QUICK LUNCH

I usually prepare the entire meal myself.  Today, my sister came over for lunch.  We had something else to do so I decided to order some French f

ood from one of my favorite French Restaurants near me.  It turned out fabulous!

I ordered Quenelle- it is like a dumpling made with seafood and the sauce taste like lobster.

Benoit New York Restaurant is an Alain Ducasse Restaurant. I am glad I can order from them on occasion during this pandemic.

Kaboucha Squash Soup

i saw this cooked on TV about a couple of weeks ago and deckded to tey it. it js so delicious so i would like to share it with you: INGREDIENTS 1/4 Kaboucha squash 2 green onions 300 ml dashi * 2 tsp sugar 100 ml Dashi* 1-1/2 TB mirin 1 tsp usukuchi soy sauce First peel Kaboucha squash and slice into cubes Make Dashi:* 300 ml water 1 sq Kombu Bring to boil Then remove kombu Add 100 ml more cold water And bonito flakes Boil next 20 seconds skimming on top or donnot have to. Strain mixture in paper towel lined sieve into bowl Pour back Dashi mkxture in pot and add Kaboucha in saucepan and sugae, mirin and the soy sauce. Cover parchment paper on top Bring to boil until Kaboucha is cooked tender. When cooked cool mixture. Mince the scallions. Pour squash and liquid in a Vitamix or good blemder. process until smooth. Then pour it back in the pan You can add more Dashi, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and salt to adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle minced scallions and serve. in my case i served it with sliced Shiso leaf. makes a good linch accompaniment or first course dining.

Best Cruise Dining Celebrity Edge Le Petit Chef

ONION RINGS with a TWIST

I was watching NHK TV when I saw this in one of their shows.  So Intried it today!  It’s onion rings that can be a full lunch in itself!  They used it for their segment BENTO! 

Today, I decided to have it for lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Large onion (preferably sweet like Vidalia onion

10 strips of bacon thin pork belly

1/2 c flour

1 egg beaten

1/2 c or more of panko

1/2 cup safflower oil for frying

2TB ketchup, 1 TB Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp soy sauce 

Peel and slice onion.  Slice about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick circles.  Remove some lose onion out if the circle to look like a ring.

Thread the bacon through going around the ring of onion wrapping it around covering the onion well with the pork belly.

In separate bowls, put the flour in one of the bowls, beat eggs in the other bowl, and panko on the third ball.

Coat onion ring wrapped with pork in flour first, and then egg? And last in panko.  Make sure it is well coated around.

Heat oil in a small pan .  Once it’s hot, drop the prepared onion rings 2 at a fine.  Fry 3 minutes in each side.  Drain on rack.

Serve with sauce above made with Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

Also can be served with cauliflower rice.

STEAMERS

https://youtu.be/BfjuD9jLrxM

I did this video a while back and for some reason arrived in my email box.

Since it is still summer, I hope you will be able to find this delicacy I love.  I find this in the East Coast mostly in New York.  

If you find fresh ones,  they are easy to prepare.

In a big pot to hold your 1lb or 2 lbs of steamers, add about 2-3 cups of water depending on the amount of steamers you want to cook.  If you have a colander in your pot (steamers pot), put your steamers in that.  Cover and boil for about 5-10 minutes until the clams open.

Remove the steamers to a bowl.  Reserve the broth in a separate bowl.  Pour the broth in separate 1 cup bowls.

Melt half a stick of butter for a pound of steamers and pour the oily part in a small container or dipping bowls.  (In other words only take the clarified butter). 

To serve:  watch the video how to eat it.  Dip the peeled steamer first in the broth to clean of some sand it may have, and then dip it in butter.

I love this in the summer with freshly boiled bi-color corn.  Those are usually sweet!

Have a great appetizer or main meal.  Don’t forget your salad!