Easy Strawberry Jam

Dear Friends and Family,

Started with a recipe in Ben and Jerry's to make strawberry ice cream and ended up making strawberry jam instead.

1 pint strawberries cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat all of the ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium/low heat stirring constantly for 20 minutes. Mash the strawberries as they are cooking with a wooden spoon. Decant to a small jar.

Since the jar wasn't sterilized or canned, the jam needs to be consumed within a week or two like any perishable food stored in the fridge. Recipe makes 1 small jar of jam.


Cheers!
mouse

Basil Ice Cream | Mint Ice Cream

Dear Friends and Family,

Got the basil ice cream recipe from epicurious and modified it:

2 cups whole milk
4 tbs basil, chopped
1/2 cup sugar (divided)
pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. In a heavy saucepan, over medium/low heat, heat the milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Heat until hot but not boiling. Turn off heat and allow the basil to steep for 30 minutes.
2. Puree milk/basil mixture in blender. Strain through sieve.
3. Beat egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until light yellow. Slowly whisk in milk mixture. Then, slowly whisk in heavy cream.
4. Have an ice bath ready for ice cream base (a large bowl filled with ice water with a smaller bowl in it for the ice cream base).
5. In a heavy saucepan, over medium/low heat, heat ice cream base stirring constantly. Heat until ~170 (the base will coat the back of a spoon at 170) - DO NOT BOIL. When the base is ready, transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
6. Stir to cool (~10-15 minutes). Refrigerate overnight.
7. Churn in ice cream maker, follow your ice cream maker's instructions

For mint ice cream, substitute an equal portion of mint for basil. And, the straining through sieve is optional. Otherwise, it's the exact same recipe.


Cheers!
mouse

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Dear Friends and Family,

This one is always a crowd pleaser. Just remember to open a window and turn the fan on high before you start.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

• 4 slices jalapeño pepper
• 1 slice ginger
  
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• pinch white pepper
• 1 tbs corn starch
• 4 tbs canola oil
• 1 lb shrimp (no smaller than 36#)

1. Slice the jalapeño into rings/ovals with the seeds. Slice a slice of ginger. Crush the garlic.
2. Mix the salt, black pepper and white pepper in a bowl.
3. Peel and devein the shrimp. Mix the cornstarch with a cup of water. Add shrimp to the cornstarch mixture.
4. Heat oil over a high flame until shimmery. Drain shrimp and pat dry. Fry shrimp in batches until they JUST start to turn pink.
5. Remove most of the oil from the pan/wok, leaving about 1 tbs in the pan. Reheat oil over high flame. Add jalapeño slices, ginger and garlic to oil. Bloom for ~30 seconds. Add salt mixture to the oil, saving a couple of pinches for later. Cook for ~15 seconds. Add shrimp and cook for ~30 more seconds.
6. Plate and sprinkle with remaining salt mixture.

Cheers!
mouse & Mr. mouse

Curry Chicken and Potatoes

Dear Friends and Family,

Not sure how this will go over or how diligent I'll be about it, but I might start posting Mr. mouse's recipes for his fans.

Curry Chicken and Potatoes

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 large onion
  
• 6 slices ginger
• 8 cloves garlic
  
• 2 tbs curry powder
• 1 chicken or 3 lbs of legs, thighs, or breasts with bone
  
• 20 baby potatoes
• 1 can chicken broth
• salt

1. Slice the onion (longitudinally, not rings) and ginger. Crush the garlic.
   
2. Cut up the chicken and potatoes into pieces about 2 inches x 2 inches. (If you're not comfortable chopping up the bone, then just cut the meat off the bone and use the whole bone.)
3. Mix curry powder with water to make a thin paste.
4. Heat oil over a medium flame. Saute onions, ginger and garlic for about 3 minutes until they are soft.
   
5. Add the curry powder/paste to onions, ginger and garlic. Bloom spices in the pot for a couple of minutes.
6. Add chicken and potatoes. Add chicken broth to cover. Simmer 30 minutes.

Cheers!
mouse & Mr. mouse