Chicken Samosa

My sister brought over some chicken samosas as an appetizer for a potluck at my place. It was so different from the vegetable samosas that I am used to eating. It wasn't quite as filling as it did not have as much stuffing inside. It was filled with a scant amount of ground chicken and some spices.

The shell was very similar to the pastry I use to wrap my eggrolls and the dip was the traditional sweet tamarind sauce.

Apple Beet Muffins

I had a lot of leftover beets so I juiced them and made a variety of foods with them. The apple beet muffins are one of the items I decided to make. The beet juice gave the muffins a pretty red color, without the taste of beets.

If you do not have any beets or do not want to use them, simply replace the beet juice in the recipe with milk.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease one muffin tin or line with muffin cups. (recipe makes 12 muffins)

In a large mixing bowl, beat together:

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup beet juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup apple sauce

Stir in:

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Then stir in:

1 finely chopped apple

1/2 cup raisins

Fill the muffin tin/cups with the batter to 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes depending on if you are using a light or dark colored pan. If you are baking the muffins in a dark colored pan, it will probably take the full 20 min. depending on your oven.

Remove the muffins from the tin and allow them to cool on a rack.

Shrimp Chips

Shrimp Chips are one of my favorite snacks from when I was a child. They are light, airy and melt in your mouth. It is quite fun to eat them as they are colorful and quite different from potato chips.

Coconut Corn Dessert

Coconut corn dessert is something that I enjoy when corn on the cob is in season. It is so refreshing when served cold, and comforting when served hot.

Ingredients:

1 uncooked corn on the cob
1/2 cup small tapioca
1/2 cup coconut milk/coconut cream
2/3 cup sugar (1/2 cup is fine if you do not like your dessert too sweet)
2 cups water

Slice the corn kernels off the the cob and put them aside.

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then add the tapioca and sugar.

Simmer on low heat until the tapioca is translucent. (this should take about 15-20 minutes) Be sure to stir frequently as the tapioca tends to get sticky. Gradually add small amounts of water if the mixture gets too thick.

Add the corn and coconut milk and simmer for 5 more minutes.

The coconut corn dessert can be served either hot or cold. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Greens

Shrimp and greens are a great combination. This is a very simple dish that can be served as a meal with some rice or noodles. I sometimes mix in squid, mussels, crab, scallops, lobster or chicken along with the shrimp, depending on what I have in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 pound of greens, blanched (baby bok choy, mustard greens, broccoli or any other green of your choice)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. of water
1 tbsp. oyster sauce

In a wok or large pan, heat the vegetable oil and salt, then cook the shrimp in it on high heat.

Add the greens, soy sauce and water. Mix together.

Next add the cornstarch mixture and oyster sauce. Mix well and then turn the heat off.

Serve with rice or noodles.