Thanksgiving for Two

If haven't mentioned it before, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I know it's December and I'm behind on blogging, but I had to share our little cooking day. Thanksgiving reminds me of gatherings and quality time with family and food. 

This year, I had to work the day before and after Thanksgiving, so not many options for family gatherings. So in an effort to make Thanksgiving just as happy as I remember it, Bryan and I had our first holiday as a married couple and we pulled out all the stops. 

Making lunch

There's kind of no point in making a whole turkey, or even a chicken, for two people. But you still want that bird. So we made turkey meatballs dipped in homemade cranberry sauce. Super easy and delicious. 

To kick things up a notch, we put our fancy pants on for some crostini. Appetizers are always fun and I wanted the menu to have the flavors of Thanksgiving, but with a twist in each dish. To me, Fall crostini means Autumnal squash, so we had roasted butternut squash with arugula, goat cheese and sage brown butter. YUM!

That takes care of lunch. Yes, this was an all day affair. For dinner, we decided to keep it simple and made dishes that could be packed up for leftovers, another favorite holiday tradition. 

For dinner, we made roasted Brussel sprout salad. Top those delicious little cabbages with blue cheese, bacon and almonds. Rich and indulgent. 

Nothing says Thanksgiving like quinoa. Yeah, I know. Not your typical holiday fare, but stay with me. Sautee some mushrooms in brown butter and sage. Cook the quinoa with garlic and chicken broth. Combine with mushrooms and left over butternut squash from the appetizers. Voila! Healthy protein with Fall flavors. 

Dinner

Some of my favorite food memories revolve around dessert. But as an adult, I have to watch the sweet intake. Things can easily spiral out of control if you leave me alone in a room with a full pie or box of cookies. Sometimes we need to treat ourselves without going overboard. In my opinion, this is where savory desserts come into play. 

Keeping with the Autumnal feel and to go savory, we made puff pastry wrapped pears drizzled with honey and topped with blue cheese and almonds. Savory with a hitn of sweet, but you still get that buttery richness from the puff pastry. Ice cream would work too if you're not into blue cheese. 

Dessert and Dannowine

thanksgiving is always better with friends and family, but I think Bryan and I did a pretty good job. Taking this opportunity to be creative and spend the day cooking together was a nice was to spend the holiday and revive our Valentine's Day cooking adventure. 

-Akemi-chan

Bacon, Beans, Cabbage and Kale Soup

I've been sick and the Spring weather seems like it could use a little pick up too. I was supposed to work today, but the bad thunderstorms cancelled the only flight I was supposed to work. Instead I'm in the kitchen on a cloudy day with a sleepy Puppydog. I'd say there's no better time for soup.

Bacon, Beans, Cabbage and Kale Soup

1/4 head of cabbage, sliced into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 head garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tbsp olive oil
4 large strips of bacon, sliced into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
1 can northern beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a sheet pan add cabbage, onion, garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage starts to crisp up and garlic becomes fragrant.

In a large pot over medium heat, add bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon begins to crisp. Remove bacon and add kale to bacon fat. Saute for just a minute, enough time to intensify the green color in the kale. Add cabbage mixture and saute in bacon fat for 3-5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Add beans and then reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes. When ready to serve, top with crispy bacon.


This would also be really good with crushed red pepper or with ham. If I'm nice maybe I'll leave some for Boyfriend.

-Akemi-chan

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

One of the first things I wanted to learn how to cook was roasted chicken. There are several variations, but I love lemons and this lemon roasted chicken is easy and flavorful. Ever since I first made this recipe, Boyfriend and I usually keep a whole chicken in the freezer for those weeknight chicken dinners. 

I switch up the vegetables according to what I have in the fridge. I usually use sliced cabbage, onions, carrots and potatoes. This time I had brussel sprouts, so I didn't have to wrestle with a head of cabbage. 

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

1 5 lb whole chicken, remove innards
2-3 russet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lb brussel sprouts, cut off stem and halve
2-3 small carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil, separated
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 lemon, sliced into wheels
sea salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large roaster or casserole dish, place potatoes, onion, sprouts and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pat chicken dry, in order to get that crispy skin. In a bowl, mix butter, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Using fingers, separate the skin of the chicken from the breast from the head (not tail) end. Do not remove skin, just create a pocket between the skin and breast meat.

Take half of the butter/oil mixture and rub in your newly created pocket. With the remaining butter/oil mixture brush the outer skin of chicken.

Nestle chicken in dish (breast side up) with the vegetables and drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Tuck wing tips under sides so as not to burn. Take lemon wheels and slide two wheels under skin and above each breast. The lemons will baste the chicken breast and flavor the chicken. Place the rest of the lemon (including the ends) in the cavity of the chicken.

Cook for 1-1 1/2 hours or until chicken reaches 165 degrees when thermometer is inserted into thigh. The chicken should be tender and juicy and skin crispy. The vegetables will be cooked in the chicken juices. Remove chicken from oven and let rest. Serve with roasted veggies.


This roast chicken in great for entertaining and dinner parties. This time it was just Boyfriend and I, so there was a lot of meat on the bones. The great thing about this chicken is that you can pick the meat off of the chicken and it's great for leftovers.  Use for chicken sandwiches, chicken salad, soup or heat up with leftover veggies. Enjoy!

-Akemi-chan

Kalua Pork Sandwich with Red Cabbage Slaw

The days are getting shorter and colder, as the days get harder at the airport. I needed something comforting and easy since my hunger pains were getting unruly.

Today, I'm going back to the various applications of Kalua pork. Since there's nothing easier or practical, we're going the sandwich route. Mixing the savory and salty pork with the crunch and vinegar from a cabbage slaw. Since red cabbage was on sale at the grocery store, this is gonna have a gorgeous pop of color.

I was so hungry that I was hovering over the plate in the kitchen, protecting it from any possible invaders. I didn't have any time to sit down, and barely enough time to breathe before it was gone.


Kalua Pork Sandwich

• 2 slices of bread
• 1/2 cup Kalua pork, heated 
• 1/2 tsp of sriracha, optional
• 1/4 cup of red cabbage slaw, see slaw recipe

Red Cabbage Slaw

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded

In a large mixing bowl or plastic container, mix vinegar, sugar, oil, celery salt and salt and pepper until well incorporated and sugar is dissolved. Add shredded cabbage and refrigerate for at least an hour. Assemble sandwich with bread (I toasted mine), Kalua pork, sriracha and slaw. This can also be an open faced sandwich.

-Akemi-chan

Brussels Sprout, Apple and Sausage Hash

When I first saw this recipe, I started to drool. I had to have whatever this blogging goddess just revealed to me. I only tried Brussels sprouts for the first time last year and I was shocked to discover that they weren't as bad as the reputation that preceded them. It's like a miniature cabbage, and I love cabbage.


Brussels Sprout, Apple and Sausage Hash  Inspired by Perry's Plate

2 tbsp butter, divided
1 lb Brussels sprouts
3 small apples, cored and diced
1/2 pre-cooked turkey kilbasa, diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Trim ends off of the Brussels and discard them with any wilted-looking leaves. Slice them in half, and quarter them if they're particularly large, to make similarly-sized pieces.

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Make sure the pan is really hot before putting in the sprouts. Cook them for about 5 minutes. Toss them around occasionally until you start to see dark, caramelized spots. Transfer them to a bowl.

Add the other tablespoon of butter to the skillet with the chopped apple and sausage. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the apples begin to soften slightly and the sausage is heated through and has a few dark spots. Add the mustard and the vinegar to the skillet; stir to combine. Add the sprouts back to the skillet and cook for another minute or so. Season to taste with a pinch or two of salt and pepper.

The combination of the smokey sausage, the sweetness of the apples, crunch of the sprouts, zing from the vinegar and mustard and the savoy richness of the butter all melt together in the perfect weeknight dinner. Maybe this will be a new addition to our Thanksgiving spread. 

-Akemi-chan

Kimchi Fried Rice Stuffed Pepper

Last week boyfriend and I went to Am-Ko to get ingredients for homemade kimchi. Now it is time to throw down! Kimchi fried rice is a typical dish in Hawaii, born from the local style of cultural and culinary fusion. A mixture of Chinese-style fried rice and Korean made kimchi. To take it another step further into fusion, we're using the mixture with ground beef and green bell pepper to make a not so traditional stuffed pepper.

Also, boyfriend is in Chicago today, so this recipe is for one.

Kimchi Fried Rice Stuffed Pepper

1 green bell pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 cup ground beef
1/8 cup kimchi, chopped
1/8 cup cooked white rice
salt and pepper to taste

Homemade Kimchi

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off top of bell pepper. Remove seeds and ribs from the inside of bell pepper. Remove the flesh from the stem of the top of the bell pepper and chop flesh. Heat oil in medium saute pan. Add chopped bell pepper, beef, garlic, kimchi, salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until beef has browned. Add rice and saute for 1-2 minutes to coat and fry in kimchi and beef juices.

Scoop mixture into bell pepper shell and place into preheated oven. I use my large muffin tin, it helps the bell pepper sit up straight. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bell pepper has slightly softened.

Remember kimchi is spicy, so be careful of any additional spices you add to mixture. Enjoy!

Give in to the spice

-Akemi-chan

Spicy Kimchi

I miss home. Nothing makes me miss home more than the people and the food. But since I can't enjoy the company of my family and friends throughout the year, I'll recreate memories using food.

Kimchi is a fermented cabbage creation that is unmistakably and quintessential Korean. You may be thinking, "Ugh, fermented cabbage? Pass!," but don't knock it til you try it. Imagine cool and refreshing, with an amazing crunch and a complex but potent spice than you never thought would be reasonable. The combination of textures and flavors is like nothing "'round these parts." Korean food is amazing and kimchi is definitive Korean food.

Can't wait to add it to my fried rice, on sandwiches, with eggs or grilled meats and rice.


Spicy Kimchi via inspired by All Recipes post

2 head Napa cabbage
1 1/4 cup sea salt
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 small white onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp dried ground ginger
5 tbsp Korean chili powder

Cut heads of cabbage lengthwise and remove stem (about 1 inch). Cut remainder of cabbage into 2 inch pieces.

Place in resealable bags with salt and shake bags to evenly incorporate cabbage and salt. Seal bags and leave at room temperature for 6 hours.

Rinse the salt from the cabbage leaves and then drain and squeeze out any excess liquid. 

Place the cabbage in a large container with a tight fitting lid. Stir in the fish sauce, green onions, white onion, garlic, sugar and ginger.Sprinkle the Korean chile powder over the mixture. Mix the chili powder into the cabbage leaves with wooden spoon until evenly coated. Seal the container and set in a cool dry place. 

Leave undisturbed for 4 days. Refrigerate before serving, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. 

I can't wait to open this container of awesomeness up and be transported back home. With this sitting in our kitchen staring me in the face every day, it's been like my own version of "The Hunger Games," except no violence or children. Just desire and hunger. When It's time to open, it's on! "May the odds be ever in your favor!"

-Akemi-chan

Braised Pork Chops with Cabbage and Apples

I surprised myself with this one. This meal was last minute but full of flavor.


Braised Pork Chops with Cabbage and Apples

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bone-in rib pork chops
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/2 large Napa cabbage head, shredded 1 inch
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 small Jonathan apples, sliced
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp water
• Apple BBQ sauce (optional)

In a dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chops with salt, pepper and rosemary. Sear chops in oil until lightly browned (around 3 minutes on each side). Remove chops and set aside.

Add remaining oil to pot with onion, cabbage and garlic. Toss and saute until cabbage starts to wilt (around 5 minutes). Add cider vinegar and water to pot to deglaze the bottom of pot. Toss vegetables to coat in liquid.

Nestle chops in liquid and vegetables and add apples to mixture. Cover pot with lid and simmer until pork is cooked, cabbage is tender and liquid is reduced. 

Boyfriend and I enjoyed this dish with our favorite BBQ sauce from a local orchard. Delicious! Enjoy.

-Akemi-chan

Hawaiian Kalua Pork and Cabbage

The previously posted Slow Cooker Kalua Pork recipe is extremely versatile. But it all stems from a childhood and homeland favorite.

Kalua pork can be served on it's own, on a bun with BBQ sauce, on nachos or the way I had it in school lunch, which is what I will demonstrate today. 

Kalua Pork and Cabbage


1/4 cup kalua pork
1 cloe garlic, minced
1/4 onion, sliced
1/4 cup cabbage, sliced
1-3 tbsp water
1/4 cup rice
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce

Start with the Kalua pork and juices and place in a pan over medium heat. Saute until pork is heated through. Add garlic to pan and saute for 2 minutes.

Add cabbage and onions to pan and mix with other ingredients. Gradually add water to deglaze pan and steam cabbage. Saute for 5 minutes or until cabbage is tender and onion is cooked. Pour over rice and enjoy. I also love putting some sriracha for a little extra kick.

-Akemi-chan