Soba Noodles with Tamagoyaki

Sorry for the multiple posting!

Ingredients:

Tamagoyaki (see below).

Soba noodles

Broccoli slaw

peanuts

green onion

Adapted from Teriyaki Penne recipe on page 27 of Fresh and Simple Vegetable Dinners by Jennifer Darling.

More Tamagoyaki.

New Kitchen Blues

I'm not blue about my new kitchen... I love it! I'll love it more when I get my new stove on Friday!

I'm blue because I just haven't really had time to cook. Most of our cooking has consisted of Brian's Chili Dip and Veggie dogs. I did FINALLY make Donkey Tails for Brian - I've been telling him forever I wanted to make them, and he always makes a face, but guess what - He likes them!

Brian's Chili Dip
1 package cream cheese (we use Neufchatel)
1 can chili (we usually use Hormel Vegetarian, but last night we used Amy's Southwestern, and it was really good)
Chili powder to taste
Fritos Scoops

Mix all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave until melted, stopping to stir several times. Serve with Fritos Scoops.

Brian always makes his chili dip for parties because everyone just loves it.

Now, you may ask, "What in the world is a donkey tail!" When I was a kid, we would go to Tolbert's Restaurant in downtown Dallas. I was a meat-eater then, and I would always get the Donkey tails. Tolbert's Donkey Tails were a hotdog stuffed with cheese, wrapped in a tortilla and then deep fried. Tolbert's now is in downtown Grapevine (Here's their menu).

Donkey Tails
(for 2)

2 Hotdogs (we use LightLife Smart Dogs)
2 Tortillas
Cheddar Cheese
oil

Cook hot dogs to package directions. Cover one side of a tortilla with cheese (it can be sliced or grated, grated will melt faster). Place dog in tortilla and roll tightly. Secure with toothpick.

Oil the bottom of a frying pan. Place dogs in frying pan and cook until golden brown. Turn and cook again until golden brown. Repeat 2 more times until all sides are golden brown. Serve with mustard, salsa, or chili. I personally like it with Rotel Dip.

Brian's Bento

Thanks to Costco and a dear friend that we are cat-sitting for, I had a surplus of veggies. I realized that I had everything I needed to make Japanese potato salad (I have had it before, but never made it). I found a recipe on the wonderful webpage Justhungry.com.

I added radish to the mix too, and I used red potatoes. I think the red potatoes are creamy in and of themselves, which means I can use a little less mayo. I boiled an egg, but it didn't come out right, so I didn't add it. I am terrible at boiling eggs! I also added a dash or two of sesame oil, and topped with sesame seeds.

I put it in a box with sesame snap peas. I made these a while ago, but with frozen peas. I just steamed the peas over the pan when I was boiling the potatoes.

Brian seemed like his bento box. I'm already craving the potato salad again!! So good!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

New recipe! I've tried this twice now.

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Rice, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

From: One-Dish Vegetarian Meals by Robin Robertson
"The rich flavor of these stuffed peppers is enhanced by the smoky sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes. The rice mixture may also be used to stuff zucchini or other vegetables or enjoyed on its own."

4 large green, red, or yellow bell peppers
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large bunch spinach, washed, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 to 4 cups cooked white or brown long-grain rice
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 º F. Slice off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Plunge the peppers into a pot of boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Remove the peppers from the water and set aside, cut side down, to drain. Chop the tomatoes and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach, garlic, and tomatoes, and cook until the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, parsley, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and place upright in a baking dish. Add a few tablespoons of water to the baking dish, cover, and bake until the peppers are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Once you have the gist of recipe, you really don't have to follow it completely. The first time I made this, the rice was a little too moist, so I added 2 TBSPs of pine nuts and 1/4 cup chopped green onion. The second time, the rice was a little dry, so I added some extra olive oil. The second time I didn't have parsley, but added about 2 tsp of dried herbs (oregano, thyme, etc). Both times I made it, I brushed the outside of the pepper with a wee bit of olive oil. The first time I made it, I just yellow peppers. The second time I used yellow, red, and green. It was good with all kinds.

Delicious both times! The extras kept well for lunch the next day too.