steam frying

the best way to cook all of the following is to steam-fry them:

• fresh green beans
• fresh asparagus
• broccoli
• brussel sprouts (add some sugar)
• pierogies
• gyoza/potstickers
• ravioli
• chinese buns
• gnocchi
• meatballs
• etc...

You put down butter in a non-stick pan like you would to fry them, but also add less than half a cup of water, and cover it with a lid. Cook it until all the water turns to steam and escapes, and then just a little longer until it turns golden brown, stirring throughout. This makes that tasty fried butter surface, but turns them soft throughout.

Pesto Pasta, Cosby Style

 Get Pasta water boiling, add some salt, but not as much as for normal pasta

Squeeze the italian sausage out of its casings and cook it till it’s browned. Drain the fat off the sausage through the colander.

Boil the pasta according to box directions. We like to use cellentani/cavatappi pasta.

Drain the pasta in the colander. Add the cooked sausage. Add 6-12 oz of frozen peas. 

Add almost a full jar of Costco pesto sauce. 

Cut up cherry tomato halves and fresh mozzarella to top the pasta. 

Pina Colada

2 oz coconut cream (it comes in a can-- the Iberia brand costs less than $2 a can)

6 oz 100% pineapple juice (I get either Dole or Libby's)

Refrigerate both before opening, just so that the cream is already cold.

Mix it thoroughly immediately before drinking. Maybe over ice?

I used to buy a fancy pre-mixed smoothie brand but Walmart stopped carrying it and this tastes better anyway.

I will never forget coming down off Aliamanu crater (an Army base in Hawaii), after hours of hiking, and the only thing to drink was to buy fresh mixed coconuts and pineapples, where they chopped them up in front of you to make the drink. So delicious!