Ethnic

Kanpai

Kanpai translates into an equivalent of the word “cheers” when making a toast. I actually thought it was spelled differently but who am I say it’s wrong. Either way I came across a cocktail by this name and it sounds so good I can’t wait to try it on my own. I just have to get a few of the ingredients and I’ll give my review of it once I make it. It is a peachy looking color and sounds so refreshing for a hot summer day. This recipe is supposedly from the high-end Japanese restaurant “Megu NYC”. I have never heard of it but then again I’m not on the élite list that dines in high-end Japanese restaurants in NYC! It has saké in it. Not a problem for me. And what makes it even more inviting to me is that it is a sparkling saké! My downfall. Love sparkling saké and of course it’s much higher in calories. Figures! This recipe of course calls for high-end sparkling saké. But I will be using the cheaper version. If anyone tries it before I do please let me know on this blog in a comment if you liked it or not! Sparkling saké is also a great saké for people who think they don’t like saké. It’s sweeter and not so harsh when you first drink it like so many house sakés are. Most people associate saké with the hot variety. I have found out that most of those hot sakés are the cheaper sakés and they need to heat it to make it taste better! I only use the hot saké for sake bombs now! Cold or room temperature all the way these days. I just texted John who is on his way home from New York and told him about this drink and he is ready to try it this weekend! So I will update everyone once we have a verdict!

P.S. I just looked up the restaurant Megu NYC and it seems to be a fave of the Twilight cast when in NYC. Oh boy!

INGREDIENTS:

5 raspberries, muddled

1 ounce Bacardi Lite

1 ounce pineapple juice

1-2 ounces sparkling saké (they usually come in small bottles for as little as $5 at most wine/liquor stores)


DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients except for the saké into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with the sparkling saké!

Makes 1 drink

**DON’T FORGET TO VISIT www.cucinadiandrea.com!

Still in progress but check it out anyway!

Chicken Egg Foo Young

Egg Foo Young is a really good chinese dish. But I know how high in calories it can be so I usually stay away from it. My husband loves it too and usually gets the pork variety. This recipe can be made with pork, chicken, ham, or shrimp. Pretty much any protein you want to put in will work just fine. I took parts of this recipe from a Rachael Ray recipe as well as another recipe I had found. I left out what I didn’t like (yes, peppers! Eww…) and added my own touch. Another high calorie part of this recipe can be the sauce. Not in this recipe. There are a lot of ingredients and it does look daunting but give it a try. It’s not difficult and it will taste incredible! And it looks so good doesn’t it! If there are any leftovers they make a great breakfast too!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of egg substitute (I use the plain but you can substitute a flavored one if you like. )

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (leftover chicken is great for this)

1 cup fresh bean sprouts (A few big handfuls is good)

½ cup shredded carrots

¼ pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (I used canned because the fresh were too expensive)

1 cup baby bok choy, shredded

1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated, plus 2 thin slices

2 large cloves garlic, grated or minced

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup fat-free chicken stock or broth

¼ cup tamari (aged soy sauce, use regular low-sodium if you can’t find)

1 teaspoon hot sauce (more if you like a spicier sauce)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat a griddle pan over medium heat and brush it with some olive oil.

2. In a large mixing bowl pour in the egg beaters, chicken, bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, bok choy, water chestnuts, scallions, grated ginger and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and mix until completely combined.

3. Using a large mixing spoon, drop about ½ cup of the mixture onto the preheated and oiled griddle. Cook the pancakes about 2-3 minutes on each side,until golden. (Careful flipping them, it’s a little tricky. Well it was for me anyway!)

4. In the meantime, combine the cornstarch with a splash of chicken broth/stock to dissolve it. Place the rest of the stock/broth, tamari, cornstarch, hot sauce and sliced ginger in a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened for about 3 minutes or until you can coat a spoon with it. Remove the sliced ginger and remove from heat.

5. Serve 2 pancakes per person with gravy poured over the top.

Serves 4

Mojito

This refreshing cocktail has been quite the popular drink over the last few years. It’s not one of my favorites but I know a lot of people who love them. They can be many flavors now also but this recipe is for a basic mojito. The recipe is for one drink so adjust if you want to make several. You’ll need a muddler or some other kind of tool to muddle or crush the mint and sugar. This should be done in a tall glass also.

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces light rum

1 ounce fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar

5-7 mint leaves

club soda


DIRECTIONS:

In a large glass place the mint and sugar and muddle until you smell the mint. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and fill glass with some ice, top off with club soda.

Swedish Meatballs

This is definitely a recipe I do not make enough. Swedish meatballs are one of my favorite dishes. This recipe was given to my sister Michele at her bridal shower by Barbara Cavallo, who is her husband’s aunt. She was born an Olson, so yes there is Swedish blood in her. I think the recipe came from another relative, either grandmother or mother. Either way they are delicious. Serve over egg noodles or rice or just eat them by themselves. Remember when making swedish meatballs you need to make them smaller than regular Italian meatballs. They do take some time to make but they are worth it. It’s a nice hearty meal for any time of year.

Swedish Meatballs with Egg Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups bread crumbs

2/3 cups  milk

½ cup chopped onion

2 pounds ground beef of your choice (You can mix ground pork and beef also)

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4 tablespoons butter

4 teaspoons flour

2 cups hot water

1 cup milk

1 cup light cream

2 cubes MBT beef broth

Gravy Master

Fresh Parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl soak bread crumbs in the milk. Add the onion, beef/pork, salt, pepper and eggs and mix together with hands. Be careful not to overmix.

2. Roll meat into walnut size meatballs and brown in large skillet in the butter. Cook until brown on all sides. When browned remove meatballs from pan and set aside.

3. In the same skillet put a little hot water with the flour. Stir until smooth. Add rest of hot water, light cream, beef broth, nutmeg and milk. Stir until smooth.

4. Place meatballs back into skillet and mix well. Cover skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Brown with Gravy Master to color. Garnish with parsley.

Serve with egg noodles, rice or pasta of choice.

Basic Meat Filling

This is the basic meat filling to use with the stuffed plantains. It can also be used with stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage etc. The recipe calls for ground beef but you can also add ground sausage to the mix if you wish.

Ripe Plantain

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef (or ground pork)

3 chili peppers, finely chopped and seeded (any type of pepper you want is fine)

1 green pepper, finely chopped and seeded

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon wine vinegar

6 green olives stuffed with pimentos

1 teaspoon capers

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

hot sauce to taste

Stuffed Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy pot, add 1 tablespoon oil and saute chili peppers, onion, green pepper and garlic for 10 minutes.

2. Add oregano, salt, vinegar and ground beef. Stir over high heat until meat loses its red color.

3. Turn heat to low. Add olives, capers and hot sauce. Mix and cook 30 minutes for beef or 1 hour for pork.

4. Let cool slightly so it won’t be too hot to handle when stuffing the plantains or other item.

Stuffed Cabbage

Mom & Grandma’s Stuffed Plantains

Stuffed plantains are one of my favorite recipes from when I was growing up. I haven’t made it in quite a while but maybe I will soon! My mother and grandmother used to make this quite often for us. It is a little involved but tastes so good it’s worth the trouble! They are filled with a delicious meat filling but you can also substitute shredded cheddar cheese for the meat filling.

INGREDIENTS:

6 whole ripe plantains, unpeeled and halved

2 quarts water

1½ tablespoons salt

4 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Basic Meat Filling (recipe to follow in separate post)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring the water and 1½ tablespoons salt to a boil. Add plantains, cover and boil rapidly for 20 minutes. Drain, peel and mash together with the butter, ½ teaspoon salt and cornstarch. Allow to cool slightly.

2. Coat hands with cornstarch. Spread some of the plantain mixture on a flat surface (cutting board) and make a nest in the center. Stuff center with filling. Cover with plantain mixture and form into balls or mounds. Repeat to make 16 stuffings.

3. Fry in large pan until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with rice.

Serves 8

Greek Dipping Sauce

I just came up with this recipe while looking for something to do with the crème fraîche I had just made a few days before. (Thanks Wendy!) I was having fish for dinner that night and usually I make my own tartar sauce but I wanted something different this time. This is what I cam up with. We used it on top of our pan-fried tilapia. But it’s perfect with fresh veggies as a dip or a sauce for lamb or anything you want to put it on!

Greek Dipping Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup crème fraîche* (recipe below)

6 oz. container Greek non-fat plain yogurt

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1-2 cloves garlic (use 2 if you really like garlic)

1 teaspoon dried dill

juice of 1/2 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until all ingredients are mixed well.

Makes about 2 cups

CREME FRAICHE RECIPE

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Wendy Larsen.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place ingredients into a clean sterilized jar with a tight lid. Shake to combine and let stand at room temperature until thick, 24-48 hours.

2. Once thickened shake gently and then chill until you are ready to use it. Keeps up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.


**As Wendy told me, yes it is strange to have this sit on counter for 24-48 hours but it works and you won’t get sick. Don’t worry! It’s very cool once it’s all thickened!

Mom & Grandma’s Arroz Con Pollo

Mom and me at 4 months (May 1962)

My mother and grandmother used to make this recipe quite a bit for us when we were growing up. Nothing I tried in restaurants ever compared to their cooking! It has been years since I’ve had this or even attempted to make it myself. It’s a Puerto Rican recipe and always brings me back to those days growing up. We had all kinds of different ethnic dishes in our house. Our mom wanted us to be well-rounded when it came to food. Maybe that’s why I’m obsessed with food!

Grandma with me (23 months) and Billy (11 months) Christmas 1963


INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon salt

2 peppercorns

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

1 teaspoon capers

1 cup uncooked rice

1-2 packets Sazon

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 ½- 3 lb. chicken pieces

¼ cup butter

6 pitted green olives, chopped

1 tomato, peeled and chopped

½ cup tomato sauce

1 can green peas

2 tablespoons achiote for color (Sofrito)

slivered pimentos (from a jar)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine oregano, peppercorns, garlic, salt, oil and vinegar. Crush together. Rub mixture over chicken.

2. Brown chicken pieces in butter in large skillet.

3. Add onion, green pepper, olives, capers, achiote, sazon, tomato  and tomato sauce to chicken in skillet. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Drain peas, reserving liquid.  Add enough water to liquid to make 2 ½ cups.

5. Add the water to skillet and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in rice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Add peas. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with pimento strips.

Irish Soda Bread

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Ok with that said here is today’s recipe. It is supposed to be a “Family” recipe today and being St. Patrick’s Day I found a recipe I got from my former mother-in-law. I have made this recipe a few times but it has been awhile. It’s funny how nobody thinks to make this other than around St. Patrick’s Day. Baking is not usually one of my strong points but this recipe is easy and I didn’t mess it up.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup raisins

1 TBS caraway seeds

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

4 TBS butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart round casserole dish.

2: In a medium-size bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds.

3: With a fork, blend in buttermilk and melted butter until evenly moist. Turn into casserole dish and cut an “X” on top.

4: Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from casserole dish and cool.




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