Just Another Stir-Fry Recipe.

Not too much to say about this new recipe.  Roy and I simply enjoy delving into Asian cuisines, and this was another opportunity to play.  I think the most creative thing was coming up with a way to flavor the rice without a lot of ingredients.  Using jasmine green tea bags did the job with any mess.  Just place them in the water being used to make the rice, bring to a boil, remove the bags, and wallah, the water is infused with the flavorful tea.

The entire recipe, including rice, makes eight servings, and the leftovers simply got more flavorful over time.

 Order Up, and You're Welcome! 

 

Sweet Chili Stir-Fry

(Over Jasmine Green Tea Rice)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. raw, peeled and deveined large shrimp (or chunks of chicken breasts or pork tenderloin)

1 cup chopped red bell peppers

1 (15 oz.) can straw mushrooms, drained

½ cup julienned purple (also called red) onions

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground lemon grass

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

½ cup sweet chili sauce (aka Thai sweet chili sauce)

8 cups jasmine green tea infused rice **

Preparation:

In a sealable plastic container, mix together protein, peppers, mushrooms, onions, black pepper, ginger and lemon grass.  Place in refrigerator for one hour, but begin making rice in a half hour.

 

** To make rice, in a 3-quart pan, place 8 cups of cold water, ½ tsp. salt, 2 teabags of jasmine green tea.  Set heat to high and bring to a boil.  Remove tea bags and add 4 cups uncooked, medium grain, white rice; stir, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.  Remove lid, let rice rest for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork.

 

 

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat; spread out contents from plastic container in skillet and sauté’ until protein in thoroughly cooked (shrimp will turn pinkish/red, and no longer be translucent).  Add sweet chili sauce, mix in thoroughly, remove skillet from heat, and serve.

 

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Welcoming Spring with Bright Sweetness.

Ode to a Jellybean

Ovoid of bright, shiny color.

Taste buds salivating for more.
Rolling round in the mouth.
Swallow, there it goes, down south.

Fruity flavors, some not so.

Try the red one, give it a go.
Fan the tongue, boy that's hot.
Spit, hit the trash can, what a shot.

Buy a bagful, perhaps a pound.
Chew a handful, hear the lip smacking sound.
Grab a tissue, looking like a fool.
Wipe up that multi colored drool.

Who needs drugs with this candy treat.

Smiling as you slip out of your seat.
Oh the pleasure you think with a blissful sigh.
Oh the pleasure of a sugar high.

~Mary Cokenour – 2005~

 

Now what does the jellybean have to do with spring exactly?  Not much, except for the ovoid shape that closely resembles the egg.  Hmm, better give some history about eggs and spring before getting to the jellybean.  Ostara (also spelled Eostre) is a Germanic deity; a fertility Goddess whose festival centers on the Spring Equinox; her symbols are the egg and the rabbit. When Christianity began to make the rounds in Europe, there was no better way to have non-believers embrace it than to incorporate some of their beliefs; an assimilation. March 20^th is the Spring Equinox; the Christian Easter falls in springtime; children are given multi-colored eggs and chocolate rabbits; even the name Easter closely resembles the name of the Goddess, Eostre.  This concludes our history lesson for today; now back to the jellybean.

Even though Turkish Delight (a jelly candy coated in powdered sugar) was around for centuries; it was not easily shipped and melted quickly.  In 1861, a Boston confectioner, William Schrafft, invented a jelly candy with a firm outer shell.  His biggest selling point?  Ship these candies to the boys and men fighting in the Civil War; give them a little sweet pleasure to get their minds off the horrors of war.   By the 1930s, the egg shaped candies were becoming incorporated into Easter celebrations with simple fruit flavors.  Not only were children fascinated by these confections, but parents loved that they were compact and didn’t melt too quickly in tiny hands.

The jellybean is now one of the most popular candies sold throughout the world; spiced, sours, Harry Potter influenced flavors of dirt, vomit and earwax (who did the taste testing for these!??!); Jelly Belly has 50 flavors, more than Baskin-Robbins has in ice cream.   Jellybeans are available all year long, in various sizes, even sugar free; they give a boost of energy; the bright colors and flavors even boost the mood.  Having a bad day and angry, why fight?  Let those little candies sweeten your mood, then you can look at things from a brighter perspective. 

Personally, there is a small bag of jellybeans in each of our vehicles.  Stuck in traffic, some idiot just cut us off, or the smallest thing just set one of us off; the bag of beans comes out and the world doesn’t seem so bad suddenly.  Does a simple candy snack really solve problems?  Of course not; just maybe though, it gives the mind a simple way out.   A momentary spurt of realization that what feels so terrible isn’t that bad at all.

Joyous Spring!!!

Mary Cokenour

Comfort Cooking, British Style.

Now I happen to be a fan of recipes originating from the United Kingdom, and I am generally referring to England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland (some areas that the Utah pioneers were from); not all the other countries that were invaded and/or annexed while the Brits were out conquering the world. Many times I have heard that the food from these countries is boring and bland, but I do not happen to agree. One huge mistake many Americans make when traveling to foreign countries is to compare "American food" with that country's food. It is a big mistake for what we refer to as “American food” is a mixture of so many cuisines, so how can we really judge our food against the common food of another country? I have even met people who refuse to eat the food when in a foreign country and will only eat "Americanized" food prepared in their hotels. Ridiculous! They might as well have just stayed at home and gone to the local diner for vacation, saving money on airfare.

I have a friend who would make authentic scones for us whenever we visited her back in Pennsylvania. How were they authentic? She is from Yorkshire, England, so I believe she knows what she is doing in the respect of English cooking. I am also a big fan of many of the British chefs, so not only do I have cookbooks, but I watch their shows intently to make sure I get a recipe correct.  While they may often delve in the realm of “haute cuisine”; the basis of their recipes is the comfort cooking they were raised on.

Onto scones which originated in Scotland, made from unleavened oats and cooked on a griddle. With the invention of baking powder, scones could now be baked; the Brits sweetened them up a bit with the inclusion of sugar and fruits. Nowadays, scones can be sweet, savory, herbal and/or cheesy; they can be served at any meal, or just make a handy little snack. The traditional wedges are still popular, but they can also be baked much like a drop cookie; they are not as pretty as the wedges, but still taste wonderful.

 

Pumpkin Cranberry

 Cold weather, while invigorating, also brings images of being bundled up in a warm blanket, perhaps a mug of hot chocolate soothing the trembles. For hubby and me though, we enjoy hot cups of tea with warm scones to munch on at our leisure. We put on our English accents, which we do quite well, and pretend to be in our lovely cottage in a quaint little village. Oh, you might be saying, "that is too silly for me" or "seriously?", but for us, the role play keeps the relationship fresh, new and adventurous. If more married couples indulged in each other, instead of everyone and everything else around them, the rate of divorce would certainly decline.  However, I digress once again, this post is about scones, not relationship counseling. 

Cinnamon Oatmeal with Raisins

 
I am going to be giving you a basic recipe for scones including a few ideas for different flavorings. What you do for your taste is exactly that, for your taste; so play with the basics and enjoy the results.

Scones

Basic Mix

Ingredients:

2 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder
 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F; spray a large baking sheet with nonstick baking spray; or use a nonstick baking sheet.  Parchment paper works well is you do not want to use the spray, or do not have nonstick baking sheets.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking salt and salt; work butter, with fork, pastry cutter or hands, into the dry ingredients until it becomes crumbly.

In a small bowl, mix together the egg and milk; make a well in the dry ingredients and pour liquid into the well. Mix together thoroughly until the dough can be shaped into a ball.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to ½” thickness; mark out wedges with a knife or use pastry or biscuit cutters for rounder scones.  An ice cream scoop can also be used with the dough for a more rustic look to the scones.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 12 scones.

Chocolate Chip Before Baking.

  
 

Chocolate Chip After Baking

Variations

Cheese: Add ½ tsp ground black pepper and a ¾ cup of shredded cheese (Fontina, Cheddar or Swiss) to the dry ingredients.

Sun-Dried Tomato: Add ½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes and 1 Tbsp. Italian herb mix to the dry ingredients.

Chocolate Chip: Add ½ cup chocolate chips and 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar to the dry ingredients.

 

Chocolate Chip Wedge Scone

 

Mary Cokenour      

Not All Chili Sauce is Red.

You've seen the Heinz Chili Sauce bottle in the condiment aisle of every supermarket; it might even be a staple in your own home cooking. Its base ingredient is tomatoes and the thickness of the sauce makes it a good enhancement for soups, stews, barbeque sauces and marinades.

However, when dealing with Asian cuisine, tomatoes are not high on the list of ingredients, if at all. The sauces tend to be thin to medium thickness and colors range from yellowish to a deep brown. Seeing many of the ingredients such as garlic and hot peppers lets one know what may be in store for the taste buds.

Thai Chili Sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used for dipping cooked foods into or as a marinade before cooking, mainly grilling. It awakens four tastes within the mouth: sweet, sour, spicy and salty; basically enhancing a food four ways.

Thai Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar (if not available, use white wine vinegar)
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup fish sauce (if not available, use light soy sauce)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced garlic
dried hot pepper flakes (1 tsp=mild, 2 tsp=medium, 1 Tbsp=hot)
2 Tbsp corn starch

Preparation:

Mix together all ingredients, except corn starch, in a small sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until liquid reduces by half.

Reduce heat to low; whisk in corn starch; continue to cook for 2 minutes to allow sauce to thicken..

Makes about ¾ cup.

When frying foods, use Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) as it holds onto sauces without losing its crunchy texture.

Cut up chicken, pork, vegetables or firm fish like cod or halibut no larger than two inches. Seafood such as shrimp, oysters, clams and scallops can be fried whole.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko
2-3 cups canola or peanut oil for frying
1 lb cut up food items

Preparation:

Prepare dredging station; bowl one is the flour, corn starch and salt; bowl two is the beaten eggs; bowl three is the Panko.

Heat oil on medium-high heat; amount is determined by what kind of pan or skillet being used for frying; oil should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

Dredge food into bowl one, shake off excess before coating with egg; thoroughly coat with Panko. When oil is ready (water drops will sizzle), carefully place 6 to 8 pieces in the oil. Cooking time will depend on what foods are being used; chicken takes about 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all food is cooked.

The fried foods can be served with a bowl of the Thai Chili Sauce on the side and dipped at your leisure.

- OR -

You can dip the food into the sauce and serve it up on pieces of lettuce and make lettuce wraps. By the way, the sauce is so good, you might even consider using it as an Asian style salad dressing.

However you serve it up, you'll make a great impression.

Mary Cokenour