bento of the day and dinner tonight

[Guest guest]

Simple one today. Fried okra (dip in water or egg and water, roll in cornmeal

with salt and pepper, deep fat fry, drain well), lo mein with onion, green peas,

carrots and matchstick cut yellow squash and tossed with Spicy Soy Dipping

Sauce, several pieces of cooked sweet potato with toasted pecans and quick

caramel-ish sauce of sugar and butter boiled together fairly quickly to almost a

hard crack temperature then the pecans tossed in, and banana pudding. East meets

West with fried okra, banana pudding and sweet potato with toasted pecans and

caramel-ish sauce from the southern US and lo mein from China.

 

The sweet potatoes, linguini for the lo mein, spicy soy dipping sauce and pecan

caramel-ish sauce were cooked last night and in the fridge ready to finish

today. The vegetables were cut up and lined up in the fridge for adding to the

lo mein and the banana pudding was made last night and hidden from the husband

person so he'd have it for lunch today. The breaded okra are from the freezer

since my skin reacts very poorly to the fuzz on okra. Under 10 minutes of

cooking this morning followed by a couple of minutes putting the food in the

various containers and he was out the door.

 

To make a quick peanut sauce, add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter - your

choice of crunchy or smooth - to the spicy soy dipping sauce below.

Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup light soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar or honey

1 teaspoon hot oil

Combine the ingredients in a small boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar,

then cover and refrigerate until serving.

 

Tonight we're having hash browns (potatoes, onions and peppers), poached eggs,

biscuits and Carl's favorite chocolate sauce for dipping the biscuits. (sounds

gross, tastes good)

 

Simple cocoa sauce

cocoa powder - couple tablespoons or so

sugar - yes (to taste, perhaps another couple tablespoons or more)

tiny bit of milk (couple tablespoons)

 

Stir cocoa and sugar together in sauce pan over high heat. Stir constantly and

add a small bit of milk for a runny sauce. Bring to a boil, remove from heat.

Pour in bowl for serving if you've got company or just put the pan on the table

and don't get your hands between the husband's biscuit and the chocolate sauce.

Of course if you have company or kids, you'll need to make a lot more chocolate

sauce. It isn't fancy but gets the job done.

 

Jeanne in GA