Cooking Method: Steaming
Steamed Cranberry Pudding
Every Christmas eve my wonderful late mother-in-law made this Cranberry Steamed Pudding. Most old-fashioned steamed puddings have suet in them, which always put me off as a child and now as an adult. This particular pudding recipe has no fat in it at all. It's served with whiskey hard sauce, which is dramatically flamed in a dark dining room!
By - Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 2 hrs
- Yields: 12 Servings
Curried Chicken & Pasta Salad
This recipe was printed in The Los Angeles Times in 2000. It's from the Mustard Seed Café in LA. The original recipe calls for shells, but I used fusilli. The combination of curry powder, turmeric, mango chutney, mixed into mayonnaise makes the perfect dressing and the celery and almonds give it crunch. It’s great for a hot summer day.
- Yields: 6 - 8 Servings
Crispy Korma Salmon with Coconut Rice and Cucumber Pickle
My husband has been binge-watching Jamie Oliver cooking videos on YouTube. We have been fans of him for years. We used to live a few blocks away from him in London when he first got married. We decided to try this Crispy Korma Salmon with Coconut Rice and Cucumber Pickle, which is very easy to make and packed with flavor. I could not find Patak’s Korma Spice Paste, so I used curry paste instead, unfortunately for me, I could only find mild! The rice is cooked with a red chili, a half a lemon and some coconut cream, which is a new revelation. You chop up the lemon and chili and serve it on top to the rice. The quick cucumber pickle adds a bright note to this dish.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Maple-Glazed Green Beans
This recipe for Maple-Glazed Green Beans is absolutely delicious. It involves bacon, maple syrup, bourbon and dried cranberries. It's sweet and savory with minimal effort.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Herbed Basmati Rice
This Herbed Basmati Rice is bursting with the flavors of fresh dill, parsley, and green onions and is a perfect side dish for meat, poultry or fish. Basmati rice is fluffy, not sticky, has a subtle nutty flavor, and cooks quickly, making it perfect for weeknight meals.
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Green Chile Chicken Tamales
Every Christmas eve my mother-in-law served tamales and albondigas soup. She got her tamales from a local source in East Los Angeles. My friend asked if I wanted to make tamales with her. Absolutely! We corralled another friend, who actually knows what she’s doing and my daughter. We each bring our own filling. I've made Beef Tamales with Red Chili Sauce, pork and Green Chile Chicken Tamales. I had made tamales in the past, but only one dozen. This time, we made 150! My friend said that you have to take a shot after every dozen is completed! Given that it was 10 am when we started, I only did 2 shots, and then there were those mimosas…. It was so much fun, that we do it every year.
- Prep: 40 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Yields: Makes about 26
Parmesan Asparagus and Butter Beans
I happen to love Butter Beans, which are large, flat and yellow/white variety of lima beans. I usually like them plain, but the combination of parmesan and asparagus really works. This Parmesan Asparagus and Butter Beans is ready in 10 minutes and makes a great side for chicken or fish.
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 5 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Steamed Gingered Broccoli
The blending of toasted sesame oil and ginger elevate the simplest dishes. This Steamed Gingered Broccoli takes little effort for big results. You can substitute other vegetables for the broccoli, green beans, sliced cabbage, carrots, kale, etc.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Yields: 4 - 5 Servings
Drunken Mussels
These Drunken Mussels can be made with either wine or beer. They are very fast to make and can be served as an appetizer for 4 or a main dish for 2.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Yields: 2 Servings
Beef Tamales with Red Chili Sauce
Every Christmas eve my mother-in-law served tamales and albondigas soup. She got her tamales from a local source in East Los Angeles. My friend asked if I wanted to make tamales with her. Absolutely! We corralled another friend, who actually knows what she’s doing and my daughter. We each brought our own filling. I made beef and we also had pork and chicken. I had made tamales in the past, but only one dozen. This time, we made 150! My friend said that you have to take a shot after every dozen is completed! Given that it was 10 am when we started, I only did 2 shots, and then there were those mimosas…. It was so much fun, that I want to do it every year.
- Prep: 1 hr
- Cook: 4 hrs 30 mins
- Yields: Makes 3 dozen
