Mom's Chile

2 lbs. lean ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, sliced

1 quart of bottled tomatoes or 3 cans of canned tomatoes 

1 c. water

2 T. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 T. mustard

1 T. worcestershire sauce

2 16-oz cans kidney beans

In a soup pot, brown the beef, garlic and onions.  Add peppers, tomatoes, water and seasonings, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse kidney beans and add to mixture.  Simmer for another 15 minutes and serve. This picture shows a thicker chili than my recipe.  My chili is more soupy.

Mom's Clam Chowder

Saute' in about 1 Tbsp oil:

1 c. onions, finely chopped

1 c. finely diced celery

2 c. very finely diced potatoes

optional - 1 c. green peppers

Pour juice from two cans clams (6 1/2 oz.) and enough water to slightly cover the vegies.

Add to the water/clam juice/vegies:

3/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

3/4 - 1 tsp. salt

3/4 Tbsp. whole thyme

6 bay leaves

Cook the above ingredients over medium heat until barely tender.

In a separate pan, melt:

3/4 c. butter

Add and blend:

3/4 c. flour

Cook the butter and flour stirring constantly. 

Add and stir with wire whip until smooth and thick (this is very important):

1 qt. half-half cream (sometimes I use milk when I feel like "low cal"!)

Add undrained vegetables and clams to the rue.  

Add:

2 Tbsp. red vinegar (you can use more or less vinegar or cider vinegar)

1 tsp. tabasco

salt and pepper - if you need it

Enjoy!! 

Lentil Soup

1/2 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

7 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 c. dried brown lentils

1 onion, chopped 

2 potatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes

1/4 tsp. celery seeds

1 tsp. cumin 

salt and pepper to taste

Saute' bacon in soup pot until crisp.  Remove crisp bacon with slotted spoon.  Discard all but about 1/4 c. of bacon grease.  Saute' all vegetables in bacon grease until tender, about 25 minutes.  Add chicken broth, stewed tomatoes and spices and mix.  Add lentils and bring to boil then turn down to simmer for about an hour.  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking on bottom.

Stuffed Vegie Mushrooms

30 medium size washed, stems removed mushrooms

chop up and saute in a little butter:

mushroom stems

2 stalks celery

onion

Add:

4 oz. cream cheese.

Stir.

Add:

1 cup prepared stovetop stuffing

1 tsp. lemon juice

Stuff the mushrooms.  Put on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Shrimp Cocktail

Raw frozen shrimp or fresh shrimp slightly cooked.  Remove tails and shell.

Diced celery

Dressing:

Makes 2 cups

1 1/2 c. ketchup

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 T. horseradish

1 tsp. salt

Mix.  Put over cut-up celery and shrimp.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

Spinach and/or Red Leaf Lettuce

Dried cranberries

1 can Mandarin oranges

Feta cheese

Slivered almonds

Dressing:

4 T. red raspberry vinegar

1/2 c. oil

4 T. sugar

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

or Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

Salad de Maison

Juice of one lemon

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3/4 c. oil

1/4 lb. bacon, diced

2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c. coarsely grated Swiss cheese

2/3 c. slivered almonds, toasted

1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 heads romaine lettuce, torn in small pieces

1 c. croutons

Make dressing.  Combine lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper,  beating continuously with a fork, slowly add vegetable oil in a stream.  Let stand three hours.  Saute diced bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.  In a salad bowl, combine romaine lettuce, tomatoes, swiss cheese, almonds and bacon.  Toss with dressing, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, Garnish with croutons.  Yield 8 servings.

Greek Salad

Romaine lettuce

black/greek olives

purple onion

chickpeas
cherry tomatoes

thin sliced parmigiano reggiano cheese

Dressing:

Squeeze fresh lemon on salad.  Pour on extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle fresh ground salt and pepper. Lay sliced cheese on top.

Poppy Seed Dressing, Lettuce-Fruit Salad

1/4 c. raspberry vinegar - blueberry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

2/3 c. oil

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

1 T red onion

1-2 T. poppy seeds

Salad Idea:

Spinach

Romaine

feta

grapes

apples

celery

dried apricots

raspberries

sugared almonds or pecans

jicama

craisins

Balsamic Salad Dressing

Whisk:

4 T. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. sugar

garlic

While whisking add:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

Benihana Salad and Dressing

1/2 c. onion

2 T. ginger root

2 tsp. lemons (use juice and peel)

2 T. fresh celery

1/3 c. rice vinegar

4 tsp soy sauce

1/2 c. salad oil (olive, peanut, and or flax)

2 T. ketchup

2 T. water

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 apple (opt.)

For the Salad:
lettuce - a combination of Romaine, Head, and Leaf
Sliced cucumbers
Shredded carrots
Sliced radishes (opt.)
Sliced celery (opt.)
Purple onion rounds

Southern Ham and Grits Brunch Bake

12 servings

4 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1 c. quick grits

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 1/2 cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 eggs

1/2 to 1 pound ham, chopped

8 eggs

1 c. half and half

1 1/2 c. finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

Bring the water to a boil; add the salt and whisk in the grits.  Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grits are smooth and thick.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter and 1/2 of the cheese; continue stirring until both have melted.  Whisk in the 4 eggs.  Pour into a well-greased 2 quart casserole dish, smooth out and sprinkle with the ham.  The casserole can be done to this point up to 4 days ahead.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Whisk the remaining 8 eggs and half and half together, pour over the ham and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees 45-50 minutes or until the cheese on top is lightly browned and the egg layer is set.  Serve with fresh hot biscuits.

Winter Fruit Salad

2 fresh pears, cored and sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced

2 red skinned, cored and sliced apples

1 qt. strawberries, rinsed, hulled and halved

4 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced

2 c. seedless grapes (red and/or green) rinsed and drained

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

16 oz. vanilla or lemon yogurt

1 c. sour cream

2 c. coarsely broken amaretti or "Mothers" macaroon cookies

In a very large bowl, gently stir together the pears, apples, strawberries, kiwi fruit, grapes, and oranges.  In another bowl, stir together the yogurt and sour cream. 

In a 3 quart serving bowl, place 1/2 cup of the broken cookies.  Spoon 1/4 of the fruit mixture on top.  cover with 1/4 of the yogurt mixture.

Repeat, layering the cookies, fruit, and yogurt mixtures.  Garnish with additional broken cookies, if desired.  Serve within 2 hours.

Bowtie Pasta Salad

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 12 oz. package bowtie pasta

1 bunch green onions

1 box/bag of fresh baby spinach

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1/2 c. sugared almonds (see recipe on blog)

Grill chicken breast.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper before grilling or after.  Dice chicken.  Cook pasta.  Mix everything together.

Dressing:

1/4 c. sesame seeds

1/4 c. parsley (fresh)

1/2 c. oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 c. red wine vinegar

1/3 c. soy sauce

3 T. sugar

Stuffing

3/4 c. chopped onion

1 1/2 c. celery

1 c. butter

9 c. soft bread crumbs

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. sage leaves crushed

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all together and stuff turkey, chicken or pork chops.  If the bread crumbs are dry, you will want to add a very little bit of water.  If you add too much the dressing will be soggy.

Timetable for roasting turkey at 325 degrees:

6-8 lbs.   3        - 3 1/2 hours

8-12 lbs. 3 1/2 - 4 1/2

12-16 lbs. 4 1/2 - 5 1/2

16-20 lbs. 5 1/2 - 6 1/2

20-24 lbs.  6 1/2 - 7 

Apricot Chicken Or Russian Chicken

Mix:

1 package Lipton Onion Soup

1 small jar apricot jam

1 bottle Russian Salad Dressing (Italian or Green Goddess can be used too)

Pour over:

Chicken breasts

Cook in a crock pot all day or in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.  

Rhubarb Pie

1 unbaked pie shell

Mix together:

6 cups rhubarb

1 3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. flour

3 T. butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Put rhubarb mixture in pie shell.  Dot butter on top of rhubarb.  Put top crust on.  Put foil on edges.  Bake for 40-50 minutes.  Take foil off the last 15 minutes.

Apple Pie

8" pie

1/2 c. sugar (I use less)

3 T. flour

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

dash salt

5 c. thinly sliced apples

1 T. butter

9" pie

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

dash salt

6 cups thinly sliced apples

2 T. butter

10" pie

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. flour

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

dash salt

8 cups thinly sliced apples

3 T. butter

Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.  Mix with apples.  Put in uncooked pie shell.  Dot with butter.  Put on top pie crust.  Pinch edges together using a little water to help seal the two crusts.  Slit top.  Cover edge with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown.

French Apple Pie

1 cup flour, 1/2 c. firm butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar.  Mix.  Sprinkle on top of sliced apples. Omit top pie crust. Bake 50 minutes.  Cover the top if it browns too quickly.

Brittney's Fresh Peach Pie

1 baked pie shell

Mix:

5-7 sliced large peaches

a little bit of sugar or agave nectar

a little bit of nutmeg

Pour peach mixture into pie shell.  Dollop with a little bit of whipped cream.

Fresh Peach Pie

1 unbaked pie shell

Slice 3-5 large peaches.  Mash 2 peaches with 1/2 c. sugar (this is reduced from originally 1 c.). Mix 3 T. cornstarch with under 1/2 c. water.  Add to mashed peaches.  Cook 5 min. until boils and thickens.  Take off heat.  Add 2 T. butter.  Cool a little. Add 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring.  Heap peaches into cooked pie crust  Pour sauce over.  Chill. Dollop with whipped cream. 

Strawberry or Raspberry Pie

1 baked pie shell

4 c. fresh berries

1 c. (I use less) sugar

1/2 c. boiling water

1/3 tsp. salt

1 T. lemon juice

2 T. cold water

2 T. flour

little bit of butter

Boil sugar, 1/2 c. water, and 1 c. crushed berries for 5 minutes.  Add flour mixed with cold water, salt, lemon juice.  Boil 5 minutes over low heat, add a little butter.  Pour over 3 cups of berries that have been spread in pie shell.  Serve with whipped cream.

Cream Pie - Banana, Chocolate, Coconut

1 baked pie shell
Mix together in a saucepan:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups milk
Stir constantly with a wire whip until it comes to a boil.  Slowly add a little of the hot mixture to 4 slightly beaten eggs yolks until the eggs become hot. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
Add:

2 T. butter softened

1 T. vanilla
Cool and then pour into the baked pie shell.

For banana:
 Put 2 - 3 large sliced bananas in the pie shell and then pour the cool cream mixture on top of the bananas. Top with whipped cream. Eat and enjoy!!

For chocolate:

Increase sugar to 1 cup and cornstarch to 1/3 cup.  omit butter.  Stir in 2 oz. of melted unsweetened chocolate with vanilla. Cool and then put in pie shell. Top with whipped cream. Yumm!!

For coconut:

Decrease vanilla to 2 tsp.  Stir in 3/4 cup coconut and 1/4 cup on top of whipped cream.

(Since we don't like things as sweet as the original recipes call for, this recipe's sugar measurement has been reduced from originally 2/3 c. of sugar to 1/2 c.  and the chocolate recipe was reduced from 1 1/2 c. to 1 c.  You may even want to reduce it more.) Tasty!!

Pumpkin Pie

Mix in order listed:

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 c. pumpkin

3/4 c. sugar (I usually use a little less)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 2/3 c. (1 can) evaporated milk or light cream

Pour pumpkin mixture into 1 unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Test with a knife to check doneness.  Eat hot or cold with a dollop of whipped cream.

Pie Shell/Crust

8" one crust pie

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. + 1 T. shortening

2-3 T. ice cold water

10" one-crust pie

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. shortening

3-4 T. ice cold water

8" or 9" two-crust pie

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2/3 c. + 2 T. shortening

4-5 T. ice cold water

10" two-crust pie

2 2/3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 c. shortening

7-8 T. ice cold water

Mix the flour, salt, and shortening to cornmeal like consistency.  Add the ice cold water at once. Do not over mix it.  Lay it out on floured surface trying not to touch it too much.  Roll out flat and put into pie pan.  

For a baked pie shell, bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.  For an unbaked pie shell, follow the pie recipe instructions.

Pie Crust

8" one crust pie

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. + 1 T. shortening

2-3 T. ice cold water

10" one-crust pie

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. shortening

3-4 T. ice cold water

8" or 9" two-crust pie

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2/3 c. + 2 T. shortening

4-5 T. ice cold water

10" two-crust pie

2 2/3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 c. shortening

7-8 T. ice cold water

Mix the flour, salt, and shortening to cornmeal like consistency.  Add the ice cold water at once. Do not over mix it.  Lay it out on floured surface trying not to touch it too much.  Roll out flat and put into pie pan.  

For a baked pie shell, bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.  For an unbaked pie shell, follow the pie recipe instructions.

Mom's Spicy Dill Pickles

1 bushel of cucumbers makes about 40-45 quarts

45 cloves of garlic

45 jalapeno peppers

45 red peppers

45 sprigs of dill

Brine:

2 1/2 qts. (10 cups) water

1 1/2 qts. (6 cups) vinegar

1 c. pickling salt (I use Real Salt)

(You may need more brine to do 1 bushel of cukes than what this recipe calls for. So make sure you have at least one gallon of vinegar and extra salt on hand.)

Put garlic, peppers, dill & cukes in jar. Pour brine into each jar to the rim.

Add:

1/2 tsp. alum in each jar

Put hot lids on. Put out in the sun for 3 days, turning the jars each day. One of the days, turn the bottles upside down. After three days, bring them in, put them on your shelf and they will be ready to eat in three months.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 c. powdered (dry) milk

1 c. hot water

Blend with mixer.

Add:

2 c. sugar

2 T. butter

Combine well.  Refrigerate.  Makes 1 qt.

1 3/4 cup equals 1-14 oz. can.

Mom's Meat Loaf

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 c. bread crumbs

1 onion chopped fine

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper

Combine ingredients and place in greased loaf tin.

Mix:

1/2 can tomato sauce

1 c. water

2 T. prepared mustard

2 T. brown sugar

Pour over meat loaf.

Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or put in crock pot and cook for a few hours.

Cinco de Mayo Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean steak

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

flour tortillas

1 tsp. vegetable oil

2 cups onion, sliced

1 c. green, red, and yellow bell pepper strips

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

prepared salsa

guacamole

Directions:

Combine spice ingredients (cumin through red pepper) in a zip-top bag----seal and shake to combine.  Cut uncooked steak into thin strips and add to spice mix in plastic bag.  Shake to coat steak.

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-hi heat.  Add steak, onion, and bell peppers to skillet.  Cook 6 minutes or until steak is done; then remove from heat.

Heat the totillas.  Divide steak/onion/pepper mixture evenly among warm tortillas.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

(Darrell Welling's Black Bean Salsa makes an excellent side dish to these fajitas.)

Darrell Welling's Black Bean Salsa

1 15 oz. can black beans (drined)

1 11 oz. can corn

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbs. lime juice

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. pepper

dash garlic powder

1/2 small can green chilies

Tepanyaki

Thin sliced:

beef, pork, chicken

Pieces of:

fish, shrimp, scallops, etc.

Thin sliced:

onions, carrots, green peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, bean sprouts, leeks, squash

Oil or butter skillet or griddle at the table.  Put meat, fish, vegies on the grill individually so they cook evenly.  Turn them over to the other side when necessary.  Take off of griddle, dip in a soy sauce/lemon juice mixture or a soy sauce/daikon with red pepper mixture.  Eat and enjoy! 

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

fresh tomatoes, chopped

fresh basil, chopped

garlic, chopped

salt

pepper

virgin olive oil

Mix everything together.

Toast artisan bread.  Spread tomato mixture on top of toast.

Sushi Rice

Less-sweet sushi rice for nigiri-zushi, chirashi-zushi, gomaku-zushi

1/2 c. vinegar

2 T. sugar

2-3 tsp. salt

Dissolve sugar and salt in vinegar in pan, but do not boil.

Sweet sushi rice for inari-zushi, thick sushi rolls, chirashi-zushi

1/2 c. vinegar

4-5 T. sugar

2 -3 tsp. salt

Sweet-salty sushi rice for saba-zushi and sushi used to stuff such fish as horse mackerel and sweetfish.

1/2 c. vinegar

3 1/2 T. sugar

1 1/3 T. salt

Sushi rice slightly sweeter than that given above for use in pressed sushi, gold-wrapped sushi and so on.

1/2 cup vinegar

6 - 8 T. sugar

1 1/3 T. salt

Gomakuzushi (Salmon rice)

Cook rice for sushi.

Use "Sushinoko" or make it yourself. (See Sushi rice recipe)

Grilled, salted salmon broken into small pieces; set aside

Scrambled egg; set aside.

Toasted seaweed (nori), cut into strips; set aside.

Put rice in a bowl, add salmon and sprinkle in white toasted sesame seeds, mix together.  Layer scrambled egg on top, then seaweed.  Eat.

Katsudon

Ingredients:

Tonkatsu or Chickenkatsu

Saute:

Thin sliced onion

Julienne sliced carrots

Add:

1 cup water

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup mirin

Lay tonkatsu or chickenkatsu on top of vegies

Pour in:

3 beaten eggs all over the chicken and vegies

Put lid on pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Serve over rice.

Tonkatsu/Chickenkatsu

Pork steaks or chicken breasts

Dip meat in:

1. flour with salt and pepper

2. beaten egg

3. dried bread crumbs (Panko)

Deep fry until golden brown.  Serve with Tonkatsu sauce.  Yum!!  Is also good with rice, miso soup, cabbage salad and a vegie.

Rachelle's Asian Marinade Sauce

Soy sauce

Honey

Sake

Worcestershire sauce

Garlic

Ginger

Red chile paste

Mix them all together and marinade beef, chicken, or pork in it.  (Rachelle, you can put exact measurements in so we don't mess this up!!)

Homemade Flour Tortillas

8 cups flour

2 T. baking powder

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. shortening

2 1/2 to 3 cups hottest tap water

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut the shortening in as for pie.  Add enough water to make a medium stiff dough.  Cover with a damp cloth and let rest at least 15 minutes.  With thumb and first finger, squeeze small balls of dough.  Flatten each ball of dough, then roll to about 1/8" thick.  Place on a hot ungreased griddle and cook until brown on each side.  Stack in a dish towel.  If not serving immediately, place in a plastic bag to soften.

Bulgogi

1 1/4 pound thin sliced beef

4-5 T. soy sauce

3 T. sugar

3 T. sake

6 cloves of garlic

2 leeks

pepper

Marinate meat, sugar, and sake for 30 minutes, then add remaining ingredients.  Marinate a little longer.  Cook at the table on a griddle or on the stove in a fry pan in sesame oil.  Put the meat mixture on a lettuce leaf with hot sauce and or steamed spinach on it, then roll up and eat.

Robert Lopez Salsa

20 tomatoes, chopped

2 bunches of green onions, chopped

3 bell peppers, chopped

3 anaheim chilies, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 can jalapeno peppers

garlic - fresh or powder

salt

pepper

Gyoza (Pot stickers)

Mix in bowl:

1 lb. ground pork

1 head finely chopped Napa cabbage

1/2 tsp. garlic

1 bunch green onions

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 1/2 T. sesame oil

1 tsp. salt

2 T. soy sauce

1 1/2 T. sake

Put meat in gyoza wrappers.  Fry in a fry pan or on a flat griddle with a little bit of oil covering the surface.  Add enough water in the pan to half-cover the gyoza, cover with a lid and steam until the water is gone.  Let them fry for a few minutes so they get crispy on the bottom.  Remove from pan.  Eat plain or dip them in a soy sauce/lemon juice mixture with a few drops of Rayu oil in it.  Enjoy!

Yaokai (Chinese Chicken)

1 whole skinned chicken

1 c. water

2 c. soy sauce (you can use 1 c. Chinese soy sauce and 1 c. Japanese soy sauce for a different flavor.

I normally only use Japanese soy sauce.)

1 4-inch piece of leek

1 long chunk of ginger

1 stick cinnamon

1/2 or 3/4 c. sugar

1 star anise ("hakaku" in Japanese)

Boil chicken in flavorings for about 30-40 minutes on medium heat or put it in the crock pot for a few hours.

Eat it "Korean Yaki Nikku" style......put shredded chicken meat in lettuce leaf along with julienne cut cucumbers, celery, kaiware daikon, leek

Put Haisinjan sauce on it (Chinese barbecue sauce) 

Roll it up and eat it.

Rachelle's Teriyaki Sauce

Bring to a boil:

1 c. soy sauce

1 c. water

1 c. mirin

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. ginger

1 T. garlic

Add cornstarch/water mixture to thicken.  Use on any beef, chicken or fish.  Can add crushed chile peppers if you want to add a "bite" to it.

 

Scott's Homemade Marinara Sauce

Saute in pan:

4-5 cloves crushed garlic

1 onion, chopped

with about:

1/8 c. olive oil

1 T. sugar

splash of white cooking wine

Cook until onions are slightly tender.

Add:

3 cans tomatoes or 3 - 5 c. chopped fresh tomatoes

2 cans tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp. salt

pepper

2 - 3 T. of fresh basil

1 - 2 T. of fresh oregano
optional: a few red pepper flakes

Simmer as long as you want. Serve over pasta, spaghetti squash, or vegetables. You can use this with any Italian recipe as well as for pizza sauce.

Yummm!!!

*** For Canning***

For 20 LBS of tomatoes (half a bushel), times above recipe by about 10.
20 lbs of tomatoes gives you between 45-50 cups of finely diced tomatoes.
I like to peel my tomatoes. to do so, just add to really hot water (not yet boiling) for about 1 -2 min.
To make the tomatoes more acidic, add 2 T. of bottled lemon juice per batch.  If I had 10 batches, I would add 20 T. of lemon juice.
Pour sauce in hot bottles and process for 45 min. in hot water bath.
You will get about 18 quarts from 20 lbs of tomatoes.

Notes:

I like it better w/o skin.
Have as big of pots as you can for simmering.
For ease of pouring the marinara into the bottles, a funnel is very helpful.

Aug 2015: I did 60 lb of tomatoes which gave me 28 quarts of sauce (because that's all that could fit in my 2 pots) plus 7 pints of diced tomatoes.

Empanadas

Meat mixture:

1 lb. ground beef

2 c. stewed or bottled tomatoes (tomatoes with diced green chile is good too!)

1 c. tomato sauce

Optional: sliced mushrooms, green pepper, onions, green chile and/or shredded carrots (I use any or all) 

salt

pepper

Brown ground beef, pour out fat, add other ingredients.  Cook for at least 5 minutes.  I usually cook it a little longer so the flavors can mix together and it cooks while I make the bread mixture.

Bread mixture:

4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 T. baking powder

1 cube butter (1/2 cup)

1 egg

3/4 - 1 c. water

Cut butter into flour mixture.  Add egg.  Add water.  Mix.  Roll out on a flat surface.  Cut out circles (I use the rim of a rice bowl as my measurement.)  Put meat mixture in the center of circle and fold dough in half creating a half circle.  Rub a little bit of water on one edge and seal edges together.  Deep fry until golden brown.  Eat hot with left over sauce from meat mixture.  (I just add a little bit of a cornstarch/water mixture to the sauce to slightly thicken it.  It is great with the empanadas.) You can also dip it in ketchup or any kind of salsa.

Nikku Maun

Bread Ingredients: (1 cup = 200 cc, which is a little less than 1 American cup)

4 cups flour (a little less flour than 4 American cups)

2 T. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 T. oil

1 T. dry yeast

1 1/2 T. baking powder

210-220 cc. or 1 3/4 American cup water

Mix all of the above ingredients together at one time.  Knead.  Let dough sit while you make filling.

Filling:

1 lb. ground beef hamburger 

1 onion - chopped

1 T. sesame oil

1 or 2 bulbs of grated garlic
About 1/2 - 1 inch of fresh grated ginger
Soy sauce, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, mirin, and sake to taste.

Shitake mushroom (If using dried shiitake, soak in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften it, then chop it up. You can pour some of the shiitake water into the meat mixture to give it some extra flavor.)
Napa Cabbage
Carrot
Bean sprouts (if desired)

Instructions:

Cook meat mixture in skillet.

For making the nikki maun, you can do #1 or #2, which ever is easiest for you.

1.  Form dough into a ball, flatten dough out, spoon meat into dough, enclose the meat inside the dough by making a ball about the size of a softball or smaller.

2.  Roll half the dough on to your counter as if you were making sugar cookies. Get a round cookie cutter or form such as a small bowl or glass. Use it like a cookie cutter and cut out round pieces of dough. Remove one of the round dough shapes from the group, and roll it out flatter than it is. Put the meat in the center of the dough and enclose the meat by bringing the edges up and squeezing them together to form a ball.

Put each of the meat/bread balls on a small, square piece of paper just a little larger than the size of the ball to allow them to raise for about 15 minutes and then for them to steam without sticking to the bottom of the steamer.
 Repeat the above step with each of the dough circles.

Steam the buns in a stove top steamer for about 10-15 minutes.
Eat and enjoy!

Cafe Rio Green Salad Dressing

Buttermilk ranch dressing from packet mixed. Add to mixture 1 to 2 tomatillos, cayenne to taste, handful of cilantro. Blend all together.

Jicama Orange Burst Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 c. oil (I use flax and or extra virgin light olive oil)

1 T. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt (I normally use the Real Salt)

1/2 tsp. seasoned pepper (I normally use fresh ground pepper)

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Lettuce

3 med. navel oranges, peeled and sectioned

3 sm. jicama, peeled and julienne-cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1/4 c. diced red onion

Preparation and Serving:

In medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt, pepper and mustard; blend well. Refrigerate. On bed of lettuce, arrange orange sections. Jicama and green and red onions. Drizzle dressing over salad. Makes 1 1/4 cups. Serve with any grilled entree.

Teriyaki Salmon with Mango Salsa

Teriyaki Marinade:

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. water

3 T. mirin (sweet rice wine)

2 T. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger

3 pounds salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 6-8 equal portions, each about 4 inches square

Salsa:

2 cups diced fresh pineapple

1 c. chopped English cucumber

1/2 c. red onion

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

1 tsp. hot sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

Teriyaki marinade: Combine soy sauce, water, mirin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, garlic and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat.  cook, stirring occasionally , until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 3 minutes.  Remove fromheat and set aside to cool completely.

Place salmon fillets in a 1 gallon lock-top plastic bag or in a shallow dish; add marinade, coating all sides well.  Squeeze all the air out of the bag or cover the dish.  Refrigerate 1-4 hours. 

Salsa: Combine mango and the remaining ingredients.

Heat grill to medium-high and coat with nonstick cooking spray.  Lay salmon on barbecue. Close and cook for 4-5 minutes until sear marks are visible. Rotate 45 degrees and repeat.  Flip salmon when criss-cross pattern is visible.  Cook until firm and done.

Serve teriyaki salmon topped with the salsa.

Miso Broiled Tuna/Salmon

1/4 c. miso

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. rice vinegar (seasoned)

2 tsp. fresh grated ginger

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tuna or salmon steaks

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Preheat broiler.  Grease rack in broiling pan or you can grill the fish.

2. In small bowl, mix miso sugar, vinegar, ginger, and garlic.   Set aside.

3. Broil fish 4 minutes at closest position in oven.  Remove.  Spread 1/2 of miso mixture on fish; broil one minute.

4. Remove pan from broiler, turn fish over and spread with remaining miso.  Broil fish 3-4 minutes longer until miso is bubbly and fish is opaque.  Sprinkle with green onion.

Spaetzle

Basic dough:

2 cups flour

6 eggs

1 tsp. salt

or compared with:

300 grams flour

7-9 eggs

2 tsp. salt

Mix with dough hooks for about 15 minutes until smooth, a little sticky and small air bubbles occur.

Boil salted water. Wet spatzle maker.  Drop a glob of dough into spatzle maker and squeeze over boiling water.  Water will stop boiling.  When it resumes boiling (about 2 minutes) noodles are done.  Remove noodles from water and drain in colander.  Rinse with warm water and drain again. ( ** I have never rinsed and drained them before.) Put noodles in buttered pyrex dish.  Sprinkle noodles with Italian seasoning and swiss cheese.  Repeat layering process until the dough is gone.  Bake in 350 degree oven for a few minutes (15 or so) to heat thoroughly.  Serve hot.  

Can fry leftovers in butter.  Yummy!

Other Serving Suggestions:

1.  Serve plain or with butter as a side dish with meat.

2.  Serve with gravy over the top.

3.  Make a quick casserole with the noodles.  (Can add onions to the cheese, spice, layering)