Homemade French Fries

Homemade French Fries

When I was a very little, my Dad cooked for a restaurant, that made it's own fries, and later became a large, renown, fast food chain. This is how he taught me to make restaurant-style crispy fries.

potatoes-peeled, sliced into fries
1tsp. salt
1tsp. sugar
cold water

Peel and cut the potatoes. Cover them with cold water, and let stand 30-minutes. This removes a lot of starch, which will make them more crispy. Since I'm using these for Poutine, I cut them larger.

Dump the potatoes in a colander, and rinse well. Add 1tsp. salt and 1tsp. sugar, to a bowl, add the rinsed potatoes, and cover with cold water. Give it a stir, and refrigerate. A few hours would probably be enough, but I'm soaking them overnight. I'm not sure what the purpose of the salt and sugar are, but I'm guessing it has something to do with browning. Dad made great fries, I remember his saying, the longer they soak, the better they are.

Drain them and pat dry. I let them stand about 30-minutes, then dried them again, before frying in corn oil, on a medium flame.

Cabbage Patch Stew

Cabbage Patch Stew

I love brussel sprouts, when I was a little girl, I thought they were cute little, baby cabbages. They're not a very popular vegetable. I can't understand why, they go great with almost anything, steak dinner, Italian meatloaf, in a pot of soup.
I'm always trying to find ways, to use these little super-veggies (nutrients).
Combining brussel sprouts,and tomatoes, (Both are very high in vitamin-C) Makes this a highly nutritious meal, loaded with several anti-oxidants.

For the meatballs:
2lbs. ground chuck
1cup Italian style bread crumbs
2eggs
Combine and roll into small meatballs. Drop them in boiling water for 15-minutes. Drain, set aside.

For the stew:
1tsp. oil
1 diced onion
1tsp. minced garlic
1 rib celery-diced
1 green bell pepper-diced
Two-29oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1tsp. basil
1tsp. sugar
2 bags of frozen brussel sprouts-( I cooked them whole, but I'll halve them next time.)
cooked meatballs
2cups cooked rice

Make the meatballs, drain and set aside.
Heat the oil, on medium, in a 4quart pot.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes brussel sprouts, salt, pepper, basil,and sugar.  Simmer about 25-30 minutes, until the sprouts are tender. stir in the cooked rice, then fold in the meatballs. cook 5 minutes more, and serve.

Green Tomato Crisp- A great dessert

Most years, my tomato plants are just, plain worn out, by the time a good frost, comes along. So I don't usually have an over-abundance, of green tomatoes. This year, I have tons. What to do, with all these tomatoes...
I'm not in the mood for, fried green tomatoes. It's apple season, so why waste them on, mock apple pie. I already made chow-chow.
Then, I thought of the rhubarb recipe I'm working on. This turned out, just as good, my new favorite green tomato recipe.

Ingredients:
4-5cups diced green tomatoes
1package strawberry jello
In an 8x8-inch baking dish, stir together the green tomatoes and dry jello. Spread the topping over it, and bake at 375* for about 45-minutes, or until, crisp and bubbly. Cool and serve.

For the topping:
1-1/2cups flour
1/2cup brown sugar
1tsp. cinnamon
3/4cup cold butter
Whisk together, the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter, with a pastry cutter, until crumbly.

Stir together, the green tomatoes and jello.

Spread the topping over it and bake 45-minutes.

The last rose of the year.

Shanghai Braised Pork with Bok Choi and Rice

Shanghai Braised Pork with Bok Choi and Rice

I found this incredible recipe at BBC-good food I made a few adjustments, since it called for 5lbs. of pork.
I wasn't in the mood for an oily dish, so I used a pork loin. It's considerably less fatty, than pork belly or shoulder roast, typically used for this dish. Although it didn't absorb as much of the broth as the other cuts, would have.
 I love sauces, that are so perfectly blended, that you can't detect what's in it. This is one of those. I'm going to have to devise a way, to make this into a stir-fry.

Ingredients:
2lbs. pork loin roast
8-10 bok choi-cut in half
cooked rice

For the bag of spice:
8 pieces orange peel-using a veg. peeler
2 whole star anise or 1/8tsp. ground
2 cinnamon sticks-broken
1Tbl. whole cumin seeds
3 dried bird chilies
Add spices to a cheesecloth, and tie to secure.

For the braising broth:
1-1/2cups rice wine
3cups chicken broth
3/4cup dark soy sauce
2Tbl. regular soy sauce
1/2cup sugar
1tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. minced garlic
6 whole green onions
1Tbl. salt
1tsp. black pepper

Blanch the pork, by simmering in boiling water, over a low/medium flame, for 30-minutes. Transfer the roast to a colander, and allow to drain.
Make the spice bag, and combine the braising broth ingredients in 4-quart pot.
Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, add the spice bag and blanched pork.
Cover the pot, and simmer about 3 hours, or until very tender.
Remove the pork from the pot. Break it up into small pieces and toss it in a little of the braising broth. Set aside.
Add the bok choi, to the braising broth. Cook a few minutes, until they are tender.
Strain the bok choi, and arrange it on a serving platter of rice, arrange the pork, over bok choi. Drizzle with a little braising sauce. Serve.

I didn't have cheesecloth , so I used 2 coffee filters and a twist tie.

Add the spice packet and blanched pork, to the braising broth. Simmer on low, until tender.

Leprechaun Stew

Leprechaun Stew
This is a no-name dish, that my mom made occasionally. I'm guessing it's most likely German in origin, since most of the food I grew up with, was predominantly so.
To get my kids to eat cabbage, I would tell them " It's leprechauns favorite food."  and dubbed this dish 'Leprechaun Stew'...worked like a charm.
( I recently made Zombie soup, for my grandkids.)
This is similar, to a New England boiled dinner, but you use a pork roast, instead of corned beef. Besides the cabbage, you can use any vegetables you like. (turnips and carrots, work well in this)

1 pork loin roast - sliced or cubed
1tsp. garlic powder
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1 diced onion
1 head of cabbage-chopped
4 or 5 potatoes cubed

Put the pork, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper, in a 4-quart pot.
Fill half full of water, and boil until the pork is tender, about 1 hour for cubed pork.
Add the potatoes and enough water to cover, if necessary. Then add the cabbage. (The water will not cover the cabbage, but it will wilt, as it cooks.) Cook until the potatoes and cabbage, are tender, adding water if necessary.
Adjust seasonings, and serve.

Mariana Island Shrimp Patties

                                     Mariana Island Shrimp Patties

This recipe from Guam, makes the best shrimp fritters, on the planet. I guess you can tell I love these. They're very easy to make, and make great party appetizers, or a main course.
The only tricky part, is getting the temperature of the oil, just right. They need to be fried over a low/medium flame, if they brown too quickly, and the center is still wet, lower the temp, a bit.

Ingredients:
2lbs. raw shrimp-peeled, de-veined, and chopped
16oz.package of frozen mixed vegetables-thawed
1/2cup thin sliced green onions
2cups flour
2tsp. baking powder
1-1/2tsp. celery salt
1-1/2tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2tsp. onion powder
1tsp. black pepper
2eggs
1can evaporated milk
oil for frying

Greek yogurt dip:
1/2cup Greek yogurt
2 thin sliced green onions
1tsp. onion powder
1/2tsp. celery salt
1/4tsp. garlic powder
Mix well, wait 30 minutes before serving, to blend the flavors.

Preparation:
Remove the green beans, from the mixed vegetables, and cut them smaller. Put the vegetables and chopped shrimp, in a colander to drain while you make the batter.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and spices.
In a large bowl,  whisk together the eggs and milk.
Stir in the flour mixture, until well combined.
Add the shimp and vegetables, mix in well.
Heat about 2-inches of oil, over a low/medium flame. Drop in about 1Tbl. of the batter and fry until golden brown.
Split the fritter open, it should be moist in the center, but not wet.
Adjust the temperature, if needed, and fry the remaining batter.
This will make a large platter of fritters. They can be served, as is or with sweet chili sauce, sour cream, yogurt.

Chop the shrimp, green onions, cut the green beans. place them in a colander to drain, while you make the batter.

Add the vegetables, and shrimp, to the batter, mix well. heat the oil, and fry 1Tbl. of batter.

I use a saucepan, with about 2-inches of oil, frying 3-4 at a time.

They should be moist in the center, but not wet.

Garlic Mushrooms

Garlic Mushrooms with Pauls fire in hole beans and Gambas al Ajillo

A traditional Spanish Tapas. These are so good.

Ingredients:
1Tbl. olive oil
1Tbl. minced garlic
1 minced red jalapeno
1Tbl. chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a skillet.
Add the garlic and jalapeno, saute 10 seconds.
Add the mushrooms, saute until they begin to darken in color. The garlic can burn very easily, once the juices from the mushrooms evaporate.
Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve.

Fried Potatoes and Onions

(L-R)-stove top baked beans, Fried Potatoes, creamed peas   stewed tomatoes and bread

I rarely make fried potatoes, but Polish sausage and sauerkraut would not be the same without it. In combination with the other sides in the photo, this is a great comfort meal. A perfect combination.

Ingredients:
Shortening
4 sliced potatoes-peeled or unpeeled
1onion-sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1/8 inch of shortening, in a skillet. When it's hot, add 4 sliced potatoes.

                    Add a layer of sliced onion. Salt and pepper to taste.

         Wait until they brown a bit, before flipping them with a metal spatula.

                   Keep browning and flipping, until the potatoes are soft.

Creamed Peas- Grandma's way

stove top baked beans,  fried potatoes and onions, creamed peas, stewed tomatoes and bread, Polish sausage and sauerkraut.
This is the way my family makes creamed peas. There is no cornstarch or flour. And we use canned sweet peas. I think they go perfectly with the meal in the photo.

Ingredients:
2cans of sweet peas
1Tbl. butter
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1 sweet pea can, full of water

Add everything to a sauce or saute pan, including the can of water. Bring to a boil, on medium heat. Continue to cook, until most of the water has evaporated. about 30 minutes.

The peas become very soft. With the back of a spoon, crush about 1/3 of the peas.

                              Stir vigorously, to crush more peas. Serve.

Stove-top Baked Beans

Stove-top Baked Beans, fried potatoes and onions, creamed peas  stewed tomatoes and bread,
These are really close to the baked kind, but faster. Great with Polish sausage and sauerkraut.

Ingredients:
1slice of bacon-chopped
2cans of pork and beans
3Tbl. ketchup
1tsp. prepared mustard
1tsp. minced dehydrated onion
1Tbl brown sugar

Fry the bacon, in a 2quart pan, until almost crispy. Add all other ingredients, mix and cook, over a medium flame, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, or until, it thickens.

Ham and Vegetable Cheese Soup

My rating: like it.

                                   Ham and Vegetable Cheese Soup

1 ham steak-diced-about 2 cups
4cups water
3cups potatoes-diced
2-16oz. bags of frozen California blend (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot)
1 can of evaporated milk
2cups diced processed cheese (Like Velveeta, But I prefer generic)
salt and pepper-to taste
1/2cup dry, instant potato flakes

In a 4quart pan, add the ham, water, potatoes, and frozen vegetables.
Cook until the potatoes, are just starting to soften.
Add the milk, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Continue cooking, stirring, until the cheese melts, and the potatoes are soft.
Stir in the potato flakes, turn the heat off, and allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.
This is a very hearty soup, that is really good with a salad, and fresh baked bread.

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp and Feta Cheese

my Rating: liked it.

                      Pasta Primavera with Shrimp and Feta Cheese
Try as I might, Men will not eat a meal without meat!
I'm not finger pointing, it's a simple fact of life. To be fair, I'll add- a woman will not check the tire pressure. These are just little things, we learn to tolerate, about each other. So making Pasta Premavera in it's classic form, is out. I like to top it with a shrimp and feta dish, that I think goes really well with it. I cook the shrimp last, since it only takes a few minutes.

Ingredients:

For the Shrimp:
2lbs. raw medium shrimp-peeled and de-veined
1Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl. balsamic vinegar
2Tbl. butter
 6oz. crumbled feta cheese

For the pasta: You can use any vegetable you like.

1lb. any pasta- I like to use small shells
2Tbl.olive oil
6 sliced spring onions-white part, only
10 asparagus-diagonally sliced
1 bell pepper-quartered and julienne sliced
1 zucchini -sliced in half horizontally, and thin sliced
1/2cup shredded carrot
1Tbl.. minced garlic
1Tb. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
2Tbl. balsamic vinegar
4oz. fresh mushrooms-sliced
1/4cup grated Romano cheese

Preparation:
Marinate the shrimp, in the garlic and balsamic vinegar, while you are cutting the vegetables.
Next begin cooking the pasta, according to package directions.
Preheat the oven to broil.
Heat the olive oil, in a skillet.
Add everything except the mushrooms and Romano cheese. saute until the peppers are crisp tender.
Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms sweat. Turn off the burner.
Drain the pasta, add the vegetables and Romano. Toss to combine.
The shrimp only takes a few minutes to cook, so I wait until now.
Heat the 2Tbl. butter in a skillet, add the shrimp, and cook until the shrimp begins to turn pink.
Sprinkle the Feta over the shrimp, and put the skillet in the broiler, for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese browns a bit.
Serve the shrimp over the pasta.

                      Broil the shrimp, until the cheese begins to brown.

Sue's Potato Soup

My Rating: really liked it.

                                              Sue's Potato Soup
A co-worker brought a pot of this soup, for everyone's lunch, several years ago. It is the best potato soup I have ever had!

Ingredients:
1lb. bacon-chopped
1cup diced celery
1cup grated carrots
1cup diced onion
6cups water
8cupd diced potatoes- peeled, or un-peeled
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1Tbl. parsley
1 can evaporated milk
1cup cubed processed cheddar-like Velveeta, but I prefer generic

Preparation:
In a 4quart pot, fry the bacon until, almost crispy.
Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook, stirring until the onion has softened a little.
Add the water, potatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are almost soft.
Add the milk and cheese, continue to cook, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Turn the burner off, and allow it to cool a bit, before serving. It's great with crackers.

Pork, Shrimp and Vegetable Egg Rolls

                              Pork, Shrimp and Vegetable Egg Rolls

The thing these people put me through. This recipe will make close to 40 egg rolls, and I'll be lucky if I find one, for a midnight snack
When I first started making my own egg rolls, about a million years ago, I served them as a side, for Asian dishes, like normal people. But my kids, loved them so much, they talked me into making them, as the main course, or more aptly, the only course. I still serve them that way, to this day. These aren't like the ones you get at the restaurant, there's not a lot of cabbage, but a really good combination of meats and vegetables.
I have to make so many of these, that I need help rolling them. So I have an assembly line, They roll, I fry. If you're cooking alone, Its best if you roll about a dozen or so, fry them, then roll more etc... otherwise the wrappers will get soggy, before you get a chance to fry them. You could also, roll them in wonton wrappers, for miniature egg rolls, they make perfect little appetizers, for a get-together, served with Chunky sweet and sour sauce  That has been pureed.
Here's the recipe Aaron.

Ingredients
1Tbl.-plus-1Tbl. oil
1lb. ground pork
1/4tsp. black pepper
1lb. raw shrimp-peeled, de-veined, and chopped
1Tbl. minced garlic
3 ribs of celery -finely chopped
1 red bell pepper-finely chopped
1small onion-finely diced
8oz. fresh mushrooms-chopped
2/3 of a large head of Napa cabbage (also known as celery cabbage or Chinese cabbage) -finely shredded
1Tbl. cornstarch
2 packages egg roll wrappers
2 eggs beaten
oil for frying -peanut oil tastes best, corn oil is my second choice.

Preparation:
Heat 1Tbl. oil in a wok or large pan. Add the garlic, black pepper, and pork, fry and chop very fine, until cooked through.
Add the shrimp and stir-fry until the shrimp turns pink.
Put a colander over a bowl, dump the meat into the colander, set aside. Reserve broth.
Heat another Tbl. of oil in the wok, add the celery, onion, and bell pepper.
Stir fry until the celery is crisp tender. Add the Mushrooms and fry 1 minute more.
Remove 1/4cup of the reserved broth, add 1Tbl. cornstarch, mix to dissolve. set aside.
Add the cabbage, and the rest of the meat broth from the bowl.(Don't worry, it looks like a lot of cabbage, but it cooks down, very quickly.)
Cook, tossing until the cabbage has wilted. About 3-4 minutes.
Add the pork mixture and the cornstarch mixture. Cook until heated through, and the cornstarch thickens a bit.
Dump everything into a colander over a bowl, and cool completely before rolling.
Here's a cute tutorial-How to roll an egg roll.
Add about 3Tbl, of the filling to an egg roll skin. Moisten the edges with the beaten egg, so it will stick together. Roll,  then fry until golden brown. I fry mine in a 1quart pan, two at a time.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce. They reheat nicely in the microwave, but lose their crispness.

I shred about 2/3 of the cabbage, I stop, once I see more stem, than leaf. I save the bottom 1/3 to chop up in a stir-fry for another meal. The stem is really tender, and adds a nice flavor.

Fry the pork, garlic, black pepper, and shrimp. dump it in a colander, over a bowl, and set aside.

Fry the celery, bell pepper, and onion, until the celery is crisp tender. Add the mushrooms and cook 1 minute more.

Add the cabbage and remaining reserved broth. It looks like a lot, but it wilts, down to almost nothing.

                             Cook, tossing until the cabbage wilts.

Add the pork mixture and the cornstarch mixture, to the pan and cook until heated through, and the cornstarch thickens a bit.

Dump everything into a colander, over a bowl. Cool completely before rolling. Once it has cooled, I press it, to release a bit more moisture, so the wrapper doesn't get soggy.

Brush egg-wash on the edges of the wrapper, add about 3Tbl. of filling, and roll. Actually I put the filling in the middle, it should be a bit closer to the bottom.

                                         Fry until golden brown.

Country Green Beans

Country Green Beans with Bacon wrapped rock cornish game hens and Persian fruit and nut stuffing

Ingredients:
2slices of bacon-chopped
1small onion-diced
3cups water
1lb. fresh green beans

Preparation:
In a 2quart pan, fry the bacon, until almost crisp.
Add the onions, and cook until they are soft.
Add the water and beans, and cook on medium, until they are crisp-tender and the water has evaporated. About 20 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini Parmigiana

                                      Stuffed Zucchini Parmigiana

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1tsp. olive oil
1Tbl. minced onion
1tsp. minced garlic
1tsp. basil
1/4tsp. nutmeg
1tsp. salt
1/4tsp. black pepper
28oz. can of petite diced tomatoes

You'll also need:
4 zucchini-slice horizontally and scoop out the seed cavity
8oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375*
In a large sauce pan, heat the oil on medium flame.
Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens.
Add all other sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, and cook about 8 minutes, or until the sauce thickens somewhat. (the sauce will be chunky)

Pour the sauce into a 13x9 shallow, metal baking pan. (you may need to divide the sauce, between two pans to hold all the zucchini)
In a bowl combine the two cheeses, fill each zucchini with the cheese, and place atop the sauce.
Bake about 45 minutes to 1hour, or until the zucchini is tender. Turn the heat to broil.
Remove the pan from the oven, then place it in the broiler. Cook until the tops brown.
Serve, topped with the sauce.

Pepper Steak -or- Mom's Chop Suey

                           Pepper Steak - Mom called this Chop Suey

Ingredients:
1-1/2lbs. thin sliced round steak-cut into very thin strips
1Tbl. plus 1Tbl. oil
1Tbl. minced garlic
1 onion- thinly julienne sliced
2 ribs of celery-thin sliced
4oz. fresh mushrooms-thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers-julienne sliced
2cups beef broth
1/4cup kikkoman soy sauce
15oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1Tbl. brown sugar

Thickener:
1Tbl. cornstarch


Serve with cooked rice, chow mein noodles or cooked egg noodles

Preparation:
Heat 1Tbl. oil in a 4qt pan or wok, on high heat. Add the steak when the oil is very hot, and stir-fry until cooked through.
Dump the steak and pan drippings in a bowl and set aside.
Heat another Tbl. oil on high, Add the garlic onion and celery. Stir fry until the onions become transparent.
Return the beef to the pan, along with all other ingredients .
Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes. Mix the thickener and add it too the pan.
Cook a few more minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens a little.
Mom would serve this with the rice mixed into the sauce.

                     Its easier to thin slice the steak if it's partially frozen.

                                 I make a few cuts across the strips.

                                       Thin slice the vegetables.