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Month: January 2017

Fried Cabbage

Published by jarandhel on January 28, 2017
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Fried Cabbage

Spicy and sweet fried cabbage.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cabbage chopped into thin strips about the length of a match.
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon kikkoman manjo aji-mirin sweet cooking rice seasoning
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • garlic
  • red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. 1. Melt some butter (amount is approximate.)
  2. 2. Gently saute spices, amounts to taste, in the butter.
  3. 3. Add the cabbage and stir until coated on all sides.
  4. 4. Add the sweet cooking rice seasoning.
  5. 5. Gently "fry" (saute) until slightly browned.

Recipe Notes

Optionally, finely chop some bacon and fry with some finely chopped onions until the onions are browned and the bacon is crispy, then proceed with the rest of the directions. If you do this, reduce the amount of butter used accordingly.

Bacon, Onion, and Potato Pierogi

Published by jarandhel on January 28, 2017
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Bacon, Potato, and Onions Pierogi

Pasta stuffed with mashed potato, bacon, and fried onions.

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 4 cups flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons salt

For the filling

  • 2 potatos
  • 4 pieces of bacon chopped
  • 1 onion chopped

Instructions

For the dough

  1. 1. Pour flour onto a clean, flat surface.
  2. 2. Make an indentation in the middle of the flour.
  3. 3. Add salt, eggs, and butter to the indent.
  4. 4. Slowly mix together, adding the milk bit by bit until thoroughly mixed.
  5. 5. Continue kneading dough, using water as needed.
  6. 6. The dough will be ready when it is tender, elastic, and does not stick to your hands.
  7. 7. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
  8. 8. Let rest for one hour.

For the filling

  1. 1. Bake potatoes on lower rack of oven at 425 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a fork slides in easily.
  2. 2. Cool in refrigerator, peel off skins, and mash well with a fork.
  3. 3. Chop bacon and onions and fry together until browned.
  4. 4. Add bacon and onions to mashed potato, salt and pepper to taste.

To cook the Pierogi

  1. 1. Using a wet rolling pin, flatten a portion of the dough on a floured surface. The outside of the dough needs to be floured to keep it from falling apart when boiled, the inside needs to be without flour so that it will stick to itself when folded over.
  2. 2. Using a drinking glass, cut a circle out of the dough.
  3. 3. Using a teaspoon, scoop some of the filling into the center of the circle.
  4. 4. Fold the dough over, into a crescent shape, holding the filling.
  5. 5. Using a fork, press down all around the edge to seal the Pierogi.
  6. 6. Repeat until you have as many Pierogi as you desire. They are quite filling, so you probably won't need more than one or two per person.
  7. 7. Place uncooked Pierogi in a pot of boiling, salted water. Boil until they rise to the surface, then remove.
  8. 8. Fry the Pierogi in olive oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or butter until lightly browned on both sides.
  9. 9. Serve with a small spoonful of sour cream on top of each Pierogi.

Recipe Notes

This recipe pairs *excellently* with fried cabbage.

Easy Shredded-Beef Chili

Published by jarandhel on January 18, 2017

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Easy Shredded-Beef Chili

A quick and tasty chili using shredded beef.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet onion chopped.
  • 2 large cans Manwich Sloppy Joe mix
  • 2.5-3 lb rump roast
  • 2 cans dark red kidney beans
  • 1 packet McCormick chili seasoning mix hot
  • 1 fresh lime
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil

Instructions

  1. Saute onions in a pan with peanut oil along with contents of seasoning packet until translucent. Transfer to slow cooker.
  2. Rinse beans and add to slow cooker.
  3. Brown roast on all sides in the same pan, using a little more peanut oil if necessary. Place in slow cooker on top of beans.
  4. Add sloppy joe sauce to slow cooker.
  5. Cook on high for four hours.
  6. Remove roast from slow cooker. Using two forks, shred roast, and return the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Mix well.
  7. Squeeze the juice of one fresh lime into the chili. Stir, and let sit on "warm" for a half hour to an hour.

Recipe Notes

Serve hot over bread or tortillas (I find the flavor of an onion roll goes very well with this recipe) and topped with cheese (I recommend sharp cheddar).

Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Chicken

Published by jarandhel on January 18, 2017
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Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Chicken

Another tasty variation on West African Peanut Stew.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped white onions
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 teaspoons powdered chinese ginger
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 6 boneless chicken breasts

Instructions

  1. Saute the onions in the peanut oil until just translucent.
  2. Stir in the ginger paste
  3. Add the carrots and saute a couple more minutes.
  4. Pour the onions and carrots into the slow cooker.
  5. Add the sweet potatoes to the slow cooker on top of the onions and carrots.
  6. Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker on top of the vegetable mixture.
  7. Add the vegetable stock and tomato juice to the slow cooker.
  8. Cook on high for 4 hours.
  9. Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place them on a platter.
  10. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts.
  11. Using a potato masher, mash up the vegetables in the soup.
  12. Add the cayenne pepper to the soup.
  13. Add the peanut butter to the soup and stir until smooth.
  14. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
  15. Serve topped with plenty of chopped green onions

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Beef over Ginger Rice

Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Beef over Ginger Rice

Published by jarandhel on January 7, 2017
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Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Beef over Ginger Rice

A tasty variation on West African Peanut Stew.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 8 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients

For the stew

  • 2 cups chopped red onions
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste
  • 1 cup carrot noodles
  • 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 cup chopped chives
  • 2.5-3 lbs rump roast

For the rice

  • 1 cup rice
  • 3/2 cups water
  • 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

For the soup

  1. Brown the rump roast in some peanut oil. Then set it aside on a platter.
  2. Saute the onions in the peanut oil until just translucent.
  3. Stir in the ginger paste
  4. Add the carrot noodles and saute a couple more minutes.
  5. Pour the onions and carrots into the slow cooker.
  6. Add the sweet potatoes to the slow cooker on top of the onions and carrots.
  7. Place the rump roast into the slow cooker on top of the vegetable mixture.
  8. Add the vegetable stock and tomato juice to the slow cooker.
  9. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
  10. Remove the rump roast from the slow cooker and place it on a platter.
  11. Using two forks, shred the roast.
  12. Using a potato masher, mash up the vegetables in the soup.
  13. Add the cayenne pepper to the soup.
  14. Add the peanut butter to the soup and stir until smooth.
  15. Return the shredded roast beef to the soup.
  16. Cook on low for another half hour to an hour.
  17. Serve over rice and topped with plenty of chopped scallions or chives.

Recipe Notes

Adding more and different kinds of peppers to this soup can give it more heat and a more complex flavor. I play around with various sorts of red pepper and/or hot sauces. Always add these in the final hour of cooking, as they can turn bitter if cooked for a long period.

Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant