Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 rashers bacon
- 8 ounces cooked fresh or frozen vegetables (sliced carrots, corn, green beans, peas all highly recommended; I recommend against using canned vegetables)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 pint (8 ounces) beef stock
- 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 pound mashed potatoes
- 2 ounces butter
- Salt
- Seasoned salt
- Black pepper
- Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Cooking Instructions
Prepare your mashed potatoes before starting the shepherd's pie. I used instant mashed potatoes and it came out fine, but Highlander's Lady strongly recommends from-scratch mashed potatoes.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191 degrees Centigrade).
Cut the onions into large chunks. Heat the olive oil and cook the onions until they are soft and translucent. Add the beef and the bacon to the onions and cook quickly over a high heat until the meat is lightly browned, stirring constantly. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the flour.
Pour the beef stock slowly into a mixing bowl containing the corn starch, stirring as you do so to blend the corn starch smoothly. Add the tomato puree to the beef stock. Pour the stock into the pan with the meat and onions. Cover and simmer for five minutes.
Uncover. Add the cooked vegetables. Mix well.
Pour the mixture into a deep baking dish. Deep is far better than big.
Cover the mixture with the mashed potatoes. Cover the potatoes with the cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown. Remove, serve, enjoy. Makes approximately six servings.
Notes
Okay, so this will never qualify as haute cuisine. So some will sneer and call this, "Peasant fare." So what? It has all the things that haute cuisine lacks. It's easy to make, it takes less than an hour, and it tastes good. This is the kind of dish you can make on a working night, when it's been a (rhymes with "witch") of a day and you haven't planned the evening meal. Bake some fresh bread to go with it, or buy a nice fresh loaf at the grocer's, add a glass of Buena Vista cabernet for your sipping pleasure, and you have a nice dinner that didn't take you forever to make and that won't take you forever to clean up. For variations on the theme, add chopped garlic, and/or cut back on the beef stock by a half an ounce or so and add a nice red wine to the mixture.
Not a recipe, but a recommendation.
Bernardo clued me into this interesting drink. He thinks it's -- his words -- "absolutely wonderful." I think it's very nice.
Chai latte is (I'm reading from the box here) "a sweet, spicy tea latte with black tea, honey, vanilla bean, fresh ginger, and tempting spices." Okay, there's a little puffery there, but as far as I can tell it's an accurate description of the ingredients. My palate can't sort out the honey, vanilla, or ginger specifically, but I caught a very nice combination of cinnamon and nutmeg the first time I tasted it. The nicest thing to me is the way the cinnameg flavor hangs around in my mouth even after I've swallowed.
The box says you can serve it hot or cold. I've only tried the cold mixture, which is a fifty-fifty mix of chai and milk, then add ice. Bernardo used skim milk and I used whole milk and the flavor is slightly different each way. Try them both and see which one you like the best.
Health food stores sell this drink and I've been told that at least one major grocer in the Houston, Texas area carries it as well. The retail price is around $4.00 for 32 fluid ounces (946 ml). It's made in Portland, Oregon, and the manufacturer has a Web site at http://www.oregonchai.com.
Try this the next time you're in the mood for tea, but you want something different. Oh, and check out the side panel of the box. Just below the "Nutrition Facts."
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup margarine or butter
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
- 2-1/2 teaspoons yeast
Cooking Instructions
This is the nice part of having a bread machine. Pour in the water (I find that VERY COLD water works best in my machine). Put the margarine/butter in a microwave-safe container and nuke it for 20 seconds or so, until it's melted or almost there. Pour it in the water and add the egg. Pour the sugar, the salt, and the flour in and then pour the milk on top of the flour. Add the yeast. Turn on the machine or set its timer (if you want to cook it later). Presto.
Notes
This is my favorite of white-bread recipes. It produces a big, fluffy loaf that's a buttery-creamy color inside. Great crust. This bread makes wonderful toast or sandwiches, and is excellent served fresh and hot with any meal.
Ingredients
For the Peanut Sauce:
- 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
For the main recipe:
- Egg shreds
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, pork, or beef (I used chicken, as in Tyson's diced chicken)
- 8 ounces dried medium-wide noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 full bulb of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 2 medium onions, cut in half then thinly sliced
- 3 cups thinly sliced celery
- 2/3 pound (roughly 1/2 head) cabbage, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups fresh snow peas with the ends and strings removed (substitute 1 6-ounce package of frozen snow peas if desired)
- 2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into long, thin strips
Cooking Instructions
The Peanut Sauce: Combine the pineapple juice, the peanut butter, and the garlic cloves (minced) in a 1-1/2 quart sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar, the soy sauce, and the red pepper. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
The Egg Shreds: Beat 2 eggs with a pinch of salt. Heat a large (at least 10-inch) frying pan with a nonstick finish over medium heat and when the pan is hot, brush it with the olive oil. Pour in half the eggs and swirl the pan to cover the bottom. Cook approximately 45 seconds or until the egg sheet is lightly brown on top, then flip it and cook for 5 seconds more. Repeat the process with the remaining eggs. Let the sheets cool, then cut them in half, stack them, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to use them.
The Bahmi Goreng:
Mix the chicken, soy, and anchovy paste, and set aside.
Cook your noodles in boiling, salted water until they're barely tender to bit. Drain them and keep them warm.
Heat your wok and when it's hot, add peanut oil as directed for your wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, red pepper, onions, and celery. Stir-fry about 3 minutes until the vegetables are hot but crisp. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry, stirring vigorously, for 3 more minutes. Add the cabbage and snow peas and stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Add the noodles and tomatoes and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt.
Turn the dish onto a large platter, or into a large casserole dish, and arrange the egg shreds on top in a lattice design. Garnish with the bell pepper, celery leaves, and extra pea pods. At the table, pass the peanut sauce.
Notes
This Indonesian treat was the first dish I prepared with my wok and it's still one of my all-time favorites. Now, one whose word I would never question claims this dish doesn't exist--at least, it doesn't exist as Indonesian cuisine. Without disputing that--for she is far more knowledgeable about Indonesia than I will ever be--I stand by the first sentence.
Don't let the apparent complexity of the process above throw you off; bahmi goreng doesn't take very long either to prepare or to cook. Total preparation (i.e., "not over the stove") time usually runs about 15 minutes; cooking takes between 30 and 35, including the time spent boiling the noodles and preparing the peanut sauce. And don't worry about the anchovies. I don't like anchovies but the tiny quantity in this dish doesn't give it a fishy flavor.
Even people who aren't fond of cabbage will like it in this dish. This is a meal all in itself. It keeps well and the amounts above will serve 6 people with seconds available.
Not bad for a dish that doesn't exist, eh?
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound boneless pork loin (substitute chicken breast if desired)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 10 - 12 medium dried black mushrooms (substitute 3 6-ounce jars of straw mushrooms)
- 1 block firm tofu (do not refrigerate before opening!)
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 6 - 8 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded bamboo shoots
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 large bunch (10 - 12) green onions, with tails, chopped
- 2 tablespoons red pepper sauce (or 1 tablespoon hot chili oil or add to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Trim any fat from the pork or chicken. If using pork, cut the pork with the grain into 2-inch strips and then cut the strips across the grain into slices 1/4 to 1/8 inch in size. Stack the slices and cut them into thin strips. If using chicken, cut the chicken into 1/2 to 1-inch chunks. Mix the cornstarch and salt together in a medium bowl and then add the 2 teaspoons soy sauce, stirring constantly while you do so to avoid lumping the cornstarch. Toss the meat with the cornstarch mixture, cover the bowl, and refrigerate about 15 minutes while you proceed to the next step.
If you bought fresh mushrooms, you can soak them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes to soften them. This isn't precisely necessary, as the cooking in the soup kettle will usually do the trick, but some purists want "soft" mushrooms. If you're using the canned mushrooms, you won't have to worry about it; they're already soft. Remove and discard the stems and cut the caps into thin slices. Cut the tofu into blocks about 1 inch by 1/4 inch. Do not refrigerate the tofu before you use it! Refrigeration is unnecessary. The tofu is in a sealed foil packet and is not going to spoil. If you refrigerate it, the tofu will break down and you will end up with a watery mess that is very difficult to keep from crumbling into useless bits.
Heat the broth, the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and the teaspoon of salt, adding the vinegar and stirring. How much vinegar to add is a question for anyone's judgment. Following the recipe will give you a soup that is not strongly sour, so if you want more of a pucker factor to your soup, add more vinegar. I add vinegar to taste, by dashes from a small bottle, and if I find it getting too sour I add broth until I have the right blend of saltiness versus sour, and then add soy to restore a darker tone to the soupl. Heat until boiling in a large soup pot. Stir in the bamboo, the mushrooms, the pork, and the tofu, and heat to boiling again, stirring slowly but constantly. Cover and simmer 5 - 8 minutes.
Mix the rest of the cornstarch and the water, adding the water to the cornstarch, then stir in the white pepper. Then stir this mixture into the soup. Now, get your eggs ready and pay attention. You want to heat the soup to a rolling boil and you must stir it constantly. Once in a rolling boil, very slowly pour the eggs into the soup while continuing to stir. What you want is to see thin threads of egg mixing into the hot soup. If you don't have a rolling boil, if you pour too quickly, or if you stop stirring while you're pouring, you will get blobs of cooked egg instead of threads.
Add the pepper sauce or chili oil to taste. I prefer the chili oil, as it's more powerful, it's easier to use, and it not only gives immediate spice to the dish but it adds that "slow burn" factor I really love in spicy Oriental cooking. Remember that this stuff goes a long way; it's like tabasco sauce, only more potent. Stir in your green onions and the sesame oil, and serve.
Notes
This is wonderful cold weather soup, but it's good anytime. You can add more pork or chicken and some cornstarch and turn it into a spicy Oriental stew, or you can serve it with rice in the bowl as well and make a meal of this. It will keep a long time in the refrigerator and will freeze and reheat excellently. One warning: If you used chili oil, the soup will get spicier as it gets older. Don't be surprised if tomorrow's lunch is two or even three times hotter than last night's dinner soup!
Serves 4 - 8.
Ingredients
- 6 - 8 pork chops, 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 bulb garlic, chopped
- Ground black pepper
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
- 2 cups rice
Cooking Instructions
Boil your rice and have it ready. Slice the onion into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Separate all the slices.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191 degrees Centigrade).
Heat a frying pan until very hot; brush with olive oil. Take the first pork chop and drop it into the pan and sear it quickly (no more than 20 seconds) on both sides. Remove and repeat for each pork chop, one by one.
Take a large, preferably shallow, casserole dish (those Pyrex jobs that are about 18" x 14" x 2" are perfect) and coat all of the inside with the butter. Add the rice, then the pork chops, your intent being to cover the entire surface area of the rice. It's okay to overlap pork chops. Spice the pork chops with the black pepper and sprinkle the chopped garlic over them. If you don't have fresh garlic, use a liberal amount of garlic pepper. Cover the pork chops with the slices of onion. Cover the dish securely; I use aluminum foil and make the strips long enough to wrap completely under the dish itself.
Pop the dish into the oven and forget about it for at least an hour and a half. You practically cannot overcook this dish! Uncover, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
There are lots of neat things about this dish. It's easy. It's quick. It's an all-in-one. And it has a couple of surprises. One is that the onions take on more of a pork-garlic flavor than the pork takes on an onion taste. The onions also keep the pork from getting too dry as it bakes, which is one reason it's very hard to overcook this dish.
A neater surprise is the rice. It will pick up a wonderful pork-garlic-butter air and flavor--but the rice that is closest to the buttered surfaces of the dish will cook a deep, crunchy brown. It adds texture and a great buttery flavor to the meal.
I make this dish often, with one extra ingredient. Sorry, but only my closest loved ones get to know what it is.
I welcome your favorite recipes for inclusion on this page.
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act I (1856 - 1950)