Category: Recipes

Mavis’s Cooking Class

Mavis is a dear neighbor put on an Indian cooking zoom class today.  She lives a few blocks away and we have gone out to various Indian Restaurants in the area pre-pandemic.  She has her own cookbook and everything.  Today she taught a couple dozen attendees how to make 4 wonderful dishes.   I am always amazed at what Indians can do with simple ingredients and spices.

– Dal:  Lentils with squash and leeks

– Aloo Gobi:  Potatoes and cauliflower

– Lemon Rice:  Aromatic rice

– Patriani Maci:  Salmon baked with Chutney

Cooking with Friends: Mavis Rangan
Mavis in action. Teaching over zoom is SO MUCH HARDER than teaching in real life. She and her daughter kept the dialog going the whole time.
Rice and Beans: The house smells so good with these two
Aloo Gobi and Fish: Next time swap out the potatoes for squash and peas. Glad we have left over chutney for more fish.
Finished product: Could eat this every day

 

Turkey Burger with Grilled Onions and Salad

Turkey Burgers with grilled onions and Salad

Turkey Burger with Grilled Onions and Salad

Good for quick lunch. Low carb, but this makes my tummy very satisfied 🙂

  • 4 patties Turkey Burger Patties (Frozen or make your own) (For Frozen Patties, make sure to buy BUTTERBALL brand, not others!!!)
  • 1/2 Onion (sliced)
  • 2 cups Salad Greens (We like the packaged Half & Half Greens at Albertson's)
  • 4 slices Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 small Roma Tomato (sliced)
  • 1 small Carrot
  • 3 tbsp Gobble Powder (mix of many kinds of herbs, salt, and pepper – recipe will be posted later)
  • few leaves Fresh Basil
  • As needed Your favorite Dressing

  1. Season Patties with Gobble powder and place them on Grill, with medium high heat, then grill 8 mins first, flip them, place sliced tomato pieces on them, place Sliced Cheese, then continue to grill for 7 mins.

  2. Slice onion, sauté them in small frying pan with Olive Oil, season with salt and pepper.

    Place them onto the grilled patties 🙂

  3. Wash greens, dry them well, then place in a ball. Chop up one Carrot (I used the peeler) and fresh Basil leaves and mix them with greens. Serve with your favorite dressing.

    Bon Appétit !!!

Main Course
American

 

Japanese Shumai

Japanese Shumai

Japanese Shumai

Cheating version of Shumai because it is steamed on Frying Pan, not with the official bamboo steamer!

  • 400 gram 1/2 ground beef, 1/2 ground pork mixed
  • 1 small piece Grated Ginger
  • 1/2 each minced onion
  • 2 tbsp Corn Starch
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Cooking Sake
  • 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 12 pieces Wonton Wrap
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

  1. Mix the minced onions with a dash of cooking oil, salt, and pepper. Cover lightly then microwave them for 15 seconds. Set aside.

  2. Mix the ground beef and ground pork very well till becomes sticky. Add the seasonings of grated ginger, corn starch, soy sauce, cooking sake, sesame oil and cooked onions. Mix well. Make 12 meatballs and place them onto the cookie sheet.

  3. Place one piece of wonton wrapper onto one meatball, and repeat till all 12 meatballs are covered. Then using your fingers, press the wrapper around the meatballs to create the Shumai shape. Press the top portion to make them flat.

  4. Pour the frying oil in the pan, then place all the shumai pieces in. Pour 3 tablespoon full of water into the pan, and place a lid. Cook in low heat for about 8 mins.

    Turn them upside down to cook the bottom of shumais for about 3 mins to brown them.

    Serve them with soy sauce with small amount of ground mustard mixed together.

Main Course
Japanese

Mashed Acorn Squash

 

Mashed Acorn Squash

Mashed Acorn Squash

  • 1 each Acorn Squash
  • 2 tbsp Cream Cheese
  • 1 tbsp Sour Cream
  • 1 tbsp Melted Butter

  1. Wash one whole Acorn Squash, place onto the plate, then microwave for 5 mins.

  2. Take out the Acon Squash from microwave (be careful, it is very hot) then cut it into half. Scoop out the seeds, then place them flat side down onto the plate, with splash of water on the plate. Place it back to microwave to cook additional 5 mins.

  3. If needed, increase the cooking time till the squash becomes soft. Scoop the meat into the bowl, add the dash of salt and pepper with the above noted other ingredients, then mash it all together. Serve 🙂

Side Dish
American

Five Star Eggplant Dish

Five Stars Eggplant Dish

Five Stars Eggplant Dish

  • 1 each Chinese / Japanese Eggplant (Slice them into 1cm thickness, then salt and pepper – Set aside.)
  • 1/2 cup Flour (powder the above eggplants)
  • 1 each Egg (beat with dash of milk / half & half, then dip floured eggplants)
  • 1/2 cup Panko / Bread Crumbs (powder them to egg-washed eggplants, then set aside)
  • 1/2 cup frying oil (I used Canola Oil)
  • 1/2 lb ground beef (brown them with pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, set aside.)
  • 1 can Stewed / Crushed Tomatoes (cook it down in a small pan with dash of Italian Seasonings, Ground Cayenne Peppers, pinch of suger, and small dash of Soy Sauce)
  • 1/2 cup mixed shredded cheese, any kind works (I used some Mozzarella and Medium Cheddar )
  • few leaves Fresh Basil

  1. Slice eggplant into 1cm thickness, salt & pepper, then place them into flour – beaten egg wash – panko in order.

    In frying pan, pour thin layer of cooking oil, then fry the eggplants till lightly browned, about a two minutes each side. Set them aside onto clean paper towel to remove excess oil.

  2. Heat up the can of stewed / crushed tomatoes with the above noted seasonings, and cook it down till desired thickness. I usually cook it down quite thick.

  3. Brown ground beef and season with the above noted seasonings, then mix with the tomato sauce.

  4. Line up the fried eggplants on baking dish, then pour the tomato sauce, sprinkle some cheese and 1/2 of cut fresh basil leaves. Place another layer of eggplants, sauce and cheese Bake it in the oven with 375F for about 20 – 25 mins till the surface become light golden color. Take it out from the oven and sprinkle the rest of basil leaves.

Italian Sausage meat is okay to use, but we like simple ground beef the best.

Main Course
Italian

Street Tacos

 

Street Tacos

Quick and easy dinner

  • Grill
  • 6 6" Corn Tortillas
  • 6 Slice cheese
  • 2 Chicken Thighs or Beef
  • 1 Razor thin onion
  • 1 Pico / Salsa

  1. Grill Chicken (or beef)

  2. Chop into small pieces

  3. Assemble tortilla, cheese, meat, onion

  4. Put back on grill for 5 minutes until tortilla is crispy (key step)

Main Course

Cold Brew Coffee

Edit:  Buy the Natural Blueberry from Stone Street Coffee – it’s AMAZING

Edit:  Serve with 5 parts Club Soda / Seltzer and 2 parts Cold brew  (250mL:100mL)

Cold Brew Coffee

How to make an awesome cup of coffee if you plan a day in advance

  • Immersion Tank, Balance, Beakers
  • 110 g Coarse ground coffee (hand grind or buy course)
  • 1600 mL Filtered water
  • 1/8 tsp Real Salt

  1. Weigh and Grind coffee

  2. Add water, mix, store at 4C for 16-48hrs

    A touch of salt takes the bitter aftertaste away

The course ground beans are much bigger than the biggest setting on my hand grinder.  The small powder tend to clog the tank and require additional filtration.  I store in the refrigerator door so it gets mixed each time the door is opened.

Drinks
Coffee