Salmon Quiche

Ingredients:

1 round puff pastry (9 inch pie size)
3 shallots, chopped finely
2 tablespoons butter
12 ounces salmon filet, diced in 1/4 inch pieces
4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded cheese - Gruyère, Emmental, or Swiss
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup crème fraîche
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash of cayenne

Directions:

Fit the puff pastry to a 9 inch tart pan. Pierce the bottom with a fork about 15 times. Place the pan in the freeze and chill for at least 20 minutes.

After chilling, prebake the crust in the oven for 12 minutes at 400 F. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least ten minutes before filling.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium sized skillet on low medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently to avoid browning. Add the salmon and heat just until the salmon is cooked through.

Remove from heat and spread the filling in the cooled crust.

Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese.

Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche, salt, pepper and cayenne together until combined. Pour on top of the other ingredients and place the quiche in the oven to bake for 40 minutes at 375 F.

Alison's Rainier Bars

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
1 cup dried fruit, chopped (apricot, prunes, raisins)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Mix oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, sesame seeds, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine vanilla extract, peanut butter, and honey in a separate bowl until they are well mixed. Add peanut butter mixture to oat mixture and stir until dough begins to thicken and dry ingredients are incorporated. Add chopped fruits, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Continue to stir until the dough sticks together in big stiff lumps and is uniformly mixed.

Pour dough into the prepared baking pan. Firmly press dough into the pan until it is compact and uniformly spread.

Baked in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let it cool completely before cutting and serving.

Vietnamese Crispy Noodles (Mi Xao Don)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 quart canola oil
4 tablespoons tapioca starch
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
2 (14 ounce) can chicken broth, more as needed
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small pieces
1 cup brocoli florets, pre-cooked
1 cup straw mushrooms, helved lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Directions:

For the crispy noodles:

On a large platter, untangle and separate the noodles, forming little nests. In a wok, heat the oil. When the oil is hot and bubbly, place about 2 o 3 nests at a time and fry the noodles until crispy and golden. Remove the noodles using a flat strainer and transfer to a platter lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Repeat until all the noodles are deep fried. Set aside.

For the chicken:

Pound the chicken breast using a meat tenderizer mallet. Cut into thin strips. Place the chicken in a bowl. Add red chili powder and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.

Pat dry with paper towel. Spread the chicken on a platter. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons tapioca starch. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a wok. Place the pieces of chicken in the wok. Make sure that the pieces aren't overlapping so they'll become a nice golden color. Saute them over high heat. Add 2 green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a serving plate. Set aside.

For the vegetables:

Add a tablespoon of oil in the same wok. When the oil is hot, add halt the amount of the onions. As the onions become golden, add the carrots. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes. When the color is translucent, season with salt. Add about 1 1/2 cups of water and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the remaining onion wedges and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.

Repeat the same procedure for the bell pepper (add oil if necessary; cook for about 2 minutes). Transfer to a plate. Repeat the same procedure for straw mushrooms and broccoli. Don't overcook the vegetables as they will continue cooking in the sauce later. Set the plate aside.

Assembly time:

In a bowl, dissolve the rest of the tapioca starch in 1 cup of chicken broth. Add soy sauce, rie vinegar, chili garlic and black bean sauces. Set aside.

In the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil. Add the black bean and chili garlic sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Stir-fry until fragrant. Add 1 can of chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Mix in the tapioca misture one more time to prevent the starch from sticking to the bottom of the wok. Add the tapioca liquid to the boiling broth. Continuously stir the broth as it will thicken very quickly. Add the rest of the broth.

Add the vegetables and chicken. Check the texture of the sauce, it should be thick and syrupy. If you find the sauce to be too thick, add up 4 tablespoons of water (or more chicken broth). Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining sliced green onions.

Sprinkle black pepper. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Serve immediately

Recipe by Jacqueline Pham

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Crust
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 F. Combine flour and salt in large bowl; cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumb. Mix in enough cold water with fork until flour is moistened. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a ball; flatten slightly. Wrap in ball in plastic food wrap; refrigerate.

Roll out remaining ball of dough on lightly floured surface into 11 inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into ungreased 9 inch pie plate; unfold dough, pressing firmly against bottom and  sides. Trim crust to 1/2 inch from edge of pan; set aside.

In 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon into crust lined pie plate.

Roll out refrigerated ball of dough on lightly floured surface into 11 inch circle. Gently fold dough into quarters. Place dough over filling; unfold. Trim, seal and crimp or flute edges.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browing. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cantaloupe and Sago in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

1/2 cantaloupe
1/2 cup sago (soak for half an hour)
2 cups water added to half cup thick coconut milk
2 tablespoon sugar (or according to taste)
pinch of salt

Directions:

Put the soaked sago into a pot of water (about 4 cups) and boil until the sago turns trasnparents. Under a cold running tap, pour the sago into a fine mesh sieve and use your fingers to swirl the sago around a few minutes. Pour the sago in a bowl and set aside.

In a pot, add the coconut milk, water, salt and sugar. Under low heat, bring to a boil. Turn off the flame when you see at least 2 bubbles. (Do not boil the coconut milk too long because it will curdle and not look smooth.) Add the sago and stir a bit. Leave it to cool before refrigerating.

Put a few spoonful of the cantaloupe mixture into a dessert bowl, spoon the coconut milk with the sago over the fruit and serve cold.

Honey Walnut Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 ripe/over ripe bananas, mashed up
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar ( you may use less sugar, the cake was a bit too sweet for my taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs (room temperature)
1/4 baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup of flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, add the mashed bananas, butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder and salt.

Mix all the ingredients together, till it's all combined. Don't worry if there's a few banana lumps here and there.

Add the flour and mix it together. You can just hand mix it.

Add 3/4 cup of chopped walnut and fold in with a spatula or wooden spoon. Don't over beat the batter after adding the flour, to keep this bread moist and crumbly.

Pour the batter into a loaf tin and sprinkle the left over nuts over the top.

Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes. Check with a tooth pick to see if the bread is done. If the toothpick comes out clean after poking it through the center of the cake, it's done.

Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut in half
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoon white wine

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken halves, and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken cut side down in a baking dish.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, grated ginger and garlic. Mix well, and pour mixture over chicken. Cover and refrigerated for at least 3 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

4. Bake chicken uncovered in the preheated oven for i hour, basting frequently. Test for doneness, making sure there is no pink left in the meat. Let cool slightly, then cut into smaller pieces to serve.

Recipe by allrecipes.com