Recipes

Green Tea Martini

Makes 2 Drinks

When we took the first sip of this martini we knew it was a winner! It’s a great cocktail to add to your bar list and somewhat addictive in a sense because it’s crisp and fresh. Green tea is healthy and full of antioxidants, so don’t feel bad if you have a few!

1 Tablespoon & 2 Teaspoons Granulated sugar
1 Cup Water
4 Green tea bags
4 Ounces Mandarin flavored vodka
1 Tablespoon & 1 Teaspoon Cointreau or Triple Sec
Juice of one blood orange
Ice cubes
Orange twist
A Cocktail shaker

Place water in a small pot, when boiling, add the sugar and green tea bags. Turn off the heat and steep for 5 minutes. Let cool.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with the vodka, Cointreau or Triple Sec and some ice cubes.

Shake well and strain into 2 Martini glasses.

Garnish with an orange twist.

Wok-Fried Garlic Noodles with Macadamia Nuts

Makes 4 Servings

This is a secret family recipe. Not mine, but from a well-known family restaurant in Los Angeles. These noodles are the bomb! I decoded and re-created their recipe in my kitchen. It took a few visits. Then added a few ingredients that I think make this recipe even better! It’s the finest and most loved dish I make at home. If you wish add sautéed shrimp, diced baked tofu, slivers of barbequed pork and seared Chinese sausage.

1 Pound Thin spaghetti
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
6 Tablespoons Butter or margarine
3 Tablespoons Garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons Maggi seasoning
½ Cup Oyster sauce
1 ½ Teaspoon Chili oil
Cracked Black pepper to taste
2/3 Cup Cilantro, finely minced for garnish
2/3 Cup Scallion, finely minced for garnish
2/3 Cup Macadamia nuts-toasted and coarsely chopped for garnish

Fill a pasta pot or stock pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil, add pasta.

While pasta cooks, heat a large wok over medium heat and add butter and garlic, sauté until golden brown.

When the pasta is al dente, drain in a colander and add pasta to the wok with the garlic and butter tossing carefully to combine.

Then add Maggi, Oyster sauce, black pepper and chili oil. Toss together so strands are well coated. Add more butter if pasta seems dry.

Garnish with minced cilantro, scallions and macadamia nuts stirring well to combine.

Note: Toast macadamia nuts: Heat a non- stick skillet over a medium flame ,add nuts and cook carefully until golden brown, then chop. Toasted nuts can be frozen and used as needed.

Braised Short Ribs in asian jam

Makes 4 servings

Be sure to buy short ribs of equal size so they cook at the same rate. Use a smallish Dutch oven so the short ribs are submerged in sauce while they braise. I like more chili garlic sauce, more on the spicy side.

2 ½ pounds Short ribs- beef, about 8
2 Large Red Onions- thinly sliced
3 Cups Ketchup or Heinz chili sauce
1 ¾ Cup or less Coconut sugar or Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon or more Garlic Chili Sauce- Lee Kum Kee brand
Optional ½ Cup or less Beef, chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Lightly season the short ribs with salt and black pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium flame.

When hot, add the short ribs and brown well on all sides. Remove from the pan; add olive oil and the sliced onions and sauté over a low flame till caramelized.

In a deep sauce pot, heat the chili sauce, adding garlic chili sauce and coconut sugar to spice and sweeten the sauce. Simmer to blend the flavors 5 minutes or so. I like it add the ingredients to sweeten and spice the sauce slowly and I taste it often, to be sure its not too sweet but spiced enough.

Place short ribs in a medium size oven proof container, add enough sauce to keep the ribs submerged and Bake covered in the oven to cook for approximately 1.5 -hours till tender.

Adding stock as needed to keep the meat from drying – don’t add too much because you don’t want the sauce too thin.