Some Favorite Savory Recipes

Well, while I started on my dress mock-up in earnest today, I only got about 1/4 or so through.  I'm doing several things for the first time with this pattern, so it's taking a little longer to work out.  But I'm going to save my posting on the mock-up until it's done.  The reason why?  Lots of people seem to have trouble with the pattern, and while lots of folks have blogged about making the dress, no one's done an actual guide to the pattern.  The blog Vicki Kate Makes has the beginning of such a guide, along with a preliminary post showing her pattern adjustments and one for the finished product, but she never got around to posting about the part that gives people the most trouble (the yoke).  Alas.

So, ven though I'm an amateur, I figure I can share my own lessons with step-by-step photos, and I think it'll do better as a single post.  I could be wrong, but we'll see.  This way, at least, I won't be jumping the gun.

Therefore, in lieu of more on the dress, I decided to share a couple of my favorite Pinterest recipes! ^__^

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First, we have the Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potato from The Novice Chef.

Firstly, let me say that this is the combination of two of my favorite foods.  Still, I wasn't sure exactly how the two would work together.  Well, let me say that it is FANTASTIC.  And very easy.  The slow-cooked pulled pork was easy and delicious, and I used the leftovers for lunch sandwiches for the next 2-3 days (note, I originally only made two potatoes, because our oven is broken, and I had to bake them with the toaster oven).  But those two potatoes totally sufficed as a whole meal for both myself and the mister, and we aren't light eaters.


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Second is the Parmesan Baked Chicken from My Kitchen Escapades.

This is super simple, and WOW, do the chicken breasts turn out tender.  I've made it a few times, usually doing a mix of greek yogurt and mayo for the sauce (she says you can do it either one or mixed).  I've also added bread crumbs, and (because I'm too miserly to buy even more spices) I made my own version of seasoning salt by combining salt, celery salt, garlic salt and thyme.  You have to make sure you don't over-salt for your tastes, but it turned out amazingly for me.


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Third, we have Eat Yourself Skinny's Herb Crusted Pork Chops.

Tasty and easy to make (so long as you have an oven-proof skillet).  Also, if you like things spicy, I used kochujang (Korean hot pepper paste, found in Asian specialty stores) instead of dijon mustard for the rub.  Yum.


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Fourth, Avocado Fries from BS' in the Kitchen!

This one is time consuming, but avocado fries are a major treat for me.  This is one I do when I want to spoil myself.  Now, I can't speak for the garlic dip that goes with this recipe.  After the amount of time the fries take, I cheat and make a dipping sauce out of low-fat sour cream and sweet chili sauce (you can find it in the Asian food section of any grocery store).  Very easy, and very tasty.


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Lastly, we have Kimchi Fried Rice by Naomi Imatome-Yun.

This is one of my favorite dishes EVER.  I use Canadian bacon because it's super easy (easy to chop, no pre-cooking, and tastes good in the dish), and I use a regular white onion.  I also don't add the salt at the end.  You don't need it.  But man, the spicy kimchi with the fried egg....it's excellent.  And the dish actually cooks pretty quickly.  This is a good one to make if you have leftover rice, or you can cheat and use the little microwavable bags to save yourself cleaning a rice pot (I don't have a steamer).  I have to use vegan kimchi because most kimchi has seafood in it, but thankfully, Albertson's grocery stores often carry a brand of vegan kimchi in both mild and spicy.  One of those jars is good for two healthily loaded batches (in other words, it's just over two packed cups' worth).

Many folks prefer the more authentic version that includes kochujang, but I haven't tried that specific recipe yet.  I would suggest Maangchi's version.  She also uses sesame oil and doesn't include onion.  (So it's much simpler to throw together, which is nice.)  I throw kochujang into a lot of stir fries, but I honestly can't remember if I've ever added any to this one.  But if you like major spice, you might want to try Maangchi's first, because kochujang is awesomely intense.


Anyway, I think that's probably enough for one night.  Do you have any favorite recipes you'd like to share?