• Soup. It’s What’s For Dinner.

    I love soup.  Any time of year.  Hot weather.  Cold weather.  I just really don’t care.  I generally prefer my soup hot rather than cold but I can get down with a chilled cucumber and dill every now and then.Butternut Squash Soup ~ Living the Savory Life

  • The Ultimate Pressed Sandwich

    In our house I’m known as the sandwich queen.  I admit it; I make a mean sandwich.  It is a big burden to bear but I like to think I’m up for the challenge.  I’ve had a lot of practice.Sandwich Queen

  • Another Vegetable Filled Adventure ~ Salmon Rice Paper Rolls Served with Green Bean and Red Pepper Salad

    It’s Friday again and in my house that either means fly to work morning or fly home evening for my better half.  Every Friday means a trip to the airport for us.  I have to say I much prefer the Friday evening trips over the Friday insanely early morning trips.  Those morning trips you never can tell what mismatched clothes I might be wearing or what direction my hair will be pointing.  I totally pull off the “I just rolled out of bed to make this drop off and plan on going straight back to bed” look.  And of course, I don’t jut struggle with the early morning but also the fact that it is good-bye for the week.  But lets not dwell on the early mornings anymore for today is an evening trip to the airport which means, not only am I more presentable, but also that it is fly home day!!  Yay for us!!

    Fly home day means a low key night with a good catch up and a clean meal pack with veggies.  Tonight I really wanted to do a make ahead meal so all I really had to do was pull it from the fridge, pour some wine and sit an enjoy.  I knew I wanted to make salmon.  I toyed with a lot of ideas; a house favorite Salmon Nicoise, Salmon and Asparagus pasta, Honey Soy Salmon, Salmon Banh Mi…  I could keep going.  There are a couple pages of scribbled notes.  What I did decide on is Salmon Rice Paper Rolls with a Chilled Green Bean and Red Pepper Salad.Vietnamese Salmon Rolls with Green Bean and Red Pepper Salad

  • How to Easily Cut a Roasted Chicken

    In the previous post I shared with you the method we use to roast a perfect chicken.  Today I want to share with you how I quickly and easily cut that roasted chicken for serving.

    One tool I think every kitchen should have is a good pair of kitchen scissors.  A sturdy pair kept in the kitchen only used for kitchen tasks only.  You can also look for poultry scissors.  The specific brand I use is Wusthof, but Oxo, Henckel, Scanpan and many others make them as well.  Pick a pair that seem sturdy and feel comfortable in your hand.  An added bonus would be if they come apart for easy cleaning.  Use your kitchen scissors for cutting your chicken.  There is no easier way.

    Breast side up with legs pointing towards you.
    Breast side up with legs pointing towards you.
  • Roasted Chicken with Shallot White Wine Pan Sauce

    I’m sure we are like most households; we eat a lot of chicken.  I do try to be aware of it though and really do try not to serve chicken more than once a week.  I mean one can only eat so much boneless skinless bla bla bla.  Don’t get me wrong boneless skinless chicken has its place (like Thai Green Curry) but it can get boring.  Enter the roasted chicken.Roasted Chicken

  • Sambal Matah

    Sambal Matah
    Sambal Matah

    It’s been months since we were in Bali.  What an awesome trip we had.  Bali can be quite an affordable little getaway and is just a short three hour direct flight from Perth.  Lucky us!!

  • Parchment Baked Fish with Steamed Baby Bok Choy

    Parchment Baked Fish with Steamed Baby Bok Choy and Sambal MatahIf there’s one thing I can count on this would be it; nights my better half comes home from a week away at work, the one and only request I ever get is to have veggies with dinner.  Not that I don’t always serve up a vegetable with dinner but on these nights I do try to make sure there are extras and they are a more substantial part of the meal.  Apparently at work he is quite deprived of all things leafy and green.  Now I’ve never seen it, but I’m sure the cafeteria up on site does serve up veggies on a regular basis but considering the amount of people they cook for daily I can only imagine that they are a lovely frozen precut variety that sit in a bain marie after being over cooked to begin with.  They likely take on that green-gray mushy color.  Is mushy a color?  Ah well, you get my drift.  Not appetizing at all!

  • Chinese Beef and Cabbage

    ChineseBeefandCabbageThere’s a Chinese restaurant in Seattle I love and miss now that I have moved away.  Everyone I have ever brought there has loved it too.   Now don’t get the wrong idea about this restaurant.  There are no fancy tablecloths.  It is not fine dining and I’m not even sure there is a sign out front.  It is located in a shopping center in the International District and it is the end unit.  There must be a dozen other restaurants in the same center and on a Friday or Saturday night even when it is cold and rainy and even when there is no one in the rest of the restaurants in the center and there are plenty of tables available for the taking, this favorite restaurant of mine will have a line out the door and people are happy to wait.  Amazing.  The food is great.  The ingredients are fresh and the portion sizes are generous and very favorably priced.   Above all it is consistently all of these things.  It doesn’t matter what day of the week you walk in there or how many times you order a dish, it is always the same and always amazing.  And let me tell you, over the six years I lived in Seattle I have been there maybe ten to twelve (dozen) times.  Have I mentioned that its amazing?

  • Thai Green Curry Chicken

    Thai green curry is a favorite dish in this house and definitely stays in the normal rotation.  I probably make it at least once a quarter and to be honest if we were able control ourselves and eat a reasonable size portion I would probably make it more often.  But alas we cannot so therefore we only get it as a treat every now and then.  Of course I could make a half recipe to force us to have control but where would the fun be in that?!

  • Chili Garlic Chicken Wings

    Chili Garlic Wings

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Chicken wings are a great way to break up the chicken rut you might be in.  They offer a different texture and flavor than your everyday breasts or thighs you normally serve.  The skin crisps up so nicely and gives such a great crunch to this dish.