Pouch Food

Recipe by: SH

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 18 min

Serving Size: 2

Tools: 2 pieces 12" x 12" aluminum foil/parchment paper i.e. wrapper

Ingredients:

2 pieces salmon (or fish of your choice)

4 cups cooked rice

2 eggs

1 tbs black pepper

1 tbs salt

2 tbs butter

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 385 deg F.
2. Beat eggs thoroughly. 
3. Add eggs into rice and stir well.
4. Season salmon on all sides with salt and pepper.
5. Portion rice and place into wrapper.
6. Put 1/2 tbs butter on rice.
7. Place salmon on top of rice and the other 1/2 tbs butter on it.
8. Roll up edges of wrapper to seal. (Bring first two opposite ends together and fold down several times. Then fold each side several times to seal food in completely.)
9. Place food pouches onto a sheet pan.
10. Place in oven and cook for 18 min.

Note: One may cook vegetables medley with this method as well. 
Basic steps are:

1. Get ingredients ready
2. Season ingredients (wet seasoning)
3. Wrap ingredients in pouch
4. Cook in oven at 385 deg F for 15-20 min. 

Skate fish wrapped in banana leaves with chili based seasoning will be awesome with this method!

Stir Fry Vegetables

Recipe by: SH

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 7 min
Serving Size: 4

Tools: Pan/Wok

Ingredients:
2 tbs garlic (minced)
1 broccoli head
2 carrots
1 can bamboo shoots
8 small dried shitake mushrooms (soaked in water and halved)
1/2 lb choice of meat/fish balls (thinly sliced) (optional)
2 tbs vegetable oil
4 tbs oyster sauce (dilute with 2 cup of water)
1 tsp white pepper

Steps:

1. Heat pan with oil at medium heat.
2. Add garlic and fry till golden brown.
3. Add meat, fry for 3 min.
4. Add shitake mushrooms, fry for 30 sec.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients.
6. Add oyster sauce, water, and white pepper.
7. Stir well for 30 sec.
8. Cover pan and cook for another 10 min*.

Note: *If you like your vegetables softer, cook for 20 min in step 8. Make sure water does not dry up completely. Add a little bit of water as necessary.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Recipe by: SH

Prep Time: 40 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Serving Size: 4

Tools: Large pot, 9" x 13" dish, large pan

Ingredients:

A:

1 bulb garlic (chopped)

1 big onion (chopped)

6 tomatoes (chopped)

1/4 cup red wine

2 tbs basil coarsely chopped

6 serrano peppers
1 tbs salt

B:

1 lbs ground beef

1 lbs ground turkey
10 oz firm tofu (crumbled)
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs onion powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp creole seasoning 

1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs red wine
1 tbs dried basil flakes
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tbs corn starch
2 tsp salt

C:

1lbs thin spaghetti

2 tsp salt

Steps:

Sauce:

1. Heat 4 tbs oil in large pan.
2. Add garlic and onion. Fry for 5 min on medium heat.
3. De-glaze pan with red wine. Reduce to half.
4. Add tomatoes, serrano peppers, and basil. Cook for 12 min. Stir occasionally.
5. On medium low heat, cook further till soft, approximately 20 min.

Meatballs:

1. Mix all ingredients B.
2. Oil 9" x 13" dish. 
3. Divide mixture into 8 portions.
4. Shape into meatballs and place in dish.
5. Place rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 400 deg. F.
6. Cook meatballs till it is at 155 deg. F. Check with temperature probe on several meatballs.
7. Remove and rest for 5 minutes.
   

Noodles:

1. Fill 3/4 of a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to boil.
2. Cook thin spaghetti per packet instructions.
3. Strain.
4. Serve on plates with sauce over spaghetti and meatballs.
5. Top with parmesan cheese.

Note: Why tofu? It makes the meatballs tender. 
The meatballs should be lighter in color than shown in pictures.

Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato

Wine Variety: White

Appellation: California

Year: Non-vintage

Alchohol Content: 9%

SH's Comment: Sweet, well balanced, and very affordable.

Beef Spaghetti ala Alison M

Recipe by: SH (by observing Alison M cook years ago)

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Serving Size: 4

Tools: Large pot, large pan

Ingredients:

A:

1 lbs ground beef

2" piece ginger (crushed) 

4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 onion (coarsely chopped)

8 tomatoes (cut into 8 pieces each)

1 small packet portobello mushroom

2 cups ketchup

2 tbs sambal oelek

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tsp salt

B:

1 lbs packet thin spaghetti

1/2 tbs salt

C:

8 tbs grated/powdered parmesan cheese

Steps:

Sauce:

1. Heat 4 tbs oil in large pan.
2. Fry garlic, onion, and ginger for 3 min.
3. Add ground beef and stir fry for another 3 min.
4. On medium heat, add tomatoes and cook till they break down to sauce like.
5. Add portobello mushrooms and stir mixture for 1 min.
6. Add ketchup, sambal oelek, fish sauce, and salt.
7. Bring to boil and remove from stove.

Spaghetti:

1. Fill 3/4 of a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to boil.
2. Cook thin spaghetti per packet instructions.
3. Strain.
4. Serve on plates with sauce over spaghetti.
5. Top with parmesan cheese.

Kiam Chai Buey (Pickled Sour Green Mustard Stew)

Recipe by: SH 

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Serving Size: 8 

Tools: Large pot 

Ingredients:

3 bunch pickled sour green mustard

1/2 lbs carrots
1 can baby corn
1 can water chestnut

1 onion
1 lbs boneless pork ribs
1 tbs black pepper 

Steps:

1. Cut sour green mustard into 2" pieces and soak in water for 15 min.
2. Peel and cut carrots into 2" pieces.
3. Cut baby corn in half.
4. Slice water chestnuts thickly.
5. Peel and cut onion into 16 pieces.
6. Add all ingredients into large pot.
7. Add enough water to cover all ingredients.
8. Add black pepper.
9. Bring to boil.
10. Cook at medium heat for 2 hrs. 
11. Serve with white rice.

Scallop Porridge

Recipe by: SH

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Serving Size: 4

Tools: Medium pot

Ingredients:
A: Porridge

1.5 cups jasmine rice

1/2 cup small dried scallops

8 small shitake mushrooms (blanched for 3 min, chopped)

10 cups water

B: Condiments

2 stalks green onion

4" ginger

2 tbs preserved cabbage

C: Seasoning

Marmite

White pepper

Light soy sauce

Steps:

Porridge:

1. Blanch dried scallops in hot water for 3 min and strain.
2. Blanch shitake mushrooms in hot water for 3 min and strain. Remove stems. Chop mushrooms.
3. Wash rice. Add rice and water into pot. Bring to boil.
4. Add mushrooms and scallops.
5. Cook for 30 min. Stir every 3 min.

Condiments:

1. Prepare condiments. 
2. Wash green onions and sliced finely into rings.
3. Peel and wash ginger. Julienne finely.  Fry to crisp in oil, drain.

Assembly bowls of porridge:

1. In serving bowls, add porridge.
2. Flavor to taste with Marmite or light soy sauce and white pepper.
3. Add condiments on top.

Goji Berry Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe by: SH

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 7-9 hrs

Serving Size: 4

Tools: 4-quart slow cooker, pot

Ingredients:

A:
8 chicken drumsticks
8 shitake mushrooms
1/4 cup goji berries
1/2 lbs carrots (large chunk)
3 chicken bouillon
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 tsp black pepper

B:
1 packet of rice noodles

Steps:

Soup:

1. Clean drumsticks, mushrooms, and carrots.
2. Add ingredients A into slow cooker.
3. Add water to cover all ingredients. Suggestion: 1" from the rim of slow cooker.
4. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hrs.

Noodles:

1. Fill up 3/4 of a large pot with water.
2. Bring it to boil.
3. Add noodles to cook per packet instructions.
4. Strain noodles into cold water. Leave for 30 sec.
5. Strain.

Assembly bowls of noodle soup:

1. In serving bowls, add noodles.
2. Add shitake mushrooms and drumsticks on top.
3. Pour in piping hot soup with goji berries.

Tea Egg with Noodle Soup

Recipe by: SH

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 8 hrs

Serving Size: 4

Tools: Slow cooker, pots

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs 

1 lbs baby bok choy

1 packet of flat wonton noodles

A:

1 large sachet of Lipton tea

4 shitake mushrooms

6 star anise

2" cinnamon stick

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tbs cooking wine

Steps:

Tea Eggs:

1. Boil and peel all eggs.
2. Place eggs in slow cooker.
3. Boil 2 cups water and steep Lipton tea for 3 minutes.
4. Add the rest of ingredients A into slow cooker.
5. Add Lipton tea sachet and just enough water to cover all eggs in slow cooker.
6. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

Soup:

1. Remove eggs from slow cooker.
2. Remove star anise and cinnamon sticks from soup.
3. Place soup into a pot. Add 2 cups of water.
4. Bring it to a boil.
5. Season with salt and white pepper.

Noodles:

1. Fill up 3/4 of a large pot with water.
2. Bring it to boil.
3. Prepare a basin of ice cold water.
4. Add noodles to cook per packet instructions.
5. Strain noodles into ice cold water. Leave for 30 sec.
6. Strain noodles into boiling water. Leave for 1 min.
7. Repeat step 5 & 6 three times to enhance texture of noodles.
8. Strain.

Baby bok choy:

1. Fill up 3/4 of a medium pot with water.
2. Bring it to boil.
3. Add baby bok choy and cook for 3 min.
4. Strain. 

Assembly bowls of noodle soup:

1. In serving bowls, add noodles.
2. Add baby bok choy, shitake mushroom, and eggs on top.
3. Pour in piping hot soup.

Watermelon Sorbet, Juice, & Cocktail

Watermelon Sorbet 

Recipe by: Alton Brown (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/melon-sorbet-recipe/index.html) (mod by SH in red) 

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: N/A
Serving Size: 4 

Tools: Food processor/blender 

Ingredients:
1 lbs, 5 oz diced watermelon (or muskmelon or honeydew)
3 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbs vodka
9 oz sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups (4.5 oz, approximately 1/2 cup + 2 tbs) 

Steps: 

1. Place the melon in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Add the lemon juice, vodka, and sugar and process for another 30 seconds.
3. Place the mixture into the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F; depending on the temperature of your ingredients and refrigerator, this could take 30 minutes to 1 hour. (omit)
4. Pour the chilled mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions. (omit)
5. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Note: We do not have an ice cream maker so we omitted step 3 and 4. 

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One will surely have plenty watermelon left. Let's make something for these hot summer days.

Watermelon Juice

 
Recipe by: SH 

Serving Size: 4 

Ingredients:
2 lbs diced watermelon
2 cups of ice cubes
4 tbs of lemon juice 

Steps:

1. Blend and strain the rest of watermelon.
2. Add lemon juice to watermelon.
3. Stir well.
4. Serve on the rocks i.e. with ice.

Watermelon Cocktail

Serving Size: 1 

Tools: Cocktail shaker  

Ingredients:
6 tbs of watermelon juice
2 tbs of Limoncello, chilled
2 tbs of lemon juice 
2 cup of ice cubes 

Steps:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker 3/4 full with ice cubes.
2. Add watermelon juice, lemon juice, and Limoncello.
3. Cover and shake until outside of shaker becomes frosty.
4. Strain into chilled martini glass.