Homemade Hibachi "White Sauce"

I really debated on whether or not to post this. My nostalgia for the town where I grew up won, so here we go.

I imagine most of you have been to a hibachi restaurant. The places where the crazy chefs cook the food in front of you and almost light you on fire? These places are amazing (well, not in North Carolina, but the ones in Florida are amazing).

ANYWAY, one of the key parts about eating hibachi is dumping the mysterious "white sauce" all over your food. You try really really hard not to think about what this white sauce is made of because it makes your food taste amazing.

I made the white sauce. It's as bizarre as you think.

Now that I'm gluten intolerant, I can't eat at the hibachi place because they put soy sauce on everything and soy sauce has gluten (why??). Sad for me.

BUT, we can make our own hibachi at home. The first time we did this it was fantastic, but it was missing something.

Freaking white sauce.

I went a hunt for a recipe. I tried several. The one that tasted the most legitimate was this one I found on this absolutely sketchy message board. You have to click this link. The guy tells a story about sitting at a bar with a Japanese chef…so weird. But it works.

It's legitimately good. BUT, you have to get over the fact that you are pouring mayonnaise on your rice. YOUR RICE!!! WHY DO WE DO THIS?!

I had to share for all the fans out there. Throw it on some stir fry or whatever you want.

Here's what you need (adapted from this sketchy message board) . . .

1 1/4 cup of mayo (I used Kraft made with olive oil)
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne

Here's what you do . . .

1. Well, it's a sauce. So . . . you mix all these things together. Blend it in a food processor or stir with a whisk. LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT. It tastes WAY better overnight.

2. Pour it on whatever you want, try not think about it, and enjoy.

Like I said, weird post. I had some on the side with sautéed fried rice, grilled shrimp, and sautéed zucchini/onion (see the fried rice link above).

Don't judge me for this one. You know you've asked for extra cups of the sauce when you box up your leftovers at the hibachi place!!!

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Random Thought Thursday

Oooh. I like the way "Random Thought Thursday" sounds. Perhaps this will be my random thought day? We'll see.

1. Trader Joe's knows the way to my heart. Cheese > chocolate.

2. I had a minor meltdown at the doctor's office last week because I had to have a flu shot and I am complete baby about shots. I force the nurse to tell me stories (not kidding) and not show me the needle.  Side note to Mimi (my grandma): do not Google flu shots. I already got one, it's too late.

Justin's famous homemade latte

3. I gave up coffee for Lent during what is turning out to be the worst semester of law school. I very quickly regretted this decision, but I'm obviously sticking with this because I'm insanely stubborn.

4. I have the most fantastic friends in the world. I had a pick-me-up convo with a friend last week that made life all better, and I got a super positive e-mail from Beth a couple days ago (I'm still blogging for her! See it here!).

5. Speaking of amazing friends, one of my BFFs, Laura, solved my cork problem with the super thoughtful gift seen above. Girl is getting MARRIED in less than 3 weeks and she's sending ME gifts. Is there an award for most fantastic bride ever? Because she wins. I'm trying to find the perfect spot on the wall to hang it.

Want one? Find it at Target

. . . those are all my corks. 6 years worth of cork collecting. Some people collect useful things, but me? I collect corks. FYI, they smell.

7. I've been hunting for a formal gown for the last few weeks for no reason except I've convinced myself that there will be some last minute event that I need a formal dress for and . . . what if I don't own one?! Anyway, I was browsing some department store websites and some of these dresses have so many holes I think there is more skin than fabric. Am I just getting old or are these dresses really awful? There was even one that had a caption that said, "show a little side boob!" Can we all agree that NO ONE should show ANY side boob EVER? K, thanks.

8. Perry has a box and bag obsession, which I know is completely normal for a cat, but he got into that WET Trader Joe's cooler the other day…and just sat there. Why?! I think he's broken.

9. Justin made a deal with me this week that he will likely regret: When I get a real lawyer job, I get to buy these Tieks, which I have been lusting over for months. I had a lot of motivation before, but this is just icing on my cake. Anyone need a lawyer in D.C. or Baltimore? Here I am (almost)!

10. One of my favorite words that my friend Elizabeth introduced me to is Hangry (hang-gree). Hangry is when you are hungry and become angry. I get Hangry often and easily. I need to eat pretty frequently and I have no idea why. One of the worst things you can do when someone appears Hangry (JUSTIN): Ask in a soft tone, "hey…do you think you need to eat something?" NO I DO NOT. GO AWAY AND BRING ME BACK SOME ALMONDS.

11. Today marks the start of my very last Spring Break ever. I had a dream about a margarita last night. I'm clearly taking this well.

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Grilled Chicken and Caramelized Shallot Pasta

This is my 100th post on this blog. HAPPY BLOG BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! No, wait…that's not right. Anyway, Happy 100 Posts!!!

When I started this blog two years ago, I never thought I would make it this far. This has been such an outlet for me, so thanks for reading!

ONTO PASTA! I love goat cheese. I love all cheese, really, but goat cheese is fantastic because it's so low in fat. Low in fat = health food. Just kidding…

Anyway, this meal comes together very quickly. It's great for a weeknight. Don't let the small list of ingredients fool you - this is PACKED with delicious flavor. AND, bonus, it's actually quite low in calories for a pasta dish.

Here's what you need (slightly adapted from How Sweet Eats) . . .

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

Italian Seasoning

Adobo seasoning

1/2 pound of pasta (we used gluten free)

6 oz. goat cheese

2 medium shallots, sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp brown sugar

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbsp unsalted butter

4-5 basil leaves

Red pepper flakes*

*Leave them out if you don't like a hint of spice!

Here's what you do . . .

1. Cook your chicken however you want. We chose to grill it and Justin seasoned it evenly on both sides with Italian Seasoning and Adobo. You could also do salt, pepper and garlic powder, and you could also pan sear it. Or leave it out altogether. Your call! When it's done, slice into little bite-size pieces.

2. In a small pot, melt your butter. Stir continuously until you see little brown specks appear on the bottom. As soon as you see that, immediately take the butter off the heat and stir for 30 seconds more. Add your minced garlic to the butter, stir for 30 more seconds, then set aside. 

3. Prepare your pasta.

4. In a large pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and your shallots with the salt. Cook on low heat covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add your brown sugar, stir, and cook for an additional 5 minutes (still covered and stirring occasionally). 

5. Sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes over the shallots. Then, add pasta, brown butter/garlic, chicken, and goat cheese (crumbled) and stir to combine. Add basil leaves on top, serve, and enjoy!

Like I said, this is really loaded with flavor. Though it seems like a lot of steps (and pans), it's really simple and worth the extra dishes later. 

Have a wonderful week! Thanks for sticking with me this long :)

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