Product Rave!

I've never really been a fan of processed teriyaki sauces. To me they're just way to salty and leave a lot to be desired in the flavor department. Awhile back someone was telling me they felt the same way, until they discovered Soy Vay's Island Teriyaki sauce. Not exactly your typical teriyaki sauce, it's pretty much exactly as described - your basic teriyaki sauce with a touch of Hawaii thrown in. And let me tell you it's delicous, I could eat it on everything! It's perfect as a marinade for just about any meat or vegetable and would also make a delicious dipping sauce. We finished off our bottle earlier this week and I'm going to need to add it to the grocery list, it's perfect for summer grilling!

For recipes using this delicous sauce check out the following (I've only done a version of one of them, but the rest sound delicious!) -

Soy Vay Recipes - recipes for all of their products

Magic Meatloaf - this sounds delicious!

Stir Fry Soba Noodles

Pad Thai

Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs - I've done a version of this recipe before, very good!

Photo obtained from Soy Vay.

M&M Cookies

These cookies are good! Nice and soft, with just the right amount of sweetness. Not that I didn't think they would be, but I've had my fair share of bad M&M cookies - you know the type, they show up every Christmas and would in a pinch make perfect hockey pucks. I personally don't like M&M cookie recipes that call for a cup or more of shortening, so when I saw this recipe and remembered my leftover bag of M&M's from my baby shower, I knew I needed to try them. The addition of pecans to this recipe was really nice, though any sort of nut would work. The goal is to freeze these cookies for a quick snack once the baby arrives, though I'm not going to hold my breath that half of the batch doesn't make it to the freezer! Especially considering I've already eaten four, but really that's only two for me and two for the baby!


M&M Cookies

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. M&M's, divided

1 c. chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.

3. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3/4 c. M&M's and all the nuts.

4. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Press 5-6 of remaining M&M's on each cookie before baking. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies (depending on cookie size)

Source: Beantown Baker (via Delish via The Cookie Bible)

My thoughts: Initially the batter is pretty dry, but don't worry - when you add the eggs it makes it easier to mix. Adding 5-6 additional M&M's to the top of the cookies seemed like a lot to me, but the cookies spread out some, so it's really not a lot and you could probably add even more if you have them. I didn't quite have the 1 1/3 c. of M&M's called for, so they're a little skimpy - but still delicious! My cookies baked for closer to 13 minutes, again all ovens are different so just watch them - you could be under or over the estimated time.

White Bean and Sausage Rigatoni

I've had this recipe saved for quite awhile and I'm really glad I got around to finally trying it. The dish comes together really quickly and makes an excellent and quick week night meal. This isn't your typical sauce & noodles dish, so if you're looking for more sauce you'll want to add more tomatoes. While it was cooking it reminded me more of a stew, which you could easily adapt the recipe into. I really enjoyed the flavor profile, despite the fact that I got a little heavy handed with the pasta and added way to much!

Just saw an updated version of this recipe on BHG's website which adds spinach and some more liquid to the original recipe. While I really liked the flavors in the original recipe, I think the addition of spinach as well as chicken broth and tomato paste would make it even better. Try it either way.



White Bean and Sausage Rigatoni

8oz. dried rigatoni (2 cups)
1 15oz. can white kidney (cannellini), Great Northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. cooked smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 c. snipped fresh basil
1/4 c. finely shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese (1 oz.)


1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return pasta to saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine beans, undrained tomatoes, and sausage. Cook and stir until heated through. Add bean mixture and basil to pasta; stir gently to combine. To serve, sprinkle each serving with Asiago cheese.

Yield: 4 servings
Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Nutritional Information (per serving): 399 calories, 8 g. total fat (3 g. sat. fat), 36 mg chol., 813 mg. sodium, 64 g. carbo., 7 g. fiber, 23 g. protein

Thoughts: Any tube shaped or larger ridged pasta will work, I used a combination of rotini and fusilli. I used a pound of lite smoked sausage, again either sausage or kielbasa would work fine. I added one 28 oz. can of stewed tomatoes, chopped them up a bit in the skillet and added dried basil, oregano and garlic. Obviously fresh herbs would have been better, but don't stress about it and just use what you have - it still came out delicious.