The NakataConnection

Family Recipes

• Appetizers
• Soups
• Salads
• Main Courses
• Desserts

Appetizers

• 1 package frozen corn (16 oz.), thawed
• 2 cans (2 and a 1/4 oz.) sliced ripe black olives
• 1 medium red pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
• 4 medium ripe avocados, chopped

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper

Soups

Serves 6, prep time 15 min, cook time 15 min

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil (canola or other vegetable oil may be substituted
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup peanut brother (crunchy or creamy)
• 2 cups baby spinich greens
• 1 pound raw shrimp, shells and tails removed, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts, to garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper and ginger. Saute until the onions are tender about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with juices, and chicken broth, then bring to a simmer.

Add the peanut butter, stirring until it dissolves into the soup. Add the greens and simmer until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cilantro. Ladle into serving bowls, then garnish with peanuts.

• 1/2 lb. ground beef, brown until no longer pink, then put into pan with the following:
• 1/4 or 1/2 medium onion, chopped (add less or more depending on how much you like onions)
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1 lb., 15 oz. can of cut tomatoes (pour whole can into soup)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt (add less or more if you want)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (add less or more if you want)

Salads

Grape Salad from Cheryl (from Recipe Czar)

• 5 lbs chicken (I obviously used less)
• 4 cucumbers cut into large pieces (I used English cukes)
• 4 stalks green onion chopped

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shoyu
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup sesame seed oil
• 3 T. sesame seeds
• 1 chili pepper, crushed (or to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. Hondashi (optional)

Main Courses

• 2 tbsp Margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 cup sliced olives, drained(opt.)
• 1-10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1-8oz sour cream
• 1- 4.5 oz can chopped green chilles, drained
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 10 corn/flour tortillas heated

• Melt margarine in medium sauce pan over medium heat and onion,garlic and cook until onion is tender. Add 1/4 cup of the olives, soup, 1/2 sour cream, green chilles. mix.. reserve 3/4 sauce aside. Stir in chicken and 1/2  the cheese into remaining sauce.
• With the remaining sauce add sour cream and milk and blend well. Spread half over bottom of ungreased 13*9 baking pan
• Place 1/4 of chicken mixture in center of each tortilla and roll then place seam down in pan. Repeat until full. Spoon remaining sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle cheese ontop to your liking
• Bake 20-25 minutes. Let stand before serving

• 1 large package of strawberry jello
• 2 1/4 cup boiling hot water
• 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
• 10 oz. bag/box of frozen strawberries
• 3 bananas
• 16 oz. container of sour cream

Desserts

• Cupcake liners
• Vanilla wafers
• 3 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 can cherry pie filling

Mochi Cake from Yuka's kitchen

• 1lb(one package) Mochiko (mochi flour)

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 2 and ½ cups milk

• ¾ cup vegetable oil

• 3 eggs

• ½ tsp vanilla

• 1 TBS white sesame seeds

1) Heat oven at 350ºF.
2) Grease baking 13” x 9” baking dish.
3) Combine all the ingredients except sesame seeds in the large bowl. Mix well.
4) Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
5) Bake for 50 minutes.
6) Cool and cut into bite size pieces.

Cranberry Noel Cookies from Sandy Nakata

• 2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• Cream these two together and then add:
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cup sifted flour (do not overbeat)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pecans

Roll into 2 - 8" long, 1 1/2" diameter logs.  Brush with water, roll in shredded coconut or small amount of fine crumbs of pecans.  Chill 2 hours.  You can freeze the logs and bake a week later.  Then cut logs with serrated knife.  Bake 375 for 12 minutes, until golden brown.  Each log makes 24 cookies

Ande's Mint Cookies from Sandy Nakata

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 boxes of Andes mints (creme de menthe or chocolate mint)

1/2 teaspoon saltIn a large heavy saucepan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted.  Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted.  Pour into large mixer bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.  With mixer at high speed, beat in eggs one at a time.  Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating just until blended.  Chill dough for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.  Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, place 2" apart on cookie sheets.  Bake 12-13 minutes - no longer.  Cookies will crisp as they cool.  Remove from oven and immediately place a mint over each cookie.  Allow to soften, then swirl over top.  If desired, decorate with chocolate sprinkles.  Remove from cookie sheets and cool.  Makes about 80 cookies.

Marshmellow Cloud Cookies from Karen Nakata

• 3 cups flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup mini or regular chocolate chips
• 8 oz bag of mini marshmellows - frozen

Preheat oven to 325 degress. Combine flour, cocoa and soda.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.  Add flour mixture and chocolate chips.  Beat at low speed until well combined. Batter will be very stiff.  Take a walnut size piece of dough and flatten in your hand.  Take out 25 - 30 marshmallows at a time from the freezer.  Take 5 frozen marshmallows and wrap dough around them.  Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.  Bake 10 - 12 minutes.  Cool on pan 1 minute and then transfer to cooling rack.  Store in a tightly covered container.

Sugar Cookies with Icing from April Nakata

• 2 ¼ c. flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter or margarine – softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel (I use about 3-4 as I love the lemon flavor)

Icing

• 16 ozs (1 lb) confectioners’ sugar

• 5 tablespoons Meringue powder

• Scant ½ cup water

• 2 teaspoons of your favorite flavoring. I use almond extract.

• Food color you desire

Mix dry ingredients by hand in a small bowl and slowly add your flavoring. Then slowly add a little bit of water. Sometimes you won’t want a full ½ cup water. Add as much water as you desire depending on the desired thickness of the frosting.

When cookies are cool, remove and place them on wax paper. I place all frosting in a squeeze bottle and outline each cookie shape with a thin line of icing piping. Once the piping is dry, I squeeze more frosting onto the center of the cookie and spread with a spoon. Get creative and use multiple colors. You can use a toothpick to create fun designs on the icing. Let dry and they’ll be safe for storing in about 1 hour.