Sauteed Asian Veggies

This recipe won Post of the Day for 1/29/10!

As promised, the third of three tasty recipes in 24 hours! Just your basic sauteed vegetables … with an Asian angle.

INGREDIENTS

1 Yellow Squash
1 Zucchini Squash
20-25 Snow Peas
1/4 Sweet Onion
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Rinse and drain all veggies. Mince garlic, set aside. Chop squash into 1/4″-1/2″ semi-circles, trim any stems off of the snow peas, cut onions into 1″-2″ long 1/4″-1/2″ strips, set aside.

Place non-stick skillet over medium-high flame, heat oil. Sautee garlic for about a minute.

Add squash and saute for one minute. Add onions, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until onions turn translucent.

Add soy sauce to taste, continue to saute until all ingredients are covered with soy sauce.

Remove from heat and serve with any Asian-influenced dish. Pictured here with Korean Pork Chops (Daeji Galbi) and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Prep Time = 7 minutes
Cook Time = 10 minutes
Serves 4-6

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Korean Pork Chops (Daeji Galbi)

This photo won a Flickr Award!

My penance continues … the second of three tasty recipes in 24 hours! This is the perfect companion to the Hoisin Galbi Marinade.

INGREDIENTS

4 Pounds Thin-Cut Pork Chops
1 Serving of Hoisin Galbi Marinade
1 Green Onion, chopped
2 Serrano or Thai Peppers, minced

RECIPE

Place pork chops into large zip-lock bag. Pour marinade over chops, seal bag, and make sure chops are evenly covered with sauce. Place bag on plate and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours. Be sure to flip bag over about halfway through marinating time.

When ready to start cooking, remove chops from refrigerator and let stand 10 minutes. Chop onion and mince peppers, set aside.

These can be pan fried, stove top grilled, or barbecued. Of course, being a Caveman and all, I opted for the latter. Cook on a medium-high heat, taking care not to over-cook (4-5 minutes per side). If done right, the pork chops will be tender and flavorful. But, if over done they get tough and loose much of their delectability.
HINT: If barbecuing, do not cover while cooking. They will cook too fast and dry out.

When done, remove from heat. Garnish with chopped green onion and minced peppers. Served here with Sauteed Asian Vegetables and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
NOTE: I would normally serve this with steamed rice. But, the Cavekids really wanted the mashed ‘taters … which worked incredibly well with this dish.

Prep Time = 5 minutes
Marinade Time = 4 to 24 hours
Cook Time = 10 minutes
Serves 6-8

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Hoisin Galbi Marinade

I apologize that this blog has been recipe-free the last few days. Instead of making excuses, how about if I just serve up three tasty recipes in 24 hours?!?! First, this classic Korean meat-marinade … with a Caveman twist.

INGREDIENTS

4 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Molasses
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp Sweet Rice Seasoning
1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, finely grated
1 Green Onion, chopped

RECIPE

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Marinate meat in a plastic zip-lock bag for 4 to 24 hours, refrigerated. Works well with beef, pork, chicken, and even fish that lend themselves to marinating, like salmon.
HINT: If you like a little heat in your food, use Sesame Chili Oil instead of the plain variety. Craving even more heat??? Squirt in some Sriracha Sauce.

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Cook Time = n/a
Marinades 2-3 pounds of meat

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Rockin’ Guac

As promised in Freezer Food Fest #10, here is my recipe for some killer guacamole. It doesn’t hurt that I get some phenomenal homegrown avocados, courtesy of the Cave-in-laws!

INGREDIENTS

3-4 Medium Avocados, ripened
1 Medium-Large Roma Tomato
1/4 Cup Sweet Onion, minced
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 Fresh Lime
1/4 tsp World Spice Merchants Ancho Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Tapatio Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

First, make sure you enlist the help of a good sous chef. Not only do things go faster, it’s a lot more fun to cook with some one else … especially if it’s your kid!

With a sharp knife, cut avocados in half, lengthwise. Score the avocado into 1/2 inch square sections, being careful not to cut through the skin. Then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the avo and place into a medium-large bowl.

Chop tomato and cilantro, mince garlic and onion, and place into the bowl. Add chili powder, Tapatio Sauce, salt, and pepper, as well.
HINT #1: I like to use Garlic Salt instead of regular for this recipe.

Take a fork and begin to mix all the ingredients well. Continue until the avocado starts to smooth a bit, yet leaving some chunks, as well.

Squeeze the juice from the lime section onto mixture and mix in well.

At this point taste the guac and adjust seasonings as needed. Place into bowl and serve immediately, or cover air-tight and refrigerate until needed (not more than 4 hours for freshest flavor and color)
HINT #2: Reserve one avocado pit and place into center of completed and plated guacamole. It not only looks kind of cool, but it also helps it from turning color too soon. No one likes guac that isn’t green!

RECIPE UPDATE: Lately, I have taken to switching out the chili powder and Tapatio Sauce for a small jalapeño pepper (veined, seeded, and minced), and a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. It really takes this already rockin’ recipe to the next level!

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Cook Time = n/a
Serves 4-8

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Freezer Food Fest #11

It’s official! We’re moving!! So, I have been given a “request” by the Cavewoman to empty the freezer before we hit the road. The pressure is on!

After being down for the count for nearly a week with a nice little bug passed on from one of my walking petri dishes, also known as my daughter, I was itchin’ to get back in the kitchen. Plus, I was long overdue for making another dent in this icy odyssey that only has a few weeks to go. As I was digging through the freezer, I found something I had bought for my Veggie wife to try after her obvious pangs of jealousy over not being able to indulge the last time I made my Easy Chicken Parm. Though, as I pulled it from it’s chilly sanctuary, I realized I had bought the wrong variety. Instead of the plain original MorningStar Chik Patties I had inadvertently picked up the Parmesan Ranch. I was afraid they might be too seasoned … But, these would have to do.
I whipped up a batch of Italian Sauce, dressed up the chicken breasts for the Parm, and got ready to prepare the faux-chicken using the “Oven Method” described on the box. My plan was to get them ready to get sauced and cheesed when I did the same to the real chicken the Cavekids and I would be eating. Surprisingly, everything went perfectly! About 5 minutes after completing the last steps I pulled it all out of the oven, served it all up with some spaghetti, and a nice salad the Cavewoman put together.

Vegetarian Chicken Parm

As usual, the short-people devoured their plates with the sounds of chewing being almost the only thing audible from their sauce-covered faces. The best sound, however, was my wife getting her first taste of Chicken Parm since before her 12th birthday and absolutely loving it. Though, after several bites she did note that the Parmesan Ranch Chik Patties were a bit salty. Ahhhhhh … bummer! My purchasing faux pas had ended up coming back to haunt me after all. I was quickly heartened, though, when my wife said she’d be eager to try it again with the original version of the product. She still somehow managed to “muddle” her way through the salty version.
Regardless, we all had a great dinner together (the first time this week we all sat together for dinner), and I was able to score another notch in my ice pick. Best of all, I also managed to make a couple extra “real” chicken breasts that will be perfect for leftover Chicken Parm Sandwiches. Guess what I’m having for lunch today?!?! 😉

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

This recipe won Post of the Day for 1/22/10!

This is our very first guest recipe … WoooHOOOOO! Please welcome the Cavewoman (aka Dianne) as she helps us end the week with something sweet!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
* 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
* 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
* 1-2/3 cups flour
* 4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
* 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

RECIPE

Hi, I’m Dianne, Caveman’s favorite wife. I’m actually his only wife, but that is besides the point. He’s been lagging on posting recipes this week (he’s lazy … and sick). So, I thought I’d invade his blog and post the best Winter cookie ever. It’s the yummiest. Truly, I don’t lie. Well, on occasion I do, but I’m not now. I swear! 😉 Doesn’t this look good?!?! It is. I should know, I just ate three. (Don’t judge, I had to test them!!)
Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Fold in flour with a rubber spatula.

I’m not condoning eating dough……but…..this dough tastes amazing! Like pumpkin mousse!! Soooo good!!!

Make 24 generous mounds on 2 cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes at 350 until cookie is springy to touch.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

This is how I eat them. That way there is more frosting to cookie ratio. 😉

Enjoy!!!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 10
Makes 12 two-sided Whoopie Pies

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

BTA Turkey Sandwich

No, BTA doesn’t stand for Bacon, Tomato, Avocado. Though, the latter two are part of this sub sandwich. Rather, it stands for Better Than Average … which it is! 😉

INGREDIENTS

1/4 Pound Sliced Turkey
1-2 Slices of Cheese
1/4 Avocado, ripened
1 Lettuce Leaf
2-3 Slices of Tomato
1-2 Slices of Sweet Onion, shaved
1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise (or other condiments)
1 tsp. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp. World Spice Merchants Italian Herbs or TSS Italian Herbs & Cheese
1 Sandwich Roll

RECIPE

Slice your roll lengthwise, making sure not to cut all the way through the crust on one side.
HINT #1: Believe it or not, the choice of roll is one of the most important steps in making this sandwich rock. Fortunately, our local market has a bakery that makes incredible sub rolls.
Spread your condiments evenly on both halves of the roll. I use lite-mayo to try and make it a little healthier. But, you can use regular mayo, pesto-mayo, mustard, 1000 Island, etc., or any combination thereof.
On the bottom half of the roll evenly place your turkey slices. Then add your cheese slices.
NOTE: I usually use Swiss Cheese, but we were out of everything except for the kids’ String Cheese. So, I just pulled it apart and used that. Any of your favorite hard or semi-hard cheeses will work well.
Next, add your lettuce leaf, tomato slices and shaved onion. On the top half of the roll lay your avocado slices. Sprinkle the Italian herbs over the sandwich. Then, drizzle your oil and vinegar over the sandwich.

I also like to add pickle slices to my sandwich (not pictured because I forgot them until just before my first bite, and I was too lazy and hungry to re-shoot it ;)). You can also throw any of your other favorite veggies on there including cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers (marinated Red Peppers work really well), etc. Be creative … a sandwich is only limited by your imagination!
Enjoy with some chips, pasta salad, side salad, mac salad, etc. Served here with Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips (again, trying to be a little healthier).
HINT #2: To make closing this sandwich up easier, and to be able to slice it easily, take a large sharp knife and lay it against the ingredients on the bottom half of the sandwich firmly enough to hold everything in place without squishing them. Simultaneously, fold the top half over the knife, and then smoothly slide the knife out of the sandwich.

Prep Time = 5 minutes
Cook Time = n/a
Serves 1

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Honest Award

In the last day, this blog has received two honors. One, we just found out, was the “Most Popular Post of the Day for 1/19 – Shrimp Avocado Rolls” on FoodBlogs. The other, courtesy of JeffR author of The Anti-Ignorance Blog, was the Honest Award for being honest … of course!. The rules of the award state that I need to list 10 honest things about myself and then pass the award on to ten other deserving bloggers. Not sure that I actually deserve this award since I subscribe to the notion that “if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with bull-twinkie”. Though, I do consider myself a fairly honest person. So, I will attempt to make my list-of-ten as revealingly truthful as possible.
READ MORE>>

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Shrimp Avocado Rolls

This recipe won Post of the Day for 1/19/10!

Thought Shrimp Rolls were only for restaurant dining? Think again!

INGREDIENTS

8 Medium-Large Shrimp
1/2 Avocado, ripened
2 Medium Carrots
2 Medium Celery Stalks
2-3 Green Onions
2 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Basil
4 Egg Roll Wrappers
Vegetable Oil

RECIPE

Rinse and drain shrimp. Remove tails, shells, and veins. Re-rinse and drain. Cover and refrigerate until ready for cooking.

Sliver carrots, celery and onions. Chop Basil. Slice avocado. Set aside.

Next, set up your prep station with a prep plate, another plate dusted with corn starch, a cup of water and, of course, all your ingredients.

Place egg roll wrapper on prep plate and put 1/4 of all ingredients onto wrapper.

Fold one horizontal-to-food edge of wrapper over ingredients. Then, using 3-4 fingers, gently pull folded side back towards ingredients, making sure wrapper is snug against them.

Next, fold over both open ends of roll up to the point where the ingredients are. Roll the wrapper with ingredients toward the opposite horizontal edge. Just before reaching the end of the wrapper, run a wet finger along the edge of wrapper, then continue to finish rolling to the end. Lightly pinch the edge to the roll so that it doesn’t flop open. Place onto plate with corn starch. Repeat process until all rolls are made.

You can either deep fry or pan fry your Shrimp Avocado Rolls. Either way, heat your oil to about 375°. If pan frying, make sure you have enough oil in the pan to cover at least half of the roll. When the bottom half turns golden brown, flip over the rolls and continue until evenly cooked on both sides.

When done, remove rolls from oil and place onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. Allow to cool several minutes before serving.
HINT #1: Cut rolls in half with a sharp knife. They will cool quicker that way and won’t burn your mouth if you get have an unexpected hot-pocket of oil inside the roll.

Serve with your favorite Asian dipping sauce. These were served these with a spicy Plum Sauce – just 4 tablespoons of store-bought Plum Sauce combined with a heaping teaspoon of Ground Chili Sauce.
HINT #2: You can serve this as an appetizer, or plate with some Asian noodles to make it part of your main course.

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 10 minutes
Serves 2-4

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Freezer Food Fest #10

It’s official! We’re moving!! So, I have been given a “request” by the Cavewoman to empty the freezer before we hit the road. The pressure is on!

No, I haven’t forgotten about my quest for a food-free freezer. I’ve just been a bit under the weather the last couple of days. But, that hasn’t stopped this ongoing crusade that now has slightly under 30 days left.
The Cavewoman decided to make some of her delicious Cheese Enchiladas for the family, which I often add some chicken to for the carnivore crowd. But, I didn’t think I had enough time to defrost and then prepare the chicken properly to go into this dish before they got rolled up and placed into the oven. Though, I did spot a couple of NY Strip Steaks in the freezer that would make an excellent Carne Asada to go along side the Enchiladas.
We had also just received a box full of fresh picked Avocados from the Cave-in-laws who have a couple of very prolific trees in their backyard. So, while the steaks defrosted, I whipped up some fresh Guac (recipe to come this week, along with the Enchilada recipe). Of course, we had to nibble on some of it while we cooked, and even had to force ourselves to stop before none was left for the meal. I’d like to think that it was my recipe that made it so good, but those Avocados were so creamy, buttery, and full of flavor that I probably could have added absolutely nothing and still found it as delicious! 😉
As for the Carne Asada, many recipes call for different kinds of marinades and spices. However, being the Caveman that I am, I try to keep it very simple. I just squeezed a little fresh lime juice onto the steaks and then dusted them with some World Spice Merchants Yucatan Rojo Rub – both sides. Covered them up and refrigerated for a couple of hours, and then grilled as usual. When done, I just sliced them across the grain and served them up with the Enchiladas and Guacamole. We also chopped up some of the Serrano Chili Peppers we grow in our backyard and sprinkled them on top of the cheese-filled tortilla yumminess.
Needless to say, this was a big hit with the family. Everything melded so well together. Even my veggie wife was intrigued by the allure of the Asada and, again, the Cavekids devoured their meal meal like a T-rex on a sheep farm. Plus, we had enough leftover for a full second tasty meal for everyone. Yet, another successful stop on the Freezer Food Fest sojourn!

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.