Donut Army

I am challenging myself to find one thing in the pantry that I've never cooked with (or haven't used in a while) and get it out of here. Today's challenge - thick rice noodles from the Asian market. While I clearly have not mastered the art of soaking and cooking rice noodles (and these had more chew to them that they should have), this was still a delicious dish and I would make it again! Singapore Hawker Rice Noodles Gourmet magazine, May 2007 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, white meat 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1/2 c chicken stock 1/4 c oyster sauce 1 T ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) 2 T soy sauce 1 T sambal oelek 1 carrot, matchsticks 1/2 lb baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 3" pieces 3 T peanut oil 1 c shallot, halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" thick slices 2 T garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp red thai chile, sliced 1/2 lb bean sprouts 1 bunch scallion 1 lb rice noodles, cooked 3/4 c cilantro Slice c...

Kohlrabi Mint Slaw Recipe from Johnson's Backyard Garden 1/2 head cabbage, green or red 1 kohlrabi 4-5 radishes 1 apple, Gala 1T lime juice, or more to taste mint leaves, chopped Shred or sliver the first four ingredients into a large bowl. Leave the slivers of apple on top, and sprinkle with lime juice. Then, toss and combine. Top with minced mint leaves.

In the summer months, many people turn to outdoor cooking in order to keep the temperature down inside their homes. Using a slow-cooker (crockpot) can also help you avoid turning that oven on. Here is a recipe that really works! Easy Slow-Cooker Refried Beans found online 1 onion, peeled and halved 2 c pinto beans, dried, rinsed 1 jalapeno, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 pinch cumin 6 c water  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 8 hours, or overnight while you are sleeping. Remove the bigger onion chunks and drain the excess liquid. If desired, save excess liquid until the final product is desired consistency. Mash remaining beans with a potato masher and voilà! You have homemade refried beans.

  The peaches have been surprisingly sweet and juicy this year in Central Texas! After an overly-optimistic purchase of peaches recently, I found myself with several uneaten peaches that were starting to shrivel. This is when they are at their sweetest, and are perfect for baking, mushing, or otherwise bruising. Welcome to my kitchen, peach pancakes! Peach Pancakes Carisbrooke Inn Bed and Breakfast 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 c yogurt 1/2 c milk 2 T canola oil 1 T sugar 1 c flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 c peaches, chopped Mix egg, yogurt, milk, oil, and sugar. In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon with a wire whisk. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir just enough to combine (batter may be lumpy). Fold in the chopped peaches. Spray a hot griddle lightly with cooking oil and preheat to 325 degrees. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle...

I learned this trick from Tito's Vodka, which was sponsoring and presenting at the 2011 Edible Austin Eat Drink Local Week festival. Decant your vodka of choice into a smaller container. Cut a jalapeno in half, lengthwise, and keep as many seeds as you think you might like in your flavored vodka. Let infuse at least 8 hours, or longer if you would like more heat. Strain vodka through a fine sieve into your final container. This reminds me that I never posted pictures or thoughts from the 2011 Cocktail Contest held at the AT&T Center. It was definitely a fun evening, although flash often outweighed taste in the competing cocktails.

These were prepared for a barbeque party. Great flavoring, and an easy marinade to prepare! Initially, I had hoped to marinate these on the skewers, so that they could be cooked on the grill directly. But my skewers are too long for my baking pan, and the vegetables weren't getting in contact with the marinade. Plan B: remove the vegetables from the skewers - marinate directly in the sauce, and cook on the grill in foil packets. No problem - equally delicious! Jamaican Jerk Vegetables The Global Vegetarian Vegetables: 1 zucchini, chopped coarse 8 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 green pepper, chopped coarse 8-10 button mushrooms 8-10 broccoli florets (I left these out because I don't like broccoli when it is grilled) Marinade: 6-8 scallions, chopped 1 yellow onion, diced 1/2 jalapeno, minced 3/4 c soy sauce 1/2 c red wine vinegar 1/4 c canola oil 1/4 c brown sugar 1 1/2 T thyme 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp allspice or cinna...

I swear, sometimes the breakfasts at our house are so delicious that I can't believe we didn't pay someone to make them for us. This is one of those kind of dishes! Naturally, you can use this recipe for all kinds of purposes -- enchilada or taco filling, inside of a stuffed pepper, as a side dish, etc. The above featured the beans and rice, fried eggs, roasted salsa and cotijo cheese. Cuban Black Beans and Rice Lean Bean Cuisine Beans: 1 c black beans, dried and soaked 2 1/2 c water 1 hot pepper, minced 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp thyme, dried 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp salt Rice: 2 T vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 1 bell pepper (red or green), diced 2 clove garlic, minced 3 c water 1 1/2 c rice, uncooked (white or brown) To make beans, combine beans, water and spices (except salt) in a pan. Cook over low heat for about 1 hour, until beans are tender. Stir in salt and set aside. To make rice, heat oil in a pan. Add ...

This dish would be appropriate for special occasions or for serving to guests. But don't let the source (Martha Stewart's Living ) intimidate you - it isn't really that cumbersome to assemble or prepare at all. A nice combination of flavors! Coriander Chicken in Carrot-Coconut Broth Martha Stewart Living , January 2007 Spice Rub: 1 T coriander seed (whole) 2 1/4 tsp cumin seed 1 3/4 tsp yellow mustard seed 1 tsp nutmeg (ground) pinch cayenne 1/2 c cilantro, finely chopped 6 scallion, finely chopped 2 1/2 tsp coarse salt 2 tsp ginger, fresh, grated For chicken: 6 thin carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise 1 red onion, root ends intact, cut lengthwise into 1/2" wedges 1 c coconut mlik 1 c carrot juice 1/2 tsp ginger, fresh, grated 4 chicken cutlets (about 6 oz each) 2 mandarin oranges, halved, or 1 navel orange cut into rounds (optional) cilantro, for garnish Preheat oven to 325. Toast corian...

I brought this to a recent family gathering, and it was one of the hits of the day! Which is particularly nice because it takes all of 30 minutes to assemble (most of that just sitting in a chair, reading a magazine), and feeds a crowd. Folks reported hints of ginger in the dish. I am thinking it was the particular olive oil I used. If you don't have a particularly flavorful olive oil, consider adding a bit of fresh, grated ginger because it would be a nice addition. Bulgar Pilaf with Carrot and Scallions Gourmet magazine, March 1997 1 carrot, minced 1 T olive oil 1 c water 3/4 c bulgur wheat 1/4 tsp salt 2 scallion, sliced thin In a small saucepan, cook carrot in oil over moderate heat. Cook until softened. Transfer to a bowl. In pan, stir together water, bulgur, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook mixture, covered, over low heat for 12 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and let bulgur stand, covered, for 5 minute...