Pan Fried Chinese Dumplings (Potstickers)

(Click on recipe image to enlarge it.)   From Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads. These were a huge hit tonight! I am so grateful that Ms. Lin includes instructions on using a pasta machine to roll out the dumpling wrappers, since I have a new pasta machine and rolling out the wrappers is the trickiest part. This recipe was perfect--everything worked out as promised.   P.S. I left out the ginger and no one was the wiser.

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

From The Loaf and Ladle Cookbook. They didn't specify amounts of cinnamon sugar to go inside; I thought I used a lot but the cinnamon and sugar flavor wasn't strong and the swirl design wasn't very clear. Next time I'll try brown sugar and use more cinnamon. The softened raisins (I used golden) were really delicious. I was surprised at the baking instructions (no second rising) but the technique worked great. Update: I baked it for 15 minutes at 325 but only 15-20 minutes at 375. My breads take a lot less time than the Loaf & Ladle recipes specify.

Kettle Corn

http://www.ehow.com/how_2242252_kettle-corn-home.html   Whirly-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper 1/4 cup popcorn kernels 3 tbsp. oil 1/4 cup white sugar kosher salt

Kerry's Molasses Oatmeal Bread

1 package active dry yeast 1 cup quick-cooking oats 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup molasses 2 tablespoons oil 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon warm water From my friend Kerry in Connecticut. Makes one 1.5 pound loaf.

Japanese Steak House Vegetables

We like the vegetables at the Teppanaki Japanese Steak houses where they cook in front of you. Here is our home approximation: zucchini, peeled and cut into little short pieces (the size of tootsie rolls or a little bigger) olive oil 1/2 an onion, sliced mushrooms, if you have them fresh bean sprouts Kikkoman reduced sodium soy sauce Mrs. Dash sesame seeds real butter Heat the oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add the zucchini and stir fry until almost done. Add a few shakes of Mrs. Dash, add the mushrooms, saute for a few minutes, add a couple tablespoons of real butter; when it melts stir in the bean sprouts, cook until just softened, season with a few dashes of soy sauce and sesame seeds. Serve with rice and a protein.

Western Beef & Rice Casserole

Adapted from The New York Times Cookbook, 1961. This is one of my husband's old favorites. 1 cup pitted ripe olives [I use a whole can] 1 pound ground beef 2 tablespoons oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup sliced celery [or a couple dashes of celery seed] 1/4 cup chopped green pepper [I use a whole one, chopped] 1 cup raw rice 2 1/2 cups canned tomatoes [chopped or crushed] 1 cup water 2 teaspoons salt [I use 2 tbsp. chicken bouillon instead] 2 or 3 teaspoons chili powder 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Cut olives into large pieces. Brown beef in oil. Remove meat from pan and add the onion, celery, green pepper and rice. Cook, stirring, until browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done.

Anadama Bread

(Click on recipe image to enlarge it.)

This is the best bread I have ever made! Very light and slightly sweet. YUM! This recipe made for four regular sized loaves. I made two regular, one round , and eight baby loaves (baby loaf pan is like a muffin pan with 8 loaf-shaped openings). The photo is of a baby loaf. I baked the baby loaves for 12 minutes, the round for 25, and the regular for 30. The recipe says 45 but that seems way too long. I have black pans--maybe that has something to do with it.

Mexican Rice

This is from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner. You can make it a one-dish meal if you add small chunks of chicken, the way my daughter likes it.   1 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. canola oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced [I use two cloves] 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice 1 vine-ripened tomato, diced 3 cups chicken broth [I use 3 cups water + bouillon] 1 tsp. salt [I omit because bouillon is salty]   Heat the butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook and stir until the onion is soft; be careful to avoid burning. Add the rice and stir until the rice browns a bit. Stir in the tomato, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and decrease the heat to very low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes and serve immediately.

Light & Delicious Fettuccine Alfredo

I tried out my new pasta machine for the first time today, and but was not excited when my daughter suggested I use it to make fettuccine alfredo. It's usually so heavy and it feels like it's going straight to my arteries. Then she suggested we use Rachel Ray's recipe from her Top 30 30-Minute Meals/Kid Food book, so we did. I altered the recipe by adding some fresh garlic, and used 1 can of evaporated milk instead of cream. My daughter was thrilled with the results, and so was I. The noodles were fresh, light and wonderful.   Rachel Ray's Fettuccine all'Alfredo   1 package (12 ounces) egg linguine [1 batch homemade egg linguine] [1 clove garlic, crushed] 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half [1 can evaporated milk] 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste   Bring salted water to a rolling boil for your pasta and cook to package directions. Drain well.   Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and melt. [Add crushed garlic to melted butter and cook for one minute.] Add cream or half-and-half, and stirring constantly, add cheese and cook, 1 minute. Season with nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Turn off heat and add drained pasta to the skillet, tossing until pasta is evenly coated. Adjust seasonings and serve with green salad on the side.

Cowboy Caviar

Everybody who comes over loves this. Serve with tortilla chips, in burritos or on burgers. Half a bag of frozen corn, straight from bag 1-2 ripe avocados, chopped 2-3 tomatoes, chopped Juice of half a lemon or lime Fresh black pepper Kosher salt Hot sauce Sliced green onion (optional) Mix everything together, season to taste.

Simple Homestyle Curry

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I got this recipe from my friend Bill in Sweden, who got it from this book, 50 Great Curries of India. http://www.amazon.com/Great-Curries-India-Camellia-Panjabi/dp/1906868115/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I25F2YS1S6S5IP&colid=1RPS5O8967NDA I cooked the onions too long and ended up burning them a little, and forgot to put salt in before I added the chicken, so the sauce tasted like burned onions! Thankfully, I was able to redeem it by adding salt, a little sugar, and a can of Trader Joe's light coconut milk, and it turned out delicious. Next time I try this, I look forward to getting the onions right.

Beef Curry Puffs

(Click on recipe image to enlarge it.) These are really delicious. I'm not an expert with pastry so it was a little difficult to handle; next time I might use purchased pie crust. The extra filling is good with rice.

Ina Garten's Garlic String Beans

These are easy, delicious, and crowd-pleasing. I used Trader Joe's frozen baby string beans. 1 1/2 pounds French string beans, both ends removed Kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon good olive oil 2 to 3 garlic cloves, sliced Freshly ground black pepper Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for just 1 1/2 minutes. Drain immediately and immerse in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When they are cool, drain and set aside. Heat the butter and olive oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat and cook the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the string beans, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss together. Reheat the string beans and serve. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/string-beans-with-garlic-recipe/index.html

Microwave Caramel Corn

Everyone I've shared this with can't believe how good it is. And it is so easy. You can control the calories by using more popcorn for the same amount of caramel. I use this on two batches of air-popped corn.   1/4 cup real butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white corn syrup 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. vanilla salt   Pop the popcorn and pour into a large bowl. (Most of the unpopped kernels should sink to the bottom.) Transfer the popcorn into a clean paper (yes, I said PAPER) grocery bag, making sure to leave the unpopped kernels behind. Discard unpopped kernels.   Place butter, sugar, and syrup into a glass or Pyrex microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave on High for a total of 3 minutes, stopping to stir after each minute. Remove caramel from microwave and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour caramel over popcorn in paper bag, stirring with a long wooden spoon to coat the popcorn. (Be careful—caramel is very hot.)   Fold down the top of the bag and put the whole thing back into the microwave. Microwave on High for a total of 45 seconds, removing and stirring every 15 seconds. (Watch carefully as this can have a tendency to burn.) Sprinkle with salt (I like kosher salt). Pour into a large serving bowl and eat it all before the kids get home!! (If you want to store it, wait for it to cool completely before storing in a ziploc bag.)

Korean BBQ Beef

I got this here: http://bbq.about.com/od/marinaderecipes/r/ble30921b.htm This is easy and absolutely delicious. Boil leftover marinade for about 5 minutes to serve over rice. I usually double this. 1/3 cup soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Reduced Sodium) 1/4 cup green onion, cut into pieces 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon black pepper Optional: Add a dash of liquid smoke if you are using the George Foreman Combine all ingredients and mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour over beef and marinate for 2-5 hours, but I have done it for less time if I'm in a hurry. I like to use "flap meat" that people in my area use for carne asada; I don't know what it would be called elsewhere, but it's very thin and messy-looking when raw and really tender when cooked.

Cranberry Orange Cookies

I came up with these when I decided to stop eating chocolate for a while. Just make the chocolate chip cookies (recipe below) but use Craisins and the zest of one orange instead of chocolate chips. Divine!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I spent a month perfecting these. People ask for them. 2 sticks butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs (or flax-seed egg substitute*) 1 teaspoon vanilla 2.5 to 3 cups sifted flour (lightly spoon into cup; level with knife) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup chocolate chips A couple of handfuls of oatmeal (optional) Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, soda, powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Add oatmeal if desired. Using cookie scoop if possible, scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 8-11 minutes. Don't overbake. If they are too flat or greasy, add a little more flour. (I usually start with 2.75 cups and bake one cookie, then if it's too flat I add a little more flour and bake another one, doing this until it is the consistency I like.) *I use a homemade egg substitute made of ground flax seeds. For each egg, put 1 tbsp. ground flax seed with 3 tbsp. water in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds. Stir, and as it cools it will be the consistency of beaten eggs. Now you can eat the dough raw without worry! (Unless you have a rare flax seed allergy....) The ground flax from Costco is great (flaxusa.com). I keep it in the freezer as once it's ground it is perishable.

Teriyaki Salmon

I'm not kidding, I got this recipe from a real Japanese friend from Japan! Mix equal parts maple syrup and soy sauce and pour over salmon for half an hour. Grill, basting regularly with the sauce. I have done this on the outdoor grill or the George Foreman. I use cheap generic "pancake syrup", Kikkoman Reduced Sodium soy sauce, and Costco salmon. This is our standard meal for company. Serve with rice and a green vegetable. It is awesome!