Stir-fry Chicken and Asparagus

1 lb boneless Chicken Breast

1 med egg white, slightly beaten

2 t. Cornstarch

2 T. Vegetable oil

1 bunch asparagus (about 10 oz)

2 green onions, cut into short sections - with this dish I used left over grilled onions, but if I did not have grilled onions I would have used scallions (green onions)

2 T. Chicken stock or water

1 T. Fresh Ginger, Finley grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. Brown Sugar

1 T. Rice wine

1 T. Soy sauce

a few drops sesame oil

1. Cut Chicken into this slices, about the size of a quarter. place in a bowl and mix with egg white and cornstarch.

2. Cut the asparagus into 1.5 inch lengths, set aside.

3. combine the ginger, garlic, brown sugar, rice wine, and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside.

4. Heat oil in a preheated, hot, wok. Add the chicken and stir-fry over medium high heat for about one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon.

5. Add the asparagus and green onion, and stock to the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute then add the chicken and the remaining ingredients. Stir-fry for about one more minute.

Server with rice.

I think that this dish can easily be vegetarian by replacing the chicken with tofu, tempah, or mushrooms.

My Grandmother's first Cookbook

In 1952 my Grandfather and Grandmother were married. There first dinner together as a couple consisted of sardine sandwiches, Grandpa thought this was an interesting meal for their first night as husband a wife, but ok. The second night for dinner Grandma served sardine sandwiches. Grandpa thought ok my new wife is very good at watching her dollar, this is a nice thing as newly weds. On the third evening they were married, you guessed it, sardine sandwiches. Grandpa decided it was time to ask. Do you know how to cook? My Grandmother's answer was no, not at all. So my Grandfather bought my Grandmother her first cookbook, and that cookbook was Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking, with the caption: "A modern cook book, complete in every detail, brings the latest development in home economics into your kitchen for a simpler, better and richer life". My Grandmother did learn to cook from this cookbook and if I remember correctly, she wasn’t half bad. A few years my Grandfather gave me that cookbook and I treasure it more then any other cookbook I have. It has all the basics you need to be a home cook in 1952, from how to pluck a chicken, carve a deer, or make a pie crust. Today I am going to share a little excerpt from the cookbook. How to Make the Best Fruit Pies When a Fruit pie is double or single crusted, lattice-covered or with a streusel top, the bottom should be as flaky as a top pie crust, tender and richly but not heavily browned. The fruit should no longer be raw, but should still retain its original form and have a natural lively flavor. There should be enough slightly thickened juice with a clear fruit color and flavor to keep the fruit moist and enough extra juice to flow slightly when the pie is cut. A thin, watery juice in a pie is difficult to eat, and both flavor and food value are lacking. Old-time good cooks rarely used any thickening in fruit or berry pies, but most of them used a little baking powder in the pastry. The addition of baking powder produced a thicker crust that was puffy and porous. The inside layers of such pastry absorbed some of the excess fruit juice, but the juice remaining was beautifully clear in color. The juice if these pies did flow some when the pieces were cut, and the wedges were not as neat appearing as they would have been if thickening had been used, but to folks who remember those pies, their eating quality has never been surpassed. Present day standards for good pie also strive for excellent flavor of old-time unthickened pie fillings without sacrificing the crisp, flaky bottom crust… One of my favorite things about having this cookbook is that I know what some of the families favorite recipes were from how stained the pages are.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup rolled oats
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 egg
1/4 olive oil

In a large bowl combine rolled oats and buttermilk and let soak for 15 minutes. Meanwhile stir together dry ingredients, add to oats and stir in egg and oil. cook on pan or griddle until golden on both sides. Serve with maple syrup or good jam.

Nutrition, 1 6" pancake: Cal. 129, fat 2.5 g, carbs 20.3, fiber 2 g , protein 1g.

Balsomic Reduction

In a sauce pan add

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 T. Sugar
stir, reduce over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until just thick.

mix reduced vinegar with fruit such as strawberries. Serve with Walnut Olive Oil Cake.

Walnut Olive Oil Cake

I started making this cake a few years ago from a recipe in one of my many cookbooks. Over the years it has evolved into what I am giving you here today.

1 1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 T. Baking powder
1/4 t. Salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1 orange and Juice of 1 Lemon (about 1/2 cup, If juice is short add orange juice to 1/2 cup)
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Preheat Oven to 350. Lightly coat a 9" Spring form pan with olive oil.

2. Toast walnuts in the oven for about 10 minutes, cool slightly. Place walnuts in in food processor and process until they are the consistency of bread crumbs; In a bowl combine ground nuts, flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.

3. Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and beat until light, thick, and lemon color. Slowly add the walnut-flour mixture, beating continuously. Then, with mixer on low, add juice, zest, and oil and mix until just combined.

4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Set pan on rack and cool. Remove cake from pan and place on serving platter.

Serve with fruit in a balsamic reduction.


Nutrition Information: serves 8: Per serving 540 calories, 30 g fat, 64 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 217mg, sodium 8g protein,

Salmon in Parchment Pouch

Cooking in a parchment pouch is so easy yet I didn't try it until recently. I am not sure why I never tried it sooner, maybe the idea of trying to fold up all that stuff in paper and then putting it in a hot oven just sounded wrong. I finally tried it and it is a wonderful way to make fish that is moist and full of flavor with little work and easy cleanup.

2 skinless salmon fillets (4 to 6 ounces each)

2 oz pea pods

2 oz carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 lemon, sliced

salt and pepper

1/2 cup orzo

4 T. White wine

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 2 pieces parchment paper into 12-inch squares; fold squares in half diagonally and cut into half heart shapes. Open parchment; place the orzo on one side of each heart, place fish fillet on top of orzo, season fish with salt and pepper, lay lemon slices out on fish along with the rest of the ingredients.

Fold parchment hearts in half. Beginning at top of heart, fold edges together, 2 inches at a time. At tip of heart, fold parchment over to seal.

Bake fish about 10 minutes or until parchment pouch puffs up. To serve, cut an "X" through top layer of parchment and fold back points to display contents.