Tuesday, August 28, 2012

mediterranean pasta


Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta
  • 3 slices bacon
  • 1 pound boneless chicken breast half, cooked and diced
  • salt to taste
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2/3 cup pitted black olives
  • 1 (6 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
  2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
  3. Season chicken with salt. Stir chicken with bacon in a large skillet or saucepan. Add tomatoes and rosemary, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in feta cheese, olives and artichoke hearts and cook until heated through. Toss with fresh cooked pasta and serve warm. Garnished with extra feta if desired.

honey black pepper chicken


Ingredients

  • 8 chicken wings
  • 2 red onions, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 slice fresh ginger root, minced
  • water as needed
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 slice fresh ginger root, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 10 black peppercorns, coarsely ground
  • 4 cups oil for deep frying

methods:

  1. Place wings in a nonporous glass dish or bowl. Blend onions, 4 cloves garlic and 1 slice ginger in a blender, adding water as needed to dilute; rub this mixture into the chicken pieces.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, wine, oyster sauce, lemon juice, honey and salt. Mix well, then stir in 1 slice ginger, 4 cloves garlic and ground peppercorns. Add mixture to chicken and turn to coat; cover dish and refrigerate to marinate for about 30 minutes.
  3. Heat oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer; fry chicken in hot oil for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

mushroom spinach omelet



Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) carton liquid egg substitute
  • 1 tablespoon shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach, or more to taste

methods:

  1. Whisk egg substitute, Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.
  2. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms and onion until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook until spinach wilts, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in egg mixture; swirl pan around to evenly distribute egg mixture. Cook until egg is fully cooked and set in the middle, 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into wedges.

macaroni & cheese


ingredients:
-3 tablespoons uncooked macaroni pasta
-1 tablespoons butter
-1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 pinch of pepper
-1/8 teaspoon onion powder
-1/2 cup milk
-1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
-1 dash Worcestershire sauce
-1 dash hot sauce
-1 teaspoon bread crumbs
-1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese

method:
1.preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) . grease an oven-proof soup crock or 1 cup baking dish.
2.fill a small saucepan with water , and bring to a boil . stir in the macaroni; boil until cooked but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. drain well, and reserve
3.in the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, stir in the flour,salt,pepper,onion powder,and milk;whisk until smooth. cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. reduce heat to low, and whisk in 1/3 cup cheese,mustard,Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. stir in the cooked macaroni. spoon the macaroni and cheese into the prepared dish. sprinkle with bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese.
4.bake,uncovered,until the cheese is melted and the macaroni is heated through,about 10 minutes .

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

ice cream sandwich


ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) white granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups (2 pints) (950 ml) Ice Cream (Homemade or Store Bought), slightly softened - see what happens in step 6 if you let it get too melty!!
  • 10 x 15 inch (25 x 38 cm) rimmed baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
method

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

The first time I made this, I used parchment paper in a 10 x 15 inch (25 x 38 cm) baking pan. The second time, I slipped a silicone sheet (Sil-Pat) over a cookie tray and just spread the mixture on it carefully. Both methods worked, but I prefer the less hassle of the cookie sheet.



2.Chop up your butter and microwave it for 30 seconds to a minute.  Alternatively, melt it over low heat on the stove.   Stir stir stir, to make sure all of the butter is melted, but not boiling


3.In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar.

Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until combined and smooth.

4.Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  This is made easier by use of an offset spatula.  You don't need one, but they're pretty cheap, and I've been using mine far more than I thought I would!

Bake for about 10 minutes turning the pan around halfway through cooking, so one side doesn't get more brown than the other. The cake is done when it is dry to the touch and the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

5.Gently lift the cake onto a cutting board.

With a serrated knife, cut the cake in half crosswise.

Place one half of the cake, top side down, on a large piece of plastic wrap.

Spread with the softened ice cream, smoothing with a spatula.

Oh no! I left my ice cream out too long and it got too melty!  Do-over!

6.Starting with Step one, make another cake.  Now:

Gently lift the cake onto a cutting board.

With a serrated knife, cut the cake in half crosswise.

Place one half of the cake, top side down, on a large piece of plastic wrap.

Spread with the slightly softened ice cream, smoothing with a spatula.

Yeah!

Top with the remaining half of cake, top side up.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Place in the freezer until firm, about two hours or overnight if you have a will made of steel.
7.When the sandwiches have set up, remove the freezer, unwrap, and with a serrated knife, cut into rectangles or squares.  Or get a cookie cutter and cut them into fun shapes!  The excess will need to be devoured immediately, and no one needs to know of it.

If you don't eat them all at once, they can be wrapped in plastic individually and be stored in the freezer for up to one week.

Enjoy!

chawanmushi (crabmeat)


ingredients and equipment
  • 2.5-3 oz. (70-80g) chicken breast
  • about 1 tsp sake
  • about 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 4 small raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1 lily root (yuri-ne) (optional)
  • 12 stalks trefoil (or equivalent amount of young spinach or watercress)
  • 12-16 raw ginkgo nuts, shelled and peeled (if available)
  • 4 raw chestnuts, peeled and sliced
  • Custard:
    • 4 medium eggs
    • 2 1/2 cups dashi or light chicken stock
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp mirin
    • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
method

1.To prepare: Prepare all the solid ingredients first.
2.Cut chicken breast into 1/2-inch (15mm) morsels. Marinate in a scant amount of sake and light soy sauce for about 15 minutes. Drain; discard marinade.
3.Blanch shrimp in hot water for 30 seconds, remove, and pat dry. Leave whole, but if very large, slit half-open down the belly, press out flat, and cut in half crosswise.
4.Lily root is worth trying if you can find it. Its shape is somewhat like a flattened garlic bulb, but its flavor is mild and it has a pleasant, delicate texture. Separate bulb into segments and parboil gently in lightly salted water for 4-5 minutes. Drain. Wash trefoil or other greens, pat dry, and chop coarsely.
5.Shell and peel ginkgo nuts and use whole, if you are able to find fresh ones. Peel and slice chestnuts.
6.To assemble, steam and serve: Beat eggs in a medium-sized bowl. In another bowl mix the room-temperature dashi, salt, mirin, and light soy sauce. This recipe is one in which chicken stock is as good as dashi, not just a substitute. Pour stock mixture in a thin stream into beaten egg. Mix well, but do not beat. The surface of the mixture should be free of bubbles or foam. Strain. The seasoned stock mixture should be 3 times the volume of beaten egg, so apply this ratio of 3:1 in adjusting this recipe to the number of diners.
7.Divide the prepared solid ingredients between 4 cups, except for chopped trefoil or greens. Ladle the egg stock mixture into the cups, filling them to about 1/2 inch (15mm) from the top. Add chopped greens.
8.Cover each cup with plastic wrap or foil and set in a hot steamer. Cover steamer and steam over medium heat for 20 minutes, or place foil-covered cups in a bain-marie and cook in a preheated 425° F/ 220° C oven for 30 minutes.
9.The chawan-mushi is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The custard should be set but still jiggle freely. The volume of the custard will not increase much. It is overdone if the top is pocked or cracked and tough looking.
10.Serve hot or chilled and eat with a spoon and chopsticks. If you intend to serve chilled chawan-mushi, omit the chicken, which might develop an odor in refrigeration.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

whippee ripple strawberry cake

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package strawberry cake mix
  • 3 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 package strawberry frosting mix
  • 1 tablespoon water
equipment
-oven
-baking pan
-cups
-tablespoon

method
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking pan.
  2. Blend together cake mix, egg whites, 2 cups whipped topping and 1 cup of water. Pour 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the dry frosting mix over batter. Spread remaining batter over frosting mix.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool then frost with Strawberry Frosting.
  4. To Make Frosting: Blend remaining frosting mix with remaining whipped topping and 1 tablespoon water until easy to spread. Frost cooled cake in pan. If desired you can add 1/2 cup strawberry slices, fresh or frozen (drained) to the prepared frosting.