Slow-Cooker Beer Beef

Beer gives this moist chuck roast a special flavor, especially when combined by the herbs, spices, and tangy vinegar imparted by Italian dressing.

If you end up with a lot of sauce liquid when the beef is done, do what I did. I reduced it by about half, then thickened it a bit with a flour slurry, using about a tablespoon of all purpose flour whisked in a quarter-cup of tap water until smooth.

Ingredients 

• CHUCK ROAST, 1, three-pounds
• SALT, ½ teaspoon
• BLACK PEPPER, ¼ teaspoon
• GARLIC, 4 cloves
• RED ONION, 1, sliced
• ITALIAN DRESSING, 1 cup
• BEER, 1 cup (drink the remainder of the bottle as a reward)
• BAY LEAVES, 2

 Directions 

1. Place the chuck roast into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Sprinkle the roast with the salt and pepper. Place the garlic cloves on top of the roast. Add the red onion, then pour over the Italian dressing and beer. Place the bay leaves on top.
2. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8-10. Don’t open the lid during the cooking time. 
3. Discard the bay leaves and cut the meat into large chunks.
4. Smash the garlic with the back of a fork and stir the garlic into juices.

Crab and Artichoke Dip

You need to know that this recipe makes a helluva lot of rich cheesy dip. I thought I'd make it as a dinner entree and it turned out great. 

But three of us could only handle about a fourth of what I made. The original recipe called for kosher salt to taste, but the final dish turned out a bit salty. So I eliminated salt from the list of ingredients.

It makes a great morning omelet, too.

Ingredients 

• CREAM CHEESE, 8 ounces, softened
• MAYONNAISE, 1 cup
• MONTEREY JACK CHEESE, 1 cup + 1/2 cup
• PARMESAN CHEESE, 1/2 cup finely shredded
• ARTICHOKE HEARTS, one 14-ounce can, chopped finely 
• GARLIC, 2 cloves, minced
• LUMP CRAB MEAT, 12 ounces
• GREEN ONIONS, 2 sliced
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 2 teaspoons
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, to taste
• PARSLEY, 2 tablespoons, chopped 
• BAGUETTE, 1, sliced and toasted

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, 1 cup Monterey Jack, Parmesan, artichokes, garlic, crab meat, green onions and worcestershire. Season with ground pepper.
3. Transfer the dip to a 10” cast iron skillet or a flat casserole and sprinkle the remaining Jack cheese on top. Bake until warmed through and bubbly, about 17-20 minutes, until the top is nicely toasted.
4. Top with parsley. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices (garlic bread).

BBQ Kalua Pork Sandwich

Take the barbecue pulled pork sandwich concept, throw in a little Hawaii flavor flair, and you end up with an amazing sandwich that you just can't stop eating.

You should have all the ingredients on hand, except maybe for the kalua (pit-smoked) pork, which is readily available in Hawaii supermarkets or online.

And, there's a minimum of prep and mixing involved, unless you have a special cole slaw recipe and make an incredible potato salad. I'll leave those up to you.

You'll notice there are no amounts given in the ingredient list. Just use what you have, as much or as little as it takes to make enough sandwiches to feed your horde. A carton or package of kalua pork makes 3-4 sandwiches.

Ingredients 

• SESAME SEED HAMBURGER BUNS, 1 or more packages
• BUTTER, quite a bit, softened
• PACKAGED HAWAIIAN KALUA PORK, 1 or more
• BARBECUE SAUCE, store-bought or homemade.
• SWEET ONION SLABS, 3-4" diameter, ¼" thick, one per sandwich
• COLE SLAW, store-bought, KFC, or homemade

Directions 

1. Break up the kalua pork in a pan, squirt in a more-than-adequate amount of your favorite barbecue sauce. Mix and heat through.
2. Butter the insides of the buns and pan toast them until golden brown. Remove them to your cutting board.
3. Cover the bottom of a bun with an onion slab.
4. Pile the BBQ kalua pork high on onion.
5. Top with a ridiculous amount of cole slaw and the bun's top half. Try to keep the sandwich from toppling over.
6. Serve with potato salad and a dill pickle spear (or 2, or 3), and plenty of napkins. Goes great with beer or an ice-cold Coca-Cola®.

Taco Cake

I found another winning recipe on Facebook a few weeks ago. If you love Mexican food—tacos in particular, I think you'll like this variation on regular tortilla tacos.

The only thing is that it's quite time-consuming. There's a lot of chopping and slicing to get the mise-en-place right.

I also spent quite a bit of time stacking the layers, trying to get the ingredients distributed evenly, all the way out to the edges. Didn't do too great a job; consequently, my "cake" bulged in the middle and sloped down the sides.

Yet, I will say it was delicious. I mean, what the heck, it was a giant taco and I love tacos!

Ingredients  

• FLOUR TORTILLAS, 5, 10"
• GROUND BEEF, 1-1/2 pounds
• TACO SEASONING MIX, 1 package 
• BEEF STOCK, 2/3 cup
• CORN NIBLETS, 1/2 cup
• CHERRY TOMATOES, 1 cup, diced
• BLACK OLIVES, 1 can, chopped
• GREEN ONIONS, 1/2 cup, finely sliced 
• CHEDDAR CHEESE, 1 cup, shredded
• SOUR CREAM

 Directions 

1. Brown the ground beef, drain fat.
2. Add taco seasoning and beef stock. Cook down 5-10 minutes.
3. Spoon a couple of ladles of the beef mix onto a tortilla.
4. Sprinkle on about 1/4 of the corn, tomatoes, olives, green onions and cheese.
5. Repeat 3 more times.
6. Top with the final tortilla and sprinkle on the remaining beef mixture and cheese.
7. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream, and salsa or pico de gallo.

Punahou Portuguese Bean Soup

Every year during the annual Punahou School Carnival weekend, my son brings home a container of Portuguese bean soup from the carnival. They’re pretty famous, you know—the carnival and the bean soup.

I got to hankering for some bean soup a short while back, and looked up the recipe. It had one ingredient I’ve never put in my Portuguese bean soup before: Potatoes. So anyway, I thought I’d give it a try, tweaking it a tiny bit to my tastebuds’ expectations. Plus, it gave me a chance to use my new veggie chopper that I bought from a Facebook ad.

You know what? I like it! The soup and the chopper. Therefore, it’s the recipe I’ll be using from now-on-in, and I’ve thrown my old recipe away.

Just so you know, this recipe makes a lot of soup—at least a gallon, maybe more.

Ingredients 

• HAM BONE/HOCKS, 1-2 pounds
• KIDNEY BEANS, two 15-ounce cans
• POTATOES, 2 large, cubed
• CARROTS, 3 large, diced
• ONION, 1 medium, chopped
• CRUSHED TOMATOES, one 16-ounce can
• TOMATO SAUCE, one 16-ounce can
• PORTUGUESE/LINGUISA SAUSAGE, at least 1 pound sliced in circles
• ELBOW MACARONI, 1 cup uncooked
• GARLIC, 2 cloves
• SUGAR, 1 teaspoon
• SALT, 1 teaspoon
• PEPPER, 1/2 teaspoon
• CABBAGE, 1 medium head, cubed

Directions 

1. Boil ham hocks or ham bone in 2 quarts of water, about an hour, until tender (save the stock). Cut meat from the bones, chop up.
2. Bring ham stock back to a boil; chopped meat and all the remaining ingredients except the cabbage.
3. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently.
4. If too thick, add a little water.
5. Add the cabbage, cook another half-hour until tender.
6. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

First, a caveat. I made this loaf in David Howard’s Handmade Stoneware Pottery, which I ordered from his Gatlinburg, TN, store.

You can find him online at http://www.dhowardpottery.net/ or call him at (865) 430-3387. Or, if you want to go the old-fashioned snail mail route, write him at 170 Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

You’ll get it in about a month (Hey! It’s handmade, y’know).

Instead of sifting the flour, I whisked vigorously with a wire whisk. The object of whisking is to loosen, aerate and separate the flour; since I was going to use a whisk anyway, why use a sifter or sieve and have another implement to wash later?

I couldn’t find the recommended Cran-Fruit© at the supermarket, so I substituted dried cranberries and soaked them in sherry to rehydrate them. HINT: Use good sherry, and don’t throw it away after you’ve soaked the cranberries. Save it to use in other dishes, if you can resist drinking it. I drank mine while waiting for the bread to bake. Little sips … it’s delicious!

I put the bread maker on a wire cooking rack on top of a cookie sheet to make sliding into the oven easier. Make sure to lower the oven backing rack so the top won’t brown too quickly.

Ingredients 

• SELF-RISING FLOUR, 2 cups sifted
• LEMON ZEST, 1 lemon
• SUGAR, 2/3 cup
• EGGS, 2, slightly beaten
• CRAN-FRUIT©, cranberry-orange, 1 container
• (Substitution: DRIED CRANBERRIES, 2 small 1-counce boxes, soaked in sherry and roughly chopped)
• CHOPPED WALNUTS, 1 cup
• BUTTER, ½ cup (1 stick), melted
• MILK, ¼ cup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lower the oven baking rack so the bread top won’t brown too quickly.
3. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, zest and sugar).
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly until blended.
5. Spray the inside of a bread maker (or loaf pan) with non-stick cooking spray.
6. Pour the batter into the bread maker.
7. Bake for 60 minutes.
8. Remove from bread maker and cool on a wire cooking rack.

Char Siu Asparagus

Char siu, as you probably already know, is that red roast pork you find in dishes you order at a Chinese restaurant. It's sweet and juicy, and goes well with any dish. And asparagus? Everybody knows what that is.

I've combined the two and came up with a very, very easy and delicious entrèe.

If you can't find char siu already made at the supermarket or your local grocer, you can get some from a Chinese restaurant. Or get a package of char siu marinade at an Asian store and make it yourself. (Hint: Don't cut off the fat.)

Ingredients 

• CHAR SIU PORK, ¼ to ½ pound
• ASPARAGUS, 20-24 spears, cut into 2-3-inch pieces
• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons
• GARLIC, 1 clove, minced
• WATER, 3 tablespoons
• SALT, to taste

Directions 

1. Slice the char siu into 1/8” pieces. It will be easier to slice if the cooked meat is cold.
2. Microwave the pieces for about a minute to warm them.
3. Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan and add the asparagus.
4. Add the minced garlic and the water to facilitate steaming.
5. Toss the asparagus, salting to taste, then cooking until tender.
6. Add the char siu and toss again until mixed with the asparagus.
7. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

This is easy to make. And it’s as delicious as can be. I ddn’t have chicken breasts, but I did have several three-packs of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs in the freezer from a former sojourn to Costco. So I substituted them and they were perfect for this dish!

I didn’t change anything else, and the dish was a big hit with the family. I served it on linguine, which pairs very well with creamy sauce.

Ingredients 

• CHICKEN BREASTS, 1½ pounds, boneless, skinless, thinly sliced
• OLIVE OIL, 2 Tablespoons
• HEAVY CREAM, 1 cup
• CHICKEN BROTH, ½ cup
• GARLIC POWDER, 1 teaspoon
• ITALIAN SEASONING, 1 teaspoon
• PARMESAN CHEESE, ½ cup
• FRESH SPINACH, 1 cup, chopped
• SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, ½ cup

Directions 

1. In a large skillet add olive oil and cook the chicken on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until brown on each side and no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
2. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese to the pan.
3. Whisk over medium high heat until it starts to thicken.
4. Add the spinach and sundried tomatoes and let it simmer until the spinach starts to wilt.
5. Add the chicken back to the pan and stir.
6. Serve over pasta if desired.

Japanese Vegetable Soup

This hearty soup is called “Kenchinjiru” by the Japanese. This is a subtly delicious, hearty soup for a chilly day. A bowlful will definitely satisfy even the heartiest of appetites. Excellent for vegans.

Ingredients: Dashi (Broth)

• KONBU (DRIED KELP), 4" X 4" square
• SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, 4
• WATER, 5 cups for konbu, 1 cup for mushrooms

Ingredients: Soup

• FIRM TOFU, 7 ounces
• KONNYAKU, ½ package
• DAIKON, 2" chunk
• CARROT, 1 medium-large
• SATOIMO (taro roots), 3 large
• GOBO (burdock root), ½ root
• TAKENOKO (bamboo shoot), 4 thin
• GREEN ONIONS, 2

Ingredients: Seasonings 

• SESAME OIL, 1 tablespoon 
• SAKE, 3 tablespoons 
• SALT, ½ teaspoon
• SOY SAUCE, 2 tablespoons

Directions

1. Wipe the konbu clean with a damp cloth (don't remove the white powder) and soak overnight in five cups of water. When ready to make the soup, bring the konbu water to a boil, take the pot off the heat and discard the konbu (or make "matchsticks" to add to the soup).
2. Soak the shiitakes in a cup of water until rehydrated and pliable. Cut off the stems and discard, then quarter the mushrooms. Set aside, saving the liquid and straining it through a fine sieve.
3. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and sandwich it between two plates to gently remove some of its moisture.
4. Cut the konnyaku into bite-sized pieces, using a spoon to increase and roughen surface area for better flavor absorption. Boil in water for 2-3 minutes, then drain.
5. Cut the daikon, carrots and bamboo shoots into thin slices. Peel and cut the satoimo into ¼” slices.
6. Soak it in water for a couple of minutes to reduce sliminess, and drain.
7. Peel and thinly slice the gobo on the diagonal. Soak for a couple of minutes and drain.
8. Heat a large pot and add the sesame oil. Sauté the konnyaku, daikon, carrots, satoimo and optional konbu matchsticks until they are coated with the sesame oil.
9. Add the shiitake mushrooms and the tofu, using your fingers to tear the tofu apart (for better flavor absorption. Sauté until all ingredients are coated.
10. Add the konbu dashi and shiitake liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, skimming off the surface foam solids.
11. After 10 minutes, add the sake and salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender, then add the soy sauce.
12. Stir and serve, adding the green onions on top as garnish.

Bacon & Onion Foil-Packet Potatoes

Do you like bacon? Do you like potatoes? Do you like easy? Well, have I got a recipe for you!

Ingredients 

• ONION SOUP POWDER, 1 packet
• BABY RED POTATOES, 10-12, thinly sliced
• BACON, 12 slices, cooked and crumbled
• ONION, 1 small, thinly sliced and diced
• CHEESE (Optional), 1 cup cheese
• SALT and PEPPER, to taste
• BUTTER, 3 tablespoons
• SOUR CREAM (optional), for serving

Directions 

1. You will need 2 to 3 sheets of heavy-duty foil; Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray.
2. Top each piece with equal portions of potatoes, bacon, 1 packet onion soup powder and mix.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each serving. Wrap securely.
5. Grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Or you can bake it in the oven, at 350° for about 35 minutes or till done.
6. Let stand 10 minutes before serving in the foil, topped with sour cream if desired

Steamed Korean Pork Hash

When I lived in Los Angeles, we used to go to a small Chinese restaurant just up the street from our apartment.

Occasionally, the cooks would come out and have lunch at one of the tables.

They would bring a “cake” of steamed pork hash and pick at it with their chopsticks, dip a piece into soy sauce, and gobble it up with rice.

I thought about that the other day and got the hungries to make my own version—pork hash with chopped-up kim chee in it. That makes it Korean, doesn’t it?

Ingredients

• GROUND PORK, 1 to 1½ pounds
• SHRIMP, 3-4, peeled, deveined, finely chopped
• KIM CHEE, ½-¾ cup, minced
• EGG, 1 large
• WATER CHESTNUTS, 1 can chopped
• GREEN ONIONS, ¼ cup sliced (reserve some for garnish)
• GINGER, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled & finely chopped
• (Alternate), GINGER PASTE, 1 tablespoon
• GARLIC, 1 clove, minced
• OYSTER SAUCE, ¾ tablespoon
• SOY SAUCE, 2 teaspoons
• FRESH WATERCRESS

Directions 

1. Combine all ingredients except the watercress and mix well. Place the mixture in a bowl and shape it so it creates an even layer in the bowl.
2. Place the bowl in a large pot and pour 1 inch of water in the pot (not on the pork). Bring water to a simmer and cover pot. Steam for 30-40 minutes until the juices run clear.
3. Remove from pot carefully. There will be some water and coagulation in the center. Remove it.
4. Serve over the watercress, garnish with green onions and some kim chee.

Pineapple Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta

This is easy and it tastes great. You can add other ingredients, such as halved American olives from a can, sweet green and/or red peppers, mushrooms.

This recipe will feed 4; you can adjust the veggies and pasta to increase the quantity.

Ingredients 

• SHRIMP, 12 to 16
• ROTINI PASTA, half cup
• GARLIC SALT, to taste
• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons
• OLIVE OIL
• ZUCCHINI, 1 large 
• CARROT, 1 medium
• ONION, 1 small, cut in chunks
• CRUSHED PINEAPPLE, 1 small can
• KETCHUP, 2 tablespoons 
• SUGAR, 2 tablespoons 
• CIDER VINEGAR, 1 tablespoon

Directions 

1. Boil the rotini in water flavored with garlic salt until al dente.
2. Shell and devein the shrimp, set aside.
3. Slice the zucchini into ½” half-rounds.
4. Thinly slice the carrot at an angle.
5. Cut the onion into chunks, separating the layers.
6. Make a sweet-sour sauce with the ketchup, sugar and vinegar; combine with the pineapple.
7. Sauté the onion in the butter and some olive oil over medium until barely crunchy, then add the zucchini, carrots and pasta to the pan.
8. Moisten with pasta water, then stir and cook the vegetables and pasta until the liquid bubbles.
9. Add the shrimp, stir, turn off the heat, cover and let stand for five minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked.
10. Serve with steamed rice.

Classic Louis Salad Dressing

For a classic Seafood Louis Salad, serve this dressing with a plateful of shredded lettuce, thinly sliced (diagonally) celery, wedged tomatoes, halved hard-boiled eggs, pitted American olives, and cold shrimp and/or crab meat.

Make a lot of the dressing, more than you need. If you have any left-over, use it another time. It's great as a tartar sauce substitute. This recipe makes about ¾ pint.

Ingredients 

• MAYONNAISE, 2 cups
• CHILI SAUCE, ½ cup
• COCKTAIL SAUCE, ½ cup
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 1½ teaspoons
• GREEN ONION, 2 tablespoons, minced or grated
• FLAT LEAF PARSLEY, 2 tablespoons, finely chopped
• PREPARED HORSERADISH, 1½ teaspoons

Directions 

1. Blend everything together until smooth and well-combined.
2. Refrigerate a few hours until well-chilled.

Stuffed Tofu

This is a tasty dish that's simple to make.

But ... I did have trouble stuffing the tofu triangles; the sides kept breaking. I eventually sliced the triangles open from the peak to the base, allowing for more of the stuffing to be inserted.

Otherwise, go gettum! The tofu adheres to the pork stuffing as it cooks, kind of preventing it from breaking apart.

Oh, and if, like me, you end up with lots of extra stuffing, do what I did: use it to make steamed pork hash (recipe next time).

Ingredients 

• FIRM TOFU, 2 10-ounce blocks
• SHRIMP (MINCED), GROUND PORK, either or both, 10 ounces total
• GINGER PASTE, ½ teaspoon
• GARLIC, minced, ½ teaspoon
• SALT, 1½ teaspoons
• RICE WINE OR DRY SHERRY, 2 teaspoons
• WHITE PEPPER, 1/8 teaspoon ground
• CORNSTARCH, 1 teaspoon
• CHICKEN STOCK, 1½ cups
• SOY SAUCE, 2 tablespoons
• GREEN ONION (white and green parts), 1, cut into 2"-3" pieces

Directions 

1. In a medium bowl, combine and mix the shrimp and/or pork, ginger, garlic, salt, rice wine or sherry, white pepper and cornstarch well.
2. Cut the block of tofu along a narrow side to form 4 squares, each about 3 x 3 x 3/4 inches. Cut each square from corner to corner in an X-shape to from 4 triangles. Repeat with the remaining squares, making 16 triangles in all. Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel.
3. Cut out a thin pocket along the long side of the triangle (see my remarks above).
4. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling into each pocket, being careful not to break the tofu.
5. Bring the chicken stock and soy sauce to a boil in a nonstick skillet, then reduce to a simmer.
6. Place the tofu into the skillet, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.
7. Add the green onions, stir, cook for an additional minute, and serve with additional soy sauce.

Shrimp Creole

Having had Shrimp Creole throughout my life, I figured it was about time that I actually cooked it on my own. So I googled some recipes and found this one. It’s Emeril Lagasse’s recipe that I modified just a little.

As a bonus, the recipe for Emeril’s Bayou Blast is also included.

Ingredients: Sauce

• BUTTER, 1 stick
• ONIONS, 2 medium, chopped
• GREEN PEPPER, 1, sliced into strips
• SALT and CAYENNE, to taste
• BAY LEAVES, 2
• TOMATOES, diced, 1 can
• GARLIC, 2 minced
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 1 tablespoon
• FLOUR + WATER SLURRY
• GREEN ONION GARNISH

Ingredients: Shrimp

• SHRIMP, 1 pound, 16-20 size, peeled and deveined
• CREOLE SEASONING (See Below)

Ingredients: Creole Seasoning (Emeril’s Bayou Blast)

• PAPRIKA, 2½ tablespoons
• SALT, 2 tablespoons
• GARLIC POWDER, 2 tablespoons
• BLACK PEPPER, 1 tablespoon
• ONION POWDER, 1 tablespoon
• CAYENNE, 1 tablespoon
• OREGANO, 1 tablespoon
• THYME, 1 tablespoon

Directions

1. Sauté the onions in the butter until soft, then add the green peppers.
2. Add the salt and cayenne to taste, then the bay leaves.
3. Pour in the can of tomatoes and add the garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Bring to a simmer and thicken the sauce with the flour/water slurry.
5. Dust the shrimp with Creole seasoning and lay on top of the sauce.
6. Cover and simmer until the shrimp is just cooked though (about 3-5 minutes).
7. Serve over rice.

Beer-Braised Oxtails with Carrots

This is the first time I prepared oxtails using beer. Of course, I’d heard of it before; after all, it is a classic European preparation.

Know what? It’s delicious. The beer imparts an additional subtle flavor and the final product tastes nothing like beer (for those who aren’t enamored of beer’s flavor).

Ingredients

• OXTAILS
• COOKING OIL, 2 tablespoons
• ONIONS, 2 medium, chopped
• BEER, 1 twelve-ounce can
• TOMATO SAUCE, 1 eight-ounce can
• CELERY SEEDS, ½ teaspoon
• BAY LEAF, 1
• MINCED PARSLEY, 1 tablespoon
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 1 teaspoon
• SALT, 1½ teaspoons
• BLACK PEPPER, 1/8 teaspoon
• CARROTS, 6-8, sliced ½-inch thick
• FLOUR SLURRY

 Directions 

1. Brown oxtails in oil in a large, heavy kettle over high heat and drain on paper toweling.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions to kettle and sauté, stirring, 8 to 10 minutes until golden.
3. Return oxtails to kettle, add beer, tomato sauce, celery seeds, bay leaf, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
4. Cover, and simmer over low heat 3 hours until meat is tender.
5. Skim off the fat.
6. Add the carrots and simmer 20 minutes longer.

Taking a Break

I will return, but don't wait up for me.

One-Pot Honey-Garlic Chicken Dinner

This is a slow-cooker recipe. However, you can also cook it in the oven for two hours at 325°F, using a Dutch oven. Add the beans 15 minutes before completion. That’s what I did.

Ingredients 

• CHICKEN THIGHS, 8
• HONEY, ½ cup
• SHOYU (SOY SAUCE), ½ cup
• GARLIC, 4 cloves, minced
• BASIL, dried, 1 teaspoon
• OREGANO, dried, 1 teaspoon
• RED PEPPER FLAKES, dried, ½ teaspoon
• BLACK PEPPER, ½ teaspoon
• BABY RED POTATOES, 8 small, sliced
• CARROTS, ½ pound
• GREEN BEANS, ½ pound

Slow Cooker Directions 

1. Combine honey, shoyu, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a bowl and mix well.
2. Arrange half the chicken on the bottom of a slow cooker, and pour over half the sauce.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, and the other half of the chicken.
4. Pour over the remaining sauce.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.
6. A half-hour before serving, add the beans, re-cover, and continue cooking.

Before serving, take the chicken out and brown them under the broiler for a bit. After taking the chicken out for browning, and the carrots, potatoes and beans to arrange on the serving platter, I reduced the honey-garlic sauce and served it on the side for those who wanted extra.

Glazed Sardines

I've made this many times before, but didn't know what they were called—Glazed Sardines. In fact, the Japanese call it "Iwashi no Kanroni."

I usually use sake and never added mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) before, but it makes sense.

Ingredients 

• SARDINES, 3 cans, packed in oil
• TERIYAKI SAUCE, 1/4 cup
• MIRIN or SAKE, 1/4 cup
• WATER, 1/4 cup
• SUGAR, 1 tablespoon
• GINGER, 1/2 teaspoon minced
• GARLIC, 1/2 teaspoon minced
• ONION, 1/2, sliced thin
• GREEN ONION, 3-4, two-inch sections, cut on the diagonal

Directions 

1. Cook the onions over medium heat in a medium sauce pan until translucent. Set aside.
2. Combine the teriyaki sauce, mirin, water and sugar in a small sauce pot until they boil. Set aside.
3. Drain most of the oil and heat the sardines in the medium pan.
4. Add the sauce and cook a few minutes longer, turning the sardines carefully to coat.
5. Add the green onions, stir and cook a minute longer, being careful not to break up the sardines.
6. Serve on steamed white rice.

Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

This is one of those tres facile recipes that seem ridiculous to post on a recipes blog. It doesn’t take much brains to create this masterpiece that I guarantee even Brussels sprouts haters will enjoy.

You’ll need toothpicks and aluminum foil.

Ingredients

• BRUSSELS SPROUTS, as many as you want, trimmed
• BACON, half slices, enough to wrap each Brussels sprout

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Wrap each sprout head in a half-slice of bacon.
4. Secure with toothpicks.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Take them out, dab the bottoms on a paper towel. Eat.

You might even try this: Put some maple syrup in a small dipping bowl and lightly dip a bacon-wrapped Brussels sprout in it before introducing it to your taste buds.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

What can go wrong with bacon? Nothing! Just don’t burn it.

Ingredients

• ASPARAGUS SPEARS, 16-20
• BACON, 4-5 strips
• OLIVE OIL
• SALT AND PEPPER
• MAPLE SYRUP (Optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line up the asparagus tips and cut off the thick ends.
3. Drizzle olive oil on the spears and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Make bundles of 4-5 spears and wrap each bundle with a strip of bacon.
5. Arrange on a cooking tray and roast for 14-15 minutes until bacon is almost crispy.
6. (Optional) Drizzle with maple syrup.

Steak Fajitas

Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients. The fact is, you can substitute chicken, and ingredients to suit your taste. The sauce is nothing but mixing spices and marinating the meat. Then it’s just pan-cooking and folding everything up in tortillas.

Ingredients 

• SIRLOIN STEAK, ¾ pound
• OLIVE OIL, 2 tablespoons, divided
• LIME JUICE, 1 tablespoon
• LIME ZEST, ½ lime
• GARLIC, 1 clove, finely minced
• CHILI POWDER, ½ teaspoon
• CUMIN, ½ teaspoon
• HOT PEPPER FLAKES, ¼ teaspoon (more or less as desired)
• BLACK PEPPER, ½ teaspoon
• SALT, ½ teaspoon
• FLOUR TORTILLAS, 8 eight-inch
• ONION, 1, sliced into strips
• SWEET PEPPERS, 2 green, red, or yellow, sliced into strips

Directions 

1. Slice steak into strips.
2. Mix olive oil, lime juice and zest, garlic, chili powder, cumin, hot pepper, black pepper and salt in a bowl.
3. Add the steak strips, stir, set aside.
4. Warm tortillas in foil in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
5. Slice onions and peppers into strips.
6. Heat remaining olive oil in a large non-stick skillet, add the onions and peppers and cook until softened. Set aside.
7. Add marinated beef to skillet, cook until medium.
8. Return onions and peppers to skillet, stir for a minute or so.
9. Spoon some beef mixture onto a tortilla, fold the bottom and both sides in.

Pineapple Shrimp

It's as delicious as it's easy to make. No mysterious, complicated Chinese sweet-sour sauce, just ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and canned pineapple. Dress it up however you like, to your heart's content.

I use a Japanese mandoline to thinly slice the onion and sweet red pepper.

Ingredients

• SHRIMP, 20, shelled and deveined
• CORN STARCH
• CANOLA OIL
• KETCHUP, ½ cup
• APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, ¼ cup
• SUGAR, ½ cup
• PINEAPPLE CHUNKS, 1 15-ounce can, juice reserved
• ONION, ¼, thinly sliced
• RED PEPPER, 1/8, thinly sliced
• SALT and PEPPER to season 

Directions

1. Combine the ketchup, vinegar and sugar in a sauce pot and heat to boiling.
2. Add the onions and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the pineapple chunks and half the reserved pineapple liquid and continue simmering, stirring often.
4. Dust the shrimp with cornstarch and deep fry, then drain on a baking rack.
5. Transfer the sauce to a deep pan, then add the shrimp.
6. Season to taste, adding reserved pineapple juice if desired.