Potato Chips

Potato Chips

Ingredients:

russet potatoes

peanut oil

salt or other seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat oil in fryer to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, slice potatoes very thin (I use a 1/8" ruffle cut on a mandolin).  It is essential to have them cut evenly.  Place sliced potatoes in water until ready to use to prevent them from turning brown.

Before you fry the potatoes, drain the water and place potatoes on a towel.  Remove excess water by rolling the towel.

Place a few potatoes in the fryer (be sure to not overcrowd).  I found that they cook best when fully submerged.  My fryer has a basket that has an up and down position.  When I placed the basket in the up position it was just low enough to keep the potatoes submerged.  If you don't have this option, you will have to flip as you cook.

Cook potatoes until they are slightly tanned.  They should be rigid, not soft and mushy.  If your potatoes are not cut evenly you will see that one side is rigid while the other side is soggy.

When the chips are fully cooked move them to a cooling rack topped with paper towels.  Allow them to cool slightly before adding salt or other seasoning.

Tips:

My favorite chips are sour cream and cheddar and I wanted to try to make something similar.  If I were at the store I would have bought a cheddar popcorn flavoring or something but I wasn't at the store...I had to improvise.  I took the cheese packet out of a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and sprinkled the chips with that.  It wasn't the same, but it was actually better than I expected.  

What flavors do you like on your chips?

Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken Fried Rice

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 c chicken broth or stock

1 c brown rice

2 t oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 c mushrooms, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1-2 chicken breasts, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c frozen peas

2 eggs, scrambled

1/4 c soy sauce

1/4 c rice vinegar

Instructions:

Place broth and rice into a saucepan and bring to a boil; cover and cook 30-45 minutes until rice is tender (broth need not be completely dissolved).

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan heat oil.  Add onion, mushrooms, and carrots and cook until tender.  

Add chicken and garlic; cook until chicken is cooked through.  Add cooked rice and peas.

Push everything in the pan over to one side.  Add the eggs to the free side; stir and cook until cooked through.  

Stir eggs into the rice mixture.  Add soy sauce and vinegar.  

Serve.

Notes:

Fried rice is great because you can really throw in any vegetables that you have around the house.  You can serve it as an entree or side dish.

Sesame Green Beans

My favorite sushi restaurant is in Chesapeake, VA and they make the most amazing sesame spinach dish.  I make a spinach dish but also incorporate the flavors into other vegetables like green beans.

Sesame Green Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 T rice vinegar

2 t sesame oil

1 t sesame seeds

Instructions:

Place a steamer basket in a large pot with 1 inch of water; bring to a boil.

Add green beans to basket, cover, and cook until tender; about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix vinegar and oil.

When beans have cooked through place in a medium bowl.  

Pour vinegar/oil mixture over beans and toss to coat

Top with sesame seeds.

Notes:

Sesame oil is VERY strong.  Add a little bit at a time until you find a taste that you like.

Sushi Salad (4 P+)

I didn't grow up eating seafood and have never been a fan.  I'd take a cheeseburger over a lobster any day of the week.  Seriously...if it wasn't breaded and deep-fried I wouldn't eat anything that came out of the ocean.  I love sunfish, walleye, and almost anything else that we used to catch as kids but that's about as far as it goes.

A few years ago I went to a Japanese restaurant with two friends (at their request).  I ordered some kind of chicken and tasted sushi just to get my friends to stop bothering me about it.  It was AMAZING!!  Sushi is now one of my favorite meals.

I have made sushi for the family and it is good but it can be a lot of work.  This recipe makes it a lot easier.

Sushi Salad

6 servings, 60 minutes

PRINTABLE

Ingredients:

1 cup brown short-grain rice      

2 T rice vinegar      

2 T sugar      

1 T salt      

2 T pickled ginger, finely chopped      

3 green onions, chopped      

1 cucumber, chopped      

1 cup edamame, shelled      

2 t wasabi powder

1 T hot water

2 T soy sauce

1 avocado, sliced

Sushi of choice (crab, tuna, eel, etc)

2 sheets nori, cut into strips

1 T sesame seeds

Instructions:

Prepare rice as instructed on package. 

In a small pan dissolve salt and sugar in rice vinegar over medium heat.  Pour vinegar mixture over rice and mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate until cool.

In a large bowl combine ginger, green onions, cucumber, and edamame. 

In a small bowl combine wasabi powder, water, and soy sauce.  Mix well and pour over rice mixture.  Mix to ensure everything is thoroughly coated. 

Lightly fold in avocado, sushi, and nori. 

Top with sesame seeds.

Notes:

If making this ahead of time, do not put in the avocado, sushi, or nori until serving.

If making this for a crowd don't add the sushi into the salad.  Place bowls of sushi out and let people add the types/amounts that they want.


Leave the sushi out and this could be a great side dish or vegetarian meal.