Well, Mr. Don had to stay in Portland, so couldn't join us for the cooking soiree - but we bit the bullet and forged on! We didn't make everything I would have had there been more of us, but I thot I'd post the best of the best or at least the fun ones for some of you to try maybe.
We've made these Mojitos for a couple of years now and we really enjoy them - especially when it's hot outside.
* Exported from MasterCook *
HO CHI MOJITO
Recipe By :Martin Yan, Quick & Easy
Serving Size : 2
10 fresh mint leaves
2 T. Zippy Ginger Syrup (See Below)
1/4 c light rum
Juice from:
1/2 orange (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 lime (about 1 T.)
1/2 lemon (about 2 T.)
Ice cubes
Club Soda
2 orange slices, for garnish
ZIPPY GINGER SYRUP
Divide the mint leaves between 2 tall glasses (8-10 oz.)
Pour 1 T of the ginger syrup into each glass.
With the handle of a long wooden spoon, gently bruise the mint leaves.
Divide the rum, orange, lime, and lemon juices evenly between the glasses, then add ice cubes and a splash of club soda to each glass.
Stir to blend and garnish each glass with an orange slice.
--------
The ginger syrup I usually only make a half (or quarter) recipe, but it is good on other things and I'm working on using the 'sludge' that's left after straining it, in some ways so I don't have to throw it away - it's so tastey!! So far I'm thinking ice cream/sorbet, or mix in with other goodies and using as a marinade....we'll see.
* Exported from MasterCook *
ZIPPY GINGER SYRUP
1 cup coarsely chopped ginger
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a blender, combine the ginger and 1 cup of the water. Whirl until smooth, then pour into a heavy 2-quart pan. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, let cool, and pour through a strainer into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Makes about 2 cups.
This spicy syrup can be added to fresh fruit for a quick dessert, or mixed with rum for a cocktail. The cayenne pepper intensifies the ginger flavor and gives the syrup dimension.
--------
Crab Rangoons that I normally have are on the sweetish side, but these are definitely savory and really good!! I just made a half recipe of the filling and used it all, but froze half of them.
* Exported from MasterCook *
CRAB RANGOON (Crab Puffs or Seafood Wonton)
Recipe By :Martin Yan
8 Oz. Pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, minced
1 T. fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tsps ginger, minced
1 Tbsp oyster-flavored sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 lb crabmeat, cooked (or imitation)
40 wonton wrappers
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Sweet-and-Sour sauce and/or dipping sauces of choice
Filling: combine the cream cheese, gr. onions, mint, ginger, oyster-flavored sauce, sesame oil, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
Stir in the crabmeat.
To make each puff: place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper.
Brush the edges of the wrapper with water, fold the wrapper over the filling to form a triangle, and press the edges to seal.
Pour oil to a depth of 2" into a 2-qt. saucepan and heat to 350 F. on a deep-frying thermometer.
Working in batches, add the puffs and deep-fry, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 1 minute.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Serve warm with sweet & sour sauce for dipping.
Yield:
"40 pcs"
----
This next recipe is sooooooo bad for us, but it's so good and it's really fun to make. The recipe is incredibly long, as written, but it's mostly rhetoric, the instructions are very easy and it's really fast, after the 30 min. wait for the dough initialy. I also made a half recipe of this and made 3 cakes - froze two of them. Again, these are so bad, but what the heck splurge once in a while. These are really good with a soup.
* Exported from MasterCook *
OILY SCALLION CAKES (corsgyou bing)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup water
10 scallions (depending on their size) -- (10 to 15)
2 tsp. salt -- divided, plus extra for sprinkling when done
3 T. lard -- divided, at room temperature, or peanut oil (if you fear cholesterol)
Peanut oil for frying
Mix the flour and the water together very well; you should get a very stiff dough. Set it aside far at least 30 minutes.
Trim the scallions, then chop them, both white part and green, into very fine pieces, about the size of a match head.
Since the dough for the scallion cakes has to be rolled out, you will need the same kind of a large flat surface that you use for making any other kind of pastry, a large wooden board or tabletop. Prepare the surface on which you are going to roll out the scallion cakes by sprinkling it with the sesame oil. (This serves the same purpose as flour in keeping the dough from sticking.)
Knead the dough for about a minute until it is easy to work with, then separate it into two balls.
Take one ball and roll it out into a rectangle about 8 by 10 inches. (If you are using a rolling pin, make sure to rub it with some sesame oil so that the dough doesn't stick to it. You can also use your hands instead of a rolling pin to press the dough out.)
Sprinkle 1 teaspoonful of the salt over the rectangle of dough. Press the salt into the dough with your fingers.
Spread the lard generously over the dough. (Although you can use a knife to spread the lard, it is easier, though less aesthetic, to do it with your fingers.)
Sprinkle half of the chopped scallions over the rolled-out dough, then roll the dough up like a jelly roll.
Pinch the ends of the roll together so the scallions don't fall out, then divide the roll into three sections, twisting the ends of each segment to keep the filling from falling out. Each piece should be roughly the size of a tennis ball.
Using more salt, lard, and the remaining scallions, do the same thing to the other half of the dough.
Just before you are ready to begin cooking the scallion cakes, take one of the balls and gently flatten it out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. This is the trickiest part of making the scallion cakes, for it is very hard to keep them from breaking open slightly while you are flattening them and letting the scallions escape. (Even Mrs. Chiang has trouble keeping the scallion cakes from bursting while she is pressing them out.) Luckily, it doesn't make too much difference if the cakes split slightly at this point. Make sure that the surface on which you are working is still well oiled.
While the first cake is cooking, you can press out the next. (You can't really flatten them all out in advance, because it is not a good idea to handle them very much before you cook them.)
COOKING
Heat a regular flat frying pan over a moderate flame and fill it with ΒΌ inch of oil. When the oil is quite hot and has just begun to smoke, put in the first scallion cake. Let the cake fry for about 3 minutes on each side, until it has turned golden brown and become quite crisp. Remove the fried cake from the hot oil and let it drain on some paper towels. Fry all the other scallion cakes in the same way.
Serve each scallion cake cut into 8 wedge-shaped pieces. (Since the cake is so crisp, it may be easier to cut with a cleaver than with a regular knife.)
Note: Although there is plenty of salt inside the scallion cakes, they are especially delicious if you salt them after they have been fried.
Serving Ideas : ------
Since Oily Scallion Cakes were originally a street food, they have no special place in a Szechwanese meal. We serve them either as the final, devastating course of a larger meal or else separately with drinks. They aren't hard to make, and require no special Oriental ingredients. Leftover scallion cakes tend to become soggy; luckily, a few minutes in a moderate oven is all that is needed to resuscitate them.
-------
The Hot and Sour soup recipe I made suggested serving these cakes with the soup as a main course for an informal dinner.
So, that's what I did with my Easter Sunday - but, the mojitas kept me going!
We've made these Mojitos for a couple of years now and we really enjoy them - especially when it's hot outside.
* Exported from MasterCook *
HO CHI MOJITO
Recipe By :Martin Yan, Quick & Easy
Serving Size : 2
10 fresh mint leaves
2 T. Zippy Ginger Syrup (See Below)
1/4 c light rum
Juice from:
1/2 orange (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 lime (about 1 T.)
1/2 lemon (about 2 T.)
Ice cubes
Club Soda
2 orange slices, for garnish
ZIPPY GINGER SYRUP
Divide the mint leaves between 2 tall glasses (8-10 oz.)
Pour 1 T of the ginger syrup into each glass.
With the handle of a long wooden spoon, gently bruise the mint leaves.
Divide the rum, orange, lime, and lemon juices evenly between the glasses, then add ice cubes and a splash of club soda to each glass.
Stir to blend and garnish each glass with an orange slice.
--------
The ginger syrup I usually only make a half (or quarter) recipe, but it is good on other things and I'm working on using the 'sludge' that's left after straining it, in some ways so I don't have to throw it away - it's so tastey!! So far I'm thinking ice cream/sorbet, or mix in with other goodies and using as a marinade....we'll see.
* Exported from MasterCook *
ZIPPY GINGER SYRUP
1 cup coarsely chopped ginger
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a blender, combine the ginger and 1 cup of the water. Whirl until smooth, then pour into a heavy 2-quart pan. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, let cool, and pour through a strainer into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Makes about 2 cups.
This spicy syrup can be added to fresh fruit for a quick dessert, or mixed with rum for a cocktail. The cayenne pepper intensifies the ginger flavor and gives the syrup dimension.
--------
Crab Rangoons that I normally have are on the sweetish side, but these are definitely savory and really good!! I just made a half recipe of the filling and used it all, but froze half of them.
* Exported from MasterCook *
CRAB RANGOON (Crab Puffs or Seafood Wonton)
Recipe By :Martin Yan
8 Oz. Pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, minced
1 T. fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tsps ginger, minced
1 Tbsp oyster-flavored sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 lb crabmeat, cooked (or imitation)
40 wonton wrappers
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Sweet-and-Sour sauce and/or dipping sauces of choice
Filling: combine the cream cheese, gr. onions, mint, ginger, oyster-flavored sauce, sesame oil, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
Stir in the crabmeat.
To make each puff: place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper.
Brush the edges of the wrapper with water, fold the wrapper over the filling to form a triangle, and press the edges to seal.
Pour oil to a depth of 2" into a 2-qt. saucepan and heat to 350 F. on a deep-frying thermometer.
Working in batches, add the puffs and deep-fry, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 1 minute.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Serve warm with sweet & sour sauce for dipping.
Yield:
"40 pcs"
----
This next recipe is sooooooo bad for us, but it's so good and it's really fun to make. The recipe is incredibly long, as written, but it's mostly rhetoric, the instructions are very easy and it's really fast, after the 30 min. wait for the dough initialy. I also made a half recipe of this and made 3 cakes - froze two of them. Again, these are so bad, but what the heck splurge once in a while. These are really good with a soup.
* Exported from MasterCook *
OILY SCALLION CAKES (corsgyou bing)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup water
10 scallions (depending on their size) -- (10 to 15)
2 tsp. salt -- divided, plus extra for sprinkling when done
3 T. lard -- divided, at room temperature, or peanut oil (if you fear cholesterol)
Peanut oil for frying
Mix the flour and the water together very well; you should get a very stiff dough. Set it aside far at least 30 minutes.
Trim the scallions, then chop them, both white part and green, into very fine pieces, about the size of a match head.
Since the dough for the scallion cakes has to be rolled out, you will need the same kind of a large flat surface that you use for making any other kind of pastry, a large wooden board or tabletop. Prepare the surface on which you are going to roll out the scallion cakes by sprinkling it with the sesame oil. (This serves the same purpose as flour in keeping the dough from sticking.)
Knead the dough for about a minute until it is easy to work with, then separate it into two balls.
Take one ball and roll it out into a rectangle about 8 by 10 inches. (If you are using a rolling pin, make sure to rub it with some sesame oil so that the dough doesn't stick to it. You can also use your hands instead of a rolling pin to press the dough out.)
Sprinkle 1 teaspoonful of the salt over the rectangle of dough. Press the salt into the dough with your fingers.
Spread the lard generously over the dough. (Although you can use a knife to spread the lard, it is easier, though less aesthetic, to do it with your fingers.)
Sprinkle half of the chopped scallions over the rolled-out dough, then roll the dough up like a jelly roll.
Pinch the ends of the roll together so the scallions don't fall out, then divide the roll into three sections, twisting the ends of each segment to keep the filling from falling out. Each piece should be roughly the size of a tennis ball.
Using more salt, lard, and the remaining scallions, do the same thing to the other half of the dough.
Just before you are ready to begin cooking the scallion cakes, take one of the balls and gently flatten it out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. This is the trickiest part of making the scallion cakes, for it is very hard to keep them from breaking open slightly while you are flattening them and letting the scallions escape. (Even Mrs. Chiang has trouble keeping the scallion cakes from bursting while she is pressing them out.) Luckily, it doesn't make too much difference if the cakes split slightly at this point. Make sure that the surface on which you are working is still well oiled.
While the first cake is cooking, you can press out the next. (You can't really flatten them all out in advance, because it is not a good idea to handle them very much before you cook them.)
COOKING
Heat a regular flat frying pan over a moderate flame and fill it with ΒΌ inch of oil. When the oil is quite hot and has just begun to smoke, put in the first scallion cake. Let the cake fry for about 3 minutes on each side, until it has turned golden brown and become quite crisp. Remove the fried cake from the hot oil and let it drain on some paper towels. Fry all the other scallion cakes in the same way.
Serve each scallion cake cut into 8 wedge-shaped pieces. (Since the cake is so crisp, it may be easier to cut with a cleaver than with a regular knife.)
Note: Although there is plenty of salt inside the scallion cakes, they are especially delicious if you salt them after they have been fried.
Serving Ideas : ------
Since Oily Scallion Cakes were originally a street food, they have no special place in a Szechwanese meal. We serve them either as the final, devastating course of a larger meal or else separately with drinks. They aren't hard to make, and require no special Oriental ingredients. Leftover scallion cakes tend to become soggy; luckily, a few minutes in a moderate oven is all that is needed to resuscitate them.
-------
The Hot and Sour soup recipe I made suggested serving these cakes with the soup as a main course for an informal dinner.
So, that's what I did with my Easter Sunday - but, the mojitas kept me going!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com
Everything sounds wonderful! I LOVE Crab Rangoon! I haven't made them myself yet but I've collected a thousand recipes for them! 
Oh, and the mojitos sound really interesting too! I just might have to give those a try.
