Nikujaga

Nikujaga is a type of dish known in Japan as yoshoku, or a Western-influenced recipe. It's a Japanese spin on classic beef stew; the name literally means "meat and potatoes." My version nudges it a little bit back toward its Western roots, with cubed beef chuck (or, if beef is pricey, pork shoulder) cooked low and slow, and lots of potatoes. It's great winter comfort food.

NIKUJAGA
1 lb. chuck roast (or pork shoulder), cut in cubes
Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced or diced
1 small piece fresh ginger, cut in matchsticks
2 cloves minced garlic
4-5 cups dashi stock or water
2 lbs. waxy potatoes*, peeled and cut in large chunks
2 T. sugar
3 T. sake or cooking sherry
1 T. mirin
3 T. soy sauce
1 t. dark sesame oil
A handful of frozen peas (optional)
Chopped green onions to garnish
White rice

In a large saucepan, sear meat in oil, then saute with medium onion, ginger and garlic. Add dashi or water to cover and cook on medium-low heat until meat is tender.

Add potatoes. If needed, add dashi stock to cover, then add sugar, sake, mirin, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a boil, drop in a lid that's smaller than the pot (to encourage evaporation) and simmer over medium-low heat until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and the potatoes have turned golden. If using peas, defrost under hot water and toss in near the end of cook time. Garnish generously with green onions and serve with white rice. (You get extra points if you say "Itadakimasu!" before digging in.)

Serves, I dunno, 4 to 6.

Source: Soozcat

* Red potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, etc. are "waxy." They hold their shape better as they absorb the cooking liquid. Russet potatoes, which are considered "floury," will turn to gloopy mush in this dish.

Curtis' Favorite Chocolate Applesauce Cookies

This recipe goes by a few names. Mine obviously refers to the fact that this is Curtis' favorite cookie. My brother-in-law calls it "Brian's Quorum Applesauce Cookies." (Why "quorum?" Probably because one batch makes enough cookies to feed a quorum, or even a plenum.) You can mess around with the ingredients a bit and the final product will still turn out well. I've used pumpkin puree when I didn't have applesauce on hand, and the resulting cookies tasted different but were no less delicious. Two things, though: 1) do NOT use metal bowls for this and 2) make sure your baking soda is nice and fresh, as it's the only leavening agent.

CURTIS' FAVORITE CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE COOKIES
1 cup softened butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
4 2/3 cups flour*
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup walnuts (or more if desired)
2 cups applesauce
1 12 oz. package chocolate chips
2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar; beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, spices and salt until well combined. In a third bowl (this can be a small one), mix together the applesauce and baking soda (it should fizz), then add to the butter mixture in the large bowl. Slowly add dry flour mixture to wet butter mixture until all is combined. Then add oatmeal, nuts and chocolate chips and mix well.

Drop spoonfuls onto GREASED cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Makes a lot, but Curtis always seems to make them disappear.

Contributor: Curtis. And also Brian.

*For better taste and texture, Curtis recommends substituting 1 cup of the white flour with either whole wheat flour or wheat germ.

Hot Turkey Hustle Up

Aunt Kathie used to make this after-Thanksgiving casserole pretty regularly. And someone in the family (not sure if it was Jon, Tom, David, Lisa or all four at one time or another) started calling it Hot Turkey Hurl Up, which still makes me giggle.

HOT TURKEY HURL HUSTLE UP
4 cups cooked turkey, chopped
2 cups celery, finely chopped
2 T. lemon juice
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/4 (2 oz.) jar pimentos
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 t. MSG
1 t. salt
1 T. onion flakes

Combine ingredients in order listed. Spread in 9x13" baking dish.

TOPPING
1/2 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar is good)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine all ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Cover casserole with topping. Bake at 325° F. for 30 to 35 minutes.

Probably serves eight. (Or more if you choose to call it "Hot Turkey Hurl Up.")

NOTE: If you're like me and you hate hard-boiled eggs with a passion, you can substitute about the same amount of firm tofu, cut into cubes (add to the casserole and mix gently just before covering with topping).

Contributor: Kathleen Ashton

After Thanksgiving Turkey Quiche

I shamelessly stole this one from Fen! MUAHAHAHA!

Seriously tho, it's delicious. You should do this after Thanksgiving if you have enough leftovers.

TURKEY QUICHE
3 c. stuffing
1 c. chopped turkey
1 c. grated Swiss cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 can evaporated milk (5 1/2 oz)
1/8 t. pepper

Press stuffing into 9" pie plate and bake at 400° for 10 minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients and pour into baked shell. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes, until center is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves, uh, as many people as will eat a 9" quiche. More if you make a side salad.

Contributor: Fen Eatough

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Behold, a harvest casserole straight from the early '60s! Served in a decorative gourd! Great for that period from Halloween all the way up to Thanksgiving.

DINNER IN A PUMPKIN
One 10-12" pumpkin, top removed and cleaned (save the seeds for roasting)
2 pounds very lean ground beef
6 ounces ground ham
2½ t. salt (I think less, especially since the ham adds salt)
3 T. chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
2 t. oregano
2 cloves garlic, pressed
½ cup green onions (aka scallions), chopped
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 eggs, beaten
¾ cup raisins (you could also use currants or Craisins)
1 t. fresh ground pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, fry the ground beef until no pink remains. Add all other ingredients except pumpkin and eggs, and cook together. Remove from heat, allow mixture to cool a bit (so the eggs don't cook immediately from the residual heat when they're added), then add eggs, mix gently and fill the pumpkin. Put the lid on the pumpkin and bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1½ hours. Serves -- uh -- many, because c'mon, you just filled a whole pumpkin!

If you really want a super '60s dinner, serve with a Jell-O mold and some canned green beans, heated, with butter and bacon bits.

Contributor: Karin Buck

NOTES FOR MODERN TASTES:
If you require a little more zing than what this recipe offers, Captain Midnight thinks curry powder is a nice addition. Toss it in with the ground beef.

Chili Sauce

This recipe comes to us via an aged and very crispy bit of scratch paper, with many splotches and drips on it. That's usually a sign of a good and much loved recipe. Thing is, there's no indication who provided said recipe. (Whoever wrote this had a cursive hand that leans left, if that helps.)

Anyway, this would seem to be a helpful addition to your canning repertoire, especially when tomatoes and peppers are plentiful and cheap. HOWEVER, please read the important note after the recipe!

CHILI SAUCE
2 quarts chopped, peeled tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup each coarsely ground sweet red and green peppers
1 T. crushed dried red pepper (optional)
1 cup sugar
1½ t. salt
1½ t. white mustard seed
½ t. cinnamon
1¼ cups white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in large kettle, bring to boil and simmer, stirring frequently, 3-4 hours or until thick. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Yields about 4 pints.

Contributor: X the Unknown!

SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE:
The process described above, called "open kettle canning," is no longer considered a safe way to preserve food. Even if every item is sterilized in hot water before being filled and sealed, open kettle canned jars are extremely susceptible to growing mold, botulism and other nasties that you don't want to eat (or give to your loved ones to eat, for that matter). Instead of "Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal," I strongly recommend that you use the standard water-bath canning method to finish the recipe. You'll get a product that's tasty AND won't kill anybody! Bonus!

Swedish Pickled Cucumbers

It's that time of year again! Time to get out your cukes and make

SWEDISH PICKLED CUCUMBERS
1 lb. cucumbers (you can use English or Persian or whatever you have, really)

Pickling solution:
2 parts white vinegar
1 part granulated sugar
½ part water
white pepper and dill to taste

If the skins of your cucumbers are unpalatably thick or knobbly, peel them first. Slice thinly into coins. If you have a mandoline to make this task easier, so much the better.

In a saucepan, mix together the vinegar, sugar and water and heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool COMPLETELY. (If you add the cucumbers to the solution before it cools, the cucumbers will shrivel.) Also, try a bit of this solution first to see if it's to your taste, and adjust accordingly. It should taste sweet, but have a significant sour kick.

Stir the cucumbers into the cooled pickling solution, along with some grinds of white pepper and as much dill (fresh or dried) as you feel like using. Cover and refrigerate, preferably overnight. Serve as a tasty side dish.

Variations: I've seen other recipes where folks add things like a sliver of ginger, thin-sliced red onions or whole yellow mustard seeds. Let me know how it goes if you use these.

Makes a nice nod to the notion of "salads" at your Julbord. Enjoy!

Contributor: Karl Eriksson and the nation of Sweden