Several months ago, Merry's daughter, Nicole, told us about some recipes she had tried from a new cookbook. She e-mailed us a couple of them and they were good enough to warrant purchasing the book. We had trouble finding Recipes 1-2-3 (Rozanne Gold, Penguin Books 1996) locally and finally ordered a copy from the Amazon on-line bookstore (http://www.amazon.com). In the introduction the author notes that the title of the book is "not synonymous with fast food, nor exclusively with quick-and easy. This is not an I-hate-to-cook-book." Rather, she has compiled a group of recipes each of which contains only three ingredients. Some of the combinations sound unusual, but we have tried at least ten recipes from the book and each one has been excellent. Here is a sampling of what 1-2-3 offers:
Ingredients:
Place the wings in a disposable roasting pan. Combine the soy sauce and brown sugar. Sprinkle the chicken with a liberal grinding of coarse black pepper and pour the soy-sugar mixture over the wings. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake the wings for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and, with tongs, turn each piece. Bake an additional 30 minutes. Turn again and bake 15 minutes longer. The wings will be a rich dark brown and very tender. 4 appetizer servings.
We found that these can be made ahead and frozen in plastic zipper bags. When ready to use, partially thaw at room temperature, place the wings and sauce in a disposable roasting pan and reheat for 15-20 minutes at 350°. Using a disposable pan is a major time-saver for this recipe!
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 450°. Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Fill the cavity with fresh herbs and season the skin with freshly ground pepper. Place 3 cups of kosher salt in the bottom of a deep ovenproof casserole or a pot with a cover. Place the chicken on the salt, breast side up. Add salt to completely cover the top the chicken. Sprinkle with 1 cup water, patting the salt down to make a solid crust.
Bake, covered 45-60 minutes. Remove the cover and bake 20-30 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Crack the salt crust with the back of a heavy knife. Lift the chicken from the pan and remove any remaining salt with a dry pastry brush or paper towel. Carve chicken and serve immediately. 4-6 servings.
Ingredients:
Cover the meat in the combined teriyaki sauce and prune juice. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Remove the ribs from the marinade. Bring the marinade to a boil in a large pot with 1 cup water and 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns. Lower the heat, add the ribs and cover. Simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs to a platter. Reduce the sauce over medium-high heat until thick and syrupy. Pour over the ribs. 4 servings.
Ingredients:
Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with waxed paper. Chop chocolate into small chunks and melt in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Do not allow the chocolate to get too hot. When the mixture is completely melted, remove it from the heat and place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the butter and cream and whip until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the lined springform pan and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Before serving, run the blade of a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it. Remove from the pan. Cut with a knife that has been dipped in hot water. Serves 12-16.
This is an incredible recipe. We have garnished it with fresh flowers (pansies work well) and powdered sugar. We also found it was excellent served in a small puddle of light custard sauce (see recipe).
Please note, this recipe is not from Recipes 1-2-3.
Ingredients:
In medium saucepan, gradually whisk sugar into egg yolks and continue beating 3-4 minutes until mixture is slightly thick and pale yellow. Whisk in cornstarch. While beating the yolk mixture, gradually add the boiling milk in a thin stream. Place saucepan over moderate heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens enough to coat the spoon. Remove pan from heat and continue to stir for several minutes before adding vanilla. Cover and chill.
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