It's dinner!
Kind of a fancy dinner, but SUPER easy, I promise. Which, of course, is the best kind of fancy dinner, amirite?
I'm right.
This was actually Jay's idea; he mentioned "Asian Shrimp and Grits" about 10 years ago and I was all "what does that mean" and he was all "here are 9,000 Asian ingredients, don't they sound good all together?"
They did not. So I made this! And these ingredients are good together. 3 components, a little sauce, a few toppers, boom dinner.
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It's officially 4th of July week, which means it's officially almost the first day of July, which means WHERE IS THIS YEAR GOING. I feel old saying that but REALLY time goes by a lot faster the older you get, amirite? 
I am.
As a companion to last week's chorizo dogs, I wanted to make yet another meal that can go in a hot dog bun, but for the veg-heads among us. I actually liked these JUST as much as the chorizo dogs, for different reasons, and I think it was because of the sauce/slaw toppings, which are kind of like what you'd find on a bahn mi - slightly spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors that have lots going on but aren't so weird that people won't like them. Kind of Asian Lite. Does that make sense? Let's cook.
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Ok, I think it's the most cliche thing EVER to say that you just love takeout Chinese but it's SUCH an indulgence because do you KNOW how many calories and grams of sodium are in it but OH it's just so good and sometimes you just NEED IT, amirite?
Skinny people say that. People who "indulge," once every two years. Which, to be fair, is probably closer to the definition of splurging than "twice a month," but whatever. We actually rarely eat Chinese takeout not for any of the above reasons but we just have a long list of other takeout food that we like better. Middle Eastern, Indian, and Pizza, in that order, are our favs. Indian might be first, actually.
But whatever.
We DO like greasy Chinese, because who the hell doesn't, and also every time I think of beef and broccoli I think of Jennifer Connelly in He's Just Not That Into You saying "sure I can't interest you in some beef and broccoli?" right after she banged Bradley Cooper in his office while Scarlett Johansson is waiting IN HIS CLOSET because she's having an affair with him. Literally the first thing that comes to mind every time I hear the name of the dish. Jenn has a weird accent after she bangs Bradley Coopers in their offices.
So we need an easy beef and broccoli recipe. Because it's easy to make at home, involves veg+protein+carb, and is effing delicious.
...I know, it's another vegetarian dish. 
But, I have reasons for it. I mean, first, obviously, I'm married to one of those clowns, so if I cook meat I have to be really invested in eating all of one thing for several days.
Unless, of course, Jay eats it to "help." You know, as a sacrifice to our marriage. But, I'm also of the belief that most people (mainly Americans) eat WAY too much protein (I didn't make that up, other smarter people agree with me), and our bodies and planet could afford more meals that involve protein and veg but not meat. So here we have it! I've said for years that Asian flavors really lend themselves to that kind of meal, and this is zero exception. We have noodles, vinaigrette, greens, and super sexy almost friend edamame, which is NOT a bad thing.
Because, even though Americans might eat too much meat, we are also nothing if not frying little things to go on top of salads, amirite? #murica
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I adore Asian food. We know this, right? I especially like making it at home because, if you keep a few key ingredients around, you can make some super delicious stuff that is BETTER and healthier and quicker than takeout, but tastes great and isn't hard. 
Also, I love recipes like this that are super versatile: you can change protein and veg based on what you like and have in the house, and use the same sauce over and over for different combinations and iterations of the same dinner.
It's a Monday kind of thing, is what I'm saying.
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Want to cook something that has a ridiculously awful texture before it's cooked and makes your house smell utterly awful? 
Then THIS is the dish for you!
Sorry, I felt like I needed to be honest. Jay loves sandwiches, but now that he's a vegetarian (sigh) he has to get creative in restaurants as to what he can eat, and a man can only consume so many black bean burgers. Holy high-carb meal, a black bean burger, eh?
So, he asked for a shrimp burger. And I made him one! They actually turned out a lot better than I'd expected (I'm not a huge shrimp fan), and were easy and quick to make. I served them open-faced sans bun for caloric purposes, but on a squishy bun with some sriracha mayo and lemon I'd bet these would be even better.
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It's definitely a noodle day. 
I've been sick all weekend, so ramen is totally perfect for that, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, we're balls deep into the first season of PBS's Mind of a Chef (on Netflix), and there have been several episodes relating to Asian style noodles and ramen in particular that have me all nostalgic. ...
I know, I know. 
We're done with the curries over here. I've made approximately ten thousand versions of curry, from all countries, mainly because I LOVE IT SO FREAKING MUCH. 
And it's my blog, so there.
This version, though, is really incredible. It uses the fake-out storebought curry paste that I showed you in my very first curry recipe, and besides cutting up some onion and garlic you dump some shit into a slow cooker and move on with your life, only to return to very sexy curry.
Not working very hard for flavorful food is incredibly sexy, incidentally.
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Nope, not like the kind at Panera with random crunchy things on top and weird thick sweet dressing drizzled over dry chicken. 
Not like that. Like southern chicken salad but with Asian flavors including but not limited to Sriracha and soy and sesame, and YOU WILL LOVE THIS. Regular chicken salad is all well and good, but THIS is the summer appetizer that will get you invited back to fun places. 
I made this last week for Jay's lunch and then took leftovers to the beach to share, and that ish was GONE. I didn't get a single bite, which is a testament to how great it is. It's easy, too!
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Isakaya snacks for dinner! Easy yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) with a quick marinade and grilled scallions. I serve this with plain white rice and grilled veggies for an easy, FAST healthy Japanese dinner.
HELLO, easy Japanese bar food at home.
Yakitori is probably in the top 10 of my all-time favorite meals, and DEFINITELY my fav Japanese bar (isakaya) food. The great thing is, it's EASY to recreate at home and tastes just like the real thing, promise. These grilled chicken skewers make a really fun, healthy weeknight dinner that everyone will love!
...We're having wings today! 
Fried wings with miso coating, to be perfectly frank about the situation.
During the week it's all well and good to eat healthy foods, but sometimes weekends just CALL for fried animal limbs, yes?
Sorry I said limbs. Don't be grossed out.
But seriously, this chicken. You could use the method with any chicken you like, but we dredge the chicken IN miso and buttermilk, then drizzle sriracha all over top like you would buffalo sauce. NOTHING wrong with any of this that's going on. Let's make these together right this very minute.
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You guys kind of went nuts with these Sloppy Joes I made a few weeks ago, and, that makes me happy. Because I did to so....we're bff! Thank G. 
I've made the mixture a few times since I showed you this recipe, and I CAN'T get enough. You can do anything with it! The flavor lends itself to, um, ANYTHING, so I think we should play around with how dang good this stuff is. I love the rich beefy flavor that comes from the oyster sauce and other ingredients, and I tend to go a little nuts with hot sauce so....just YES. 
Since today is Thursday and Thursday just kind of...needs...ground beef, here are some things you could do with the mixture if you aren't feeling sloppy joes.
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I created something of a firestorm the other night when I posted a picture of me DOWNING a quesadilla with Asian flavors and sriracha sour cream.
Now, by firestorm I mean that 3 people or so commented on the photo, but it made me want to hurry and show you the ground beef filling that was in that dang quesadilla (movie? anyone? no?). 
It was leftover from these Asian-style sloppy joe's. Sroppy joes, as my husband requested I title this post, but we won't EVEN go there. Racist.
The joe's themselves, though, were FANTASTIC. I'm fine with regular old American sloppy joes, but the flavors in these were like .... lettuce wraps with crunchy toppings and deep spicy flavor soaked up by a squishy bun. YOU CAN'T MISS WITH THAT SENTENCE. Here's how I did it:
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I need to share with you a side dish that would be, like, totes perfect with this here ginger chicken we made the other day.
Totes perfect, I'm telling you.
Also, it's vegetarian and cooks in 10 minutes and is DEEEEELICIOUS.
Promise.
I love Asian-style meals with lots of veggies and a super flavorful protein like this grilled tofu, and this side dish is great with ANY components of a meal like that.
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Let's have Japanese food tonight, ok?
Do you want to?
I want to.
It's easy, I promise! Today starts 10 full weeks of summer school insanity so....get ready for ALL THE EASY RECIPES to come spewing out of me. Seriously - there's no other way to get through this together.
So, today. Easy-peasy-Japanesy, even though I hate that expression and this is kind of Asian fusion food....ok? Make sense?
I knew you'd understand.
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Oh guys.
I waited to tell you about this because the pictures just made me so wistful for everything about this place.
This is Gyu-Kaku, a Korean BBQ chain that calls itself a Japanese BBQ chain that has a location 2 blocks from where we stayed a few weeks ago.
In Japan, this style of eating is called Korean BBQ. In America, it's called Japanese. I with I knew why, really. I think maybe something to do with politics? Really and truly - the owner of the sushi restaurant I used to work at told me one time that so many Chinese restaurants have Tokyo/Japan/Hibachi in the name because Americans currently are more favorable towards Japan compared to other Asian countries.
Fascinating? Boring? Wrong? We can all make up our own minds about that.
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Oh man.
I've been waiting, like, forever to tell you about these.
Ok so two weeks, but whatever.
I'm pretty sure I told you a few weeks ago that my friend over at Struggling Home Brewer was gifted some incredibly high quality short ribs. He asked me to cook them, so I did.
Interestingly, said short ribs were gifted in their original form.
Not short. Connected, as they would be on a cow. I didn't know this when I went to pick them up, and finding a butcher that would hack into something who's origin they knew nothing about was somewhat of a challenge.
Imagine that conversation, please? It was ridiculous.
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This easy spicy kani salad recipe is just like the filling of a crab salad sushi roll! Made with just three ingredients, I love this for meal prep to serve over rice or salad for a quick Japanese sushi rice bowl or poke bowl. Check out these crab salad sushi poke bowls for more spicy crab salad sushi fun!
You know how at sushi restaurants sometimes they have Crab Salad Sushi Rolls or Crunchy Crab Rolls but really it's just imitation crab mixed with mayo? And sometimes there are Spicy Crab rolls that really are just fake crab mixed with mayo and spicy stuff?
Welp, I love crab salad. And spicy crab salad. And when either of those things are made into a sushi roll? I'm a seriously happy human being.
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I know.
I'm lazy this week.
Are you too? I sure hope so. If you're feeling lazy this week, then hopefully you're loving this lazy food. Like the crispy shrimp we made yesterday, this one is SO simple. Very few ingredients, tons of flavor, and quick to make.
I think I'm feeling lazy because I got home from work travel on Sunday and I'm leaving again on Friday so I really don't have the time or energy to make insanely complicated dishes. Food is kind of a survival thing on weeks like this.
That is kind of sad for someone like me.
No matter, though! All this travel means I'm eating at lots of fun restaurants and drinking too much and getting fat but kind of in a good way. Last weekend we went to Broad Street Cafe and it was just as yummy as it was last year!
Also. This weekend we're going to be in Baltimore. Where should we eat? Seriously please and thank you.
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Oh man.
This is one of my favorite things ever to eat.
When we lived in Japan, there was this tiny lunch place right near my dad's office. It served something similar to this dish: rice topped with a nearly-rare piece of salmon topped with a delicious miso-based sauce.
Kill me now. Why don't we have lunch options like that in this town?
Anyway. This is simple, flavorful, and so simple for a weeknight when spaghetti or chicken fingers just won't do. It's delicious enough that you could use it for entertaining, but can be done start to finish in 15 minutes or so.
You'll love it!
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