ham and brie sandwich September 22, 2006
Posted by hapafood in sandwich.add a comment
very simple recipe. one of my husband’s favorite sandwiches. 
bread
ham, we like the virginia smoked ham with honey
honey mustard
brie
- cut the brie into thin slices. layer bread with mustard, brie, ham, and bread. enjoy!
chinese spaghetti sauce September 15, 2006
Posted by hapafood in asian food, pork.add a comment
this recipe i got from my aunt and uncle. i’m not much of a noodles person, but i do love this sauce. i usually put it over the flat chinese noodles, but you can use any width. it’s a combination of ground pork, chinese pickled cucumber, green onions, and garlic. it’s a nice combination of sweet and salty.
serves 4-6
1/2 – 3/4 lb ground pork
2 – 3 stalks of green onion, chopped
3 – 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 4oz can of chinese pickled cucumbers, chopped, and retain the liquid (the cucumbers aren’t pickled with vinegar) **
2 tbsp of soy sauce (* this is approximate, and you may require more or less, depending on your taste)
water
sugar
** you can find this at most asian supermarkets. i can’t find a translation in english on the can, but the ingredients are flower cucumber, water, soy sauce, sugar, MSG, and citric acid. they look like thin, short strips of cucumber that are dark green/brown.
- brown the ground pork, stirring the pork so that it is broken up.
- add the green onions, garlic, and soy sauce. Saute for a couple of minutes.
- add the pickled cucumbers and its liquid and soy sauce. add water so that it barely covers the meat.
- let sauce simmer for 5 minutes. add sugar and soy sauce to taste.***
- serve sauce over chinese noodles.
*** the cucumbers are already a little bit sweet, so you probably won’t need to add too much sugar.
marinara sauce September 8, 2006
Posted by hapafood in tomato sauce.add a comment
a simple marinara sauce. i love to use it as a base for shrimp fra diavolo, alla amartriciana, chicken parmeasan, meatball subs, and lasgna. it’s truly versatile. of course, i like it plain over any pasta as well.
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 C flat-leaf parsely, finely chopped*
3 tbsp basil*
1 tbsp oregano*
1 bay leaf
salt
sugar
* approximate measures.
- heat a pan over medium heat. coat bottom of pan with olive oil. add onions and garlic, and let them sweat until softened.
- add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, parsley, basil, oregano, and bay leaf. stir until tomato paste blends into the sauce. season with salt and sugar to taste.**
**usually, i let the sauce simmer on low for an hour before i use it. it allows the flavors to meld. you can serve it right away if you like.
soup du jour: creamy potato soup September 5, 2006
Posted by hapafood in Soup, potato.add a comment
i love making soups in the fall and winter and how they make you warm all over. this is a favorite of some of my friends and husband. the soup is made creamy without adding cream, and it can be made vegetarian.
serves 4-6 people
4 strips of bacon (or pancetta would be nice) chopped (optional)
4 carrots, diced
1 medium to large onion, chopped
4 ribs of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 C of chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
1 1/2 – 2 lbs red potatoes, cut into large chunks
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper
- heat a soup pot on medium heat. add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. remove the bacon.*
- add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the fat (or oil). season the vegetables with a little bit of salt and pepper. cook until the vegetables are softened.
- add the potatoes and cover with the stock (or water) until the potatoes are just covered. add the bacon and bay leaf. cover the pot and let the soup simmer on medium-low heat until potatoes are fork tender (about 20 minutes). remove bay leaf.
- using a stick blender (or food processor or blender), blend the soup to your desired consistency. season with salt and pepper to taste. serve soup with bacon bits on the top.
* if you are not using bacon, add enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
