Tag Archives: thanksgiving

Thankful for…

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where I reflect upon this past year and count my blessings. This year has had it’s ups and downs, but I’m thankful for each moment that taught me to be stronger than I was a year before.

I’m thankful for:

  • My family that provides constant love and support, even from all the way back in Texas
  • I’m thankful for my friends that stand by me and the family-like love we give each other
  • My job and everyone there, because I actually enjoy it and the people make the craziness just a bit more manageable
  • My faith because that’s what gets me through each day
  • The family that Ming-Gih and I are building together, with Chubs and Ella, and now the newest edition, Baby Lam

Announcement

Funny story is that we had just gotten a puppy the week before (oops!). I was already late that month but typically that’s normal since a lot of environmental factors can impact my schedule, like stress. But MG knew that something must be up so he kept asking me to take a pregnancy test. I was so annoyed that he kept asking that I finally did to quiet him. I went to go brush my teeth to wait for the results, and walked back into the restroom. Upon looking, I screamed, “OH MY GOD!” and MG replied, “What? What is it!” And I said, “Oh nothing. It’s negative,” as I’m beginning to stream tears down my face. Finally he got my response and said, “Aw baby, congratulations!” He knows me. I’d always dreamed of surprising him with an announcement gift, which is what I wanted to do, but this one cannot lie.

Zoo Announcement

We’re beyond excited! I’ve had 3 ultrasounds now and hearing the little heartbeat makes the body changes totally worth it. At our last ultrasound, we watched our little one swallow, kick, and stretch. That all brought me to tears and made it a reality. We’re going to be parents!

Our parents are ecstatic. We actually filmed our announcements to them so you’ll have to come back to watch their reactions. I’m now 15 weeks in and am starting to show a bumpy.

Bumpy

Can’t wait to meet this little nugget in May!

What are you thankful for?
Jay

Oh Yeah, Perfect Prime Rib

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Guys, this is THE post to get you excited for the day of sweat pants and food. You know, Thanksgiving! Let’s be honest. Pulling on your comfy pants to eat a magnitude of 5 meals in one evening is one of the best holidays of the year.

Being Asian means it’s also a blend of cultures, mixing Chinese food with American food to overfill your belly with yumminess. Next to the large turkey is roasted duck. Next to the green bean casserole, there’s the bok choy. Rice goes along with everything. And Chinese people, you know that fruit/veggie salad mixed in Mayo. Am I the only one that loves to eat it but also finds the ingredients strangely disgusting? It really is good though!

Okay, I do have something to admit. Sometimes we don’t even eat turkey. When I celebrate with my family or MG’s family, it’s too much food to cook an entire bird. Instead we cook a huge slab of prime rib and call it Thanksgiving! It may not be the traditional American meal, but it satisfies everyone and we leave with happy bellies. Isn’t that what the holiday is really about anyway – being grateful and enjoying the day with your family?

So today’s post features my infamous prime rib roast. Oh yeahhh!

Prime cover

Ribeye steak is one of the most flavorful, if not the most flavorful, cut of meat. It’s marbled (in other words fatty, yum), and juicy. If you love bone-in ribeye, then you’ll love the standing rib roast. Standing rib roast is the same cut as a ribeye, but not cut into sections, with the bone still intact. A rib roast is without the bone; still the same cut of meat. All delicious.

Prime Rib Roast Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Rib roast (~14 pounds)
  • 12 cloves of garlic
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 large onion
  • Emeril’s Creole Seasoning Essence (see below)

Emeril’s Creole Seasoning Essence – mix all the ingredients together

  • 2.5 tablespoons of paprika
  • 2 tablespoons of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon of black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Blend the garlic, thyme, and onion together (I usually use a Magic Bullet).
  3. Pull the fat cap back and rub the roast with the essence seasoning. Now rub the blended mix onto the roast, and slather it onto the roast generously.
  4. Lay the fat cap back on and secure the cap by tying the two together with twine.
  5. Place the roast with the rib side down on a wire rack, into the center of the oven. Place a drip pan to collect drippings.
  6. Roast for 15 minutes at 450°F. Then lower the temperature to 325°F. Estimate 17-20 minutes per pound. A meat thermometer is recommended as you’ll get the best results. Make sure you push the thermometer into the middle of the roast, making sure the tip is not touching fat or bone. You want the internal temperature at 130°F for medium rare or 140°F for medium.
  7. When finished roasting, take the roast out and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. This is important so that the juices gets absorbed back into the meat.
  8. Cut off the twine, carve, and serve with drippings and horseradish on the side.

We’ve made this recipe multiple times now, and it never fails. As I type up this post, my stomach is rumbling with hunger.

Seasonings

This essence is great with all cuts of beef! I store it in an air-tight container and place it into my spice cabinet.

Cap

Mmmm fat cap!

Seasoned

Season generously!

Ready

Ready for roasting!

Roast

Hardest part – let the meat sit after roasting.

Done

Posting this picture again, because isn’t it mouth watering? It’s the best when you’re named as carver. You get to snack on the little chunky pieces while cutting!

Okay, I have something else to admit (apparently this post is all about being honest). I’ve never actually roasted a turkey before. One day, I’ll muster up the courage to make one for the family. And perhaps you’ll see the recipe on here. But for now, I’ll have prime rib for Thanksgiving, and I’m perfectly happy with that!

What kinds of foods do you have for Thanksgiving that isn’t based on the “traditional” foods? Will prime rib be a part of that this year?

Noms away!
Jay
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Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning Recipe

When you have lots of bread… make crumbs!

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How was your Thanksgiving? Give me the details on what you ate! Did you also go shopping afterwards to walk off some of that food?

MG and I decided to go to the stores at 10pm to digest. This season there isn’t much that is our on wish list, so we didn’t purchase anything, but it was super fun to people watch.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, you may have a bunch of dinner rolls left over. Or maybe you have so many leftovers that your bread is going stale because who wants sandwiches when you can have turkey and stuffing with a side of green bean casserole for lunch.

Instead of throwing all that bread away, make bread crumbs!

Bread Crumbs

Ingredients:

  • Half a loaf of bread or 10 rolls, torn into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Place all of the ingredients into a blender or Magic Bullet. Pulse until the bread becomes crumbs.
3. Spread the crumbs evenly on a baking pan and bake until the crumbs are crisp and begin to brown (about 5 minutes).
4. Cool the crumbs.
5. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature (for up to 2 weeks) or store in the freezer (for up to 6 months).

Crumbs

Crumbs
Mine are going in the freezer

Bread crumbs are so versatile. You can make crab cakes, fried eggplant or zucchini fries, baked fish, veggie patties, or even meatloaf. What are your favorite recipes that include bread crumbs?

Don’t let food go to waste! What other leftovers do you have? Let’s come up with a solution!

Happy Friday,
Jay
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Original recipe

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

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Next week is Thanksgiving! What will be on your dinner menu?

I’ve been going to Costco very frequently since I started juicing. MG and I buy all our organic veggies in bulk. Now that it’s the Fall season, I came across a big box of organic butternut squash, already cut up into bite sized chunks! Yes, an exclamation mark because there’s that much excitement!

I then ventured to make butternut squash soup, and I’m so glad I did! I revised a Whole Foods recipe, and now I’m definitely making roasted butternut squash soup as an appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s an easy soup to make, and you can make a big pot of it so it’s perfect for guests.

Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup of diced carrots
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger
  • 4 cups cubed butternut squash
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup of coconut milk
  • 1.5 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. First things first. Preheat your oven to 350°F. As the oven is heating up, lay out the butternut squash chunks onto a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper generously. Once the oven is heated, roast the squash for 40 minutes or until chunks are soft. When time is up, let the squash cool. Practice self-control and don’t snack on all the squash!
2. In a large pot, heat up the oil. Throw in the carrots, celery, onion, and ginger and cook until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Then add the roasted butternut squash and thyme and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken broth, coconut milk, and red curry paste. Bring to boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.
4. This is the tricky part. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup. I don’t have an immersion blender, so I scooped out all the veggies, and puréed the ingredients in a blender then added everything back to the soup base.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy!

Roast
Roasted butternut squash is such a yummy snack! Simply drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt & pepper, and roast in the oven for 40 minutes at 350°F.

Yum
So creamy and delicious!

DrinkDon’t burn your tongue!

DoneAll clean! 

I love the spicy kick from the curry. I love the thickness of the soup. I love the warmth in my belly after I drink a bowl. So tasty!

What are you making for a Thanksgiving appetizer? Do you have your own butternut squash recipe you can share with us? Is this something you can try?

Are you hungry now?
Jay
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Original Whole Foods Recipe