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I remember my grandmother making these when I was a child, and they're a a wonderful treat as a side or a meal. They're incredibly cheap to make, about 35 cents a serving here, and reheat well by crisping in a skillet for about 4 minutes per side. It's a great alternative to ramen. ;)



This recipe takes about 40 minutes if you can peel and shred potatoes quickly, and makes enough for 8-10 people.



4-1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and shredded

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, very finely chopped

1 large egg white

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3/4 cup vegetable oil



Squeeze potatoes dry. Mix in large bowl, using 2 forks, with scallions, egg white, salt and pepper.

Set 2 10" skillets over high heat (or 1 if that's all you've got) and add 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil to each..

Put half of the mixture into a skillet (refrigerate the other half if using 1 skillet) and press into a firm cake.

Add weighted pie plate (add beans or a foil-wrapped brick to metal pie plate or just use a heavy glass one) on top of potatoes and cook 5 min or moderate heatl.

Uncover, slide onto plates. Add remaining oil to skillets. Invert cakes and return to skillets; weight and cook 12 min.

Cut into wedges and serve.

With my food allergies, there are very few nut-type candies I can eat without having to go to the ER, so this is a nice recipe to have, and talkes all of about 10 minutes to prep, and then I cheat and stuff them in the fridge to shorten the cooling time.



2 cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I actually prefer dark chocolate chips, but semi-sweet works okay)

2/3 cup Crasins (sweetened dried cranberris)

2/3 cup cashews (lightly salted are best, but standard sleted ones are fine)



Melt chocolate chips, either in double boiler or in microwave, and stir in craisins and cashews. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto foil or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Let stand until set. Makes about 24.

This is a recipe I got ouf of Food & Wine a few years ago: I've made it probably a dozen times, always to rave reviews.



it's an absolute gem that tastes more complex than it really is. It takes about 40 minutes including the time to shell the shrimp and prep the onions and spices and stuff, and about 25 minutes of cooking time, give or take.



As you can tell from the ingredient list, it uses the sweeter dark spices as opposed to the more common savory ones used in Western cooking styles.



It's not too spicy, just enough to heat up your mouth without making you reach for a huge glass of water. It's the coconut milk that cools it down, and the fact that the jalapenos are seeded.



2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 med. onion, thinly sliced

4 whole cloves

2 cardamom pods, crushed (I usually use the green ones)

1 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken in two or three pieces

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, divided (shake can well as it tends to separate)

12 thin slices fresh ginger

3 jalapenos, seeded and quartered (leave seeds or add another pepper or two for more heat)

Salt to taste

1 1-4 lb. (20 oz.) medium shrimp, shelled

1 tsp. fresh lime juice



Steamed rice and lime wedges for serving (start rice cooker when you start cooking or start cooking just after the rice goes into a pan of simmering water and they'll be done around the same time)



Directions:

Saute onions in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until starting to caramelize (stir frequently).

Add cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

Add 1-1/2 cups od the coconut milk, 1/2 cup of water, ginger, jalapenos, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Simmer over medium heat 10 min, adding additional water if necessary to maintain a consistency that will coat a spoon.

Add shrimp and simmer 4 min; add remaining 1/2 c. coconut milk and bring back to a simmer.

Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Season with salt and serve with steamed rice and lime wedges.