Kung Pao Chicken

Tender, juicy stir-fried chicken with delicious vegetables in a flavorful sauce served over rice.  Instead of going out to eat at a restaurant, you can easily make this recipe at home. You will save a lot of money, and you can add as much or as little of the vegetables that you want.

 Ingredients

1/2 c. soy sauce, divided
1/3.c rice vinegar
1½ tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. cornstarch
2 lbs. chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 1/2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
2 sweet peppers, diced
2 c. frozen broccoli
1 onion, diced
1/2 c. peanuts or cashews
1 Tbs. grated ginger
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. chili flakes
cooked rice

Directions

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix until smooth.

Add the chicken into the bowl.  Mix to coat all sides of the chicken. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for about 20 minutes, or longer.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat.  Add some of the chicken.  Cook the chicken, turning the chicken over to brown both sides.  You will need to work in batches, so you don't overcrowd the skillet. Place the browned chicken on a plate.

Add the bell peppers, and onion into the skillet, adding more sesame oil if needed.  Cook and stir until the vegetables soften. This takes about 4 minutes.  Add broccoli and cook until no longer frozen.

Add the cashews, ginger, garlic and chili flakes.  Cook and stir for another 2 minutes.

Put the chicken back into the skillet.  Pour in the reserved sauce and stir to combine.  Bring the sauce to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium low. Stirring occasionally, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.  

Remove from heat.  Serve over the cooked rice and enjoy.

Notes

Double or triple the sauce ingredients if you like extra sauce.

Crab Puffs

 

This Crab Puff recipe is simple and easy to do.  We like to eat these as a snack, or as an appetizer.    Delicious crab meat flavored with cream cheese, sour cream, a hint of lemon, and Worcestershire, set inside a puff pastry.  We often use imitation crab to make ours because the cost of real crab is too expensive for our budget.

Ingredients

1 (8oz. ) pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tbs. sour cream
1 (12 oz.) can crab meat, drained
1 onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste
flour for dusting
1 egg
2 tsp. water
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, crab meat, onion, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix thoroughly.

In a small bowl, combine egg and water.  Beat the egg until it is frothy. Set aside.

Lightly flour your work surface.  Roll out the pastry into a 12-inch square.  Cut the square into 16 equal, smaller squares.

Place 2 tablespoons of the crab filling in the middle of one of the puff pastry squares. Fold the dough over on each side of the square to create a raised, open cup.

Brush the pastry with the egg and water mixture.  Place the puff pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry squares and crab filling.

Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden.

Serve and enjoy.

Notes

You can also put the puff pastry squares in tiny muffin tins. this will form the square into the right shape.

Garlic Bread Sticks with Dipping Sauce

Garlic Bread Sticks with Dipping Sauce 

These breadsticks are so good.  We put in extra garlic because we love garlic. They don't take too long to make up, and they are perfect as a snack or as the main meal.

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/3 c. warm water
1 Tbs. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/4 c. dry milk powder
4 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. dry minced garlic
2 Tbs. olive oil

Dipping Sauce

1 (30 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. dry minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt

Breadstick Seasoning

2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. oregano
1 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. butter
olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast.  Place in a warm location for 10 minutes to the yeast can bloom and show it is alive.

Add dry milk, 2 cups flour, salt and olive oil.  Beat well with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes. Slowly mix in the remaining flour.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. 

Cover the dough with a tea towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

Coat the bottom of a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Press or roll the dough out, so it fits in the bottom of the baking sheet. Cover the dough with a tea towel and place in a warm location to rise for about 90 minutes.  

While the dough is rising, prepare the dipping sauce. 

In a saucepan, combine tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, basil, marjoram, dry minced garlic, Italian seasoning and salt. Bring to a bubble over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Stir the sauce occasionally to keep it from burning on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, onion powder, oregano, garlic, basil, and salt for the breadstick seasoning mix. Set aside.  

Heat the oven to 375° to 400°.  Bake the breadsticks for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Brush the top of the breadsticks with butter.  Immediately sprinkle the tops with breadstick seasoning mix.  Let sit for 5 minutes.

Cut the dough into breadsticks with a knife or pizza cutter. 

Serve with dipping sauce.

Mom's Hamburger Vegetable Soup

When you are feeling under the weather, you rally don't want to spend time in the kitchen cooking. This is an easy recipe, full of good, healthy vegetables that will put you on the road to feeling better in no time.

Mom used tomato juice that she canned from vegetables in her garden. If you can do that, it will put this recipe over the top.  We use extra garlic in ours because we like garlic. It also has many health benefits like helping fighting against colds.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (36.) oz can tomato juice, or your home canned tomato juice
2 to 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1/4 head cabbage, shredded or chopped fine
1 (14.5 oz. can green beans, undrained
1 (14) oz. can whole kernel corn, undrained
3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 to 1 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large cast iron Dutch oven pot, brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper as desired/  Cook until the beef is no longer pink.  Drain off grease.

Pour in the tomato juice.  Add potatoes, carrots, celery, cabbage, green beans, whole kernel corn, beef bouillon cubes, Worcestershire, garlic powder, basil, marjoram, and cayenne pepper.  

Bring the contents to a bubble.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook and simmer for at least one hour, or until the vegetables are tender.  Season with salt and pepper as desired. 

Serve.

Notes

Instead of using marjoram and basil, you can use Italian seasoning.

Frozen vegetables can be used in place of canned vegetables.  You may need to add a bit more water if it has too much tomato flavor for you.

If you don't like certain vegetables, leave them out or use a vegetable you do like.

Pineapple Orange Cake

This is a moist, orange cake with a delicious, light pineapple topping.  It is a quick and easy dessert to make and perfect to serve when you want a light dessert. 

 Ingredients

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. yellow or white cake mix
1 (11 ox.) can mandarin oranges, undrained
4 eggs
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce or sour cream

Topping

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (10 oz.) carton whipped topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease or spray a 13 z 9 cake pan.

 In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oranges, eggs and applesauce or sour cream.  Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. 

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Place on a cooling rack to cool.

Prepare the frosting.

In a bowl, combine crushed pineapple, and instant vanilla pudding mix.  Beat until thoroughly combined. 

Gently fold in the whipped cream. 

Spread over cooled cake.  Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.  

Store the cake in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can add up to 16 ounces of whipped cream, if you like extra frosting on your cake.

 Parmesan Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is a delicious way to serve pork tenderloin. It is important to use the Parmesan cheese you find in the jar. If you use fresh Parmesan cheese, you risk burning the cheese and ruining the dish.  

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4) lb. pork tenderloin
salt and pepper to taste
6 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 onion, chopped into half rings
1 1/2 c. fresh mushrooms or canned mushrooms, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cl beef froth
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
3 Tbs. water

Directions

 Cut the pork loin into 1/2 inch slices. Pound each slice of pork until it is about 1/8-inch thick. 

Sprinkle salt and pepper over each piece as desired. Coat the pork slices with Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter.  Add the onions, mushrooms and garlic. Saute over medium heat until tender. Remove from the skillet. Place in a large pan or casserole dish, cover with a lid and place in a warm location.

In the same skillet you cooked the onions in, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the pork until the juices run clear. This takes about 2 minutes on each side, adding more olive oil as needed.  As you remove the pork from the pan, place the pork in the same dish you have the onions, mushrooms and garlic in. a covered pan or dish to keep warm. 

Pour the broth into the pan, scraping the bottom to remove the tasty browned bits of flavor.  Stir in the basil, thyme and rosemary.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. 

In a small bowl or cup, combine cornstarch and water.  Mix until smooth.  Stir the roux into the pan juices, whisking constantly.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. 

Cook and stir until thickened, or about 2 minutes.  

Serve over the pork loin and onion mixture. 

Butterscotch Yams

This recipe for Butterscotch Yams is quick, easy, and it tastes so delicious. It is one of our favorite side dishes to make and serve.

Ingredients

6 yams, cooked, peeled, and quartered
1/4 c. dark corn syrup
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbs. heavy cream or half & half or evaporated milk
1 Tbs. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place prepared yams in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

In a saucepan, mix dark corn syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, salt and cinnamon.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour the sauce over the yams. Bake for 15 minutes, basting often. 

Serve and enjoy.

Notes

You can also use canned yams. Just be sure to drain them first.