Ramen egg lovers, rejoice. These soy-marinated Asian deviled eggs are filled with a creamy miso-yolk filling and topped with chili crunch, green onion, and sesame seeds.

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It’s no surprise that deviled eggs are showing up for my birthday month of favorite things. These Asian deviled eggs mark my 15th deviled egg recipe – 18th if you count the non-egg versions (potato, strawberry, and cookie). I should also get bonus points for sharing this recipe during National Egg Month and National Vinegar Month.

I was inspired to make Asian-inspired deviled eggs after recently making soy-marinated eggs for the first time. I might be obsessed, I don’t even need ramen to crave them. Best part is that you can reuse the marinade for a couple weeks because it seems wasteful not to with all the soy sauce and seasonings.

Personally I love reusing those 32 oz deli containers from takeout orders (that build up in our food container drawer, making it difficult to open) for this purpose because they are *just* the right size to fit 6 eggs and the marinade. I can even carefully squeeze some of the air out to ensure complete coverage. But you could also use a zip-top bag if you don’t have anything similar on hand.

After the eggs marinade in the soy sauce mixture for at least 8 hours, the process to make the Asian deviled eggs is very similar to traditional deviled eggs. Slice the eggs open lengthwise, scoop out the yolks, and blend them with mayonnaise. The changes are adding white miso paste and rice vinegar instead of mustard. I did consider using Chinese mustard instead, but I’m not made at how these turned out. Clearly, otherwise I would have remade them with Chinese mustard.

After spooning or piping (you can just use a zip top bag with a corner snipped off) the filling back into the egg halves, they are topped with chili crisp, green onion, chili powder, and sesame seeds. You can obviously play around with the toppings based on your preferences.

I brought these soy-marinated Asian deviled eggs over to our friends’ house for dinner as they requested I bring an appetizer. I knew they were making garlic noodles with veggies so they fit right in! In fact not a single one remained by the end of the evening. Guess that means I get to marinade more eggs to make more – oh darn!

SOY-MARINATED ASIAN DEVILED EGGS

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Yield: 1 dozen Prep Time: 8 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

MARINATED EGGS

• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, skins removed and lightly crushed
• 2 whole star anise
• 3 black peppercorns
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• Approximately 1 cup cold water

FILLING

• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp white miso paste
• 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt

TOPPING

• Chili crisp
• Fresh green onions, thinly sliced
• Crushed red pepper or chili powder
• Sesame seeds

Directions

1. Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath to let cool, then peel.
2. In a quart sized airtight container, add soy sauces, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, anise, black peppercorns, cardamom, and red pepper. Stir until the sugar dissolves then add peeled eggs. Add enough water to cover the eggs. Cover with lid and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours.
3. Remove eggs from the marinade and slice in half lengthwise. Remove egg yolks from the egg and place into a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, miso, rice vinegar, black pepper, and salt, then whisk until smooth.
4. Spoon or pipe filling into each egg half. Refrigerate until ready to serve**, garnished with chili crisp, green onion, crushed red pepper, and sesame seeds.

Notes

*Marinade stored in the fridge can be reused for a couple weeks to marinade more eggs. **Can be made a day ahead, but wait to garnish until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from The Flavor Bender and Misfits Market.

This easy chicken lo mein is quick enough to make on a weeknight. Mix it up with your favorite protein and veggies.

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Do you have any holiday traditions? 

I had to think about this one. As a kid I have fond memories of decorating the tree with Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music playing, making press and cut out cookies (no frosting, sprinkles added before they baked thankyouverymuch), and driving around to see lights.

But as an adult I think the most consistent thing is going out to a movie and ordering Chinese (after failing to remember that yes Bill Gray’s is indeed closed) on Christmas Day. It’s a tradition originally born out of necessity but now is one of my favorite things. 

How did this start?

Sometime in the early 2000s when my mom had moved back to her home state of Maryland, and my dad and step mother moved to Knoxville, TN, “going home” looked a bit different. Where is home when your house that you grew up in is no longer yours? Instead, when visiting for the holidays we would stay with my Godparents. Which was great but since they already host a Christmas Eve dinner there isn’t any need to do it again the next day, beyond leftovers.

So we went to the movies and got Chinese afterwards. And it stayed that way ever since. Is it a tradition? I suppose it is and might be the only one I have participated in with any consistency. It’s not a must do, but it’s fun and different so I enjoy it when we do spend the holidays together.

As someone who was not raised in a traditional home (parents divorced at a young age), traditions aren’t particularly important to me, adaptation was. Don’t get it twisted, our divided homes were filled with love but not many other kids had to juggle holidays, weekends, etc. Silver lining? It helped me prepare for the real world.

As an adult that skill makes it easier with my husband’s family added to the juggling act, trading off the best we can to balance between the families all over the country. Of course it’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to see every single family member this holiday season, but that’s been almost my entire life. I will see my loved ones another time and it will be just as special because time spent together is important no matter what the date is on the calendar. But I digress.

I hope you are doing whatever brings you happiness this holiday season. And if you also want to celebrate with some Chinese food, here’s a quick and easy chicken lo mein recipe for you. Can’t find lo mein noodles? You can use any other similar shaped pasta. And feel free to change up the protein and veggies to your liking.

Three years ago: BBQ Pork Charcuterie

Four years ago: Butler County – Things to do

Seven years ago: Homemade Dark Hot Chocolate Mix

Eight years ago: Baked Mozzarella Chicken Rolls

Nine years ago: Buttermilk Biscuits

Eleven years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

CHICKEN LO MAIN

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Yield: 4-6 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

SAUCE

• 2 Tbsp sodium soy sauce*, to taste
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha, to taste

NOODLES

• 8 oz. lo mein egg noodless**
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lb. chicken breast of thigh, cut into thin bite-sized slices
• 1 baby bok choy, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1/2 cup snow peas
• 4 green onions, sliced

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and Sriracha; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions and drain.
3. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and ginger, and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook 2 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Remove from pan.
4. Place pan back over medium-high heat, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place bok choy in the pan, cut-side-down along with the bell pepper, carrot, and snow peas, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the noodles and soy sauce mixture, toss gently to combine, then serve immediately topped with green onion.

Notes

*Use a good quality soy sauce as it will make a difference in flavor. **You could also use spaghetti, linguine or bucatini.

Source: Adapted from Damn Delicious and Food Network.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

This hamburger chop suey is a throwback comfort food recipe that is easy to make but also a little different. Just try it, you’ll love it!

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I am still working through the giant catalog of my mom’s recipes. I first started with the ones she had made copies of for me when I left for college, but after my most recent trip to Maryland we found even more! Literally four boxes of recipes cards. I actually discovered the origin to a couple of her more frequently made recipes and a couple others written in short hand which were neat.

Now I have even more recipes to work through. And I am totally digging these retro, minimal ingredient, few step recipes. I’ve not felt particularly inspired in the kitchen lately and many of these recipes are comforting on many levels, so I find myself drawn to them more than ever.

This hamburger chop suey doesn’t seem to appear in any of my memories, but given that it has chow mein noodles I am sure she made it for my brother and I at some point. It’s totally her style too, combining unsuspecting ingredients into something delicious. According to the internet, it can also be another name for goulash and has Italian-American origins. All I know is that this is most definitely not that.

The original recipe calls for a can of mushrooms, but since neither Bob nor I like mushrooms we substituted that for chickpeas. We also added a bit of broccoli to pump up the vegetable content a bit more. And finally we spiced it up by adding a little chili oil.

One year ago: Strawberry Spinach Salad Pizza

Two years ago: Pesto Chicken Salad

Five years ago: Taco Hummus

Six years ago: Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce & Coconut-Ginger Rice

Seven years ago: Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Bowls

Eight years ago: S’mores Puppy Chow

Ten years ago: Banana Foster Cream Pie

HAMBURGER CHOP SUEY

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 head of broccoli, florets cut
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed chicken and rice soup
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8 oz.) can chickpeas, drained *
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup raw rice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Chili oil, to taste
• Chow mein noodles

Directions

1. In a large skillet, head olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and brown until most of the pink is gone. Add onion, celery, and broccoli and sautee for 5 minutes.
2. Add soups, chickpeas, water, rice, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover, turn off heat, and let steam for 20 minutes.
3. Season to taste with chili oil. Serve topped with chow mein noodles.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Everything is better with bacon. Especially these crunchy and sweet bacon wrapped water chestnuts. 

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I keep forgetting it’s football season. 

Normally I am all over it, posting appetizers and other snacks that are perfect for tailgating or watching at home. But without the Ohio State Buckeyes playing (yet), it hasn’t crossed my mind. 

Thankfully, I made these way back pre-COVID for a Super Bowl Party in February and have been waiting for the right time to post them. What better time than today! 

I acquired this recipe even longer ago, back when I lived in Memphis studying for my PhD. I got it from a friend who actually was originally from Columbus!

Funny thing is, she and her family actually moved back to Columbus prior to my return, but despite a few attempts we have never managed to reconnect (having kids and different jobs will do that). And of course now isn’t really the time either. Maybe one day. In the meantime, I made these with fond memories of watching OSU football together.

These sticky sweet and savory bacon wrapped water chestnuts will be a hit for any sport-viewing gathering. I’ve also made them for holiday parties at which they were also a hit. So really, they are just damn good anytime. 

One year ago: Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Crust

Four years ago: Pumpkin Turkey Enchiladas

Five year ago: Browned Butter Salty Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Seven years ago: Gluten-Free Buckeye Brownies

Nine years ago: General Tso’s Chicken

BACON WRAPPED WATER CHESTNUTS

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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 lb. bacon, cut in half length-wise
• 2 (8 oz.) cans whole water chestnuts, drained
• 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• Toothpicks

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss water chestnuts with soy sauce and white sugar. Let marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees and have a baking dish or small rimmed cookie sheet ready.
3. Wrap one piece of bacon around each water chestnut, securing with a toothpick, and place in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the chili sauce and brown sugar. After 30 minutes, spoon sauce over the water chestnuts, and bake another 30 minutes or until crispy.
5. Drain grease, or transfer to a new dish, and serve.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

The fusion of sushi and burgers is here! This soy sauce seasoned burger is even served sandwiched between a sticky rice bun.

May is such a great month. It’s my birth month, National BBQ month, and also National Burger month! It’s time to cook all the things on the grill and I’m beyond excited that they weather has finally given up on the icy winter mix it has been spewing all the way through April. But this summer it won’t just be grilling because we are the proud owners of a new smoker that Bob seasoned this weekend so expect to see some smoked recipes making an appearance soon. But for now we stick to the grill for Burger Month brought to you by our faithful leader, Kita at Girl Carnivore!

I give you the sushi burger! Complete with sticky rice bun and a perfectly seasoned burger with a soy-reduction sauce. I originally bought some seaweed crisps to use instead of regular salad greens for the assembly – awesome idea right!? But you’ll notice from my photos that when it came to assembly, in true spastic fashion I forgot until after I had eaten the last burger a couple days later. Fail. I will say, I considered remaking them just to get the right photo because they were good enough to eat multiple times in a week, but then life got in the way and I ran out of time. So just imagine these with crispy seaweed instead of spinach.

Make sure you scroll to the bottom of this post to enter the sweet grill giveaway! There’s one winner every week throughout #BurgerMonth and then one grand prize winner at the end of it all! So stay tuned and make sure you follow the #BurgerMonth hashtag on social media to catch all the other burgers. There is usually at least one posted every day all month long!

Take a look a other creations I’ve made for #BurgerMonth including: The Pepper Burger (2021), Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Turkey Burgers (2020), Chimichurri Burgers (2019), Patacon Burgers (2017), Hard Root Beer Burgers with Blue Cheese and Crispy Onions (2016), and Spicy Mustard & Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers (2014).

Three years ago: Grape Mojitos

Four years ago: Corn Fritter Shortcakes with Maple Whipped Cream

Five years ago: Brown Sugar Baked Fries

Six years ago: Pineapple Burgers

SUSHI BURGERS

Serves 4

Ingredients:

RICE BUNS

2 cups white sushi rice (DO NOT RINSE)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp black sesame seeds (I just used toasted)

Sesame oil

BURGERS

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp water

1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/8 tsp minced garlic

1/8 tsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp cornstarch

1-1/4 lb. ground beef

2 scallions, diced

1/2 tsp salt

ASSEMBLY

Sriracha mayo

Favorite greens or crispy seaweed

Thinly sliced avocado

Directions:

1. Bring rice, salt, vinegar, and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until water has evaporated and rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Keep covered and let cool until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Stir sesame seeds.
   Fill a small bowl with room-temperature water. Scoop about 1/2 cup rice mixture with wet hands and form into a ball. Pat rice, dipping your hands in water to keep them wet, into a firm patty about 4″ round and 1/2″ thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then repeat with remaining rice mixture until you have 8 patties. If making in advance, chill until ready to cook.
2. Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Brush 1 side of each patty lightly with sesame oil. Working in batches if needed, cook patties oil side down until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Brush tops with oil, then flip and cook until other side is lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
3. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, and oil. Bring it to a boil for 10-20 seconds. Add the water-cornstarch mixture and stir well until the sauce is thickened. Pour the sauce into a large bowl. Add the ground beef, scallions, and salt, and mix until evenly distributed. Form four patties.
4. Heat a greased grill (or grill pan or skillet) over medium-high heat. Grill burgers (or pan fry) about 4-5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Remove to a plate. Assemble burgers with your favorite greens, sliced avocado, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo, all sandwiched between two rice buns.

Source: Buns adapted from Epicurious, Burgers adapted from My Korean Kitchen.

A huge thank you and shout out to the #BurgerMonth sponsors,  American Lamb Board, Anolon, Cabot Cheese, Crow Canyon Home, Melissa’s Produce, Microplane, New York Beef Council, Red Duck, Spiceologist, Veal Made Easy, and Weber Grills.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want crispy flavorful wings but don’t want to deal with a deep fryer? Make these wings in a slow cooker and finish them off in the broiler and you may end up thinking they are better than fried.

Man, did November make an entrance or what? All the unseasonably warm weather we were having throughout October? POOF! Gone. Whatever happened to a gradual decline in the temperatures? We seemed to have skipped right from the 80s to the 40s, missing that sweet spot of fall in the 60s and 70s which are perfect for backyard bonfires. Guess it’s time to bust out the slow cooker if you haven’t already.

While I am a big fan of utilizing the magical powers of a slow cooker year round, I definitely utilize it more in the cooler months because soups and stews keep me warm from the inside out. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the only thing that gets cooked in there, my slow cooker tag is proof of it’s versatility as is this recipe I am sharing today.

When you hear the name P.F. Chang’s® the first thing you think of may not be chicken wings but I am here to change that. Step aside deep fryer, these slow cooker wings were made with the NEW P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Soy Sauce, currently only available at Walmart (along with Teriyaki, Kung Pao, Sesame, and Mongolian), and they couldn’t be easier. Like many slow cooker recipes you add the protein, stir up the sauce, pour over, and cook! I did however add 2 more easy steps to really make these wings shine.

After cooking in the flavorful sauce made of P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Lower Sodium Soy Sauce, honey, sriracha, and orange juice, I cooked down a portion of the sauce to create a glaze to brush on the wings before broiling until crispy. The end results is a crispy wing just as if it were fried. And that my friends is how the P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu sauces contribute to easy, creative Asian-inspired cuisine!

Interested into other sauces besides P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Lower Sodium Soy Sauce? Don’t forget, the P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu sauces line also includes Teriyaki, Kung Pao, Sesame, and Mongolian. What will you make with these sauces?

Two years ago: Treacle Tart

Three years ago: Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Bagel Bites for One

Four years ago: Baked Choco-Peanut Butter Doughnuts

Five years ago: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting

Six years ago: Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

SLOW COOKER SWEET & SPICY WINGS

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 lb. chicken wings

1 cup P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Lower Sodium Soy Sauce

1 cup honey

1/3 cup sriracha

1 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. Lightly coat the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place wings in the slow cooker.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sauce, honey, sriracha, and juice. Pour over chicken. Add more orange juice if needed to cover.
3. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.
4. Preheat oven to broil, line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with nonstick spray.
5. Remove the chicken wings from the slow cooker and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Strain and reserve 2 cups of the cooking juices and place in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking until thickened.
7. Brush reduced sauce over chicken and broil until crispy, about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway.
8. Serve garnished with cilantro or sliced green onions.

Source: Adapted from Girl Carnivore.

P.F. Chang’s and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu® are registered trademarks owned by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. and are used with permission.

Homemade BBQ sauce is a must make this summer, especially when it involves fresh sweet cherries and root beer! Slather it on ribs or your favorite grilled meats.

Well, Argentina laid into the USA soccer team last night. While the outcome was not surprising, I had hoped it would’ve at least been a good game. Alas, it was not the case. Thankfully prior to such destruction I had a most enjoyable time with friends, testing out Lineage’s new rhubarb beer made from local rhubarb. I love that we are able to walk to such places from our neighborhood, especially with weather as beautiful as it was last night. Then on the walk back home the lightning bugs were working overtime as they looked like twinkling Christmas lights in all the trees along the river trail.

As I’ve mentioned before, with all this wonderful weather I’ve been making sure to make use of the grill as much as possible. That patriotic dessert I shared on Monday? It was not the only thing to appear on the menu this past weekend. I also whipped up a homemade BBQ sauce that has sweet cherries and root beer in it – heck yea! I then slathered it on ribs and plan to put it on pretty much everything from now until the end of time (or until I run out). This recipe certainly makes plenty of BBQ sauce to use for many other purposes.

One year ago: Sweet Orange Risotto with Strawberries

Five years ago: Roasted Potato Salad

CHERRY-ROOT BEER BBQ RIBS

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

BBQ SAUCE

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups dark sweet cherries, pitted

12 oz. tomato paste

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup honey

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1 cup root beer

2 Tbsp chili powder

1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

RIBS

5 lbs. Baby Back or St. Louis ribs

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the onions, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are translucent but not browned.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until cherries are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Use the sauce immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate.
2. For the ribs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil.
3. Place the ribs on the sheet pan meat side up and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Pour a generous amount of the BBQ sauce on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1-1/2 hours for baby backs and 1-3/4 hours for St. Louis ribs, or until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork.  As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional BBQ sauce.  Grill right away or refrigerate to grill later.
4. Heat a gas grill to medium-high heat.  Brush the coking grate with oil to keep the ribs from sticking.  Place the ribs on the grill ribs-side-down, put the lid on top (be sure both vents are open), and grill for 5 minutes. Turn the ribs meat-side-down, put the lid back on, and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned.  Place on a cutting board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes.  Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Source: Adapted slightly from Ina Garten’s Foolproof Ribs with BBQ Sauce.

This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I picked a recipe from Our Good Life. From the get go, Terri’s blog invites you to come hang out on her porch and stay awhile. With recipes such as pork steaks with root beer BBQ sauce, lemon confetti bundt cake, and slow cooker spaghetti sauce I would have a hard time leaving anyway! And after seeing a recipe titled “Midwest Loco Moco” I knew I had to try it even though I had never heard of a loco moco before, let alone a Midwest version.

Apparently a loco moco is a contemporary meal typically found in Hawaii and consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg, and brown gravy. This midwest version changes things a little bit with cauliflower rice and a turkey patty. While I am not entirely sure how cauliflower and turkey turn something midwestern, I will say that this meal was wonderfully comforting and could easily function as a breakfast or dinner meal.

I have a weakness for burger patties topped with fried eggs.

One year ago: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Yogurt Covered Pretzels

Three years ago: Sweet Potato Kale Pizza with Rosemary & Red Onion

Four years ago: “Don’t Judge Me” Mac & Cheese

MIDWEST LOCO MOCO

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

2-1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 lb. ground turkey

2 tsp steak seasoning

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup reduced sodium vegetable broth

2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 eggs

Directions:

1. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower head, remove the white core, and divide into flowerettes. Pulse in a food processor until it resembles rice. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add cauliflower, cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until desired doneness. Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently mix the turkey with the steak seasoning and form four patties. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil oil over medium heat. Add turkey patties and fry 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Set aside and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. In the same pan that the patties were cooked in, turn up to medium-high heat and melt butter. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and make a roux by adding the flour a little at a time, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. While whisking, add the vegetable broth and soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until gravy has reached the desired thickness. Set aside.
4. In a medium skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Fry four eggs to your desired doneness.
5. To assemble, scoop a cup of cauliflower rice onto plate, top with a turkey burger, pour brown gravy over the burger, and then top with one of the fried eggs. Repeat for remaining servings.

Source: Adapted slightly from Our Good Life.

Skip the take-out and make your own fried rice at home using whatever vegetables and protein you have on hand. But the secret ingredient to perfect fried rice? Dark soy sauce!

While you stare lovingly at this bowl of fried rice, I am flying high in the sky. Literally, I am flying back to the west coast today followed by a ferry ride to the San Juan islands off the coast of Seattle. And yes, this is the trip that I have gone on and on about for the past few months now. As such I will be taking a brief hiatus from the blog other than today and Sunday. Normally I plan ahead and either have guest posts lined up or simply spend tons of time in the kitchen to have posts lined up during my absence, but with all the traveling this summer I’ve pretty much used up my backlog of recipes. But for now, let’s talk about this rice.

While living in Memphis, Qing used to bring in Chinese noodles or fried rice every month or so much to our delight. Her fried rice rivaled any I’ve ever had before and I constantly asked her to teach me how to make it. At first she used to say I had to come over and watch her cook it as she didn’t really measure anything, and trust me I was prepared to do just that. But one day she managed to keep track of what she did on that particular occasion and now here we are. The best thing about fried rice is that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand: eggplant, peppers, onion, carrot, broccoli, kale, etc. The most important part however is getting your hands on some dark soy sauce. While you can just use regular soy sauce, I promise it’s worth the hunt to find the dark stuff.

P.S. Don’t forget to check back on Sunday for the best summer popsicle recipe ever!

One year ago: Crispy Peanut Tofu & Cauliflower Fried Rice

Two years ago: Salted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

CHINESE FRIED RICE

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp peanut or other neutral cooking oil

1 small head of broccoli, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 zucchini, diced

1 green onion, diced

1 tsp garlic-chili sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup dark soy sauce, divided

Asian BBQ pork or other cooked protein (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the egg and cook until scrambled. Remove from skillet, place in a large bowl, and set aside.
2. To the same skillet add one tablespoon of oil. Add broccoli, celery, carrot, and zucchini, garlic-chili sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add green onion and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from skillet and add to large bowl.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the cooked rice, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes or until soy sauce is absorbed. Stir in vegetable mixture, protein (if using), and remaining soy sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Source: Qing

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Whether or not you eat kosher or vegetarian, all flavor palettes can enjoy this eggplant and tofu stir fry with a garlic sauce.

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Easter may be over but some of you are still celebrating Passover so I thought this would be an excellent time to share a recipe I recently tried from the cookbook, Secret Restaurant Recipes From the World’s Top Kosher Restaurants. I may not be Jewish or eat kosher but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the foods that may fall into that category. Great food cannot be denied!

This belief was solidified after salivating over the recipes in this cookbook such as smoked short rib tacos (Reserve Cut @ Manhattan, NY), sweet potato soup (Citron & Rose @ Philadelphia, PA), rockport salad (Milk Street Cafe @ Boston, MA), the chedarhurst sandwich (Carlos & Gabby’s @ Lakewood, NJ and various NYC locations), tortelloni (Ottimo Cafe @ Howell, NJ), cannelloni (Maxim @ London, England), pizza de nonna (Posh Tomato @ Brooklyn, NY), and chocolate babka bread pudding (The Prime Grill @ Manhattan, NY). Heck they even offer tips, techniques, and menu ideas.

The first recipe I tried was the eggplant chicken in garlic sauce (Segal’s Oasis Grill @ Phoenix, AZ), but made it with tofu as a suggested alternative in the recipe’s notes and it did not disappoint. Once the eggplant and tofu was drained, the rest was easy and quick to prepare and the garlic sauce was perfection. You won’t miss the meat in this dish but if you are unconvinced, substitute the tofu with chicken.

Looking for more recipes inspired by your favorite restaurants? Check out my Copycat Restaurant Recipes Roundup.

One year ago: Apple Jelly Glazed Pork Chops

Two years ago: Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos

Three years ago: Cheesy Potato Casserole

EGGPLANT TOFU IN GARLIC SAUCE

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Yield: 2-3 Servings Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

STIR FRY

• 1 lb. eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt
• 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup shredded carrots
• Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

SAUCE

• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Place eggplant in a large colander and sprinkle with salt. Allow to rest for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and drain well, gently squeezing out any excess water.
2. While the eggplant rests, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, oil, pepper, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Prepare the tofu: Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Toss the tofu in the cornstarch until coated.
4. In a wok or large saute pan over medium heat, add 3-inched of oil. When oil is shimmering it's ready. Add tofu and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
5. Add eggplant to the same oil and fry until golden, 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil and let drain on the same plate as the tofu. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil.
6. Add garlic and chili pepper flakes and fry for 30 seconds. Return the tofu and eggplant to the pan. Add carrots and sauce and fry for 2 minutes, stirring to coat all ingredients with the sauce. Serve immediately over rice, if preferred.

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Post updated 4/11/20, pictures above and below are the originals.

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