shae's recipe box

Capellini with Feta and Sun Dried Tomatos

6 oz capellini pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 oz sun dried tomatos, softened and chopped
2 oz tomato basil feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. cook pasta in boiling water until done; drain
2. return pasta to the pot
3. mix in olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, feta, and Parmesan
4. season with salt and pepper
5. serve immediately

serves 2

Affogato Mocha

1 pint chocolate ice cream
8 tbsp freshly brewed espresso
4 tbsp dark rum
2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate shavings (approximate)

1. divide ice cream among 4 dessert bowls or coffee cups
2. spoon 1 tbsp rum over ice cream
3. spoon 2 tbsp of espresso over ice cream
4. garnish with semisweet chocolate shavings
5. serve immediately

serves 4

Tip: Reheating Rice

Cooked rice can be kept in the fridge for ages.  Store it in a tupperware (or whatever).  When you want to reheat it, crumble it into a bowl.  Don't break the rice grains, just try to declump it.  Add about a tablespoon of water and cover it with a wet paper towel.  Heat for one minute, mix it up with a fork, heat for another minute, mix it up, and continue until it's steaming.  Remoisten the paper towel and add more water to the rice, if necessary.

Generally, the reheated rice will cool quite fast so I don't recommend that you eat it plain.  I mostly just use it when I'm making donburi, stir fry, or curry - the meal/sauce served on top keeps the rice warm and I've found that the reheated rice actually sops up liquid better.

Tip: Soy Sauce

Kikkoman soy sauce is the only brand I'll use, though if pressed another Japanese brand ought to be all right.  Chinese soy sauces like La Choy tend to have a more bitter flavor and are sometimes kinda watery.

And you guys are going to say that I'll always pimp for the Japanese brand, but there really is a difference.

Kitchen Geek's Spaghetti Carbonara

½ tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove
1 oz pancetta, chopped
¼ lb spaghetti
1 egg white
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. boil a large pot of water
2. lightly fry the garlic in oil in a saucepan, then add the pancetta; set aside
3. in a bowl, beat eggs and add in the cheese, salt, and pepper; mix well
4. add some salt to the boiling water, then add spaghetti and cook until al dente
5. drain spaghetti, reserving a few tablespoons of water
6. mix pancetta, water, and spaghetti with oil in the pan
7. remove from heat and stir in the eggs and cheese
8. serve immediately; egg will not be fully cooked through

serves 2

I totally stole this recipe from The Kitchen Geek, so go check his site for yummy recipes and I won't feel so bad.

Gyoza

gyoza
½ lb ground beef
½ lb ground pork
1 garlic clove, minced
3 green onions, minced
4 cups bok choy, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 packages gyoza shells

1. in a large bowl, use your hands to mix all ingredients except shells
2. separate shells
3. brush gyoza shell with water, add 1 tbsp filling, fold and pinch closed in a fan shape
4. repeat until all filling is used up
5. in a deep dish, pan fry gyoza in 1 inch of vegetable oil for about 10 minutes

sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
3 drops sesame oil (optional)

1. mix ingredients
2. serve in dipping bowls

Lumpia

lumpia
1 lb hamburger
¼ tsp grated ginger (?)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 green onions, chopped
3 carrots, grated
3 cups bok choy, chopped
1 package lumpia wrappers
1 egg
1 cup water

1. brown hamburger and drain excess fat
2. stir in ginger, salt, pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil
3. add green onion, carrots, and cabbage
4. cook until carrots and cabbage are soft
5. remove from heat
6. separate lumpia wrappers
7. mix egg and water to make a wash
8. lay out wrapper and brush with egg wash
9. place 2-3 tbsp of filling down the center of wrapper, being careful not to overfill
10. tuck the "ends" in and roll into a tube shape, sealing with wash if necessary
11. repeat until filling is used up
12. pan fry lumpia in about 1 inch of oil
13. drain on paper towels before serving

sauce
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, thinly chopped

1. boil sugar, soy sauce, chicken broth, salt
2. mix together corn starch and water
3. add corn starch mixture to pot, simmer for half an hour
4. just before serving, add garlic and onion

Recipe In Progress: Toasted Fettucini

Note: I haven't yet gotten the flavor I'd like, whether that means the proportions are wrong or I'm missing some ingredients.  I have to go back to the restaurant and try to figure it out.  But here's what I've got so far.

2 scallions, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 small roma tomatos, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin)
2 servings cooked fettucini
¼ cup smoked mozzarella, cubed

1. sauté scallions and garlic in olive oil, being careful not to burn the garlic
2. add tomatos, cook about a minute
3. add pasta and toss to coat
4. remove from heat, and serve topped with mozzarella

Chicken Marsala - Mushroom Free

2 thin-sliced chicken breast halves
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup flour
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup cooking sherry
½ cup dry marsala

1. heat butter and olive oil in skillet, medium-high
2. combine flour, oregano, salt, pepper in shallow dish
3. dredge chicken in flour mixture and place in skillet
4. brown chicken, about 7 minutes
5. add sherry and marsala, cover
6. cook for about 10 minutes, flipping breasts once
7. serve chicken and sauce over pasta

serves 2

Easy Katsudon (Donburi)

2 katsu
2 tbsp butter or margarine
¼ medium onion, sliced into quarter-inch strips
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 cups hot cooked rice

1. combine water, brown sugar, and soy sauce and set aside
2. in skillet, sauté onions in butter until just translucent
3. add sauce mixture, reduce heat to medium-low
4. simmer katsu in sauce until heated through
5. add beaten egg, cover
6. simmer 3 minutes, or until egg is cooked
7. fill bottom of two bowls with 1 cup rice each
8. ladle katsu, onions, and sauce over rice, then serve

serves 2