Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Party Ham Rolls


The best part about this roll is that all the ingredients are right there in your frig!!! It can be served as party platter, or add a side dish to create a weeknight dinner for the family!!

A Ingredients
Tortilla, burrito size                      2 slices
Lettuce                                         4 slices
Tomato, sliced                              6 slices
Cheese                                           4 slices
Ham                                               6 slices

B Ingredients
Cream cheese                                ½ cup
Sun-dried tomato, minced          5-7 pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Measure all B ingredients into a bowl, mix with a fork, set aside.
2. Microwave the tortillas in towels for around 20 seconds to soften it.
3. Spread the B spread onto the tortilla, then add the lettuce, tomato slices, cheese slices, ham slices, tightly roll up. 
4. Cut the rolls into bite sizes, arrange on a platter, decorate with some cherry tomato, grapes, or strawberries to make the platter more appetizing!!!

Serving: around 12 bite size ones. 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Potato Raisin Salad


This potato salad was part of my birthday feast.  My parents prepared a feast for my lunar calendar birthday.  They spoiled me.  They made all the others, but I was in charge of this one.  

A Ingredients
Potato, quartered                  2 heads
Carrots, chopped                 ½ cup
Hard boiled egg, chopped    3 heads

B Ingredients
Mayonnaise          3 tablespoon
Sugar                   1 tablespon
Salt and pepper to taste

C Ingredients
Raisins              ½ cup
rum                    1 tablespoon

Directions:
1. Measure C ingredients into a small bowl, soak for -10 minutes.
2. Heat up the potato and enough water to cover them in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until stick insert into the potatos come out easily. 
3. Scoop out the potato and put in the chopped carrots into the boiling water and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the preferred doneness, drain. 
4. Mash the potato, with or without skin, then stir in B+C Ingredients (yes, the left over rum too).  Then stir in the chopped hard boiled egg and carrots. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper if available and preferred on top. 
5. If the potato salad is too dry, add a bit of milk or water.

Serving: 4

Friday, September 16, 2011

Warm Crab Salad


Kale contains the most Lutein in all of the vegetables, way ahead of spinach.  Lutein is a vitamin for eye health.  It can prevent retinal detachment.  Nowadays we overwork our eyes with all these gadgets, computers, iPads, smart phones, TVs...etc.  We all need to protect our eyes as much as possible. 

A Ingredients
Water                                  3 cups
Salt                                      ¼ teaspoon
Frozen crab meat                1 piece

B Ingredients
Mayonnaise                    2 tablespoon
Red onion, chopped        1 tablespoon
Parsley, minced                1 teaspoon
Cayenne pepper               ¼ teaspoon

C Ingredients
Butter                       1 tablespoon
Kale, chopped          6 cups(or 1 package from Trader Joe)
Salt                           ½ teaspoon
D Ingredients
Avocado, cubed             1 cup
Fresh lemon juice           2 teaspoon
Fresh tomato, cubed      1 cup

1. Heat the water in A Ingredients in a sauce pan, add salt, then add the frozen crab meat to cook, about 3 minutes, drain the crab meat out of the water and reserve 2 cups of crab stock for cooking kale. 
2. Add all B ingredients into the well-drained crab meat, refrigerate. 
3. Heat up butter in a big frying pan, stir in the kale, add salt.  Gradually add reserved crab stock if the pan gets dry.  Cook the kale until preferred crispness, remove from heat.
4. Carefully stir fresh lemon juice into the cubed avocado to prevent color changing. Nobody wants brown avocado while serving!!
5. On a serving platter, spread the cooked kale onto the bottom, sprinkle avocado and tomato cubes on top of the kale, then top with the whole scoop of crab salad.  Sprinkle some more cayenne pepper to decorate.  Serve with slices of artisan bread. 

Serving: 4