Other People's Recipes.

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add spices; stir one minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

–from bon appetit. I think.

Soy Sugar Snap Peas

2010-03-20T22:56:36Z

Or…how to turn a lovely vegetable into a butter and salt soaked bowl of tastiness.

Steam one pound of sugar snap peas until crisp tender.

Combine 5 tsp. melted butter, 1 T. low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp lemon juice and a couple of twists from the pepper mill.

Drizzle over peas.

TADA!

–From Cooking Light.

Pork Noodle Salad

2010-03-20T22:51:31Z

6 oz. uncooked rice vermicelli
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1 T. honey
3 T. mirin (or 2 T. sherry plus 1 T. sugar)
2 T. water
1 T. fish sauce
1 c. julienned carrots
3/4 c. thinly sliced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/3 c. thinly sliced basil
1/4 c. dry roasted peanuts
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp ground fresh ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
4 oz. boneless center cut pork loin chops
salt and pepper

Preheat broiler.

Cook noodles according to package directions. If package directions are in Chinese, search the internet for half an hour trying to figure out how to cook them. Or you can soak your noodles in cold water for half an hour, and then put them in a small colander and dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain. Place noodles in large bowl. Add 1/4 c. vinegar and next four ingredients. (Through fish sauce); toss well. Top with carrots, pepper, green onions, basil and peanuts. (And whatever you want. Because who really follows a recipe for salad?)

Combine hoisin and next three ingredients. (Through garlic) Use that ginger that comes in a tube and pre-minced garlic. So worth it. Season pork with salt and pepper; place on broiler pan treated with cooking spray or covered with aluminum foil. Brush half the hoisin mix over the pork; broil 3 mins. Turn over and repeat. You might have to do the second side a couple more minutes to make sure it is done. Serve pork thinly sliced over salad.

Pizza Dough

2010-03-20T22:41:11Z

7 cups white bread flour or “00″ flour or 5 cups white bread flour or “00″ flour, plus 2 cups semolina flour
1 T fine sea salt
2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dried yeast
1 T sugar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups warm water

Mix water, sugar, yeast and oil together and let set. In a large bowl, or on the counter sift out flour and salt. Make a well in the middle. Slowly mix flour into liquid. Once dough is cohesive, knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover, let rise in a warm place for one hour or until double in size. Knead briefly, cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on what size pizza you want.

–

I’ve tried this recipe a million times, and it always works best for me when I use the 00 flour with the semolina. This recipe makes a ton of dough, but I like making large pizzas, so I usually only get four pizzas out of it, six if I roll them super thin. I usually roll out the pizzas about 15 minutes before they will be going in, and I cook them at 450 for about 15 minutes, on a pizza stone or the back of a baking sheet if I am making a huge one. Sprinkle some corn meal or semolina on whatever surface you are cooking them on and they will slip right off. You can freeze this dough really well, just take it out of the freezer and toss it in the fridge the night before you want to make pizza.

Turkey Pie

2009-07-18T23:03:19Z

2-4 c. diced turkey
2 c. turkey broth
1 medium onion, sliced
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, on pick (No idea what that means…can someone enlighten me?)
2 whole cloves
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
2 c. cream or evaporated milk
dash nutmeg
1 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar
salt and pepper

Simmer broth, vegetables, and cloves until tender. Remove garlic. Thicken with roux made with flour and butter. (Work them together in a bowl with a spoon or fork, then stir in until roux is melted and sauce thickened.) Blend in milk, nutmeg, juice, seasonings, and turkey.

Taste. Adjust.

Pour into a 2 1/2 quart casserole.

Roll out a batch of biscuit dough based on 2 c. flour until it is the approximate shape of the casserole but slightly smaller. Cut into squares and arrange on top of the turkey mixture with spaces in between. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

—

This sounds so good. Too bad it is hot and sticky out and is not at all appropriate for the middle of July. Perhaps I shall set this up to publish in the middle of winter, and then I will be reminded of it and make it and be happy and warm. Ah technology.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

2009-07-19T00:32:47Z

1 9″ crust
3 c. chopped apples
3/4 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 T. sugar plus 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine flour, sugar, salt. Add sour cream. Beat until smooth. Stir in apples, put in pie crust. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake @ 425 for 15 minutes, then 350 degrees for 35 mins.

—

I am assuming this is a two crust pie. Please let me know if you have ever made a one crust Sour Cream Apple Pie.

Gingered Butternut Squash and Crab Soup

2009-09-24T12:29:38Z

From the local free paper that I am reading while pretending that I am working. They grabbed these from Leslie Glover Pendleton’s Simply Shellfish cookbook. Squash soup holds many memories of college for me, and crabs are always good. Don’t puree your squash soup. Pureeing is for wimps. Just mash it up good.

2 lbs. butternut or calabaza squash
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 stick butter (4 T.)
2 cups bottled clam juice (mmm…Clamato) or shell stock
3 T. coarsely grated peeled fresh ginger (about a three inch piece) (have you seen those fancy tubes of ginger in the produce section of the grocery store? They are awesome! No more withered pieces of ginger in the vegetable drawer making me think that someone left a dessicated finger in my refrigerator!)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 lb. fine-quality crab meat, checked for shell and pieces of cartilage
Chopped basil, cilantro and croutons for garnish (optional)

Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, and peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut the squash into 1/2 in. cubes; there should be about 5 cups.

Cook the onion in the butter in a heavy pot over moderate heat for five minutes. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes, or until the squash is easily mashed with a fork.

Puree the soup (really, don’t.) in a blender or food processor in batches (it is so messy, and really, what is the benefit?) and return to the pot. (Have you ever scraped squash puree off the ceiling? So unfun.) Stir in the lime juice and crab.

The soup can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, or frozen for 3 months. (Let cool, uncovered, before freezing.)

Serve the soup hot. (Really? Hot soup? Wha?)

Makes about six cups. Serves 4 to 6.

James Garner’s Marinade

2009-08-28T18:08:38Z

1/2 c. red wine
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 T. oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp sugar

Combine and pour over meat. Let sit at least 30 minutes. Reserve marinade to baste meat.

—

I have no idea how my Mom got James Garner’s marinade recipe, but it was one of her proudest accomplishments. She was always saying, “Ohhhhh….this was made with JAMES GARNER’S MARINADE. THAT I GOT.” I am betting she got it from a magazine.

Snickerdoodles

2009-08-28T18:04:26Z

Mix together thoroughly:

1 c. soft margarine
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar

Stir in:

2 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt

Chill dough overnight. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts, roll in mixture of 2 T. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Bake at 400 for 8-10 mins.

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My favorite cookies ever.