The World's Best Pad Thai

1 package Rice stick noodles (We like the wide ones, but regular will do, just don't get the vermicelli!)
3 tablespoons peanut oil (keep this handy, some noodles soak it up more than others)
5-7 garlic cloves,
1/2 pound peeled, deveined cocktail shrimp (We like to substitute a chicken breast, cubed, pork or tofu works)
1 cup mung bean sprout (optional - I like it, Marina doesn't)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 eggs (3 if you like!)
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
5 tablespoons fish sauce
2-3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Chinese garlic chile paste (I like 2!)
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts.

Soak the noodles in warm water until transparent. Seems like an hour is best. I keep hearing 20 minutes, but it's an hour. Maybe you can find the 20 minute noodle, I can't. (Anyway, soak your noodles, it takes less than 10 minutes to cook this baby up and you need your noodles ready!) In the meantime, chop up the green onions, garlic, meat etc... and get it ready to go.

Mix vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and chile paste together in a small bowl. Heat the oil up in a big wok and add the garlic. After the garlic is fragrant, add the eggs and stir fry until scrambled. Add the shrimp (chicken/pork/tofu) and cook until colored on all sides. (Add oil if it's getting dry). Add the green onions and let them cook while you quickly drain the noodles and add them in to the mix. Add remaining ingredients, sauce (give it a stir to make sure your sugar hasn't settled) peanuts and toss until the meat is cooked and noodles are hot. Serve immediately, eat and come see me play some jazz!

Lebkuchen Bars

1 3/4 cups flour, 2/3 cup almonds, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp
baking soda, pinch salt, pinch ground cloves, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2
tsp ground cardamom, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground
nutmeg, 2 tsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp aniseed, 1 Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup
honey, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar,1 egg white.

Oil an 8 by 11.5 inch baking pan.

Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice.

In a food processor mix flour, almonds, baking powder, baking
soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until
it's ground into a fine powder. Stir in lemon zest and aniseed. Set
aside.

In a sauce pan, melt butter, honey and sugars, stir often and pour
into a mixing bowl. Add dry ingredients and mix on low with an
electric beater. Add egg white. With damp fingertips, press dough
into the oiled baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or
until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Whisk lemon juice and powdered sugar together in a small mixing
bowl and pour over bars while still warm. Wait until cool, eat and
come see me play some jazz!

Hazelnut Biscotti

1 cup Hazelnuts, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 tsp aniseed, 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla
Oil a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350.

Lightly toast the hazelnuts (approx 10-12 minutes)

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, aniseed in a bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and hazelnuts. The dough should be soft.

Put the dough onto the baking sheet in 3 rectangles, approx 12 inches by 4 inches. (If it's a little more or a little less, it's fine, do what seems right, but don't make it very thick). I like to use my hands and square off the edges to get a uniform thickness.

Bake for 30 minutes or until it's lightly browned, whichever comes first. Move the dough to a cutting board and cut them, crosswise into 1/2 inch wide slices. Put the cut slices on their sides back onto the baking sheet and bake them again for another 10-15 minutes. Put them on a rack to cool. Brew up a great cup of coffee or espresso, dunk those cookies and come see me play some great music!

Pretzels!

The following makes 8 large pretzels.

Ingredients: 1 cup, 3 Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar, 3 cup
Flour, 1.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1/2 cup Baking soda, 2 qts
water, salt

In a bowl, combine 1 cup, 3 Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp Brown
Sugar, 3 cup Flour, 1.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast.  Mix for 10
minutes – you don’t need to let it rise.

Divide dough into 8 parts, roll each part into a long thick strand.  Take both ends of the Strand and make a "U" formation laying flat on an oiled/floured surface (no sticking!). Cross each strand to each bend at the bottom of the "U" – PINCH ends together.

Fill a 3 qt saucepan w 2 qts water, Add 1/2 cup of Baking Soda and bring to a boil .  Boil each pretzel in water until golden, approx 1 minute. Place on greased cookie sheet, sprinkle salt.  Cook for 8-10 min at 475.

Serve with hot mustard just before coming to my gigs!  We like to freeze a few for later!

Lemon Shortbread Treat

While I hate to see summer go, I realize I can't stop the seasons
from changing so I offer this yummy recipe as a last attempt to
prolong summer! Don't get me wrong; this recipe is great all year
long.

Here's a little shortcut– instead of making the crust, make mini
dessert using only the filling. By filling several dessert size
ramekins with the lemon filling, then add 2-3 graham cracker
pieces placed decoratively on the side.

Serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (non bleached)
-----
2 tbspn cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice/5 lemons (not concentrate)
1/4 cup water
------
1 tbl powder sugar (to sprinkle)

Crust~
Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat
until smooth. Cut in flour 1/4 cup at a time until mixture becomes
dry and crumbly; press into a greased 8 x 8 baking dish. Bake for
18-20 minutes at 350 (until crust becomes golden around edges.)
Remove.

Prepare filling while crust bakes.

Filling~
Using a double boiler whisk together cornstarch and sugar over
low heat, continue stirring while adding eggs one at a time, lemon
and water. Continue whisking until filling thickens.
Add filling to baked crust, return to oven for 15-18 minutes. Cool
before sprinkling powder sugar on top of treat. Serve warm, at
room temp or chilled. Then come see some jazz!

Marina's Cosmopolitan (not for kiddies!)

In a shaker: add 4 ice cubes, add 1 oz of Triple Sec (Cointreau, Grand
Marnie), add 3 oz vodka (your favorite brand!) and 4 oz of cranberry
juice (Cranberry Juice Cocktail is fine). Shake and pour into martini
glasses. Serves two!

Sesame and Soba (serves 4)

25 mins

Ingredients: 1 8oz pkg of Soba noodles, 1 tablespoon
sesame oil, 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, 2
tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2
tablespoons of sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon of grated
ginger, 3 tablespoons of rice-wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of olive
oil (canola), vinaigrette salad dressing.

For the side salad, add your favorite mix of greens with 3
carrots cut into matchsticks with 1/4 of a red onion, thinly
sliced.

Lightly toast sesame seeds on a skillet over medium heat,
just until fragrant (optional). Set aside.

Cook the Soba noodles according to the package.
Generally, add noodles to boiling water, turn to heat to
medium and cook until tender (2-3 minutes), strain noodles,
rinse with cold water, set aside on a plate.

Slice chicken into 1/4 inch thick pieces approx 2 inches in
length.

In a skillet, add sesame oil, soy sauce and brown sugar and
stir over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken to
skillet, sauté until cooked (1.5 min per side). Set aside in
a bowl. When all the batches are done, sprinkle sesame
seeds over the chicken and toss to mix.

Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk ginger, vinegar and oil.

Divide the salads among the plates, top with noodles and
chicken. Serve with vinaigrette dressing. Enjoy and come
see some music!

Homemade Flour Tortilla:

Makes approximately 12 flour tortillas. Time 30-40 minutes

Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cut
into pieces or 4 Tblspoons of canola oil, 1/2 tsp. Salt, 1/2 tsp. baking
powder, 3/4 cup warm water .

In a bowl, blend flour, salt, baking powder and shortening until it
resembles fine meal. Add warm water, a little at a time, to flour mixture
and toss until liquid is incorporated. Water amount may vary with
different flour types.

Form dough into a ball and kneed on a floured surface until dough is
smooth and elastic. Depending on how big or small you want your
tortilla, make 12-14 smaller balls with the dough. Cover and let stand at
least 20 minutes.

Roll each ball of dough on a floured surface to make 6 to 7 inch tortillas.
Place on a pre-heated griddle or cast iron skillet and cook till medium
golden on both sides. Place in a basket lined with a cloth towel until
cool. Load up with your favorite Mexican food, or a gyros or lefsa and
serve!

Tips: These are ideal for making ahead of time and freezing. We
freeze in a plastic bag with waxed paper between each tortilla. We find
the dough keeps for a few days in a sealed bowl. If frozen, let stand to
room temperature before rolling out. To reheat: Place on griddle until
soft and pliable or steam slightly until warm.  Then come to one of my
gigs!

Chicken Delicious

Time: 30 min, Serves 4

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup Onion, 1 tsp. Fennel Seed, 1/2 cup Water, 1/16
tsp Black Pepper, 1/16 tsp. Salt, 1/8 tsp. Celery Salt, 4 cup Noodles
(Farfalle/Bowties or Rotini), 2 Chicken Breasts (2 1/2 cups - cubed),
5 Eggs, 3 tsp. Parsley, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

In a bowl, beat 1 egg w/yolk and 4 egg whites and set aside. Cut
chicken in cubes and chop onions into cubes (small bite-sized
pieces).

In a large pot (or wok) add onion, fennel, pepper, salt, celery salt and
1/4 cup of water. Set over medium heat.

In a separate pot begin boiling noodles while onions soften.

As the onions begin to brown, add cubed chicken and reduce heat.
Deglaze 1-2 times by adding 2 tablespoon of water from boiling
noodles. (This helps avoid burning or sticking.)

When chicken is cooked, add the rest of the water (1/4 cup), stirring
occasionally until noodles are done, approximately 20 minutes. Drain
noodles and add immediately to the chicken and onion mixture.

Add the egg mixture and work thoroughly into the hot noodles. This
will create a cheese-like coating for the noodles. Add parsley and
parmesan cheese, mix and serve, eat and come see me play!

Cooking Alternatives:
1) As a dairy or diet restriction, you can eliminate the parmesan. You
don't know its missing it is that good!
2) This recipe uses water but you can use chicken broth if you have it.
Be sure to leave out the celery seed, black pepper and salt if you're
using broth. I always have these seasonings, but I don't always have
chicken broth.

Enjoy some great recipies, we've tried them all.
And send in your favorite to share!
                   noah@noahpeterson.com

Not-so-Spicy Stir Fry

Serves 4            Cooking Time: 25 minutes

1 1/2 Tbl. Sesame oil
1/2 - Onion chopped (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp. Chili flakes (or 1/8 very mild)
1 Chicken breast - cubed in small pieces (1 cup)
1 Red Bell Pepper chopped (1 cup)
1 Green Bell Pepper chopped (1 cup)
3 Garlic cloves - pressed or diced finely
1 Medium Zucchini chopped (1/2 cup)
2 Carrots chopped (1 cup)
1/4 tsp. Ginger ground - fresh is best for spiciness!
3 Tblspn Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Water
3 tsp Corn starch

2 cups Rice or 1 package Udon Noodles. (Follow preparation
instructions on package)

In a wok/frying pan, warm oil over medium heat, add onions, chicken
and garlic. Stir constantly until chicken turns white. Add vegetables
and ginger, stirring frequently.

In mixing bowl add soy sauce, water and cornstarch. Mix until
cornstarch is fully dissolved. Remove wok from heat, add mixture to
wok and stir to coat. Serve with rice or Udon noodles.

This dish was inspired by trying to find ways to use vegetables from
the garden, when summer provides an abundance of yummy
goodies. We love spicy-hot so this dish was tested to find just the
right spiciness! If you are watching sodium intake, try low-sodium soy
(beware - it looses its richness). I tried the recipe several ways, even
using Canola oil. If you want it spicier, add a pinch more flakes and
ginger.

              Summer is Coming Chicken Salad

Total time: 35 minutes
Serves 4

This salad is great anytime of the year. Every time I have it I think of summer because of it's cool and refreshing flavors!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup - Cabbage (thinly sliced)
1/2 Cup - Carrots (chopped)
1/4 Cup - Cauliflower (small uncooked pieces)
1/2 Cup - Celery (Chopped)
1 Chicken Breast (filet cut for quick cooking)
1/4 Cup - Cooked Rice Noodles (Vietnamese Vermicelli is what I like to use)
1 Cup - Lettuce (Romaine or Red Leaf is good in this dish - tear or cut leafs into pieces)
* Optional: Cucumbers and Tomato
1/4 Cup - Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup - Water
11/2 Tblsp - Dijon Mustard (Yellow will work, ground mustard will not)
1/8 Tsp. - Ginger Powder
1/8 Tsp. - Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup - Sesame Oil
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper

Chicken: In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Set aside to cool, once cooled, slice or cube chicken in bite sized pieces.

Dressing: Using a cruet or bowl, add in the following order, vinegar, water, mustard, ginger, garlic. Shake/ stir well. Add oil shake/stir well again.

Salad: Chop cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery into bite sized pieces. Put into a bowl with noodles and lettuce. Toss salad, place chicken on top, shake/stir dressing again and pour onto of everything. Eat and come see me play!

Chocolate-Cherry Turnover

Makes 6
Prep time 15 minutes
Total time 40 minutes

ingredients
3 Cups Fresh or Frozen Cherries (pits removed) 14 oz, 1/4 Cup Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch, 2 Table spoon H2O, 1/8 tsp Almond Extract, 1 cup chocolate morsels, 1 pkg Phyllo Dough, 1/2 stick of butter, melted

In a saucepan combine Cherries, Sugar, Corn Starch and H2O and bring to
a boil, reduce Heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Add Almond Extract, stir and
allow to stand 5 minutes.

Filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Follow direction of packaging for preparation of Phyllo sheets. Note: Do not
let sheets dry out. Begin layering sheets one on top of each other, brush
each sheet with melted butter, 5 sheets total for each turnover. Cut
lengthwise down middle to create 2 turnovers (strips).

On each strip, layer chocolate morsels 1½ inch from bottom of strip, on top
of morsels spoon 1-2 Tablespoon of filling. Fold each strip in the shape of
triangle to form turnover, turning every other corner to make the triangle
shape (box will have folding directions), ending with edge and place on
cookie sheet edge side down and final buttering of shell.

Bakes for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and let stand before serving.
Eat and come see me!

These are my favorite shortbread cookies - bite sized bits of joy!

1 cup shortening, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp almond extract, 2 1/4 cups
flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt..

Mix shortening and sugar until creamed. Add egg and almond extract. Add
dry ingredients and mix well. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place onto a
grease cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Eat and
come see a show!

Dirty Martini

We like our cocktails (enjoyed responsibly!) here's our current rage.
2 Servings

6 shots Vodka
.5 tsp Dry Vermouth
1.5 tsp olive brine (juice)
4-6 olives

Let's talk ingredients first, there are some choices that really
impact the quality of your drink.  As I don't have a liquor sponsor, I
can only say, choose your favorite brand.  While we tried a
number of combinations, we always preferred the dry vermouth
over the sweet. However, let your palette be the judge.

Some perfer to keep their Martini's, all gin.  By all means, keep it
gin.  We did most of our variations with Vodka.  Yum.

Olive brine - we use the juice that comes with the olives.  We
prefer queen, green garlic olives (stuffed or not) for olives and
juice.  However, if you REALLY like this recipie you can go to
http://www.garliclady.com/ and get a GREAT olive brine mixer.
(Olives sold separately)

Fill your martini glass with ice and water to chill it.  In a shaker with
ice (a few cubes is fine, more is better) add vodka and olive
brine, shake vigorously until well-chilled. Empty martini glass of
ice and water, add vermouth - splash it around the glass and add
vodka from shaker.

Garnish with 2-3 olives and have my trio over for a house concert!
 Enjoy!

Deliciously Smoky BBQ Sauce -We LOVE this

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup red sherry
1/4 cup apple vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients.  Stir ingredients over medium heat until sauce thickens - 15-20 minutes.   Use with chicken, beef or pork.  Unused sauce can be frozen or kept in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

I especially like this on shredded beef.  I take a nice flank steak, put in baking dish.  I squirt some lemon juice on it to tenderize, add 1.5 cups water, 1/4 cup red wine (or red wine vinegar). I bake it for 45-55 minutes, until rare or medium.  I take two forks and pull the beef apart.  This takes about 15 minutes for a large flank steak.  I put it in the sauce, warm it and serve!