Quick Fix : Orange Soy Chicken

This is a marinade I make once every other week. Its quick, easy and works well with chicken. Use Dark or white meat. Bake, broil or grill.

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
5 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp brown sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
2 tbsp sesame oil
4 pieces chicken breast or thighs

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together top eight ingredients. Slowly whisk in sesame oil to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning.


2. Reserve 1/3 of the marinade and set aside. Pour the remaining marinade in zip-lock bag, add chicken and marinade in refrigerator overnight.


3. Remove chicken and cook (method of choice). Tonight I baked the chicken at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once, then set the oven on broil, to crisp the edges.

4. While meat is cooking, pour marinade through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan and boil until reduced to 1/3, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cold butter off heat. Taste. If the flavor is too sweet/salty, add another tablespoon of cold butter.

Tonight I served the chicken with froccia bread stuffing with morning sausage, edamame, sweet corn and fennel seeds and a bowl of tomato soup. I also topped the chicken with toasted flax seeds.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinade Time: 4 Hours - Overnight
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Visit from Sum Sing White

Last week my friend CharlieP came down to San Diego for a visit. It seems that he brought the rain with him from Seattle...well only for a day.


I took a few days off from work during CharlieP's visit. We went down to Ocean Beach around 10 am, walked along the beach up towards Pacific Beach. We came across this joint were a customer was having a pitcher of beer...by himself...at 10:30am.

We took this to be a sign. A good sign. We grabbed a table and did our best to recreate a scene from one of those Corona commericals.


Corona with a lime wedge, beachside at 10:30am on a work day. Sipping on beer and people watching, if only I could get paid for doing this.


Here's CharlieP showing me one of his moves he uses on females at the bars in Seattle.

"How You Doing?"


The next day Pan, CharlieP and I went up to La Jolla for lunch at Tattoria Aqua, then a visit to the seals and the beach. Now this was the kinda day that keeps folks moving to San Diego.


As always, all good things must come to a end. CharlieP had to go back to Seattle and I had to go back to work, vacations over. Its never enough time when it comes to visits by old friends. I only hope that the next visit will be sooner rather than later.

Doggie Picture : Play Ball

"Play Ball"

Baseball season is just around the corner. Still can't believe we traded Loretta for a back-up catcher.

Weekend Dog Blogging: Check out all the great doggie pictures over at Sweetnicks.

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Pan at 35 weeks

Pan has been nesting. Baby's crib, play pen, changing area is set. Baby's clothes are all washed. Hmmm...I might have to test out one of the wet wipes.

Song of the Day: "Take a Walk on the Wild Side", Lou Reed

Quick Fix : Mai Pham Chicken

I was at Williams-Sonoma in Fashion Valley today. They demoed a wonderful vietnamise chicken dish using the Emile Henry Clay Pot, exclusive to Williams-Sonoma. The preparation was so simple and the end result so tastey, I could not wait to try it out at home.

2 Tbsp Oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 oz Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs Chicken, sliced
1/2 cup Chicken Broth, low sodium
1/4 cup Caramelized Clay Pot Cooking Sauce
3/4 cup Instant Rice
Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Directions:
1. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and saute, 3 minutes.


2. Add chicken and mushrooms and continue to cook until chicken is browned and the mushrooms release it's juices, 5 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth and cooking sauce, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 5 minutes.


4. Add instant rice off heat, cover and let stand, 5 minutes.


5. Add chopped herbs, fluff and serve.

Notes:Be sure to use low sodium broth, the cooking sauce contains a lot of sodium. Add other vegetables such as, eggplant, snow peas or water chestnuts. The jar of sauce is $14, using this recipe, you will get 4-5 uses per jar. Instant Rice is used to save time, but can be skipped.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Doggie Picture : Duck Sesaon

"Duck Season"

Weekend Dog Blogging: Check out all the great doggie pictures over at Something So Clever.

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Pan at 34 weeks

Pan stepped in dog poop today. Somehow it was my fault. Baby is moving more and more. Thats my fault too. Fathers to be, take notes...Good Times.

Song of the Day: "We Just Wont", The Go! Team.

Doggie Picture : Queen of the World

"Queen of the World"

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Doggie Picture : Tastey Lips

"Tastey Lips"

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Doggie Picture : Smiling Fool

"Smiling Fool"

Its Buddy's Birthday today. Happy 6th Birthday!

Weekend Dog Blogging: Check out all the great doggie pictures over at Sweetnicks.

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Pan at 33weeks

We finally got over the head cold from last week. Baby items are piling up around us and baby information is overloading my brain.

Song of the Day: "Everytime I Look For You", Blink 182.

The Bestest Day!

Today was the best day. The bestest day. it was warm enough to wear shorts and there was a breeze coming in from the water. Weekend errands were completed in record time. What left to do but take the doggies out to enjoy this glorious day!


We ran after birds, we ran after the ball, we ran after one another, we ran to run.


When we could run no more, we rolled around the grass, trying to catch our breaths, staring up into the blue blue sky. Buddy looks over at me and says "This is the Bestest Day!"

Baby Shower Part 2

Here are the pictures from the baby shower. I almost had them posted a few days ago when my laptop overheated before I could save.








First of all thanks to Helen Agoo and Rebecca for preparing this wonderful event and thanks to Uncle Chris for letting us have the baby shower at the house.

Thank you to Winnie Agoo, Connie & Wah, Nugget & Anna, Gzus & Crystal, Brian & Kelly, Dad, Uncle Johnny & Kay, Uncle Peter & Teresa, Uncle Wilson & May, Agon & Ama, Debs, Michael & Becky, Si, Siu-Fai, Yoshimi, JoeyS & Jessica, ricks, Wah's Mom & Dad.

Your gifts and generosity is greatly appreciated. More than words can say. We are fortunate to have such caring family and friends.

Quick Fix : Ginger Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Technically this is not a "Quick Fix" because of the marinading time. Prep and and cooking is quick and easy.

2/3 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Ketchup
3 Tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger
3 Garlic Cloves minced
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 (3/4 lb) Pork Tenderloin
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. Whisk together broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, garlic, and vinegar and pour into a large sealable plastic bag. Add tenderloin and seal bag, then marinate, chilled, turning bag over occasionally, minimum 2 hours or if possible over night.
2. Bring tenderloin to room temperature, about 1 hour.
3. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Heat oil in a ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown tenderloin on all sides, turning with tongs, about 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until pork is 155 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes.
* Turn pork over half way during roasting otherwise the bottom might char because of the brown sugar.
5. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes so juices redistribute.
6. While meat is roasting, pour marinade through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan and boil until reduced to 1/3, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cold butter off heat.


I served the tenderloin sliced with Gorgonzola & Spinach Gnocchi and sauteed Onions & Cremini Mushrooms.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinade Time: 2 Hours - Overnight
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Pan at 32 weeks

Pan got a cold this weekend. She was nice enough to share with me [sniff,sniff]. I hate being sick. Luckily it was nothing too serious, but we did skip labor class on Friday night.

Song of the Day: "Don't Panic", Coldplay.

San Diego Tap Water

Primary Concerns: Nitrates, radioactivity, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, MTBE, perchlorate, turbidity

Contaminants: 31

-Robert Weinhold, Sept 04

Random Picture : Ally & Bailey

This is a picture of Uncle Johns little girl Ally with Uncle Steve's dog Bailey taken by Gzus a few summers ago.

Support Firefly Season 2

Support Firefly Season 2.

Firefly is a great series, I highly recommend watching. Check out Firefly Season One and Serenity the movie.