Quick Cassoulet

This is another quick and easy recipe to make from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook. I didn't have breadcrumbs so I did away with the first part of the recipe and I also don't have a dutch oven so I skipped the last part, too, but the meal was delicious. Another recipe filed under "family favourites".

Inspired by the rustic--and time-consuming--French classic, our cassoulet, made with leftover turkey or chicken and canned beans, makes a simple, hearty supper.

Makes 6 servings, 1 1/3 cups each

Ingredients

1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ pound turkey kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
2 15 ½-ounce cans great northern or cannellini beans, rinsed
1 ½ cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Quick Cassoulet Ingredients Cont.

Quick Cassoulet Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and light golden, stirring occasionally, 6 to 10 minutes; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrot and garlic; cook, stirring often, until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, wine, beans, turkey (or chicken), thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a simmer.
3. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs over the top and transfer the pot to the oven. Bake until browned and bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.

Quick Cassoulet Instructions Cont.

Quick Cassoulet Tips

Prepare through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/3 cup.

Quick Cassoulet Tips Cont.

Quick Cassoulet Nutrition Information Per serving: 353 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 25 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 12 g fiber; 396 mg sodium.

Nutrition bonus: Fiber (48% daily value), Potassium (38% dv), Folate (36% dv), Vitamin A (30% dv), Vitamin C (20% dv), Iron (20% dv), Calcium (15% dv).

Various Lunches

I usually pack my lunch - peanut butter and jelly sandwich, leftovers like chili or eggplant curry. But on days when I don't feel like eating indoors, I try to explore cheap eats around downtown.

One of my frequent lunch venues is Tim Horton's. There was one time when I'd eat there almost every day and I would try their different soups of the day - cream of mushroom, vegetable, beef etc. But my favorite, especially when it rains, is a bowl of chili with brown bread.

A few weeks ago, I tried the pork rib soup at this Korean restaurant across from my bus stop. It was not as spicy as I imagined it and it came with three side dishes - kimchi, radish and potatoes.

I love Indian food but I don't want to invest in all those exotic ingredients, so whenever we go out to eat, I invariably end up ordering an Indian dish. Some of my favorites are samosas and anything with chickpeas.

Most recently, I tried a good slice of spinach and feta pizza in our downtown area.

Frozen Vegetables

I love using frozen vegetables. They might be a tad expensive than fresh vegetables, but in the long run, I don't waste food or money because they keep for weeks in the freezer. I like buying broccoli, spinach or the different vegetable mix available - Italian blend, Oriental Blend, Fajita mix, etc.

Arroz a la Manding

I was suppose to make Arroz a la Cubana the other night, but realized that I didn't have a couple of ingredients on hand, so I decided to vary the recipe and ended up with a dish that won my family's seal of approval. Again, I don't have exact measurements for this recipe. I just used whatever ingredients I had in the pantry.

Saute minced garlic and onions. Add about half a pound each of ground pork and ground beef. Cook until meats are brown. Add about a cup of chopped bell peppers (I used a mix of red, green and orange bell peppers) and about 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce. You may add a little water if the mixture is too dry. Serve with rice.

Ultimate Beef Chili

Chili is one of my comfort foods. It's especially good on a rainy day (which is what we have most days now). This recipe is from Eating Well. My husband and son don't like beans, but they enjoyed this dish.

Offer garnishes, such as reduced-fat sour cream and grated Cheddar cheese (about 1 tablespoon each per person), chopped scallions and chopped fresh tomatoes. Serve with warmed corn tortillas and a green salad topped with orange slices.

Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each

Ingredients

1 pound beef round, trimmed and cut into ½-inch chunks
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 ½ tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
12 ounces dark or light beer (this is optional for me; I use water instead)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
8 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), snipped into small pieces
2 bay leaves
3 19-ounce cans dark kidney beans, rinsed
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice

Ultimate Beef Chili Ingredients Cont.

Ultimate Beef Chili Instructions

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with another 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Add garlic, jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. Stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
3. Add beer and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, for about 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaves and reserved beef. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. Add beans; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chili has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Ultimate Beef Chili Instructions Cont.

Ultimate Beef Chili Tips

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

For a hot, smoky chili, add 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

Ultimate Beef Chili Tips Cont.

Ultimate Beef Chili Nutrition Information

Per serving: 235 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 19 g protein; 10 g fiber; 456 mg sodium; 582 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (90% daily value), Fiber (38% dv), Vitamin A (35% dv), Iron (20% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato

I made Shepherd's Pie for dinner the other night and decided to try this mashed potato recipe from Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family as my husband loves garlic. Roasted garlic may be used, not just in mashed potatoes and other vegetable purees, but also on toast or bread, in tomato sauces, dips and salad dressings.

1 recipe roasted garlic (see below)
About 10 good-size all-purpose potatoes, peeled and coarsely chunked
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups hot milk
salt and pepper to taste

Roast the garlic.

In a large pot, cover the potatoes generously with salted water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain potatoes (save the water for soup) and transfer to a large bowl. Grasping the garlic at the bottom of the head, squeeze the cloves out onto a plate and mash them with a fork. Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and most of the milk to the potatoes and mash them. Add more of the milk, if you need it, and salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic

1 whole head of garlic, the fresher the better (summer/fall is the best time)
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Peel any loose papery skins off the garlic, then slice off the top third of the head, exposing the individual cloves. Put the garlic in a small baking dish and rub a little olive oil over the exposed cloves. Put a teaspoon or so of water in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and roast the garlic for about 40 minutes. When done, the cloves will be golden colored and feel soft when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Serve or use at any temperature.

Green-Bean and Potato Salad with Pesto

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I had pesto on hand, so I skipped the first part of the recipe.

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pecans, toasted
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds small red new potatoes, scrubbed
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

1. Make pesto: Bring 2 cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add basil, and submerge with a spoon; immediately drain in a colander. In a blender, combine basil, pecans, garlic, lemon juice, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup water; blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Make salad: In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon (reserve pan of water). When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into quarters; place in a large bowl.
3. While potatoes are cooling, return reserved water to a boil. Add green beans; cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain well; transfer to bowl with potatoes. Add pesto, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Info

Per Serving

• Calcium: 61 mg
• Calories: 213 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Sugars: 3 g

Spice-Crusted Tofu

A quick and simple meal from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook. It doesn't go well with rice, though. Can be served with spinach.

3 tablespoons pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant (~2 minutes). Transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. In a small bowl, mix paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
3. Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Cut crosswise into eight 1/2-inch thick slices.
4. Dredge the tofu liberally with the spice mixture, coating all sides.
5. In a small bowl, mix boiling water, lemon juice and honey.
6. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Swirl to coat the bottom.
7. Add tofu and cook on one side until brown and crusty (~4 minutes). Flip and cook the other side (~3 minutes).
8. Add honey mixture to the pan and quickly shake to coat the tofu. It will BUBBLE UP and EVAPORATE VERY QUICKLY.
9. Serve immediately, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4.

Eggplant and Chickpea Curry

I love chickpeas and curry, so this is a great dish for me from "Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family". I had the leftovers for lunch the next day.

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
3 large ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped, or about 1-1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes in puree
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 19-oz can chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or coriander

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large enameled soup pot or casserole. Add the onion and saute over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat slightly and stir in the garlic, curry powder, ginger, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the eggplants and stir well to coat with the oil and spices. Salt the eggplant lightly, cover, and let the eggplant cook for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and let the eggplant stew for 3-4 minutes. Stir in about 1 cup of water and the tomato paste, stirring well to loosen any spices that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer the curry for 5 minutes, uncovered, then stir in the chickpeas. Season to taste with salt and pepper, letting the curry simmer for another 5 minutes; if you need it, add more water, keeping in mind that this is supposed to be a relatively dry curry, not a very saucy one. A minute or so before serving, stir in the parsley. Serve hot over your favorite grain.

Quick Saute of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds

This is one of my favorite vegetable dishes and it's so easy to make.

Quick Saute of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds

Inspired by the Red Cat, NYC

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced almonds
1 to 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife or julienne blade on a mandoline
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Few ounces pecorino Romano, thinly sliced (optional)

Heat the oil on high in a large skillet. When it is hot but not smoking, add the almonds to the pan. Cook them, while stirring, until the almonds are golden-brown, approximately a minute or two.

Add the zucchini to the pan, tossing it with the oil and almonds until it just begins to glisten, about one minute. The idea is not to cook the zucchini so much as warm it.

Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with or without sliced Romano cheese on top.

Vegetarian Hot Pot

I don't think we're eating enough vegetables, so the past few days I've been cooking more vegetable dishes. This recipe, from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook, is a breeze to make. Just go easy on the noodles. I made the mistake of putting too much, forgetting that noodles expand when cooked. I added some thinly-sliced zucchinis after discovering that my pyramid grater can be used to slice vegetables thinly. No need to get a mandoline! Now I can make ratatouille Remy-style.

Quick to prepare, this Asian-style noodle soup has all the makings of a one-pot meal. To punch up the heat, add a dab of chile-garlic sauce.

5-1/4 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh ginger, peeled
2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 teaspoons canola oil
1-3/4 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean and sliced (4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 small bok choy (3/4 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces, stems and greens separated
3-1/2 ounces Chinese wheat noodles or rice sticks (dried rice noodles)
1 14-oz package firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup grated carrots (2 large)
4-6 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped scallions for garnish

1. Combine broth, ginger and garlic in a Dutch oven; bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Discard the ginger and garlic.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add bok choy stems; cook stirring often, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the mushroom mixture to the broth. Add noodles, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Add bok choy greens and tofu; simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, vinegar to taste, soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve garnished with scallions.

Makes 5 main-dish servings, about 1-1/2 cup each.

Per serving: 230 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 14 g protein; 5 g fiber; 706 mg sodium.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I remember growing up with cheese pimiento sandwiches for merienda. Maybe that's the reason why I love the smell - and taste - of bell peppers or capsicum. They also come in different colors - red, green, orange and yellow so they make a dish really attractive.

Whenever I would read about menu planning, one thing they emphasize is building your meal around colorful vegetables and fruits and I would normally ignore this. But I could see a big difference when I made this dish. When I saw how all the vegetables looked in the roasting pan, I couldn't wait to eat. They especially looked appetizing after roasting because the colors were brighter.

This is another recipe from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook. So far, all the recipes I've tried were very good. I had the leftovers for lunch the next day and they were as delicious. You can add almost any kind of vegetables. I had some extra mushrooms from the mushroom soup, so they went to this dish as well.

1 medium zuchinni, diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces whole-wheat pasta
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. (I try to minimize our salt intake, so I never put salt when cooking pasta.)
2. Toss zucchini, bell pepper and onion with 1 tablespoon oil in a large roasting pan or a large baking sheet with sides. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes, until tender and browned, 10 - 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic and the remaining1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook pasta until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the bowl with the tomatoes. Add the roasted vegetables and toss well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve, passing feta cheese separately.

Makes 6 servings, about 1-1/2 cups each.

Per serving: 288 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 9 g fiber; 177 g sodium.

Mushroom Barley Soup

This is the first recipe I tried from the cookbook, Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family. This is definitely no cream of mushroom soup, but if you like mushrooms then you will enjoy this soup. And I like barley, so this is a keeper, but I will probably make half the recipe next time.

1 cup pearl barley
10 cups water
1 pound mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tamari
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Cook the barley: Combine the barley and 2 cups of the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and cook over very low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put about 3/4 pound of the mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor and finely chop them, scraping down the sides if necessary. Reserve. Thinly slice the remaining mushrooms and set them aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large soup pot. Stir in the onions, celery, and bay leaves and saute over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Stir in the garlic, then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, then add the remaining 8 cups of water, salt, tamari, black pepper, and reserved barley. Bring the soup to a near boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

While the soup simmers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and saute them for 3 to 4 minutes, until they're nicely browned. Stir the mushrooms, parsley, and cayenne into the soup about 5 minutes before serving. Or stir the mushrooms into individual portions if your kids don't eat them.

Quick Beef Stroganoff

I've made this dish several times when we were in Chicago, but misplaced the recipe. I remembered it last night while I was working on this week's menu and searched online to get a copy of it. I will probably cook it next week. I still have left-over sour cream in the freezer.

Photo and recipe from Real Simple.


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds New York or sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the steak with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.

Cook the steak until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out skillet. Add the remaining oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until their juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and broth. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid reduces to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the sour cream, and heat until the mixture thickens. Transfer the steak and any juices that have collected on the plate to the skillet, and add the remaining salt and pepper. Heat until warmed through.

Spoon the steak strips and mushroom sauce over the rice and sprinkle with the parsley.

Tip: If you don't have a stash of sherry, you can substitute another fortified wine, such as Madeira, Marsala, or port.

Grilled Chicken with Sesame-Ginger Sauce

Here's another recipe I tried from the Essential EatingWell Cookbook. Instead of grilling, I baked the chicken at 425F for about 30 minutes since I don't have a griller at home. I didn't have time to do the sauce, but the dish was delicious without it.

Marinade:
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano chile or jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional for me)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves trimmed of fat (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lbs total)

1. Make Sesame-Ginger Sauce.
2. Combine marinade in a large plastic bag. Add chicken and seal bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate, turning once or twice, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat grill.
4. Remove chicken from marinade and discard plastic bag and any remaining marinade. Oil the grill rack. Grill chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. Thinly slice chicken and top with sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

Sesame Ginger Sauce

This Asian sauce is delicious with grilled chicken, fish , tofu or vegetables. The quantity of ginger may seem generous, but it is strained before serving, leaving a delicate infusion. You can use a food processor or mini processor to speed up the mincing.

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup minced fresh ginger
2-3 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Heat canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and sugar to taste; cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. (Add a little water if the mixture seems dry.) Remove from heat; add 1/3 cup water, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Strain sauce through a fine sieve. Stir in scallions and serve. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Make ahead: The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Sake Ginger Glazed Salmon

Here's another delicious dish from Simply Recipes, which I prepared for dinner tonight. I should be cooking more fish and vegetable dishes. I didn't have sake so I used rice wine.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free or wheat-free soy sauce for wheat-free version)
1/2 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
2 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
A dash of red chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 pounds of salmon fillets
Olive oil

Method

1 Mix the soy sauce, sake, mirin, ginger, garlic, chile flakes, and sugar in a medium bowl. Place the salmon fillets in a sturdy freezer bag. Pour about the marinade into the freezer bag with the fish. Seal the freezer bag and place in a baking dish (so that if the bag leaks it doesn't get all over your fridge). Place in your refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

2a Grilling method
Brush the grill grates with olive oil; pre-heat your grill to medium heat. Remove salmon from bag, reserving the marinade. Place salmon either directly on the grill grate, or on a piece of aluminum foil (brushed with olive oil) over the grill grate, skin side down. Brush frequently with the marinade glaze, cook the salmon 10-20 minutes (depending on thickness of the fillets), until easily flaked with a fork.

2b Pan frying method
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the salmon and reserve the marinade. Fry the salmon 4 to 5 minutes per side, basting frequently with the marinade. Serve once the salmon is cooked through and is easily flaked with a fork.

2c Baking method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Brush the top of the foil with olive oil. Drain the salmon and reserve the marinade. Place salmon on the foil, skin side down. Bake for 10-20 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are, basting frequently with the marinade, until the salmon is easily flaked with a fork.

3 If you have some remaining marinade, you can heat it in a small saucepan until simmering. Remove from heat and pour into a small gravy boat for serving with the salmon. This is optional.

Serves 4.

EatingWell’s Oven-Fried Chicken

My sister subscribed to EatingWell magazines before and she would share some copies with me. She even gave me a cook book, which I unfortunately lost during one of our moves. I borrowed an EatingWell cookbook from the library the other day. It's not the same as the cook book I lost, but the recipes seem worth trying.

I bought a pack of chicken thighs and made three meals out of it. This is one of them. My son loved it so this is one of our family favorites now. I served this with Garlic Steamed Broccoli (see recipe below).

The second meal I made from the pack of chicken thighs is our trusty Adobo. The third meal is another recipe from Eating Well. I'm still marinating it so we'll see if it will pass my family's test.

Photo and recipe from Eating Well's website.

1/2 cup buttermilk (see Tip)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used 1 tsp dry mustard powder)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
2 1/2-3 pounds chicken legs, skin removed, trimmed and cut into thighs and drumsticks
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

1. Whisk buttermilk, mustard, garlic and hot sauce in a shallow glass dish until well blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, sesame seeds, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the flour mixture in a paper bag or large sealable plastic bag. Shaking off excess marinade, place one or two pieces of chicken at a time in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess flour and place the chicken on the prepared rack. (Discard any leftover flour mixture and marinade.) Spray the chicken pieces with cooking spray.
4. Bake the chicken until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 40 to 50 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 226 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 130 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 34 g protein; 1 g fiber; 353 mg sodium; 423 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Potassium (21% daily value).
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1/3 starch, 4 very lean protein, 1 1/2 fat

TIP: Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours.

Garlic Steamed Broccoli

This is a healthy way of cooking broccoli and you don't even need a steamer basket! This recipe is from Food Network.

Ingredients:

• One head of broccoli
• A splash of olive oil
• A clove or two of thinly sliced garlic
• A splash of water
• A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the broccoli into florets discarding the tough stems. Splash enough water into the bottom of a small saucepot to cover the bottom about 1/4 inch deep. Add the oil, garlic and salt then begin heating over a medium high heat. In a few moments - when the water starts to simmer - add the broccoli and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid.
2. Steam until the broccoli is tender and bright green, about five minutes. The water should finish evaporating just as the broccoli finishes cooking. Remove the pan from the heat and give it a good shake. Serve immediately.

Stir-Fried Chicken and Broccoli

I tried this recipe from the New York Times tonight and my family loved it.

By Martha Rose Shulman

This easy Asian stir-fry is lighter than the fast-food Chinese dishes that many kids love, and it's a great way to get them to eat broccoli, which drinks up the delicious glaze. Have all of your ingredients ready and close at hand, and cook some rice before you start. Once you begin, this dish takes minutes.

1/2 cup chicken stock or water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 bunch broccoli, broken into small florets

2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1/2- by 2-inch strips

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, sliced

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1. In a small bowl, stir together the chicken stock or water, the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar.

2. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket above one inch of boiling water, cover and steam three minutes. Refresh under cold water, and set aside.

3. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it ripples. Add the chicken. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, about four minutes. Remove from the heat, and place in a bowl.

4. If the pan looks dry, add the second tablespoon of oil. Add the ginger, garlic and scallions, then stir-fry for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for one minute, then return the cooked chicken to the pan and stir together. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute. Stir the dissolved cornstarch or arrowroot, add to the pan, and stir until the chicken and vegetables are glazed. Remove from the heat, and serve with rice or noodles.

Variation:

Stir-Fried Tofu and Broccoli

Many kids love tofu. In the recipe above, substitute 3/4 pound tofu, cut into 1/2- by 1-inch pieces, then follow the cooking instructions. In step three, cook the tofu for two to three minutes, until it begins to color.

Yield: Serves four to six

Advance preparation: You can steam the broccoli several hours ahead and have all of the ingredients prepped. The stir-frying can be done at the last minute.

Ratatouille

My family and I watched the movie, Ratatouille, at the library last week. One of my favourite scenes is when the food critic tries Remy's Ratatouille and is transported back to his childhood. I was inspired to make this dish, but not how Remy prepared it since I don't have a mandoline. This recipe is from Martha Stewart, and my husband loved it so much he probably ate half of what I prepared. I'm not complaining. I should prepare more of these kinds of dishes as I feel we're not eating enough vegetables.

Serves 8

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggplants, (2 pounds), peeled in strips and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 4 to 5 medium zucchini, (2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 yellow or red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1. In a Dutch oven (or other heavy 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in eggplant and zucchini; season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Add 3/4 cup water; cover, and simmer until vegetables are beginning to soften, stirring once, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell peppers; simmer, covered, until softened, 5 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover; simmer, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. If serving immediately, stir in basil. (If freezing, leave out basil.)

Sole with Pimiento Sauce

Here's another recipe I tried from Simply Recipes, but I made some variations (in parentheses). I was going to cook a separate vegetable dish (Snap Peas with Mushrooms), but in the end decided to just dump the snap peas with the fish. It turned out well.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup sliced cremini or button mushrooms
3/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, coarsely chopped (I used pimientos)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 6-8 ounce tilapia fillets (I used sole fillets)

1 In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute more. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to boiling.

2 Gently place the fish fillets in the pan and scoop some of the sauce over the fillets. Return to boiling. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. With a wide spatula, lift fish from skillet to a serving dish. Spoon sauce over fish. Serve with rice, and/or crusty bread.

Serves 4.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

We eat earlier than usual on Mondays because of my son's after-school activity so I usually prepare dinner the night before. This is one recipe I tried this week. It's so easy to make and my family loved it. My mother-in-law says it tastes just as good as the one she sometimes buys at Costco. I got this recipe from one of my favorite blog sites, Simply Recipes. I did not have beef broth so I just used water, and I substituted Worcestershire sauce with oyster sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef (about 1/2 kilo)
  
• 1 onion chopped
• 1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Method

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Serves four.

Brussel Sprouts

I bought a bag of mini brussel sprouts for a recipe I saw on a blog. Brussel sprouts turn bitter when overcooked and the two times I used it for a recipe, either by frying or roasting, I managed to do just that - make it taste bitter. So the next time, I tried boiling it (I actually added it to sinigang) and it turned out okay. Today when I made pot roast, I didn't have any other vegetable in the refrigerator and the brussel sprouts didn't disappoint.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I haven't baked a cake in a while, but I had some sour cream, chocolate chips and almonds left so I decided to use it to bake a coffee cake. I also had a bundt pan that hadn't been used yet! I didn't like how the cake turned out, but the cake was consumed in a couple of days, so I guess it wasn't that bad.

Mini Frittata

I did not follow a particular recipe for this dish. I just used 4 eggs, some chopped frozen spinach, feta cheese and pepper. Poured the mixture in a muffin tin and popped it in the oven (375 degrees) and baked it for about 15-20 minutes, or until centre is set.

Frittata

Frittata is one recipe that's good when you want to clean out your refrigerator. I had a few eggs that I bought for the cookies that I didn't find time to make; a half-empty bag of feta cheese from a salad dish last week; some stir-fry vegetables and an almost empty carton of milk.

5 eggs
Milk
Feta cheese
Stir-fry vegetables
Basil

Whip the eggs and add the rest of the ingredients. Add a little oil to a non-stick pan and pour the egg mixture. Cover the pan and cook until eggs are done.

Corned Beef Sinigang

Sinigang is a family favorite and while I've made sinigang countless times, I've never made it from scratch, thanks to the trusty sinigang mix. I bought a couple of packs during my last trip to the grocery in Richmond that sells Filipino stuff.

A couple of nights ago, I made sinigang and decided to add corned beef. I bought a brand that is different (in other words, not good) from the Purefoods Corned Beef that we're used to eating so no one wanted to eat it. I didn't want to throw it away so I stored it in the freezer while I thought of a recipe I could use it for. Then I remembered the Corned Beef Sinigang I tried once at Sentro in Greenbelt. The dish was a success. But I'm not buying that brand of corned beef ever.

PS: I also added left-over cubed spam.

Bistek Tagalog

I got this recipe from the bottle of Marca Pina Soy Sauce I bought from the local grocery. I found it a bit salty, so I will lessen the soy sauce next time. My aunt adds oyster sauce to her recipe.

6 pieces calamansi
1/2 cup soy sauce
500g beef sirloin, cut into thin slices
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic
1 piece onion, cut into rings

Marinate beef in calamansi juice and soys sauce for 1 hour. Saute minced garlic in oil until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Remove beef from marinade and squeeze dry. Set aside the marinade. Fry beef pieces until brown. Add onion rings, reserving a few for garnish. Stir together with the beef until onions are transparent. Add marinade and garlic. Bring to a boil. Serve garnished with onion rings.

I saw this recipe from another blog (http://www.pinoyrecipe.net) and will try it next time:

• 3/4 kilo tender pork or beef steaks, sliced

• 1 tablespoon kalamansi or lemon juice

• 5 tablespoons soy sauce

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 small piece ginger, crushed

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup onions, sliced in rings

• 4 tablespoons cooking oil

• Marinate the pork or beef steak in kalamansi (lemon) juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and pepper for 30 minutes.
• In a frying, add cooking oil. Add the marinated pork or beef steak and cook slow until done.
• Increase heat for a minute or two to brown steaks.
• Add the sliced onions and continue to cook for another minute.
• Serve on a platter including the oil and sauce.
• Best served with hot plain rice.

Wireless in the Kitchen

It's nice to have wireless internet. I can refer to my online recipes while I'm cooking in the kitchen. I don't have to shuttle between the kitchen and the living room, where the computers usually are, when the recipe I'm using is on my blog and not in any of the cookbooks I have.

As I write this, I have two things cooking - adobo and sinigang. Next, I'm going to cut chicken breasts into cubes and store them in the freezer for Thursday's meal, then prepare Minestrone for dinner. This is where I need my recipe online.

Sweet and Sour Fish

I finally was able to use the thin green onions growing on my kitchen table. I like the sauce of this recipe. It's light and not too tangy as the usual sweet and sour sauce I've had before. This recipe is from "The Quick and Easy Japanese Cookbook" by Katsuyo Kobayashi, an "Iron Chef" winner.

5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 boiled bamboo shoot, 7 oz/200g (optional for me as I didn't have this in my pantry)
1/2 carrot
1/2 onion
1 knob (1 inch/2-1/2 cm) fresh ginger (I used grated ginger)
4-5 thin green onions or chives
4 fillets of flounder, or cod, or any other white fish (each 5 oz/140g)
Potato starch for dusting fish + 1 tbsp potato starch dissolved in 1 tbsp water (I used flour)
vegetable oil for deep frying (I don't like deep frying so I just sauteed the fish)

Sauce:
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sake (I didn't have sake so I used rice wine)
1 tbsp light-colored (usukuchi) soy sauce or 2 tsp regular soy sauce + 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil

1. Reconstitute shiitake mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for 10 minutes until they soften. Drain. Discard stems and cut caps into thin strips. Cut the bamboo shoot and the carrot into thin slices and then into matchsticks. Slice the onion finely. Cut the ginger into thin strips. Cut green onions into 1-inch lengths.

2. Cut the fish into bites-sized pieces and dust with potato starch. In a wok or fry pan, heat the oil to medium, add the fish, and deep-fry until cooked through and crispy. Remove from heat and arrange fish on a dish.

3. In a small pan, combine sauce ingredients, except sesame oil. Add all the vegetables and bring to boil until carrot softens. Stir in the dissolved potato starch and remove from heat as soon as the mixture thickens and glazes.

4. Add green onions and sesame oil, and mix quickly. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

A Garden in My Kitchen

About a month ago I bought a bag of onions. I haven't been using a lot of onions lately, so I was surprised to see this a few days ago. Now, if I need green onions, I don't have to go to the grocery to buy some!

Garlic Beef with Green Beans

This is the other recipe I am making using half of the pork tenderloin. Yes, I bought a big bag of frozen green beans so I've been using it a lot. The original recipe calls for broccoli and is taken from "A Spoonful of Ginger" by Nina Simonds

1 ½ lb flank steak or boneless sirloin

Marinade

3 ½ tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine or sake
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cornstarch
…
1 ½ lbs broccoli, broccoli rabe or Chinese broccoli
5 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 ½ tbsp minced fresh ginger
¼ cup rice wine or sake, mixed with 3 tbsp of water

Sauce (mixed together)

½ cup chicken broth or water
6 tbsp oyster sauce
1 ½ tbsp rice wine or sake
1 ½ tbsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 ½ tsp cornstarch
…

2 tbsp minced scallion greens

1. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices about 1/8 inch thick, then cut the slices into 1 inch squares. Put beef in bowl, add premixed marinade and toss lightly to coat. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.

2. Separate the broccoli florets into bite-size pieces

3. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add broccoli and cook for about 3 ½ or 4 minutes or until just tender. Drain in a colander and refresh under cold water. Drain again.

4. Heat a wok or a large skillet, add 3 ½ tbsp of oil and heat until near smoking. Add beef and stir fry over high heat until it loses its raw colour and the pieces separate. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Clean out pan.

5. Reheat pan adding the remaining oil adding garlic and ginger. Stir fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant, then add broccoli and rice wine-water mixture and toss lightly to heat through. Add the sauce and cook until it thickens, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add the cooked beef and toss until the meat is heated through and everything is coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve with rice.

Serves 6

Pork and Green-Bean Stir-Fry

I like it when I'm able to prepare more than one dish from a slice of meat. I bought half a kilo of pork tenderloin today and was able to make two dishes out of it. This recipe from Food Magazine was one of them. I forgot to add the sugar when making the sauce and I didn't have red-pepper flakes, red bell pepper and peanuts, but the dish was still good and so easy to prepare.

* 1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4 pound), trimmed of excess fat
* Coarse salt
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
* 1 teaspoon sugar

* 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
* 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
* 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
* 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
* 1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into thin strips
* 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
* Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

Cut pork diagonally into 1/4-inch thick slices. In order to cut the pork thin enough, stick it in the freezer for about 20 minutes before slicing it up. Cut each slice lengthwise in half. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar; set sauce aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add half the ginger, pepper flakes, and pork; cook, stirring, until pork is no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat, cooking remaining ginger, pepper flakes, and pork in another teaspoon oil; transfer to plate. (I cooked the pork all at once.)

Meanwhile, cook green beans in a medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain; dry with paper towels.

Add remaining teaspoon oil to the skillet. Add beans, bell pepper, broccoli and 2 tablespoons water; cook over high heat, stirring often, until peppers are tender, about 2 minutes.

Add peanuts, pork mixture, and reserved sauce. Cook, stirring, until pork is coated, about 1 minute. Serve immediately, over rice, if desired.

Japanese-Style Hamburgers

Update: I have tried this recipe and didn't like the way it turned out. Combining the eggs, milk the breadcrumbs separately made the mixture clumpy so it was difficult to incorporate it with the beef. Since I don't want to waste food, I crumbled the beef patties and made chili and shepherd's pie instead. I will not attempt to make burgers again. I will just wait for my brother-in-law to send a batch of his burger patties. I will definitely continue to cook burgers the way they do in the recipe below.

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I like the way the burger is cooked. I usually am wary about cooking hamburger, especially for my son's lunch, because I'm not quite sure if it's cooked all the way through. The technique used here guarantees that the meat is cooked evenly.

Burger:
14 oz (400g) ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 onion
vegetable oil for frying
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 cup breadcrumbs

Sauce:
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon butter

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Chop the onion very fine and saute in a little oil until transparent. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, combine egg and milk and mix, then add breadcrumbs and mix briefly. Set aside to allow flavors to combine.

4. Add the onion mixture and the breadcrumb mixture to the beef. Mix lightly by squeezing the meat 2 or 3 times with your hands. This will make the meat light and fluffy.

5. Dab a little oil on your palms and divide the meat into four portions. Toss each portion from one hand to the other, as if you were playing catch, to remove any excess air. Shape into 4 hamburgers, indenting the middle of each with your thumb.

6. Heat a little oil in a fry pan and saute hamburgers over medium heat until nicely browned on one side. Turn and brown the other side.

7. Add enough boiling water to the pan to half-cover the burgers. Cover the pan and simmer over medium-high heat until burgers are cooked through. Remove the lid, lower heat to medium, and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporate. Place on individual plates and set aside.

8. To make the sauce, add water, ketchup, sake, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and butter to the same pan, and bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly thickened and ladle the sauce over burgers. Serve with your favorite vegetables.

Japanese Pan-Fried Chicken

Due to my ready access to the library, I've been borrowing a lot of cookbooks and trying out new recipes. Here's one easy and delicious recipe I cooked for dinner last week taken from "The Quick and Easy Japanese Cookbook" by Katsuyo Kobayashi.

2-3 boneless chicken thighs
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms (I used dried mushrooms)
3 small bell peppers
2-3 tablespoons mirin (or 2-3 tablespoons sake + 2 teaspoons sugar)
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
Japanese sansho pepper (optional)
sichimi togarashi red pepper or red chili flakes (optional)

1. Trim off any excess fat from the chicken.

2. Cut off hard stems off the mushrooms, and cut each mushroom in half or into quarters. If using bell peppers, remove caps and seeds, and cut lengthwise into 4-6 pieces.

3. Make the sauce by combining mirin and soy sauce, and set aside.

4. Heat a nonstick fry pan until very hot. Place chicken skin-side down and fry over medium-heat until the skin starts to crisp and turn golden brown. Turn chicken over and brown the other side. Add shiitake and green peppers to the pan.

5. When the meat is just cooked through, add the sauce. Turn chicken and vegetables repeatedly, to develop the flavor.

6. When sauce thickens, remove chicken from the pan and cut into easy-to-eat pieces. Arrange attractively on a dish with mushrooms and peppers. Serve hot, setting out sansho pepper and shicimi togarashi red pepper on the table as optional seasonings.

Oatmeal Cookies

It's all about oatmeal this week. Here's an oatmeal cookie recipe that I tried on a whim and it's very good. I didn't have wheat germ, so I replaced it with dried cranberries.

1/2 cup butter (1/4 pound)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 lightly beaten egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or toasted sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 375F. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and salt, and beat well.

Stir flour, baking powder, wheat germ, and rolled oats together with a fork. Blend well with other ingredients, adding a tablespoon or more of water if necessary to hold the mixture together.

Place by tablespoonsful on greased cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 24.

Sweet and Sour Tofu

Here's a different kind of sweet and sour dish. I add some chicken slices because my husband and son aren't into vegetarian dishes.

1/2 cup large walnut pieces
2 blocks tofu (about 22 ounces or 624 grams)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry or sake

1 large onion
1 large green pepper
1 stalk celery
1 large or 2 small carrots
2 tablespoons oil
1 heaped cup fresh pineapple chunks (i used canned tidbits)

1-1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vinegar
1-1/4 cups vegetable stock or water (i used the pineapple juice from the tidbits + water)
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Toast walnut pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat, and set aside.

Cut tofu into 1" cubes and marinate in 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and sherry.

Cut onion across center and down through the middle into wedge-shaped slices. Cut green pepper in pointy wedges and celery and carrots in thin diagonal slices. Stir-fry in oil until crispy-tender, adding pineapple after the first 2 or 3 minutes. Use a wok or heavy pan that has a lid - but not one made of cast iron; the acidity of this dish will cause it to discolor and taste metallic.

Combine honey, vinegar and 1 cup of the vegetable stock, and add to vegetables along with tofu. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes to heat tofu thoroughly.

Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/4 cup stock and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Stir into vegetables. Heat, stirring, while sauce thickens and clarifies somewhat.

Just before serving, adjust balance of sweet and sour to taste. Stir in the walnuts. Serve with brown rice. Makes 6 servings.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Saturdays are usually Pancake Days. It's the only time of the week I prepare breakfast, because during the week it's my husband who makes breakfast. He likes chocolate chips with his pancakes while our son likes them plain. Recently, I discovered this recipe from Laurel's Kitchen. Our son does not like oatmeal so this (as well as Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies) is a good way of getting him to eat more fibre.

Here's what happened after I added the oil and egg. I was amazed and had to take a photo.



1 cup milk
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the milk and rolled oats in a bowl and let stand at least 5 minutes.

Add the oil and beaten eggs, mixing well; stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Bake on a hot, lightly oiled griddle, using 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Turn them when the top is bubbly and the edges are slightly dry.

Makes 10-12 four-inch pancakes.

Spaghetti Squash

I finally baked the spaghetti squash today and was thrilled when I saw how it turned out after baking it for half an hour. The strands are crunchy. We were suppose to have it for dinner tonight, but my mother-in-law already prepared enough food, so we'll eat it for lunch tomorrow. I plan to toss it with onions, garlic, feta cheese, tomatoes and some herbs.

Update: The spaghetti squash recipe was a hit. Even my husband liked it. It went well with the Baked Salmon with Pan Asian sauce I prepared. And for dessert, we had a bar of York Peppermint Wafer Bars.

Minestrone

Minestrone is one of my favorite soups and is one of the easiest to make. You can put almost anything in it, such as leftover vegetables and pasta.

I got this recipe from The New Laurel's Kitchen cookbook. I first got a copy of this book when I was in high school, but most of the ingredients were not available where I lived so I don't remember trying any of the recipes. Whole foods cooking was very new at that time. I'm glad to note that this book has been updated and seems more practical than its first edition.

1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped tomatoes with juice, or 1 six-oz can tomato paste and 3 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons basil
pinch fennel seed

2 cups or more, chopped: carrot, zucchini, potato, broccoli, green beans, green pepper, cabbage, peas, corn, sauteed mushrooms

1 cup cooked beans: lima, kidney, pinto, black, or garbanzo

handful of raw or cooked whole wheat pasta

(1/2 cup cooked grain)
salt to taste
plenty of pepper

(tender greens, cut up)
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Saute onion, garlic and celery in oil until soft. Crush garlic. Add tomatoes, or tomato paste and stock, and herbs. Simmer the soup gently while you prepare whatever vegetables, beans, or grains you wish to add.

At least 30 minutes before serving soup, add beans, noodles, and/or the grain.

Minestrone welcomes leftover steamed vegetables, but if you are cooking them fresh, we suggest steaming or simmering them before adding to the soup because vegetables cooked with tomato will lose their color. Incorporate the vegetable cooking water into the soup. Parsley and tender greens will keep their color and not be overcooked if you add them just a few minutes before serving. Don't count them as part of the 2 cups of vegetables because they cook down so much; just add them as extras.

After combining all the ingredients, bring the soup to a boil, simmer briefly, and correct the seasonings. If you like, garnish each bowl with a spoonful of Parmesan cheese.

Makes about 10 cups - all to the good because it's even better the next day. Serves 6 generously.

Peeling Peaches

I bought a couple of white peaches yesterday, just because I wanted to eat more fresh fruits. Peeling peaches is a bit tricky because you might end up bruising the fruit and getting juice all over your hands so I had to go on the internet to see how to do it properly. It's a lot like peeling tomatoes and apricots. Dunk the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, transfer to a bowl of ice water then pull the skin off with your hands. It was so easy! I didn't realize though that peeled peaches, like apples, discolor easily. My son suggested I put them in the refrigerator first because they're best eaten cold. When I took them out a few hours later, they were a bit browned, but they still tasted good.

Salad

My husband fell in love with this salad he first tried at Nordstrom Cafe when we lived in Chicago. He talks about it every time we have salad and finally got to recreate it yesterday. He prepared everything, including the caramelized walnuts, but drizzled it with bottled vinaigrette. Maybe one of these days, he will even get to make the dressing himself!

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork and Chillies

This dish is called Moo Pad Prik Sai Tua Fak Yao in Thailand.

500 g (1-1/4 lb) green beans
12-16 garlic cloves
6-9 fresh hot green or red chillies
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
275 g (10 oz) lean pork, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce or salt

Wash and trim the beans. Cut them crossways into 5-7 mm (1/4-1/3 inch) rounds. Peel the garlic and chop it finely. Cut the chillies crossways into very thin slices.

Put the oil in a wok and set it over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the garlic and green chillies. Stir and fry until the garlic turns golden, then add the pork. Stir and fry, breaking up any lumps, until the pork has lost its raw look. Put in the beans, paprika, sugar, fish sauce or salt and 300 ml (10 fl oz) water. Stir and cook on a medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender and most of the water has been absorbed.

Bulgogi

This is one of my son's favorites. He said I should include it as one of our family's favorites. This recipe came from Madhur Jaffrey's Far Eastern Cookery.

500 g (1-1/4 lb) lean tender beef steak
1/2 medium-sized hard pear
4-5 garlic cloves
5 cm (2-inch) cube fresh ginger
4 tablespoons soy sauce (shoyu)
5 medium-sized mushrooms
120 g (4-1/2 oz) onions
3 spring onions
1 medium-sized carrot
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar

Cut the meat against the grain into 7.5 x 5 cm (3 x 2 inch) rectangles that are about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick.

Peel and core the pear half and chop it coarsely. Peel the garlic and ginger and chop coarsely. Blend the pear, garlic, ginger and soy sauce in an electric blender until smooth.

Cut the mushrooms into 3 mm (1/8 inch) slices. Peel and thickly slice the onions. Cut the spring onions into 6 cm (2-1/2 inch) lengths. Peel the carrot and then cut it into 6 cm (2-1/2 inch) chunks. Then cut each chunk lengthways into 3 mm (1/8) inch slices. Put the meat in a bowl. Add the paste from the blender, the mushrooms, onions, spring onions, carrot, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sugar. Mix well. Cover and marinate for 1-24 hours.

Set a large cast-iron frying pan on a high heat. Let it get almost white=hot. Put in as many of the meat slices as will fit in one layer. Cook, turning the meat pieces over as soon as they brown a little. (You could also cook the meat, spread out, under a very hot grill.) You may leave the meat rare if yo like. Remove the meat as soon as it is ready. Cook all the meat this way. Then put in the vegetables and the marinade. Cook on a high heat for a minute or so. Then spoon the mixture over or beside the meat. Serve immediately.

Cooking Day

Today is cooking day. We went to the grocery this morning and I got some round steak, chicken breasts and drumsticks, and ground pork. With the round steak I was able to make tapa and bulgogi (both are still marinating overnight) and I was about to make beef bourguignon when we realized that we didn't have a corkscrew to open the bottle of red wine. Bitin! I already prepared the other ingredients which will now have to be stored until we buy the corkscrew tomorrow.

It's my son's first time to see ground pork. He calls it worm meat because they look like worms and he's curious to see how it will look when it's cooked.

Another purchase I made was spaghetti squash. I wanted crookneck squash, but the grocery didn't have any. I've been curious about spaghetti squash, which looks like ordinary squash when raw, but when cooked the flesh falls away like ribbons or strands, hence the name. I've been looking at several recipes and haven't decided how to prepare it. I do know that I would like to roast/toast the seeds (http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/snacks/r/pumpkinseeds.htm) . I've been craving for "butong pakwan" that the other day I bought a small bag of trail mix, but discarded the almonds. Got mostly pumpkin and sunflower seeds and cranberries.

Aside from cooking, I made my usual chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies, but added some slivered almonds this time, which made the cookies taste even better. Whenever I make a batch, my son always reminds me of the comment one of his classmates said about the cookies (the best chocolate chip cookies he's tasted). I used my Kitchen-Aid mixer, which has been idle for over a year. Maybe even two. I hope to use it more often this time.