Chinese Almond Cookies

Sherry's Chinese Almond Cookies

This is a recipe from my friend, the notes in the recipe are hers:

Chinese Almond Cookies

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar (1 Tbsp less ok too)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 teaspoon almond extract (I add more like 1 1/2 tsp, i go by smell...LOL)

1/ 1/3 cups shortening (Crisco)

Red food coloring or blanched almonds to top

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together.

Beat egg with a fork until lemon colored & add almond extract.

Cream sugar and shortening well, & add egg until well blended.

Add dry ingredients gradually.

Roll into balls or use a cookie scoop about 1 inch apart.  Press thumb

gently in the center of the ball and top with a chopstick dipped in

red food coloring or almond.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Rae's note: Using a metal Korean chopstick gives a nice red dot.

Pear Bavarian Tart

Pear Bavarian Tart - Sherry Teruya's Recipe

Crust: 

1 cup butter

2/3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups nuts, chopped (I use macadamia nuts)

Filling:

2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 (29oz) can Bartlett pear, drained

Topping:

1 to 2 tsp cinnamon

1 to 2 tsp sugar

(I also like to add nutmeg)

Crust:  Cream butter & sugar, then add vanilla, flour & nuts. (I mix it on medium speed to toughen the crust).  Press or spread in a greased 9 x 13” pan, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. (it’s okay if the crust puffs up, when it cools it will flatten)

Filling:  Cream, cream cheese and add sugar and mix well.  Then add eggs & vanilla.  Pour onto baked crust.  Then either slice or cut into cubes and place on top cream cheese layer.  Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.  Let cool & refrigerate.

Chicken Adobo

3 lbs chicken thighs (skinless & cut in half with bone) **
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp peppercorns (crush about half)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
3 bay leaves
salt to taste 

Combine all ingredients. Cover and marinate 1-3 hours.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove cover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. 

** I used 5lbs of chicken without adjusting this recipe and it came out good. You can adjust the recipe as needed.
 


Recipe found in  Hawaii Recipes (Jean Hee's Best of the Best)

Pork Gisantes (Pork and Peas)

2 lbs. pork butt, sliced into bite size pieces
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed whole if you prefer
1 tsp. Patis (Fish Sauce)
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2-3 Bay leaves
Sliced Shiitake Mushrooms (soak in warm water first, then remove stems before slicing)
1 large can Sweet Peas, drained
1 small jar pimentos, drained
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Lightly brown the pork with a little bit of oil; when it's almost done cooking add the garlic (be careful not to burn the garlic or it will be bitter). Drain the excess liquid.

Add the patis, tomato paste, tomato sauce, water and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add mushrooms and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add peas and pimentos, simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: The patis can sound intimidating but it just adds a layer of saltiness to the dish. You can omit this if you prefer. And while this dish says to add items a little at a time, sometimes I get lazy and add it all in at once after I've browned the pork and garlic. Simmer on low though to let it cook slowly, especially if your pork is on the leaner side. It might get dry and tough. Enjoy!

English Pea Risotto with Prosciutto

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh English Peas*
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1-1/2 cups white wine
1 quart chicken stock, warmed
1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 lb. thinly sliced Proscuitto
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method:

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt to flavor the water. Place the peas in the water and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and immerse in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.

*If English Peas are not in season, use frozen peas. I set aside the peas at the beginning so they can thaw out. Then if need be, I stick my peas in the microwave for 1-2 minutes at very, very low power (10-20%) to take the chill out.

In a small saucepan, heat up your chicken stock until just warm. Don't boil. Keep on low heat while you start the rice.

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and garlic. When the rice begins to sizzle, add the wine. Stir constantly and wait for the liquid to almost completely evaporate. Start adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for the liquid to reduce between additions.

Continue cooking and adding the stock until the rice is al dente and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. You may not use all the stock. Mix in the peas; season with salt and pepper and top with the cheese and prosciutto. Serve immediately.

Country Style Chicken

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes my Mom used to make.  She learned how to make it from her Mom, so it's been passed on through the generations!  Amazingly simple to make, the chicken is very tasty and delicious. My family loves it!


1 whole chicken - cut into pieces
crushed sea salt
pepper
flour (to coat chicken)
Oil 
1 Cup of water

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hr to let the salt soak in.

Coat chicken with flour. (I use a paper bag) and brown in frying pan with 1/4" oil.

Place browned chicken in non-stick pot or electric skillet and add 1 Cup of water. Cover and turn heat up to medium high to get the water boiling (for steam effect). Keep heat at medium high for the first 5-7 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30-35 minutes. The water should evaporate, but you may open the lid later to help with the process.  

The chicken will be nice and tender.   Enjoy! 

Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

Banana Bread Bars

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.

For the bars, in a large bowl beat together sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda, salt and blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile for the frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth. It should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting. Using a spatula, spread the butter butter frosting over the warm bars. The frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm.

Enjoy!