I usually try to be organized and plan out mine and Mike’s dinners for the week.  Lunches, on the other hand, are a different story.  A free-for-all, basically.  I typically pack both of our lunches based on sandwiches or whatever leftovers I find in the fridge.  During a normal weekday lunch I don’t usually get to enjoy a meal as delicious as the one I am about to share with you.  If you have leftovers and want a fantastic meal ready in about five minutes, this is the meal for you.  It’s ready in minutes, filling, and completely customizable. 

Warm Veggie Wrap

(Yield:  1 wrap)

1 flatbread (I used a Kontos multigrain flatbread)

About 3/4 c chopped broccoli, steamed

1/4 c cherry tomatoes, halved

1 TB chopped onion (or scallion)

2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 oz cheese (I used Colby-Monterey)

Dash pepper

Preheat the oven to 500F.  Assemble the veggies on top of the flatbread, then top with the cheese, bacon, and a dash of pepper.  Bake for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly crispy on the edges.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in my recent coffee giveaway!  I had so much fun reading about what all of your favorite kinds of coffee are.  I used a random number generator to determine the winner…

A huge congrats to Marla of Family Fresh Cooking!  I’ll email you to get your address so I can send out your coffee!

It’s fun to take a traditional recipe and use the same components and flavors to turn it into a completely different form of itself.  Like hamburger pizza or taco soup.  Or even cake pops.  My mom and I have been making this Chicken Satay Stew together for about 10 years.  I don’t remember where the original recipe came from, but I do know that it’s been adjusted and altered throughout the years so that we both agreed that this final version is pretty much the best we’ve ever made.

Chicken Satay Stew

(Yield:  6 to 8 servings)

1 to 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 TB olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 TB fresh grated ginger or 1/2 tsp dry ginger powder

1/2 tsp to 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)

2 medium onions, chopped

4 large carrots, chopped

4 large stalks celery, chopped

2 c unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/2 c mango nectar

1/2 c lemon juice

2/3 c smooth peanut butter

2 c chicken stock

1 to 2 TB rice vinegar (depending on how tangy you like it)

1/2 c heavy cream

1 TB cornstarch

1/2 c minced fresh cilantro or parsley, plus more for garnish if desired

Salt and pepper

Peanuts, chopped (optional, for garnish)

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the chicken and cook until you don’t see any pink (about 5 minutes).  Add the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and sauté 2 minutes.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, pumpkin, mango nectar, lemon juice, peanut butter, chicken stock, and 2 c of water.  Cover the pot, bring it up to a simmer, then turn the heat down and let it simmer about 30 minutes (stirring occasionally), until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through. 

Dissolve the cornstarch in the cream.  Stir the vinegar into the stew, then stir in the cream mixture; simmer uncovered about 5 minutes, until the stew is thickened.  Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Serve the stew garnished with chopped peanuts and parsley.  You can serve this stew alongside jasmine rice, if desired.

Japanese noodle bowls are relatively new to me.  As a kid the closest I came to experiencing a noodle bowl was when my mom would make egg drop soup with ramen noodles (a delicious dish she learned from a friend of hers who was married to a Japanese man).  I had my very first actual noodle bowl at Wagamama in London only a couple years ago.  Since then, I’ve been hooked. 

Noodle bowls are great for cleaning out the fridge, since you can use just about any combination of veggies and lean protein that you have on hand.  This combination is one of my absolute favorites…and I think it represents me, so it’s the perfect dish for me to submit to the fabulous Sophia’s “You Are What You Cook” Challenge!

This dish is hearty, healthy, and warming.  There is a nice balance between the different elements of this dish…the mild flavored salmon is enhanced by the sweet and spicy glaze, and the earthy greens provide a good contrast to the sweet onions.  This dish mirrors my personality; there’s no place in the world I’d rather be than home with my family, and this is reflected in this earthy, comforting, sweet and spicy dish.     

Fishbowl (Salmon Noodle Bowl with Greens & Garlic-Ginger-Honey Glaze)

(Yield:  1 serving)

2-3 oz whole grain pasta or soba noodles (I used whole grain spaghetti noodles because it’s what I had on hand)

1 (4-6 oz) salmon fillet

1 (about 1/3 lb) baby bok choy, washed and chopped

1 small onion, thinly sliced into half-moons

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 TB honey

1/2 TB soy sauce

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1 1/2 to 2 c chicken, fish, or vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Sriracha to taste (optional)

Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.  Bring the stock up to a simmer.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium to medium-low heat.  Add the onion and bok choy and season with a little salt and pepper; sauté (covered) for about 5 minutes until the veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, ginger, honey, and soy sauce to the veggies and sauté another 2 minutes, stirring continuously; turn off the heat.

In another small skillet, heat the remaining 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat; season the salmon with salt and pepper and when the oil ripples add the salmon.  Cook the salmon for about 2 minutes on each side, then put a lid on the skillet, turn off the heat, and leave it for 3 minutes to steam the inside of the fish.

Put the noodles in a bowl, add the veggies, and place the salmon on top; pour in enough stock to cover the noodles and veggies.  If desired, add sriracha to taste.

If you’re a coffee lover or you know someone who is, be sure to enter my giveaway!  (Remember, you can add new entries each day by leaving me a comment on this post telling me one of your favorite types of coffee.  And you don’t need to have a blog to enter.  ;) )

I’m a firm believer that everyone should have their favorite cake on their birthday.  I remember going through several “favorite cake” phases…as a kid it was always chocolate on chocolate; my mom would make a big chocolate sheet cake (easy for cutting and passing out to kiddies) with chocolate frosting decorated with pretty flowers. 

I also remember different birthdays when German chocolate cake, ice cream cake, raspberry cheesecake, peanut butter pie, red velvet cake, and brownie swirl cheesecake were my celebratory indulgences of choice.  On the other hand, I know people who have a favorite standby that is the same every year…as far back as I can remember my mom’s favorite has been carrot cake (pretty soon I’ll be sharing my carrot cake recipe with you – it took about 5 years to make perfect!).  Mike is the same way…his favorite standby is knafeh (also known as kunafa or kunafeh).

Mike first introduced me to knafeh when we were on our honeymoon in Amman.  One night we both had a sweet tooth and of course being a total chocolate lover I was thinking of something chocolaty.  Mike took me to a local bakery and ordered knafeh for us, insisting that I would not be disappointed.  I was skeptical at first (since there is no chocolate in knafeh ;) ), but he was right…it was love at first bite.  Since then, after much trial and error, I came up with a recipe that I think rivals that first incredible knafeh we ate that night.  Knafeh is Mike’s favorite birthday sweet, so this post is for him.  (Happy birthday, baby.)

I’m sending this recipe to the lovely Joanne of Eats Well With Others for the Regional Recipes roundup of Middle Eastern dishes!

About the Knafeh:  Knafeh has top and bottom layers of kataifi dough and an inner layer of cheese…after baking, the whole thing is doused with simple syrup.  Kataifi is very finely shredded phyllo dough (once the dough is cooked it has a texture similar to shredded wheat)…but I strongly recommend buying kataifi instead of trying to shred your own phyllo dough (believe me, I’ve tried…that was one batch of knafeh I’ll never get back).  I buy my kataifi at a local Arabic store, but it’s also available online.  The cheese used in knafeh can vary.  I’ve had it with a cheese that’s similar to ricotta and also with a more stringy cheese called halloumi (for which fresh mozzarella is an excellent substitute)…both Mike and I prefer it with a stringier, melted cheese.

Knafeh

(Yield:  9 by 13-inch pan of knafeh)

Sugar syrup (see below)

1 lb (16 oz) ricotta, halloumi, or fresh mozzarella (I used fresh mozzarella)

8 oz kataifi (shredded phyllo dough)

8 TB (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 c shelled pistachios, chopped (for garnish)

Sugar syrup:

1 1/4 c sugar

1 1/4 c water

1/3 c honey

1 tsp orange food coloring or a pinch of saffron (optional; this gives the knafeh its distinctive color)

2 tsp rose water (optional)

9- by 13- by 2-inch casserole dish

To make sugar syrup:  In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, sugar, food coloring or saffron, and honey.  Bring it to a boil (stirring occasionally), then turn down the heat and let it simmer until it gets a syrupy consistency (about 15 minutes).  Turn off the heat and stir in the rose water (if using); let the syrup cool while you prepare the knafeh.  Remove the saffron threads.

Prepare the kataifi:  Preheat oven to 450F.  Use your fingers to gently separate the strands of kataifi, then use your hands to gently combine the melted butter and kataifi.  Transfer the buttered kataifi to a large baking sheet (if you only have 9X13-inch baking sheets you can use two sheets and divide the kataifi between them); bake for about 10-12 minutes until the dough is golden and crispy, making sure to stir dough every 2-3 minutes so that the edges do not burn. 

Make the knafeh:  Preheat oven to 425F.  If you’re using halloumi or fresh mozzarella cheese, cut it into thin slices.  Spread slightly more than half of the kataifi in the bottom of the 9X13X2-inch casserole dish.  Arrange the cheese on top of the kataifi, then evenly sprinkle the remaining kataifi on top of the cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted.  Remove from the oven and immediately (and gently) pour the syrup on top (be careful because the cheese will probably bubble up).  Sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top.  Allow to cool about 5 minutes, then cut it up and serve (to me, it tastes best served when it’s hot and fresh out of the oven).