Hawaiian pork taco

5 radishes

1 red onion

1 can 4oz pineapple tidbits in juice

1 lemon

4 Tb sour cream

1 lb. ground pork

1 Tb. soutwest spice blend

6 corn tortillas

small grouping of cilantro

Wash and dry produce. Trim and thinly slice radishes. Zest and quarter lemon. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine radishes, juice from half the lemon, ¼ of the onion, and a big pinch of salt; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until veggies are slightly pink, 30-45 seconds.  In a separate small bowl, combine sour cream with lemon zest. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.  Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pineapple and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until browned and caramelized, 3-4 minutes.  Turn off heat; remove from pan. Wipe out pan.  Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add remaining onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 4-6 minutes.  Add pork and Southwest Spice. Cook, breaking up into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Stir in caramelized pineapple and reserved pineapple juice until everything is saucy and combined. While pork cooks, wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30 seconds or gently toast them in a frying pan. Divide tortillas between plates; fill with pork mixture, lemon crema, and as many pickled veggies (draining first) as you like. Pick cilantro leaves from stems; tear leaves and sprinkle over tacos. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Tofu Green Curry Bento

Green curry paste

coconut milk 

fried tofu 

baby corn 

zucchini 

snap peas 

asparagus 

carrot shavings

onion

 Fry onion in a small amount of oil, then add curry paste to release aromatic qualities. Stir fry vegetables in the regular way. When done, push veggies to one side of pan, then add second serving of curry paste to empty side of pan. stir coconut milk into the paste to 'loosen it up'. Add coconut milk to taste.

Christmas Pudding

Recipe.  A pudding basin is a bowl that can be baked or steamed for several hours. I used an aluminum bowl. This is just a little different from a fruit cake. I liked it a lot.

Shawarma

• 1/4 cup ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup ground allspice
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt 

To marinate the shawarma meat you'll need 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow chicken to marinate for 10-20 minutes and 1 hour to 24 hours for beef.  This is enough spice mixture for 20 lb of meat. Scale accordingly.

 

Lekach Honey Cake

Butter, for greasing pan	2 3⁄4 C. flour, plus more for pan
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon	2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. ground ginger	1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda	1 tsp. kosher salt
1 C. sugar	6 eggs, separated
1 C. canola oil	1 C. honey
2 Tbsp. orange zest	1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier	1 1⁄2 C. confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Heat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 4-qt. Bundt pan; set aside. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat ³⁄₄ cup sugar and egg yolks in a bowl on medium-high speed of a mixer until tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Stir in oil, honey, 2 tbsp. juice, zest, and Grand Marnier. Add dry ingredients; stir until just combined.

Beat egg whites in a bowl on high speed of a mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into batter. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Let cool and invert onto a serving plate. Whisk remaining juice with confectioners' sugar; drizzle over cake.

Grilled Eel Bento

This was a project I have been waiting many months to attempt.  I purchased fresh whole eel from my local fish monger.  I learned how to filet them.  I then steamed them to remove the excess fat, and then grilled them over wood charcoal and applied a type of bbq sauce called 'eel sauce'. It is similar in flavor to teriyaki, but thick like bbq.  If I make this again in the future, I think removing the skin would make it more tender.

salmon roll

Salmon grilled on a cedar plank over wood charcoal, flaked and served with avocado and cream cheese.

Dukkah chicken

Sauteed Brussels sprouts with citrus sour cream, jalapeños, and toasted hazelnut topping

Dukkah Chicken

Chicken	Dukkah Seasoning
1 Tb. Dukkah seasoning	1/2 C. toasted hazelnuts
6 oz. snap peas	1/2 C. toasted sesame seeds
4 Tb. sour cream	2 Tb. coriander
whole lime	1/2 tsp. cumin
1 Tb. olive oil	2 Tb. ground black pepper
	1 tsp. salt

Begin with making the citrus sour cream. Zest a lime into a custard cup; top with sour cream and just a little sprinkle of salt. Cut and squeeze lime juice into sour cream mixture. Stir until smooth and a little on the thin side. Butterfly chicken breasts and pound to uniform thickness. Season both sides of breasts with salt, pepper and dukkah seasoning. Heat olive oil in your skillet. Cook chicken for about 7 minutes per side. Set chicken aside to rest while you cook snap peas. Wash skillet and re-oil. Cook snap peas for about 3 minutes tossing constantly until they turn a brilliant green color. Serve chicken with side of peas and drizzle of citrus sour cream on top.

Elotes

Microwave corn for 3 minutes, cut off ends and squeeze corn from it's leafy shell. Smear corn with crema, dust with Parmesan cheese and chili flakes.

Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 C. soy sauce
5 Tb. honey
1/4 C. sesame oil
3 Tb. chili garlic paste
3 Tb. garlic
1 Tb. green onion slices
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Whisk the vinegar, honey, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, garlic, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour half the marinade into a large plastic zipper bag; retain the other half of the sauce. Place the chicken thighs into the bag containing marinade, squeeze all the air out of the bag, and seal. Shake a few times to coat chicken; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning bag once or twice. Pour the other half of the marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, to thicken sauce. Remove the chicken from the bag; discard used marinade. Place chicken thighs into a 9x13-inch baking dish, and brush with 1/3 of the thickened marinade from the saucepan. Bake at 425* 30 minutes, basting one more time after 10 minutes; an instant-read thermometer inserted into a chicken thigh should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes; meanwhile, bring remaining marinade back to a boil for 1 or 2 minutes, and serve chicken with marinade. Sprinkle with green onions.

Salad Dressing

3 medium-size carrots, peeled and cut into about 1-inch chunks
1 piece (2-inches) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into disks
1 shallot, minced, or ¼ cup minced onion
3 Tb unseasoned rice vinegar, or 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup canola, peanut, or vegetable oil
1 Tb. sesame oil
1 tsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. miso paste (optional, but recommended)
2 tsp. mirin (optional)
Puree all ingredients in your blender. Makes 2 cups of dressing; enough for a few salads.

Asian Meatballs

Frozen Meatballs
hoisen sauce
green onions

Sesame Noodles
1/2 box whole wheat noodles
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 Tb. peanut oil
2 Tb. rice vinegar
2 Tb. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. chili sauce
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Omurice

Fried Rice (enough for 3-4 omelets)
2 diced green onions
1 chicken thigh, rinsed and patted dry
1 Tbs. oil
½ C. frozen mixed vegetables
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ C. cooked sushi rice
1 Tbs. ketchup and more for decoration
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 omelet
1 large egg
1 Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. oil for the skillet
3 Tbs. sharp cheddar cheese (or any kind)

Cut up onions and chicken. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onion until softened. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add the mixed vegetables and season with pepper. Add the rice, and chop it all up together. Add ketchup and soy sauce and combine everything evenly with a spatula. Transfer the fried rice to a plate and wash the pan.

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small bowl. Heat the oil in the pan over medium high heat (make sure the surface of the pan is nicely coated with oil). When the pan is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan and tilt to cover the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat when the bottom of the egg has set (but still soft on top). Put the cheese and the fried rice on top of the omelet. Use the spatula to fold both sides of omelet toward the middle to cover the fried rice. Slowly move the omurice to the edge of the pan. Hold a plate in one hand and the pan in the other hand, flip the pan and move the omurice to the plate. While it’s still hot, cover the omurice with a paper towel and shape it into football shape. Drizzle the ketchup on top for decoration.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup long-grain white rice

1 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt

First, you need to wash off the excess starch on the rice. This will prevent it from making a sticky mess. Put the rice in a your 2 qt. pan, run cold tap water over it. Once the pan is full of water, use your fingers to swish the rice around. The water will start getting murky. Gently pour this water out. Repeat this process till the water is mostly clear. This will take at least 4-5 washes. Now put in the water. Normally, a long-grain rice recipe calls for twice the amount of water as rice. Why then are we using only 1.5 cups of water? Because our rice has already been sitting in some water for a while, and has absorbed a bit of it. Moreoever, there is still some leftover water after you drained it, because no one can drain it absolutely dry. Put the pan on medium high heat. Wait till the water boils and starts bubbling. Now turn the heat down as low as you can, cover with the tight lid, and let it just sit there for about 15-20 minutes. Resist the urge to lift the lid and peek at the rice. After the 15-20 minutes is up, turn off the heat and let it rest another 5 minutes.

Dump cooked rice into large bowl.  Gently fold in remaining ingredients. I like to use the rice paddle that came with my rice steamer.

Green Curry

I recently bought this curry set at the grocery store.  You add your own meat and vegetables.  I added chicken, eggplant, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes. Super spicy, but wonderful.

Taco Bowl

To make your own crunchy taco shell bowl, spray both sides of a soft tortilla with a small amount of cooking spray.  Drape the tortilla over an oven safe bowl or measuring cup.  Bake 375* for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Tamales

Filling	Dough
1 14 lb. pork loin	2 C. masa harina
1 large onion, sliced	1 tsp. beef base
3 cloves garlic	2 C. water
	1/2 tsp. salt
Sauce	2/3 C. lard
1 pkg. (4 or 5) dried chili pods
2 C. water	corn husks
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours. Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chili pods. Place chilies in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chilies and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in 1 C. of the chili sauce.
Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.
Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour. Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chili sauce over. Thank You Allrecipes Yield: about 16 tamales.

Grilled Chicken and Lime Rice

2 C. long grain white rice, rinsed
3 C. water
1 bay leaf
1/3 C. chopped cilantro
kosher salt
2 1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 Tbs. vegetable oil/coconut oil

Saute the rice in oil until almost translucent (as if you are making a risotto). Add water, bring to a boil, add the bay leaf, then turn the heat down low. Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.  As soon as the rice is done cooking fluff with a fork and allow the rice to sit for 5 to 7 minutes before proceeding. Move the rice from the pot to a mixing bowl. Add the cilantro first and mix to prevent it from clumping with the other ingredients. Add the salt and juice, give it a good mix and taste.

2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp ground chipotle powder(I used 1 tsp. red pepper)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp each black pepper and paprika
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp lime juice

Combine everything but the chicken in your mortar, pound until smooth.  Use marinade to coat the chicken, and allow to cure for a few hours in the refrigerator.  Cook chicken on the grill and then chop into bite sized chunks.

This is a great meal for larger family or so you have leftovers this week.

Dim Sum

1 tube pork sausage (regular flavor, not breakfast or hot)
1 handful of coleslaw
3 spring onions, diced very small
1 tsp. mirin
1 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
pepper

Combine in a bowl.  Use a #100 cookie scoop to portion out  a small amount of filling (YES, raw) onto a wonton wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper and pinch shut around filling.  Fry or steam.