Sesame Crusted Tuna Steak

Sesame Crusted Tuna Steak

This is such a quick, healthful, yet elegant dinner that we always love.  Serve the tuna steak with brown rice and veggies or an Oriental noodle dish like the cellophane noodles pictured.

-2 Tbsp green onions, chopped
-2 Tbsp soy sauce
-2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
-2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
-1 Tbsp brown sugar
-2 tsp honey
-1 Tbsp rice vinegar
-1 tsp sriarcha sauce
-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
-salt
-2 tuna steaks
-2 Tbsp sesame seeds
-2 Tbsp black sesame seeds

Whisk together first 8 ingredients and pour into a dipping bowl for serving.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season both sides of each tuna steak with salt.  Combine both types of sesame seeds in shallow dish.  Dredge tuna in sesame seeds, coating on each side.  Cook tuna in pan for 3-4 minutes per side.

Shannon

Card Making

Today my friend Rebecca came over and we both spent hours crafting while we chatted.  It was fun to have someone to goof off while I was creating, because usually I get serious and focused.  Having Rebecca there helped me to keep things light, and really enjoy the process.  These are the birthday cards that I made during our time together.

Shannon

Slow-Cooker Indian Vegetable Curry

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Curry

Serve this over rice for an easy vegetarian dinner. This is one of my favorite vegetarian recipes. I love that it's super easy and loaded with veggies. Sometimes I'll added chopped bell peppers if I have any that need to be used up. I've also added whole chicken breasts before adding all the veggies when we don't want vegetarian and then I just shred the chicken in the slow cooker before serving.

-1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
-1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with their juice
-1 (15 oz) can coconut milk
-4-6 Tbsp brown sugar
-3-4 Tbsp curry powder
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne

-1 yellow onion, chopped

-1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

-4 cloves garlic, minced
-6 carrots, diced

-1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

-1 large potato, peeled and cubed

-1 bag frozen green beans and/ or peas-1 lb baby spinach

Grease or spray a large slow cooker. Add broth, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, brown sugar, curry powder, salt pepper and cayenne; stir to combine. Add onion, garlic and ginger, stir again. Add carrots, chickpeas and potato; stir. Cook on low until vegetables are tender, 4-6 hours. Stir in frozen veggies and cook 30 additional minutes.  Stir in spinach and cook until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Refashion: gauchos to scarf

I did some late night creating while my husband was sleeping.  I took the pair of gauchos above, that I've only ever worn once, 3 years ago, and turned them into this scarf.  It's a soft and lightweight scarf that would be good for fall or spring.  Since I used jersey material I didn't have to hem the edges, and just left them raw.  It was a very quick project!  I took lots of short cuts and didn't even measure anything.  I cut the scarf pieces against an existing scarf that I liked the lenth and width of.  Then I sewed three strips together to get the lenth that I wanted.  Then I just cut lots of thin little strips and sewed them on the ends at varying angles.  I like the messiness of it and think it adds character that the strips are different widths, and placed unevenly apart.  

Shannon 

Equality

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."

What would our communities look like if we used our excess to supply for those in need? Doing so in a way that supplied us all equally, with no one having excess. What if we sacrificed our pleasures and comforts, just so that others could enjoy the basic needs of shelter, food, water, and clothing? What if we didn't think of multiple cars, cable tv, frivilous wardrobes, dinners out, and savings accounts as "needs"? What would the world look like if all Christians lived sacrificially? What if I lived sacrificially? And by that I don't just mean giving some of my resources, to the extent that my quality of life doesn't change, but what if I REALLY sacrificed?

Some very convicting thoughts. I'm selfish. With my resources. With my time. With my provision.

It's overwhelming to figure out where to start. When I have so much, and others have so little. And yet, by the standards of my society, I don't feel that I have that much. Perhaps that's the danger, is that there are always others with more resources, making me feel so much smaller, and paralyzed. Isn't that just how satan would have it?

Shannon

Crustless Mini Quiches

Crustless Mini Quiches

I made these as a quick and easy weeknight dinner for us, but they would be great for brunches or snacks. This is a great dish for using up anything extra that you have on hand, because any combination of meats, veggies and cheeses would work great here. Spinach and feta, mushroom and swiss, tomato basil and mozzarella, crab/ sausage/ ham/ bacon and cheddar all would be excellent.

-1 (12 oz) can low-fat evaporated milk
-2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
-3 eggs
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
-1 bag frozen broccoli, thawed

In medium bowl, whisk together evaporated milk, flour, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and broccoli. Grease 12 muffin cups. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes.

Shannon

Carrot Salad

Carrot Salad

-1 lb carrots, peeled and grated
-2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
-2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
-1 Tbsp. sesame oil
-1 tsp. salt
-dash red pepper flakes
-1 Tbsp. sugar

In bowl, whisk together vinegar, sesame oil, salt, red pepper flakes and sugar. Add carrots and sesame seeds, toss to combine. Serve immediately, or chill for up to a day prior to serving.

Shannon

Peanut Noodles

Peanut Noodles

I have been making this dish for years. It's one of our favorite dinners ever. Use any combination of veggies that you like here, I usually go for some combination of broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, scallions and red bell pepper. The peanut sauce could also be a great salad dressing, or dipping sauce for chicken satay or spring rolls. In the past I've always stir fried chicken and combined it in with the dish before serving, but now that I don't eat meat I baked a chicken breast for Jeremy while I made the rest of this, and then sliced it up for him to add directly to his bowl.

-1 box whole wheat linguine, cooked al dente
-6 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
-1 red pepper, thinly sliced
-½ lb carrots, shredded or cut into matchsticks
-1 bag sugar snap peas, or 1 head broccoli

Peanut sauce:
-5 tablespoons water
-½ inch chunk ginger, peeled, and cut in half
-8 cloves garlic
-1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
-½ cup smooth peanut butter
-¼ cup soy sauce
-3 ½ tablespoons sugar
-3 ½ tablespoons worcestershire sauce
-3 tablespoons sesame oil

In food processor or blender finely chop the ginger and garlic. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Stir fry or steam the veggies until desired tenderness is reached. Put a large pot over medium low heat, add the pasta, veggies, and sauce and stir well to combine. Heat for at least 5 minutes before serving so that the sauce soaks into the noodles.

Shannon

Crayon Roll

I made this crayon roll (using this tutorial) for a friend's 3 year old daughter who had a princess birthday party today. I also printed out these Disney princess coloring pages to go along with the crayon roll. The crayon roll is far from perfect, but I learned as I went, and the next one that I do will be better. It was a very quick, easy project.

Shannon

Shepherd's Salad

Shepherd's Salad

This is another recipe that we made at one of the Turkish cooking classes that I attended. It's light and healthy, and frugal when you find the cucumbers and green peppers on sale (like they are at Rouse's right now). It would also be great with some feta cheese thrown in.

-2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
-2 green peppers, chopped
-6 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
-1/2 red onion, chopped
-1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper
-olive oil (I used 1/4 cup, because I always look for ways to lighten dishes up, but more traditionally they would use at least 1/2 cup)

Combine cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and parsley in serving bowl. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour lemon/ olive oil mixture over veggies and toss to combine.

Shannon

Shrimp Green Curry

Shrimp Green Curry

This was one of our favorite dinners that I have ever made. I came up with it as a cross between my Thai Tilapia Coconut Curry and Red Curry Chicken. It would be more authentic with eggplant, bell peppers and maybe tomatoes in the curry sauce, but I'm partial to seafood curries served over a bed of spinach

-2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk
-1 lb raw shrimp, peeled (fresh would be best here, but I use the frozen raw... anything other than the frozen pre-cooked will be okay)
-2 tablespoons green curry paste (I like this out of the small green can that you can find in the Oriental section of a store, sometimes you’ll see it in a jar, but if you can get the canned. I find it at the Oriental market)
-2 tablespoons soy sauce
-2 tablespoons lime juice
-3 tablespoons brown sugar
-1/3 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped (Thai basil if you can find it at an Oriental market, it will be MUCH cheaper than buying basil at the grocery store and will taste more authentic, I freeze my leftover Thai basil each time I buy it and then always have some on hand)
-cooking spray or oil
-1 yellow onion, sliced thin
-1 large bag spinach, steamed in microwave or on stove
-cooked brown rice

Heat a large pot over medium high heat, and grease with cooking spray or oil. Cook onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add coconut milk. Stir in curry paste until well blended. Bring to a boil and let simmer 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar, simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir in basil and simmer 5 more minutes. Add shrimp, cover and simmer until they turn opaque, about 3-5 minutes. To serve lay a bed of brown rice in a serving dish, layer spinach on top of that, and generously top with a ladle full of curry and shrimp.

Shannon

Turkish Bean Salad

Bean Salad

I decided to make one of the salads that we enjoyed during Turkish cooking class as my lunch for the week. This salad is a great assortment of textures and flavors.

-1 red onion, chopped
-half bunch parsley, chopped
-2 roasted red peppers, sliced
-1 can red beans, rinsed and drained
-juice of 1 lemon
-1/4 head red cabbage, shredded-olive oil
-salt

Mix onion, parsley, red peppers, cabbage and red beans in serving dish. Stir together olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Pour dressing mixture over salad.

Shannon

Refried Beans

This is the 4th way I've enjoyed the cuban black beans this week. (the first way was to eat them as is, the second was in huevos rancheros and the 4th way was in breakfast burritos. If I wasn't out of beans I would take what was left, and enjoy them a 5th way as a bean dip by mashing them and preparing them as I do for the refried beans, but then combining with salsa, sour cream, and topping with cheddar cheese and baking for 20 minutes. This has been a great way this week for basing meals off of what I already have, and therefore eliminating some cooking as most of the work was already done for me.

-cuban black beans, or canned black or pinto beans
-your choice of salsa, jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, or cheese for garnish

Heat skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray or oil. (To make these beans more authentic you would add lard at this point.). Add a few cups of beans and their liquid to the skillet and mash with a hand potato mixer while heating. Add more bean liquid or water to reach desired consistency. (This will give you a chunky refried bean mixture, if you like them more smooth then process the beans in a blender or food processor prior to heating). Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary before serving.

Shannon

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Burritos

This is the 3rd way I've enjoyed cuban black beans this week. (the first way was to eat them as is, the second was in huevos rancheros, and I still have one more variation coming). Crumbled cooked sausage or bacon could easily be substituted for, or added along with the back beans here. This recipe is for one serving. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

-desired veggies (any combination of bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, jalapenos etc.)
-2 eggs, beaten together in bowl
-salt and pepper
-a couple tablespoons salsa (jarred, or my recipe for homemade salsa can be found on the huevos rancheros link above)
-a couple table spoons black beans
-a couple tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
-whole wheat flour tortilla, warmed

Saute veggies over medium low heat until soft. Add eggs to the pan and scramble with the veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once eggs are cooked add beans and salsa to the pan, stirring to combine until heated through. Stir in cheese. Pile egg mixture into the tortilla.

Shannon

Cuban Black Beans

Cuban Black Beans

I made this pot of beans (doubled the recipe below) to serve as my lunch for work for the week, and filling for Huevos Rancheros for a quick weeknight dinner. This could be served with or without the vinegar, as different regions of Cuba do it differently. Adding the garlic in after the beans have cooked helps to make the flavor stronger, and give it that real Cuban kick. Serve over rice for a filling meal... perhaps with a dollop of sour cream, some shredded cheese, and a few leaves of fresh cilantro. You could also drain off the liquid and mash these beans with a potato masher for a side of refried beans, or a bean dip.

- 1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
-1 onion, chopped
-1 green pepper, chopped
-2 bay leaves
-2 tsp. salt
-fresh black pepper
-1/2 tsp. cayenne
-1 1/2 tsp. paprika
-1 1/2 tsp. cumin
-1 Tbsp. white sugar
-1 Tbsp. dried oregano
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Add rinsed and drained beans to a large pot and cover with water by an inch or two. Add onion, green pepper, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, cumin, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until desired tenderness is reached, about 1-2 hours. If too much liquid is absorbed while beans are cooking, adding more water so they don't dry out. Stir in vinegar and garlic and serve.

Shannon

Spicy Chex Mix

Spicy Chex Mix

A co-worker of mine brought a batch of something similar to this into work last week, and I loved it so much that I had to give it a try myself. The version the co-worker brought wasn't baked though, it was prepared several days in advance, with the container shaken every day to distribute the oil. Done that way it's best served 3-4 days after preparing, once all of the oil is absorbed. I've seen red pepper flakes substituted for the cayenne, and saltines for the pretzels and cereal. Either way, it comes out great. Feel free to add nuts, and other flavors of Chex to make it more like regular Chex Mix. I didn't think the recipe as listed below would be spicy enough, so I doubled the cayenne, which made the mixture QUITE hot, although not too hot for my taste. If you don't LOVE spicy then stick with the amounts listed below.

-1/2 lb pretzels (small twists or sticks... your preference)

-1/2 lb wheat Chex (or in my case, the WalMart brand knock off)

-1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix (I keep a large canister of it on hand, so I measured out 3 Tbsp, which is equal to 1 package)

-1 tsp. garlic powder

-1 tsp. cayenne pepper

-1/2 cup olive or canola oil

Whisk together ranch mix, garlic powder and cayenne in bowl. Pour pretzels and Chex in, mix until incorporated. Pour olive oil over top, mix again until incorporated. Bake in a thin layer, at 200 for 45-60 minutes, or until all the oil is absorbed, stirring every 20 minutes.

Shannon