Kaarin's Värske Kurgi Salat ("Fresh Cucumber Salad")

2-3 fresh cucumbers, thinly sliced (use a food processor or mandoline)
1/2-1 sweet onion, thinly sliced and chopped into small sstrip
1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
3-4 oz. sour cream
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper (opt)

Sprinkle cucumber with salt to draw out water if a drier salad is desired or if you're making it far ahead. Drain. Mix in other ingredients, including more salt to taste. You can serve immediately. 

Uncle Steve's BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (or a 15 oz. can)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon onion salt (2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon onion powder)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon minced onion
1 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup hot sauce (Tabasco, Frank's, etc. ...I use Frank's and then just store it in that bottle)

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drown your meat in this deliciousness, and enjoy.

Uncle Steve's BBQ Sauce for Pork

2 C. cider vinegar
1 1/2 C. tomato sauce (15 oz. can)
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. onion salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 1/2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 C. hot sauce (Tabasco, Frank's, etc.)

Combine ingredients in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Steve saves the old empty Frank's bottle, removes the label, and stores and serves the BBQ sauce in that same bottle!

Simple Syrup

This is Kaarin's recipe for a "liquid sugar" sweetener that is the consistency of syrup. She uses it anytime she needs to sweeten something cold and doesn't want to have to dissolve sugar in it.

Combine equal parts sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until thick, stirring occasionally.

Aunt Kaarin's Mojitos

...as purportedly served to Ernest Hemingway in Cuba...
(but not by her, of course! ;)

Fresh limes
Simple syrup
Fresh mint leaves
Rum
Club soda

Roll fresh limes on the counter to loosen the insides. Press and squeeze through lime press/juicer (or otherwise extract juice). Per glass:

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. simple syrup
4-6 fresh mint leaves, torn small

Muddle (or whir lightly with hand mixer) to get mint leaves in small pieces and mix everything together well.

Fill each glass with ice. Add 2 oz. white rum and stir. Top with 2 oz. club soda and do not stir. Serve immediately.

Aunt Kaarin's Moo Shu Pork

Yield: 20 moo shu "pancakes" (serves 10) - Not sure if this is accurate... will update after I make it.

1 2-lb. boneless pork loin roast, fat trimmed, quartered lengthwise
1 C. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
6 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 1/2 cups bagged shredded carrots (I used the Cuisinart.)
1/4 C. sliced scallions
3 Tbsp. rice-wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
20 flour tortillas, warmed

Put pork, 1/3 C. hoisin sauce, and the ginger in a large slow-cooker.  Turn pork to coat.

Cover and cook on low 6-9 hours or until pork is very tender.  Turn off cooker.  Remove pork to cutting board and pull meat into shreds using two forks.  Return pork to cooker.

Toss cabbage, carrots, scallions, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl to mix.

Spread each tortilla with about 1 1/2 tsp. remaining hoisin sauce.  Top with about 1/3 C. cabbage mixture and 1/4 C. shredded pork.

Serve with hoisin sauce and chopped scallions on the side (optional).

This is also good with a side salad topped with oriental dressing.

Tango Stew

Veal Marengo - original recipe here
Marengo, à la [muh-RENG-goh]
A veal or chicken dish in which the meat is sautéed in olive oil, then braised with tomatoes, onions, olives, garlic, white wine or brandy and seasonings.
Sometimes scrambled eggs accompany the dish. It’s said to have been created by Napoleon’s chef after the 1800 Battle of Marengo.
2¼ lb. cubed stewing meat - veal, lamb, chicken, pork (use some bones)
6 Tbsp. flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. oil
1 C. onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste*
1 C. diced tomatoes*
1 C. dry white wine
3 C. beef broth

1 C. white mushrooms, quartered
1 C. pearl onions (opt.)
12 – 15 Kalamata olives (opt.)
1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley, as needed

In a bowl, toss veal in seasoned flour to coat.
In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown veal cubes.
Transfer veal to a slow cooker.
In the same skillet, over medium-high heat, cook onion, garlic, tomato paste and tomatoes.*
Add white wine and reduce by half.
Stir mixture into the slow cooker and add beef broth.
Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.
Add mushrooms, pearl onions and olives.
Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
When meat is done, adjust seasoning and check consistency of sauce.
Stir in chopped parsley.
Serve over your favorite pasta noodles.
*We used a whole can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), a whole can of tomato paste (6 oz) and a can of Rotel diced tomatoes (10 oz). All these (except the last item) are in lieu of, not in addition to, the items of the recipe. For wine I took the cheapest Chardonnay. It hurts to take a real good wine for cooking, unless, of course, you're sipping while you're cooking.

Wrappa 'da Bean Dip (it's a dip... or is it burrito stuffin'?)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups canned black beans, drained and mashed
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup seeded and diced jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chips or burrito wraps

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In 2 quart casserole dish, combine first seven ingredients. Sprinkle with green onions, olives, and Montery Jack cheese. Cover, bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake for and additional 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips OR wrappa it up in a burrito! ;)
(Or microwave on high for 4 minutes instead of baking in conventional oven.)