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Who doesn't love bacon. Er- bacon coated with a sweet and spicy glaze, yes now we're talking. A couple of years back, I was in the city with my cousin and she took us to this brunch restaurant that served a "Million Dollar Bacon".  If your'e thinking this bacon was wrapped in gold or something, it wasn't; it was coated it something wayyyyy better than gold, sweet and sticky maple syrup, a spicy mix of chili and then baked until it was almost candied liked. I had already been making bacon like this before I came here but this restaurant use a triple chili mix! The fresh black pepper took EVERYTHING to the next level.
If your family is like mine, I am pretty sure that if you go into your kitchen pantry right now, you will find some bag of granola. I mean honestly, it is the greatest topping for anything. It is super quick and easy to throw onto some yogurt with fruit, or eat it with your oatmeal, or to just simply snack on throughout the day. Although, have you ever thought about what those manufacturers actually put into your store bought granola? No? Yah me neither until I started making it on my own.  When my friends started to tell me that "granola isn't actually as healthy for you as you think it is", I would doubt them immediately because 1.) it says right there on the package "HEALTHY Granola!" Like i mean who would question that? However, some brands truly are "healthy" but others just lie to your face. And 2.) isn't granola just oats and nuts and a bunch of healthy stuff mixed together?? YAH actually, a lot of packages load it up with a bunch of sugars, excessive fats and processed things to help store it and make it taste better. NONONONO! Soon, your "healthy granola" turns into this despised back of brown oats sitting in your cabinet waiting to be finished.
Cinnamon rolls are probably the most quintessential breakfast items that almost every child remembers waking up to in the morning. That sweet, spicy smell of the cinnamon wafting through the house, trailing to your bedroom, waking you up from your sleep, and making you run to the kitchen to check what's in the oven. It is the perfect combination of warm,soft and chewy dough spiraled with the cinnamon sugar, buttery goodness and then finally lathered on with the cream cheese frosting- in this case, a MAPLE cream cheese frosting. You didn't expect me to make normal cinnamon rolls now did you? I must warn you that these fist sized cinnamon dough balls are ADDICTIVE! Do not even think of making these if you are on a diet of any sort because one whiff of these and you've just gained 5 pounds. But no one reading this post or even making these at the moment isn't even thinking about a "diet" right? Okay good.  I am not a salad person. If I had a choice between a nice juicy burger and a salad, there would be no hesitation to order the calorie packed burger. Just boring greens plainly dressed does not sound good to me. And then, this recipe came to mind.  If I am going to eat a salad, it's gonna be something like this: super flavorful meatballs infused with Mediterranean spices like cumin and chili, a crunchy mix of greens tossed in a bright dressing and then the whole thing is mixed with colorful veggies and fruits like kalamata olives, mango and cucumber. Can I just say kalamata olives are my most favorite thing at the moment. I never liked them when I was younger because they were too tangy but now, I can eat them straight outta the jar- anyone with me?
When I was younger, I had piano class every Saturday morning. This was probably the worst part of my weekend because 1. I never practiced and 2. I never looked forward to getting a lecture from my piano teacher for not practicing... I know, I know, I should've probably practiced- but that's besides the point. The highlight of my Saturday was always going to the farmer's market after class each week!! My dad and I would stay there for a while, tasting the free samples and I would just go crazy about all the interesting things each vendor would sell. The best, BEST part of the farmer's market was the bread that one vendor would sell. His stall was all the way in the back, almost like a hidden gem that only the people who ventured through the whole street would find. When we got back home and unloaded our goodies, my family would start on our weekly grilled cheeses with the half eaten bag of bread because my dad and I could not resist it during the drive home. These grilled cheeses weren't your normal ones. We had recently seen Giada (from Food Network) make this amazing spinach pesto and pancetta grilled cheese sandwich- oh my. Every Saturday, you would find our kitchen smelling of the bacon, the fresh pesto full of garlic and basil and the pillowy bread toasting on the side. Oh yessss! I wanted to relive that nostalgic time so I tried recreating my childhood favorite with a little bit of a spin.  Yum Yum Yum. What sounds better than a 30 minute seafood dinner, filled with a rich tomato sauce and perfectly cooked orzo, sitting with your family outside on a warm summer night- er scratch that, for my family more like a Thursday night watching last night's episode of Master Chef or reruns of Modern Family. Anyone with me?  I'm pretty sure pesto doesn't need any introduction. There has to have been at least one time where you took that costco size jar of green goodness out of your fridge and threw together a really lazy pasta or put it on a sandwich or had it in a restaurant- my point is, EVERYONE knows what pesto is.  Hello yes it is me! I am finally out of the cave called school and finals and back onto blogging WOHOOOO!!! :D Before I start talking about the actual post I would just like to thank everyone out there, my friends and family, for always being super supportive about this whole food blogging business :) Be sure to get pumped for all the new recipes coming out TWICE a week from here on out <3  Okay, now this salad. I feel like it is just called a salad to make yourself feel super good about eating it- I mean technically it is a salad with all the VEGGIES!! Whatever you want to call this, whether it be a noodle bowl or salad, it's flipping delicious. It is the perfect super recipe as it requires minimal cooking and is filled with tons of fresh and crunchy veggies.  Now I know some of you reading this currently are immediately turned off this recipe because well you see steak and maybe you don't like meat or don't eat it. WELL, fear no more! Just because I used steak doesn't mean you have to. This would be perfect with chicken, salmon, TOFU (of my goodness the love I have for tofu is unreal), or any other substitute.  Ahhhhh, I just can't get over all the beautiful bright colors in this noodle bowl. It is just screaming for you to take a bite! The dressing has to be the ultimate best part of this recipe. Without, you are literally just eating plain veggies BUT with the sauce, ohmahgoodness, it tastes like something entirely different. Make this for you and your family and enjoy the long sunny days and have a wonderful summer!!  Thai Beef Noodle Salad printIngredients:
Dressing: 1/4 cup lime juice 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp-1tbsp Asian chili sauce (to your preference) 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 lemongrass stick 3-5 red thai chilies thinly sliced 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 3 tbsp fish sauce salt to taste Bowl: 1.5lbs flank, strip or flank steak (other firm protein substitutions will do as well such as chicken, salmon or tofu) a bountiful of vegetables (I used half a cucumber, one red bell pepper, 3 shaved carrots and one head of romaine lettuce) cooked rice noodles toppings (use what you have at hand)- mint, cilantro, (thai) basil, spring onion, crispy fried shallots, lime wedges Directions: Peel off the outer layer of your lemongrass stick and cut the ends off. With the back of your knife, hit the stick a few times. Cut into 2 inch pieces and add to a small mixing bowl. Add in the rest of the dressing ingredients, mix and set aside. Split the dressing into two separate bowls and marinate the steak or protein of choice, for at least 30 minutes, in one of the bowls. With your vegetables of choice, slice them in to thin matchsticks or shave thinly. Set aside in a big bowl. Using a grill or stove top, cook your protein accordingly. I cooked the steak 3-4 minutes per side which turned out to be medium to medium rare. Assemble your bowl- lettuce, noodles, veggies, protein, toppings and the dressing. Serve cold or hot. Enjoy! Recipe By Rachel’s Eats at http://www.rachelseats.com/blog/thai-beef-noodle-salad |
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Who's Rachel?
Hey! My name is Rachel. I am a typical 16 year old high school student living in the bay area, California, loaded with academics, clubs, sports...and more stuff you are all probably familiar with. The not-so typical part of me is that I. LOVE. TO. COOK. learn more here!
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