A little barley goes a long way to beef up a soup or vegetablesUse it instead of high-carb pasta, potatoes or rice

Tired of potatoes, rice, and pasta? Looking for another carb with some nutritional clout? Try barley. When cooked, barley has a soft but slightly crunchy texture. When added to soups, it makes them creamy. It is a great base for a pilaf.

Barley has a long history. Part of the human diet for several thousand years, it was one of the first grains to be cultivated. Then, as now, it was brewed to make beer as well as eaten in other forms. It is high in fiber, and recent studies have shown that barley has cholesterol-lowering properties similar to those of oats.

Don't be discouraged from using barley, or any dried grains, because they need soaking first. There is a "quick method" for soaking the barley, described below. You can then use it in any recipe calling for soaked barley.

Pearl barley is the one most often found in the dried bean section. "Pearl" refers to the kernel that remains after the tough outer hull has been polished away. A 1-pound package of dried barley (about 2 cups) costs less than $1. When soaked, it yields approximately 6 cups. Prepare the entire package, then freeze the extra barley for use later. Store it in plastic bags in 1-cup portions and defrost before cooking.

Mushroom barley soup is a soothing companion on a cold day. Most mushroom barley soups use meat, beef stock, and common white mushrooms. A vegetarian version can be just as "meaty," however. Soak dried mushrooms in water to rehydrate them. Save the soaking liquid for a flavorful stock. Fresh mushrooms cut into thick slices provide heft and flavor. The barley gives the soup a velvety consistency.

For a quick dinner, pull a few cups of barley from the freezer before you leave for work. When you get home, saute a mix of onions, dried cranberries, and vegetables (mixed frozen are fine) in a little oil. Spice it up with a little curry, toss in the cooked barley, and you have a colorful, nutritious dish.

Four-mushroom and barley soup 1/29/2004

3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (1 1/2 ounces)
8 -10 dried shiitake mushrooms
6 cups water
3 1/2 -4 cups soaked barley (quick method)
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 4 slices
1/2 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 4-5 slices
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place porcini and shiitake mushrooms in separate bowls, each one large enough to hold 3 cups of liquid. Add about 2 1/2 cups of warm water to each bowl and let sit until mushrooms soften. Dried shiitake mushrooms need 30 minutes to an hour or more to soften, depending on thickness. Dried shiitake mushrooms are more flavorful than fresh.
2. Prepare pearl barley according to quick method: Put 1 pound of barley and 6 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Let boil for two minutes and turn off the heat. Cover and let soak for one hour. Drain and reserve barley.
3. Remove mushrooms from liquid and rinse under running water. Reserve the liquid. Roughly chop the porcini. Remove stems from the shiitake and cut each into several pieces.
4. Take reserved mushroom liquid and strain through a paper coffee filter or double thickness of paper towel. You will have about 4 cups. Add water to make 6 cups of stock.
5. Heat oil in a pot and saute onions and carrots for five minutes.
6. Add chopped shiitake and porcini. Saute an additional 3 minutes.
7. Add mushroom stock to the mixture. Heat until just beginning to boil.
8. Lower heat and add barley. Simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Add sliced fresh mushrooms and cook an additional 15-20 minutes. Add water if necessary.
10. Season to taste.

Note: Trader Joe's carries a product called Mushroom Medley in the frozen food section. It comes in 1-pound bags for $3.69 and it works well in this soup. Use as you would the fresh mushrooms. No need to do any cutting.

Easy peanut sauce will perk up a salad, appetizer, or entreeIt's great as a base for meat, vegetables, tofu

Burlington's Elsa Tian is a lively lady of 70 and a superb, instinctive cook. Elsa and her husband, Jan, immigrated to the United States 38 years ago from Jakarta, Indonesia. Elsa loves to share her cooking with friends.

One day last month, she dropped off some of her wonderful peanut sauce, and over the next few weeks I was dipping into it to enhance all sorts of dishes.

"Americans like peanut butter, which is why Americans love this sauce so much," she said as she dipped a carrot into the thick paste. "It's a great base for many different types of food: chicken, tofu, noodles, vegetables, salads -- anything you like."

The secret to this sauce is freshly ground peanut butter, available at most supermarket deli counters and health food stores, where sometimes you can even grind your own.

"That way, there are no sweeteners or preservatives and you can sweeten and spice it up as you like," Elsa said.

The base has few ingredients and takes no more than 10 minutes to make. You enhance it depending on the type of food with which it will be paired. For salad dressings, thin it with water, plain yogurt, or coconut milk and spice it up with red pepper paste and vinegar. For grilled chicken, add depth with anchovy paste. For noodles and satays, infuse salty sweetness with soy sauce and brown sugar.

The sauce is cooked on top of the stove for a few minutes, and will keep for at least a month in a covered container in the refrigerator.

As Elsa prepared the sauce and added water to the thick peanut butter, she cautioned not to mix it too much: "The sauce thickens the more you stir it, so just mix until everything is blended."

While making the dressing for her signature dish, the gorgeous Indonesian mixed salad Gado Gado, she diluted several tablespoons of the peanut sauce with vinegar and a bit of water. In goes an eye-watering amount of red chili paste, sambal oelek, available in most supermarkets in the Asian food section or at Asian groceries.

"This is how most Indonesians like it," she said with a mischievous grin. Indeed! The tears surface immediately in a taste test. If you don't have hot pepper paste, Tabasco sauce is a reasonable substitute.

This is a great sauce to have on hand, like a basic black dress or a white button-down shirt in the closet. The recipes below give some ideas, but if a soup needs a little something, if your pasta is too plain, or if you find your stew lacking, dip in and spoon out a little magic.

Peanut sauce base 1/22/2004

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups fresh peanut butter
1 cup water or coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
5 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons whitecider vinegar or limejuice
1 teaspoon hot peppersauce or a few dashesof Tabasco sauce

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the minced garlic. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds and turn off the heat.
2. Add the peanut butter, water or coconut milk, brown and white sugars, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce.
3. Turn on the heat to low-medium and stir until everything ismixed and just hot. Do not boil the sauce.
4. Cool the sauce and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to onemonth.

Fried shallots 1/22/2004

3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil

1. Heat the oil and add the shallots.
2. Stir and cook on medium-low heat until the shallots get dark and crispy, about 10 minutes.
3. Drain on paper towels.

Chicken, beef, or pork satay 1/22/2004

3 tablespoons peanut sauce base
1 chopped tomato
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 pound boneless chicken, pork, or beef (sirloin or flank) cut into one-inch cubes (about 20 cubes)
Bamboo skewers soaked inwater for 30 minutes

1. Mix cut-up meat with marinade. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Place several pieces of marinated meat on soaked bamboo skewers (wrap exposed end of skewer in aluminum foil).
3. Grill on a barbecue or under the oven broiler for 3 minutes per side.
4. Serve with dipping sauce (see accompanying recipe).

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

4 tablespoons peanut sauce base
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Hot pepper paste to taste

2 to 3 teaspoons lime juice(key limes if you can get them)

1. Mix all ingredients together to a dipping consistency. Makes 1/2 cup.
2. Dipping sauce can be thinned with a few tablespoons of water, coconut milk, or yogurt.

Gado Gado Indonesian salad 1/22/2004

This is humble fare in Indonesia, often sold by street vendors. Serve as a first course or as a meal with a bowl of white rice. Most of the vegetables are blanched to maintain their color and crunch. Serves 6 to 8

1/2 pound green beans, tips removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
10 to 16 ounces spinach leaves (bags of baby spinach make this a breeze)
2 cups bean sprouts
2 carrots, julienned
4 potatoes, cooked and sliced
1/4 cabbage, core removed
4 eggs, hardboiled and cut into sixths
1/2 seedless cucumber cut into 1/4-inch slices
Fried shallots (see accompanying recipe)

1. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the green beans, spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, and cabbage individually for two or three minutes. Remove each vegetable with a slotted spoon, dip into cold water, and drain thoroughly.
2. On a large platter, arrange the vegetables in layers, starting with the cabbage at the bottom. Spread out and group vegetables in an attractive pattern.
3. Sprinkle on fried shallots.
4. Serve with peanut sauce dressing

Gado Gado dressing

1/2 cup peanut sauce base
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 to 5 tablespoons water or coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons anchovypaste (optional)

1. Place the peanut sauce base in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix slowly until blended. Adjust seasonings to your taste. The consistency is like that ofa salad dressing. Try not to over-mix.

Vegetable dip 1/22/2004

Makes 1/2 cup.

3 tablespoons peanut sauce base
1/2 cup plain yogurt (full or lowfat)

1. Mix and serve with fresh vegetables.

A little bit of everything goes a long way

Don't pity the poor antipasto. According to Lynne Rosetto Kaspar, author of "The Italian Country Table" (Scribner), even though its origins are in peasant cuisine, many of the dishes, developed from leftovers, have now become antipasti, often translated as appetizers. The word "appetizer," however, barely does justice to the long list of antipasti at restaurants in Italy or to their sumptuous display on plain white platters. Antipasti can be so varied and elaborate that they can be a meal in themselves. The possibilities are endless: tidbits of seafood tossed with olive oil, garlic, and parsley; prosciutto in swirls like petals; a humble bowl of white beans in a warm bath of garlic, olive oil, and parsley; a rainbow of grilled peppers; plates of silvery anchovies; mixed olives in spices; a hunk of parmesan cheese shaved and served over bitter arugula with a drizzling of balsamic vinegar. Regional specialties also are varied. One of northern Italy's most famous contributions to the antipasto table is mortadella, which has morphed into an American lunch meat named after Bologna, the region's largest city. A single platter of mortadella, the fully cooked sausage meat studded with squares of fat and special spices, can stand alone as an antipasto.

The magazine La Cucina Italiana (published by Editrice Quadratum SpA, available in English), devotes a section to antipasti. The recipes can be hot or cold, simple or elaborate. A simple one is the half loaf of bread left over from one meal that makes its way to the table the next night as the base of a bruschetta: toasted bread with olive oil and a rub of garlic, a tomato slice, and an anchovy filet.
In many Italian restaurants in America, a single platter with smatterings of the above are nestled atop a bed of greens, like a salad served family-style. In Italy, you may see the antipasti table as you enter and tell the waiter your choices, which are then brought to your table on small plates.

With all the heavy meals and rich foods available during the holiday season, an antipasti buffet can be a welcome alternative. Instead of laying out a large platter, try small plates with multiple offerings for a palette-like effect and a dazzling presentation. Don't shy away from prepared foods. High-quality canned goods like artichokes, tuna in oil, and beans can help keep cooking to a minimum.
For a dressing, drizzle extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a twist of fresh black pepper on your selections. Let the food speak for itself. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread and a glass of red wine. The recipes here will serve 6-8. Buon apetito.

For dinner, too, eggs are a reliable comfort food

They're baaaack! Eggs that is. Denigrated for being high in cholesterol, eggs seem to be regaining their Grade A status. Sunnyside up or down, there is no more throwing away the yolk and making that pale substitute: an egg-white omelet. Diets like Atkins and South Beach tout protein, protein, and more protein.
We all know eggs are a good source of protein, but did you know the yolk is also an excellent source of lutein? Lutein is a caratenoid, often found in plants (carrots and tomatoes), and is famous for helping us maintain healthy eyes.

Scrambled, fried, and poached eggs are old friends at breakfast and brunch. Sometimes they show up for lunch as a salad -- or in a salad -- or at a party, deviled. But dinner?
For those of us who never fell out of love with eggs, there is nothing more comforting than a plate of scrambled eggs, day or night. When you just can't face making another meal, or when the cupboards are almost bare, how about having a backward day? Breakfast for dinner. You can elevate a humble plate of scrambled eggs to dinner fare by adding just a few ingredients.

In my Jewish family when I grew up, there was always a big, fat Hebrew National Kosher salami in the fridge -- and on Sunday mornings, a half-pound of lox wrapped in deli paper for the bagels. When my mother needed a break during the week, my dad would make my brothers and me salami and eggs, or lox, eggs, and onions for dinner. Shaking the pan back and forth over the heat, he loosened the half-cooked mixture and flipped it in the air, delighting us as it fell back in the pan perfectly whole.
Served with deli mustard and seeded rye toast, it was a real treat. It still is.


Eggs with lox and onions
Serves 4


1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound smoked salmon slices
6-8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Pepper to taste

1. In a large frying pan, melt the butter. Add the diced onions and saute for 5 minutes, until onions begin to get translucent.
2. Cut the lox into thread-like pieces, though not too thin. Add to the onion mixture and fry for about one minute, stirring constantly. The lox will begin to turn pale.
3. Beat eggs in a bowl and add pepper. Pour over lox mixture.
4. Here is where personal preference comes in: You can either toss the eggs about as though you are making scrambled eggs, or let the eggs set over the salmon mixture like a pancake and flip to just set the other side.
4. Serve with rye toast.



Salami and eggs
Serves 4.
Add a salad and you have a complete meal.

8-12 quarter-inch-thick slices of kosher salami, or any salami you like (preferably cut directly from the individual logs). Use as many slices as you need to fit them comfortably in a single layer in a large frying pan
6-8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk (optional)
Salt and pepper
Scant tablespoon of oil

1. Beat 6 eggs in a bowl. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper. To make the eggs fluffier, add the quarter cup of milk (omit the milk if you are kosher).
2. Drizzle oil into a large frying pan and heat for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the salami slices to the pan in concentric circles with the last piece in dead center.
4. Fry the salami for about one minute on each side until brown.
5. Pour the eggs over the salami slices, tilting the pan in circles until all the spaces are filled in with the eggs.
6. Cook the eggs until they begin to set. Run a metal spatula around the edges of the eggs and toward the center, loosening the round.
7. Carefully turn the salami and eggs over. If you don't think you can do it in one piece, cut it into quarters and turn each individually. Cook for an additional minute or two, depending on how firm you like your eggs.
8. Serve with deli mustard and rye toast.

Along with your cod, a side of controversy

The North Atlantic cod is the fish for which Boston is famous, the one after which the Cape is named, the main ingredient in our fish chowder. According to Mark Kurlansky, author of "Cod, a Biography of the Fish that Changed the World" (Penguin), the control of cod also has led to war and prosperity. Long before explorers from Northern Europe came looking for it in the 15th century, it was a dietary staple for Native Americans in this region.

These days, cod is again at the center of a clash, this time between scientists and fishermen; both want to preserve cod stocks, but they cannot agree yet on how to solve the problem. While some cod stocks are coming back, their numbers remain at or near historic lows.

Meanwhile, cod is still in fish markets and at seafood counters and is the all-purpose white fish. It's firm-fleshed and versatile, not "fishy" in flavor or smell, and stands up well to all methods of cooking. Even people who normally don't like fish like cod. Cod liver oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids and natural Vitamin D, and is touted for its nutritional value. When salted and dried, it is known as salt cod or bacalao and is found in many Mediterranean cuisines. For example, a dish using salted cod is a Christmas tradition in Italy.

Marty Hagerty has been working around fish for a long time. His dad opened Fresh Pond Seafood, the unassuming fish store just off the rotary at Route 16 and Concord Avenue in Cambridge, more than 25 years ago. Weathered gray shingles and a sinking roof might make you think this store is closed, but Hagerty's large signs tell you otherwise.

His hands are red from cutting cold fish. He holds up a whole cod he picked up that morning at the fish auction on the Boston pier, a daily event.
"We cut most of the fish here," he says, as he deftly draws his filet knife along the spine, creating two long filets. He then slips the knife between skin and flesh, and scrapes as he removes the skin and cuts the filet into smaller hunks. The thicker end becomes a "hotel" cut good for baking. The thinner ends are good for broiling and chowder. "I like it with some breadcrumbs, buttered and baked," Hagerty says.

Then there is "scrod." According to Hagerty, any cod from 22 inches to 4 pounds is "scrod cod." Anything weighing 4 to 10 pounds is "market cod," and anything larger than 10 pounds is "large cod."
Max Harvey, seafood manager and buyer for Jasper White's Summer Shack, says "scrod could be haddock, cod, pollack, or hake," adding that "the very best cod is caught with long lines off Cape Cod."

Harvey likes the taste and texture of cod and enjoys roasting the smaller ones whole at home. He stuffs them with herbs and vegetables, or roasts the "loins" wrapped in bacon. Harvey says fresh cod will keep for two or three days, wrapped well and stored in the back of the refrigerator.
"If you want to get picky, put a plastic bag of ice on top of the fish," he instructs.

© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.

Cod simmered in fresh tomato sauce

1 pound cod, cut into 4 pieces
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
5 or 6 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped (no need to remove skins or seeds)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and stem removed.

1. Sprinkle the pieces of cod with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a medium-size skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and basil, and a little salt and pepper. Saute until onions are soft.
3. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, sugar, parsley, and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook about 8 minutes on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.
4. Nestle the pieces of cod into the tomato sauce, spooning sauce over the fish.
5. Cook 8-10 minutes until the fish is white.
6. Place spinach on top of the fish and cover. Cook until spinach has wilted over the cod, about 2 minutes.
7. Serve with slices of French or Italian bread, for soaking up the sauce.

Fish chowder

Like many chowders, this soup tastes even better the next day.
Serves 8.

5 slices bacon, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium onions or 1 large onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
3-4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour plus 3 tablespoons water
2 pounds thick cod, scrod, haddock fillets, cut into 3- or 4-inch chunks
2 cups light cream or milk (preferably not skim milk)
salt and pepper to taste
diced bacon and fresh parsley for garnish

1. Place bacon in a large pot and cook until almost crisp. You will have rendered about 2-3 tablespoons bacon fat.
2. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. Add the butter and chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just slightly undercooked.
5. Mix the flour and water in a jar and shake until well mixed. Slowly add to the stock and heat until stock begins to thicken, approximately 2 minutes.
6. Place the chunks of fish into the thickened stock and cook for about 8 minutes until the fish turns white.
7. Add the cream or milk and stir carefully so as not to break up the fish. Heat the soup until hot and steaming but do not bring to a boil. Turn off and let sit 15 minutes. Reheat until steam appears.
8. Divide into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley, bacon, and a few twists of fresh black pepper. Adapted from "50 Chowders" by Jasper White (Scribner).

Korean scallion pancakes a savory comfort food

Kyong Ok Lim pokes her head out the door of her shop, New York Oriental in Cambridge, and looks up at the darkening sky. She says it's on days like these that Korean families wish for scallion pancakes.
Rain or shine, however, on Saturdays Lim is in the kitchen in the back of the shop making her signature savory pancakes. A steady stream of devoted customers comes through the door welcomed by an enticing aroma and shouts of "Hello" in Korean.

Chung Lee, owner of a convenience store in Brookline, has made his way to Lim's kitchen. He picks at the hot, right-out-of-the-pan pancake cut for him by Lim's husband, Tae Pok, with a pair of long, stainless-steel chopsticks. "Mrs. Lim is the best Korean cook!" he says. "Just like my mother and grandmother. Her food is so natural, healthy, and traditional." Lim smiles shyly while her husband beams at the flood of compliments.

Her pancakes are made with mung beans that have been soaked and pureed, then mixed with rice flour and potato starch. Shredded ribbons of carrot, zucchini, and scallions are tossed into the batter, which is then fried in oil in a nonstick pan. She turns one pancake many times to achieve a crispy texture.
Mung bean pancakes are only one of many types of Korean pancakes. Others are made with one or a combination of flours. Most Korean housewives do not go to this kind of trouble, hence very good pancake mixes are available at the Lims' shop and at other Asian grocers. Add fresh vegetables, seafood, or kim chi (the fiery pickled Chinese cabbage salad) to make a wonderful pancake.

Scallion pancakes generally are served as a family snack. They are also available from street vendors in Korea. Americans have become familiar with scallion pancakes in recent years through the profusion of pan-Asian restaurants, many owned by Koreans. Here, scallion pancakes are a popular appetizer choice. Jackie Jung, co-owner with her husband, Yasu, of the restaurant Sushi Yasu in Waltham, suggests to her customers that this is like Korean pizza. Jung says the oil must be hot and the pancake cooked on medium heat. She serves perfectly cooked, platter-size pancakes, one chock full of seafood and scallions with crunchy edges, the other with vegetables and scallions with a tangy sauce.

These flavorful pancakes can be made easily at home. A dipping sauce with a base of soy sauce, minced scallions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil is a delicious accompaniment. Red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and vinegar can be added to give the sauce a bolder character.

Every Korean woman who came through the Lims' shop this recent day had a slightly different twist on the batter and fillings. All agreed, though, that just about anything goes.

New York Oriental, 355 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge (617-868-9850); Sushi Yasu, 617 Main St., Waltham (781-894-9783).
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.


Recipes

Many recipes for scallion pancakes also include potato starch or rice flour. The addition of these aids in making the pancake crispy. We got good results without the use of either.
We also tested mixes which were very good. The texture is different from scallion pancakes at restaurants

Pa Jon - Home made scallion pancake - makes 2 large or 6 small pancakes

Adapted from The Korean Kitchen - Classic Recipes from the Land of the Morning Calm by Copeland Marks

1 cup flour
1 ¼ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
3-4 scallions, bottom and top quarter trimmed and cut in half and then into thin slices
½ red pepper, cut in thin strips
½ zucchini (skin on), cut into thin strips
2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Mix flour, salt and water together to make a thin batter.
2. Add the scallions, red pepper and zucchini to the batter and mix well.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat for about one minute.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and let heat for about one minute until the oil is hot.
5. If you are making 2 large pancakes, ladle half the batter and vegetables into the hot oil. Distribute the batter and vegetables evenly around the pan. Fry for about three minutes before turning. Flip the pancake over and press the pancake flat with a spatula.
6. Fry for another 2-3 minutes. Flip again and fry an additional minute. Repeat with remaining batter. You can make smaller pancakes if you choose.
7. If you have one large pancake you can cut the pancake into several pieces and serve re-assembled into the pancake.
8. Serve hot with dipping sauce (see below).


Seafood Scallion Pancakes*

1 cup flour
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
3 scallions
6 - 8 shrimp, chopped
4 scallops chopped
(¾ cup squid /calamari rings - sautéed before adding to the batter)
(1/2 cup minced clams)
2-4 tablespoons oil

The amount and type of seafood should be used according to your taste. Do not overwhelm the batter with the seafood. You can find bags of frozen mixed seafood which is very convenient for this dish.

1. Mix the flour, salt and water into a batter.
2. Add the shrimp, scallops and scallions to the batter. If you use squid, sauté before adding to batter.
3. Heat skillet for about 2 minutes. Add oil and heat for another minute until hot.
4. If you are making 2 large pancakes, ladle half the batter and into the hot oil. Distribute the batter and vegetables evenly around the pan. Fry for about three minutes before turning. Flip the pancake over and press the pancake flat with a spatula.
5. Fry for another 2-3 minutes. Flip again and fry an additional minute. Repeat with remaining batter. You can make smaller pancakes if you choose.
6. If you have one large pancake you can cut the pancake into several pieces and serve re-assembled into one pancake.


Basic Dipping Sauce

¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
pepper to taste

1. Mix all of the ingredients. Serve in individual small serving bowls.

You can add the following according to taste:
One half scallion minced
1 clove garlic minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes2 teaspoons vinegar

Zappin’ the Apple

Traditional methods for baking apples take almost an hour, but how about zapping an a apple for a simple dessert or a sweet start to your day with breakfast? A micro-waved apple takes only minutes -- a great impromptu treat during apple season. You can even make an individual serving of fresh warm applesauce - no peeling and no pureeing - right inside the apple. Not all apple varieties are good for baking. Macs are great for munching but have a high water content and practically disappear in the cooking process. Choose a pie-baking apple like Cortland or Granny Smith, which stand up well in the microwave. Zap your apples in individual cups and they will hold their shape. Choose one that will rest nicely in a ramekin or small pyrex glass bowl (about 3 inches in diameter). Top with a spoonful of milk or cream for a lovely old fashioned flavor. The crumb topping is optional.

Zapped Apple

Instructions are for making one apple at a time in the microwave. Increasing the number of apples, increases the cooking time.

Ingredients

4 medium to small baking apples - it is ideal if the apple fits snugly into the dish and sits just above the bottom of the bowl.
4 teaspoons maple syrup
fresh lemon juice

Crumb topping:

1/3 cup rolled old fashion oats
¼ cup flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
(sprinkle of nutmeg)

1. Combine oats, flour, sugars and spices.
2. Cut butter into pieces and add to mixture.
3. With the tips of your fingers work the butter into the oat mixture until it combines into small pebbles.
4. Cut the top inch off the apple. Core the apple.
5. Remove some of the flesh of the apple to form small cavity for the filling.
6. Drizzle in one teaspoon of maple syrup and a spritz of lemon juice.
7. Fill the cavity of the apple with a few spoonfuls of the topping and slightly mound the top of the apple with additional filling. Press down lightly.
8. With a sharp knife, make a few slits into the sides of the apple (to release the steam).
9. Take a small glass Pyrex dish (approx. 3 inches in diameter) or ceramic ramekin and add 1 tablespoon water into the bottom.
10. Set the apple into the bowl so it rests above the rim and is not touching the bottom.
11. Place in the microwave and heat for two minutes. Check the apple to see if it is soft enough to scoop out with a spoon. If it needs a little more time, heat for an additional 30 seconds. If you like an applesauce consistency heat for another 20 seconds. These times depend on your microwave.
12. Remove carefully from microwave as dish and apple are very hot. Spoon a little cream or ice cream over the top if desired.