Work has been kicking my butt recently but it’s about to ramp up.  I am officially going full-time July 9^th (I work about 35 hours a week right now) so wish my luck!

And side note – has everyone been watching the story of the flesh-eating bacteria?  Crazy!  That poor women and now there’s another lady who’s come up with a case of it.  It seems like something from a horror story.

So quick post because I’m not going to lie, I’ve been getting up earlier and earlier to head in to work to try to get my stuff done and I’m pretty much exhausted.

But this is the perfect recipe to post for when you have no energy, no time, and you just want to get a dinner thrown together.

I’ve found that the problem with slow cooker meals (at least for me) is that they tend not to photo well and people who see it don’t realize how truly tasty a dish it.

Let me assure you, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy but how delicious this turned out.

As a bonus this dish is extremely budget friendly, using pantry staples a boneless pork country ribs which aren’t exactly an expensive cut of meat.

It’s not pictured but I kept the side pretty simple.  I sautéed some red onion, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper with some spices then lightly sprinkled with cheddar cheese and dinner was served!

Slow Cooker Country Ribs and Beans

Not that we’re anywhere near a big holiday dinner, but I know for me I always have an issue with not having enough dishes for everything I’m planning to make.  Enter Chinet:

Quick disclaimer – I did not receive compensation for this review, although Chinet gave me free products to test out.  But all of the opinions, photos and the recipe expressed here are still mine, mwah!

When I first took the bakeware out of the box, I was impressed by how sturdy but light it felt.  I mean, I wouldn’t cook a roast in it, but I felt like it could handle a decent amount of weight.  In fact it seems perfect for casseroles, etc.

The bakeware comes in 4 different sizes and as a bonus, lids are included.  The 9” x 13” includes two separate dishes, there’s a 2 quart oval size, that includes three pans (and is what was used in the recipe below), a smaller 1.5 quart oval size, which comes in a three pack and finally a square 8” x 8” which also comes in a pack of three.

The bakeware is actually a paper based product, and the outside is a light green with a textured, paper feel.  I’ll admit that when Chinet first contacted me to ask if I wanted to review the product, my first instinct was to say no.  I try to be aware of how much trash/waste I’m generating, so it wasn’t until after I found out it was made from 90% post-consumer recycled materials that I agreed to do it.

As a bonus, since the bakeware is made from paper, it’ll work in the freezer, oven and microwave.  One caveat is that it’s only oven safe up to 400 degrees F so don’t risk using it at a higher temperature or under the broiler.  Another caution is that you can only bake in it once versus the typical disposable aluminum pans that you can wipe out and re-use over and over again.

Although I can definitely see how these pans would be perfect for a potluck, work party or any other gathering where you bring a dish.  It’d be great to bake it at home, pop the lid on and then bring it to the party.  And hey, if your dish is a tad bit cold upon your arrival, you can throw it in the microwave with no problems.  When the night finally ends, there is no need to worry about leaving/forgetting your dish and having to go back to get it.  If you do bring it home with leftovers, you can just put the lid back on and stick it in the fridge!

If you’d like to learn more about Chinet Bakeware – head over to their site and check it out.

But really, what it comes down to is how well did the bakeware perform?  Now I obviously didn’t conduct super scientific tests, but I did decide to do one of the ultimate tests – macaroni and cheese which, in my world at least, is notorious with burning and sticking to the sides of the pan.

And I’ll admit – this bakeware performed fabulously, no sticking and I loved being able to put the lid back on and stick the whole thing in the fridge.  So overall, this product is a recommend.

But let’s turn our attention to the food.  To try out the bakeware I threw together a Chipotle Tomato Mac and Cheese to cook in it and said hello to super tastiness!

One quick side note – a chipotle chile is a dried smoked jalapeño canned in adobo sauce.  It has nothing to do with the way a big well-known chain by the same name tastes.  I say this only because I was out with some friends recently who were complaining that the chipotle sauce wings they’d gotten tasted nothing like the way the chain’s burritos do.  Moral of the story –  big burrito chain does not equal the taste of chipotles.

This macaroni and cheese gets spiked with tomatoes, chipotle chilies, green chilies and then rounded out with queso chihuahua and cream cheese to make a macaroni and cheese I wouldn’t mind eating over and over (and actually fought my husband for the leftovers of).

Note though, I personally find a lot of baked macaroni and cheese to be a bit dry (especially when they’re supposed to be healthy versions) so I made sure this one was anything but.  After baking the Chipotle Tomato Mac stays pretty saucy, which I loved, but don’t expect it to really “set up” like a typical baked macaroni does.

Even though it’s a pretty generous portion size, I served mine with a small side salad just to get my veggie count in.

But enough of me talking – let’s get to the dish!

This recipe will be linked at the Newlyweds Recipe Linky

Chipotle Tomato Mac and Cheese + Chinet Bakeware Review

Why am I calling this Island Chicken?  Because it’s loosely, extremely loosely based off of what, in my head anyway, makes me think of Caribbean islands, swaying greenery and warm ocean breezes.

Plus I mean, it’s got a mango relish and that’s totally tropical right?  And PS – I’m watching No Reservations (Kansas) and can I just say that I love Zamir!

But anyway, I desperately need to get away from landlocked Cincinnati.  Not that I ever think I actually will, because it would mean leaving my family behind but I’m pretty much convinced that I wasn’t meant for cold weather, etc.

In fact, one of the blogs I follow is the Deep Dish who’s lucky enough to be based out of the Cayman Island.  I’ve even gone so far as to actually look into what I would need to do to move there and find employment.

A bit of a pipe dream for me, but at least I can cook like I’m on a tropical island somewhere,

And alright, you totally got me.  This recipe is more of the Puerto Rican/Cuban version of the tropics, but hey, they’re both islands located southwest of the USA.  It counts!

With my Filipino background when you say adobo that means a very specific thing to me.  But there’s actually multiple types of adobo of which the Puerto Rican version is particularly well-known and is what I based this dish off of.

The lime juice in the marinade forms a tangy base spiked with cumin and oregano that these chicken breasts were lucky enough to be marinated in.

Don’t judge – so what if I let my chicken know how lucky it is to be swimming in an adobo marinade?

And don’t get me wrong, the chicken is delicious, but it’s definitely crying out for the tasty mix of mango and black beans that rounds the meal out.  Mango + black beans is like Laurel & Hardy, Romeo and Juliet or even the 3 stooges (if there was a random ingredient that just showed up to the party).

Enough of my rambling though – let’s get to the recipe!

Island Chicken with Mango Black Bean Salsa

I think I’ve mentioned my love for the sort of old time favorites that American cuisine is known for.

Seriously though, meatloaf, chicken fried steak, pot roast, chicken and dumpling, etc., the list goes on and on.  A bit weird considering I wasn’t even born in this country and my mom certainly never cooked anything like this when I was growing up.

I think that the food choices you make say a lot about a person and their identity as well as giving you some insight into that person’s cultural background and values.

Now I could be way off base here and maybe it’s because I’m so into food, but I definitely feel like people gravitate towards food as another way of expression, even if that person isn’t consciously aware of it.  I relate it to the same way a person’s clothing choices can tell you a lot about them (or at least what they want to project).

So maybe my love of American comfort food reflects a desire to fit in with a new culture.  Or it could be nothing like that and as a kid I just thought it was tasty.  You have to remember, at the time we moved here I was only two so it wasn’t like I was consciously making the decision.

But anyway, I usually try to make my own recipes to post, but this was one I saw in Cooking Light and knew I just had to make.  They called it an “All American Meatloaf” and it’s everything most people love in their meatloaf (although I’ll admit I’m also partial to the versions with gravy).

But it was really the fact that the meatloaf was cheese studded that served to peak my interest.

I stayed pretty true to the original recipe, although I couldn’t resist making a few changes and additions.  One of the biggest is the fact that I formed the loaf on a broiler pan rather than packing it into a loaf pan.  I always like doing my meatloaves free form style since a lot of the grease drains away and you get more of those tasty crusty bits.  On the side I put together a warm green bean and potato salad because when I think meatloaf, those are the two sides that I always associate with it.

And if you’d like to check out what I like to call my Asian Blue Plate Special, click here.  It’s an Asian twist on a turkey meatloaf done in mini-meatloaf muffin form and served with a side of sesame mashed potatoes.

Cheddar Studded Meatloaf

I wonder why, in the continental USA at least, pork and pineapple have become associated with Hawaii?

I mean I can understand the pineapple considering Hawaii has historically been associated with giant pineapple plantations.  Fun fact though – currently only 2% of the world’s pineapple is actually produced in Hawaii.  The largest producers include Thailand, the Philippines and Brazil.

In fact I have a traumatic memory of being at a pineapple plantation in the Philippines as a little girl where I was convinced a caribou (water buffalo) was chasing me.  That caused me to run through the field crying and ending up with cuts on my legs from the pineapple leaves which are super sharp.

I even remember that I was wearing a white-flowered short and shirt set.  Although looking back I don’t think the caribou was actually chasing me since my family was laughing at me freaking out.

But anyway, maybe pineapple is associated with Hawaii because of the whole pineapple equals tropical island association.

As far as the pork relationship, I would guess it’s because a roasted pig is a definite necessity at any good luau.

Either way, for this dish I marinated some mahi-mahi to keep with the Hawaiian theme in a sweet soy sauce based marinade that also became the sauce for the pasta.  To the pasta I added bacon, pineapple, cilantro and onion for a definite Hawaiian inspired meal.

Hawaiian Fish Pasta

I think you may have noticed that I’m a big fan of my slow cooker.

I use it almost weekly.  It’s the perfect appliance for those nights that I have class and I’m gone from 9am to 9pm.

This meal isn’t super fancy, but I love the fact that it was a throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and go.  Then when you come home all you have to do is scoop it out into a bowl and top it with some cheese and violia! dinner is served.

This dish is perfect as is, but if you wanted to round it out a salad, whole wheat roll, or even cornbread would be the perfect accompaniment.

Admittedly I probably jumped the gun on this one as far as the season for the dish.  It’d be perfect for the coming summer but the weather has been so nice lately (70’s and up) that I felt almost compelled to make it.

Although my CSA is starting again and the first pickup is this Friday.  I can’t wait to start getting local farm fresh produce again.

Slow Cooker Ham and Vegetable Bowl

Who doesn’t like risotto?  And if you plan to pipe up and tell me that you don’t picture me putting my hands over my ears and singing “la la la la la”.

But seriously, I find risotto crazy delicious and I love all the different ways you can customize it.  It actually reminds me of congee/jook only with more of a bite to the rice grains and the of course, ever-present Parmesan cheese.

Another risotto I’ve featured is my Mexican Chorizo with Summer Squash, but I wanted to keep the ingredients for this a bit simpler (although that recipe doesn’t require all the stirring so if you’re really against stirring risottos make sure to check that one out).  I also wanted a “Spring” sort of dish so I threw in peas for a bright splash of green and mushrooms for their savory deliciousness.

The risotto is then seasoned with thyme and Italian seasonings and finished off with a light sprinkling of Parmesan to really emphasize the creaminess of the dish.

On a random side note – I totally believe Filipino food is underrepresented.  Maybe because I’m in the Midwest but I only know of two Filipino restaurants in a 200 mile radius of where I live.

My family and I went to one of them yesterday which is a turo-turo style (sort of point/choose cafeteria style) and there was a constant stream of people coming in and out.  I wonder why, when there’s so many Filipinos around where I live, there isn’t more Filipino businesses?

I mean, you see Thai, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, etc. restaurants everywhere but it’s a hunt to find a Filipino one.  Anyone have any ideas why?

And for my non-Filipino readers out there – have you ever had Filipino food?  How and when?

Pea and Mushroom Brown Rice Risotto

It’s pouring outside.  I almost feel like I’m back in the rainy season.  I’ve got Ms. Foxy Brown (my dog) by my side and Cooking Channel on the TV.  When you combine the rain with my snuggly puppy and fun food shows it equals one lazy day.

Definitely glad it’s Saturday!

Usually I’m a better planner and I try to vary the ethnic influences of my meals but somehow I ended up making two Mexican inspired dishes in a week.

Oh well.  I definitely didn’t regret making this dish.

Normal chile rellenos are overflowing with cheese, battered and deep-fried.  Not the healthiest thing around but definitely hard to resist when you’re out at your local Mexican restaurant.

To lighten it up and make it a bit heartier, these are stuffed with chicken, corn and some yogurt then lightly pan-fried.

On the side I adapted my recipe for Mexican rice, to use uncooked rice since I didn’t have any cooked rice on hand.

One caveat, these are a bit time-consuming to make once you consider the time to roast the peppers, make the filling, and then stuff, batter and cook them.  Make sure you have a bit of time when you plan to make them.

To make this a quicker dish, or more of a weeknight meal, you could definitely prep the peppers and filling and then stuff them ahead of time – one to two days in advance.  That way when it comes down to dinner time all you have to worry about is the actual battering and cooking.

The rice could also be made ahead of time and then reheated.

Adapted from Eating Well

Chicken Chile Rellenos with Mexican Zucchini Brown Rice

Ugh, pretty sure I have senioritis.   Is that even possible to have in grad school?  I’m just done.

I don’t know; I’m simply dreading the new class that’s starting on April 30^th.  It’s funny, one month of only taking one class instead of two and I’m completely spoiled!

But anyway, let’s talk food.  I’m pretty sure my love of Southwestern/Mexican cuisine is pretty well documented.  As you can see from recipes like my Chipotle Marinated Steak with Beans and Corn, Mexican Mayonnaise Chicken, Fish Tostadas with Guacamole or my Turkey Salsa Negra over Acorn Squash.

Funnily enough, while I enjoy Mexican food it’s my husband that’s the real die-hard.  I’m pretty sure I could feed him burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, etc. on a daily basis without any complaints from him.  The man even thought he would end up marrying a woman of Hispanic origin!  Which basically adds up to us eating a lot of Southwest inspired dishes since I know my husband will love it.

I saw this recipe on the cover of Clean Eating and immediately wanted to give it a shot, influenced by my love of meatballs.

Serious Side Note: I freaking love meatballs in all their forms.  I’m not sure why having the meat in a small ball versus an actual piece of meat makes me like it so much more.  Maybe it’s because of all the fun stuff you can mix in to them?

Plus this had the added bonus of being a one dish meal and being cooked in my new cast iron, so this was a particular favorite.  Add in the fact that the majority of the ingredients are pantry staples for me and it was a definite must make.

Original Recipe Here

This recipe is being shared at the NewlyWed Recipe Linky

Southwest Meatball Skillet

Alright so I’m going to let you in on a little secret…I’ve actually never cooked shrimp before.

Seriously, first time ever.

Why you ask?  Because growing up I hated fish, shellfish and mollusks (much to the dismay of my Filipino family, I mean seriously – what kind of Filipina doesn’t like seafood?)

But I honestly didn’t like it.  To me shrimp had a weird texture, crab and lobster freaked me out, and I found fish to be, well…fishy.

It wasn’t until I was 19 and I started to get more interested in healthy cooking that I forced myself to start eating fish.  In fact, it was only two and a half years ago when my husband and I started living together that I announced I would be making one fish meal a week in an effort to vary our diet (much to his dismay since he also doesn’t like seafood).

Even after we started eating fish, we still didn’t eat shellfish because neither of us are fans.  The turning point for us is when we decided to go for a nice dinner at Bonefish Grill and the restaurant gave us a complimentary appetizer of Bang Bang Shrimp.  Side note: If you’ve never had it before – it’s super fatty, loaded with butter, deep-fried spicy deliciousness.  Definite only every so often kind of treat.  After we raved over it (much to our surprise) – that’s when we finally started to open our minds to shellfish.

Since then we’ve eating various forms of shrimp but I never actually cooked it myself.  This was a completely spur of the moment meal, spurred on by the fish monger having a sale on shrimp.  So I finally broke down and bought 10 pieces.

My first instinct was to go with a salad because I figured if worse came to worse and we absolutely hated it, I wouldn’t be wasting a ton of expensive ingredients.  And besides, at the time Cincinnati was going through a much appreciated but unexpected warm snap.  As in it was in the 70’s and 80’s and you could practically smell spring in the air which just begged for a light but satisfying meal.

To further reinforce the “Spring” seasonal-ness of this salad, I used a tomato to make a tomato vinaigrette, and then tossed it with some quickly blanched asparagus, onions and roasted red peppers.

On the side I sliced some manchego on to pieces of whole wheat bread and then threw it under the broiler to melt and make fun “toasts” to round out the meal.

Adapted from Cuisine Lite

Spring Shrimp Salad