Yen Family Site

Melon Seed & Almond Horchata
Adapted from The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melon seeds*
1/2 cup raw almonds (with or without skin)
1/2 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)*
zest of one lemon (or lime), grated or finely chopped
6 cups water

Procedure:
Blend melon seeds and almonds in a blender or food processor until finely ground.  Combine ground seeds/nuts with sugar, 4 cups of the water, and the lemon/lime zest.  Let sit overnight or at least 6 hours at room temperature.

The next day, process the mixture in a blender until well blended and milky (about 30 seconds).   Strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or muslin.  Squeeze out all of the liquid from the solids.  Put the seed/nut pulp back into the blender and add 2 cups of water.  Blend until milky, another 30 seconds.  Strain again and squeeze out all of the liquid using your hands.

Chill the horchata and serve over ice. 

* Notes:

The original recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, but I found that to be too sweet.  Add sweetener to taste if you like it sweeter.

You can find melon seeds at most Indian food markets and maybe at Latino markets.

Don't leave out the lemon/lime zest, it really adds something to both the fragrance and the taste!
 

Classic Pizza Sauce
This is the best pizza sauce, it's simple and delicious and is perfect for pizza made with my favourite dough recipe.


Ingredients:

1 large 28oz can whole roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, pressed, pureed, or smashed and finely chopped
2 TB olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  Place the tomatoes in a large, non-reactive bowl. 

2.  With your (clean) hands, crush the tomatoes into medium-size chunks. 

3.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Add more garlic or basil if you like. 

4.  Let sit at room temperature for a few hours. 

When you spoon it onto the pizza dough, use a slotted spoon so that you don't get too much liquid on the pizza.

Don't ask any questions, just try it.  It's brilliant!

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan
(and taken from http://orangette.blogspot.com/)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole, peeled, canned plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices (about one 28-oz. can)
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt, to taste

Instructions:
Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter, and the onion halves in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a very slow but steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free from the tomato. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and salt as needed.

Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta.

I like this with whole-wheat spaghetti but you can use any pasta you like.

I made spicy tuna rolls recently for a party and I used this recipe  They were really, really tasty!  I made my own version of kewpie (aka "QP") mayonnaise using: 1 egg yolk, one whole egg, salt, seasoned rice vinegar and sunflower oil -- it tasted very close to the original!.  Oh yeah, I didn't have the Tenkasu so I left it out but they were good anyway.

MAGURO KARAKUCHI
SPICY TUNA
Taken from http://www.sushilinks.com/sushi-recipes/miso-soup.html

INGREDIENTS
• 1 tsp Chili Paste
You can adjust the 'hot' factor up or down for individual taste. Try to use Sanbal Oelek Chili Paste.
• 2 tbs QP Mayo
Japanese mayo is made with soya oil and rice vinegar - that is compatible with the rice vinegar and soya products found in all sushi recipes. North American mayo's white vinegar presents a contradictory flavour.
• 2 tsp Tobiko
Flying fish roe, Lump fish roe and Capelin (masago) roe are O.K. substitutes but Tobiko is the best.
• 1/2 tsp Mirin
Sweet Japanese Cooking Rice Wine - the amount here will allow you to determine the overall sweetness.
• 2 tbs Negi
Finely chopped green onions.
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest
Adjust the tartness level up or down with this ingredient.
• 3 oz Tuna
May substitute with previously frozen salmon or Hamachi (yellowtail).
• 2 tbs Tenkasu
Crunchy bits of fried tempura batter. A line of Tenkasu adds a delicious textural touch to this mix.

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix all of this together. The mayo cuts the spice somewhat, so if you want it hotter, leave out or reduce the mayo.

THE ROLL
Assemble the roll in the size you like, from small to large, or use in a sushi cone.

For the rice, I used the recipe from the same site and it was the best sushi rice I have ever made:

http://www.sushilinks.com/sushi-recipes/rice.html

Whole chicken
1 Citrus fruit cut in big chunks
1 Onion chopped in big chunks
1 Celery stick cut in long pieces
capers, toasted pine nuts, garlic, rosemary, thyme, olives
Use the food processor to make a coarse chopped paste of the capers, pine nuts, olives and herbs.
Rub this paste under the skin of the chicken.
Stuff the inside of the chicken with citrus, onion and celery
Roast covered at 375 F for about 1  1/4 hours.