Finally we had a day here in San Diego that wasn’t scorching hot. Much to my delight, it was a bit overcast, a little coolish, with even a little drizzle. I was so happy. As soon as I see the slightest bit of gloomy weather, I know I have to make some kind of soup, so today was a day for Japanese noodle soup. Like with most soups, you can add anything you want to yours. Typically, Ramen “houses” (restaurants) make  their noodles with a good broth, noodles, vegetables and a sliced boiled egg. I make so many variations of this soup. This is the one I made tonight. I didn’t have any Japanese noodles, YIKES…pretty much unheard of in my house….so I even used angel hair pasta. While the right Ramen noodles are important, the broth is the key…..seriously. So please don’t buy those dried, instant, full of sodium, hard crunchy noodles that you just add hot water to. Make this!! And use chopsticks too….your soup will taste better and you’ll feel all Japanese and stuff. I always use chopsticks for this, but I kinda have to since I’m half Japanese. 🙂
The broth is so easy and delicious. You will love it.
 

Japanese Noodles

2 chicken thighs (you can use pork, seafood or beef too) or leave out the meat altogether and use a vegetable broth
approx. 8 cups of water
3-4 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tsp chicken bouillon (or vegetable bouillon)
1 tablespoon of miso soup paste (found in Asian markets) if you can’t find it, don’t worry about it
a 2″ chunk of fresh ginger, sliced
angel hair pasta, cooked and set aside (if you have access to an Asian market, look for fresh ramen noodles)
hard-boiled eggs, sliced
veggie of your choice ( I prefer spinach, bean sprouts)
green onion for garnish

Place your choice of meat in a pot with the water. If making a veggie version, use vegetable broth instead of water. Add the soy sauce, bouillion, miso and ginger. Let everything simmer until meat is thoroughly cooked. Add salt to taste. Remove meat and slice it up.
Place some noodles in a serving bowl. Ladle some broth on top. Place the meat slices, egg and veggies on top in a pretty manner. Sprinkle with green onion. Grab your chopsticks and slurp, slurp. As I said, you can add anything you like to this dish. Just make sure you have a great tasting broth! Enjoy

If you are a shrimp lover, this is the easiest and tastiest shrimp dish. The shrimp is tender, melt in your mouth, buttery, lemony and very shrimpish. You just throw everything in a baking sheet and bake.  I added a juicy steak and some angel hair pasta and had a nice surf and turf dinner. It really didn’t need the steak, but you know me….I gotta have my beef. It would be great to throw in some cherry tomatoes and garlic, but I didn’t. I made this just like the recipe I found on Pinterest. The possibilities are endless here as to what you can throw in. Get creative……get your shrimp on!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and don’t forget to have a great glass of wine with it. My favorite is anything from Wiens Vineyard in Temecula. I think I mentioned that before! More on that in a future post.
 

Roasted Shrimps

1 pound of raw shrimp (make sure its fresh clean and not all stinky and stuff….ewwwwww, that would be gross and stink up your kitchen and your tummy will hurt and all that.

1 stick of butter (please don’t use margarine or that crock crap)
1 large lemon or 2 small, sliced
A half of a packet of dry Italian salad dressing mix (a whole packet would be way too salty. Shrimp is already so salty, but you already know that)

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Put a whole stick of butter on a small sheet pan or baking dish and place it in the oven till the butter is melted.  Lay lemon slices in the butter. Place the shrimp on the lemon slices. Sprinkle with the dry salad dressing mix. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. That’s it! Can you believe it?? OMG and so good too….YUM.

I don’t know about you all, but I absolutely hate the heat. This weather we are having just drains you of energy, makes you sweaty, makes you lazy and makes you cranky!! My favorite refreshment in weather like this is an ice cold michelada. If you don’t know what that is, it is an ice cold Mexican beer mixed with fresh lime juice. I like mine with a little chili lime salted rim and a lot of ice. So refreshing and it really cools you off. The other day I ordered one in a restaurant and they added Clamato juice to theirs. It was delicious. I am not really a beer drinker, but I love micheladas. Serve with some hot crispy home fried tortilla chips and you will be a happy person. Cheers!!

Michelada (beer and lime drink)

1 bottle of your favorite Mexican beer (I like Pacifico)
juice from about 3 fresh limes (depending on how juicy your limes are)
lots of ice

Rim your chilled glass with salt. Fill with ice. Pour in the ever so refreshing lime juice. Carefully pour in the beer. I say carefully, cuz I like to see the lime juice and beer separated in the glass. You don’t have to do this, cuz you’re just gonna mix it all up anyway. This is when you may want to add a jalapeno, but you don’t have to!
Drink it up…..you will feel cooler in no time….really!

Chili Chips

fresh tortillas cut up in strips
vegetable oil for frying
chili lime salt (there are so many kinds of this stuff. I use Tajin but use whatever you have. You can use a mix of cayenne pepper and salt too.

fry your strips in some hot oil. Drain onto a paper towel, sprinkling with the salt while there is still a bit of the oil on the chips. (so the salt sticks to the chips)
Eat em up!

My all time favorite cupcake ever………I mean EVER…..is a dark chocolate cupcake with Espresso buttercreamcheese frosting. It is what my friend Patti would call a moaner. Seriously, you will moan with every bite. It is that good. It has also become the favorite of several of my friends.

Sometimes, when you buy a cupcake from a bakery, the coffee frosting is just not that coffee-ish. I hate that!!! I like my coffee bold and I like my coffee frosting the same way.  This frosting will wake you up.

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
1/2  cup sour cream
1/4  cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°. Line standard muffin pan with paper liners. Sift cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth by hand whisk or mixer.
Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 15-18 minutes or until you poke a toothpick in the cake and it comes out clean. Let cool. Frost (makes 18-20 cuppies)

Espresso ButterCreamcheese Frosting

1 block of cream cheese softened
1 stick of butter
1  16oz box of powdered sugar (maybe a bit more)
1 tablespoon of espresso powder or strong instant coffee (disolved in just enough water to make a wet paste.

Whip the cheese and butter together until creamy. Add the sugar and espresso and whip till it’s the consistency you like. You may need to add extra powdered sugar. Amazingly yum yum

I was craving potatoes. I was craving spicy. I was craving cheese. So, I combined them all to make jalapeno-cheesy potatoes, loaded with garlic. This is a great side dish and truly comforting. Yum.  It went very well with my skillet fried steak. If you are wimpy 🙂 and don’t like spicy, just leave out the jalapenos. Add some green onions or bell peppers, or not. OHhhhhhh, bacon would be good too. Yeah, add that.

Cheesy Jalapeno Potatoes

3  medium potatoes (I used yukon golds, but any kind will work)
1/2 stick of butter
1 small fresh jalapeno, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup (or more) grated cheddar cheese

Cut your potatoes in wedges or chunks. Boil till done and drain. In a skillet melt your butter and add the garlic and jalapeno slices. Dont let your garlic burn. Add the potatoes and toss with salt and pepper.