Recipes

October 19, 2012November 7, 2019 Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

Pumpkin Bread!

This looks perfect and tasted great! I roasted a pie pumpkin and pureed it instead of using the canned puree. It calls for olive oil instead of regular which I used. I liked the different flavor it brought. This was good, moist, and not overly sweet.

RECIPES:

Pumpkin Bread

October 15, 2012April 5, 2017 Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

Pumpkin Chili and Corn Bread

What says “fall” more than chili? How about pumpkin chili? Yes!

Pinterest is a great place to find pumpkin recipes which is where I found this one. This picture on the website looked great! I love that the pumpkin added great color and texture to this chili, but unfortunately it didn’t add as much pumpkin flavor as I had anticipated. So for lunch tomorrow I’m going to add cubed butternut squash to maybe kick up the pumpkin-ish flavor a notch or two.

This wasn’t bad at all. This was a good solid chili recipe but not my favorite. I’ve made eleven different chili recipes of the past year or so and I’d rate this one a 7.9 overall. I can’t give it an 8, but 7.5 seems too low. I’m hoping my modification edges it up a few points.

Update: I made the modifications to this chili and it helped a lot! So I guess technically it’s a pumpkin/squash chili. Either way, it bumped the rating up to an 8.5!

When looking for cornbread recipes I went for Paula Deen’s super easy recipe, but this was a little flavorless. It had excellent moisture and texture, but was kind of bland. I definitely wouldn’t make this one again. But it got great reviews online so maybe I’m missing something.

RECIPES:

Pumpkin Chili

Moist and Easy Cornbread

October 14, 2012April 5, 2017 Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

Ponzu and Soy Sauce Sauteed Japanese Vermicelli w/ Green Pepper(ãƒ”ãƒ¼ãƒžãƒ³ã¨æ˜¥é›¨ã®ãƒãƒ³é…¢é†¤æ²¹ç‚’ã‚)

While we were in Japan, I didn’t copy any of Aya’s mom’s recipes, but with her here, I’m determined to copy as much as I can. A lot of these seem fairly simple and easy and I’d love to be able to cook Japanese more for Ellie and Aya.

This normally calls for asparagus, but since it isn’t in season anymore, Aya’s mom used green pepper that was plentiful from our garden.

RECIPES:

Ponzu and Soy Sauce Sauteed Japanese Vermicelli w/ Green Pepper

100g Japanese vermicelli (harusame noodles)
200g (about half a lb) ground pork
1 large green pepper thinly sliced
40g (about a 1/3 cup) thinly sliced carrot
30g (about a 1/4 cup) sliced Chinese leek (or green onions if leeks are not available)
A) 1tb vegetable oil
1/2tb sesame oil
1tb minced fresh ginger
1tb minced garlic
1 chopped chili pepper
B) 4tb Ponzu sauce
3tb “straight” somen tsuyu
2tb water
C) 1/2tb potato starch
1tb water

Boil the vermicelli and cut it randomly to prevent long strands.
Cook A and add the ground pork until browned.
Add the cooked vermicelli and B.
Add the thinly sliced carrot, green pepper, and Chinese leek.
Once everything is stirred and cooked together, add C.

October 13, 2012April 5, 2017 Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

Beef Stroganoff

This is always the “homecoming meal” when we are in Japan. But even if Aya’s mom is here visiting, Aya always requests it. It wouldn’t be a complete visit if we didn’t have this meal. I’ve made it once myself, but Aya’s mom always has the special touch.

RECIPES:

Beef Stroganoff

400-600g (1 to 1.5lbs) thinly sliced beef (Aya’s mom bought top round and sliced it thin)
1 onion minced
1 6oz can of sliced mushrooms
1/2cup frozen green peas, or more to taste
1 clove garlic minced
1 bay leaf
3tb flour
2tb butter
1tb vegetable oil
3cups chicken or beef broth
3/4cup evaporated milk
1tb red wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Season the sliced beef with salt and pepper and coat it in flour, careful not to layer them.
In a large pot, heat 1tb butter and 1tb vegetable oil and brown the beef.
Add the broth and cook on low or medium heat for 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile in a pan, heat 1tb butter and saute the garlic and onions and add mushrooms(drain and save the liquid in the can). Season with 1/2ts salt, pepper, and 1tb red wine.
Add the garlic, onions, and mushrooms to the beef and add a bay leaf and the liquid from the can of mushrooms.
Once the liquid thickens, take out the bay leaf.
Continue to cook on low or medium heat for 1-1.5 hrs, add evaporated milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add green peas and stir.
Pour over rice.