{Recipe} Soy and Ginger Glazed Chicken with Baked Crab Rangoons

After many requests {via Twitter! Instagram! Facebook!}, I'm posting my recipes for our Asian-American Sunday night dinner from this past Sunday evening.  I served this meal with a small scoop of brown rice and lime wedges.  I'll warn you - this is no culinary achievement, only an attempt at healthy, delicious food. Enjoy, and you're welcome!

Check out #SundayNightDinner on Instagram for other meals.

PGH Dining: Wai Wai

Going out to lunch is a way of life in Dallas. You and your best coworkers blow off steam and talk about the pains of a particularly trying project you're all involved in over a plate of hot food. It's almost a ritual.

Here in Pittsburgh, both Husband and I have noticed that people don't usually do that. People bring their lunches, eat at their desks or grab something quickly while doing an errand. 

I didn't realize how much I'd miss it!

Thus, I started a Lunch Bunch with a group of coworkers in my building, for a once-a-month dining trip to a restaurant close by. This past month's inaugural trip was to Wai Wai in Bloomfield.

PGH Dining: Smiling Banana Leaf

Last Friday night Husband and I were wanting to celebrate my success with all of the interviews I've been having {answers should be coming soon!}, but we've been going out A LOT lately. We decided on Smiling Banana Leaf, because of it's great reviews on Urban Spoon, it's close-by, and it's affordability. AND, it's Thai. Can't go wrong with that combination.

Located in Highland Park/Morningside, which is a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from us in UpLa, Smiling Banana Leaf is somewhat hidden in a residential area. After eating there, I might consider moving! 

We parked alongside the restaurant, and walked in to notice it's a TINY place. There's probably only room for 20 people to have dinner. We were asked by the hostess if we had a reservation {No?}, then were seated almost immediately in the only open table available. The one waitress came over shortly, and handed us one page, front-and-back menus. We proceeded to order two appetizers: Wonton Soup and Thai-Style Samosas.

Wonton Soup

The soup was filled with good-sized pork-filled wontons. They were cooked perfectly, and were complimented by the meaty broth. The mushrooms in the soup were particularly good, and weren't super normal or of the expected type. 

Look at that goodness!

The Thai-style samosas were MUCH smaller than I expected, as I was used to the pea and potato variety that are the size of your palm. These, however, were dainty and small. Their flavor was much more subdued, without the heavy spices of the normal samosa. These were still filled with potato, but were lighter. They were served with a sweet cucumber sauce, but were great with or without it. I wish there were a few more on the plate, because of the price {$5}.

For our main dishes, we ordered the massaman curry and the pad ped talay {Stir-fried mixed seafood with garlic, chili paste, onion, Kaffir lime leaves and green beans}.

Massaman Curry

The curry was "the best I've ever had," according to Husband. He's had a few curries in his time, and this one is his favorite, mainly because of the creaminess and the richness of the spices used. We could detect cinnamon, star anise and clove. Outstanding dish.

I took charge of the seafood dish, and ordered it very spicy. The plate was overwhelmed with tons of calamari, scallops, shrimp,  and fish fillets. Everything was cooked well, and nothing was hard and rubbery. The sauce itself was the essence of what Thai food tastes like to me: spicy and complex. You might only be able to pick out 3 of the blended ingredients, but you know it takes many to make it delicious. The green beans were such a nice surprise, too!

The portions were large, as expected, and we had enough for a lunch the next day. I cooked a generous portion of sushi rice, and poured the containers over top. 

Smiling Banana Leaf is one of our new favorites, and we can't wait to go back for more. One word of caution - for those that like to eat their Thai food with chop sticks, you have to ask for them! The tables are outfitted with forks only. {*Update: I've been privy to some information about chop stick availability...It's not typical for Thai cuisine to be served with chop sticks. I just prefer it!} Take your next date to have Thai food, and dine in a cozy restaurant!

PGH Dining: PLUM Pan Asian Kitchen

Often times during the week, I find myself not wanting to make the dinner I'd planned to make earlier while grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday. Some nights you just feel like eating something specific for dinner. Friday night was one of those nights; I'd had a super stressful week {I am a busy job-seeker after all}, and to me, there's nothing better to soothe than sushi and cocktails.

We began driving around, ignoring our phone apps and GPS, and stopped at PLUM Pan Asian Kitchen on Centre Avenue, where it turns into Penn Circle South. We parked in the convenient attached parking lot, which was a bonus in our book.  We walked in to a bustling restaurant, and noticed it was nicer than we initially thought it would be. The lighting was delicate. It was a professionally-dressed crowd. The tables were covered in white tablecloths. We were seated at a two-seater booth plus chair in the middle of the main dining room, and proceeded to look at the several-page-long menu {the link doesn't include sushi or cocktail options...those are separate!}. 

Lady drink versus Man drink.

I ordered a spicy rum cocktail with light fruit juices, and Husband ordered a local stout. Both were super delicious. We then moved on to sushi, ordering the Marilyn Mon Roll {fried soft shell crab, avocado and caviar} and a spicy yellowtail roll {in lieu of the usual spicy tuna roll}.

Marilyn Mon Roll

It was mentioned as one of the patron's favorites.

Spicy Yellowtail Roll.

We both thought the rolls had a generous helping of fish and other ingredients for the price. Additionally, the sushi was on-point in taste. It wasn't outstanding, best-sushi-I've-ever-had, but we didn't have any complaints. 

I also ordered the Tealeaf Salad, which was to have an assortment of 'individual helpings' of nuts, dried fruits and other tasty bits glossed in a tamarind leaf dressing. 

Tealeaf Salad, with terrible lighting.

To pile the goodies on the outskirts of the plate was an interesting idea, and I especially enjoyed the toasted garlic chips on the side. Sweet, yet intensely garlicky. Slices that thin can become burnt so easily, but these were perfect!

The dressing, however, was not very strong, and was somewhat lost in all of the nuts, seeds and dried fruits. I was expecting it to be more 'tamarind flavored,' but it ended up being more of a simple vinaigrette.  I didn't miss it though! Lovely salad.

We then ordered another sushi roll, just because. Husband can never get enough of those fried crustacean rolls, so we ordered the Rock and Roll, which featured rock shrimp. Cute presentation!

The Rock and Roll...roll.

We ended the meal on a liquid dessert, in the form of a lychee martini. Sweet and tart!

Lychee Martini.

For a spur-of-the-moment dinner, PLUM served us well. It was certainly not too crowded to walk in without reservations, but we may have just hit the restaurant at the right time. I can imagine that this would be a fun dinner spot for a group of coworkers, or for a couple of friends catching up over several plates of sushi. If in Shadyside/East Liberty and in need of a sushi and cocktail night, PLUM Pan Asian Kitchen is it!

PGH Dining: Pho Van

 On a rainy night last week, Husband and I indulged in our favorite dark and stormy weather pastime - having a steamy bowl of pho. We decided to head to Pho Van, located in The Strip District, because of the look of the storefront {I know, we're superficial!}, the number of people inside {always a good indicator}, and the proximity to Lawrenceville. It WAS raining, after all!

While we usually start a meal with appetizers, this time we went straight for the main event. We shared two dishes: Pho Tai and vermicelli noodles with peanut chicken {Bun ga nuong} and a fresh summer/spring roll {instead of a fried one}.

Just what we wanted to foil the steamy goodness of beef pho.

The noodle dish was super fresh and light. The dipping sauce/dressing was sweet and not at all spicy like I was expecting. The roll mimicked the dish itself, having noodles, lettuce and herbs inside. The chicken was a decent portion for the price, and was grilled well.

The pho 'side plate' came with the usual suspects, all fresh and crunchy. 

Beef {Eye-of-Round} Pho

The pho came out looking just as we'd hoped: pinkish meat, fragrant broth and floating accoutrement.

As you swirl the meat in the piping hot broth, it finishes cooking. 

Despite the shiny surface, this bowl of pho was not too greasy at all. Husband said the pho was one of the best he's ever had. He appreciated the fact that it had plenty of beef, as so many phos can be packed with only noodles and broth.

Pho Van was priced well, with no surprises on our bill. {Total was less than $22.} It has definitely found a spot in our usual lineups, according to weather conditions. 

Do you have a favorite rainy weather restaurant?

Super Bowl Sunday!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, a national holiday in America, and day of both elation and of terrible pain {depending on the performance of your chosen team}.
Today, however, in our household, it's most notably a day of good food. Usually, when we are fortunate enough to spend the day with family, we indulge in the fattiest of foods: Rotel Dip. Other heavenly items on the menu include hot dogs, baked beans, other chips and dips, mile-high sandwiches, and lots of chocolaty desserts. This year both Husband and I are trying to watch our weight and aim to be somewhat healthier in our food choices; thus, we have a calorie-conscious menu planned {still featuring some of our favorites}!

{The Menu}
Crab Rangoonies {a Hungry Girl recipe}
Chili Dogs
Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw {Based on this recipe}
Clementines
Neapolitan Ice Cream, Slow Churned & No Sugar Added

I plan to upload photos this afternoon, after the cookin' of course. Stay tuned!

{Update!}

Here are the photos from our Super Bowl feast:

Napa cabbage Asian slaw, before mixed.

After a good mix. I added chipotle powder and red pepper flake. 'Cause I can.

Crab Rangoonies with dipping sauce of light soy sauce, walnut oil, rice vinegar, red pepper flake and spring onion.

Ready for it's close-up, in all of it's baked glory.

The whole shebang, complete with 97% fat free hot dogs & 80-calorie buns. 

Plated slaw.

Clementine in the corner.

Local beer! And light!

What did you make for your Super Bowl feast? Did you participate in feasting? 

P.S. - HEY THERE to all my visitors from Taste of Pittsburgh! Welcome! Let me know what you think of my PGH Dining reviews!

Saturday in the Strip!

The last time Husband and I adventured to The Strip District here in Pittsburgh, aka the Strip, it was a mess. Too many people, too much pre-game hype and nowhere to walk but in the street. Saturday, we decided to go back, mainly because we felt we needed xiaoxing wine, and knew we could get it there. {Backstory: We'd recently watched a show on the Cooking Channel called Easy Chinese: San Francisco, and the host, Ching-He Huang, uses this rice wine in most recipes she makes.} After gathering a list of things we needed for the week, we decided to do our grocery shopping there, too. You can get everything in the Strip!

Our first stop was to Wing Fat Hong, at the eastern end of the Strip. 

Bags of rice in the window, stacked high.

We walked in and stared at all they had to offer. Tons and tons of asian ingredients, spices, oils, sauces, vinegars, fresh vegetables, fish, candies, etc. We went crazy! A few of the staff spoke English, and were nice enough to answer our questions.  I felt a little odd trying to take photos inside, so just I snapped a quick one of the fresh persimmons near the checkout counter. 

Someone I know bakes the {BEST} cookies from these beauties.

Husband holding our box of spoils from WFH.

We then ambled down Penn Ave. towards S&D Polish Deli for a pierogi pitstop. On his first visit out here, Husband had tried a 'pierogi' from a chain grocer. His resulting report wasn't good, and I told him we'd have a do-over with a homemade one from a cart or in the Strip. We ordered the potato and cheddar ones, served with buttery onions on top. YUM!

We also ordered  potato pancakes {can you tell we like potatoes?}, and two small candies. 

These pancakes were served with granulated sugar and sour cream. I chose the sour cream and my sweet tooth Husband had a few bites with the sugar.

Hazelnut for him, cherry for me.

Despite his face, he liked the chocolate. Mine was filled with cherry liquor, and I was surprised when I bit into it. Hello, alcohol!

Before leaving S&D, I spied my favorite mustard, and snapped one up. You could find this mustard in Dallas at the European Market on Forest Lane next to Asian Mint. I was thrilled to find this cute barrel of mustard here, too! {Warning, it's a bit too spicy for some.}

We looked around the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, Wholey's, Stan's Market, Reyna Foods, and other shops before heading home with our haul. Take a look!

Box from Wing Fat.

WFH items laid out nicely. All of this for $30!

Look at the prices!

Husband {HAD} to have candy and Pocky. Also, some MSG.

Stan's Market items, all for less than $6!

Items from the Penn Macaroni Company, including fresh rosemary pasta!

Finally, Husband bought a piece of kitchen equipment from In The Kitchen he's been wanting for what seems like our whole marriage: a food mill. Not a potato ricer, but a food mill. Usually these cost somewhere between $60-$150, depending on quality and size. We scored this one that was used in a demo for $20! It's smaller than those massive restaurant-sized ones, so it's perfect for our two-person family. 

 That night, we had a delicious meal of rosemary pasta dressed with olive oil and parmesan shavings, spinach salad, this go-to garlic herb bread and grilled lemon chicken. All from the Strip! It was a definite win this time around.

I hope you had a great weekend, too! 

P.S. - Don't forget to vote in the poll! Vote for your favorite types of posts before the poll closes on January 31.


P.P.S. - Have you liked {A Dash of Spectacular} on Facebook yet? You can get all the updates on posts and new photos while checking in on your friends & family! I did not say stalking. :)