Chinese Egg Rolls Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
About 4 cups peanut or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 bunches scallions (about 10), white and pale green parts cut into 2-inch lengths, then cut lengthwise into very thin matchsticks (2 1/2 cups)
2 celery ribs, cut into very thin matchsticks (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, cut into very thin matchsticks (1 cup)
8 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced 1/4 inch thick (3 cups)
1 lb medium shrimp in shell (31 to 35 per lb), peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/4 lb Chinese roast pork (char siu) or leftover roast pork, cut into 2-inch lengths, then cut lengthwise into very thin matchsticks
1 (1-lb) package Asian egg roll or spring roll wrappers
1 large egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:

Make filling:
Stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved.

Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add 2 tablespoons peanut oil, swirling skillet to coat. Stir-fry ginger, garlic, and scallions until scallions are wilted, about 1 minute. Add celery, carrots, and mushrooms and stir-fry until vegetables are softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Push vegetables toward edge of skillet, then add shrimp to center and stir-fry until shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add pork and oyster sauce mixture and stir together all ingredients in skillet until combined. Season with salt and transfer to a large shallow bowl. Cool, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Make egg rolls:
Gently peel apart wrappers to separate if necessary (wrappers may not be perfectly square).

Put 1 wrapper on a work surface, arranging wrapper with a corner nearest you and keeping remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap. Stir filling, then spread a scant 1/4 cup filling horizontally across center of wrapper to form a 4-inch log. Fold bottom corner over filling, then fold in side corners. Brush top corner with egg and roll up wrapper tightly to enclose filling, sealing roll closed with top corner. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Make more egg rolls in same manner, transferring to baking sheet as formed (you may have some filling left over).

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F. Line a large colander with paper towels. Heat 1 inch peanut oil in a 5- to 6-quart wide heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer, then fry 4 or 5 egg rolls (don’t crowd pot), turning with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to colander and drain rolls upright 2 to 3 minutes, then keep warm on a rack set on a large baking sheet in oven. Fry remaining egg rolls in batches, transferring to colander and then to rack in oven.

Poppy Seed Cake Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

Lots of poppy seed
½ Cup Sugar
Add little bit of milk to make kasha
Add 1 tea spoon of vanilla
Bring it to boil

DIRECTIONS:
Add little bit of milk to make kasha
Add 1 tea spoon of vanilla
Bring it to boil

Halibut with Balsamic Glaze Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons honey, depending how sweet you want it
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
Nonstick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk the vinegar, honey, oil, and garlic in a bowl. Arrange halibuts in an 8-inch square baking dish. Pour marinade over the fish, coating it completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Preheat the broiler. Line the bottom and sides of a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Remove fish from marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange the fillets atop the baking sheet. Pour the marinade into a heavy small saucepan. Broil the fillets until they are just cooked through and caramelized on top, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile bring the marinade to a boil and simmer until it thickens slightly and becomes syrupy, whisking often, about 15 minutes. Spoon off any excess oil from the sauce, if desired.

Transfer the fillets to plates. Spoon the sauce over and around the fillets, and serve.

Smoked Turkey Wrap With Brie and Apples Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces Brie cheese
4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
12 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey breast
1/2 cup fresh watercress leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Spread 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of Brie over each tortilla. Top with equal amounts of apple slices, smoked turkey and watercress. Roll up tightly.

Guacamole Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

ABOUT:

This recipe came to me from my friend from Guatemala, but being a guy he was using garlic salt and chili powder, so I use his ingredients except I used fresh chopped garlic and chili.

Servings:

2 cup

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe avocados
½ red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
dulp of sour cream to preserve color
chopped garlic

DIRECTIONS:

Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.
Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.
Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.
Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

Sauteed Green Beans with Coconut Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup finely grated unsweetened coconut* (1 1/2 oz)
1/3 cup water
1 lb green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 (1 1/2-inch) dried hot red chile, seeded and crumbled
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Stir together coconut and water in a bowl. Let soak at room temperature until water is absorbed, about 1 hour.

Cook beans in a 6-quart heavy pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer beans to a colander set in a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain well.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add mustard seeds, chile, and bay leaf and sauté, stirring, until mustard seeds make popping sounds, about 1 minute. Add beans and stir until coated with oil. Add coconut mixture and cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

Gratin De Fruits Rouges (Berries Gratin) Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

10 oz Morello cherries (fresh or frozen)
10 oz raspberries (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 oz sugar
5 Tbs sour cream
2 egg yolks
11/2 oz granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

DIRECTIONS:

Evenly display the fruits into the 4 ear-dishes
Pre-heat oven on grill.
In a salad bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar sharply so that the mixture becomes clearer and frothy. Add the sour cream and mix.
Pour the mixture evenly on the fruits, then sprinkle evenly the granulated sugar on top.
Put under the grill until it gets brown (reckon 10 minutes).
Serve right away.

Fried Eggplants Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

ABOUT:

Recipe came from my mother

Servings:

INGREDIENTS:

Eggplans
Salt
mayo
garlic
pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cut eggplant with rings, put salt over the slices

Smash them to get bitterness out

Fry on max

Add topping – mayo+garlic+pepper

Oreshki – Baked Walnut Cookies Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 can condensed milk

Dough:
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ tsp baking soda
1 T vinegar
250 gr unsalted butter
3 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Filling:
Cover can of condensed milk with water, bring it to boil and cook on low for 3 hours.
When cooked, cool with cold water. Mix milk with walnuts.

Dough:
Heat over to 375 F
Mix sugar with egg yolks
Mix egg whites until they get foamy
Mix vinegar with soda
Combine sugar, egg whites, vinegar mixtures with flour, vanilla to make dough

Fill in walnut forms with dough and make it hollow for the filling later
Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges get golden. Let it cook off and use filling to put two shells together.

Fried Calamari Sunday, Sep 28 2008 

INGREDIENTS:

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dried parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1 cup simple tomato sauce, recipe follows or jarred marinara sauce, warmed

DIRECTIONS:

Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches.

Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch.

Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate.

Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.

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