Monday, November 1, 2021

Red Wine Mac & Cheese



2 cups tomato sauce (eg Prego Italian Sausage)

.5 c red wine (I used cab suav)

.5 c cream

1.5 cup shredded mozzarella/cheese of choice

salt

pepper


heat tomato sauce, add in wine and cream and stir to homogenize; on low heat, dump in cheese and stir until smooth. cover to reduce.

goes well with caramelized shallots, pan-seared chicken, and fresh basil
 

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Chao Nian Gao

Adopted from https://drivemehungry.com/stir-fried-shanghai-rice-cakes-chao-nian-gao/




Ingredients:

16 oz rice cakes - pre-soak if using dried rice cakes
1 lb chicken breast - thinly sliced, about ⅓ inch thick
3 Tablespoons oil (olive is fine)
5 large shiitake mushrooms - sliced about ⅓ inch thick with stems removed
4 cups napa cabbage - chopped into 2 inch pieces
3 scallions - chopped into 2 inch pieces
red pepper flakes if a little kick is desired

Sauce:
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
¾ teaspoon Chinese black vinegar

3 cloves garlic - minced

Instructions:

1. If using dried rice cakes, pre-soak them in water for about 3 hours or overnight in the fridge. After 30 minutes, carefully separate the rice cakes so they're not stuck together. For frozen, just thaw to RT.

2. Add the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and mix it together until the sugar dissolves.

3. Heat a wok or large pan on high heat and add the oil. Once the pan is hot, lay the chicken pieces flat on the surface and let it cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until it's almost cooked through.

4. Next, add the mushrooms and scallions to the pan and stir fry for about 1 minute. 

5. Add in the drained rice cakes and add 4 Tablespoons of the sauce. Stir fry the rice cakes together for 2 - 3 minutes and then add in the chopped cabbage. If needed, add in the rest of the sauce and stir fry everything together for another 2 - 3 minutes or until the rice cakes are soft and chewy and the cabbage has wilted. 

6. Taste a rice cake to be sure it's fully softened. Add 1 Tablespoon of water if needed to further soften it up while stir frying. Serve and eat immediately as the rice cakes harden when they cool.

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Matcha Creme

1 oz rum

1 oz matcha liqueur

1.5 oz oatmilk

top with:

1 egg white

1.5 t matcha powder

0.5 T sugar

Chinese Pairing

1.5 gin

1 sesame washed midori

0.75 lime

top with tonic

Brendon's Favorite, aka Lady Dalgona

1. Shake over ice to chill: 

  • 3 oz oatmilk
  • 0.5 oz spiced simple
  • 1.5-2 oz spiced rum
2. Top with dalgona:
  • 0.25 oz instant coffee
  • 0.25 oz granulated sugar
  • 0.125 oz hot rum
  • 0.125 oz hot water
2a. Whip all three ingredients with a milk frother and garnish with cinnamon sugar

Strawberry Banana Pisco

 2oz Pisco

0.5oz strawberry aperol

0.5oz banana oleo

0.75oz lemon

El Diablo

1.5 tequila

0.5 creme de cassis

3/4 lime

2 ginger beer