ABC Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 quarts tomato juice
1 can (15 ounces) mixed vegetables, undrained
1 cup water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup alphabet pasta or small pasta
Salt and pepper to taste

Instruction:

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato juice, vegetables, water and bouillon; bring to a boil. Add pasta. Cook, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper. Yield: 10-12 servings (2-3/4 quarts). If you don't have small pasta on hand for ABC Soup, use quick-cooking barley or instant rice. Cook until tender. If you're out of bouillon cubes, 2 teaspoons of bouillon granules can be used instead.

Asam Laksa

Ingredients:
500 gm fresh laksa
heiko (black prawn paste mixed with boiled water to flowing consistency)
1 kg ikan kembong (mackerel)
1 bunga kantan (ginger flower) - cut into halves
6 stalks daun kesum (Thai basil leaves)
2 cups tamarind juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1 tsp sugar
3 stalks serai (lemon grass)
3 cm piece lengkuas (galangal)
250 gm shallots
12 dried chillies - soaked
1 cm piece turmeric
1/2 cm piece belacan (shrimp paste)
1 small cucumber
1 stock lettuce
1/2 pineapple
100 gm mint leaves
3 fresh chillies - sliced
1 onion - finely sliced

Instruction:

Put fish, salt and 5 cups of water in a pan and bring it to boil . When fish is cooked, remove bones and keep fish aside. Simmer bones for at least 30 minutes.Remove bones. Add ground ingredients to fish stock and bring to boil . Add tamarind juice, daun kesum, ginger flower, sugar, fish meat and oil .

Simmer for 20 minutes . Gravy should be kept warm till serving time.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients:

8 cups seeded watermelon cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup hulled and quartered fresh strawberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

2 cups water (approximately)

Thin watermelon wedges with the rind (optional)

Instruction:

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the watermelon, strawberries, and sugar until blended and smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a 2-quart container, pushing down on the solids to get all the juice. Add the lemon juice and enough of the water to make 1 1/2 quarts.

Chill until very cold. Serve over ice with a wedge of watermelon, if desired.