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.