Scrambled Eggs

Here's a great recipe for scrambled eggs I developed over the last week.





Ingredients:
4 large grade-a chicken eggs
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 large jalapeño, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Amateur Chef's Original Spice Mixture (found in an earlier post)

Process:
In a large pan or skillet, cook onion and peppers in olive oil.
Sprinkle garlic powder and gently toss until onions are lightly browned.
Add the eggs; either individually, or mix them beforehand in a bowl or measuring cup and add the mixture all at once.
Stir continuously until eggs are completely cooked.
Season with Original Spice Mixture and serve.

This dish serves two people, or one very hungry person.
Optional: serve with dashes of your favorite hot sauce. My favorites include: Frank's, Tabasco, and my own Amateur Chef's Original Hot Sauce (to be featured in an upcoming post)

A Night In Tokyo

One of my favorite places to eat is a Japanese restaurant called Little Tokyo. The food is amazing, and prepared traditionally. I could eat there all the time. The ambience is welcoming and the air is filled with the smells and sounds one would expect from a Japanese restaurant. In the distance, one can hear the familiar clamour of the hibachi chef's knives followed by oohs and ahhs of the patrons. In the back, you can see the head sushi chef at work always taking time to greet the new guests. Once you order the waiter brings you a small salad and a bowl of miso soup. I ordered a pot of hot green tea, and Ash ordered eda mame which are boiled soy beans still in the pod. They are a healthy and tasty snack you can pop into your mouth. We also enjoyed an appetizer of beef tataki, which was delicious. It was served chilled, and the dipping sauce was nice and spicy which warmed you with each bite.

We ordered sushi and my favorite dish, the Spicy Beef Don. It is a donbury, which is a rice bowl with the meat served on top. Normally you eat this with a spoon, where you mix the meat around in the rice which causes the sauce to moisten the sticky rice. The Spicy Beef Don is a variation of a Korean barbeque. It is savory, spicy, and warming.

Hamburgers with Asian Inspired Flavors

Hamburgers are just about everybody's go to food, and we all have our own ways of topping them. From different kinds of relish, to the standard lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Do you like ketchup and mustard? Perhaps mayonaise? Honey Mustard? Hot sauce? How about trying some Asian flavors like ginger and teriyaki? Well you'd be surprised at just how trying different things can spice up the ordinary hamburger.

Ingredients:
2 hamburger patties
bell pepper
onion
garlic
teriyaki sauce
Eric's Original Asian Spice
2 hamburger buns
lettuce

Dice up some about half a cup of onion and bell pepper and mix into the patties. Cook as you normally would, either in a skillet or on the grill. As they cook add a touch of teriyaki sauce. In a saucepan. drizzle teriyaki on sliced onion and sprinkle Eric's Original Asian Spice. Cook until the onions become translucent.
Lay the lettuce on the bottom bun, then add a few of the teriyaki onions. Place the patty on top of that then more onion. And cover with top bun. Serve with your choice of side.

If you like Asian flavors, this is a good way to get your fix with just a few changes to the classic burger.

Ramen

Here's another fun way to spice up the bland and ordinary instant ramen meal. Have you ever thought, "Yeah, I like ramen. I wish there was a way that I can enjoy it for breakfast." Wish granted. With this recipe, you can enjoy your favorite instant noodle meal in the morning or at anytime. Ramen with Steak and Eggs!

Ingredients:
1 steak(preferably left-over), sliced into strips.
2 large grade A chicken eggs
1/2 cup white onion chopped
1 package instant ramen
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (you can use same amount of butter instead)
1 teaspoon Eric's Original Spice (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground peppercorn medley (black, white, green, pink)

Process:
Fill a small pot with enough water to cover noodles and turn stove to medium high. Once water boils, add noodles, but not the flavor packet. After three minutes, stir noodles then strain the water out. Add the flavor pack and mix. (I chose the chicken flavor but you may use your favorite) Set aside.
in a fry pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or butter) and heat on medium high. Add onions and steak. Sprinkle half of the Original Spice and the garlic and black pepper. Stir continuously for 2-3 minuets or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add the eggs and stir. Continuously stir for a minute. Remove from heat and add any remaining spice.
Mix the egg mixture into a large bowl with the ramen and serve.

Can serve two, can be eaten by one.

Eric's Original Spice
1 part peppercorn medley (black, white, green, pink)
1 part crushed red pepper
1/2 part kosher salt
1/2 part garlic powder
2 parts dried cilantro

mix all ingredients into a spice grinder and pulverize into a powder.

This is a delicious way to add flavor to ramen and spice up your breakfast at the same time.

Ramen

Growing up in a busy home where we didn't always have a home cooked meal every night, I grew accustomed to instant dinners and the like. One of my favorites was instant Ramen noodles. I ate them at any meal of the day. Surprisingly, they are great at breakfast with some eggs. After many years of eating the ramen as directed(only with the broth drained out-I prefer just the noodles and not the soup) I decided to experiment with adding flavors and spices to the ramen either along with or in lieu of the provided seasoning packet. Since my tastes weren't very mature at the time, I found myself adding just about everything into the noodles including worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and all manner of seasoning mixes. Since then my tastes have become more refined and skill at seasoning improved. But I still find any opportunity to experiment with flavors and now with my desire to use my own seasonings I have new and tasty varieties of ramen dishes to share.
This one includes Asian inspired flavors.

Ingredients:
Leftover steak, thinly sliced
Pack of Instant Ramen(your choice of flavor) [not cup o' noodles]
teriyaki sauce
tabasco sweet asian sauce
Eric's Original Asian Spice Mixture(recipe follows)
1/6 of a medium white onion, cut into thick pieces

Process:
If the steak isn't already sliced up, do so. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with teriyaki and tabasco. Stir lightly to coat. Either heat in microwave for 1 minute or reheat in saucepan. Keep in mind that how the steak was previously seasoned will affect the final flavor.
Fill a medium or small pot with enough water to cover the noodles. Turn heat up to medium high and wait for water to boil. Place noodles in pot, but do not add seasoning packet. After about three minutes drain water from noodles. Add seasoning packet. For this recipe I used the chicken flavor packet, but you can use which ever you like. Stir to coat and drizzle some teriyaki sauce. Pour noodles into the bowl with the steak and mix to combine.
In a small sauce pan or pot, add the chopped onion with a pinch of the Asian Spice Mixture and a drizzle of teriyaki sauce. Cook on medium and stir occasionally. After 2-3 minutes the edges of the onion should be browned. Remove from heat and add to the noodle bowl.
Serves 1-2, time 6 minutes

Asian Spice Mixture:
1 part peppercorn medley(black, white, green, pink)
1 part crushed red pepper
1/2 part kosher salt
1/2 part garlic
1/2 part ground ginger

Mix all ingredients into a spice grinder and pulverize until everything is finely ground.

This is a great way to spice up what would have been a bland meal of instant ramen. It doesn't take long and could feed more than one person. If you like Asian food, this should be right up your alley. And the onions don't just go great with ramen; they are also great on hot dogs and hamburgers as well. Give it a try. You never know, you might not want plain ramen again after eating it this way.
There are many more varieties of ramen in my repertoire, and I would like to share them with you as well. Keep checking back to see what I come up with.

Stir Fry

One of the most requested dishes in my repertoire is also the most recent I've experimented with, Asian stir fry. Originally it was because of my love for hibachi style food. I really wanted to recreate that flavor. Unfortunately I did not have access to a hibachi grill of my own, so I chose to use a regular frying pan. While I'm still experimenting with this dish, I would like to share the recipe as is with all of you. It is great for any kind of weather and perfect for gatherings and cookouts. In fact this past Fourth of July I shared it with my fiancee, her family and friends. It was unanimously devoured. Not only that, it was requested at least three more times that week. And countless times since then.

Ingredients:
Thinly sliced Steak
1/4 White Onion chunky dice
1/2 cup Baby Carrots sliced lengthwise.
2-3 tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce
1 pack Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco Sweet Asian Sauce
1 pack Duck Sauce (found at most chinese fast food stands)
1 pinch of Eric's Original Asian Spice Mixture (recipe follows)
1 cup White Rice
1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon of freshly ground peppercorn medley (black, green, white, and pink)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Process:
In a large bowl marinate the steak with 1/3 of the teriyaki sauce, half of the soy sauce, the tabasco sauce, duck sauce, asian spice and ginger. Let sit for thirty minutes.
In a large pot, boil the rice.
In large saucepan or fry pan, heat 1/3 of the olive oil over medium high. Cook the steak. The moisture from the steak may fill the pan, drain this off and continue to cook. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
Move rice into the sauce pan and add half of the remaining oil. Stir continuously to prevent burning. Add the rest of the soy sauce and half of the remaining teriyaki sauce and continue to stir. Add half of the peppercorn medley. Move the rice to one side of the pan and add the onion and carrot. Add the remaining teriyaki sauce and peppercorn. Stir until the onion starts to brown. Mix the meat, rice and veggie mixture to evenly distribute the stir fry. Serve immediately.

If you have a love of Asian food, this is a great way to spice up the dinner routine. I guaranty that your family will regularly request it, and You may find yourself cooking it often.

Fast Food

It's late, you've just had a long hard day at work and don't particularly feel up to cooking dinner as well. So you stop at the first fast food proprietor you pass and grab a bite on the go. After all, they're convenient. I don't disagree with that statement. Fast food restaurants are convenient; or at least more convenient than preparing a full meal yourself. When you take into account purchasing the groceries, thawing them out if necessary, choosing what meal to prepare, and actually cooking it, the fast food run seems a lot more convenient; barring microwave dinners, of course. However, convenience is not always the best option. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against fast food, I just have many problems with it.
I'll just start off by saying that I do enjoy fast food; if it's prepared well, is nutritious, and is above all delicious. The problem is that many fast food chains do not fall into any of these in one way or another. I'll give a few examples: I love Burger King. I love whoppers. They aren't exactly nutritious, but they tase great. The problem is that sometimes they are so greasy that the paper wrapper becomes translucent by the time it gets to the table. There's another problem with the whopper, but I'll get to it later. McDonald's has some good food, however most it is neither healthy or tasty. And In fact sometimes its not prepared well either. Once I ordered a burger and didn't find out till later that It was still raw. Now that is unprofessional. I could have seriously gotten sick from that burger. Fortunately once I realized this I tossed it, but if I'd had a keener mind I would've filed suit against the McDonald's corporation. Many of the grievances I have toward fast food chains are actually the fault of the employees themselves. Many of whom are high school dropouts with no ambition to do anything with their lives, this doesn't apply to all. I've met many who were working their way through school. I applaud them for this, I just wish they could have found a better job.
Back to my point that my problems are due to the employees, I mean that it is not hard to make an order, yet somehow they always screw it up. They make no amenities for people with food-related allergies either. Which is why all restaurants should have it where people can leave items or toppings off of their orders. I myself am lactose intolerant, and I find it offensive that at certain fast food establishments I am required to order my meal without cheese. In my opinion, there should already be a version of that order without cheese, because it is redundant to say,"I would like a cheese burger without cheese." However I am obligated to do so because the particular menu item comes only with cheese. The cashier always sounds taken aback when I do also.
Along these same lines I am sick of menu items with sour cream, mayonaise, and cheese. I hate sour cream. If you like it, that's fine, but I think rather than me having to order an item without it, there should be a version with and without. The same goes for mayonaise. Now it's not so much that I hate mayonaise. I'm ok with it in small amounts, which by the way is how it was intended when it was invented. I am sick of going to a fast food restaurant (especially Burger King or Wendy's and there is more Mayonaise than anything else on the sandwich. "Would you like meat with your mayo?" Its sickening. The correct application is a thin coating spread on the bread or bun; not a glob. That is pure unhealthy and disgusting. Trust me, try a sandwich with the correct amount and you will understand.
Now as for cheese, and before you get on my case about the lactose intolerance, I love cheese, and ice cream. I just can't have it all the time. Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives, soy etc. But every now and then I want the real thing. However, ALL fast food chains use American cheese. Which in my opinion is the worst cheese ever created. And trust me I've had cheeses from all over the world. American IS the worst in taste and texture. It covers the taste of whatever you put it on. Why do these restaurants insist on using it? because its cheap. There are much better cheeses to have on sandwiches. Cheddar, jack, colby, gouda, meunster, swiss, provalone, even mozzarella, parmesan and many more. Believe you me, Put some better quality cheese on a sandwich and watch how it tastes soo much better than that nasty craptastic American garbage.
Now one of my biggest grievances is with Wendy's. I don't know if any of you have noticed, but I've met many who have not. The first 4 or 5 items on the menu DO NOT come with Mayonaise. DO NOT. Look at the pictures on the menu board. None of those sandwiches have Mayo on them in picture, yet every time I order them the automatons behind the counter put eggin' mayonaise on them. Either its false advertising or poor workmanship, either way I can smell a lawsuit. I'm serious, every Wendy's I've ever been to does this, and the images are the same countrywide. There's no Mayo until the chicken sandwiches on the menu, apart from the limited time menu items that may be placed between the classics and the chicken. Is it so hard to make these items, the eggin' pictures are right there above your heads. You see them everyday! Start making them right or change the pictures. I'm tired of it.
Now, before I make it seem that I dislike all fastfood establishments there are a few examples of great fast food that I would like to site. Qdoba is a great fast food Mexican place with delicious food which in a Subway style system, you order your food as you move down the line and get only what you want on your plate. With a variety of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas the combinations are endless, and there's also a host of salsas to choose from, and chips are aplenty. Trust me, you will not be disappointed in Qdoba. Another is a more widely known chain, though still small compared to the bigs. Five Guys is a burger joint with a simple yet complex menu. Again, here you order only what you want on your plate. There are basically 5 menu items, burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, fries, and a drink. And you can alter them in any way. Double patty burger, add cheese, your choice from like a dozen toppings, seasoned or regular fries, etc. There is nothing on your plate that you didn't want. I get my burger with sauteed onions, lettuce tomato, pickles, and Frank's hot sauce. It is amazing. I cannot stress how much I love Five Guys. You just have to try them. And you will see, that there is more to fast food than mindlessly slopping on toppings like a robot.

Chicken and Penne in Homemade Alfredo

Tonight I dazzled my fiancee's family with one of my signature dishes. I decided to share my dish with the internet as part of the Amateur Chef blog. As my first recipe post, I wanted to share one of my favorites. This dish is a favorite at my table and it could be one at yours as well. I have been working on this one for the last few years, and each time it keeps getting better. It is my take on a classic Italian dish. Chicken and Penne pasta served in my homemade Alfredo sauce.

Ingredients:
3 medium boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 pound penne pasta
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 2 1/2 cups milk (your choice, I use 2%)
3 cups mixed Italian cheese (low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, provalone, romano, asiago, and parmesan. I used Kraft brand)
2 tablespoons Tuscany Blend (pepper, garlic, basil, onion, rosemary, tomato powder, sea salt, spices. from The Spice and Tea Exchange of Sarasota Florida)
1 to 2 teaspoon Emeril's Chicken Rub
2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 to 3 teaspoons freshly ground peppercorn medley (black, white, green, pink)

Instructions:
-Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and rub with 1/6 to 1/4 of the seasonings. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Add half of the olive oil into large saucepan and heat on medium high. Cook chicken and add more seasoning if needed. Remove chicken from pan, but do not drain. The liquid will be used in the alfredo sauce.
-Cook noodles as per instructions, and drain. Return noodles into the drained pot and add chicken.
-In the saucepan, add the remaining olive oil and return to medium high heat. Add the cheese in 1/4s and continually stir to prevent burning. Once half of the cheese is semi-melted (it wont melt entirely) add half of the milk and continue to stir. Add 1/3 of the seasoning. Repeat until all of the milk and cheese has been added. Once the sauce is the correct consistency (melty cheesy), pour into the pot and stir to evenly coat the noodles and chicken. Add the remaining seasoning and stir.
-Serve immediately. (serves 8)

Served with a side of broccoli and tuscan bread.
-steam broccoli, sprinkle any remaining cheese and serve
-Slice a loaf of Italian bread into 2/3 inch slices. Lightly coat with olive oil, lightly sprinkle the mixed cheese on top and a pinch of the tuscan seasoning. Toast at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

While I am neither sponsored or endorsed by Pepsicola, I enjoyed this meal with Sunkist Solar Fusion soda. It is a delightful tropical mandarin flavor and full of vitamins of all things. Whatever your preference of libation, if you prepare this dish for your friends and family they will definitely warm your table more often. Try it just once and you'll find out what I mean. This is a perfect dish for a date night as well. Just cut the recipe down to 1/4th of this, and you can have a nice candlelight dinner with your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner. With a glass of white wine at hand, it'll bring a little taste of Tuscany to your table.
Whether you're cooking for one, two, or even a dozen; have fun in the kitchen. Without enjoyment, food is just food. With the right attitude in the kitchen, you can make your dinner an experience never to forget. Take it from the amateur chef, your stomach will thank you for it.

Unagi

Feeling adventurous when my fiancee and I ate at a Japanese restaurant, I decided to try something new. Unagi. I saw this on the menu and against my better judgement ordered it. Not that the dish was at all ill prepared. No, actually, it was prepared quite well and was aesthetically pleasing to look at. We also had sushi and that beef tataki i mentioned in my last entry. After partaking in all of that, I decided to dig into the Unagi. It was presented in a 2-piece bento-like box. The Unagi was in the top section along with sea breeze salad, sliced ginger, and octopus salad. In the lower section was rice drizzled in a dark sauce and sprinkled with roe. As I said, the dish looked gorgeous, however when I took my first bite I realized what a big mistake I had made. For those who don't know, Unagi is eel. This particular dish is barbecued eel. Well as close to barbecue Japanese food can get. It fell apart in my mouth, and not in a "mmm-delicious" sort of way. It was more like a gritty. "OMG what did I just eat" kind of way. It was so off-putting that it ruined my appetite not just for that night, but for the next three days. Seriously, I barely ate for three days after. Not knocking the restaurant, I've had great food from there before, it's just that eel (and pretty much any seafood) is not my thing. Lesson learned.

Beef Tataki

I have recently been exposed to this Japanese dish, and I cannot believe it has taken me this long to experience it. My fiancee and I dined at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant recently, and on a whim I ordered this as an appetizer. Since then I have craved it. It was THAT good. For those who do not know, it is a dish consisting of seared thinly sliced beef served over lettuce and drizzled with a Ponzu sauce; or a ginger soy dressing. My fiancee equally enjoyed it, and in fact, we have been looking for an excuse to get more. Just last night we dined at a different Japanese restaurant and ordered the Tataki as an appetizer. While the quality was no where near in comparison to the first, it was delicious. This time it had an addition of sliced cucumber, which surprisingly added a nice crisp contrast to the savory beef. We enjoyed it so much that I am thinking of making an attempt at the dish myself. While I have been attempting to avoid pre-made seasonings, Kikkoman brand soy sauce has come out with its own ponzu sauce, and I will gladly use it. If you have a Japanese restaurant in your vicinity, see if they have this dish. If they do, I highly recommend trying it. You will be glad you did.

Amateur Chef Dining In

Hello, internet
I am an amateur chef, and by amateur I mean that I have not had formal training nor am I in a culinary career - though I have worked in the food service industry. Needless to say, I love food. I love to cook food and I love to eat food. It is my intention for this blog to express my thoughts on the subject of food; restaurants, home cooking, cook books, food television, and so on.
First, I'll tell a little more about myself. Growing up in the deep south I was introduced to good ole southern cooking at an early age. I'm not going to lie, much of it was fried. However, I also grew up with the exotic foods from my father's side of the family. Originally from Brasil, he moved all over the world before settling here in the US. Because of this, he gained an international palette, and he passed it on to me. At a young age, I began experimenting with food; different flavors, textures, cultures. Through that experimentation, I honed my tastes. I gained a love of fusion dishes; combining spices and ingredients from different corners of the globe. Recently I've been experimenting with whole spices and blending my own. The results have been astonishing. I have also been altering my own recipes to account for these rather than pre-mixed seasonings.(ie McCormick, etc.) - not that there is anything wrong with pre-made spices, I just want to achieve a more natural flavor.
Since I've had not formal training, I lack certain skills and techniques; such as, proper chopping techniques, and I have difficulty cooking certain foods, but I teach myself through experimentation and through cook books and cooking shows.
I also have a love of restaurants. I often go to different ones just for the experience, and I love tasting different foods. In this blog I will describe some of these; some of my favorites as well as new experiences. This blog will be the good, the bad, and the ugly of food, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Amateur Chef