Sweet and Spicy Soba Chicken

In attempt to be somewhat healthy, we're aiming to cook more. What is "more" you ask? Simply one time a week. Yep. I said one. There are so many wonderful things Jeff and I share in our relationship; however, cooking is def not one of them.

So I'm going to share this recipe and hope you might try it... if so let me know what you thought about it and if you modified it.

Ingredients
12 ounces soba noodles
5 jalapenos
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded or sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
A few stalks of green onion


Directions
Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, combine jalapenos, honey, cilantro, salt and black pepper and puree until smooth. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the mixture until desired consistency is achieved. Pour the 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a preheated skillet. Add the shredded chicken and the blended sauce and cook until heated through.

In a medium bowl, combine cooked soba noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil and onion. Toss and then transfer to serving bowl. Pour heated chicken and sauce over noodles.

Things I'd mix in if I were doing it again
I think this would be great with a little more heat first of all. I also think some mushrooms and/or spinach would be delicious and a nice way to get some extra nutrition.

Food, photos and prints.. oh my!

Prints that will make you smile


How to make: kitchen cabinets from wine crates


NYC photos from 1920


Cheap eats in Dallas, a checklist I can get on board with!


All inclusive doesn't have to mean bad buffets*


I had Ocean Prime($$$) and Tillman's($$) for Restaurant Week, I'll def be back to explore Tillman's other menu offerings. Ocean Prime- good, but the "Berries and Bubbles" cocktail was the best part. Make your RW reservations here.


*(thx for the link steph!)

Best of Dallas: egg roll

Months ago, we hosted the second food challenge. Egg rolls. Who has a crispy fried shell and the spiciest dipping sauce? Will old favorites be overthrown by local Vietnamese hole-in-the-walls?

Competitors included:
Green Papaya
Tam's Egg rolls
Vietnam
I love egg rolls
Yumi (to go)

It was a tough competition.

Green Papaya's spicy dipping sauce nearly put them over the edge, Yumi's were baked and veggie, a nice strategic play angling for best of health, but falling short when placed against a golden fried exterior... (my mouth is watering just typing this!). Tam's and I love Egg Rolls didn't stand a chance, they reminded me of the frozen's from Albertson. Soft, thin and not nearly fried enough... which left VIETNAM (off Bryan St.) victorious! We held onto our trophy (barely) until the next food-off.

We also included a best DIY contest for drinks... which were so good it has left the details hazy, but Blackberry Smash (knocked off from The Porch) and a random entry of Duck Soup came in for first and second. A kudos to the Leonard's for their creative Duck Soup entry.

I wish I knew the secret for a delicious egg roll recipe, but alas I will leave you with the winning cocktail recipe....

Duck Soup

2 oz bourbon whiskey
1/2 oz apricot brandy
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz pineapple juice
1/2 tsp caster sugar

Our next competition is Best Of Dallas: Salsa edition.

Northwest tour: Portland

This summer I took a week to visit some wineries and must see's in the Northwest. My first stop was Portland; I've heard so many amazing things about microbreweries, wineries, outdoor activities and the overall Austin-like vibe of the city... so I had pretty high expectations going in.

Day One: Vino!
Landing in the morning did not defer us from getting out to Willamette Valley to discover some of the best pinots.

Our tour included:

(Dundee)
Ponzi
Argyle
Archery Summit- We did the actual tour here and I highly recommend it. Later, it was ranked 1 out of 50 best Oregon wines for their 2006 Red Hills Estate Pinot Noir!
Four Graces
Winderlea- best tasting area, outside on a glass deck overlooking the vines.
**Food: Pok Pok. The most amazing, spicy, inventive Thai food. I'm sure my rave for this is elevated since we hadn't eaten all day, but it was still delicious. We had the pork shoulder, hot wings, prawns and some Thai beers. Let's just say I still crave this... its that good! The restaurant is unassuming to say the least, a converted house! They were voted best restaurant in 2007 and have since opened a sister restaurant called Ping.


Day 2: The great outdoors
Just a stone's throw from Portland is some phenomenal hiking; we decided to take in some fresh mountain air at the Columbia Gorge during our 5-mile hike to Angel's Rest. We also ducked into Naked Wines near Mt. Hood. Not very good but the names were hilarious, one label, Penetration, was even banned from a few states because of its provocative description!
**Food: Toro Bravo. Delicious tapas (must try the drunken pork) although there isn't a waiting area there is a cute bar next door.

Day 3: Coastal
We decided to head toward Cannon Beach after a quick stop in the Tillamook cheese factory. Unfortunately the fog was rolling in, so we spent an hour sipping wine on the powder soft beach at Seaside and then popped into a few wineries off hwy 8. Plum Hill wines were good and the table wines were exceptional for the price.
**Food: Bunk sandwiches, for breakfast or lunch. Homemade bread, fried egg, protein of choice with gooey local cheese? Yes please!

Side note: Although we didn't stop in, the street vendor food carts were worth stopping by. They have everything from Vietnamese chicken to gyros to funky flavored ice creams.

Dare I say, but I think this might be one of my favorite cities!

Best of Dallas? Pizza edition.

What better place to start with than the place you live! So there are a few cuisines that are always debated among friends of what is the ‘best’ of. A few of us decide to take matters into our own hands and start putting restaurant reps, and our food credibility, on the line. First up: pizza!

Contenders: Prego’s, Garibaldi’s and local fav... Bryan Street Tavern.

To make all things fair, we decided to have agreed toppings half (pepperoni and mushroom) and the other half to have up to each submitter for creativity. Since the host(ess) had first dibbs and went with BST, we banked on Grimaldi’s (per Jeff’s request) and I did not feel comfortable hedging on an unknown. I take winning and food very seriously after all.

Results:
Best overall- Grimaldi’s (our submission!)
Best choose your own- BST (tavern favorite)

Next up: eggroll off! I’m putting my trophy on the line and backing Vietnam off Bryan/Live Oak.

What are some other delicacies we should debate?