Tis the Season for Slow Cooking

I’ve enjoyed spending this Christmas season in the kitchen. Instead of rushing around visiting friends and relatives, I lounged in my pajamas while slow cooking. My husband was impressed that I served my Christmas Day pot roast, made with grass-fed beef from Thousand Hills Cattle Company, with a butter knife. He also enjoyed a whole roasted chicken that fell off the bone. Both were accompanied by organic parsnips, celery and carrots that  were caramelized sweet from meat drippings and melt-in-your-mouth tender from the slow cooking.

I tried my sister-in-law’s recipe for Black Molasses Sticky Buns with great success. And today I worked on refining my grandmother’s Stuffed Cabbage recipe. I’m posting that recipe here for your enjoyment. Hey, if you use this recipe, let me know how it turns out and if you have any suggestions on the instructions. Thanks!

Happy holidays from Heidi Ho

Polish Stuffed Cabbage

Tis the Season for Comfort Food!

I spent the weekend making comfort foods, including a French soup – bouillabaisse borgne - with fennel, garlic, potato and tomato (The latter two ingredients were grown by my husband in our backyard gardens.). I snagged the recipe from “A Good Day for Soup” by Jeannette Ferrary & Louise Fiszer (Chronicle Books). I added a bit more herbs de Provence and still turned out a delicately flavored soup. I highly recommend this recipe.

I also prepared my Stroganoff recipe. Chowgirls made a vegetarian version with mock duck that was thoroughly enjoyed by the staff and members of the East Side Food Co-op at their annual meeting. My friend Steve used the beef recipe with great success to feed the campaign workers for Al Franken (we’re keeping our fingers crossed for you, Al).

Here are PDF recipes for both vegetarian and beef versions of Chowgirls Stroganoff. Enjoy on a chilly day!

Chowgirls Beef Stroganoff

Chowgirls Mock Duck Stroganoff

Most Fattening Recipe Ever!

In the midst of an insane pregnancy craving on Saturday, I researched, shopped, and made one of my favorite Chinese dishes–a guilty pleasure you may know as Honey-Walnut Chicken.  A variation is often seen on menus with shrimp, but no matter what protein you include, this is decadence in its purest form: deep-fried meat, candied walnuts, and a sauce made of mayonnaise and sugar–do I need to say anything else?  Heidi’s husband, Chank, and I are big fans of this dish and often order it at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, Seafood Palace.  Let’s call this one, “How Amy Got Fat, Chapter One.”  This will surely be those extra 5 post-pregnancy pounds I won’t be able to shed….

HONEY-WALNUT CHICKEN

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 large egg white

1/4 C cornstarch

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1/2 C sweetened condensed milk

1/4 C mayonnaise

3 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. lime juice

1/2 C  candied walnuts (boil walnuts in 3 C water & 2 C sugar for 3 minutes, turn off heat and soak 2 hours, bake at 350 degrees for minutes, then deep-fry for 1 minute, until golden brown)

Liberally salt the chicken breast cubes and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the egg white, cornstarch, baking soda, garlic, salt and vegetable oil. Add the chicken and blend to coat well.

In another small bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, mayo, and lemon/lime juice. Mix well.

In a deep non-stick skillet (or wok) heat 3-4 C vegetable oil to about 350 degrees.  Fry coated chicken pieces until light brown, (3-4 minutes) turning as neccessary. Remove from oil, increase oil temperature to 375 degrees. Cook the chicken for 1 more minute, remove and drain well on paper towels.

While chicken is still piping hot, toss pieces in the mayo mixture until well-coated, platter and top with candied walnuts.