Ethnic Week

It's Ethnic Week in the Henry Household. What does that mean? Per my last post, "I've Been on Hiatus", I'm planning to make nothing but ethnic dishes this week in an effort to bring some new flavors to our palates and mix up the usual meals I've been making.


Now, "ethnic" is a loosely defined term in this context. Last night, I made Tequila-Lime Steak Fajitas, so we took a little trip to Mexico, complete with hand-shaken margaritas.

Forgive the poor photography, and somewhat unappealing appearance of the fajitas, but they were tasty! However, I have a bad habit of overcooking meat, especially on the stovetop. I am so paranoid about undercooking meat and getting sick from it (especially as I enjoy my steak cooked on the well side of medium-well) but this tends to result in steak the equivalent of tire tread.

There's the benefit of marinating, I suppose. This steak was marinated in tequila, lime juice, chopped onions, a bit of sugar, salt and pepper. I definitely think it helped lessen the toughness of the tires, I mean, fajitas, but still. I need to learn to properly cook steak on the stove. Any suggestions?


Ethnic Week continued much more successfully and less rubbery tonight with a trip to Asia, via America's influence on Sweet and Sour Chicken. Granted, this is the most American version of ethnic food imaginable, but it was still fantastic! I don't want to toot my own horn (too much) but the plated dish looked exactly like the one in the cookbook. Not too shabby for my first foray into Asian cooking. Not to mention, it was one of the more simple dishes I ever made.

All you do is coat your chicken pieces in egg white and corn starch and let that sit while you sautee your bell peppers. The recipe called for red and yellow peppers, but the store only had green and yellow today. So here we are:

In the meantime, I cooked a pot of rice to serve the final dish over. Once your peppers are sauteed (by the way, if you don't own a wok, invest in one immediately. Greatest. Tool. Ever.) you remove them from the heat, add the chicken and brown on both sides. Then add back in the peppers, a can of pineapple chunks and the sauce which is just ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, ginger and pineapple juice.

Mix, heat til the chicken is fully cooked and enjoy!

Tomorrow continues Ethnic Week. a la American-Style, with a Southwestern Chili. I haven't decided exactly which recipe to follow to truly include an ethnic twist, but I'll let you know how things turn out!

Cheers!

Maureen

A Toast!

Welcome friends!

I'm excited to start a new adventure in blogging, which complements the other adventures I've recently embarked on - getting married, moving to a new city 1,700 miles away, getting a puppy and learning how to cook for two!



I've always had a bit of an interest in cooking - like other people have an interest in going to the dentist. I want it to be quick, as painless as possible and not leave a bad taste in my mouth. Before I got married, I subsisted on instant mashed potatoes and pasta. I love my carbs! Oh, and white wine. That's my go-to cocktail, which goes with both mashed potatoes and pasta beautifully!



Now that I'm married though, I have this new-found desire to cook good meals for the two of us. I fancy myself a decent cook, haven't burned the house down (yet!) and am exploring new recipes, cooking techniques and flavors. I have all the fun new cooking accessories from Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond that I never thought I'd use (hello meat tenderizer?), but now I am and plan to blog about the creations, both good and bad, as well as the questions that come up along the way.



So, I hope you'll pour yourself the cocktail of your choice, and sit back, relax and enjoy a good read. If you've got something to say, I'd love to hear it. Got a recipe you think I'd like? Send it my way. And, especially, feel free to share this site with anyone else you think might like it.



I don't promise to post something every day, and I don't promise each post will always change your life, but I do promise to share my adventures when they're worth sharing and would love to hear your feedback in return. See you all soon!



Cheers!

Maureen