February - Korean Bulgogi or Chinese Pork

February Fabulousness

Delicious Dinner Drink:  1 liter APPLE JUICE * 1/2 TBS runny honey * 1/2 tsp powdered ginger *  1/2 tsp nutmeg *  1/2 cinnamon stick torn in 4 pieces—Heat all in saucepan, until honey melts, flavors are infused—can add lemon juice if too sweet—Serve hot or warm   Makes 4—6 glasses  *** Or simply purchase box of apple cider packets and add cinnamon sticks

Appetizer:  Tempura Shrimp with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce – serves 2 or 3

Ingredients:

For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon yellow prepared mustard
3 tablespoons honey

For the Tempura Shrimp:
12 raw medium-large shrimp, peeled with tails on, deveined
3 teaspoons sifted corn starch
1/4 cup ice cold water
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons sifted flour
1 cup canola oil (amount may vary depending on size of pan)

Directions:  For the Honey Mustard Sauce:
In a small bowl add the Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, and the honey. Whisk together and set aside.

For the Tempura Shrimp:
Lay the shrimp on a plate and using a small wire strainer, sift the corn starch over each side of the shrimp. In a medium size bowl, add the water and egg. Whisk together. Add the flour and whisk together. Heat a medium size skillet on medium heat and add the canola oil. The canola oil should be about ½ inch high in the pan. Add more if needed. Add a couple drops of the tempura batter into the pan and when it sizzles, dip the shrimp in the batter and carefully add the shrimp to the pan. When the shrimp turns a golden color on the bottom side, turn them over (about 3 minutes). Let the shrimp cook on the other side until it also turns a golden color (about 2 to 3 more minutes). Remove the shrimp from the skillet and lay them on a plate with a paper towel. The tempura shrimp may need to be cooked in batches depending on the size of the pan. Serve while hot with honey mustard dipping sauce.

ORIENTAL SPINACH SALAD - serves 4

1 1⁄2lbs fresh baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Place washed and dried spinach in a large bowl.

Combine sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard and sesame seeds.

Pour over spinach.

Toss to coat.

Let set 5 minutes.

Toss again.

Serve.

  

Spicy Pork Bulgogi ** SERVES 10 !  Can do Bulgogi & most all day before!

 4 lbs pork butt, * 2 large onions * 1 cup ginger ale (or chicken broth) *   PLACE one sliced onion in CROCK POT, put in pork butt with ginger ale* wash meat with cold water/pat very dry/cut off fat/rub salt,pepper all over it/place in frying pan/brown all sides - COOK low 5 hours  * shred meat, cut in 2” length, discard all fat—bones– etc/ discard most of liquid - not the onion  **  marinate overnight with Bulgogi SAUCE:   4 TBS soy sauce *  1 tsp pepper * 4 cloves garlic, chopped * 1 TBS crushed ginger root * 2 TBS brown sugar - 2 TBS ketchup, 3 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder *  1 onion, diced *  2 TBS olive oil * 3 TBS Scotch (optional) * mix well and add to meat  or Chinese SAUCE:  2 TBS low sodium soy sauce + reduced salt/sugar ketchup + clear honey each * 1 tsp chinese 5 spice powder * pkg 175g sweet corn/sugar snap peas, halved lengthwise * small bunch onions * 320g pkg stir fry mixed pepper veggies// MIX soy sauce, ketchup, honey, 5 spice powder /// put meat and sauce covered in refri  ***  Next day COOK on low 1 hour to meld flavors (don't want too much liquid) and serve mixed with 5 pkgs ramen noodles, drained—discard seasoning —  MIX all well together & serve on plate - make sure not too much liquid on plate or thicken it w/4 tsp cornstarch + 4 TBS water FOR CHINESE NOODLES:  stir fry corn/snaps 3 min * add stir fry peppers + ½ onions cook all 3 min * add corn/snaps/peppers to cooked noodles & top w/meat and rest of onions

FOR DESERT:  APPLE a l'Orient served in small pudding like cup 

DESERT  TOPPING- 1/2 cup flour * 1/2 cup old fashioned oats * 1/2 cup of brown sugar and baking powder ea * 1/4 cup cinnamon * 1/3 cup melted butter * salt/pepper to taste  COMBINE topping with fork until crumbs - refri   

FILLING- 3/4 granny smith apples - cut into small chunks * 3 TBS melted butter * 2 TBS flour * 1 TBS lemon juice * 3 TBS milk * 1/2 tsp vanilla extract * 1/4 cup brown sugar * 1/2 tsp cinnamon * dash salt

COMBINE butter/flour mix well in separate bowl * MIX separately lemon juice, milk, vanilla stir well * add brown sugar, cinnamon, apples salt stir well * ADD butter/flour, mix all well & put in 8x8 baking pan making even layer, THEN ADD topping sprinkled on top  375* baked 30/35 minutes

Valentine’s Day Romance/Feb 14 —  Take romantic drive along Northshore Rd/Lake Mead (Mile marker 16 -hwy 167) /Take Anniversary Narrows hike.  Later, make Supper together -- couple that hikes and cooks together in harmony is a beautiful thing! 

After dinner:  Do romantic at THE GRIFFIN . . . 

511 Fremont St- 

Stone-faced bar with real fireplaces, an eclectic jukebox & dim back room for dancing featuring weekend DJs.

This is where you recite your romantic poetry & get your romantic dance on (after a bath & presentable) each has opportunity to be romantic in own way - use imagination - do not buy a meaningless gift that says nothing or meaningless dinner ** example:  Not every year, Luis hired Mariachi trio and he danced and sang to me ** example:  I, not every year,  brought my keyboards out of trunk, plugged in and played/tried to sing nice romantic blues -- great fun/lots of laughter - and very ROMANTIC

The 5th Annual Chinese New Year in the Desert™ is on February 8 - 14, 2016