Mushroom Burgers

Adapted from the internet by me. I like to put these on a sweet potato biscuit.

3 cups sliced mushrooms-I prefer brown mushrooms, they seem to have more flavor

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

your choice of spices

3 tablespoons oats

1/3 cup of bread crumbs

1 large egg, beaten (I use 2 because the eggs here in China are small)

½ cup grated parmesan or cheddar cheese

oil or butter for sautéing the mushrooms, garlic, and onions

Sauté the sliced mushrooms, I like the flavor if they are browned with butter (don’t crowd the mushrooms!). Set them aside and sauté the garlic and onion until they are softened. Put the mushrooms, spices and onions in the food processor and process them.

Put the mixture in a bowl, add the egg(s), oats, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix it all up and them make your patties.

Some people fry their patties, I prefer to bake them in my convection oven.

Bake at 400 F (200 C), for about 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

From The Dooky Chase Cookbook, by Leah Chase

 

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup cooked sweet mashed potatoes

¼ cup sugar

1 egg (beaten, in China I use two as they are very small)

2 tablespoons baking powder

3 cups self-rising flour

½ cup shortening

1 cup milk

Melt the butter and add to the potatoes. If the potatoes are still hot, you don’t need to melt the butter. Add sugar and egg(s) and beat mixture until creamy.

 

Mix the baking powder with the flour and salt. Add shortening and mix well into the flour. Add the sweet potatoes and milk and work all ingredients together well (it will be soft). Put mixture onto a well-floured board and roll dough to about a half inch (1.5 cm) thickness and cur out with biscuit cutter (or glass). Place on baking sheet.

Bake in 400 degree F (200 C) until biscuits are brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Dill Pickles

This makes about 4 pint jars of pickles. I use one pickle per jar.

Ingredients:

4 pint sized jars

Fresh dill

Cucumber, washed and scrubbed and cut into fourths or eighths, and not too tall for the jar.

Garlic cloves, sliced

Optional: chili peppers, sliced or cut in half, mustard seeds

Brine:

3 cups water

¾ cup white vinegar

1/6 cup salt (pickling salt if you have it)

Jars should be sterilized. Boil the lids and rings (in water).

Fill the canning pot with water and set on high heat, you do not need the water to boil, but it takes a while to heat up.

Bring the brine (water, vinegar and salt) to a boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In each jar, place some dill, garlic, and pepper. Then tightly put the cut cucumbers into the jar. On top add some more dill, garlic and chili. Do this for each jar.

Pour the brine into each jar, leaving half an inch (1.5 cm) space in each jar.

Add each ring and lid and tighten.

Place the jars into the canning pot, just to the neck of the jar.

Bring the water almost to a boil.

Remove jars and let cool.

Check the seal of the lid and store in a cool dark place. (I keep mine in the refrigerator as I do not have proper lids).

Luang Prabang Pork and Eggplant Curry

This is one of my favorite Lao dishes to make. It is easy and does not take a lot of time. As some of the ingredients may be difficult to find, I will make some guess recommendations.

This is adapted from from Honeybees to Pepperwood, Creative Lao Cooking with Friends, by friends international

300 g fatty pork cut into cubes

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce
Black pepper

    1.  Marinate the pork in the oil, soy sauce and pepper for at least 30 minutes.

3 tablespoons preserved river fish eggs- I do NOT use this

6 garlic cloves, bruised  (I just slice the garlic into thin strips)

500 ml pork stock (I use whatever stock I have made recently)

6 shallots, cut into quarters

5 chilies halved lengthwise -I get rid of the seeds, too hot

50 g pea eggplant

50 g small apple eggplant  (this eggplant is similar to Japanese or the regular stuff, but it stays “fresher”, it doesn’t get soft. Same with the pea sized eggplant. I think you could use regular eggplant or even fresh squash/zucchini.).

4 snake beans, cut into 2 cm pieces

80 g boiled pork skin, cut into 1 cm strips (If I have bacon, I fry it with the garlic, otherwise I skip this one).

150 ml coconut cream

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

handful of Thai basil leaves

½ teaspoon sugar

2 young lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into 6 pieces(I just whack it on the counter to bruise it? You do not have to eat the lemongrass when finished but it is IMPORTANT to the flavor of the dish!)

2.      Heat the oil in a medium sized pot and add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the fish eggs and fry for a minute, then add the pork stock and bring to a boil.

3.   Once the stock boils add the lemongrass, pork, shallots and pork skin. Simmer about 10 minutes until the meat is tender.

4.      Add the eggplants, beans, sugar and chilies and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add the coconut cream and basil and simmer until the curry becomes thick and creamy.

Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies

From Colorado Cache Cookbook, Junior League of Denver, 1984

3 eggs, well beaten

1 cup of raisins                                                 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract                           Combine eggs, raisins and vanilla, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour.

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar                                          

1 cup white sugar

Cream together butter and sugars.

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                    

2 teaspoons baking soda

Add these ingredients and mix well. Blend in egg-raisin mixture.              

2 cups oatmeal                                                 

¾ cup chopped pecans

Blend in with spatula, dough will be stiff.

Dough will be stiff. Drop by heaping teaspoons into an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 180 C or 350 F for 10 – 12 minutes until lightly browned.

Deep Chocolate Brownies

From Gourmet June 2008

2 sticks ( ½ pound or 8 ounces or 228 grams)

8 ounces (or 228 grams or about 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 eggs

2/3 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F, or 180 C. Put oven rack in middle. Butter and flour a 13 by 9 inch baking pan.

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat stirring until smooth.  Cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until the mixture Is smooth and glossy.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk into the chocolate mixture until just combined.

Spread in pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Lemongrass Shrimp Noodle Salad

Sauce for the salad (Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce):

1 clove garlic, minced

1 serrano chili, minced

½ tsp ground chili paste

2/3 cup hot water

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup fish sauce

2 tbs fresh lime juice

Pound the garlic and fresh chilies into a paste. In a small bowl combine garlic mixture, chili paste, hot water and sugar, stir well. Add the fish sauce and lime juice. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Noodles:

8 ounces (225 grams) dried rice vermicelli noodles

Cook noodles in boiling water, 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse until cooled in cool water.

The Shrimp:

2 tbls vegetable oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound (450 grams) large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tbs minced fresh lemongrass

2 cups sliced white mushrooms

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

Salt

Stir fry shallots and garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and lemongrass and stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, fish sauce and sugar and cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Garnishes:

2 cups lettuce

2 cups bean sprouts

1 ½ cups peeled, seeded, julienned cucumber

1/3 to 1/2 cup rough chopped mint

 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves

2 tbs chopped peanuts

Cilantro

In individual bowls put the garnishes, some noodle, shrimp mixture and sauce.