Ms. Lasagna Meets Mr. Freezer

I eagerly wanted all the promises offered by homemade freezer food to hold true. Delicious, really easy and no-fuss meals after a long day of work? Save money on groceries by buying and cooking food in bulk? Yes, please! In response, I checked out a few cookbooks from the library that were devoted to making freezer meals, and set to work in the kitchen on the rare no-work day. 

1. I spent that Friday morning diligently reading up on all recipes in Don't Panic, (More) Dinner's in the Freezer, studiously noting which recipes I wanted to try. 
2. The hardest part: Deciding which entrees I wanted to make and freeze. I settled on Heavenly Scones, World's Best Lasagna, Chicken Enchiladas, and Tangy Chops with Honey Curry Sauce.
3. Compile my shopping list and go shopping!
4. Cook. 
5. Freeze.

From beginning to end, the endeavor took from roughly 6 hours of time. And the glorious result- dinner for the next week is solved! No more cereal for dinner when I have my pick of homemade frozen dinners.  

First up, I really wanted to try my hand at making lasagna. Inspiration: Jess made lasagna for our girls' group a few weeks ago, and it was simply amazing! As I pored through the recipes in the cookbook, I realized that I preferred to use good ol' Allrecipes.com for my basic recipes. I guess part of me is a bit suspicious of cookbooks put together by 1 person- what if their taste differs from mine? So, I found World's Best Lasagna on Allrecipes.com with over 2000 reviews. I modified the recipe to be less meaty and include more veggies, then followed the tips on how to freeze food from the cookbook. My version is below! 

World's Best Lasagna (modified) 

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 c. diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6oz.) cans of tomato paste 

2 (6.5oz.) cans of tomato sauce (I substituted some chunky salsa, turned out well)

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. white sugar

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 tbsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. oregano

3 zucchinis (green or yellow), sliced

8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced

16 lasagna noodles, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes until pliable

16 oz. ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

Dash of nutmeg

4-6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil, then add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add ground beef, and cook until browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. 
2. In another skillet or pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil and saute zucchini and mushrooms until soft. Stir veggies into meat sauce. Simmer sauce, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. 
3. Soak lasagna noodles for 20-30 minutes in hot water, until noodles are pliable. Drain, and rinse with cold water. In mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
4. Prepping for the Freezer: Assemble lasagna either in one 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans. Line pans with aluminum foil, then a layer of plastic wrap. Make sure aluminum foil and plastic wrap are large enough to cover bottom, sides, and top of the dish. 
5. Assembling in 8x8 pan: Layer 1/4 of the meat sauce, 4 lasagna noodles (cut noodles to fit pan), 1/4 of the ricotta mixture, 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, then repeat layers. Repeat for other 8x8 pan. 
6. Freezing: Tightly seal plastic wrap to remove air. Then seal outer aluminum foil layer. Flash freeze in 8x8 baking pan for 30 minutes, then slide lasagna out of pan and freeze in freezer bag. 
7. Eating the lasagna: Thaw lasagna in fridge the day prior to eating. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and foil. Spray 8x8 pan with nonstick spray, then bake lasagna in pan for 25 minutes with foil loosely covering lasagna. Then remove foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving. 

The lasagna was delicious, and was even better the next day as leftovers! And the best part... and true story: Even though I came home late on Tuesday after work, dinner was ready for Ben, Nathan, and I. I had placed the lasagna in the fridge the night before, and Ben popped the lasagna into the oven around 4:30pm to bake. As I walked into the front door, the smell of meaty tomato sauce wafted throughout our house. Success!

After flash freezing: lasagna has mold of 8x8 pan

Chinatown Eats: Sub Sand

First impressions can be misleading. When Shu texted me our lunch spot for the week, I thought "sub sand" had to be an abbreviation for the restaurant's full name. Then, when I arrived, I was a little weirded out by the tubs of cooked meats all lined at the ordering counter. 

Sub Sand is a tiny Asian-style Subway-inspired sandwich shop in the ID with more variations on the banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) than I could ever imagined. Just like Subways (or Chipotle), they make your sandwich upon your order, in front of you. You can choose toppings for your sandwich- no thanks to the cilantro and jalepenos. And I rarely mention the service at restaurants, but Sub Sand's owner and staff were very friendly! 

Shu and I both ordered the Lemongrass Chicken Sandwich per raving Yelp reviews. Toasted, fresh baguette buns? Check. Crisp veggies? Check. Perfectly seasoned white radish/carrot mixture? Check. Sub Sand makes a delectable sandwich, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The price is slightly higher than your typical to-go Vietnamese pork sandwich- but in this case, I would be willing to pay a dollar more for the fresh ingredients. The only detraction: Both Shu and I noticed that the lemongrass chicken did not quite live-up to the "lemongrass" billing. Don't get me wrong, the chicken still tasted yummy, but the lemongrass was very... subtle. I'll try another sandwich next time... why not, when there's so many (more than 15) options? 

The final word: Sub sand is a place you should try if you're ever in the ID-area, but I would not go out of my way and drive down to the ID just for this little hidden-away restaurant. It definitely hits the spot for a quickie and cheap lunch. 

Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars 

Chinatown Eats: Tamarind Tree

Shu has been introducing me to the restaurants in the International District, and I have to say that I am very impressed. Yes, the ID is rather dirty, can be stinky, sometimes sketchy with unsavory characters- but the FOOD is darn good! Cheap, good eats is the criteria, and so far, the ID has been 3 out of 3.

First up, lunch this week was at Tamarind Tree in Little Saigon. A half-mile walk from Harborview, Tamarind Tree was absolutely worth it. A hidden-away restaurant in the back corner of some Asian plaza, I was slightly turned off by the stink and uncleanliness of the area before entering the restaurant. However, once inside, Tamarind Tree does not fail to impress. The decor reminded me of upscale Japanese sushi restaurants in Belltown, not something I expected from Little Saigon. The restaurant was polished and classy, definitely not your typical Vietnamese pho shop. Shu and I both ordered from the $5 lunch menu (apparently their "anniversary" menu that's been running for at least 2 years). Shu ordered the Shrimp Patty Noodles, and I requested Grilled Steamed Rolls. Considering the only Vietnamese food I am accustomed to is pho, I had no idea what to expect. In fact, Grilled Steamed Rolls made me think of wrapped spring rolls you get as appetizers, and I wasn't sure if I would be full from that single order.

I was blown away when the food arrived. I cannot adequately describe the dish, but here goes. On a bed of steamed rice "paper" (think: thick rice noodles) was heaping amounts of bean sprouts, fresh basil, and thinly sliced marinated grilled pork. On the side was a small bowl of flavorful sauce that I poured all over the dish. To my consternation, I wasn't quite sure how to eat all the delicious food in front of me at first. Still holding to my "spring roll" bias, I thought perhaps I was suppose to roll up the ingredients with the rice paper. Nope, after double-checking the rice noodles, I decided there was no way I could separate the sticky sheets into individual pieces. So, I simply dug in. The fish sauce with mixed herbs was amazing. So good sauce- I could probably drink it as soup if I could! The grilled pork was perfectly flavorful. The whole time I was chewing, I was trying to pinpoint the singular taste of the pork marinade. The unique underlying flavor was just out of reach... eventually, I gave up and just chalked it up to general "yumminess". I was completely stuffed at the end, but I couldn't bear to leave even a scrap of the delicious food uneaten.

You'll have to ask Shu how good her food was; I was a bit preoccupied with my own dish. If it was even half as good, I would be willing to try it in a heartbeat. Our lunch conversation was punctuated by exclamations of "Wow... yum...." and "This is really really really good." Even better, the $5 menu makes the meal completely affordable. There probably isn't a more delicious, cheaper option in the ID. No wonder Shu's coworkers go to Tamarind Tree at least 3 times a week! If you can try anywhere in the ID/Chinatown- go to Tamarind Tree! (This post is making me salivate in anticipation of my next visit already...)

Pardon the poor quality of the pics- the lighting of the restaurant was dim and I was too eager to start eating to waste time (I mean, focus) on taking a good picture!

Grilled Steamed Rolls

Shrimp Patty Noodles

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake Specs:

• Solid, dense cake with total weight over 1 pound
• Made in a bundt pan
• Requires 5 eggs and 2 sticks of butter
• For extra lemony-ness: baste with lemon syrup and drizzle lemon glaze
• Serve with fresh sliced strawberries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream = heavenly

**Jump to Lemon Pound Cake recipe**

Slow Cooker Chili

I really cannot take credit for the BEST CHILI I HAVE EVER EATEN (and I don't even really like chili...). The above pic was 98% Ben and maybe 2% me. I merely found the recipe. But Ben was the one who actually cut, diced, cooked this chili to perfection. 

I love this recipe because it uses the slow cooker! Which means less time in the kitchen stirring the pot and adjusting the stove heat. Instead, the slow cooker takes over. The slow cooker is a bit like a magician's hat- you put in a bunch of raw, unpolished ingredients, and a few hours later it delivers a sumptuous dinner! 

A little about the cookbook, The Best Slow & Easy Recipes- It's part of the Best Recipes series by Cook's Illustrated. While it has few pictures, it has wonderful exposes on the process of developing each recipe. The authors write about how they determined the best ingredients and the best way to cook each dish. I love reading and I love cooking, so it's a perfect match for me. Reading all about cooking- sounds like a perfect lazy afternoon :). 

Slow Cooker Chili (modified from Cook's Illustrated The Best Slow & Easy Recipes)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 onions, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 c. (=2 tbsp) chili powder

1/8 c. (=2 tbsp) tomato paste

1/2 tbsp ground cumin (we did not include this)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salt

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (14 oz) tomato puree (puree 1 can diced/whole tomatoes in blender)

1 can (15.5 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce 

1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

1/2 tbsp. brown sugar

1-2 tsp. minced chipotle chili in adobo sauce (we did not include this)

1 lbs. 85% lean ground beef

Black pepper

Limes, cut into wedges (optional)

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in nonstick skillet, then add onions, garlic, chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, pepper flakes, and 1/4 tsp. salt, stirring often until onions are slightly browned. Stir in diced tomatoes with their juices. 
2. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and stir in beans, tomato puree, soy sauce, oregano, sugar, and chipotle until evenly combined. Season the meat with salt and pepper and stir it into the slow cooker, breaking up large pieces. Cover and cook until meat is tender and chili is flavorful- 8 to 9 hours on low setting, 5 to 6 hours on high setting. 
3. Let the chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat/oil from surface with large spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges and shredded cheese.

Seattle Adventures: Pike Place Market and The Confectional

After feasting at Henry's Taiwan, I dragged Kyle and Donnie to walk through Pike Place Market with me in the afternoon. We felt like tourists... pointing at the pig statue, taking pics of the grotesque monkfish, trying out every possible free sample there was- fruit, chocolate, honey, even chocolate spaghetti. We indulged on mini donuts (frosted with sprinkles, cinnamon/sugar dusted, plain, and chocolate), an absolute must when I trek all the way out to Pike Place. Along the way, we grabbed bags and bags of free samples of pita chips and hummus. Our mother lode was a sight to behold! Surprisingly, I had visited Pike Place more recently than either of the two Seattle-grown boys, and this made our trip even more fun, since visiting Pike Place isn't a common occurrence.

In actuality, our trip had a semi-purpose. I was determined to locate The Confectional. The bakery specializing in individual cheesecakes. I had my first experience of The Confectional's creations last Christmas, when a pharmacist brought a case of cheesecakes into work (for all of us poor hospital slaves who don't even get holidays off). I was instantly hooked. At the time, I remember the difficulty deciding between which flavor of cheesecake to choose. The pumpkin spice or the red velvet? Or the caramel? Then there was the triple berry... The store was much less remarkable than I had imagined it to be. Nothing at all like Willy Wonka's Amazing Chocolate Factory! Ah well, I guess those were unrealistic expectations. A very plain counter with a window displaying all the cheesecake flavors offered today. I finally settled on 4 different flavors with lots of help from the guys, luckily they were there or else my indecisiveness would have dragged on forever! Peanut Butter, Triple Berry, Caramel, and Raspberry White Chocolate. Of course, I brought them home for Ben and I to share. I got the Triple Berry and Caramel, and he chose the Raspberry White Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Dense, sweetened cream cheese on top of a graham cracker crust shaped into the perfect portion size. Absolutely heavenly! At $4 per cheesecake, it was definitely expensive, but worth splurging on once in a while (especially when you get holiday pay for working Christmas)!

Tourists! Haha...

Beautiful, colorful bouquets

Ugliest Fish in the World

This just might have been our favorite place that day... free samples!

The Mother Lode

Top Left: Peanut Butter
Top Right: Caramel
Bottom Left: Triple Berry
Bottom Right: Raspberry White Chocolate

Seattle Adventures: Henry's Taiwan

The past month has definitely lived up to the motto of "work hard, play hard." It's been a whirlwind of activities interspersed between work shifts. Almost no time to sleep, and even less time to catch up on my blogging. But, I feel obligated to blog. I started this blog as an outlet, a place for myself to vent and pour out my thoughts. While I have realized that blogs are too public to treat as a personal diary, that sense of selfishness hasn't changed. I blog for myself, no one else. I think of it as a way for me to look back someday (one year? five years? ten years from now?) and see how blessed my life truly is!

I celebrated the end of another school year with lunch at a Taiwanese eatery in the International District- Henry's Taiwan. Unfortunately, I was running late, then Kyle was also running late (which actually turned out to be a good thing, since Donnie could then come with us)- in the end, poor Shu had to rush through lunch to go back to work. Ah... work, bane of life. Fortunately, the food was quite delicious!

To borrow a Chinese idiom, "my eye was bigger than my stomach" (yan du da xiao) which meant every square inch of our small table was crammed with various dishes. For the 4 of us, we had the popcorn chicken, shaved beef noodles, purple fried rice with Chinese sausage, another dish that I don't remember, and of course, stinky tofu! I made the 2 boys try the infamous Taiwanese delicacy- stinky tofu. In fact, our waiter suggested that in order to date Chinese girls, they both had to learn to love stinky tofu. Unfortunately, they weren't a huge fan... but that just meant more for me! Yum yum! 

I especially liked the fried rice, which was made with purple rice and had chunks of Chinese sausage. It was quite flavorful and authentic (though, since I really am an ABC, who am I to judge authenticity?). Usually, I refrain from ordering fried rice at restaurants, since it's something I feel that I can cook at home; however, Henry's fried rice really is quite excellent and I would order it again and again. The other dishes were good in retrospect, but not memorable. For example, we devoured the popcorn chicken (who doesn't like fried chicken pieces dusted with salt and pepper???). And the stinky tofu was good (although, I thought Rocking Wok's was slightly better), especially with lots of Chinese kimchi! Perhaps, we over-ordered. Too many choices made us more picky and critical eaters. Our feast wasn't expensive- about $10 per person, including lots of leftovers for dinner or lunch the next day. Like most of the ID restaurants, it is a bit small, so seating is very limited. Another bonus: if the waiter happens to know you... free appetizers! Apparently the waiter recognized me from church... small world, eh? 

Henry's Taiwan is definitely another restaurant I would introduce my Taiwanese parents to! I just love taking my parents to Taiwanese restaurants, so they can taste memories from their childhood. It's the best compliment when Dad approves a restaurant's stinky tofu, or Mom comments that the food is quite genuine! 

Working those chopsticks skills!

Beef Shaved Noodles

Everyone's favorite: Popcorn Chicken

Stinky Tofu: See all that stinky sauce? nom nom nom