Namasu

So we've been doing bento (or more like I've been doing bento) of late. Bento means box in Japanese, but its used to refer to lunch boxes. Sometimes they're kawaii (cute) but that's sorta hit & miss at times.

I just made up a batch of Namasu, a salad/pickle of Japanese origin that's made with Daikon & Carrots. It involves NO cooking so its actually not hard to make, you just need to make it in advance as it needs a few hours/overnight to set up. It keeps for a week or more so you can make it on the weekend & use it later.



3 Cups Daikon, finely julianned
1 Cup Carrot, finely julianned
1 Tbs Salt (Sea Salt works best)
2 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Vineger (rice wine vinegar if you have it)
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
*1/2 Cup dried fruit, finely diced (if desired)

Finely julianne the Carrots & Daikon. By finely, I mean as fine as you can do it without cutting yourself. Remember to go WITH the grain of the vegetable for the best crispy taste.

Add the Salt to the julianned veggies. Mix by hand, making sure to work the salt in. Squeeze, by the handful, to remove as much liquid as possible. Once you've drained 1 handful place in a separate bowl. This is the bowl you'll store it in so make sure it has a lid that fits tightly.

This is the amount of liquid I squeezed out by hand so expect a lot of liquid.

Once all the liquid is squeezed out, mix in the sugar, vinegar & lemon juice with the drained veggies. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. *IF you're using dried fruit NOW is the time to add it. Make sure it is finely chopped, like with a food processor.*

Wrap or cover tightly & store in the fridge for several hours, or overnight for best flavor.

While it technically is a pickle due to the vinegar it shouldn't come out too sour or salty or sweet so you can use it as a regular side dish like a salad if desired.

Laridi Coctura (Bacon with Dill)

As excerpted from "De Re Coquinaria" by Apicius - the oldest cookbook known to man, and over 2000 years old.

8 thick slices Bacon, very little fat
1/2 cup Water
1/2 teaspoon Dill

In a frying pan, barely cover the bacon with water. Season with dill. Fry the bacon, but do NOT allow to crisp. If desired, serve with a sprinkling of olive oil and salt to taste.

Bacon Candy

1lb Bacon
Brown Sugar

Slice bacon in to 2" long pieces. Dredge through brown sugar, flip, and dredge again. Place on rack over a drip pan, and broil in a hot oven until crisp. Let cool about 5 minutes, then transfer bacon from rack to clean plate. Let cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Cazzilli (Fried Potato Croquettes)

1 kilo (2 pounds) Potatoes
1 sprig Parsley, chopped
1 tsp Fennel Seed
Vegetable Oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste
3 Eggs

Boil the potatoes in salted water, peel, mash, and then pass through a vegetable mill. Put the potato puree into a bowl, add salt, pepper, parsley and fennel. Mix in the egg yolks, one at a time. Grease the palm of one hand with a little oil and shape the croquettes into little cylinders. Deep fry to golden brown in hot oil. Drain and serve immediately.

Green Beans & Mushrooms

2 cans Green Beans (or 2 pkgs Frozen French Style Green Beans)
1 6oz can Mushrooms, sliced
1 5oz can Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)
1 Tbls Milk
1/4 tsp Salt
dash of Pepper
2 Tbls Flour
2 Tbls Onion, chopped
1 cup Sour Cream
1 8oz pkg Swiss Cheese, grated
Corn Flakes, crushed

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease casserole dish. Cook green beans as directed. Drain well. Combine butter, flour, salt,pepper, onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts (if used), and sour cream. Mix lightly with green beans. Place mixture in casserole dish. Top with grated cheese; sprinkle with corn flakes. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 8.

Green Bean Casserole

1 can Green Beans
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Fried Onions (French's)

Preheat oven 350F. Lightly grease casserole dish. Combine beans, soup and half of onion rings. Pour into casserole dish, Top with remaining onion rings. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot.

Potato Salad

This recipe will produce a large amount, good for shop get togethers, or family bar-b-ques.

10 lbs potatoes, washed and scrubbed, with peels on
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 can (15oz) black olives, drained and finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, very finely chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, cooled and well chopped
1 jar kosher dill spears, chopped (sub flavor of your choice, and tweak amount if desired)
Pickle juice
Mayonnaise (can use Miracle Whip for a bigger tang)
Mustard


Wash and scrub potatoes. Boil for about an hour, over medium-high heat, until easily pricked by a fork. Drain and slightly cool potatoes. Peel the potatoes. (Yes, it will get messy, make sure to protect your hands from the potatoes, they'll still be quite hot inside - I use an oven mitt to hold the potato while peeling with the other hand. Also, I suggest using the blunt side of a butter knife to peel the skin, rather than using an actual peeler.) Cut each potato into 1/4 inch, bite-size pieces.

Mix in each ingredient, one at a time (excluding pickle juice, mayonnaise, and mustard). When all dry ingredients are mixed, add 2-4 Tbs Pickle juice, 1/2-1 cup Mayonnaise, and 1/2 cup Mustard. Mix gently into potato mix one at a time. Feel free to add or subtract amounts to suit your tastes.

Chill for 4+ hours, or overnight. Serve and enjoy.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

Known in my family as "Green Rice". Believe me, it will be GREEN when you're done, as it should be.

1/2 cup Chopped Onion
2Tbs. Butter/Margarine, divided
2 Cups Hot, cooked Long-grain Rice
1 Can (10 3/4 oz) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Cream of Chicken can be used)
2 Cups Fresh Broccoli (10oz. Frozen Broccoli can be used, though I prefer fresh), Cooked and well drained
1 jar (8 oz.) Cheese Sauce (or, 8 oz chopped Velvetta block)
1/2 cup fresh Bread Crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Cook and stir onion in 1Tbs butter, in large skillet on medium heat, until tender. Add rice, soup, broccoli and cheese; mix lightly. Melt remaining butter in small pan, stir in breadcrumbs and set aside. Spoon rice mix into 1 ½ Quart casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, until heated through. Serve.

Tip, if you’re making this for use at a gathering (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter…etc), you can make it a day in advance and refrigerate without heating. Just put it in the oven on the day, and heat through. This also freezes well, up to 3 months.

Squash Casserole

1 medium chopped bell pepper
4 med-large yellow squash
4 oz jar chopped pimentos
10 3/4 oz can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 grated carrots
1 large chopped onion
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

Steam squash, drain and mash. Mix well with other ingredients. Spray 9x13 pan or deep round baking dish with Pam. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.

This recipe also tastes great using lowfat ingredients such as light margarine, fat-free yogurt and reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken soup.

Scalloped Corn-Broccoli Casserole

1 16 ounce can cream-style corn
1 10 ounce pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed I use 2 cups fresh broccoli, boiled for about 10 minutes
1/2 - 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, divided You can also use crushed crackers though I prefer herbed breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion You can use more or less, or even scallions if prefered
dash of Pepper I prefer freshly ground
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

In a bowl, combine corn, broccoli, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, egg, onion and pepper. Place in a greased 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Combine butter and remaining breadcrumbs, sprinkle on top. Cover and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.