Vietnamese - Lemongrass Pork

1 pound boneless pork shoulder, about 1/2 inch thick

Marinade:
2 T sugar
1 T chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion or 1 shallot
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped (approx 3 T)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 T dark (tamari) soy sauce
1 1/2 T fish sauce
1 T canola oil

1. Cut the pork shoulder into pieces about 3 to 4 inches.

2. In a food processor, blend to a fine paste the sugar, garlic, shallot and lemongrass into an electric mini chopper and process to a fine texture.  Add the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil until combined.

3. Add the pork to marinade in a zipcoat well. Cover and set aside at room temperature to marinate for 1 hour. Or, refrigerate up to 24 hours, letting the meat sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to remove some of the chill before grilling.

4. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through.

Easy Marinara Sauce

1 T olive oil
1 pinch of dried pepper flakes
1 T Italian seasoning
One 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
One 15 oz can of tomato sauce
One 6 oz can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of sugar
1 T garlic salt

Heat sauce pan to medium heat. Add olive oil, dried pepper flakes and Italian seasonings.  Allow seasonings to infuse the oil for 45-60 seconds.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar and garlic salt.  Bring to a simmer for twenty minutes.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake

Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick mix

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Creamy Peanut butter

1/2 - 1 cup Jam (Strawberry shown)

1 Egg

3/4 cup Milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In one bowl, mix bisquick and sugar together. In a second bowl, mix the egg and milk together. Cut peanut butter into the dry mixture. It is good to have nickel size clumps of peanut butter remaining. Add the two bowls of ingredients together, gently mix until ingredients become one. Lumps of peanut butter will remain in the batter. Pour into a greased 8x8 square pan. Add spoonfuls of jam on top layer. With a knife, swivel the jam into the batter to make a swirly impression. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Test with a toothpick, by inserting into the center of the coffee cake.  If it comes out clean, then it is done.  If the toothpick comes out with batter on it, let it continue to cook, checking it occasionally with the toothpick test.  

Seriously Good Sugar Cookies

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 lg egg
1 T light corn syrup
1 t vanilla extract

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.  In a lg bowl, cream butter and sugar; stir in egg, then corn syrup and egg.  Add flour mixture in 1/3 at a time until mixed thoroughly.  Pat dough into two disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 to 2 hrs.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Use cookie cutters to cut out wonderful shapes.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  They should be done when the cookies are still white.  Brown edges indicates they are in need to come out of oven ASAP.

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cups unsalted butter
1/2 t vanilla
2-4 T milk

In a lg bowl, beat sugar, butter and vanilla together.  Add milk as needed to desired consistency. Frost on cooled cookies.

Snickerdoodles

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Rolling Mixture:

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In bowl, sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together.  Set aside
3. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.
4. Add half of the flour mixture to creamed ingredients and mix well.  Add the rest of flour mixture and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
6. Shape dough into rounded balls (about a teaspoonful of dough).
7. In a separate bowl, mix together the 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon for the rolling mixture.
8. Roll balls of dough in mixture and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
9. Bake 8-10 minutes.  Remove immediately and place on cooling rack.

Simple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked Thai jasmine rice
4 cups water (for rice)
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup Maggi seasoning sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen diced carrots
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3-5 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Instructions:

To rice cooker, add 2 cups uncooked rice and 4 cups water.  Cook until done.  (Can also cook on stove-- follow package directions).  When rice is cooked, set aside until completely cooled. (Sometimes I cook rice the night before and refrigerate it overnight).

In a small bowl, slightly beat eggs and add garlic salt.  Scramble eggs in skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil until just cooked.  Set aside.

In large skillet on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil, cook garlic until golden brown.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add cooled rice, soy sauce, Maggi seasoning sauce, sugar and white pepper.  Mix well.

Defrost peas and carrots in a microwave safe bowl until tender (1-2 minutes on high).  Add to rice.  Lastly, add eggs back into rice.  Gently mix ingredients together.  Serve immediately.