Andyboy Cooks!

Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing

 

When I was but a wee lad, my father used to take my sister and me to a Japanese restaurant in Toronto called Tanaka of Tokyo. It was a Benihana style restaurant where the chefs cook the food on a flat top grill that was built into your table. Now while the whizbang magic of the chef was terrific as were the entrees, the real treat for me was a small salad served before the meal that had an exotic, pink hued dressing on it. It was absolutely delicious and was completely foreign to anything else I had eaten as a kid. I've been chasing that recipe down since I started cooking more frequently and I finally came across it about six months ago. What a treat, and so easy to make. I highly recommend trying this one. The recipe is from About.com.

Ginger Salad Dressing


Ingredients:
1/2 cup soybean or canola oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion


Preparation:


Combine all ingredients in an electric blender. Pulse several times, until celery is very finely chopped. Serve with tossed salad. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ahh... the oven roasted potato. So simple yet so delicious, and with so many possibilities. Potatoes, like pizza and pasta, are a terrific canvas for featuring any variety of flavours. Below you'll find the basic recipe for oven roasted potatoes, a healthful alternative to deep fried french fries, but feel free to spruce them up any way you want. You can add curry and cumin powders for curry fries, chili and cumin powders for chili fries, you can add rosemary, thyme or oregano if you like. Anything you can think of you can pretty much do. Personally I like them with rosemary, thyme and lots of cracked pepper. Have fun (recipe from Food Network Kitchens)!

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

3 medium russet potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, scrubbed and dried
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or a neutral tasting oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch freshly cracked black pepper, optional


Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Leaving peel on, cut the potatoes into 6 lengthwise to make long wedges, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch wide. Combine the potatoes, oil, salt and pepper on the baking sheet and toss to combine. (1 less bowl to wash) Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer, so a cut side is in contact with the pan, but evenly spaced so the potatoes aren't touching each other. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Slip a spatula under the potatoes to turn them over and cook for 5 minutes more.

Transfer potatoes to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

I've been trying to dig up some more healthful recipes as I'm starting Body For Life tomorrow and this one seemed perfect. Very little oil is used, and it has lots of vegetables and spice which is what you want when trying to eat right. It worked out really well, and the only change that I made (besides doubling the amount I made) was I cooked the rice a little longer with the lid off at the end and while occasionally stirring it. This cooks off any extra liquid which makes the flavour stronger and gives the rice a dense and sticky consistancy (which I like). This is a recipe you should try - very authentic, very tasty. Recipe from Closet Cooking.

Mexican Rice


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 jalapeno pepper (chopped)
1 cup long grained rice (I used brown long grained rice)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups diced tomatoes with liquid
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onions, garlic, green pepper, jalapeno and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the rice, chicken stock, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and salt and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.