All-Season
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vinegar
3 Tbs honey
1 ½ tsp each garlic, minced fine and ginger (use ½ tsp powder if you don’t have fresh)
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 flank steak
Mix together soy sauce, honey and vinegar. Blend in garlic and ginger. Add chopped green onions. Place meat in shallow pan and pour over the marinade. Let stand 4 hours or longer (the longer the better). Barbecue over glowing coals about 5 minutes on each side for medium rare. Slice thin on the diagonal to serve. If you broil in oven, allow 4-5 minutes on each side for medium rare. Makes 4-5 servings.
2-4 chicken breast halves, skin removed, boneless optional
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ cup honey
½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon mustard
Preheat oven to 325˚ F. Place the chicken in a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients; cook and stir over low heat until well blended and heated through. Pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, 25 to 40 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear. Baste with pan drippings before serving.
Summer
Place in food processor and process to uniform, creamy consistency:
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbs pine nuts, pan-toasted if desired (walnuts or pecans may be substituted)
2 garlic cloves
(At this point, if desired mixture may be frozen for future use in ice cube trays.)
Right before serving, transfer mixture to bowl and add:
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese
2 Tbs freshly grated romano cheese
2 Tbs hot water in which pasta has been cooked
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together by hand. Use with 1 ½ pounds pasta, or in omelets, on pizza or as a sandwich spread.
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
2 medium-sized eggplants, about a pound all together
½ cup julienned red pepper
½ cup jullienned green pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
¾ cup water
Cut eggplant into ¾-inch pieces. Heat oil in nonstick skillet or wok. Stir-fry black bean sauce for 15 seconds, then add eggplant and peppers, frying for 3-5 minutes. Add sugar, chili sauce and water. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve hot, over rice if desired. Makes 3-4 servings as side dish.
Winter
Sprinkle these sweet nuts in salads or desserts, or just eat as a healthy snack.
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons orange or mandarin juice
1 pound walnut halves or pieces
Preheat oven to 325˚F. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, zest and juice. Add nuts and toss well. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with oil. Spread nuts evenly on baking sheet. Bake until sugar is bubbling and deep golden in color, 15-20 minutes. Spread hot nuts on baking dish or another piece of spray-coated foil, separating pieces with a fork. Cool. May be stored for 3 weeks.
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or mayonnaise substitute
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sweet onion, minced
3 cups broccoli spears, finely chopped
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add onion and broccoli. Stir to combine; set aside. Serves 2-3.
Spring
about 4 medium beets, enough to yield 4 cups grated
3 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon or orange juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peel and grate the beets using a food processor. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beets and stir to coat with the butter. Add 1 tablespoon of the juice, cover, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add another tablespoon of juice if the beets are sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until tender but not mushy, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the cover and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve hot as a side dish (4 servings), or room temperature sprinkled over a salad (8-10 servings).
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 500°F. In a large shallow baking pan toss asparagus with oil and salt and pepper until coated. Roast asparagus, shaking pan every 3-4 minutes, until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and drizzle vinegar over asparagus, shaking pan to combine well.
Fall
2 cups chopped nuts
2 cups raisins
2 cups mashed persimmon pulp
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Mix nuts, raisins, persimmon pulp, sugar and oil. In a separate bowl, sift flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to persimmon mixture. Add the milk. Pour into a well-oiled angel-food pan and bake at 300˚ F for 1 ½ hours.
1 1/2 cups flour
1 ½ sugar
dash salt
7 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup ice water
2 lbs. tart cooking apples
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg
Combine first three ingredients into mixing bowl. Cut the butter into flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the ice water until mixture holds together. Press into a ball and let rest 30 minutes.
Flatten with hands and roll on a well-floured surface to a 15-inch circle. Lay on a baking sheet. Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/4-inch slices. Coarsely chop one of the apples. Spread chopped apples in a layer over pastry, leaving a 2 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and half of spices. Cover chopped apples with sliced apples, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining spices. Dot with the butter.
Fold uncovered edge of pastry over apples, pleating it to make fit. You'll have about a 5-inch diameter area in the center that remains uncovered. Sprinkle edges of pastry lightly with sugar. Bake at 400°F in the upper part of a preheated oven 35-45 minutes or until apples are tender and partially caramelized. Slide off pan onto a rack to cool. Serve warm or cold with either ice cream or whipped cream.
