French Toast

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robert-irvine/french-toast-recipe-1951408

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 slices challah, brioche, or white bread
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, warmed

Procedure

• Whisk together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container such as a pie plate. 
• In a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. 
• Dip bread in egg mixture. 
• Fry slices until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side. 
• Serve with syrup.

Beef Chili

Adapted from https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-chili/

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1 lb ground beef
• salt, to taste
• 1.5 Tbs paprika
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1.75 cups beef broth
• 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 16 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup of pasta sauce or tomato sauce

Procedure

• Heat large soup pot over medium-high heat, add cooking oil, then add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the ground beef to the pot. Break it apart with a wooden spoon and add salt to taste. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until the beef is browned, stirring occasionally.
• Add the spices, herbs, sugar, and tomato paste. Stir until well combined.
• Add the broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), beans, and tomato sauce. Stir well.
• Bring the liquid to a low boil. Then, reduce the heat (low to medium-low) to gently simmer the chili, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Adapted from https://www.spendwithpennies.com/chicken-stew/

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs cooking oil
• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 Tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried sage
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups potatoes, diced (can be combo of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes or just the latter)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
• 1 cup peas
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (or substitute 2 Tbs butter and 3/8 cup whole milk)

Procedure

• In a large pot or dutch oven, brown chicken in cooking oil. Remove from pot and set aside. 
• Saute onion, carrot and celery for about 3 minutes, or until onion is slightly softened. 
• Stir in flour, seasonings and salt & pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes.
• Add potatoes, white wine, browned chicken, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Take out the chicken mid-way, shred, and return to pot.
• Stir in peas and cream. Simmer an additional 10 minutes uncovered.

Cabbage Soup

Source: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cabbage_soup/

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (or 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander)
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (or 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 4 to 5 cups, packed, 1/4-inch wide sliced green cabbage (from about 1 small cabbage or 1/2 large cabbage)
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon salt (more or less depending on the saltiness of your stock)
• 1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

• Grind spices if using whole spices.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a 4-quart, thick bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir in the ground spices. Cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the sliced cabbage to the pot with 1/2 teaspoon of salt (if using unsalted stock). Add the canned whole tomatoes, with their juices, to the pot. Stir to combine.
• Add chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a simmer and salt to taste. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cabbage is thoroughly cooked, breaking up tomatoes that are still whole.
• Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Frying Instructions for Potstickers and Green Onion Pancake

Potstickers

1. Place frozen potstickers in a flat bottom pan with water covering it halfway in height.
2. Bring the water to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes.
3. Drain as much water as possible from the pan - no need to be overly diligent or scrape the sticky bottom off (this will form a nice crust later).
4. Steam away most of the remaining water.
5. Reduce heat and add oil to pan.
6. Sear until golden brown at bottom.
7. Make a sauce with aged vinegar, sugar, hot water, and sesame oil. Can also add soy sauce.

Green Onion Pancake

1. Heat a flat bottom pan and then add oil, reduce heat.
2. Place defrosted green onion pancake in pan.
3. Press pancake down with hand to thin it out evenly / widen it.
4. Sear until golden and then flip.
5. Use spatula to press down the other side.
6. Sear until golden.

Miso Sesame Chicken Noodles

Adapted from https://www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/chicken-recipes/miso-sesame-chicken-noodles


Ingredients

• 4 Tbs white miso paste
• 2 Tbs hot water
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 4 tsp sugar
• 2-3 handfuls of dried Chinese/Taiwanese noodles
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 15g (0.5oz) ginger, sliced (about 1 Tbs worked well)
• 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes OR pepper
• 1 large chicken breast fillet, cooked and shredded
• 2 Tbs sesame oil
• Sesame seeds, to taste
• 5g cilantro, roughly chopped with stalks OR 2 green onions, white and green parts separated

Procedure

• Mix miso paste with hot water, soy sauce, and sugar.
• Cook noodles according to instructions.
• Pour cooking oil in heated wok and saute garlic, ginger, chili flakes (optional), and white part of green onion (if using instead of cilantro).
• Add chicken and noodles. 
• Pour in as much miso sauce as needed to coat all the ingredients.
• Add sesame oil, sesame seeds, green part of green onion (if using), and pepper (if using). Toss together.

Skillet Pork Chops

Adapted from https://www.inspiredtaste.net/37062/juicy-skillet-pork-chops/

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick and 6 to 7 ounces each
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (can sub 1 tsp paprika + 1/8 tsp oregano + 1/16 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Procedure

Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator and season on both sides with salt. Set the chops aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the spice rub. In a small bowl, mix the flour, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. After 30 minutes, use a paper towel to pat the pork chops dry then rub both sides of the chops with the spice rub.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet (with lid) over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil is hot and looks shimmery, add the pork. Cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Flip the pork so that the seared side is facing up. (If there is a fattier side of the pork, use kitchen tongs to hold the chops, fat-side-down until it sizzles and browns slightly; about 30 seconds.) Reduce the heat to low then cover the skillet with a lid. Cook 6 to 12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 145 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the chop. (Since cook time depends on the thickness of the chops, check for doneness at 5 minutes then go from there, checking every 2 minutes). If you do not have a thermometer, you will know they are done, if when cutting into the chops, the juices run clear.

Transfer pork chops to a plate then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes.

While the pork rests, make the pan sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the chicken stock, vinegar, and honey. Scrape the bottom of the pan so that any stuck bits of pork come up. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Taste then adjust the seasoning with salt, more vinegar or honey. Slide the skillet off of the heat and when the sauce is no longer simmering, swirl in the butter. Slide the pork chops back into the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top. Alternatively, slice the chops then place back into the pan. Scatter fresh parsley over the pork then serve.

Gyudon

Modified from:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-dashi/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/yoshinoya-beef-bowl-gyudon/

Ingredients for 1 cup of Awase Dashi

• 1/9 oz / 3.3g of kombu (4/3" x 4/3")
• 1/9 oz / 3.3g / 1/3 cup, dried bonito flakes
• 4/3 cup water

Procedure for Awase Dashi

• Gently rinse kombu and cut slits to release flavor.
• Combine kombu and water in a small pot.
• Slowly bring to a boil in medium-low heat.
• Just before dashi starts boiling, remove kombu.
• Add bonito and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 seconds. 
• Turn off heat and let bonito soak for 10 minutes.
• Strain dashi.

Ingredients for Dish (2-3 servings)

• 1 onion
• 1-2 green onion/scallion
• 1 cup dashi
• 2 Tbsp sake
• 4 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 lb thinly sliced beef (shaved beef at Trader Joe's works very nicely)
• Pickled red ginger, optional

Procedure for Dish

• Thinly slice onion and green onion.
• Combine dashi, sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce.
• Pour sauce into large frying pan over medium high heat. 
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Spread onions evenly in pan, cover, and cook until tender.
• Add beef, making sure the slices don't stick together. Big chunks don't soak up the sauce well and also require more time to cook, making it tough - it may make sense to lower the heat to allow time for manually separating all the pieces. Cook until no longer pink. 
• Add green onion.
• Serve over rice with pickled red ginger, if desired.

Crustless Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients

• ~1 Tbs butter for sauteing and for greasing pie plate
• 3 oz ham, chopped
• 1 large shallot (at least 2 oz)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 oz cheese, grated
• Black pepper, to taste

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Heat butter in small frying pan. Saute shallots and ham.
• Rub butter over pie plate.
• Spread shallots and ham, and then the grated cheese, evenly over plate.
• Whisk eggs, milk, and pepper together, and then pour over plate.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.