Mango Avocado Salad

The smell of mangoes immediately sends me back to my childhood. My Grandma's old house (the house my mother grew up in) had a huge mango tree. Though I didn't eat much mango as a child, the smell of the fruit hanging from branches filled my nose whenever I played in her backyard. I get a rush of imaginary Hawaiian breezes and green grass whenever I'm near a ripe mango.

Luckily for me mangoes are on sale at all the markets. 10 for $10 is what they're going for now, or at least at some of the stores. Not as good as corn (5 for a buck) but I'll take it. Although mangoes are kind of a pain to peel and cut, the flavor is juicy and sweet and worth the mess. Must make more things with mango! Let's start with something easy and decadent.

Mango Avocado Salad (inspired by Sunny Anderson's recipe)

1 mango, peeled and cubed

1 avocado, cubed

1 lime, juiced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro (optional)

Place mango, avocado and onion in a bowl. Combine lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour over salad. Top with cilantro and mix together. Enjoy!

Cubing the mango

Excuse my chipped bowl

This is basically a free form, chunky guacamole without the spice. Although, some red pepper flake might be nice in here for next time. Anyway, this is great as a dip with chips, or a topping for a leafier salad, or just on the side of a grilled sausage on a bun. It's perfect for Summer and a nice way to cool down.

More mangoes to come...

-Akemi-chan

June Randoms

June has been a crazy month packed with lots of activities. This is the first month in a while that I stayed in town the whole time. I did not fly anywhere and I did not drive out of town either. Lots of cooking, lots of tea-drinking and lots of extreme weather.

My Summertime read

Tomato watcher

Whatever works for you

Nomz and bath time

Spicy crunchy tuna roll

Puppy came along

Nothing like a family picnic

Tanning my legs

Green tea, lime, mint, honey and seltzer

Our beautiful garden is growing!

Puppydog sized ice cube (made in a yogurt container)

Boyfriend's newest wine... he even designed the label!

Cantaloupe, cottage cheese and mint

Soju, mint and seltzer

Spicy chicken brats, pickled radishes and onions and corn

Sauteed onion, yellow squash and kale over brown rice

Comparing shoes at work (my coworker is 6'4")

Travel and Leisure, Teavana iced tea and big sunglasses. Must be Summer!

Salad of romaine lettuce, radishes, corn, feta, peaches, seared bay scallops and sugar snap peas with lemon mint vinaigrette

Story time. Researching new vacation destinations

Radishes from Boyfriend's Dad's garden

Gotta get swimsuit ready

Pork chops, roasted veggies and Chicago Balckhawks

Raw Bi Bim Bop

Soju Chambord Martini

Leaning sunflowers post-storm

I can't wait for next month. I work during the Fourth of July, so I won't be participating in any festivities. But I do plan to visit my Bestie in the Bay Area and Lil' bro is flying into Illinois for work. Hopefully I can get some time off to have dinner with him, or a drink, or two.

-Akemi-chan

Kofusion Date Night

Despite what some people may think, even when the snow melts, the weather does not lighten up in Illinois. We've been getting loads of thunderstorms in June and you know what that means... DELAYS! I've been staying late at work almost every day. But with every dark cloud comes a silver lining. If I wasn't delayed three hours, I would've missed this beautiful sunset leaving work.

It was my "short" day, meaning I only had to work one flight instead of five. I've been pulling late hours, getting yelled at by passengers and straining my body trying to move 70 lb bags. I needed a night out. No cooking and no clean up. A real date night with drinks and everything.

Shirt: The Limited

Skirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Nine West

Bag: Kate Spade

Ruby slippers

Kofusion is a local Asian fusion spot that is known for cocktails and creative sushi. Since it was Monday, it was dollar-sushi night, one piece for a buck. A good way to sample the fares.

Sake Sangria

The Dollar Sushi Menu

Sampler

My dinner mate

Hwe Dup Bop: Sashimi with lettuce and rice

Korean Style Pulled Pork Tacos

I sometimes wish we had more nights out, but realistically I'm on the night shift. Odds aren't looking good. But I love cooking and baking so there's no need to go out a lot. Just need a little inspiration and a break every once in a while and then I'm back in the kitchen.

-Akemi-chan

PINspiration: Curried Chicken Thighs with Coconut Rice

Sometimes I want something comforting and substantial, even though it's Summer and I normally crave light and refreshing. I find the perfect way to ease these cravings is with chicken thighs. They're cheap, easy, flavorful and satisfy both Boyfriend and myself. 

Since I'm still riding this coconut craze, I thought curry would be a great option. Time to crank up he spices. 

I found a recipe on Pinterest, no surprise there. For the original recipe go to this link. It seemed simple enough for a weeknight meal and had lots of thing that I liked. I'm not sure if I needed to use the basmati rice (especially since it was expensive) but you live and you learn. 

The image from the original recipe

I tweaked the recipe a little to include some other ingredients, like garlic powder, onion powder, peas and coconut oil, but I think it turned out pretty good. So good that I ate it twice in one day. Whoops!

Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice

 4 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
1 tbsp coconut oil
3-6 garlic cloves, minced
3 inches of fresh ginger root, grated
1/2 onion, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups basmati rice
1 can unsweetened "lite" coconut milk
2 cups frozen peas
chopped green onion (optional)
fresh cilantro (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack at lowest level, or at least low enough to fit dutch oven.

In a medium sized bowl combine curry powder, cayenne, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. One by one, place chicken thighs into mixture to coat chicken on all sides. Place dutch oven onto stove and turn heat  to medium high. Add coconut oil until it melts in dutch oven. Add chicken thighs (I did three at a time) and brown on both sides. When browned, remove from dutch oven and place on plate (I used the lid of the dutch oven, turned upside down).

Improv plate

When all chicken is done browning, add onions, garlic and ginger. Cook over medium heat until onions have become soft. Add tomato paste, stir, and cook for another minute. Add basmati rice and stir to thoroughly coat rice with tomato mixture. Cook for one minute. Add coconut oil and 2 cups of water. Stir and bring to a boil. When liquid is boiling, add chicken on top of rice and in liquid. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Add frozen peas to hot liquid, cover, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until rice is cooked.

When finished, spoon rice and chicken onto plate and top with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Maybe I should start wiping my plates.. haha

This recipe makes 6 very large servings, including a lot of rice to go with your chicken. I wouldn't mind adding more veggies next time, like bell peppers or maybe some sweet potatoes in the Fall, but this is good for now. If only I can keep myself from raiding the fridge for the left overs.

-Akemi-chan

Cold Crunchy Salad with Yogurt Dressing

I'm not a big fan of "salads" that aren't made of leafy greens. Examples include pasta salad, macaroni salad and potato salad. I attribute my aversion to the mayo "dressing". Don't get me wrong, I love mayo. I love it with my fries with sriracha or ketchup and on sandwiches as a garlic aioli. But something about a "salad" that has no veggies, covered in mayo makes me feel heavy and sick. 

I love the idea of a cold Spring/ Summer salad, so I found a healthier alternative.

Cold Crunchy Salad with Yogurt Dressing

4 medium radishes, sliced into rounds
1 medium cucumber, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced in half
1 tbsp cilantro
2 tbsp green onion, chopped
1/4 cup yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

Slice radishes into thin rounds. I used a knife but you can used a slicer. Peel cucumber, slice in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Chip into one inch pieces. Peel stems snap peas to remove stems and fibrous ends. Cut snap peas into bite sized pieces. Place all ingredients into a small bowl and mix until evenly covered with yogurt sauce. Let marinade for 10-20 minutes in fridge.

This is a nice salad option without the heaviness of mayonnaise, macaroni or potatoes. Enjoy!

Green Smoothie: Chia, Mango, Coconut and Kale

Yesterday (Sunday) I agreed to work a morning shift at the airport. Thanks to our handy trading system at work, I covered a coworker's shift as a thank you for covering me so I can rendezvous with my family in New York. So once again I was waking at 4AM to work a morning shift. Since I was working a double shift, I made anticipatory preparations for food. 

I love smoothies and when I plan on being up for 20 hours a day, it's a great snack/ light breakfast. In an effort to get my fruit and vegetable servings I made another protein packed green smoothie.

Snacking on smoothies in between flights

Mango Coconut Green Smoothie

1 tbsp chia seeds
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 mango, diced
1/2 banana
1 tsp grated ginger
1/3 cup almonds
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup kale
handful of ice
1/4 tbsp water

Add chia seeds to a small bowl and add coconut milk. Soak chia seeds for an hour or overnight in the fridge. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.


It was a hard and complicated day and I'm glad I took the time to get easy meals together. When you spend a good amount of time running around and lifting bags, it's good to have a filling smoothie. That way I didn't have resort to fast food, like many of my coworkers do. I like burgers and fried chicken just as much as the next person, but it just leaves me feeling heavy and sluggish. Not ideal for a day full of physical labor.

I was at work from 5AM til noon, returned at 4:30PM and stayed until 1AM thanks to delays. Thank you Midwestern thunderstorms. I may not consider working another double for a while, but I know it won't last long. My love for traveling is too great and trading shifts to embrace said traveling is bound to happen. Totally worth it.


-Akemi-chan

Avocado Salmon Crostini and Soju Lime Spritzer

It's no secret that I love avocado. I could eat avocado every day if my waistline and bank account would let me. Even though I love guacamole, sometimes you gotta shake it up and make something a little more inspired. Combine the rich, fatty and creaminess of avocado with the rich, flakiness of salmon and you got yourself a deal. Warning: you may over load yourself with "good" fats and deliciousness with this fun finger food.

To start us off, I made a Soju Lime Spritzer, the perfect Summer cocktail. It's smooth, light and refreshing and light on calories.

Soju Lime Spritzer

2 shots Soju, you can substitute with vodka
2 limes, juiced
club soda
elderflower liqueur
sliced of lime, optional

Ina shaker, or glass, shake/ stir Soju, lime juice and ice until cold. Pour mixture intl a rocks glass with a slice of lime. Top off with club soda and splash of elderflower liqueur. 

Now for the main event. Introducing the Avocado Salmon Crostini.

Avocado Salmon Crostini

1/2 loaf of French bread
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
1 cup salmon, flaked (I baked a filet in the oven and saved the rest for salads)
1 avocado
1 ear of corn
1 lime, zested and juiced
diced onion, optional
cilantro
red pepper flake, optional
salt and pepper

I baked a plank of salmon in the oven until it was just a little pink in the middle. Took it out of the oven to cool and assembled my crostini.

To make the base of the crostini set oven to 300 degrees. While the oven heats up, slice the loaf of French bread diagonally, not into rounds. This will make the bread's surface area large for more toppings while still giving the bread a good crunch. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil to create a golden crust. I put my oil in a small bowl and brushed it on with a silicone brush. Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes or until bread gets crusty. Once bread is out of oven, take a clove of garlic and rub it against the surface of your toast, it will give it a garlicy flavor.

To make "guacamole" cube avocado and place into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until you reach your desired consistency. You can grill your corn, or bake it in the oven, but I just steamed mine in the microwave. Cut the kernels off the cob and add to avocado. Add the lime juice and red onion and salt and pepper to taste and mix.

To assemble crostini dollop a tablespoon (or more) of avocado mixture onto toast. Top with a teaspoon of salmon and sprinkle with red pepper flake. If you don't like it spicy, omit the red pepper flake. Top with a single cilantro leaf on each crostini.

What a great excuse the eat dinner outdoors. A refreshing cocktail, a crunchy, creamy finger food and the sun still shining at 7:30pm. Cheers to Summer! Enjoy!

-Akemi-chan