DINNER

I have gotten low with my monthly cooking supplies and need to cook again this Saturday. My children are slowly enjoying eating more veggies and less meat. I have made turkey like there is no tomorrow. I am enjoying my new fav of fruit juices and so are my boys

APPLE JUICE

Yummy fresh apple juice.....sooooooo gooooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Last weekend I bought a juicer machine. I enjoyed making juice but after a while the machine kinda was making a squeaky sound so I will be returning it. But we sure did enjoy making different juice.

TUNA

I am craving for fried fresh tuna. The taste and texture of fresh tuna...my mouth is watering already...Back in the islands when my dad or brother catches fresh tuna, marlin, mahi-mahi we would all get our equal shares of the fish. I love to just fry them with no fancy coating but just fresh black pepper and salt. Deep fried to perfection then served over hot rice grated fresh ginger with your own bowl of finadeni' of choice -with lemon -plain and LOTS of fresh hot doni OMG I am salivating already!! Boy do I miss the islands!! I miss the ocean the food and the familia' the best food is island food where your vegetables are grown organically and fresh seafood is abundant

Ben&Ki Simple Crab Cakes

I love making crab cakes! I don't get cheap on the crab meat since this is the main ingredient. This is not something you would have if you are dieting! But this is definitely something well worth to make for a loved one. A great recipe for Valentine's dinner.

Ben&Ki's Simple Crab Cake

You will need:

• fresh crab meat
  
• pepper (don't add salt the crab is salty already)
  
• 1 egg beaten
• flour - just enough to bind crab together
• 2 T. clarified butter

Steps as follows:

• With the crab meat use as much or less depending on how many persons will be eating.
• Add one beaten egg to the crab meat and gently mix together the egg holds the crab together when frying
• Add pepper
  
• Add just enough flour to the crab meat mixture to bind them together. If you use too much you will have one dry crab cake
  
• Once you bind the crab meat together make small balls of equal size
• Flatten
• Fry in butter on medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. Don't turn too soon or your crab cake will break. I know its a little tricky but yet all well worth it!
• As a special treat I have found a lobster paste in Oriental stores that made a great accompaniment to this crab cake. What I did with my lobster paste was I made a thin white sauce added the paste and butter and poured over my crab cakes!! Yummy!

I am not a fan of measuring cups or spoons. Since you will be devouring this yummy first course meal, just measure to your hearts content-using more or less of the ingredient specified, taste to your satisfaction and enjoy!

STILL WORKING MY TURKEY!

I am still working my turkey! Yes, you have guessed it I stocked up during the holiday sales and I am still getting creative. My boys enjoy meatball sand which and I had meatballs in the freezer and homemade hash browns. All I needed was bread and my favorite is the rosemary garlic from Great Harvest. This is one of the simplest sand which that I have ever made yet so so satisfying! Yummy!

• Frozen meatballs of choice (I prefer turkey and prefer making this myself)
• Spaghetti sauce of choice
  
• Home made hash browns
• Bread of choice
  

1. If you prefer toasting your bread that is optional
2. Heat your meatballs with spaghetti sauce
3. Heat your hash browns
   
4. Arrange your bread, meatballs, sauce
5. Arrange hash brown on plate
6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese -optional
7. Enjoy!

HOME FRIES ANYONE?

Have you ever made home-made fries? It taste so great. The key to crunchy fries is to make sure you soak your potatoes in COLD WATER with 2 T sugar and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

Ben's HomeFries:

You will need:

• Potatoes - ? How many? It's all up to you
• Sugar - 2T
  
• Bowl of COLD WATER
• Salt pepper to taste

Steps as follows:

1. Cut potatoes all the same size
2. Soak in cold water sugar added
3. Drain
4. Pat dry
5. Deep fry in vegetable oil
   
6. Drain & cool off
7. Re-fry
8. Salt pepper to taste
9. Enjoy
   

Don't let the steps scare you from making the fries, it's really quite simple and yet satisfying!

Crabmeat Ravioli

Last night I went to my boss farewell dinner I brought my boys with me and when I viewed the menu I could only afford to order one plate and have my boys all share. My boss was kind enough to share her seafood ravioli with me and I ended up sharing them with my boys. I can still remember my dad making sure that we had our fills so for me to savor every morsel of that yummy ravioli was just not right

My recreation of last nights seafood ravioli

• store bought frozen cheese ravioli
• one package crabmeat -not imitation
  
• butter -2 T
• salt/pepper
• mozzarella cheese -1/4 shredded -cubed
  
• 3 T flour and water mixed to a smooth runny paste

steps as follows:

1. Boil ravioli as directed, drain and arrange neatly on serving plate
2. Arrange crabmeat on serving plate anyway you like
3. Arrange slices or shreds of mozzarella on serving plate anyway you like

make white sauce as follows:

1. Slow simmer milk in low heat
   
2. When you start to notice the milk starting to slow boil add mozzarella cheese stir slowly to make sure the cheese melt
   
3. Add butter
4. Season lightly with salt & pepper keeping in mind mozzarella cheese is salty
5. Mix flour and water to make a smooth but runny paste and slowly pour to milk mixture continue stirring to ensure a smooth not lumpy sauce once the sauce thickens turn off heat and pour sauce on ravioli plate

Serve and enjoy

DINNER? UM?

We are still celebrating Christmas at my house. My camera was weak. Last night dinner was simple, polish sausage, cream corn casserole, biscuit. Tonight I wanted to make it extra special so I made prime rib with buttered artichokes. I did not add any herbs to my prime rib just simple salt & pepper and garlic of course. I baked them @ 300 for an hour then 350 for two more. I bought a big prime rib at Winco. They were on sale. I have plans for the left over prime rib sandwich, stew, and my favorite chili.