Mexican Posole Stew

INGREDIENTS :

1.5 kg beef chuck roast
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans chopped green Chile peppers
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups sour cream
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup oil for frying
20 corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS
Place roast in a large saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Pour in water, cover, and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Increase heat to medium/high, and brown the roast on all sides. Once the water has boiled away, pour in the beef broth, vinegar, chili powder and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the beef falls apart when you try to pick it up. Shred the beef, using 2 forks or your fingers. Place shredded beef back into the saucepan with all the juices, and let cool to room temperature.
In a large skillet, saute the onion until just soft, not browned. Mix in flour and green chilies. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour taste out. Stir in sour cream and 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese. Cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the cheese is all melted and mixed. Set aside and let cool.
In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil. Using tongs dip the tortillas, one at a time, into the oil for 30 seconds each side. Drain on paper towels.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spread 4 tablespoons of sour cream mixture down the center of the tortilla. Top with about the same amount of beef. Roll up and place seam side down in one or two 8x11 inch baking dish. Repeat for each tortilla. Continue until you are out of the filling. Sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Spanish Mushroom Paella

Serves for 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced serrano ham
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
1 cup crimini mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
1 cup oyster mushrooms, stemmed and chopped.
1 1/2 cups rice
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 cup grated Manchego cheese
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the ham and mushrooms, and sauté for a further several minutes, until the mushroom have softened.

Pour in the rice, and combine well with the ingredients in the pan. Add the broth, sherry, and saffron. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost been absorbed and the mixture is creamy. Stir in the Manchego cheese, butter, basil, and thyme.

Remove from the heat, and allow the paella to cool for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Enjoy!

Chinese Steamed Pungent Cod with Cabbage

3/4 kg Thick filet of cod
1/2 c Sweet Mixed Pickles, diced
4 lg Leaves of Napa (celery) cabbage
1/4 c Pickle juice
1/2 tbsp Thin soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Fresh ginger root, minced
1 tbsp White vinegar
1 tsp Sesame oil

~~Cornstarch paste~~
1 1/2 c Water
2 Green onions, sliced in Thin strips
1 tbsp Crushed rock Sugar

Sauce: In saucepan, heat water & crushed rock Sugar until Sugar
melts. Add Pickle juice, soy Sauce, vinegar & diced pickles. Bring to
boil, stirring constantly. Re-stir cornstarch paste, and dribble it into
boiling Sauce, until Sauce has consistency of thin Pancake batter.
Remove from heat. Reserve in saucepan.
Slice cod fillet across the Grain about 1/2" thick, keeping slices in
position. Cut leafy fringes off of cabbage (save for your stock pot). Cut
cabbage stalks lengthwise into pieces to match Fish slices. Insert
cabbage slices between each slice of Fish. Hold together and slice Fish
& cabbage in half. Using broad side of cleaver, lift Fish & cabbage, as
is, onto 10" oval serving dish. Sprinkle ginger and sesame oil on Fish.
Steaming: About 15 minutes before serving time, bring water in
steamer to boiling. Steam Fish platter in steamer for 7-10 minutes,
until Fish turns milky white. Meanwhile, reheat Sauce. Remove Fish
from steamer and pour off any water. Pour Sauce unevenly over Fish
so it is only partly covered. Garnish with green onions.

Serve. Enjoy!

SINGAPORE FRIED NOODLES

6 Skeins dried shrimp noodles
1 Medium yellow onion
1/2 c Dried shrimp
1 Green bell pepper
1 Egg
1 Medium firm tomato
1 tsp Water
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 kg barbecued beef
1 tsp Fresh ginger, minced
2 Stalks celery
1 tbsp Curry powder
2 c Bean sprouts, blanched
4 tbsp Peanut oil

~~SAUCE~~

1/2 c Stock
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Chili oil

Prepare Noodles: Rinse shrimp noodles. Boil noodles in water until
cooked but still firm. Thin noodles only take about 3 minutes to reach
this stage. Drain, reserving boiling water, & rinse with cold water until
noodles are cooled & will not stick together. Place in oiled bowl,
refrigerate until firm. The noodles must be firm before frying. (Can be
prepared day before).

Prepare Shrimp: Wash & soak dried shrimp for 30 minutes; cut into
thin pieces. combine egg & water; cook as very thin omelet; cool; slice
into 2" long shreds. Thinly slice beef to match. Blanch bean sprouts in
noodlewater (this water will have other uses, so hold onto it). Peel
strings off celery stalks, thinly slice. Peel & halve onions, slice thinly.
Core pepper, slice thinly in 2" lengths. Slice tomato in thin wedges.
OR: slice these vegetables to match size of bean sprouts for better
looking dish. Mix sauce ingredients in bowl.
Stir-fry: Add 1/2 of peanut oil to hot wok. When oil begins to smoke,
toss in garlic, ginger, shrimp & vegetables, except tomato; stir-fry on
high heat for 2 minutes. Add sauce, & continue cooking until sauce
reduces by half. Remove to holding bowl.
Rinse wok; return to high heat; when it is dry, reduce heat to medium
& add remaining peanut oil. Heat oil to moderate (don’t let it smoke);
add curry powder, stirring to mix with oil. Avoid burning curry; if it
burns, start over. Cook curry powder for about 30 seconds. Add
noodles a fist-full at a time, breaking noodles into short pieces. Toss
noodles to coat & heat them. When hot, add cooked shrimp &
vegetables; toss together to mix. Turn off heat. Add beef, egg shreds
& tomato wedges; mix together.
Serve hot. Enjoy!