The Tohara Food Blog

Pad Thai

2009-06-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 lime

1 lb chicken
2 eggs
4 teaspoons fish sauce

4 teaspoons oyster sauce

½ jar peanut sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz sweet red chili sauce

1shallot, minced
2 tablespoon sugar
1 package Thai rice noodles
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2-1/4lb shrimp

½ cup chives - green

2 tablespoons peanuts-crushed

1-1/3 cup bean sprouts

ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Noodles-

Soak the dry noodles in lukewarm water while preparing the other ingredients, for 20 min minutes.

Cut up chives into 1 inch long pieces. Rinse the bean sprouts. Mince shallot and garlic together.

Use a wok. If you do not have a wok, any big pot will do. Heat it up on high heat and pour oil in the wok. Fry the peanuts until toasted and remove them from the wok. Add shallot, chicken and garlic and stir them until they start to brown.

The noodles should be flexible but not expanded at this point. Drain the noodles and add to the wok.

Stir quickly to keep things from sticking. Add sugar, fish sauce, peanut sauce, oyster sauce and chili pepper. Stir.

The heat should remain high. If your wok is not hot enough, you will see a lot of juice in the wok at this point. Turn up the heat, if it is the case.

Make room for the egg by pushing all noodles to the side of the wok. Crack the egg onto the bottom of the wok and scramble it until it is almost all cooked. Fold the egg into the noodles.

Add shrimp and stir. Add bean sprouts, chives. Squeeze fresh lime juice into mixture. Stir a few more times. The noodles should be soft and very tangled.

Pour onto the serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts.

Get ready for nummy!

Curry

2009-06-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Serves 15-20

2 lbs beef (or chicken or %hamburger)

Bag baby carrots

2 large onions

2 tomatoes

3 stalks celery

10 red Potatoes

2 Boxes S&Bs Mild Golden Curry bouillon

4 Bay leaves

1 can Coconut milk

1/3 c Sugar

4 c water

5-6 minced cloves garlic

Salt & Pepper to season

#instant mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS

Cube the meat into bite size pieces. Toss into stew pot with 2 tlbsp of veggie oil.

Add garlic to flavor. Salt and Pepper while cooking.

After the meat is browned, add 4 cups of water.

Add the curry; stir until it is dissolved.

Add in all veggies- make sure water covers all of it. (if the water doesn’t cover everything, add more water.)

Toss in bay leaves after 20 min.

Add coconut milk and sugar. Stir

Serve after veggies have softened.

NOTES

#To thicken it up (if desired) add instant mashed potatoes until favored consistency.

*If you want a hotter Curry, buy the "hot" Curry bouillon. If you want even more fire, you can add Chinese garlic chili sauce, Cheyenne pepper, or regular pepper.

% If you want to use hamburger, you'll need a little more than 2 lbs

Banana Kiwi Bread

2009-06-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Keli said.... you must salivate before you get it...

Seriously, who knew? Kiwis are the perfect apple :)

Ingredients

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar
6 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 over ripe bananas (mashed)
6 kiwis (diced)

DIRECTIONS
Place the flour into a large bowl. Add cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a wire whisk, blend all the ingredients together. In a separate bowl combine the butter and the sugars, mix till well blended. Add one egg at a time and whisk till smooth, once all the eggs are blended in mix in the vanilla. Pour in the buttermilk and mashed bananas, continue to mix till smooth. Add in the diced kiwi fruit, once mixed add in the flour mixture and mix till blended. Do not over mix. Pour banana mixture into two well greased loaf pans with a little flour dusted on the bottom. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the loaf pans for 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a wire rack.

Strawberry Bread with White Chocolate Fudge

2009-06-23T19:21:00.001-07:00

One bite and you're truly lost. This bread is like a potato chip, folks.. you'll be coming back for more!!

Ingredients

Bread Mixture

1 cup butter
1 cup mascapone cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk
5* cups flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon salt
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

*The recipe requires 5 cups, but I added an extra cup of flour since I live in a high altitude (Utah) area.

Icing/Topping:

The original icing for this bread SUCKED. So we exchanged it for our wonderful, spectacular super nummy-- oh, did I mention extremely easy to make-- fudge.

1 can sweetened condensed milk.
1 bag of nestles (or whichever brand you like) white chocolate chips

How to Make this Nummy bread:

In a large bowl combine the butter and the mascapone cheese together and beat till well mixed.

Add in the sugar and continue to mix till all the sugar is incorporated in.

Now, add in the eggs, one at a time, mix till the egg is well blended in then add the next egg. Do this till all the eggs are added.

Add in the milk, condensed milk and the vanilla. Stir till well mixed.

In a second bowl whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Mix just till all the flour is incorporated into the mixture ( do not over mix ).

After the dry ingredients are mixed, blend in the wet mixture. Fold in the fresh sliced strawberries and pour out into 2 greased 9x5 loaf pans.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 60-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If you are using a heat thermometer you want it to read between 180F to 185F.

Allow to cool in the loaf pans for 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a wire rack.

Topping:

In a microwave-safe bowl, add condensed milk and white choco. chips together.

Put in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir
(repeat this process if chocolate isn't melted- but DO NOT overdo it. It will ruin the chocolate- making it not so super nummy spectaular any more!)

After the mixture is melted, pour it ontop of the cooled bread and spread evenly with a spatula.

Place in fridge and wait in salivating anticipation for 30 minutes to allow the fudge to set.

Booyah!

Pani Popo (Hawaiian Coconut Bread)

2009-04-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Pani Popo

Prep Time: 2-4 hours (due to defrosting)

Ingredients
10 oz Coconut Milk
2 Eggs
Tsp Vanilla
½ tsp Salt
¾ C Sugar
Rhodes Dinner Rolls

Directions
Spray casserole dish (metal or glass) with non-stick spray
Place rolls in dish. Space them at least an inch apart.
Cover the top of dish with saran wrap. Put dish some place warm; let the dough rise.

After the dough has doubled in size, it’s time to make the sauce!

Sauce:
Mix coconut milk with sugar. Stir in salt and vanilla. Fold in eggs.
Mix WELL.

Pour sauce over uncooked, risen rolls. (about ½ inch layer of sauce)

Cook rolls as directed on package.

Eat hot! Mmmm…..

Red Lobster Biscuits

2009-03-20T19:16:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS

Biscuit Mix

Extra Sharp Cheese

Butter

Milk

Garlic Powder

Pam Cooking Spray

BUTTER GARLIC MIXTURE

1 stick butter

TBLSP garlic powder

Microwave butter mixture until melted.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.

Follow recipe on box as instructed BUT use a full cup of milk instead of what is asked.

Add cheese

Combine ingredients into a soft dough.

Using non-stick spray helps when shaping dough into balls.

Form 2in balls (They grow a lot.. give them space on the sheet)

Bake for 10-12 min.

When biscuits come out of the oven, spread immediately with melted garlic butter and basting brush.

Enjoy!

SALSA!

2008-10-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

Pico de Guigo (Fresh Salsa)

6 med Roma tomatoes (tomato type depends on preferences)

1 large green pepper

1 med jalapenos (depends on desired heat)

3 cloves garlic

1 large white onion

1 large red onion

1/2 bunch green onions

2 limes, juiced

1 bunch cilantro

2 TB apple cider vinegar

pepper & salt (or pepper salt) to taste

Directions: Chop it all up. Put it in a bowl. Take a chip. Eat! :)

DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG

2008-09-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Goods

coffee mug;
4 Tbsp. cake flour (plain, not self-rising);
4 Tbsp. sugar;
2 Tbsp. cocoa;
1 egg;
3 Tbsp. milk;
3 Tbsp. oil;
Small splash of vanilla;
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional.

DIRECTIONS
Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork.Add egg, mix thoroughly.Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well.Add chips, if using.Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts.Cake will rise over top of mug--do not be alarmed!Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired.Eat!(This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.

***And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?Because now we are all only five minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!!!***

Chicken Tilapia

2008-09-08T19:29:00.001-07:00

Courtesy: Anne Grimm

INGREDIENTS
2 lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6 ounces each) tilapia fillets
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 small onion, chopped
1 bag (12-ounce) trimmed fresh green beans
1 package (10-ounce) sliced white mushrooms
2 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

From 1 lemon, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice; cut second lemon into wedges.
In cup, mix lemon peel and 1 tablespoon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Spray 13" by 9" glass baking dish with nonstick spray; place tilapia, dark side down, in dish. Drizzle tilapia with lemon mixture; top with almonds, pressing them on. Bake 15 minutes or until tilapia turns opaque.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high 1 minute.
Add onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in green beans, mushrooms, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Cook about 6 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates and green beans are tender-crisp.
Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Serve bean mixture and lemon wedges with tilapia.

Cook Time
30 minutes

Chicken Enchiladas

2008-08-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I do my chicken enchiladas a little differently. But you'll find this recipe is a lot like the chicken enchilada soup.

Ingredients:

3 lbs boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size)
1 lrg can enchilada sauce
1 lrg can cream of chicken soup
2 sm cans tomato sauce
2 cans black beans
1 can corn
1 large onion (chopped, diced)
6 green onions (diced)
4 garlic cloves (diced)
salt&pepper -to taste
Lrg package soft flour tortillas
veg.oil
3 lbs cheese
tub sour cream

Instructions

Tortilla Preparation:
Heat up oil in skillet
Lightly brown tortillas (they should not be stiff)
Set aside

Chicken preparation:

Cook bite-sized chicken in skillet with diced onion and garlic.
Add salt and pepper.
Set aside.

Sauce Preparation:

In a large pot, add enchilada sauce, cream of chicken, tomato sauce, black beans and corn.
Salt and pepper.
Heat until boil.
Pour 1/2 the mix in a bowl.
Add chicken mix to pot. stir.

Enchilada preparation:

In a large casserole dish, lay a tortilla.
Spread chicken mix down the center of the tortilla with a spoon.
Top with cheese.
Roll tortilla burrito-style.
Slide it to the side wall of the dish.
Repeat those steps until your dish is full.
Top all enchiladas with sauce mix (that was set aside.)
Top with cheese.
Place dish in oven until cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

Steak with Gorgonzola cream sauce

2008-08-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

temporary picture until actual photo arrives (cough* Omi....)

INGREDIENTS

Steaks
4 oz Gorgonzola Cheese
8 tsp butter (1 stick)
3/4 tsp pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Sauce:
Put butter into mixing bowl. Warm butter to room temperature.
Mix in cheese and pepper until creamy paste.
Refrigerate for at least 20 min.

Grill steaks however desired

Spoon on top of steak. (we use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop.

Lemon Rice Side:

In rice cooker cook rice as normal.
add 2 tsp of chicken bullion
Juice of 1 Lemon and lemon zest of half the lemon.
1 1/2 tsp garlic pepper
4 tsp butter (half stick)
2 oz Slivered almonds on top
Start cooker
After about 15 mins of cooking stir rice and continue cooking.

Poached Salmon with Coconut Dill Sauce

2008-08-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since we posted, but if you have seen me you would know that we haven't stopped eating. I had these steaks for a week or so and while it is a far cry from the Sockeye we brought back from Seattle, this is a fun dish Dad and I put together back in the Dutch oven.

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs Salmon
Salt - to taste
Dill -sprinkled liberally on top
2 limes (halved and juiced)
½ C White Wine (substitute= ¼ c white vinegar)

Coconut Sauce:

2 cans 12oz Coconut Milk
2 Tbs sugar
1 lime (halved and juiced)
salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Poach Salmon at 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes:

Line baking tray with foil
Center salmon on foil
Salt and Dill the salmon
Squeeze 2 limes over fish
Set the juiced peel to the side of the fish
Add white wine (or vinegar) to the fish
Close up the foil, crimp the ends
Bake
After the meat is flaky, it is ready (soft and mushy=not ready). This varies due to the thickness of the steak.
Once poached, drain out the liquid from the tray into a sauce pan ans seal up salmon again.
Add 2 cans of coconut milk to the sauce pan.
Squeeze last lime’s juice into sauce
Add 2 tbs sugar
salt to taste
Heat up until sauce is smooth
Pour sauce over salmon.

RICE SIDE

In rice cooker, add Chicken Broth instead of water.
Also add:

1 tbs parsley
2 tsp garlic pepper
4 oz Butter (half stick)
1 tsp salt
Cook Rice as Normal

Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2008-07-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by Naomi Masina
If you like chicken enchiladas, you'll love this recipe. People who aren't even a fan of soup will be coming back for more.

INGREDIENTS:
2lbs. of boneless chicken breast- chopped into bite sixed pieces
2 cans enchilada sauce
1 lg chicken broth
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
1 can stewed tomatoes
3 cans tomato sauce (small)
1 can black beans-drained
2 cans kidney beans
3 can corn- drained
1 onion-diced
6 cloves garlic- diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 lb Cheddar Cheese-shredded

1/2 lb Mozerella Cheese-shredded
Tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

fry up chicken.
add onion and garlic.
Cook till vegetables are soft.
In a big pot, add all other ingredients together (except the tortilla chips and mozerella cheese).
Add chicken and onion saute. Cook until boiling.
Simmer on Med. heat for 10 min to thicken
add Heavy whipping cream.

In serving bowl, crunch in a handful of chips.
Pour soup over the top of the chips.
Top the soup with moz. cheese.
ENJOY!

Creamy Chicken Forestiere

2008-07-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

photo taken by Omi Masina

Very, very tasty! If you like pasta, you'll be in heaven with this recipe!
If you like chicken alfredo, you'll love this!

INGREDIENTS
1 box fettucine noodles
6 tsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 lb boneless chicken
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
salt & pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup diced chives
1 pint heavy whip cream
2 cups milk
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)

Rue:
flour
4 tsp. butter

DIRECTIONS
Boil your noddles! Get them going first!

Make your RUE by heating up butter on low heat and throwing in your flour. Stir until it thickens to a nice golden brown, but be careful not to burn it. Set aside.

Cut chicken into bite-size chunks.
Saute Onions, chives, and garlic in remaining butter and olive oil. Add the chicken and wine.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until liquid is almost gone
Nummy smell, huh...

In the pan add heavy whip cream and milk.
Add rue to thicken
Stir till smooth
(Add mushrooms at this point.)

Drizzle over your Fettucine....mmmmmm!

Enjoy!

Fiesta Spaghetti

2008-07-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe when scavengering for something unique. It was rather good! Kids wanted another plate of it!

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
1 pd ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (11 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes hot sauce (or more if you're feisty)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook your noodles.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic and beef.
When the meat is cooked, add basil, sauce, beans, and corn. Stir.
Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle with hot sauce.
Toss with cooked spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Hmmm... delicious....

Prime Rib Burger

2008-07-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

The double -decker version..

Carl's Junior had advertised this burger. It was so good we decided to make it too. Ours of course was better!

INGREDIENTS:
Hamburger patties
Roast Beef (we bought the London Broil - rare, from the deli) sliced thin.. think Arbys
*note: 1lb. is about enough for 6 burgers.
Ciabatta rolls -sliced open (for buns- I really wouldn't subsitute this out, it's magic)
Provolone Cheese slices (swiss is also a good option)
Horseradish Sauce
Mayo.
Onion, sliced
Au Ju gravy mix
Salt &Pepper

Instructions:
Grill up the burgers! (Grill always tastes better, but the kitchen stove works just as well)
Melt the Provolone into the burger as you grill. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Meanwhile, saute the onion in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add a packet of au jus gravy to the onions and pull the mix off the heat. Then, place the sliced beef in the Saute mix. Lightly heat it up-- if you leave the meat in there too long, you'll get dry beef... you don't want that!

Mix 3 parts mayo to 1 part horseradish sauce. Horsey sauce is generally pretty strong, but the mayo helps smooth out the overpowering flavor, but it is a GREAT element to the sandwich.. try not to leave it out of the recipe. BUT don't overdo it unless you have a headcold and need to clean out those sinus'.

Spread Mayo/Horsey mixture on top and bottom of ciabatta roll.

Place cooked burger on first. Layer the top of the patty with sauted beef (yes, make sure you get some of those onions on the burger too)

Crown the burger with the top half of the roll and take a bite!! Hmmmmm.

*For double decker burger, add another piece of ciabatta in the center, add another patty and more roast beef.

Masina Musubi

2008-07-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

photo taken by Omi Masina

Ingredients:
Terriyaki Sauce
Spam (or ANY meat)

Rice (Do not use instant rice)

Nori (Sheets of Seaweed)

Furikaki (Rice seasoning found at Asian markets)

Sushi Press (found at asian/polynesian markets)

Terriyaki Sauce:
1c Soy Sauce

1c Sugar

1c Water

4 cloves garlic

minced ginger

Instructions:
Cut spam in slices and marinate in terriyaki sauce for a few hours.

Cook Rice.

Cook Spam.

Lay out one sheet of Seaweed.

Put suishi press at one end of seaweed.

Put one layer of cooked rice (about an inch thick) inside sushi press.

Press rice down firmly, remove press slowly so you do not pull up the rice.

Sprinkle on Furikake

Put in one layer of cooked spam.

Put another layer of rice atop the spam; press again and remove slowly.

Remove Rice press slowly, trying not to pull up the rice.

Using the nori, roll the rice up. Hold it in place by wetting the ends with water and lightly sealing it together.

This should make a long Musubi (square)roll.

Cut desired length.