Teriyaki Sauce

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Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 tsp. packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. honey

1/2 tsp. ground garlic
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

 Preparation:
Combine water, soy sauce, sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic powder in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook until nearly heated through, about 1 minute. 

Mix cornstarch with cold water and stir until dissolved.  Whisk into saucepan ingredients.  Cook and stir sauce until thickened.  Cool.

Shrimp Stir-Fry

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Ingredients:
3/4 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined
Kosher salt
4 oz. sugar snap peas, stringed
4 oz. broccoli spears
1 red bell pepper, peeled and cut into strips
1 green onion, chopped, white and green parts separated

  or 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Preparation:
Put shrimp in medium bowl with 2 cups cold water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse the shrimp and place on paper towel-lined plate.  Pat dry.

Combine chicken stock, wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and crushed red pepper in medium bowl.  Stir until the cornstarch is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Heat wok over high heat for 2 minutes.  Add oil to wok and swirl to coat.  Carefully add the shrimp in a single layer.  Allow to cook for 2 minutes, using a spatula to stir-fry them.  Add garlic, ginger and whites of onion and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add sugar snap peas, broccoli and red bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add the cornstarch mixture and greens of onion and cook until the sauce has thickened.  Transfer stir-fry to a dish and serve with white rice.

Variation:

Eliminate the shrimp and just make stir fried vegetables.

Stir Fried Chicken and Vegetables

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Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
3/4 cup broccoli spears
3/4 cup snow peas
1 small carrot, pealed and grated
8 mushrooms, sliced
6 Tablespoons chicken broth
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon Mongolian Chili Oil

Preparation:
Whisk together 2 Tablespoons broth, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch and sesame oil in medium bowl.  Set sauce aside.  Toss chicken pieces in remaining soy sauce, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to coat in a large bowl.

Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in wok over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Brown chicken about 5 minutes.  Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Add broccoli, snow peas and carrots and remaining chicken broth to wok and cook, covered, until broccoli begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates.  Stir in remaining vegetable oil, bell pepper, and mushrooms and cook until spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add ginger, garlic and chili oil and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes.  Whisk sauce to recombine and add sauce, chicken marinade and chicken to wok.  Cook until thickened.

Serve with cooked white rice.

Sweet Chili Sauce

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Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup rice vinegar

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, grated

1 tsp garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon Hunan Red Chili Sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preparation:

Pour water and vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in sugar, ginger, garlic, chili sauce, and ketchup; simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in cornstarch.  Remove saucepan from stove to cool.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.

History:

I needed a sauce for Trader Joe's shrimp and crab pot stickers.  I created this based on reading several recipes on-line and using the ingredients I had available.

Egg Nog Cream Pie

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Crust:

1/2  recipe Fool Proof Pie Crust

Filling Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups egg nog

5 large egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon Bourbon

2 tablespoons butter

Topping:

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup granulate sugar

Preparation:

Make 1/2 recipe Fool Proof Pie Crust and chill 2 hours up to one day.  Roll out chilled dough and bake at 450˚ for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Place egg yolks in a bowl and whisk lightly.  In separate bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Whisk sugar mixture into yolks until sugar is dissolved.  Place egg nog in medium sauce pan and heat over medium heat until simmering.  Temper egg yolks with egg nog then pour egg yolks into egg nog and whisk until thickened about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla, bourbon and butter. 

Line sheet pan with plastic wrap and pour egg nog mixture into pan and place plastic wrap on surface.  Allow pudding to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer it to the fridge to cool until pie crust is baked and cooled. 

Pour cool pudding into baked pie shell.  Whip cream and 1/4 cup granulated sugar to stiff peaks.  Place into pastry bag fitted with star shaped tip.  Pipe rosettes decoratively onto pudding.  Chill and serve.

History:

I had an abundance of egg nog that needed to be used before it was out of date so I made it into a cream pie.