Martinis & variations

Martini

Gin, frozen, (Hendricks or Venus)	4 ounces
Vermouth, sweet	Splash
Olives or lemon rind	Garnish

1. Swirl the vermouth in a frozen martini glass, tossing any that doesn’t freeze to the glass. 
2. Pour in the gin.
3. Garnish with olives or lemon.

Appletini

Vodka, Skky	1 ½ ounces
Vodka, apple flavored	1 ½ ounces
Green apple syrup	¼ ounce
Lemon  juice, fresh	¼ ounce
Apple slice	Garnish

1. Shake all ingredients (excluding the garnish) with ice.
2. Pour into a chilled glass.
3. Garnish with apple slice, if you’re feeling fancy.

Chocolatini

Bailey’s Irish Creme	2 ounces
Creme de Cacao	1 ounce
Vodka, Skky	1 ounce
Cocoa powder	1 tablespoon
Sugar, brown	1 tablespoon

1. Combine the cocoa powder and sugar on a plate. 
2. Shake all liquid ingredients with ice. 
3. Wet the rim of a chilled glass with Bailey’s, and coat the glass’s rim with the cocoa-sugar mixture. 
4. Pour the chocolatini into the glass, and serve.

Shoyu ramen

Active: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total: 6 hours 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Broth, chicken, low-sodium	8 cups
Mushrooms, shiitake, dried	16
Kombu	30 grams
Bonito flakes	20 grams
Mirin	1 ¼ cups
Soy sauce	1 ¼ cups
Sake	½ cup
Sugar, granulated	¼ cup
Ginger, sliced	2-inch piece
Scallions, halved	3
Garlic, peeled	3 cloves smashed + 8 cloves sliced
Sugar, brown	2 packed tablespoons
Water	1 ½ cups + 6 cups + 6 cups + 6 cups
Pork belly, skin-on	1 pound
Eggs, cold	4 large
Oil, canola	½ cup
Cayenne	1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds	2 teaspoons
Wheat noodles, fresh	4 ounces

Chicken dashi 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the broth to a bare simmer; remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. 
2. Add the mushrooms and kombu, and let steep for 5 minutes. 
3. Add bonito flakes, and let steep 5 minutes more. 
4. Strain the dashi; reserve solids. 

Tare & chashu 

1. In a large pot over medium heat, bring the mirin, soy sauce, sake, sugars, ginger, scallions, smashed garlic, and 1 ½-cups water to a low simmer, then reduce heat to low. 
2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, bring the pork and 6-cups water to a bare simmer; immediately drain, and gently rinse the pork. 
3. Transfer the pork to the pot with the tare, and bring to a simmer. 
4. Cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. 
5. Let cool 20 minutes, then strain and reserve the tare liquid. 
6. Refrigerate the pork and tare separately. 

Nitamago 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring 6-cups water to a boil. 
2. Prink the bottom of the eggs with a pin. 
3. Gently lower the eggs into the pot with a spoon, and simmer for 6 minutes; drain. 
4. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath, and let cool 5 minutes. 
5. Thoroughly and gently crack the eggshells, then return to the ice bath to cool for 10 minutes more. 
6. Carefully peel the eggs, and transfer to a medium bowl. 
7. Pour tare over; weigh down the eggs with the reserved spent kombu to fully immerse in liquid. 
8. Let marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, and up to 12. 

Garlic la-yu 

1. In a small pot over very low heat, simmer the garlic in canola oil, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat, stir in the cayenne, then the seeds; let cool. 

Serving 

1. Slice the chashu into 2-inch-wide slices; torch lightly, if desired. 
2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes; drain. 
3. In a small pot over medium heat, bring the dashi and mushrooms to a simmer; cook 1 minute. 
4. Transfer the dashi to a serving bowl, then add tare and noodles. 
5. Top with mushrooms, chashu, nitamago, scallion, and a drizzle of la-yu. 

Recipe from Delish magazine by June Xie.

Petrale with balsamic fennel

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 40 minutes; Serves: 4

Fennel, sliced into ¾-inch wedges	2 bulbs
Balsamic glaze	1 tablespoon
Oil, olive	1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon
Salt, sea	1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon
Petrale fillets, thick	4
Tomatoes, cherry, canned with sauce	14 ounces
Sugar, coconut	1 teaspoon
Parsley, freshly chopped	3 tablespoons
Pepper, freshly ground

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
2. Place the fennel wedges on a sheet pan, and drizzle with balsamic glaze, 1-tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with 1-teaspoon salt; bake 15 minutes, tossing once midway. 
3. Place the fish in a smaller rimmed baking sheet so that the fillets fit snuggly. 
4. Pour over the tomatoes, sprinkle the sugar and parsley, drizzle with remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the fennel is crisp at the edges. 

Recipe mildly modified from Sheet Pan Dinners by Jenny Tschiesche & Liz Franklin.

Chicken nuggets with roasted tomatoes, olives & asparagus

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Tomatoes, cherry, halved	3 ½ cups
Asparagus tips	20
Garlic, halved	10 cloves
Oil, olive	1 tablespoon
Salt, sea	½ teaspoon
Plantain chips, crushed into breadcrumbs	6 ounces
Garlic powder	2 teaspoons
Pesto	7 ounces
Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, sliced into mini fillets	4
Olives, black, pitted, drained	4 ounces

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
2. Spread the tomatoes and asparagus on a rimmed sheet pan, and scatter over the garlic cloves. 
3. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt; roast for 15 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the crushed plantain chips and the garlic powder. 
5. Place the pesto in a separate bowl. 
6. Dip each chicken fillet into the pesto, then into the plantain mixture to coat. 
7. Add the olives to the roasted tomatoes, and place the chicken nuggets on a separate sheet pan; bake for 12 minutes, or until the nuggets are cooked. 

Recipe mildly modified from Sheet Pan Dinners by Jenny Tschiesche & Liz Franklin.

Sausage, celery & tomato bake

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 1 hour 5 minutes; Serves: 4

Celery, thickly sliced diagonally, about 1-inch in length	5 stalks
Onion, red, quartered	1 large
Garlic, peeled	5 cloves
Salt, sea	½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Oil, olive	1 tablespoon
Tomatoes, Roma, quartered.	4 large
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Sausages, good quality	10 thick

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper with the olive oil. 
2. Place the vegetable on a rimmed sheet pan, arranging the tomatoes on the outer edges of the pan. 
3. Sprinkle with the fennel seeds, then place the sausages on top of the vegetables (excluding tomatoes). 
4. Bake for 55 minutes, turning the sausages once midway through baking. 

Recipe mildly modified from Sheet Pan Dinners by Jenny Tschiesche & Liz Franklin.