Kani Stick Salad

Make this Jap-joint favorite right in your own kitchen. The secret? Don’t settle for regular mayo—make sure to use the Japanese kind.

Serves 2  

Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients:

3 leaves iceberg or leaf lettuce

1/4 cup Japanese (or regular) cucumber

2 kani sticks

3 1/2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise

kani sticks and Japanese mayonnaise for topping   

1 1/2 tablespoons tobiko (fish roe) for topping  

Procedure:

1  Take the lettuce and cucumber and slice thinly to about matchstick-width strips.

2  Cut kani sticks in half lengthwise and break apart into very thin strips.

3  In a bowl, mix together lettuce, cucumber, and kani strips, and mayonnaise in equal parts.

4  Drizzle salad with mayonnaise, and top with kani sticks and tobiko.

Hot Prawn Salad with Mangoes and Pineapple

Featuring crispy prawns and sweet chunks of fruit, this Asian favorite makes for a light yet satisfying lunch. To retain the crunch, fry the prawns just before serving.

Serves 4  

Prep Time 20 minutes  

Cooking Time 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons condensed milk

1/2 cup mango, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

salt and white pepper to taste

1 egg

3/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon salt

10 medium prawns, shelled, deveined with tails left on

oil for deep-frying

6 small romaine lettuce leaves (optional)

Procedure:

1  In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise and condensed milk. Toss in mango cubes and pineapple tidbits. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Chill and set aside.

2  In a small bowl, combine egg, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk until batter becomes smooth. Dip prawns in the batter, one at a time, and deep-fry in preheated oil. Fry a few pieces at a time. Cook prawns just until they turn pink and batter is light golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

3  To serve, arrange lettuce on a platter. Add the fruit-mayonnaise mixture and top with the fried prawns. Alternatively, you may toss the prawns in the mayonnaise mixture then transfer to the platter. Serve immediately.

Curried Vegetables and Sweet Potato Pot Pie

On your next grill night, serve this baked dish as a delicious accompaniment to ribs or steaks. For a heartier take, try tossing in some boneless chicken chunks into the vegetable mix.

Serves 6 to 8  

Prep Time 20 minutes  

Cooking Time 60 minutes

Ingredients:

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed

1 jicama (singkamas), peeled and cubed

1 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 cup vegetable broth

salt and pepper

1 cup milk, warmed

2 tablespoons butter

Procedure:

1  Place sweet potatoes with skin on in a stockpot. Add water to the pot up to an inch above the largest sweet potato. Boil until fork tender and set aside.

2  In preheated pan, heat oil and saute garlic. Add onions, carrots, and jicama; cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in frozen peas. Add flour and curry powder and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in broth and simmer until mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper. 

3  Place the vegetable mixture in a 9x9-inch baking dish and spread evenly.

4  When cool enough to handle, slice the sweet potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh from the skins and into a large bowl. Stir in milk and butter and season with salt. Mash sweet potatoes until well-blended. Spread potatoes over vegetables.

5  If you plan to serve the dish right away, bake the pie, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 375ºF for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is browned.

To freeze: Skip the baking part and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and store in the freezer. 

To reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator then bake, loosely covered, in an oven preheated 350ºF for 1 hour. Uncover and bake again until the top is browned.

Red Rice with Sausage and Peppers

When you need something hearty and fast, try this medley of rice, sausages, and vegetables—it’s so ready in minutes!

Serves 4  

Prep Time 10 minutes  

Cooking Time 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups Hungarian sausage, cut into small pieces

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

1 3/4 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups cooked red rice

Procedure:

1  Heat oil in a large skillet. Add sausages; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp.

2  Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until celery is tender. 

3  Add tomatoes and cook until mixture is slightly thick. Add red rice; toss. Cook until well blended and warmed through.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette

Spinach really ups the iron in this salad. Serve with warm, crusty bread on the side to make it a complete meal.

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:

For the roasted garlic vinaigrette

2 heads roasted garlic 

juice of 2 lemons 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup olive oil 

salt and pepper to taste 

For the salad

2 chicken breasts, patted dry 

1 romaine heart, chopped 

1 cup chopped spinach leaves 

3 tomatoes, seeded and diced 

6 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned 

1/4 cup black olives, sliced into thin rounds 

1/2 cup macaroni, cooked according to package directions, drained, tossed in 1 tablespoon olive oil 

Parmesan shavings

Procedure:

1  Make the vinaigrette: Squeeze garlic into a large bowl. Whisk lemon juice, mustard, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, and sugar into the garlic purée. Drizzle olive oil slowly into the bowl, whisking continuously. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 

2  Make the salad: Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then grill  on a nonstick pan over medium heat until juices run clear. Set aside to cool, then cut into cubes. Combine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, macaroni, and chicken in a large serving bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup dressing, adding more if you prefer. Shave some fresh Parmesan over the salad. Serve immediately, with more dressing on the side. 

Mushroom Herb Ragout Lasagna

A medley of five different herbs takes this savory vegetarian dish up several notches. It's packed with so much flavor, we promise you won’t miss the beef.

Serves 4  

Prep Time 20 minutes  

Cooking Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup white button mushrooms, quartered

1 cup brown mushrooms, quartered

1 cup oyster mushrooms, quartered

2 stalks leek, minced

2 white onions, minced

4 stalks celery, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups (about 1 kilo) canned whole tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons chopped basil

2 tablespoons chopped oregano

2 tablespoons chopped thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups all-purpose cream

6 lasagna sheets, cooked until al dente (no more than 8 minutes)

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

1  Preheat oven to 430ºF. In a sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons oil and brown mushrooms for about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms, add remaining oil, and sauté leeks, onions, celery, and garlic for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms back in. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to mix, then pour in wine.

2  Add tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning as needed.

3  In a 15x8-inch ovenproof dish, lay 3 lasagna sheets. Pour half the mushroom ragout to cover the pasta sheets. Lay 3 more sheets on top and pour the remaining ragout over them.

4  Top with the cheeses and bake, covered, for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until brown. Garnish with chopped parsley. 

Post-baking tip:  Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving to allow it to properly set. 

Triple Decker Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Prefer herbed foccacia or ciabatta? Go ahead and replace the whole-wheat. Great on the side no matter what kind of bread: potato chips or onion rings.

Serves 1 

Prep Time 10 minutes 

Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 slices whole-wheat bread

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

half a zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

half an eggplant, thinly sliced lengthwise

half a red bell pepper, sliced

half a green bell pepper, sliced

2 red onions, sliced

1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme and rosemary, finely minced

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes in oil

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons pesto

Procedure:

1 Spread butter on one side of each bread and toast.

2 Place all vegetables in a big mixing bowl. Pour in oil and minced herbs. Season to taste and toss well together using both hands.

3 Grill vegetables until done and grill marks form. Set aside.

4 In a blender, purée sun dried tomatoes and add lemon juice.

5 Arrange toasted and buttered bread slices in a row. Spread sun dried tomato on the unbuttered side of the first slice. Top with grilled vegetables. Spread pesto on the buttered side of the second slice, and cover the vegetables with this. On this slice, spread sun dried tomato pesto. Top with more grilled vegetables. Spread pesto on the unbuttered side of the third slice and cover the vegetables with this.

6 Place sandwich on a panini griller to warm, or use a toothpick to hold sandwich together.