terriyaki sauce

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 4 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring mirin to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Season with garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and black pepper; simmer an additional 5 minutes. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Spicy Pumpkin Soup
This makes about 2.5 quarts.

squash
olive oil

1-2 onions, chopped
brown sugar
2-3 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
chipotle in adobo, chopped
a couple teaspoons of fresh thyme
2-3 bay leaves
cinnamon

2 cups vegetable stock
3-5 cups water
salt and pepper

Get some squash--butternut, acorn, carnival, whatever looks good, and in any combination--cut the squash in half, scoop out seeds and stringy guts, then place cut-side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast at 350 degrees until you can easily stick a knife through them. Let cool a few minutes, then scoop flesh from the skin. You'll need about five cups for this soup, which is maybe equivalent to 2.5 medium butternut squash. You can easily roast a whole bunch of squash, stick the flesh in a blender to make it smooth, then freeze it for later when you want to make soup (or pie or bread or whatever).

Heat oil over medium in a really big pot. Add onions, some salt, and some brown sugar, maybe a tablespoon. Cook for a while, stirring a lot, lower the heat if you have to so they don't burn. I get impatient and can't wait for the onions to caramelize, but you can try.

Add celery, carrots, bell pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. Clear a little spot in the pan (add oil if you need to) and add the garlic to that spot and cook until you can smell it, like 30 seconds.  

Take a chiptole pepper out of its can and chop it up, add some now, along with some of the adobo from the can, and save some aside in case you want to add more heat later.
Add the squash, herbs, spice, and stock. Add enough water to make it the consistency you want. Add some salt and pepper. Let it simmer for a little while, stirring occasionally, until you can't really wait any longer. I can only wait 20-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves, and puree the soup. Add more water if it needs to be thinned out, and more chipotle and salt and pepper if needed. Top with lime, sour cream, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds. The soup freezes really well, too!

Chicken stir fry

Ingredients

• 4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced celery (1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup pea pods
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup pinneapple
• 1 cup cashews
• dash of basil and parlsey

Directions

1. Cut chicken into 1/2-in. strips; place in a resealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder onion powder, add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir- fry broccoli, celery, carrots and onion, pea pods, pinneapple adn cahsews for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add broth and basil and parsley. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Emeril's Spiced Nuts

 I rcvd these as a hostess gift, 

and I can tell you they are quite yummy!

 Emeril's Spiced Nuts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds

Directions

Mix spices and reserve.

Heat nuts in a dry skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Add the butter, sugar, water and spices to the hot skillet and cook, stirring, until a glaze forms, about 1 minute. Return the nuts to the skillet and toss to combine with the glaze. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the nuts  are glazed and golden brown.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, separating with a fork. Let rest until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Andrea's favorite cookies

from my pal Andrea

Marin's Andes Mint Cookies

3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Melt butter, sugar and water over low heat.
3. When melted, stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Cool 10 minutes.
4. Beat in eggs, soda, salt and flour. Cool 45 minutes.
5. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 11 minutes.
7. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, top each cookies with an Andes mint. Spread the mint across the top of the cookie when melted.
8. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let cool.
(Note: I sprinkled crushed candy cane on these cookies, but Marin makes them year round sans candy cane. Yumm-o!)

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 candy canes, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix again.
4. Sample as much of this truly divine cookie dough as desired. If there is ample dough left, proceed with recipe. Otherwise, begin again at step two.
5. Mix in crushed candy cane.
6. Drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes.
8. Cool only slightly, then transfer to rack to cool. (Note: Maybe they shouldn't cool at all on the sheet. I left my cookies on the sheet too long and the bits of melted candy cane cooled, hardened and stuck to the cookie sheet. As this is an improvised recipe, I'm still figuring this part out. If you have any insights, by all means share!)

Roasted Pear Stuffing

Roasted Pear Stuffing

Ingredients

2  teaspoons  olive oil
4  cups  sliced peeled Bosc pear (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1  cup  diced onion
1  cup  diced peeled celeriac (celery root)
3  garlic cloves, minced
1/2  cup  dry sherry
5  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed dense white bread (about 8 ounces)
1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2  cup  chopped hazelnuts, toasted
2  teaspoons  chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2  large eggs, lightly beaten
Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pear slices, and cook, without stirring, 2 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully turn pear slices; cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add onion, celeriac, and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add sherry and brandy, and cook until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat; cool.

Combine pear mixture, bread, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently. Spoon the bread mixture into a 2-quart casserole. Cover with lid, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Wild Rice Stuffing with fruit

Wild Rice Stuffing with fruit

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 18 ounces pearl onions, blanched in boiling water 1 minute, peeled

• 4 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/4 cups wild rice (about 6 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice

• 1 6-ounce package dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dried tart cherries
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Bring 4 1/2 cups broth and 1 tablespoon thyme to boil in large saucepan. Add wild rice; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add white rice; cover and simmer until all rice is tender and liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes longer.

Stir dried apricots, dried cherries, raisins and 2 tablespoons thyme into rice mixture; cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir pearl onions and remaining 4 tablespoons butter into rice. Mix in pecans. Season generously with salt and pepper.

To bake stuffing in turkey:
Loosely fill main cavity with cool stuffing. Butter glass baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 20 minutes.

To bake all of stuffing in baking dish:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.