A Little Visitor

I found this guy sitting on a piece of okra leaf this morning. How cute! He was being real still while I took a bunch of pictures.

He found just the right spot for his size.

White with very faint green on his back. 

"I can see you!"

"Backyard is full of surprises."

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Watermelon Earrings

I made this pair of earrings for my sister whom I'm meeting in a few days. I call them "watermelon earrings" just because of the colors I chose. But don't they just look delicious?

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Mickey Mouse Necklace

I still make bling here and there when I feel inspired. This one was made for my niece in Japan. I thought about the time we had at Walt Disney World with her. Hope she likes it.

Hello, Mickey! 

Casual choker, would look good on a T-shirt.

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Mid Summer Tomatoes

Someone has been eating my tomatoes! And they go for the ones that I've been waiting to get ripen. I have to start picking them just before they get red now.

Beautiful tomato devoured! 

Nooooo!

"Mommy is upset!"

Okra is doing well. 

Shiso-jungle

"Mommy, let's go inside and have a popsicle!"

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Korean Kelp Noodles in Pesto

I first discovered these wonderful noodles at a Korean restaurant in Atlanta. They served them as part of their banchan, small side dishes that come before your meal. They were dressed with an aioli sauce with sesame oil. After the first bite, I was addicted.

Garnished with pine nuts

The texture of these noodles is unlike anything you've eaten. Kind of like crunchy rubber bands that had lost their elasticity, if that makes sense. It's rather shocking when you put this in your mouth for the first time. Your immediate reaction would be, "you'd better spit it out because this is not the texture of food," then you'd keep coming back to it because it's just so funky and good.

Korean kelp noodles

You can use these noodles to substitute your pasta. No boiling of water is required: just cut them and toss them in a sauce. If you're on a diet, you'll feel good about eating them, too.

Korean Kelp Noodles in Pesto

1 package Korean kelp noodles
1 Tbsp basil paste
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Splash of lemon
Handful of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Pine nuts for garnish, optional

Tubed basil paste. I use this for lots of dishes.

Soak noodles in water for a few minutes. Cut noodles with kitchen scissors into 3-4 inches long. Drain. In a bowl, combine basil paste, mayonnaise, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix well. Add in noodles and toss to coat. Toss in cut basil. 

Cut noodles with scissors.

Basil paste and mayonnaise.

I like it with lots of cheese!

Make the pesto sauce in the bowl.

Toss to coat

Dry roast pine nuts until they're slightly brown

Serve chilled. Yummy summer dish.

Garnish with toasted pine nuts if you have them. You'd love the nuttiness as a nice accent to the dish. Enjoy!

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Baked Cod with Tomato Olive Salsa

Using tomatoes as a sauce for meat or fish is an excellent way to consume them quickly. I found a good looking piece of cod the other day, so I'm baking it with some fresh tomatoes.

Baked Cod with Tomato Olive Salsa

1 lb. cod fillet
1 large tomato, diced
2 Tbsp sliced olive
1 Tbsp capers
1 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dry thyme
1/4 tsp dry oregano
1/4 tsp Old Bay spice
Salt and pepper
1/4 lemon, juiced
4 slices lemon
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine or sake

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 11x9 casserole, lay pieces of cod and sprinkle wine, salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle Old Bay, thyme, oregano and garlic and top it with diced tomatoes. Toss in black olives, sun-dried tomatoes and capers on top. Squeeze fresh lemon and place a piece of lemon on the fish. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Sprinkle white wine

I added red chili peppers, too.

All dressed up and ready to go into the oven.
I even left the lemon rind in there after squeezing it for extra lemony flavor.

After 25 minutes in the oven

Drizzle the sauce on top before serving.

Flaky cod

Smells good, Mommy!

        

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Grilled Eggplants and Tomato Salad

We gave away quite a few tomatoes from our garden to our friends, but we still have lots. Gotta eat them! Keep your heads down and power through!

Grilled Eggplants and Tomato Salad

2 tomatoes, cut in bite sizes
3-4 small Japanese eggplants, cut in bite sizes
1/8 of onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig of basil
Just a pinch of fresh parsley, chopped
Dash of dry oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 Tbsp red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing
1 Tbsp olive oil

On a skillet, warm olive oil and spread eggplants and brown them. It took me about 10 minutes or so on medium high. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, grilled eggplants, garlic, onion, herbs and salad dressing. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. 

More, more and more from our garden!

The right balance of flavors.

Eggplants melt in your mouth.

Eggplants get smokey and sweet after grilling for awhile and adds a depth of flavor. Ken's Steak House Dressing is my favorite red wine vinegar salad dressing. I always have a bottle in stock.

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