it comes to eating leafy cruciferous greens, but what better place to hide them than in soup? There really is something to be said about healthy eating with a spoon.

Prijatno!

Let’s talk canning fresh tomatoes. So you’ve made oodles of salsa and heaps of spaghetti sauce and slow-simmered marinara. Well, it’s time to break out and try canning fresh tomatoes in a whole new way.

Sataraš, pronounced sah-tah-rah-sh, is the Serbian equivalent of ratatouille and a scrumptious way to use up those last heaping bowlfuls of garden tomatoes. You know, the ones on the counter right next to the mountain of red peppers that you received from your dear ol’ over-achieving hobby gardener of a dad (aka my Tata whom I love dearly).

Between my own garden and his we have armfuls of fresh tomatoes and peppers to share with friends and neighbors. {I won’t even bother mentioning zucchini, though I just did.}

Since I can’t leave a bag of garden produce on your doorstep I’m doing the next best thing and sharing my sister’s wonderfully flavorful sataras recipe instead. Easy preparation with endless possibilities to put your own spin on it … if you happen to be one of those recipe-changer types. {Happy to have you in the club!}

Fresh tomatoes, red peppers and sliced onions are the three traditional and fundamental ingredients of Serbian sataras, though eggplant is a tasty addition. {If only I didn’t live with three eggplant nay sayers.}

The dish is prepared in layers, beginning with sweating onions.

After these cook down and start to emit liquid, it’s time to add the next layer: sliced red peppers. {Like your food spicy? Go ahead and toss in a few hot peppers. }

After the peppers have softened, add the diced tomatoes on top of the peppers – the final layer.

Let this cook on a low simmer, stirring after the tomatoes have emitted their juices are have began to cook down. Taste as you go and salt as you wish — but be mindful with the shaker. I also add a generous sprinkle of cracked black pepper, though my sister does not.  There are no defined rules here, let your taste buds be your guide. {If you’re planning on canning the sataras, add 1 to 1 -1/2 teaspoons of salt. That’s plenty to preserve it without sending the sodium level to the moon. }

When the sataras has reduced to a rich ragout-style consistency, you’re ready to prep the canning jars and preserve this tasty garden goodness.

Now that you know how to make Serbian sataras, you may be wondering how to serve it. Quite simply, however your little heart desires! Not only is canning Serbian sataras an easy way  of preserving the taste of garden fresh produce, it is a delectable dish with endless uses. Add a generous spoonful to scrambled eggs, serve as a healthy side dish, or use as a topping for fish, chicken or pork.  {My family’s favorite preparation: pour sataras over browned pork chops and bake. Oooh so yummy.}

If canning isn’t your thing, follow my sister’s lead and freeze the sataras in whatever means you choose.  Her method of choice: freezing in 16oz cottage cheese containers. Hubby and I are annual canners and have been in a canning craze since the end of August. The canning kettle is parked on the counter with jars of all sizes covering the dining room table and boxes of lids and bands everywhere. It’s a good thing I’m not an overly obsessive neat freak or I’d be breaking out in hives by now. It’s also good that my Hunky Hubby doesn’t mind getting a steamy facial for weeks straight this time of year just as it is a good thing to have a willing over-achieving gardener at the ready to help peel and chop.  🙂

Happy canning, friends! Prijatno!