Chinese Almond Cookies

RECIPE

Prep and Cook Time: about 45 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill. Notes: You can store the cookies airtight for up to 3 days.

Yield
Makes about 48 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preparation
1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add whole egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Stir or beat in flour and baking powder until well blended. Cover bowl and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, flatten each slightly, and place each about 1 inch apart on buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

3. In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with milk to blend. Brush cookies lightly with egg mixture; discard any remaining. Press an almond into the center of each cookie and sprinkle each with about 1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds.

4. Bake cookies in a 325° oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per cookie.

Nutritional Information
Calories:86 (51% from fat)
Protein:1.2g
Fat:4.9g (sat 2.6)
Carbohydrate:9.4g
Fiber:0.3g
Sodium:52mg
Cholesterol:19mg

SS Recipes

Stir-Fried Vegetables with Toasted Cashews

RECIPE

Yield
4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2/3 cup cashews
Dried red-pepper flakes
1 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 scallions, white bulbs sliced thin, green tops chopped and reserved separately
3/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound broccoli, thick stems removed, tops cut into small florets (about quart)
1 1/2 pounds napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 1/2 head), shredded (about 1 1/2 quarts)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preparation
1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the broth with the cornstarch. In a wok or a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add the cashews; cook, stirring, until starting to char, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl and add a pinch of red-pepper flakes.

2. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the cashews. Stir the scallion greens and sesame oil into the mushroom mixture.

3. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add the scallion bulbs and garlic; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cabbage; cook, stirring, until the cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons broth and 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the oyster and soy sauces. Stir the cornstarch mixture, add it to the pan, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the sauce coats the vegetables, about 1 minute. Serve topped with the mushroom mixture.

Wine Recommendation: Wines from Austria are more available than ever. Pick a grüner veltliner, a white wine with intriguing fruity and peppery flavors, for a tasty change of pace.

SS Recipes

Sesame Beef and Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry

RECIPE

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 cup stir-fry and 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar or rice vinegar, divided
4 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
3/4 pound top round, cut into1/4-inch strips
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted and divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups frozen blanched shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 (15-ounce) can whole baby corn, drained
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions
3 cups cooked jasmine rice

Preparation
Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sesame oil, and five-spice powder in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add beef; toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove beef from bowl; discard marinade.

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, water, and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk.

Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; stir-fry 1 minute. Remove beef from pan. Add 1 teaspoon peanut oil, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic to pan; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add bell pepper, edamame, mushrooms, and corn; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add beef and cornstarch mixture; stir-fry 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and onions. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information
Calories:434 (30% from fat)
Fat:14.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.8g,poly 3.5g)
Protein:21.7g
Carbohydrate:55.9g
Fiber:6.3g
Cholesterol:36mg
Iron:3.7mg
Sodium:318mg
Calcium:62mg

SS Recipes