Cole Slaw Recipe

Believe it or not, we eat a lot of cole slaw around here.  My kids LOVE it and it is a super healthy, cheap to buy and a great vegetable to feed them.  We usually eat with fish (any white fish, lightly coated with flour and salt and pepper and cooked in a frying pan in a little bit of peanut oil) but lately, I have been making it and serving on pulled pork sandwiches.  (I made my last recipe up, I am sure there are many good ones out there, I ended up brining pork tenderloin--my favorite cut of pork--in salt and brown sugar and then cooking it in the crock pot with various seasonings on it--the only one I can remember is celery seed at the moment.)   

Anyway, just so I have it written down, here is our cole slaw recipe.  We like it "edgy" and not sweet.

1 head of cabbage, cut into small pieces (see picture)

In a jar:

1 cup mayo (I buy the olive oil mayo, they say it is 1/2 the fat)

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

salt (to taste, sorry I didn't measure that part)

Shake until well emulsified

Pour over cabbage and mix.  

Easy and yummy

Crusty Bread

(Photo stolen from my friend's blog, who I got the recipe from.  Mine looked just like it though but I wasn't wearing such a cute shirt when I was pulling it out of the oven.) 

I have had two different friends make this recipe and both times, I couldn't believe how good it was.  They both swore it was super easy to make.  I did have to purchase a special pan to cook it in.  I got this one because it was a good price and the reviews were good.  I made this for my family last night and my husband, who in his words is a "bread snob" said it is the best bread he has ever eaten.

One warning:  You need about 20 hours of bread rising time, so make the dough the night before you serve it.  (I made it at 9:00 pm to have it ready to eat at 6:00 pm the next night.)  Really, that is the hardest part, the rest is easy.  I kept on rereading the recipe to make sure I did it right because it was that easy.

Crusty Bread

3 c all purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 tsp instant yeast

2 1/2 tsp salt

cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until well blended; dough will be sticky and shaggy. Cover dough with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature.

2. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, gently shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Place dough on flour dusted towel, and cover with another floured towel. Let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450. Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from the oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over in pot, seam side up (it may look like a mess, but it's okay). Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Butternut Squash/Sage Lasagna

My friend Melinda made this for our Holiday book club dinner.  I finally got around to making it for my family last night.  My husband LOVED it.  My kids tolerated it but I will definitely make it again.  It is a Martha Stewart recipe.




INGREDIENTS 

Serves 8. 

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, 

seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 

1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

2 large egg yolks 

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, 

coarsely grated (2 cups) 

Freshly grated nutmeg 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh sage 

leaves, coarsely chopped 

1 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought 

low-sodium chicken stock 

Fresh Lasagna Noodles, (you will need 

only 1/2 of the batch), cut into 

4-by-13-inch strips and cooked, or store- 

bought dried noodles, cooked 

4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese 

(1 1/4 cups) 

DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, oil, and 1 

teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake 

until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool. 

2. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Combine 

ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in 

a medium bowl. Season with salt. 

3. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. 

As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light 

gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes. 

4. Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with 

the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole 

pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season 

with salt and pepper. 

5. Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. 

Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut 

squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. 

Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat 

layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). 

Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture. 

6. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake 

until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let 

stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. 

   

Notes from Melinda (which I followed): Here is the recipe I used on Thursday. It may look involved, but it really isn't bad. I put it together in the morning and stuck it in the fridge until it was time to bake. I used 12 regular lasagna noodles in a 9"x13" pan, but I think I would have been happier with 16. If you read the recipe, it calls for four layers of noodles and I ended up with three. Or maybe I should have used a narrower dish. The squash mixture seemed loose as I was mixing it, so I only added a cup of chicken stock. It thickened as it baked. I used one 2-lbs pack of pre-cut butternut squash from the cold produce room at Costco. I would recommend the extra cost of fresh mozzarella. I can never shred the stuff, so I just cubed it fairly small. Costco has a 2-lbs pack that isn't exorbitant. I used low-fat ricotta. I can never tell a difference. Cooking the sage in butter is really worth the effort.

Peanut Butter Fudge

3/4 cup butter
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
12 ounce package of peanut butter chips 
or 
6 ounce peanut butter chips and 6 ounce semi sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 ounce jar of marshmallow cream
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

In a glass bowl, melt 3/4 cup butter on high until melted.  Add sugar and evaporated milk.  Mix it up and then microwave on high for 5 minutes or until it starts to boil.  (Stir it mid way and scrap edges so it doesn't turn sugary.)  Microwave again another 5 and 1/2 minutes, stirring mid-way through.  Add peanut butter chips or the 1/2 chocolate chip/1/2 peanut butter option (they are both excellent).  Add vanilla, marshmallow cream and chopped peanuts.  Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan.  Cool and eat.  (Makes 3 pounds of candy)

Salmon Side

I am not sure this picture makes it look yummy or not but it was super tasty.

About once a week, I make salmon for dinner. My current recipe is baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes on a cookie sheet, skin side down. Rub a little liquid smoke onto the salmon, salt and pepper. That is it. So easy and so yummy.

Last night, I wanted a little something more with it, so I made this side. You can put it on top of the salmon once it is cooked or just put a spoonful on your plate and scoop a little on your fork while eating the salmon. Super yummy and very well received.

Almond/Walnut Salmon Topping:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

1 Tablespoon to 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar

A sprinkle of poppy seeds

A sprinkle of dill (more than the poppy seeds but not much)

A sprinkle of coriander

Mix well.

Olive Tapenade

I was at my friend's house and she gave me some of this. If you like olives, this is really good.

Olive Tapenade

1 can of black olives

1 Tablespoon capers, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (this is with the tuna at the grocery store)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 clove of garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dried garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix all of this in a blender and eat with crackers or corn chips.

I have also heard this is really yummy with goat cheese and served on baguette slices.

Dessert--Bars Cut Up

Everyone knows when you marry into a family, you each bring "family" things into the marriage. One of my favorite Dentist husband contributions to our marriage is "Bars Cut Up"

The story goes that my mother-in-law had two candy bars but many children (there are nine total but I don't know how many were in the family when she started this). Anyway, she cut up the two candy bars, up them on a plate and served them as dessert. Wala!

I can't tell you how much fun Bars Cut Up can be. Sometimes I let the kids each pick a candy bar and sometimes I just buy whatever is on sale. I honestly think there is some beauty in seeing the various types of candy bars cut so you can see the various strata of chocolate, caramel, nuts, etc. We all sample the various types. It is so fun and so easy. Try this in your house. I promise, you'll do it once and then decide to do it many times after.

Cheese Dip/Ball Whatever Recipe

At a recent party, my friend, Catherine brought this dip. It was a huge success and I thought I would pass it along to everyone. When I asked her for the recipe, she told me she has modified it from a recipe she had, so I am giving you the original as well as her modified version. I think the modified one is better but I don't like green peppers that are in the original one.

The original recipe: (From Christmas Recipes from the Lion House)

2 8oz packages cream cheese
1 can (8 1/2 ounce) crushed pineapple, drained
2 T finely chopped green onion
1/4 cup minced green pepper
1 tablespoon season salt
1 cup chopped pecans.

Soften cream cheese, Press all juice out of pineapple and combine pineapple, cream cheese, onions, green pepper and seasoned salt. Mix well. Refrigerate several hours. Shape into a log and roll in chopped pecans. Serve with crackers

Catherine's Recipe:

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese (the lowfat Nufchatel kind)
1/2 to 3/4 big can of crushed pineapple (it is way cheaper this way and I lean toward the 3/4 of can amount)
Small amount of chopped green onion or red onion
1 tablespoon season salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Follow the above directions. I like wheat thins with this.

For the last few weeks, I have been making this recipe regularly and my only modification is that I prefer to just throw the nuts into the mixture and mix in with the rest of the ingredients. It looks really tasty in a nice bowl. And like Catherine, I prefer wheat thins with this. One time last week, I was craving it so much, that I actually got out of bed in the middle of the night and had some. (And, no I am not pregnant.)

Dang Good Hummus

This is an awful picture, I don't know what happened, but anyway, this is my favorite hummus recipe.  I make it weekly in the summer and everyone loves it.  Notice it has no garlic in it because I am married to a dentist who doesn't want his patients to smell garlic breath on him, so I can't cook with garlic or onions except on the weekends.  

Dang Good Hummus

2 cans (15.5 oz) cans garbanzo beans (S&W are best)
1/3 cup garbanzo juice (drain the rest)
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil 
1-2 tsp sesame seeds 
11/2 tsp salt 
1-2 tsp cumin 

To be mixed in:
3-4 roma tomatoes – chopped
1 jar artichoke hearts – chopped
1 can (2.25 oz) chopped olives

1. Blend garbanzo beans, garbanzo juice, lemon juice, olive oil, sesame seeds, salt, cumin, and garlic together in a blender until smooth – don’t over blend.
2. Transfer hummus to a bowl and mix in tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives.
3. Serve with toasted pita (triangles for a party) or corn chips.

Chinese Chicken Salad

I have made this salad several times in the past few weeks.  It really is a great, fresh tasting salad and several people have asked for the recipe.  

Dressing:
1 cup canola oil
1/2-3/4 cup rice vinegar, seasoned.  I like Marukan brand
1/2 cup sugar
salt and pepper

Salad:
1 head of cabbage--shredded
2 bunches of cilantro, cut up into pieces
5 cooked and shredded chicken breasts (or if you want to save time, I often use rotisserie chicken) 
1 bunch green onion
2 packages slivered almonds

"Faux-ccia" bread

Dentist husband's cousin is married to a wonderful cook.  She has her own blog and recently was featured locally on the news.  Tonight, as part of dinner, I made her "faux-ccia" bread.  Go HERE for the recipe.  You won't regret trying it.  YUM.

Funky Salad

When I was doing a study abroad in Israel, it was very common to eat something I called, "Israeli Salad" which was tomatoes, cucumber and red onion cut up into a salad with a little lemon juice and salt and pepper.

When I was at BYU, I made this salad but added feta cheese to it to make it more of a Greek salad.  I also added a little bit of olive oil.

When I was engaged to Dentist husband, I would often make this for lunch but it didn't fill me up quite enough, so I added ham to it.  

One day, I was out of lemon juice and I wanted something with a vinegar type bite to it, so I added cut up dill pickles to it.  

So, needless to say, the salad has evolved and somewhere along the line, Dentist husband labeled it "Funky Salad."  Everyone in my family loves it and now that the weather is warmer, we have been eating a lot of it.  

Here is the "recipe":

1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into pieces

3-5 tomatoes cut into pieces

1/2 package of crumbled feta cheese

4-5 slices of ham cut into pieces

About 10 hamburger dill pickles, cut up

lemon juice

olive oil

salt and pepper

Feel free to leave out the dill pickles but that is one of my kid's favorite parts.

Oh and before any of you mention it, I know adding ham to  salad originally named "Israeli salad" makes it NOT kosher.

Tres Leches=Tres Yummy

If you have ever had Tres Leches dessert at Cafe Rio or Costa Vida, you know how WONDERFUL it is. After much searching, I finally have found an great recipe for it. So, nine eggs later, here you go:

Tres Leches
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
9 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
9 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tarter

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 5 ounce can of evaporated milk
1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add vanilla. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Beat well after each addition. In a large glass bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg white into the cake batter using a rubber spatula. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (If you live in a high altitude like me, it takes closer to 40 minutes.) Let cake cool.

In a small bowl, stir together the cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Pour the mixture over the cake until it won't absorb any more. You may have 1/3 to a 1/4 left over.

Refrigerate cake until serving.

To serve, put a spoonful of extra milk mixture on the plate and then place cake on top of it. Garnish with fruit. I like a combination of berries, but mango is also yummy.

Recipe--Pork Tacos

I made this for dinner last night after not having made it for about 6 months. I don't know how this fell off my cooking radar because it is so easy and so tasty. (In reality, it probably fell off my radar since I haven't been cooking much in the last few months, but that is coming to end, I promise.)

I have made one change and that is sprinkling Johnny's Season Salt on it after I braize the pork. If you haven't tried this, you should.

Recipe--Black Bean Soup

This recipe is originally from my sister-in-law Kelly but I have modified slightly. Kelly a great cook and puts me to shame regularly. Her hummus recipe is to die for. You can find that recipe HERE.

Anyway, I don't even like soup but I LOVE this one for some reason and all my kids like it as well and it is the easiest black bean soup recipe on the planet but tastes like you spent all day working on it. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup

2 cans S and W black beans (Don't bother unless you use S and W)
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion--chopped fine
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tomato, peeled and cut up
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped--divided in 1/2.
1 lime
sour cream (optional)

In a large sauce pan, saute onion in olive oil (about 3 minutes) with lid on. Add chili powder, cumin and garlic salt and saute a bit more.

Add beans (with all the juice--so don't drain) and chicken broth. (I like to mash the beans just a little bit before I add the broth--they mash better. You want the beans broken up but not mushy.)

Add tomato and 1/2 of cilantro.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (with the lid on or off--doesn't really matter) for 15-20 minutes.

Just before serving, add juice from lime and other 1/2 of cilantro.

This is really good with sour cream and flour tortillas on the side.

Favorite Recipes--Fresh Summer Salsas

I am sure most of you have had these or a variation of these but now that summer is in full swing, I make both of these often. My children LOVE them (which I know is not normal. My kids are exceptionally good eaters, which I know makes me very lucky.) Anyway, if you are looking for a good summer side dish, these are both winners.


4 fresh tomatoes--cubed
3 avocados--cubed
1 bunch cilantro--cut into pieces
1 can corn-drained
1 can black beans--drained
1 can black eyed peas--drained

Pour over the top Good Seasons Italian dressing (I only use about 1/2)

Serve with corn chips, pita or just eat plain.

4 avocados--cubed
4 tomatoes--cubed
1 package crumbled feta cheese
Juice from 2 fresh limes
If you have it, cilantro is good too.

Again, serve with corn chips, pita or plain.

Also, is anyone else as into "So You Think You Can Dance" as I am? I don't know why I didn't watch this more in the past, as I am a reality TV junkie. For some reason, this season has me captivated. Looks like we will be eating salsa and watching it tonight.

Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches

I got this recipe off of a friends blog and it is SOOOOOOOOOOO good and worth the extra money I had to spend buying the high priced ingredients.

Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches

Ingredients:• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar• 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)• Salt and pepper • 4 large portobello mushrooms• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped• 1 rounded TBS tomato paste• 1 ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese• 3 TBS store bought pesto sauce• ½ cup chicken stock or broth• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped• 4 Kaiser rolls split in half• 8 thin slices prosciutto • 1 small bunch of arugula (I used spinach)

Preheat the oven to 450In a shallow bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, about 2 TBP of the EVOO, salt and pepper. Add the Portobello mushrooms and toss to coat. Arrange the mushrooms on a cookie sheet gill side up. Roast for 12 minutes.
While mushrooms cook, heat a medium-size skillet over medium high heat with 2 TBP EVOO. Add the sliced red onions, garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and pesto. Once the mushrooms have roasted for 12 minutes, remove and spread ricotta mixture among the mushrooms (gill side up). Return to the over for a minute to heat the cheeseAdd the chicken stock and chopped olives to the onions. Turn the heat to high and continue to cook until the stock has reduced almost completely.Arrange one cheese topped mushroom on the bottom of each split roll. Top the cheese with some of the onions. Top that with 2 slices of prosciutto, arugula and other 1/2 of roll.

4 servings

Sometimes I am a Genius in the Kitchen

Everyone who knows me knows that cooking is one of my least favorite activities. But sometimes, when the urge strikes, I become a genius in the kitchen. And, tomorrow will be one of those days. Tonight, I am making the Rachael Ray cake mentioned in the previous post and then tomorrow it is grilled steak with the following relish. It is from my favorite cooking magazine, Cooks Illustrated. Yes, you all are going to be wishing you could have Sunday dinner at my house.

Grilled Onion Relish with Roquefort and Walnuts
Makes 4 cups

Whisk together 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Set aside. Grill onions, chopped into 1/2 inches pieces and add 6 ounces Roquefort cheese, 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts and 1/4 cup chopped chives. Stir in dressing and serve immediately.

Ohh, my mouth is watering already.

Recipe--From the Rachael Ray Show

I don't watch the Rachael Ray Show that often but a few days ago, she had Trisha Yearwood on and they made her German Chocolate cake recipe from a cookbook that she is putting out. Anyway, it looked SOOOO good and while no one else in my family likes coconut, I can't help but want to try this recipe. I haven't made it yet, but I am going to this weekend. And, ever since the show was on, I have Trisha Yearwood's song, "She's In Love With the Boy" stuck in my head. Maybe once I make the cake, it will go away. I got the recipe from the Rachael Ray web-site.

Ingredients
4 ounces sweet dark chocolate (see Shopping Hint below)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup warm milk
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 medium egg whites
2 cups sugar
5 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken
For the coconut frosting:
1 cup sugar
4 medium egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut
1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds

Yields: 12 servings
Preparation
Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stirring until it is smooth. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of the butter and stir until it is melted and blended. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Line the bottoms only of three 9-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour, baking soda, and salt.
Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside.
In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted, cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well.
With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again. With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible clumps of whites.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at least 1/4-inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes but will not spill over and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil (see Note below). Simmer for 12-15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to the cake.
Note: You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir it constantly, as it scorches quite easily. Also, you must use the finely grated fresh or frozen coconut, not canned or shredded, to be able to spread the frosting on the sides of the cake easily.
Shopping Hint: For those cooks who use a lot of sweet baking chocolate, the chocolate used in this recipe can be purchased in bulk online at www.cocoasupply.com. Choose La Equatoriale – Dark Chocolate Coverture. The cost, including postage, is half what you would probably pay in grocery stores. Share the large bar with your friends who bake.

Beef Satay

I got this recipe from a magazine several years ago. It is supposed to be cooked on the grill on skewers but last night, I ran out of time and to put them on the skewers, so I just put them on a cookie sheet and broiled the meat for about 15 minutes. They were just as good if not better. So, this went from an easy recipe to a super easy recipe. My friend Gabriela loves this, so I am not the only one who thinks this recipe is a winner.

Beef Satay

In a bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons grated ginger (I buy a section and freeze it. It is easy to grate and doesn't go bad that way), 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Pour marinade over 2 pounds of stir-fry beef and let marinade at least 10 minutes.

Side note: All of the grocery stores around here carry, "Stir-fry beef" in their meat sections. Occasionally, they don't have it out and I have to ask the butcher to cut me some. I don't know what the actual cut of beef it is but I am sure flank steak would be good.

If you want to take the time, thread strips of beef onto skewers and grill for about 5 minutes. If you don't want to bother, spread beef onto a cookie sheet with raised sides and broil for about 15 minutes or until done.

This recipe came with this optional dipping sauce but I made it only once and decided the meat was too good plain so I haven't bothered since. But here is that recipe, if you want it:

1/4 cup peanut butter
3 Tablespoons hot water
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

We usually eat this with asparagus or broccoli and have it over rice or with my spirole recipe.