Author: Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

May – Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad
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May – Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

This recipe comes from Pinch of Yum. They call it Miso Crunch Salad and you can find the link to their blog here. It’s Asian-ish and would go wonderfully with any grilled protein. They add shrimp to make it a full meal, chicken would be equally delicious, even some leftover grilled steak. I served this as a salad with gochujang marinated grilled chicken. Leftover chicken was added to the salad for lunch the next day.

Thai influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

The salad was still crunchy and delicious for lunch two days later. This would be a good salad to take to a party. It does contain peanuts but any other spiced nut would work. I only modified the recipe slightly, adding thinly sliced red onion and radishes.

Ingredients:

Dressing – 

  • 1/3 cup of avocado or other neutral oil
  • 1/3 cup of lime juice from 4-6 limes
  • 1/4 cup of white miso
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Salad –

  • 5 cups of shredded kale
  • 5 cups of shredded cabbage (a cole slaw mix would work here)
  • 1/2 cup of thinly sliced red onion
  • 4 thinly sliced radishes
  • 1 cup of chili-flavored peanuts or something similar
  • 2 avocados, chunked
  • 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup of sliced scallions (optional)

Method:

  1. Shake the dressing ingredients together in a jar, whisk in a bowl, or mix in a small food processor until smooth. Add a few drops of water if it seems too thick.
  2. Toss the salad together with the dressing in a large bowl and massage slightly.
Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

Asian Cabbage and Kale Salad

BBQ season is starting and the folks over at Fiesta Friday might want to keep this in their back pocket. It’s Fiesta Friday #483 hosted by Angie and co-hosted this week by Pauline @ Beautiful Voyager

Click on the link to view recipe, craft, and decorating posts.

May – Korean BBQ Chicken
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May – Korean BBQ Chicken

Have you had a chance to try the Korean chili paste, gochujang? If not, I recommend you find some. I certainly haven’t explored the full range of possibilities for using it. I do know it makes an amazing component of a marinade. If you have an Asian grocery near you, I am sure you will be able to find it. As I don’t, it was available to order on Amazon.

Gochujang

Gochujang

According to Google…

Gochujang or red chili paste is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, meju powder (fermented soybean powder), yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process.

It is hot, but not overwhelmingly so. And the heat seems to dissipate when it’s cooked. It takes a starring role in this marinade recipe. I have used this marinade on both bone-on and boneless chicken breasts, and a whole roasted chicken. However, it would be equally delicious on a flank steak or baked tofu. You can marinate for an hour, or even better, overnight in the fridge.

Gochujang Marinated Korean BBQ Chicken

Gochujang Marinated Korean BBQ Chicken

Korean BBQ Marinade 

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons gochujang
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
  • 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
  • For the sauce – 2 tablespoons of honey
  • Garnish – chopped cilantro, chopped scallions

Method:

  1. For the marinade, combine all the ingredients, whisking to mix well.
  2. Set aside about 1/3 of the marinade and mix it with the honey. You will use this to drizzle over the finished dish.
  3. Brush all over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
  4. When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Brush with any remaining marinade and roast for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F. I cooked my chicken breasts (boneless but with skin on) in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Gochujang Marinated Chicken

Gochujang Marinated Chicken

The inspiration for this recipe came from a New Zealand Airlines inflight magazine.

I served it with a Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salade.

Thai influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

I’ll post that recipe later this week. It came from the blog Pinch of Yum.

Korean BBQ chicken and Thai influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

Korean BBQ chicken and Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

It was a great combination.

 

 

In My Garden – Early May 2023
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In My Garden – Early May 2023

There has been great progress on our new decks over the past three weeks. They are starting to lay the boards on the one off the kitchen French doors. They plan to complete this deck before they tear down the deck by the front door, ensuring we have access in and out of the house without going through the master bedroom.

We plan to eventually put a hot tub in the back portion under the redwoods. With that thought in mind, they are installing both power and water.

A walkway will connect the deck off the kitchen to the front deck. When completed, the decks will go around three sides of the house. It will dramatically increase our outdoor living space.

The deck facing the big meadow has been framed.

 

Meanwhile, the vegetable garden is starting to show some growth. Remember the mixed seeds I planted last month? I posted a picture on Instagram. The mix is inspired by one that Cecilia from the blog The Kitchen’s Garden wrote about. If you are not familiar with her blog, I highly recommend her as it is entertaining and very informative about sustainable living. She hails from New Zealand and has what she calls a farmy in the midwestern part of the U.S.

Cecilia’s Mixed Salad

It’s a mix of different greens for salad.

They are starting to come up. I was surprised to see the peas as one of the first types. I also see some lettuce and what might be beets or chard (a seed packet was added after the picture above). I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the seedlings are also arugula, but I can’t identify it yet. These were seeded about 2 weeks ago.

Cecilia’s mix

The mix planted last weekend (5 days ago) is also showing some tiny growth.

Cecilia’s Mix

Some of the dahlias are pushing through the dirt. Time to bait for slugs, they love dahlias.

Due to the colder winter and spring, everything is a bit late this year. We’ve also had quite a lot of (very welcome) rain.

 

 

 

May 2023 – Happy Birthday Shanna
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May 2023 – Happy Birthday Shanna

Shanna is two years old today.

Shanna at 8 weeks

Shanna at 8 weeks

We brought her home in July of 2021 at 8 weeks.

Casey, Quinn, Shanna and the Mop

Casey, Quinn, Shanna, and the Mop

Her favorite toy was an old mop that she found near the trash, it was ready to throw out and she sequestered it for her own. Casey and Quinn didn’t know what to make of it as she chased around the yard with it in her mouth. We thought she was ready to mount it and fly away.

She forcibly inserted herself into the pack, like it or not.

I believe Casey is thinking "What have you done!?"

I believe Casey is thinking “What have you done!?” Sigh.

She wasn’t shy in an even bigger pack.

She was not even phased when the pack was bigger

She was not phased when the pack was bigger

She took command of the best bed and toys.

Mine!

This is no shrinking violet of a dog.

That’s a nice stick you are chewing on, I want it…

Casey, Shanna, Quinn

Casey, Shanna, Quinn

They are family.

They learned to share.

They learned to share.

 

Although she definitely took ownership.

Although she definitely took ownership.

Quinn taught her the bad habit of digging for gophers or moles.

Getting bigger…

Shanna @ 6 months, Casey, Quinn

Shanna @ 6 months, Casey, Quinn

 

Christmas Lights in Jack London Square Near the Condo

Christmas Lights in Jack London Square Near the Condo

One year old, definitely the deva.

One Year Old

One Year Old

At 18 months, still a deva. Belly rubs are her favorite.

Still a Deva

Still a Deva

She has developed into a smart, funny, spirited, somewhat headstrong, and loving dog.

She is still very much a playful puppy at two.

Happy Birthday Shanna!

Happy Birthday Shanna

Happy Birthday Shanna

Who me? Yes, I was talking to you.

 

And Happy Birthday to her best friend Inyo, whose second birthday was yesterday.

Happy Second Birthday Inyo

Happy Second Birthday Inyo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Zealand Adventure #3 – Bathroom Funnies
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New Zealand Adventure #3 – Bathroom Funnies

Bathrooms in New Zealand have a sense of humor.

Public bathrooms were almost uniformly clean, plentiful, and well-maintained. They were also sometimes surprisingly humorous.

There were the public bathrooms that gave you 10 minutes, then they would unlock the door…ready or not. Then there were the ones that wouldn’t unlock and open the door unless you washed your hands.

 

There were murals…

 

 

paintings on the wall…

 

 

and sneaky peeking observers.

It was an adventure.