How to Cook Everything

I am so excited to use this App! I saw this cookbook at Home Goods a few months ago but it was kind of pricey at $30 and I already have so many other cookbooks that I wasn't sure. However, I flipped through the cookbook and it fell open to a corn fritters recipe. Oh my gosh! I haven't had corn fritters in years but was so excited to find the recipe that I almost bought the book right then and there. I'm glad that I didn't, though, because what I found for the iPhone is even better! It's the book in App form on special for $1.99 with all the same recipes and awesome interactive features!

Fettuccine with Butter and Cheese

Source: Joy of Cooking (All About Pasta and Noodles)
Makes: 8 first-course servings; 4 main-course servings

Bring to a rolling boil in a large pot:

6 quarts water

2 tablespoons salt

Add and cook until tender but firm:

1 1/4 pounds fresh fettuccine, or 1 pound dried

Drain and toss the hot pasta with:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, or 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Season with:

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Serve immediately.

I added a little bit of garlic powder to the mix and I prefer to use thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta so this wasn't true fettuccine, but it was very easy and not too bad.

Sesame Asparagus

Source: Karen Gillett--Tasty Food I Love

Ingredients:

• 1 lb asparagus, ends snapped off
• 2 Tbs dark sesame oil
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Mix sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, water, salt and pepper.
2. Place asparagus in a skillet and pour sauce over the asparagus.
3. Heat to boiling.
4. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

I have been looking for another asparagus recipe to make besides the grilled asparagus recipe I usually make. I had never eaten asparagus before I met Rocky and now I can't seem to get enough of it. This recipe is especially yummy and the smell of sesame oil in the house is great!

Fried Rice--A Basic Recipe

From: About.com: Chinese Food
Servings: 4-6 
This is a basic recipe for fried rice that you can add to as desired.  If adding other ingredients, increase the number of eggs to 3.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 green onions, as desired
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
• 4 cups cold cooked rice
• 1-2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired

Directions:

1. Wash and finely chop the green onion.  Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.
2. Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil.  When the oil is hot, add the eggs.  Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry.  Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.
3. Add 2 tablespoons oil.  Add the rice.  Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart.  Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.
4. When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan.  Mix thoroughly.  Stir in the green onion.  Serve hot.

I feel so pathetic that every time I want to eat fried rice that I have to Google how to do it.  Seriously!  How sad is that?  Well, regardless of how pathetic I am, I really like this recipe for its simplicity.  Once the rice is cooked it takes less than 10 minutes to cook.  I like to add in vegetables to the fried rice and I've only ever used soy sauce--I don't know that I've ever even eaten oyster sauce.

Molasses Cookies

From Audrey Iverson

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Mix first four ingredients.
2. Add other (sifted together) ingredients.
3. Roll into balls.
4. Flatten with wet fork.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
6. Frost if desired.

I haven't had molasses cookies in years! I used to make them with my grandma and she would only make them at certain times of the year. I asked her for the recipe a few years back and still hadn't made them until today! Her 80th birthday was today and I couldn't think of what to give her. It wasn't until late last night that I decided to pull out the recipe for these cookies. They are so easy--I had no idea! Eight ingredients (all of which I already had in my cupboards and fridge) and 20 minutes in the kitchen at 6:00 this morning and I had yummy cookies to give to my grandma for her birthday as a reminder of happy memories as Rocky and I wished her many more years of good health (hmm ... maybe cookies aren't the best way to wish this on a person!) and happiness. And FYI--they were just as good as I remembered them being! =)