Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients

4 large green tomatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick.
Whisk eggs and milk together
On one plate, spread out flour, and on another plate put Panko breadcrumbs.
Dip the tomatoes in the flour, then the egg and milk mixture, lastly dip in breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large skillet, no more than 1/4 an inch of oil, when the oil is hot, fry the tomatoes 4 at a time, edges not touching. Flip when the tomatoes are browned and fry them on the other side. Drain on a paper towel.

(Instead of Panko breadcrumbs, you can also use a mixture of 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, salt and pepper)

Spring Vegetable Rolls

 Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls
(Makes 42 spring rolls)
 I prefer the spring roll wrappers instead of the wheat wraps, they are thin and the result is a light crispy spring roll. 

Ingredients

10 spring roll wrappers thawed for 2 hours
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot thinly sliced with a peeler
8 snap peas thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
¼ white cabbage, shredded
Bok choy cabbage sliced (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
some rice noodles, soaked in water
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
some salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg, beaten
2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying rolls


Equipment you need ready:

1 wok
1 wooden spoon
1 bowl
1 spoon
1 brush
1 tea towel
1 saucepan
1 slotted spoon
1 tray lined with paper towel
tongs


Directions
Prepare the vegetables:

Begin by heating the wok. When hot, add some

oil, the red peppers, carrots, cabbage, bok choy, snap peas
 and bean sprouts. Cook lifting and turning the vegetables over until the vegetables have slightly softened and their tasted have had a chance to mingle.

While the vegetables are cooking, immerse the rice noodles in water for 3 minutes, then remove and drain in a colander. This allows the noodles to soften a little, I also cut the noodles with scissors. It gets tangled like silky hair when you add to the vegetables.

Add the noodles, 3 tablespoons oyster sauce,3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, take off the heat and place in a bowl to cool a little. Or you can put in the fridge covered and continue the next day. The rolls hold up better when frying if you allow the filling to cool completely.

To Make the Spring Rolls:
Remove the plastic wrap around the spring roll wrappers, dampen a tea cloth, squeeze out excess water, and lay flat. Next put the wrappers on half of the damp cloth and then fold the cloth over the wrappers so that they are covered with the cloth. This way the wrapper don't dry out while you are making the rolls. Peel off one spring roll wrapper, they are extremely thin and a bit fiddly. Place one wrapper on the cutting board.

Brush the edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Next, add the filling in the bottom part of the wrapper in a thin log shape, not touching the edges. Leave the bottom few centimeters clear.

                  Lift the wrapper over the top of the filling and tuck it in under the filling.

                                 Fold over the left side .................and then the right side

                                      ....................   and roll it up to form a tube....................
Brush a little more egg along the top part and seal the roll. Repeat until all the rolls are finished.

Spring rolls ready to deep fry.

Deep Fry the Spring Rolls

In a saucepan, pour 2 cups vegetable oil and heat over high heat.

Once the oil is hot, deep fry the spring rolls, 3 at a time, until lightly brown, which should take only 1 minute. I've timed them and they go fast, no more than 30 seconds on each side. Remove with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Serve your crispy spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce or black vinegar, or whatever sauce is your preference. Cindy gave me a great sauce recipe, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, white vinegar and a little sugar, I think, but I shall have to check on that.  You can make them and reheat for later. Reheat in oven at 350 degrees F.

Spring rolls freeze really well, put in freezer cooked. When needed, thaw for a few hours, then wrap in silver foil and heat in oven at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes, after 20 minutes, uncover and continue baking until crispy, approx. 5 minutes.

Sauteed Portabella Mushrooms

Sauteed Portabella Mushrooms
Great with steak, roast beef, hamburgers or all alone

Ingredients

3 large portabella mushrooms
olive oil
butter
soy sauce
tobasco sauce

Directions

Remove stems and peel off outer skin.
Slice mushrooms.
Heat up a skillet with a tablespoon olive oil
and 2 tablespoons butter.
Saute mushrooms and after two minutes,
add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a generous
shake of Tobasco sauce.
Cover skillet, lower heat and continue to
simmer until tender.
Serve with the sauce it cooked in.

Maple Glazed Vegetables

Maple-Glazed Vegetables

Ingredients

15 Brussel Sprouts ends snipped off and halved
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
1 Red Onion chopped
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Glaze

1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Brown Sugar


Directions

Preheat oven to 450 Degrees F.
Sprinkle vegetable with salt and pepper.
Toss brussel sprouts, butternut squash and onion with 1/4 cup olive oil.
Place vegetable on baking pan (sprayed with Pam)
Bake approx. 35 minutes or until tender.

While the vegetables are in oven, prepare the glaze.
In a saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter on low heat, add maple syrup and brown sugar, stir well.
Drizzle over vegetables when they are tender and continue to bake for 8 minutes.

Cucumber Salad with Greek Yoghurt

Cucumber Salad with Greek Yoghurt






Inspired by Chef Kamal Al-Faqih from his book Classic Lebanese Cuisine.

Ingredients

2 cucumbers (choose narrow firm
cucumbers without large seeds,
English cucumbers are excellent for this salad)
1 large clove garlic
1/2 teasp. salt
1/2 teaspoon tahini
1 cup Greek yoghurt (see how to make your own)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves or
1/4 teaspoon dried mint flakes.

Directions

Put the garlic and salt in a medium sized bowl. Mash the garlic to a pulp using a pestle.
Add 1/2 teaspoon tahini and mix well (tahini serves as a binder) and then add 1 cup yoghurt and the mint. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Peel cucumber lengthwise, leaving a little strip of green skin. Quarter it lengthwise, then cut each quarter into small pieces. Cover and refrigerate.
Add cucumber to the yoghurt mixture just before serving.

broccoli salad with strawberries

 Broccoli Salad with Strawberries and Poppy Seed Dressing
A refreshing salad...........

Ingredients

1 head broccoli
8 strawberries
2 tablespoons Marie’s Poppy Seed Dressing

Directions

Chop broccoli and slice strawberries into a bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons Marie’s Poppy Seed Dressing,
mix and serve.

Little Neck Clams with Fetuccini

Fettucini with Fresh Clams, Parsley & Lemon
4 Servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves slices
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 lbs Littleneck clams
or Manila clams, scrubbed
1 lb. fettucini or spaghetti

Directions

Immerse clams in a bowl of water first and scrub with a brush, change the water three times, there is often sand attached.
Prep your ingredients as it goes fast.
Prepare bowls with 1/2 cup chopped parsley,1/2 cup wine,1/4 cup lemon juice.
In a saucepan pour 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and add 8 garlic cloves.

Heat up a saucepan of water for the fettucini, with a tablespoon salt.
When the water is boiling, add fettucini, stir a little with a wooden spoon.

Next, heat the oil and garlic over medium heat, once the garlic is medium brown,
(2 mins) add clams and the Italian parsley. Stir for 2 minutes.
Add wine, simmer for 2 mins.
Add lemon juice, cover and simmer till clams open (6 mins) 

The fettucini should be done, drain in a colander, pour the sauce the clams cooked in over the fettucini and place the clams on top................serve with salad.