Monthly Archives: May 2013

Papa English’s One-eyed Jacks (Punch-Out Eggs)

This is a recipe from Jan’s family. Truth be told, it is more of a technique than a recipe. This is so simple that even guys who do not cook can get this done. Breakfast in bed anyone?

Note on Name Change: Jan informed me that this is a recipe her father made when they were camping.

Jan’s One-eyed Jacks (Punch-Out Eggs)

Jan’s One-eyed Jacks
(Punch-Out Eggs)

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Filed under Breakfast

Karl’s Another Cold Fighting Chicken Garlic Soup

Jan came down with another cold today. Why do sick junior professors and students always want to meet face to face? It was time to whip up another garlic chicken soup.

Karl’s Another Cold Fighting Chicken Garlic Soup

Karl’s Another Cold Fighting
Chicken Garlic Soup

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Filed under Main Dishes, Poultry, Soups

Karl’s Oatmeal Mini Scones with Orange Infused Sugar

Originally adapted from Sarah on AllRecipes.com

This recipe started life as a blueberry scone but over the last year I have been experimenting and changing it depending on my mood and available ingredients. I like to make these as mini scones, because everyone knows that three small scones are less fattening than one big one. Actually this is true, three mini scones may be the same as one big one, but if you ate just the one big one you might think, “I only had one! Another half isn’t going to hurt.” Whereas, if you are eating the mini scones you would think, “I won’t have another, I’ve already had three!”

Karl’s Oatmeal Mini Scones with Orange Infused Sugar

Karl’s Oatmeal Mini Scones
with Orange Infused Sugar

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Filed under bread, Breakfast, Side Dishes

Karl’s Orange Infused Sugar

Last Christmas Jan made Grand Marnier Balls as giveaways. The recipe she created called for candied orange peel, which is surprisingly expensive. I decided to make my own, to avoid the cost this year.  Once I was done, I was left with about two cups of orange infused sugar.

Karl’s Orange Infused Sugar

Karl’s Orange Infused Sugar

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Filed under Other, Sauces and Spices

Karl’s Beef with Chive Stem and Oyster Mushrooms

The challenge this weekend is reconciling Jan’s diets and a guest’s Ketogenic diet. Jan has to eat low fat because she is missing her gall bladder. A keto diet eliminates most carbohydrates and emphasizes protean, oils and roughage to force your metabolism into ketosis. These diets are polar opposites.

Karl’s Beef with Chive Stem and Oyster Mushrooms

Karl’s Beef with Chive Stem
and Oyster Mushrooms

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Filed under Beef, Main Dishes

Karl’s Mapo Doufu (Mapo Tofu)

Mapo Doufu is Jan’s favorite dish. She also prefers it the traditional way that Mao Zedong liked it, made with “stinky tofu.” Mapo Doufu actually takes days to make it properly, because first you need to let the tofu go “bad.” Fortunately she also likes it with made with fresh tofu, which is what I will be doing today.

Karl’s Mopo Doufu (Mapo Tofu)

Karl’s Mopo Doufu
(Mapo Tofu)

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Filed under Main Dishes, Pork

Karl’s Spicy Chinese Broccoli, Carrot and Bamboo Stir Fry with Sichuan Pickles

Tonight’s dinner is Mapo Doufu and Beef with Mushrooms, neither of these dishes is heavy on the leafy greens. I need a side dish to go with them. Everyone in my household likes Chinese Broccoli (gai lan), so this is just another stir fry.

Karl’s Spicy Chinese Broccoli, Carrot and Bamboo Stir Fry with Sichuan Pickles

Karl’s Spicy Chinese Broccoli, Carrot and
Bamboo Stir Fry with Sichuan Pickles

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Filed under Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables

Eilene’s Onigiri (Rice Balls)

Onigiri is the Japanese equivalent of a PB&J sandwich, something to take for a school lunch or on a picnic. One of Eilene’s friends in Japanese class taught her how to do this a couple of years ago. Rice ball is a bit of a misnomer, since you make them into triangles.

Eilene’s Onigiri (Rice Balls)

Eilene’s Onigiri (Rice Balls)

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Filed under Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan

Karl’s Sichuan Chicken and Pan Fried Noodles

Eilene is graduating from High School today and last night I decided to make one of her favorite dishes, spicy chicken and pan fried noodles. We lived in Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China for a year and a half back in 1988-90. While I have tried to replicate many dishes that we had during that stay, this recipe is closer to one from Cook’s Illustrated. I have wandered far from that original recipe.

Karl’s Sichuan Chicken and Pan Fried Noodles

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Filed under Main Dishes, Poultry, Vegan

Karl’s Teriyaki Tofu Burgers

I would not have anyone believe that every dish I make is a grand success. The recipe I am posting was successful, but the variation pictured was less so.  One of the down sides of constantly tinkering with recipes is that not every change works. While these failures are rarely inedible (one day I may tell the story of brine turkey) they are not always popular with my family. If you are lucky your family will tell you when something doesn’t work. Yes, I get “pouty” when they say that they didn’t like something, but that is better than making the same mistake twice thinking they loved whatever it was you had made.

Karl’s Teriyaki Tofu Burgers

Karl’s Teriyaki Tofu Burgers

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Filed under Main Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian MD