Italian Dressing

This recipe for Italian dressing is very delicious.  After having lived over 6 months in Tanzania, I was craving a salad and needed to create my own dressing.  After a few failed attempts, I finally got the proportions right with a little help from the internet!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vinegar
  
• 1 1/3 cup oil of your choice (canola, vegetable, sunflower)
  
• 2 tablespoons water
  
• 3-4 gloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tablespoon garlic salt)
  
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  
• 1 onion, chopped (or 1/2 tablespoon dried onion powder)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
  
• 1/2 tablespoon parsley (optional)

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit at least 24 hours.  If you use fresh onion and garlic, the vinegar will preserve them.  You do not need to refrigerate.  Be sure to mix again before using on a fresh salad!

Lo Mein

I really miss having Chinese food here in Tanzania.  That salty, soy sauce goodness is something your body really begins to miss (or is it just the MSG?).  There’s a great little store where we bank and use internet that has some non-Tanzanian goods to sell.  I was psyched to find soy sauce and make Lo Mein.  I was even happier to discover that this soy sauce is far better than the soy sauce purchased in America.  We make Asian fried rice and Lo Mein with it mostly.  This recipe is so good that if you ever decide to not order Chinese and to try to make it, here it is:
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound uncooked spaghetti noodles
  
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 green pepper, chopped
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1” piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  
• green onion and cilantro optional
  
• 1/2 cup cooked green peas
  
• mushroom (optional)
  
• oil for frying

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar (optional, but I would recommend starting out with less and seeing if you want to add this much)
  
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
  
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
  
• salt to taste (I’ve used as little as 1/4 teaspoon and as much as 1 teaspoon)

Method:

1. Cook noodles according to directions on the packet.
   
2. Heat tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic and ginger, then add onions, green peppers, carrots.  Then, add cooked peas and any other veggies you may have chosen to include.
   
3. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce together in a large bowl
   
4. Add boiled noodles and sauce to the large frying pan.  Stir fry for five minutes.  If you wish, you can add cilantro and green onion at this point.
   
5. Stir for a few more seconds with all ingredients together and remove from heat!
    

Serves approximately 2-3 adults.