Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles with Veggies and Chicken

I don't know why I have waited so long to make this recipe. It is SO freaking good. I guess I thought that using spaghetti for anything other than Italian style recipes was kind of sacrilegious, but that was just crazy talk. I am hereby a complete convert in using semolina/durum flour pastas for everything... you know, because I really needed another excuse to eat more carbs. NOT. 

Crock Pot Pork Carnitas with a Copy Cat Chipotle Corn Salsa

First off, who gets colds in May? Seriously, like the connotation of the word "cold" would lead one to believe that they can actually happen any time and have absolutely nothing to do with the weather actually being cold, or the victim of said virus being cold, or having wet hair while going outside when it's cold, or really anything at all dealing with any definition of the word cold. Except when you can't breathe and you wish it were blustery and cold and windy so your sinuses would actually open up so when you speak your consonants don't all end with "d."

Soft Black Pepper Pretzels + Neighborhood Snapshots

A Pretzel Haiku:

Bread twist that is soft.

With salt, has the perfect taste.

How I love you so.

Did you know that Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry? I'm sure I learned that at some point in my high school English class, but since then those fun little facts have been pushed out of my brain to make room for non-fun adult type things, like bills and how to file taxes (without stabbing yourself in the eye repeatedly). Boo! Hiss!

Miso Shrimp with Sautéed Vegetables (Clean and potentially Paleo)

Y'all, it has been a whirlwind of a past few weeks! Not really anything different has happened, other than I feel like I have been going non-stop from the moment I wake up at 5 am to the second I pass out from exhaustion at 10:30 pm with barely even a chance to check my email. It's pretty much a miracle my teeth get brushed and the dog gets fed and I haven't yet left my keys in the freezer. In the meantime, fast but fresh dinners like this one have been absolutely imperative during this recent craziness. 

I'm sure things are picking up for many people around the country, now that things have thawed out across.... Wyoming? Seriously, in April there are still blizzards? Residents there might not think much of it, but considering here in Okinawa the only shoes I wear other than flip flops are rain boots, it's hard to imagine things being so cold for so long. 

If you've been itching to use your grill, go for it with this recipe! I can't really justify taking 15 minutes to preheat our sad, rusty grill that's weathered 6 pretty serious typhoons when I can go start to finish in the same 15 minutes on the stove. But for you people who have been snowed in the last 5 months, I encourage you to slather on that SPF 100+ and get outside and grill.

This recipe, in addition to being super speedy and delicious, completely encompasses the flavors of Japan. Miso, sake, and mirin, oh my! I love cooking with all three and they complement each other very, very well. If you happen to have some Japanese cucumbers and roasted sesame salad dressing lying around, extra brownie points to you! Otherwise pick your favorite green veggie as an additional side. 

Oh yeah... did I mention this is a CLEAN recipe? Depending on the rules of Paleo and how the spices/mirin/sake/miso play into them, it might even be completely Paleo as well.

You. Are. Welcome.

One Year Ago: Leftover Ham Pasta

Sautéed Vegetables

A Butter Than Toast original
Serves 2


1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1-2 large carrots, chopped
2 cups frozen cauliflower florets, thawed
1/2 cup shelled edamame
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon togarashi (or red pepper flakes)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large skillet, heat over medium-high heat. Add oil and let it warm until it shimmers. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce and spices- set aside. Add the onion and carrot, stirring often until slightly browned. Add cauliflower florets and edamame, sauté another 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the spice mixture, stir to coat all vegetables. Let thicken slightly, transfer to a bowl and set side.

Miso Shrimp

Slightly adapted from Steamy Kitchen


1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon white miso paste
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1-2 small cloves, grated or crushed)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot chili oil (optional)1 pound raw shrimp, shelled
Canola oil or non-stick spray

Combine all ingredients and marinate in a large bowl for about 10-15 minutes. 

(I prefer using a cast iron skillet, since I always have one sitting out ready to go and, for this recipe anyway, already used it for the veggies.)  

In a cast iron skillet, heat over medium-high heat, and add a couple squirts of canola oil or a few sprays of Pam to the pan. Let the oil/spray warm, but turn down the heat a bit if it starts to smoke. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the shrimp out of the marinade and spread them around the pan so they get nice and seared. Discard the leftover marinade. Cook about 2 minutes on each side, until pink throughout. Make sure to scrape up any browned bits (aka bits o' flavor) when serving the shrimp.

Serve hot with veggies and enjoy!

Quinoa Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

How difficult do you think it would be to trick an Oklahoma born & raised, red-blooded American man into absolutely loving a veggie burger? Yeah, I thought it was going to be tough as well, until I made these.

Leek Latkes

Passover (or as my friend Natalie says in Hebrew, 'Pesach') was this week, which means I heard the collective groan of my Jewish friends around the world as they refrained from eating leavened bread for 8 days. Many non-Jews in America don't really know much about Passover, (including myself!) other than it starts with a Seder in which matzo balls are involved. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke tout that the Seder that marked the start of Passover was also the Last Supper, which is pretty darn cool if it's true.