Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing

You know that sweet/tart dressing all of the Japanese restaurants use on their salads?  This is it & it’s VERY tasty!  I was surprised to learn it had ketchup in it but that’s actually one of the thickeners.  This will keep for about a week in the fridge.  It has a tendency to separate but a vigorous shake will mix everything back up again.

Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing

1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is well-pureed.  Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Beef Stroganoff

Now that it’s getting colder it’s time to break out this classic.  I like to make this for Sunday dinner & eat the leftovers later in the week.  This dish freezes and reheats great!

Beef Stroganoff

6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds lean ground beef
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups beef broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked and drained

Saute mushrooms and onions in 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine until soft and remove from pan.

Add additional butter or margarine to the pan and melt. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add flour and salt and stir well. Add beef broth and cook all until slightly thickened.

Add mushrooms and onions, then sour cream. Heat to simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Alfredo Sauce

This sauce is really simple & well worth the effort to make.  It’s certainly not for those on a diet.

Alfredo Sauce

1 pint (16oz) heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly cracked black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Heat heavy cream over low-medium heat in a deep saute pan. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Serve over linguini or use in your favorite recipie calling for alfredo sauce (like white lasagna).

40 Cloves and a Chicken

For the garlic livers out there this one is a classic.  It’s not as strong as you might imagine & makes the house smell great!

40 Cloves and a Chicken

1 whole chicken (broiler/fryer) cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with a 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan or skillet over high heat. Remove from heat, add oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve, and serve.

None of Us is as Dumb as All of Us

As someone who spends a lot of time in meetings, I found this poster to be very fitting.  Committee meetings, with all of the individual agendas, are especially frustrating.

Going against the current can be liberating & more times than not is the right direction.  In my profession clients are paying good money to hear an alternative the the standard answer.  Don’t be afraid to be different, don’t be afraid to swim upstream!