suzey'scook

Dora's Christmas Cookies

2010-01-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Dora's Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Mix together sugar, shortening or margarine, vanilla extract and almond extract Cream these together until light. Add eggs and beat well.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt ( use 1/2 teas. if using margarine). Add to sugar mixture alternately with milk, ending with flour mixture. Dough will be quite stiff and may require mixing the last bit of flour in by hand.
Roll out portions of dough on floured board and cut with your favorite cookie cutters.
Place on greased cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes . Test for doneness by touching lightly with your finger. If there is no dent, they're done. Cool and frost, decorate with colored sugars and colored frosting..
Note: If you like crisp cookies, roll the dough thinner. For more cake-like dough roll thicker and use metal cookie cutters. Originally we used Anise oil to flavor the dough (5 to 6 drops) in place of the vanilla and almond extracts. But my children prefer the extracts.

Butter Cookies II

2010-01-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

Butter Cookies II

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least one hour. Chill cookie sheets.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Press dough out onto ungreased, chilled cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly golden at the edges. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

sugar cookies

2010-01-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

pempek palembang

2009-12-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

Pempek Palembang is known as public food. We can find it when it was offered in a restaurant nicely, peddled on a pushcart, or carried around a slum. Certainly, there is a pempek seller in a school’s canteen as weell, . As, It’s not only easy to make but also it can be enjoyed in every situation as sweet. It consists of several variations and appearances. They are pempek kapal selam, pempek lenjer, pempek ada’an, curly pempek, and pempek pistel.

No one knows where pempek from is exactly, because almost all regions of Sumatra Selatan popularize it as its special food. But, they say it has been in Palembang since 16th century. Title empek-empek or pempek is believed coming from title “apek”, a title for an old man Chinese generation. The folktale which spread by mouth to mouth says that a 65 year-old “apek” who lived at the bank of Musi River was apprehensive in witnessing plentiful capturing of fish. The result of the capturing was not processed well. The choice was only fried or preserved with salt without drying. The “apek” found an idea to try another alternative. He mixed grinded flesh of fish and tapioca until it results new kind of food. The apeks peddled the new food surrounding town by bike. Because the seller was called “pek…apek”, so finally it was known as empek-empek or pempek.

As a culinary lover, you should be interested in the recipe below:

Pempek Palembang Recipe

Ingredients:

300 g flesh of Spanish mackerels, grinded
100 cc warm water
1 tsp salt
200 g sago palm flour
100 g wheat flour
6 eggs, broke into a bowl

Soup:

750 cc water
5 cloves garlic, crushed
5 chilies, chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
150 g sugar
150 g brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp vinegar
2 cucumbers cut into cube sized pieces
100 g wet noodles
150 g dried shrimps, grinded

Directions:

Mix flesh of fish, warm water and salt. Add sago palm flour and wheat flour little by little while mixing until it is mixed.
Form it oval (about 75 g); make a hole in the middle by point finger. Then turn it around while pressed until it becomes a pocket and put some broke raw egg in. Shut and close the hole tightly.
Boil some water and put pempek one by one. Wait pempek until it floats at the surface. Take them out and drained.
Soup: Boil some water. Put in garlic, chilies, soy sauce, sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Boil them and sugar was soluble. Filter the dregs. Add vinegar and mix it.
Fry pempek in much oil enough. Take them out and drain when they are brownish.
Serving: Cut fried pempek into bite sized pieces and put in a plate. Add noodles and cucumbers above them and pour the soup. Pempek kapal selam is ready to be offered.

2009-12-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

Asian Omelette

6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup brown or white rice
1 tablespoon finely chopped carrot
1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped mushrooms
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Beat eggs, milk and pepper slightly; set aside. Heat oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium-high heat. Cook remaining ingredients except soy sauce in oil, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in soy sauce. Remove mixture from skillet; keep warm.

2. Spray same skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Quickly pour about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture into skillet. Slide skillet back and forth rapidly over heat and, at the same time, quickly stir with a fork to spread eggs continuously over bottom of skillet as they thicken. Let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown bottom of omelet. (Do not overcook--omelet will continue to cook after folding.)

3. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the rice mixture on one side of omelet. Run spatula under unfilled side of omelet; lift over rice mixture. Tilting skillet slightly, turn omelet onto plate. Repeat with remaining egg and rice mixtures.

2009-12-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

Apple and Brie Omelet

2 large Red or Golden Delicious apples - peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
8 large eggs
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Brie cheese - thinly sliced (melts better)
2 green onions - finely sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 Teaspont salt
1 dash vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Place apple slices in a microwave-safe container. Top with 1/2 of the butter. Sprinkle the nutmeg on top of that. Microwave on high for 3 minutes - stirring once halfway through the cooking time.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla and salt.

Melt 1/2 of remaining butter in a skilet set to medium-high heat. Pour half of the egg mixture into the skillet. Cover and cook until set. Place this - the bottom half of the omelet - on a cookie sheet. Place apple wedges evenly on top. Sprinkle onion evenly over the apples. Place cheese evenly on top of that. Place in preheated oven.

Cook remaining remaining egg mixture in skillet as described above.

Remove bottom of omelet from the oven and carefully slide it onto a serving platter.

Place egg layer from the skillet on top of the bottom of the omelet from the oven.

Garnish with a little ground nutmeg and cut into wedges to serve.

Pizza Omelete

2009-12-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Pizza Omelette

2 eggs
2 tbsp water
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray
3 tbsp pizza sauce
5 slices pepperoni
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Beat eggs with water; season with salt and pepper. Spray an 8-inch (20 cm) non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.

Pour in egg mixture. As mixture sets at the edges, with spatula, gently push cooked portions towards center. When eggs are almost set on surface but still look moist, spread pizza sauce over half of the omelette.

Top with pepperoni and Mozzarella cheese. Fold the omelette in half and slide onto a warm plate. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cheese Omelette

2009-12-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Cheese Omelette

2 eggs
2 teaspoons butter or magarine
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper -- if desired

1. Beat eggs in small bowl with fork or wire whisk until yolks and whites are well mixed.

2. Heat butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until butter is hot and sizzling. As butter melts, tilt skillet to coat bottom with butter.

3. Quickly pour eggs into skillet. While rapidly sliding skillet back and forth over heat, quickly stir eggs with a fork to spread them continuously over the bottom of the skillet as they thicken. When they are thickened, let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown bottom of omelet. Do not overcook... the omelet will continue to cook after being folded. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Tilt skillet and run a spatula under edge of omelet, then jerk skillet sharply to loosen omelet from bottom of skillet. Fold portion of omelet nearest you just to center. Allow for a portion of the omelet to slide up side of skillet. Turn omelet onto warm plate, flipping folded portion of omelet over so far side is on bottom. Tuck sides of omelet under if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

ITALIAN PIZZELLES

2009-12-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

IALIAN PIZZELLES

These pizzelles are light and crisp. Serve them plain or dusted with powdered sugar. Also, they can be easily shaped while still hot right off the iron and formed into a cone, cylinder, or even a cup and filled with your favorite filling. To keep them crisp, store them in an air tight container.

3 eggs
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. anise seed or extract (opt.)
1/2 c. butter (1/4 lb.)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Do not use more than 1/2 cup and don't use oil as a substitute.

Beat eggs and sugar. Add cooled melted butter and vanilla and anise. Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Batter will be stiff enough to be dropped by spoon. Batter can be refrigerated to be used at a later time. Makes 30 pizzelles.

VARIATION PIZZELLE CON CIOCCOLATTE: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa and 3 tablespoons sugar to the basic Italian Pizzelle recipe. If desired, you may substitute chocolate flavoring instead of the vanilla and anise flavoring.

Kimchi Bokumbop

2009-12-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

Kimchi Bokumbo

Kimchi Bokumbop is a popular restaurant or home prepared dish that is very simple but yet delicious in taste. It can consist of various choices in meat and chopped kimchi , which is then sauteed together along with other vegetables such as onions, garlic and green onions. A dash or more of soy sauce as well as sesame oil are added for seasoning, in addition to kimchi "juice” leftover in the jar. Lastly, an egg is cooked sunny side up and placed on top of this rice dish for taste as well as for decoration.

Usually at home, it's a way to use up kimchi before it gets too ripe to eat, in which case, it can also be used to prepare kimci chage. In Korean, "bokum" means sauteed or fried and "bop" translates into steamed rice. So essentially, kimchi bokumbop is fried rice with kimchi, and yes, all those stories about Asian restaurants - today's leftover rice is tomorrow's fried rice - is true and totally applies here. There can be infinite variations of this bokumbop dish where beef can be substituted with little bits of bacon, spam, or even tofu.

Recipe Ingredients :

2 cup of cooked rice
1/2 cup of kimchi with liquid (pickled fermented vegetables)
50g of minced pork or ground beef
2 roots of green onion
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 egg
Vegetable or olive oil
Salt & pepper

Cooking Directions

Cook rice as directed in a rice cooker or in a pot.
Chop kimchi into small pieces. Save kimchi liquid to add to rice, if desired.
Dice and mince green onions, onions, and garlic.
Season the minced pork or beef with soy sauce, minced garlic and powdered pepper.
Saute the pork (or other substitutes) with vegetable or olive oil in frying pan.
When the pork is cooked, add chopped onions, kimchi and cook for 5 minutes.
Add minced garlic and green onion. Cook a little more and turn off the heat.
Add cooked rice and mix all ingredients well.
Add 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil and re-heat again.
Add salt and pepper to meet taste.
Cook egg sunny side up (or scrambled).
Put rice on a dish and place a fried egg sunny side up on top.

Gudeg Jogja

2009-12-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

Gudeg Jogja

Some says that no tasting Gudeg means no visiting Jogja. It could be, because there’s no doubt anymore in popularity of Gudeg as Jogja’s icon. It is made from unripe jackfruit cooked with squeezed coconut and seasoned with keluak (fruits of kepayang). Cooking this food needs many hours. Brown color is from hardwood leaf. As like another special food of Jawa Tengah, character of Gudeg is sweet. It means much sugar and salt is just as balancer. In the other hand, salty and delicious chicken is from mix of salt and squeezed coconut, and some sugar. It makes harmonic flavor.

There are many kinds of Gudeg when you are visiting Jogja such as Wet Gudeg, Gudeg Solo, and Dried Gudeg. Dry Gudeg often becomes gift because it is not spoiled easily and being able for 3 days. In the other hand, other kinds of Gudeg are more delicious when it is eaten directly. It is served with rice and thick squeezed coconut soup, fried chicken, egg, tofu, and fried sambal krecek. Block sugar poci tea will complete the exotic of your food. But, it doesn’t need going to Jogja to taste Gudeg. Recipe below will treat your appetite.

Gudeg Jogja Recipe

Ingredients:

500 g unripe jackfruit
500 g fat bone
350 g bony chicken or scrawl
6 eggs, boiled and peeled
400 ml squeezed coconut
400 ml water
200 g brown sugar, slice thinly
10 laurel likes
10 small chilies
Salt as necessary

Grinded spice:

18 cloves of garlic
6 onions
5 grains kemiri (fruits of candlenut tree)

Directions:

Clean and wash jackfruit, cut into smaller sized. Boil fat bone and bony chicken for a while in order to get softer meat.
Mix grinded spice, squeezed coconut, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until it is mixed.
Arrange jackfruit, fat bone, bony chicken, boiled egg, laurel like, and galangale in steamed pan.
Pour spicy squeezed coconut into pan. Add some water until they are soaked.
Put small chilies in the top. Take out and remove when soup is getting dry.

Jang-uh Gui

2009-12-02T22:35:00.000-08:00

Jang-uh Gui

Broiled & Grilled Eel

Jang Uh Gui is a great Korean seafood dish using fresh water eel as the main ingredient. This dish can be prepared in various ways in which can be broiled and/or grilled to achieve its distinctive tastes & flavors. Some may choose to do both, first broiling the eel then grilling it to achieve the ultimate perfection in texture and color. To prepare the dish, bones are removed from the eel then marinated with a sweet and tangy sauce which includes rice wine, kochukaru (chili powder), sesame oil, soy sauce garlic, sugar and ginger. When cooking, additional sauce may be consistently brushed onto the fish to add extra flavors & aroma.

This meal is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E and enjoyed especially during the hot summers to avoid heat exhaustion. It is also believed to be good for stamina.

Recipe Ingredients

1 large/medium sized fresh water eel
2 tbsp hot pepper paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped green onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp sesame salt
1 tbsp ginger juice
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp starch syrup
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp kochukaru
Skewers (wooden or metal)

Cooking Directions (Broiling)

Mix all ingredients other than the fish into a saucepan and cook.
Once the sauce thickens, set aside and let it cool, ready to be brushed onto the eel
Place eel on chopping board and remove the head.
Insert knife through the belly side of the eel and open its abdomen and spread wide.
Remove tail along with intestines and bones. Freshly rinse eel in cold water to remove any left over particles.
Vertically cut large eel into 3-4 pieces and small eel to 2 pieces.
Insert skewers vertically into the eel to prevent it from curling while cooking
Once preparation of the eel is complete, apply sauce to marinate.
Broil 15-20 minutes until fish is fully cooked. Brush additional sauce while broiling if desired.

Cooking Directions (Grilling)

Follow steps 1-8 from directions above
For grilling, marinate fish for 1 hour.
Place eel on a grill until fish is cooked.
Brush additional sauce while grilling if desired.

Satay Padang

2009-12-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

Satay Padang

Sate Padang is very common in Indonesia originally from Padang, West Sumatra. It is said to be the most spicy sate among other kind of sate because it employs many different kind of spices. I recommend you to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

½ cup sliced onion
cloves garlic, sliced
tablespoons peanut or corn oil
veal or beef hearts, quartered
lbs. beef chuck, cut into 4-inch chunks
1½ lbs. veal tongue, cut into 3 pieces
1 lb. beef tripe, cleaned and cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons fresh red hot chili, blended into a paste
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon turmeric
tablespoon fine chopped ginger
1½ tablespoons coriander
teaspoon ground cumin
pieces of jeruk purut, or 3 square inches of lemon peel
salam leaves
1 piece of laos
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
1 cup water
2 stalks lemon grass
3 cups coconut milk

Sauce:

2 cups coconut milk
1 cup rice flour
Reserved meat sauce
2 teaspoons salt
½ ripe tomato, sliced thin
Bamboo skewers

Instructions:

Fry the onion and garlic lightly in the oil in a large sauce-pan. Add all the other ingredients except the coconut milk, and mix well. Cook, covered, for about one and one-half hours, or until the meats are soft. Then add the coconut milk, and cook for thirty minutes. Remove the meats, and reserve this meat sauce, which should measure about 2 cups.
To make the sauce, mix the coconut milk and rice flour into a thin paste. Bring the reserved meat sauce to a boil, and add the rice flour paste, salt and tomato. Cook and stir, for ten minutes over a low flame until the sauce is well mixed. If it becomes too thick, add ½ cup water during the cooking. The result should be a thick, creamy, spicy sauce. Keep warm.
Cut all the cooked meats into ½-inch cubes. Put 5 cubes of different meats on each skewer so that you have a contrast in textures. Heat the skewer briefly over a charcoal fire, gas or electric broiler; then dip it liberally into the warm rice sauce. The satays are usually eaten with rice rolls / rice cake.

Champong

2009-12-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

Cham-pong

Spicy Seafood Noodle

Champong is a popular noodle dish that is prepared in a red, spicy seafood broth containing hearty vegetables and various sea foods. This dish presumably has its origins in Japan with influence from China and is known to be very popular at various restaurants or at homes. Instant noodle versions are also popular which can be prepared with a microwave in less than five minutes.

However, to enjoy this authentic dish, many Koreans go to Korean/Chinese restaurants where noodles are mixed in with real seafood such as squids, shrimps, clams and scallions. Fresh vegetables such as onions, red peppers, green onions as well as many others are included in this dish to compliment the spiciness of the base soup. Champong is considered to be mild to high in spiciness so expect to sweat while consuming this dish.

Recipe Ingredients

1 package fresh egg noodles
60 grams pork, thinly sliced
60 grams squid, cleaned and thinly sliced
8 small shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 mussels, scrubbed
5 dried black mushrooms
1/2 onion sliced
1/2 carrot, cut into match-stick pieces
1/4 Chinese (napa) cabbage, cut into 1x2 in pieces
2 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 red chili peppers, seeded and sliced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
7 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp kochukaru (red pepper flakes - optional for spiciness)

Cooking Directions

Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain. Slice and set aside.
Bring mussels and water to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes or until shells open. Lift out mussels and set aside. Do not throw away the liquid. Add it to chicken broth to make 7 cups total liquid
In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package directions until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well and set aside
Add olive oil to a wok or frying pan.
Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 seconds.For spicier taste, add the red chili flake
Add pork and stir-fry, add shrimp, squid, mussels, and stir-fry; add onions, carrots, red chili pepper, and green onions and stir-fry
Add cabbage and chicken broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and let simmer
Add soy sauce
Add salt & pepper to taste
Place noodles in a large soup bowl and pour hot soup mixture over noodles

Buldak

2009-12-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

Bul-dak

Hot & Spicy Chicken

Buldak is a spicy chicken dish that is becoming very popular amongst the younger generation of Koreans everywhere. Its popularity has been attributed to both its unique flavors and spiciness. Keep in mind, the term "bul" means "fire" in Korean and "dak" is chicken, so it can get quite spicy in taste.

Many restaurants that specialize in buldak have been created due to the growing popularity as this dish is considered a fairly new cuisine. Most restaurants that serve this dish offer various levels of spiciness that one can choose from and there are usually fresh vegetables served with this dish to blend in the taste. Cubed-cut sweet radishes along with salad and onions are usually popular.

An order of bul-dak can be served on a platter of bite-sized morsels of chicken breasts or sometimes in combinations of wings or drumsticks. While the flavor and degree of hotness differs a little from place to place, it is marinated with a hot & sweet sauce, grilled over an open fire, and then served over a sizzling skillet, topped with herbs. It’s usually enjoyed as an appetizer while drinking a cold beer or soju at popular bars or restaurants.

Recipe Ingredients: Chicken Preparation

6 chicken drum sticks (de-boned) or 2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of traditional corn syrup (substitution honey)
2 tbsp ‘cheong ju (clear rice wine similar to Japanese sake)
1 stalk of green onion
Black pepper ground to taste
Olive oil
Roasted sesame seeds (optional)

Recipe Ingredients: Marinating Sauce

3 tbsp kochukaru (Korean chili powder)
2 jalapenos (substitution chili pepper)
1/2 cup of Korean pear (substitution Asian pear)
1/4 of onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of spicy yellow mustard
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of ‘mul yut’ (substitution honey)
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of sugar

Cooking Directions

Rinse chicken drum sticks in cold water and de-done meat with a sharp knife. Cut into 4 even pieces per leg drum -OR- rinse chicken breasts in cold water and cut into bite-size pieces
In a large bowl, mix chicken with soy sauce, sugar, mul yut, cheong ju and ground pepper.
Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes
Puree all marinating sauce ingredients together in a blender. Once completed, leave aside for later use
On a non-stick frying pan or skillet, cook prepared chicken over medium heat until meat is just short of desired completion
Take out chicken only and leave excess ingredients in frying pan or skillet
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix chicken with blended sauce from step 3
In the same frying pan or skillet, add olive oil to taste and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes in medium high heat
Serve hot on plate
Sprinkle chopped green onions for garnish

Bim-bim-bop

2009-12-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

Bi-bim-bop

Beef & Mixed Vegetable Rice

Bibimbop literally means "mixed rice" or "mixed meal" in Korean. It's a popular meal consisting of a bowl of steamed white rice topped with vegetables, beef, a whole egg, and kochujang (Korean chili pepper paste). Kochujang is usually served separately to control its spiciness of this rice dish.

A variation of this dish, dolsot bibimbop ("dolsot" meaning "stone pot") is served in a heated stone bowl, in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil; consequently, the portion of the rice touching the bowl becomes golden brown and crispy.

Vegetables commonly used in bibimbop include julienne cucumber, zucchini, carrot, white radish, mushrooms, bellflower root, and laver, as well as spinach, soybean sprouts, and bracken fern stems. Tofu, either plain or sauteed, may also be included in the dish. Within both types of bibimbops, all ingredients are typically stirred together thoroughly before eating.

Recipe Ingredients

1/4 lb of chopped beef (ground beef is acceptable)
100 grams of bellflower roots (doraji)
50 grams of bean sprouts
1 lettuce leaf
3 shiitake mushrooms
1 sheet of vegetable jelly
1/3 carrot
1 cucumber
1 egg
3 cups sticky rice grain
4 tbsp kochujang
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame seeds
sesame oil

Cooking Directions

Wash 3 cups of rice, soak for 30 minutes and drain. Put the rice in a thick cooker and add 3 1/3 cups of water, then bring them to a boil. After 10-15 minutes boiling, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes. Do not lift the lid while cooking.
Season beef and stir-fry lightly until cooked.
Cut cucumbers, carrots and shitake mushrooms into match stick size and shred bellflower roots (doraji) and lettuce leaf. Squeeze out excess water and sprinkle them with salt (not including lettuce leaf).
Add 1 tsp of sesame oil to hot frying pan and stir-fry the cucumber quickly so the color stays vivid. Spread them on a big plate to cool. Add more sesame oil, then stir-fry bellflower roots, carrots, and mushrooms consecutively.
Place cooked rice in a deep dish and add the prepared ingredients on top of the rice (*For hot stone dolsot bibimbop, heat the stone pot until hot enough to burn the fingers and coat 2 tsp of sesame oil. Place the rice sizzling right into the hot stone pot).
Fry an egg sunny-side-up in a frying pan and place it on top of the dish (*For hot stone dolsot bibimbop, place the raw egg on the side of the hot pot so it can slightly cook).
To make seasoned kochujang paste, combine 4 tablespoons of kochujang, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of sesame seeds and 2 tsp of sesame oil. Mix all ingredients well.
Add seasoned kochujang to taste and mixes it thoroughly with the rice and vegetables before beginning to eat.

2009-12-01T21:35:00.000-08:00

BODEGA BAY CIOPPINO
"This stew brings back childhood memories of Northern California and new buckets brimming with crab and baskets of sourdough bread. Rich, red, and very messy, it is now a New Years tradition at my house. Serve in large bowls with sourdough bread on the side. Never any leftovers!"

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed or to taste
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pound scallops
24 littleneck clams
1 1/2 pounds crab legs
1 pound unpeeled, large fresh shrimp

Directions

Heat olive oil in a very large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft, stirring frequently. Pour in tomatoes and white wine, then season with parsley, basil, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until liquid is reduced almost completely, about 1 hour.
Add clams, scallops, clams, crab legs and shrimp to the pot. Cover, and cook over medium heat until clams open. Scoop portions into large bowls to serve.

2009-12-01T03:38:00.000-08:00

Cooking Clams

A step-by-step tutorial for steaming clams.
There are many, many ways to cook and prepare clams. In fact, on occasion they are even eaten raw. The steam-method for cooking clams is excellent for cooking small to medium-sized varieties of clam. We have selected the more common littleneck clams to illustrate how clams can be steamed.

1. To cook clams using this method, you will need at least 1 pound clams, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon butter. Cooking already cleaned clams with this method will take 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Preheat a large saucepan to a medium heat. Melt the butter in the saucepan, and stir in the garlic. Cook the garlic until it reaches a tan color. Be careful not to burn the garlic. If the garlic is overcooked or burned, throw out both the fat and the garlic, then wipe out the pan and start over.

3. Pour clams into the saucepan. Do not add too many clams to the pan at once. If the clams are stacked on top of each other, the weight of the other clams will make it more difficult for the clams on the bottom to open. With this method, you should only cook enough clams to cover the bottom of the pan. Stir the clams around in the garlic butter until the shells are coated, this will evenly distribute the heat within shells.

4. Once the clams have been coated, add about 1/4 cup of wine per dozen clams. This creates the necessary steam required to open the shells. It will also decrease the overall heat within the pan. Cover the clams with a lid. When covered, the garlic is less likely to burn, and the clams will receive heat evenly from all sides. The clams are now being steamed.

5. After about 4 minutes, remove the lid. Most, if not all of the clams should be open. Clams, unlike mussels, only open when they are cooked all of the way through. If some of the clams have not opened, it is possible that either they were not cooked long enough, or that they are bad and should be discarded. Be careful not to cook the clams for too long, as overcooked clams are tough and unpleasant to eat.

6. When clams open, they release natural clam juice. This juice is often used as a base for items like Clam Chowder. We recommend serving the clams in their juice and accompanying the dish with slices of fresh bread to soak up the juices. Steamed clams can also be served over pasta.

2009-12-01T03:30:00.000-08:00

Making Roux

French for "red," a roux is a thickener for sauces and soups that combines equal parts flour and butter.

Roux ("roo") is used to thicken sauces and soups. Pre-cooking flour allows the starch granules to swell and absorb moisture, and lets you thicken a sauce base without the flour clumping or forming lumps. Rouxs are also used to deepen the flavor of a sauce: browning the flour gives it a nutty, toasted flavor.

Colors of roux

Roux can be cooked to white, blond, brown and dark brown stages. The color depends on the temperature and time that you take to cook the fat-flour mixture. None of the types of roux are necessarily better or worse than any other; the color you choose will depend on the flavor and color you would like your roux to give your sauce or soup. For an in-depth description and photos of different types of roux, see our All About Roux article.

Cook and stir

To make a basic roux, use equal weights of fat and flour. Four ounces of fat and four ounces of flour equal about 8 ounces of roux (moisture will evaporate). If you don't own a kitchen scale, one tablespoon of flour equals about ¼ ounce. One tablespoon butter = ½ ounce. Butter is the most commonly used form of fat; other fats can be used, but will have a different flavor. Melt the butter over medium heat; slowly add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly. Within 2 to 3 minutes the roux will have a consistency of a cake frosting. A white roux is done when the flour loses its "raw" smell and begins to develop a toasty aroma. Darker roux are cooked, stirring constantly, until the desired color. If you're not adding liquid, immediately remove the pan from the heat and transfer the roux to another container to cool. Be very careful: the hot fat-flour mixture can cause painful burns. Refrigerated or frozen roux will keep well for up to two months and can be added directly to soups or sauces for quick thickening.

2009-12-01T03:20:00.000-08:00

New Orleans Jambalaya

"For when you really have to feed an army!"

Ingredients

1 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
16 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
8 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 pounds chorizo, sliced into chunks
3 pounds cooked ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
5 cups chicken stock
6 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
4 green bell pepper, chopped
6 cups uncooked white rice
10 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined

Directions

Chicken Marinade: In a large, shallow glass baking dish, mix together soy sauce, 4 tablespoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons paprika, 2 chopped onions and 2 tablespoons black pepper. Place the chicken in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Saute bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until brown. Add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook 5 minutes. Mix in flour and sausage. Cook 5 minutes more; stirring frequently. Add the ham, thyme, cayenne, chicken stock, tomatoes, reserved juice and green peppers and bring to boil. Stir in rice and cover. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely and refrigerate.
Two hours before you intend to serve the jambalaya, discard marinade and bake chicken breasts at 500 degrees F (250 degrees C) for 12 minutes, or until the flesh is firm when pressed with finger. Remove from oven. Cool and slice into bite-size pieces.
Reduce oven's temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place covered jambalaya on large baking tray filled with to water. Bake until warm, about 2 hours.
Just before serving the jambalaya, boil 5 quarts of water. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes until they are firm to the touch. Drain well. Toss shrimp and chicken with jambalaya mixture and serve.

2009-11-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

SUKIYAKI....

Ingredients:

1 pound thinly sliced beef * It tastes better if the beef slices are very thin.
A handful of shirataki noodles (made from yam cakes) or cellophane noodles
7-8 shiitake mushrooms
1 block enoki mushrooms
1 medium negi
1/2 Chinese cabbage
1 yaki-dofu (grilled tofu)
For sukiyaki sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce / 3 tbsps sake (Japanese rice wine) / 5 tbsps sugar / 3/4 cup water
For dipping: 4 eggs

Preparation:

Cut all ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Arrange all ingredients on a large plate and place the plate at the table. Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, and water to make sukiyaki sauce. Set an electric pan or a skillet at the table. *After this point, everything is done at the table as you eat. Heat a little oil in the pan. Fry some beef slices, then pour sukiyaki sauce in the pan. Add other ingredients when the sauce starts to boil. Simmer until all ingredients are softened. Dip the cooked sukiyaki into the raw, beaten eggs and begin to eat. As the liquid boils away, add more sukiyaki sauce.

2009-11-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

ODEN

Oden is a Japanese one-pot dish in which ingredients are slowly simmered in soy sauce based soup. It's a typical Japanese winter dish.
Japanese One-pot Dishes

Ingredients:

1/3 daikon radish, peeled and 3/4 inch thick rounds
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into halves
4 boiled eggs, peeled
1 konnyaku (transparent yam starch cake), cut into large triangles
2 atsuage (deep fried tofu), blanched and cut into large triangles
4 ganmodoki (tofu fritters), blanched
2 or 4 fish paste cakes, such as chikuwa and satsumaage, cut into large chunks
4 musubi-kombu (knotted kelp)
4 - 5 Tbsps of soy sauce
2 Tbsps of sake (Japanese rice wine)
1 tsp of sugar
*You may use oden seasoning sold at Asian stores instead of using sake, soy sauce, and sugar.

Preparation:

Put 4 cups of dashi soup stock in a large pot or donabe pot. Add sake, soy sauce, and sugar in the soup. Place ingredients in the pot. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to low and simmer for 40-60 minutes. Add dashi soup stock and soy

2009-11-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

Yaki Onigiri
Onigiril are rice balls, and yaki onigiri are grilled rice balls. This is the most popular kind of yaki onigiri brushed with soy sauce. Yaki onigiri can be frozen and defrosted in the microwave.
Rice Ball Recipe
How To Cook Genmai Short Grain Brown Rice

Ingredients:

4 cups steamed white rice or genmai brown rice
3 - 4 Tbsp soy sauce

Preparation:

Put about a half cup of steamed white rice or genmai brown rice in a rice bowl. Wet your hands in water so that the rice won't stick. Place the rice on your hands. Form the rice into a round or a triangle, by pressing lightly with your both palms. Repeat the process to make rice balls. Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet and put it on low heat. Place rice balls in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Brush soy sauce on rice balls little by little and turn them over. Brush soy sauce on the other sides as well. Cook until soy sauce begins to change color. Turn over and cook the other sides.
*Makes 8 rice balls *Yaki onigiri can be cooked in a toaster oven.

2009-11-30T21:06:00.000-08:00

Stir-fry Fish Fillets
This recipe for Stir-fry Fish Fillets calls for ginger, which is frequently used in seafood dishes to help cover the "fishy" odor. Scroll to the bottom of the recipe directions for a nutritional breakdown.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless fish fillets
Marinade:
1 tablespoon rice wine, dry sherry or white wine
a few drops sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg white
1 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Other:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 slices ginger, shredded
1/2 red onion, sliced
Sauce:
1/2 cup fish stock, chicken broth, or water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed in 1 tablespoon water
Other:
Other vegetables as desired (celery, bean sprouts, snow peas, mushrooms or bok choy)
2 teaspoons ground coriander, or as desired

Preparation:

1. Cut fish into pieces approximately 1 1/2 inches by 1/2 inch (be sure the pieces aren't too small). Add the marinade ingredients, adding each ingredient separately and the cornstarch last. Mix well and let the fish marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the first 3 sauce ingredients and set aside. In a second bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and set aside.

3. Heat the wok. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the heated wok. Add the fish fillets and sear until lightly browned. Remove the fish from the wok.

4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion and cook until the onion is lightly browned. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry. Add the sauce, heat to bubbling, and add the cornstarch and water, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the fish back into the wok. Mix everything through. Sprinkle the cooked fish and vegetables with the ground coriander before serving.

Nutritional Breakdown per serving (based on using bok choy, with water instead of chicken broth or fish stock, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in the marinade): 262 calories (kcal), 15 g Total Fat, 22 g Protein, 5 g Carbohydrate, 49 mg Cholesterol, 204 mg Sodium; 577 mg potassium, 3g Fiber
A good source of potassium and folacin (folic acid) and calcium.

2009-11-30T21:02:00.000-08:00

Shirmp Stir-fry

Serves 1 - 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
pinch of salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, rinsed in warm water and drained
5 - 6 baby carrots, chopped in half
2 TB low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
2 teaspoons chili sauce
1 green onion (optional)
1 TB oil for stir-frying

Preparation:

Soak the shrimp in warm, lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a small bowl, add the rice wine and salt, and marinate for 10 minutes.

While shrimp is marinating, prepare the vegetables.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add oil for stir-frying. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry briefly until the flavor is released (about 15 seconds).

Add the shrimp and vegetables and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, chile sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry for another 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot over brown rice.

Nutritional Breakdown per serving (based on 2 servings) - 184 calories (kcal), 9 g Total Fat, (4 g Monounsaturated Fat), 20 g Protein, 6 g Carbohydrate, 135 mg Cholesterol, 397 mg Potassium, 350 mg Sodium, 1g Fiber

Sizzling Rice with Shirmp

2009-11-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

Sizzling Rice with Shirmp
Serves 3 to 4. Note that this dish requires advance preparation to make the sizzling rice.

Ingredients:

10 pieces crispy rice (see directions for recipe)
6 dried Chinese black mushrooms
6 ounces raw shrimp, peeled
Shrimp Seasoning:
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 ounces pork tenderloin
Pork Seasoning:
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Oil for stir-frying and deep-frying
1 teaspoon minced ginger
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
Other:
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 large carrot
1/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Cornstarch paste:
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water

Preparation:

Prepare the crispy rice: Rinse 1 cup of long or medium grain grain rice. In a pot, add 1 1/2 cups water (1 1/4 cups for medium grain rice) to the rice and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from burner and allow to cool.

While rice is cooling, preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the rice on a baking sheet, making sure that it is about, but no more than, 1/4-inch thick. Bake the rice for 50 - 55 minutes, until it is dry. Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking them in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water. Cut off the stems and finely chop.(If you like, strain the soaking liquid and use part of it in the soup stock).

Clean and devein the shrimp. Add the salt and cornstarch.
Cut the pork into thin matchstick strips. Stir in the in the soy sauce and cornstarch.

] Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the shredded pork and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok.

Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When oil is hot, add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Add shrimp and stir-fry until it turns pink and is cooked. Set aside with the pork. Clean out the wok.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken broth and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and add, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the shrimp, pork, and remaining vegetables. Place in a serving dish and keep warm while deep-frying the sizzling rice.

Heat 3 cups oil to between 360 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When the oil is hot, deep-fry the crispy rice in the oil until it is puffy and brown. Quickly move the rice to the table. Stir the sesame oil into the shrimp and pork mix. Add the rice. The rice will crackle and pop as it meets the hot broth.

2009-11-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

ORIENTAL-STYLE SEA SCALLOPS
Oriental vegetables combined with an interesting blend of seasonings give this light and healthy stir-fry its exotic flavor. This recipe is courtesy of the Calorie Control Council.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil
1 pound sea scallops
3 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage or bok choy
2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed
1 cup shitake or common mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons ground star anise
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 to 3 teaspoons light reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
2 to 3 tablespoons NutraSweet Spoonful
4 cups hot cooked rice

Preparation:

Stir-fry broccoli and onion 3 to 4 minutes in oil in wok or large skillet. Add scallops, cabbage, snow peas, mushrooms, garlic, anise and coriander; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes.

Add chicken broth, vinegar and soy sauce; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until scallops are cooked and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Heat to boiling.

Mix cornstarch and cold water. Stir cornstarch mixture into boiling mixture; boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat; let stand 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in NutraSweet® Spoonful™, serve over rice.

NOTE: 2 teaspoons five-spice powder can be substituted for the star anise and coriander, while amounts of vinegar and soy sauce may need to be adjusted to taste.

Nutritional Information per serving (1/6th of the recipe, approximately 2 ounces scallops and 2/3 cup rice) - 330 cal, 20 g protein, 49 g carb, 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 26 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 276 mg sodium.

Reader Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Easy to prepare (if you purchase pre-cut vegetables, it would be a "breeze"). My husband absolutely loved it! We will definitely have many times, and will try with shrimp and chicken to compare with the scallops. From Debbie

2009-11-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

LOBSTER SAUCE
This recipe can be used with either shrimp or lobster. Be sure to add the eggs just before serving the sauce.

Ingredients:

1/4 pound ground pork
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
1 garlic clove
2 green onions (spring onions, scallions)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

Preparation:

Combine the ground pork with the soy sauce, pepper and cornstarch. Marinate the pork for 15 minutes.

Rinse the black beans, letting them sit in the water for a few minutes to soften. Drain. Use a cleaver or knife to finely chop the beans. Peel and mince the garlic clove. Mash the garlic together with the soaked black beans. Wash the green onion and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and chicken broth. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and set aside.

Lightly beat the eggs with the salt.

Heat the wok over medium high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat the sides. When oil is ready, add 1/2 of the mashed black beans and garlic mixture. Stir-fry until aromatic. Add the ground pork. Stir-fry until it changes color. Remove and clean out the wok.

Add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the second half of the bean and garlic mixture. Stir-fry until aromatic. Add the sauce. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and add to the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the ground pork back into the pan. Stir in the green onion.

Stir in the beaten eggs. Remove the sauce from the heat, pour over shrimp or lobster and serve.

2009-11-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

Lobster Cantonese Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lobster tails (about 1 pound each)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon salted black beans, (also called fermented black beans) pounded and soaked in 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped fine
1 scallion, chopped fine
1/4 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 egg, beaten
2 to 4 cups oil for deep-frying and stir-frying

Preparation:

Cut each lobster tail in half. Wash thoroughly. Drain. Cut tails into pieces 1 1/2 inches in length, leaving shells on.

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the flour on lobster.

Mix garlic with black bean mixture in a bowl. Stir well.

Heat oil for deep-frying to smoking hot. Put in lobster pieces. Deep-fry until shells are red. Drain. Remove.

Reheat 1 tablespoon of oil in wok. Stir-fry black bean mixture 30 seconds. Remove.

Reheat 2 tablespoons of oil in wok. Stir-fry ginger and scallion until there is an aroma, about 30 seconds. Add pork. Stir-fry on high heat until color changes. Add 1 tablespoon of sherry, soy sauce, black bean mixture, and stock. Bring to boil.

Add lobster to meat mixture. Add 1 tablespoon sherry. Cover. Cook 3 minutes.

Remove lid. Bring to boil. Thicken gravy with dissolved cornstarch. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add scallions. Slowly pour in beaten egg. Stir-fry about 10 seconds. Remove.

Crab Soup

2009-11-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

Cajun Crab Soup

"This rich, delicious soup is modeled after a great soup that we had in a restaurant in Bethany Beach, Delaware!"

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups clam juice
2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) package frozen white corn
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound lump crabmeat, drained
4 green onions, chopped

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender. Whisk in flour, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in clam juice and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Mix in corn, and season with salt, white pepper, thyme, and cayenne. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in cream, crab meat, and green onions. Heat through, but do not boil once the cream has been added.

She Crab Soup 1

"Try this fabulous crab soup. I am sure you will love it. Serve in soup bowls which have been heated and garnish w ith sour cream, parsley sprigs or a sprinkle of paprika."

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons margarine
1 quart whole milk
1 pound crabmeat, flaked
4 ounces crab roe
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
2 cups milk
1/2 cup dry sherry

Directions

Using a saute pan melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, over low heat, and saute onions.
Using a double broiler melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Add flour and stir until well blended.
Combine sauteed onions and flour mixture into a large stock pot. Add 1 quart whole milk and stir constantly until soup is well blended.
Add the crab meat and roe and stir well; add pepper and mace and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Add 1 pint of milk and stir.
Remove from heat and add wine.
Serve in soup bowls whic h have been heated and garnish with sour cream, parsley sprigs or a sprinkle of paprika.

Sh e Crab Soup II

"An easy recipe for the most unforgett able creamy crab soup on the East coast."

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds crabmeat, flaked
3 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions until translucent. Whisk in flour and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Thin with some of the milk if necessary. Add crabmeat and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and heavy cream. Heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Shirmp

2009-11-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

Shirmp Tetrazzini

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces shrimp, shelled and deveined
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup mayonn aise
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sherry
1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.
Over a medium-low heat melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion to melted butter and stir until onion is soft. Add shrimp and mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Remove shrimp mixture from saucepan, place in a medium size bowl and set aside.
Remove saucepan from heat. Combine flour, mayonnaise, salt, milk, and sherry in the saucepan. Mix well. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook until sauce thickens.
Pour sauce into the bowl containing the shrimp mixture. Add the spaghetti to the bowl and mix well.
Place all ingre dients in a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish (baking pan). Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Angel Shirmp Pasta

"A wonderful shrimp pasta that will delight your family and guests and make them think you spent the day in the kitchen to get this flavor. Good with french bread and green salad if desired."

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 ounces jalapeno processed cheese spread
1 pound fresh shrimp , peeled and deveined
1 pound angel hair pasta

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt margarine and saute onions and mushrooms; add soup and processed cheese spread and blend together.
Add shrimp and coo k for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Pour sauce over pasta and serve.

Shrimp Alfredo PAsta

"A wonderful shrimp pasta dish! I came up with this on my own one night. You can change the amount of ingredients to your taste."

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) jar Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 small green bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

In a saucepan over low-temperature, heat the Alfredo sauce. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Boil shrimp in a large pot of water until they turn orange. Then place in bowl with melted butter. Let shrimp marinate for 15 to 30 minutes; remove. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the green pepper and onion in a small amount of oil.
Mix together the cooked pasta, shrimp, pepper-onion mixture and Alfredo sauce. Season with garlic powder and cumin.

Crab Tuna Soufle

2009-11-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

Crab Tuna Soufle
"My dad used to make this recipe when I was a child. It was the only way I would eat seafood. Now that I've become a seafood lover, I really enjoy this one even more! Good for special occasions since it has to be chilled overnight."

Ingredients

1 (6 ounce) can crabmeat, drained and flaked
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
4 cups cubed French bread
8 ounces Muenster cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 eggs
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon grated onion

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the crabmeat and tuna. Place a layer of bread cubes in the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of the crab and tuna, then a layer of cheese and a sprinkle of parsley. Repeat layers 2 more times ending with cheese and parsley on top.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, mustard powder and onion. Pour over the layers in the dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Let the dish come to room temperature while the oven preheats.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until puffed and golden.

Carribean Crab Soufle

"My dad always makes this souffle on Christmas Eve when guests are over. It is equally delicious made with lobster."

Ingredients

1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup celery tops
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon curry powd er
1/2 teaspo on dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons unbleac hed all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 pound crabmeat
6 egg whites, sti ffly beaten
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 8 cup souffle dish.
Toast coconut in a non- stick skillet over low heat.
In a medium skillet, melt butter over low heat and add the celery, garlic, curry powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper - cook for 3 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth for about 1 min ute. Pour in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes t o a boil and thickens. Set aside and cool slightly. Whisk the egg yolks one at a time into the sauce. Stir in coconut and crab meat.
In medium bowl, beat egg whites and lemon juice with a mixer until stiff, but not dry. Stir 1/4 of the whites into crab mixture. Quickly and gently fold in the remaining whites. Do not deflate the volume. Transfer mixture to the souffle dish and place it on a rack at the bottom of the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden, puffed and still moist inside.

Caribean Callal o And Crab

"A mouthwatering puree of Taro Leaves and crab served over rice or as a soup, it will leave you wanting more. If taro leaves are not available, you may substitute 2 packages of frozen spinach."

Ingredients

18 taro leaves
12 pods okra, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, crushed
4 ounces salted pig's tail (optional)
1/2 cup peeled, cubed pumpkin
1 cup water
1 habanero pepper
3 cups coconut milk
4 blue crabs, cleaned and chopped
salt to taste
4 green onions, chopped

Directions

Clean the taro leaves by removing the skin from the stalks, and removing the tip from the center rib. Rinse, and cut into bite size pieces.
Place the taro leaves, okra, onion, thyme, garlic, salted pig's tail, pumpkin, water, habanero pepper (whole), and coconut milk into a large pot. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
Add the crab to the pot. Be careful not to puncture the habanero pepper. Cover, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the habanero, and season with salt to taste. Puree the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. You could also puree in small batches using a blender. Serve over rice.

Rice Crispy

2009-11-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Rice Crispy Treats

1 or 2 bags miniature marshmallows
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups Kellogg's Rice Crispy Cereal

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add marshmallows.

Stir until mixture becomes difficult to stir any more. Mix in the Rice Crispy Cereal and stir until hot.

Butter a pan (a square pan like a brownie pan) and spread mixture evenly in the pan. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Rice Crispy Topping

6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. water

Put in double boiler and melt, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Spread on 8 x 8 inch pan rice crispy treats.

German Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

1/4 cup low fat butter
1 pkg. (10 oz.) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups chocolate Rice Crispies cereal
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (not shredded)

Grease well a 9x13 pan with butter.

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

Add Rice Crispies cereal, pecans and coconut. Stir until well coated.

Press mixture into pan with a sheet of waxed paper or a greased spoon.

2009-11-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

Toffe lemon Bars

Bottom Layer:

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar

Blend flour and sugar, cut in shortening (use non-hydrogenated Crisco or organic coconut shortening (available in health food stores) or butter. Spread in a buttered (or sprayed with non-stick spray) 9x12x2 inch pan and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Top Layer:

2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine the ingredients for the top layer and mix well. Cover the baked bottom layer and bake fr 25 minutes in a 350°F oven. Frost when cool.

Frosting:

1 cup confectioners sugar
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Combine and beat with mixer until thickened, then frost. Add a few drops of lemon juice if mixture is too thick to spread; if too thin, add more sugar.

Toffe 'n Fudge Bars

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. Pillsbury's Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 (1.05 oz.) chocolate covered toffee candy bars, coarsely crushed
1/4 c. chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt to butter mixture; blend at low speed until dough forms, about 1 minute. (Dough will be stiff).

Stir in half of crushed toffee bars and the nuts. Pat dough into ungreased 9 inch square pan. Sprinkle with remaining toffee bars. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely; cut into bars. 25 bars.

Toffe Bar Cookies

3 sticks butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 toffee bars (3/4 c.)

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add vanilla, flour, soda, and baking powder. Mix well. Crush toffee bars and add to rest of ingredients. PRESS into 8 inch pan and refrigerate several hours. Slice into sections, then slice thin and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Should be light brown.

Chocolate

2009-11-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Crinkles

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 c. vegetable oil
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate bits
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
4 lg. eggs, (room temperature)
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. confectioners' sugar

Melt unsweetened chocolate in double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove and cool. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl stir together oil, cooled chocolate and sugar. Stir in the eggs one at a time, add vanilla and mix until combined. Do the same with the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. preheat oven to 350 degrees and position racks evenly in the oven. Lightly butter or PAM two baking sheets. Roll the chilled dough to form a 1 inch ball. Drop into sifted confectioners' sugar and roll until completed coated. Place balls on the cookie sheets at least 1 1/4 inch apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the top of a cookie is crinkled and feels barely set when touched with a finger. Halfway through baking switch baking sheets so that cookies are evenly browned. Do not over bake. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Chopped nuts can be substituted for the chocolate bits. Makes alot!

Chocolate Crinkles Puffs

3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. milk

Cream together butter and sugar. Add flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda then mix well. Beat in chocolate, egg, vanilla and milk. Roll into small balls, and roll in granulated sugar. Put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until top is crinkled.

Chocolate Crinkles Cookies

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
6 tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 c. milk
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Powdered sugar

Combine sugar, oil, cocoa and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in milk; add flour and baking powder. Chill dough 2 hours. Using 1 teaspoonful for each ball, roll in powdered sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. While warm, roll again in powdered sugar. Makes four dozen.

Chicken sate

2009-11-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

Chicken Sate With Peanuts

MARINADE:

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
crushed dried chile peppers

PEANUT SAUCE:

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons molasses (or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
cayenne pepper
grated lime zest
fresh cilantro sprigs
6 chicken breast halves, boned, skinned, and cut
into 1/2" wide strips

To make the marinade, combine the first 7 ingredients in a shallow dish.

Thread the chicken strips onto bamboo skewers in a serpentine fashion.

Place the skewers into the soy sauce mixture and allow to marinate at least 2 hours under refrigeration, although overnight is preferable.

Make the peanut sauce by combining the next 7 ingredients (peanut butter through garlic) in a saucepan.

Season to taste with cayenne pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is as thick as heavy cream (about 15 minutes).

Transfer to a food processor or blender and purée briefly. Add chicken broth and cream and blend until smooth.

This mixture can be made several hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. Prepare moderate-hot charcoal coals or preheat a broiler.

Cook the skewered chicken, turning several times and basting with the marinade, until crispy on the outside but still moist on the inside, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle grilled chicken with lime zest and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.

Chicken Sate With Dipping Sauces

CHICKEN:

1 pkg. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

1/2 c. water
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. brown sugar, preferably dark
1 garlic clove, minced

PEANUT SAUCE:

1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. shelled, skinned fresh roasted peanuts
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt

PLUM SAUCE:

1 jar prepared hoisin sauce
Light salt soy sauce

Mix water, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic in bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Marinate for 1-3 hours, turning frequently.

For peanut sauce: Mix first 6 ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to saucepan. Simmer until thick enough to coat spoon, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

For plum sauce: Place prepared hoisin sauce in bowl. Add soy sauce until sauce is smooth, not runny, and is still able to coat spoon.

Prepare grill or preheat broiler. Grill or broil sates 4 inches from heat source until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Set sates on plate. Pass sauces separately for dipping.

Grilled Chicken Sate

3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

MARINADE:

2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. chopped ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. chili powder

DIPPING SAUCE:

2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Pinch of chili powder
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
3/4 c. chicken stock
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 green onions, chopped

For the marinade: Place chicken in a glass dish, combine the soy sauce, peanut oil, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, brown sugar, and chili powder. Stir thoroughly and pour over chicken. Marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

For the sauce: In an electric blender, whir together the soy sauce, hoisen sauce, peanuts, chicken stock, garlic, and chili powder. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the scallions, cilantro or parsley and chili pepper. Cover tightly, set aside.

To grill sates (chicken pieces), thread on presoaked bamboo shoots. Place on grill, turning often. Serve on rice with dipping sauce on side.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

2009-11-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Chicken Wings
"I find this recipe to be delicious -- spicy chicken wings with a blue cheese dressing!"

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
1 pound chicken wings
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons mince d onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large frying pan or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry wings for approximately 8 minutes. Transfer wings to a paper towel and let drain. Season with salt and white pepper. After the wings have drained, place them in a large mixing bowl.
In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Stir in hot pepper sauce. Pour mixture over chicken wings, toss to coat the wings. Place wings in a baking dish.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
While the chicken wings are baking, make the blue cheese dressing: In a medium size mixing bowl, combine mayonna ise, onion, garlic, parsley, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar and blue cheese. Blend the mixture well. Arrange the baked chicken wings on a serving platter. Serve with blue cheese dressing.

Buffalo Chic ken Wings I

"Let your palate fly away on wings of fire - easy, spicy buffalo wings!"

Ingredients

1 quart vegetable oil for deep frying
24 chicken wings, tips removed and wings cut in half at joint
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
5 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper t o taste

Directions

Heat the oil In a large skillet or deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry chicken wings in oil until done, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet or deep fryer and drain on paper towels.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Stir in the, vinegar and hot pepper sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked chicken to sauce and stir over low heat to coat. The longer the wings simmer in the sauce, the hotter they will be. Serve warm.

Buffalo Chicken Wings II

"Wings dredged in flour and baked with the flavors of blue cheese salad dressing, pepper sauce and vinegar."

Ingredients

12 chicken wings, split and tips discarded
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
3 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish in preheated oven. Coat chicken with flour, shake off excess and place in dish.
Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn pieces and bake uncovered for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside when thickest pieces are cut in the center. Drain on paper toweling.
In a small bowl combine the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, vinegar, pepper sauce and salt and mix until well blended. Add chicken and toss until evenly coated with mixture. Serve with bleu cheese salad dressing.

Beer Batter Fish

2009-11-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

1.Beer Batter Fish Made Great

"This is a great beer batter fish recipe, and is very easy to do. We often fish all day with friends, and then cook the fish afterwards out on deck. Yummy and great!"

Ingredients

2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
8 (4 ounce) fillets cod
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer

Directions

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Rinse fish, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.
Combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, 2 tea spoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Stir egg into dry ingredients. Gradu ally mix in beer until a thin batter is formed. You should be able to see the fish through the batter after it has been dipped.
Dip fish fillets into th e batter, then drop one at a time into hot oil. Fry fish, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve warm

2. Beer Batter Fish Fillets

An exceptional dill flavored , beer batter for deep frying. Fish options include cod, haddock, sea bass, and orange roughy. Suggestions for side dishes are french fries, hush puppies, and ginger coleslaw."

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
3/4 cup beer
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 pounds cod fillets
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and dill. Add beer, milk, and eggs; mix well.
Place fish fillets in batter mixture, coat well, and let stand for 15 minutes.
Heat deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 deg rees C). Place fish in hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Cook fish in batches to maintain oil temperature. Serve.

3.Beer Batter For Fish

"Basic beer batter, good for almost any white fleshed fish."

Ingredients

3 eggs
3/4 cup beer
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cornstarch
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Mix in beer. Stir in flour mixture. Season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
In an electric deep fryer or a heavy saucepan, heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Coat fish in batter, and submerge in hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve.

Bandeng Presto

2009-11-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

Bandeng Presto

Bandeng presto is a modern Indonesian dish which uses a pressure cooker for cooking. This makes the fish becomes literally tender to the bones and those bones are eaten. It is said that this dish is full of protein and calcium (maybe because the bones are also eaten). The cooking method is similar to steaming.

Bandeng or milkfish, a large toothless silver fish that lives in warm parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans and related to the herring and the salmon, is commonly used in Indonesian cuisine. Presto is the term borrowed from Italian language which means "quickly", but in this case, it refers to the pressure cooker ("presto" is the most famous brand name of pressure cooker in Indonesia).

ingredients :

1 kg (or 3) fresh milkfishes, remove gills and stomach part
1 tablespoon tapai yeast (read below), grounded
2 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoon tamarind water
10 bay leaves
10 cm galangal (see: opor ayam), sliced and pounded
2 1/2 litre water

Tapai yeast

Tapai yeast is made by inoculating a carbohydrate source with the required microorganisms in a starter culture. This culture has different names in different regions, shown in the table below. The culture can be naturally captured from the wild, by mixing rice flour with ground spices (include garlic, pepper, chili, cinnamon), cane sugar or coconut water, slices of ginger or ginger extract, and water to make a dough. The dough is pressed into round cakes, about 3cm across and 1cm thick, and left to incubate on trays with banana leaves under and over them for two to three days. They are then dried and stored, ready for use.

Grounded spices

14 cloves red onion
7 cloves garlic
4 cm ginger
4 cm turmeric
1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for chili sauce
4 tablespoon vegetable oil

grounded spices

150 g big red chili peppers, boiled
10 small green chili peppers, boiled
8 cloves red onion, boiled
4 cloves garlic, boiled
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon terasi (shrimp paste), fried

Method

Slice the stomach part of the fishes. Clean them up using water and let them dry.
Smear the fishes with tapai yeast, salt, and tamarind water. Leave them for about 1 hour.
Smear the fishes with grounded spices evenly.
Put bay leaves and slices of galangal on top of the fishes.
Wrap with banana leaves so that the fishes are easy to lift from the pressure cooker.
Pour 1 litre water into the pressure cooker. Put a sieve on top of the cooker.
Arrange the wrapped fishes ontop of the sieve.
Cook until the cooker hissed, 30-50 minutes depending on the type of pressure cooker you use.
Let the cooker cool with open lid.
Pour water again and cook until the water is no more.
Take out the fishes and let them dry.

Method for chili sauce

Heat vegetable oil.
Sautee grounded spices until the sauce smells good.
Put into plate and let it cool.

Serving

Smear the fishes with egg's white or flavoured flour.
Fry until brown.
Serve with chili sauce.

2009-11-03T00:34:00.000-08:00

Thai sticky rice, (called Khao Niew in Thai) is an essential and integral element of Thai cooing and cuisine, and is a must have accompaniment for certain dishes such as Laarb or Som Tam (papaya salad, preferably with a little grilled chicken). It's also something rarely made in home kitchens outside of Thailand, and that's a shame, cause sticky rice is easy peasy and really really good.

Sticky Rice Cooking Instructions

Take the sticky rice and soak covered in water. The time needed for soaking depends on the age of the rice, and the older the rice, the drier it becomes and the longer the soaking period needed. New rice may only need an hour or so, but older rice is best soaked overnight, or for 8 hours or so. Since most rice sold outside of Thailand has endure some lengthy travels and processing times, you are probably safer with the longer soak. Call it 8 hours to be on the safe side.

A tricky trick, if you are in a hurry and forgot to get your soaking started, is to soak the rice in hot water, and thereby cut the soaking time in half.

In Thailand, the rice is then placed in a conical woven bamboo steamer thingy. If you have one of those, use it, and if you don’t, you can just use any form of steamer.

To keep the rice from falling through the holes in the steamer, first line the steamer area with cheesecloth. If you don't have cheesecloth, just use the thinnest cloth you have. Once the cheese cloth is covering the steamer area completely, throw in the soaked rice, cover and set heat to high.

One thing to think about is that you don't want to overfill the bottom part of your steamer with water. Once the water gets to a rolling boil, you don’t want the bubbling water to leap up and soak the bottom of your rice.

Sticky rice cooks fairly quickly. Check it once about 10 minutes after the water has come to boil. It should be sticky at this point. Ideally, you should flip the rice over now for another 5-10 minutes of cooking.

The best way to judge doneness is by taste. Different batches of rice will require slightly longer cooking times. When it is very sticky and all clumped together and soft and chewy to taste – it is done.

Once finished – before serving you should give it a real good stir, letting some of the steam escape and ensuring that the rice won't be overly wet while eating.

Sticky rice is a staple food of the north and north-eastern parts of Thailand. To eat, grab a small portion of rice and smoosh it into a little ball. You will then use the rice like an eating utensil, and dip and grasp in shared dished of food on the table.

Forget about trying to eat sticky rice with a fork or spoon!

It's delicious, quite different from Jasmine rice and well worth making at home. Enjoy!

Larb Gai

2009-11-03T00:05:00.000-08:00

Larb gai (chicken larb) is a much loved Thai dish originating out of the North Eastern part of the country, Isaan. It's great with sticky rice and some crunchy vegetables as a garnish and although it tastes quite complex, it's actually very easy to make. It's also something less commonly seen on Thai restaurant menus outside of Thailand – which adds to the fun and adventure of it all!

It is important here to use chicken with the skin-on. Boneless skinless chicken breasts will make a too dry and not flavorful larb. Once the skin is minced finely, no one will really notice it anyway.

Larb Gai

2 cups of finely chopped raw skin-on chicken breast. You can use ground chicken if you would prefer, but chopping the chicken finely with a knife gives a better texture. If you have a cleaver, you can use it to whack/mince the chicken to great effect here!
3 shallots finely sliced (You want between ¼ and 1/3 of a cup of shallot here). You can substitute red onion or even white onion if you don't have shallots.
2 green onions, chopped finely, white part and all
¼ cup of mint leaves, plucked from their stems
1 Kaffir lime leaf, chopped small
2-3 Tbls of freshly squeezed lime juice
3 Tbls of fish sauce
2-3 Tbls of toasted dried rice (To make toasted rice - add a cup full of uncooked white rice to a large and heavy fry pan or skillet and over medium heat, stir the rice until it turns golden brown. Puree the rice in a blender or in the spice grinder attachment for your blender. This will keep well for a long time in your pantry and is very worth making for a tasty laarb!)
Dried chili – to taste. The amount you will use depends entirely on the heat of the chili and your like or dislike of spicy food.
A pinch of MSG (Omit if you want, but in Thailand it would most normally be used)

3 Very Easy Steps

In a wok (or fry pan or whatever) add a half cup or so of water and toss in the kitchen and bring the water to a boil, stirring for about 1 minute, or until the finely minced chicken is cooked through.
Remove from the heat and mix together all remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more fish sauce (salty), lime juice or dried chili as needed.
Serve with steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice. Larb is normally served with lots of crunchy raw vegetables and goes very well with wedges of white cabbage, sweet basil sprigs, long Thai green beans and cucumber slices.

cryspy chicken fingers

2009-10-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

CRYSPY CHICKEN FINGERS

Ingredients

1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut across into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
Cooking spray
4 cups whole-grain corn cereal (recommended: Corn Chex or cornflakes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Honey-Mustard Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Put the cereal in a sealed plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish. Season the chicken with the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the cereal to fully coat and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Leave the chicken on the baking sheet to cool slightly. It will become crispier.

Serve with the mustard sauce.

Honey-Mustard Sauce:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

3 tablespoons honey

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in the honey.

SOURDOUGH BREAD

2009-10-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Sourdough bread is usually included among the favorites of many bread connoisseurs around the world. Novice bakers find it difficult to capture the intense and deep flavor present in Sourdough breads. It also takes considerable practice in creating the perfect sourdough breads. They say that sourdough bread likely originated around 1500 BC in Ancient Egypt. It became the main bread consumed in Northern California during the Gold Rush period. There are several regions, such as San Francisco, that's known for producing the best sourdough in today's market. In fact, sourdough bread is very much a part of San Francisco's culture. It's the perfect bread to partner with soups such as chili, cioppino and clam chowder, as well as most seafood dishes. But the thing is, you could make your individual version of sourdough bread right inside your very own kitchen. It's not as hard as it sounds. You'll only need two ingredients, flour & water. Unbleached bread flour is recommended for starting bakers but you also try using flours made of whole-wheat & rye. You could also use organically grown flour if you want. You'll also be needing a clear glass jar big enough to hold in all the mixture. Here are the directions to creating your very own sourdough starter: First Day: Cleanse jar thoroughly. Put 1 c of your choice flour & 1 c of water into your jar then stir the mixture. Use a plastic or wooden spoon for this. Don't attempt using your metal spoon. Find any damp clean towel then use this to cover your jar. Store jar in any warm place. Ideal temperature is somewhere around 70 - 80 deg. Fahrenheit. Second Day: All you need to do is to take care that your jar is still securely in its place. Bubbles may appear inside your jar, but don't worry about this. Third Day: Open your jar & observe that there might be a bit of a sour smell. Don't be alarmed. This is normal. Now throw away 1/2 of your mixture. Add 1/2 c of lukewarm water and 1/2 c of the flour to your mixture then stir it well. Next, cover your container again then return it to its original location. Fourth to Seventh Day: Do the third step in Days 4 to 7. Throw away 1/2 of your mixture and add fresh water and flour to your jar again. By the seventh day, the container should be already filled with bubbles. The expansion in its volume indicates that your starter can now be used. You could now use this mixture for baking your very own sourdough bread, or store it for future use

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

2009-10-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Bread machines have become more & more popular lately. A lot of homes now are equipped with bread machines, especially with the growing popularity of bread as a healthier substitute for heavy meals.

Bread machines are easy to use and come equipped with manuals for omplete

instructions. The very first bread maker was marketed and released in Japan in 1986. It took a while before it became popular in U.S. and the U.K.

The most popular manufacturers of bread machines include Black & Decker,

Panasonic, Breville, Cuisinart, Moulinex, Toastmaster, Kenwood Limited and DeLonghi.

Bread machines usually have different cycles for each type of dough.This includes whole grain dough, straight white bread and European-style dough. But the newer bread machines have automatic timers which allow it to operate even without someone operating the equipment.

Contrary to popular belief, you could actually use bread machines to create more than just your plain loaf of bread. You could use it to create delicious bread varieties such as Cinnamon Raised Bread.

Cinnamon Raised Bread would be great breakfast accompaniments as well as perfect partners with after-meal coffee. Use your own bread maker to create tasty and delicious Cinnamon Raised Bread that you and your family can enjoy every morning.Here's a recipe to create that delicious Cinnamon Raised Bread.

You will need the following ingredients:

400 grams whole flour
2 tsps yeast
150 grams bread flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon; ground
100 grams mixed fruits/raisins
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c water
1.5 tbsps sugar (brown)
1.5 tbsps oil (sunflower)
1.5 tbsps whey (powdered)
2 tbsps gluten

Get a pan big enough for the mixture and put all your ingredients inside your pan. Choose the appropriate cycle in your bread maker. Refer to your manual for this.

Place pan inside your machine then let it run continuously for about ten minutes. Afterwards, check your dough's consistency. Dough must have that sticky consistency. If consistency is not there yet, add in a teaspoon of water and cook for several minutes. Do these steps until you get the exact texture for your dough.

Since machine is automatic, it will finish off kneading all by itself then will shift to its baking cycle. After bread maker has completed its cycle, let bread cool inside your pan (10 mins.). This will allow crust to soften some more.

After bread has cooled enough, cut it using a sharp knife. Place a bit of butter on top if preferred. This bread will be excellent for serving with coffee or tea. The Cinnamon Raisin Bread will stay good for quite a few days if stored properly.

Coffe Crumb cake

2009-10-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Coffe Crumb Cake

This is my mother’s recipe and it has not failed me yet! My favorite part about this recipe is

the whole cranberry sauce that really makes this a special dish. The brown sugar and the chopped
nuts make my whole house smell really good – a great wintertime

dish!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter at room temperature

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup whole cranberry sauce (see photo)

1 Angel food cake pan (see photo)

Cream together the butter and sugar then add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.

Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and combine. This mixture will get a little

heavy, so break out a mixer or a strong spoon to stir with. Combine well.

Next, pour only about 1/3 of the batter into the very well greased angel food cake pan.

Sprinkle ½ of the nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar into the pan on top of the batter you just
poured. Then add about ½ of the cranberry sauce too, in very small amounts, but be careful. If
you put in too much cranberry sauce at this point the cake will be too mushy. This will make a
nice delicious center of the cake. After all this then pour in all the rest of the batter then top it all
off with all the rest of the nuts, cinnamon, brown sugar and cranberry sauce.

Rasberry Chocolate Frosting

2009-10-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Raspberry Chocolate Frosting

This is my Mom’s variant on her classic scratch chocolate frosting recipe. For our family’s

birthdays I put it on a layer cake made from a box mix. Raspberries and chocolate just seem to go
together so this frosting has a really good but unusual taste.

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter at room temperature
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam, can use
black raspberry
3 tablespoons Chambord or other
blackberry liqueur; you may omit this.
1 ¼ cup cocoa
1 ½ pounds confectioner’s sugar
¼ to ½ cup half-and-half as needed

Cream together the butter and the jam and use a flat spatula to get out the lumps now or

else they will never come out later. Add the optional liqueur and cocoa and blend in. Then add
the confectioner’s sugar in 3-4 bunches to blend it in slowly. I use a mixer for all of this but you
can mix it by hand if you like. Use the half-and-half, or whole milk, to add in enough liquid to
keep the consistency just right. You need to keep the frosting easy enough to spread without
making it too runny. Everyone’s kitchen seems different to me as far as how much moisture you
will need so keep an eye on this.

Any homemade frosting beats store bought frosting by a mile. And even if you put it on a

cake made from a box mix, the cake will taste great because the frosting is so important. Not
many people make anything like this from scratch so if I take a cake with this frosting to a party I
always get rave reviews, “you made this from scratch?!!,” etc. And it’s really very easy to make.

Basic Pancakes

2009-10-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Basic Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of milk; add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter. If the batter seems too thick to pour, add a little more milk. Cook on a hot, greased griddle, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; turn and brown the other side. Recipe for pancakes serves 4.

Chocolate Brownies

2009-10-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

A brownies or chocolate brownies is an American invented dessert or snack food: a semi-flat square or bar, made with chocolate and baked in a sheet pan, something like a dense chocolate cake.^[1]

Brownies' density ranges from fudgy to cake-like. They may feature a variety of toppings and ingredients such as frosting, nuts, cream cheese, and chocolate chips.

Brownies are common lunchbox fare, typically eaten out of hand, and often accompanied by milk or coffee. They are sometimes served warm with ice cream (à la mode) or topped with whipped cream, especially in restaurants.

A similar bar made with brown sugar and no chocolate is called a blondie. They are also baked in a pan in the oven similar to how traditional brownies are baked.

[hide]

[edit] Origins

The brownie's first public appearance was during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. A chef at the Palmer House Hotel^[2] created the confection after Bertha Palmer requested a dessert for ladies attending the fair that would be smaller than a piece of cake, and easily eaten from boxed lunches. These brownies feature an apricot glaze and walnuts, and are still being made at the hotel according to the original recipe.^[3]

The earliest published recipe for a brownie like those of today appeared in the 1906 edition of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer. This early recipe produced a relatively mild and cake-like brownie. The name "brownie" first appeared in the 1896 version of the cookbook, but this was in reference to molasses cakes baked individually in tin molds, not true brownies.^[4]

A second recipe appeared in 1907 in Lowney’s Cook Book, by Maria Willet Howard and published by the Walter M. Lowney Company of Boston, Massachusetts. This recipe added an extra egg and an additional square of chocolate to the Boston Cooking School recipe, creating a richer, fudgier brownie. The recipe was named Bangor Brownies, possibly because it was created by a woman in Bangor, Maine.^[4]

Cooking brownies

According to the chefs of America's Test Kitchen, chocolate desserts such as brownies should be removed promptly from the oven to retain the best chocolate taste. This is because many of the compounds that give chocolate its flavor are highly volatile and easily lost. The smell of brownies cooking is an indication that flavor and aroma are being released into the air. Because they will continue to cook for a few minutes from residual heat, it is best to remove brownies from the oven as early as possible, generally when a toothpick test still shows a few moist crumbs.^[5]. In order to perform the toothpick test, it is usually best to stick the toothpick as close to the middle as possible. When the batter is put into a pan, it tends to be the most dense in the middle, so inserting the toothpick in the middle should give you the most accurate idea if the brownies are cooked all the way through.

Muffin

2009-10-26T00:49:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Oat Muffins recipe

Blueberry Oat Muffins ingredients list:

1 cup of oats.
1 cup of buttermilk.
1 cup of all-purpose flour.
1 teaspoon of baking powder.
½ teaspoon of baking soda.
½ teaspoon of salt.
¾ cup of packed brown sugar.
1 medium egg, beaten.
¼ cup of margarine, melted.
1 cup of blueberries.

Instructions for Blueberry Oat Muffins:

Combine the oats and the buttermilk; allow to stand.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Stir well to blend.

Add the beaten egg and melted margarine to the oat mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

Gently fold in the blueberries.

Fill 10-12 muffin cups sprayed with nonstick Spray.

Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Back to the Muffin Recipes home page.

Baking Quick Breads

2009-10-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Baking Quick Breads blueberry muffins and zucchini bread in summer, pumpkin bread in the fall, banana bread any time--quick breads are popular year-round.

More Quick Bread Recipes

Quick Bread Pointers

Additions and Substitutions

Quick bread recipes are fairly versatile: you can add and substitute ingredients with greater freedom than you can with most other baked goods. To lower the fat, you can substitute some of the oil with an equal amount of almost any fruit puree (applesauce, plum baby food, pumpkin puree, mashed bananas). You can add nuts and dried fruit as desired.

Dried Fruit

When you use dried fruit in a quick bread recipe, try soaking the fruit first: not only will this make the fruit moist and tender, but adding moisture to the fruit before stirring it into the batter will also preserve the moisture of the bread. Place the dried fruit in a heatproof bowl and pour just enough boiling water over it to cover. Let it soak for 15 minutes or so, then drain and add to the finished batter. For added flavor, soak fruit in hot apple or orange juice--or soak the fruit overnight in whiskey, rum or brandy. Don't sprinkle dried fruit on top of the quick bread before baking, as it will burn before the loaf is done.

Glazes

Add a finishing touch and a burst of flavor to finished quick breads by glazing them. Allow them to cool, and then make a simple mixture of confectioners' sugar and a little milk or fruit juice. Try orange and lemon juices, for their fragrant, tart zing; add curls of zest for extra color and flavor.

Mixing the Batter

The secret to perfectly moist, tender quick bread is in the mixing: use a gentle touch. Combine the dry ingredients--flour, leavener, salt and spices--in a bowl: either sift them together or mix them thoroughly with a wire whisk. In another bowl, beat together the fat, sugar and eggs in the order the recipe advises. Stir any other ingredients (fruit puree, flavorings or extracts) into the wet ingredients. Only when each bowl of ingredients is mixed thoroughly should they be combined. When you are ready, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ones and fold them together gently. Do this part by hand rather than with a mixer. Add nuts and fruits; stir just until incorporated. Over-mixing will cause "tunnels"--holes where the air bubbles escaped--and will make the bread tough.

Troubleshooting

Try these fixes to common problems:

Bread sticks to pan Unless you're using high-quality nonstick metal or silicone baking pans, you should always grease the pans before you pour in the batter. The best thing to use for greasing the pan is shortening, because its melting point is higher than any other kind of fat, and therefore maintains a "shield" between the pan and the batter while the bread is baking. A high-quality cooking spray--one that won't bake on to your pans and discolor them--is also a fast, easy fix. You can also prevent sticking by removing the bread from the pan sooner: let the bread cool for at least twenty minutes in order to set (Bundt loaves should cool twice as long) before inverting the pan.
There are big holes and "tunnels" in the bread, and/or the bread is tough These problems are usually caused by over-mixing. See above, Mixing the Batter, about mixing technique.
There's a big crack down the middle of the quick bread loaf The crack on top happens when top of the loaf "sets" in the heat of the oven before the bread is finished rising. Don't worry--it's normal for quick breads. Drizzle the loaf with icing or dust with confectioners' sugar.
My blueberry muffins look green! By reacting with the alkaline baking soda, the blueberries' pigments can turn green. Toss the berries with the flour mixture before combining the ingredients; the coating should help. If you're using frozen berries, don't thaw them before using them.
The bread looks done on the outside but it's still raw in the middle This is one of the most common quick bread problems, and it can be caused by a few different factors. The oven temperature could be too high. (Invest in an oven thermometer: they're cheap and available at most supermarkets.)

Try lowering the oven temperature and/or putting a loose tent of foil over the top of the bread so it won't burn before the middle has time to catch up.
Another cause of the "raw center" problem: using a different pan that the recipe calls for. One of the nice things about quick breads is that you can use the same batter to make muffins, mini loaves, jumbo loaves, or rounds. But each size requires different baking times--and some require different baking temperatures. The larger and thicker the loaf, the longer it's going to take to bake. If you're using a different size pan than your recipe calls for, adjust the baking time accordingly and check the bread often.

Burger

2009-10-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

"A fried vegetarian bean burger made with great northern beans. This recipe makes a lot, so stock up the freezer unless you are feeding a crowd. Serve in pitas or on hamburger buns with your favorite burger toppings."

RECIPE RATING:

Read Reviews (3)

Review/Rate This Recipe

PREP TIME	1 Hr
COOK TIME	2 Hrs
READY IN	3 Hrs
Original recipe yield 15 burgers

SERVINGS

(Help)

Servings

METRIC

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

1 pound dried great Northern beans, soaked overnight
2 large onions, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 (16 ounce) package herb seasoned stuffing mix
6 eggs
3/4 cup whole wheat flour, or as needed
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

What to Drink?
	Rose
	The Real Mojito
	Special Lemonade

DIRECTIONS

Place the soaked beans in a large pot, and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, until tender. Pour into a colander and let stand for a while so they drain very well.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and fry until nicely browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, mix together the eggs and seasoned stuffing mix, and let stand 10 minutes to soften.
Use a food processor to puree the beans in batches, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Puree the onions, and then the stuffing mixture, and stir them into the beans. Season with garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Mix until well blended. Stir in whole wheat flour a little at a time until the mixture is stiff enough to form patties.
Spread the cornmeal out on a small plate. Grab a handful of the bean mixture, and pack lightly into a ball. Press into the cornmeal to form a pattie. Gently turn the pattie over, and coat the other side. Repeat with remaining bean mixture.
Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry patties until browned on both sides. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve in pitas, or on hamburger buns.

2009-10-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

How to Make Pizza

This basic bread and pizza dough can be used for any empanada, pizzette , pizza, bread, and calzone recipes. For recipes calling for bread dough, just leave out the olive oil. For recipes calling for pizza dough, make sure to include the olive oil. To make dough in a mixer, see the Basic Bread and Pizza Dough in an Electric Mixer. The range of salt given is to your taste. This amount of dough will make five very thin 14-inch-diameter pizzas, the kind of pizza you are most likely to find in Italy.

One	1/4-ounce package active dry yeast

1	cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

3/4 to 1 1/4	teaspoons salt, to your taste

3 1/2	cups bread flour or all-purpose unbleached flour, sifted

3	tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (only add if making pizza)

1. In a large metal mixing bowl, previously warmed under hot running water, then dried, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then add the salt and shake gently.

2. Add the flour and olive oil (only if you are making pizza) and mix until you can knead it with your hands. The dough should stick a little bit for the first few minutes but will then form itself into a ball with more kneading and folding. Once it is formed into a ball, dump it onto a lightly floured wooden surface and knead for exactly 12 minutes. If making bread, do not add flour or water, if needed, until at least the eighth minute of kneading.

3. Once the ball of dough is smooth, place it in a lightly floured or oiled bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise in a warm (80 degrees F) place, such as inside a turned-off oven, for 2 hours.

4. Punch down the dough after 1 hour, cover, and let rise another hour. For more flavor, let the rising process go on longer: cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight (this is called a cold rise), but let the dough return to room temperature before working it again. Now it is ready for making into a pizza. If you are making bread, go on to step 5, otherwise, use this dough for any recipe calling for Basic Bread and Pizza Dough.

5. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Transfer the dough to a baking stone, form into the shape you wish, and score with a razor blade or very sharp knife. Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven, then the loaf on the baking stone on the center rack. If you have another baking stone or baking tiles, you can line some in the oven for better tasting and textured bread. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake until golden brown on top, about 40 minutes, spraying it with water at first. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Variation : Use 6 tablespoons milk and 3/4 cup water instead of 1 cup water for a richer flavor.

Makes 2 thin-crust 16-inch pizzas, 5 very thin 14-inch pizzas, or 4 slightly thick 12-inch pizzas, 10 pizzette , ten 4-inch empanada or calzone disks, or 1 large round loaf bread

Basic Bread and Pizza Dough in an Electric Mixer
Read the instructions to your mixer. This recipe was tested on a KitchenAid mixer.

One	1/4-ounce package active dry yeast

1	cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

3/4 to 1 1/4	teaspoons salt, to your taste

3 1/2	cups bread flour or all-purpose unbleached flour, sifted

3	tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (only add if making pizza)

1. In a large metal mixing bowl, previously warmed under hot running water, then dried, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then add the salt and shake gently.

2. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the olive oil (only if you are making pizza dough) and attach to the mixer affixed with the dough hook. Run according to the directions of the manufacturer, about 2 minutes, adding the remaining flour in 1/2-cup increments. Let the mixer run until the dough is pulled off the walls of the bowl and is being pushed by the dough hook.

3. Once the ball of dough is smooth, remove the mixer bowl and remove the dough from the bowl. Place it in a lightly floured or oiled bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise in a warm (80 degrees F) place, such as inside a turned-off oven, for 2 hours. Proceed as the recipe instructs.

Secrets of Baking Pizza
There are many different ways you can make pizzas, beyond the topping. They can be cooked at temperatures ranging from 350 degrees F in a home oven to 900 degrees F in a commercial wood-burning brick pizza oven. High heat gives the best results. I tend to make pizzas in three different ways. Sometimes I make pizza on a large 16-inch pizza pan, either solid or perforated, or directly on a baking stone. The dough is about a third of an inch thick, and I bake it at either 555 degrees F for just a few minutes or at 450 degrees F for a little longer. Or I make a thinner pizza, about 1/8 inch thick, which I cook for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Best thing is to experiment, but without a doubt your pizza will taste better if you are using baking stones, preferably 2, one on the rack above the pizza and one either directly under the pizza dough or on the rack under the pizza.

How to make yeast breads,,^_^

2009-10-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

Donuts are one of the most popular and sought after food in the world. The variety of donuts and the endless possibilities with regard to taste it one of the most versatile meals available. Not just for breakfast, donuts can be had as snacks or treats throughout the day.

Donuts are easy to make, but if you have some of the proper equipment. A deep fryer and a donut cutter is essential. Then, you need ingredients. For about 3 dozen small donuts will need: 4 and half cups flour, 4 teaspoons of cooking soda, 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted!), Half teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk; then, for the taste, half teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground works best!) and a teaspoon vanilla complete.

Take all the dry ingredients except sugar and mix everything together in a large bowl that allows the mixing. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar until becoming light. These will be added to the milk, vanilla and melted butter. Whip this mixture and then add to dry ingredients in the larger bowl.

For the best homemade donuts, keep flogging this mixture until it becomes a soft, uniform paste. To make the best donuts results there should be uniformity of ingredients, but should not be operated above the liquefaction point. Perfect homemade donuts require doughy texture to be achieved with the mixture.

The homemade donuts "dough should be smooth and easy rolling. If after mixing all the ingredients of the dough is slightly up, chilled for an hour, until the donut mixture becomes more stable. Once this is achieved, take the homemade donut dough from the refrigerator.

Flour a counter part to the growth of yeast donut. Remove the entire mass of the donut dough in bowl and floured countertop, roll and a 3 / 8 inch thick mass. Then take the donut cutter and your donuts! All additional pieces, such centers already cut donuts will be rolled together with others and become a 3 / 8 inches think mass for more donuts. After all donut dough is cut, to take all the extra pieces and roll into small balls for donut bites.

The next step is frying homemade donuts. Make sure the deep fryer is 370 degrees. Any cooler and donuts will absorb much oil. Put in a single layer of donuts at a time. Once started the homemade donuts floating on the surface and look golden brown on the bottom, it is time to convert them. Wait a minute or two until the other side is golden and take the donuts from the fryer.

Let drain on fresh donuts from the fryer for a few minutes before being transported to a paper towel to complete the process. While still hot, finally, to your homemade donuts with the addition of your preferred Completion of powdered sugar or cinnamon frosting and sprinkles. Enjoy!

suzey'scook

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