Stir Fry Sauce

Yesterday we were in want of stir fry as we had all the tasty veggies to go with it.  But for years we've been working on finding the right sauce.  Buying it in a bottle seems to go too fast.  So, we looked up a recipe and made our own.   I didn't have the fresh ginger, garlic, or scallion, but I substituted Garlic Powder & Onion Powder.  I sorta forgot the ginger.  We doubled the recipe for our fam as follows:

6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic clove, minced
2 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili oil (or to taste. You can substitute almost any type of spicy or flavorful oil that you like)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons water

Directions:
1 - Dissolve cornstarch in water.
2 - Combine all ingredients.
3 - To use, make your stirfry until almost fully cooked. Stir in sauce in the last few minutes. Bring to a boil until thickened.

It was tasty. Go make it with broccolli, carrots, celery, green pepper, tasty chicken, & rice. Yummmmm.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/stir-fry-sauce-204223?scaleto=8&mode=null&st=true&oc=linkback

Black Bean Burgers

I made these after trying a black bean burger sample at Costco, and everyone liked them.  I did double the recipe for my family, because this recipe was for 4 patties.  I found it on allrecipes.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Four Cheese Margherita Pizza

I made this tonight, and I am in love.  This is my new favorite pizza.  It is sooooo good.  I wanted to eat more and more and more.  Unfortunately, my stomach can't hold that much food with my swollen prego belly.  I loved it so much, I am already planning to make more tomorrow.  Blake loved it too.  I think he was surprised by how yummy it was.  Recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

I used the pizza dough recipe in the family cook book.  That is my go to recipe, it always turns out great.  I baked it for about 10 minutes and then added the toppings and them baked it again for 10 minutes. 

 Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 2 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crusts
• 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 4 ounces shredded Fontina cheese   *I did not use this cheese and it still turned out yummy!
• 10 fresh basil leaves, washed, dried
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Stir together olive oil, garlic, and salt; toss with tomatoes, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Brush each pizza crust with some of the tomato marinade. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Arrange tomatoes overtop, then sprinkle with shredded basil, Parmesan, and feta cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes.  

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

I've been trying out some new recipes and wanted to share my favorites.  This year we are splitting a crop share with some friends, which has been fun and also a little challenging to use up everything we get each week.  We have been getting some great food. I have had fun finding new recipes to use the ingredients, such as: cilantro, basil leaves, egg plant, bok choy,  zucchini, zucchini and more zucchini, ect.............  I try to stick with recipes that are quick and easy, because that is the kind of cook I am.  I made these Fish Tacos the other night and loved them.  They were also super quick and  easy.  I got the recipe off myrecipes.com.

• Crema:
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Tacos:
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
• Cooking spray
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
  

  Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
• To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.
• I loved the the crema and would probably make twice as much next time.  Also, I didn't use Red Snapper, I used tilapia.  I'm sure any fish would be super yummy.  Also, my kids aren't a big fan of corn tortillas, so next time I will give them flour. I liked the corn with these tacos.   Halibut would be good.  I HOPE YOU ENJOY!

Easy Indian Butter Chicken

I made this for dinner last night and it was very good.  If you can overlook for extreme amount of dairy fat, it's definitely worth the effort.  Matt really enjoyed this - he had a hard time stopping.  Good thing there were lots of leftovers.

Easy Indian Butter Chicken (6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, divided
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
•  
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons tandoori masala

I used Jane's broiled chicken recipe:  rub tandoori spices and some salt on chicken breasts and broil on high for 4-5 minutes per side.  Take out of oven and tent for 10-15 minutes.  The chicken is perfect!

1. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook slowly until the onion caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat along with the tomato sauce, heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in caramelized onions.
3. Cut or shred broiled chicken breasts and add to sauce.

We served over brown rice.

Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

I made this for dinner tonight and is was very, very good!  The flavor was perfect and the meat was very tender...just the way I like it.

Beef & Asparagus Stir Fry (4 servings)


3 T soy sauce
2 T wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
1/4 cup water
1 t cornstarch (I ended up using more at the end because it didn't thicken)
2 t brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t chili flakes (I didn't have any so I used red pepper flakes)
1 t fresh ginger, grated (I used dried ginger)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 lb flank steak, sliced into thin strips (I had sirloin tenderloins and used those)
3 T peanut oil (I used almond oil)
3/4 lb asparagus, sliced diagonally
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup green onions, sliced

1.  Mix soy sauce, vinegar, water, cornstarch, brown sugar, salt, chili flakes, ginger and garlic in a large bowl.  Add steak and mix to coat well.  Let marinade for 20-30 minutes.  (I marinated the steak for 3+ hours).
2.  Heat peanut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Reserving the marinade, saute steak until browned on both sides, about 30 seconds per side.
3.  Add asparagus and bell pepper, stirring until vegetables are softened and meat is cooked through, (2-3 minutes).
4.  Add reserved marinade, and simmer to thicken for 1 minute.  Stir in green onions and remove from heat.
5.  Serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Homemade Hawaiian Haystacks

Hawaiian Haystacks or Chinese Sundays  is a staple in our home.  It is quick and easy and we always have the ingredients.  I recently came across Picky Palate's recipe for a homemade sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks and it was awesome.  You have to try it if you are a fan of Hawaiian Haystacks.  I will link to the recipe because I am to lazy to retype it.
Picky Palate's Hawaiian Haystacks

Shredded Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas (Casserole)

I tried this recipe tonight, of course with my own variation, and it turned out really good. Even the pickier kids ate most of it without complaining. The flavors really went well together.

The original recipe can be found here. This is my variation, it is more of an enchilada casserole.


Shredded Beef and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole


shredded beef - I used leftovers from Sunday's roast.
1 to 2 cans black beans

I put these in a crockpot on low for a few hours with the sauce to let it all warm through and simmer a little.

For sauce:
Saute onion and 2-3 cloves garlic in oil til transulcent and cooked down. While those are cooking I added the following:

1tsp. cumin
1tsp. coriandor
dash of celery salt (only if you have it)
1/4 tsp or less of cayenne

When onions/garlic are cooked down add:
2 cans tomato sauce plus a little water
3 Tbsp chili powder

Stir all together, get it well incorporated and bubbling. Add to beans and beef in crockpot on low and let stay til you are ready to assemble. Mine was in there for a few hours.

To assemble:
put some sauce on the bottom of a pan (I used 8x8) top with flour tortillas, sauce, grated cheese and continue with flour tortillas, sauce and cheese til pan is full. I ended with sauce and cheese on top.

Bake in 350* for about 30 minutes til bubbly.

Lion House Chicken Enchiladas

I am always looking for a good chicken enchilada recipe. I've tried a lot of different recipes. This recipe comes from the Lion House Recipe Book. This recipe is my favorite by far, and my family loved it too. I did modify it a little. For example, I used only 1 cup of onions as opposed to the 2 cups in the recipe.

1 pound chicken breast cut into strips
1 cups chopped white onions
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup nonfat mayonnaise
1 can (14 ounce) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
8 flour or corn tortillas (I like flour, the recipe calls for corn, whichever you prefer.)
1 can (8 ounces) enchilada sauce (I used more than 1 can)

Brown chicken in a skillet. When the chicken is golden brown, add onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine sour cream and mayonnaise. Very gradually add chicken broth to the sour cream mixture, stirring constantly. Do not add broth too fast or mixture will be lumpy. When thoroughly mixed, place saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil. Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and stir over heat until cheese is melted. Set aside.

Spray 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Pour enchilada sauce into a large shallow bowl. Dip 1 tortilla into the sauce, making sure both sides are covered with sauce. Remove tortilla from sauce and fill with sliced chicken and a little cheese. Roll tortilla around filling and place in prepared baking dish. Repeat until all the chicken mixture is used up. Pour sour cream mixture over filled tortillas. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Baked Tacos from LDS living

I saw this on an LDS living email and thought it might make a quick and easy summer dinner, even if I use dough I make. We'll try it and let you know!

Baked Tacos
A new twist on tacos, try our easy to make Baked Tacos. Bake up a bunch, you'll need them simply delicious.

Servings: 4-6
Skill Level: Beginning
Prep Time: 30 min (not including thaw time)
Bake Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

• Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• 4 ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• salsa
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomatoes

Instructions: Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rolls together and roll into an 11x8-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes. Place ground beef in a skillet and cook completely. Drain well. Add taco seasoning and green chilies to meat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove wrap from dough. Place dough in a sprayed 10x7-inch baking pan to cover bottom and at least 1-inch up the sides. Poke several times with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming and bake at 350°F 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Place back in oven and cook an additional 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with salsa, lettuce and tomatoes to serve.

Click here to view
a video of how to make the recipe!

Healthy Hamburgers

1/2 pound lean ground turkey or hamburger

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1/4 cup nonfat milk

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/8 teaspoon pepper

nonstick cooking spray

8 wholegrain dinner rolls

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the meat, breadcrumbs, cauliflower puree, milk, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. Form into 8 small patties.

3. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. when the skillet is hot, the burgers and cook until nicely browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the burgers over, then slide the skillet into the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the burgers are no longer pink in the center.

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (I usually use more because this recipe makes a lot of sauce)

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1 1/2 cups shreaded reduced fat cheddar cheese

4 onces reduced fat cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon paparika

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook macaroni. While it is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk adn cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower puree, cheese, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in macaroni and serve warm.

Fun Variation of Lasagna

Lasagna Rolls

by: Giada De Laurentiis

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese because it was cheaper)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped ( I didn't use this but I bet it would be tasty)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

BBQ Chicken and Ranch Pizza

This has become my favorite pizza and since discovering it about a month ago I have made it three times. One time I didn't have any ranch dressing so I made some. I found this ranch dressing recipe on Pioneer Woman, I had to tweak it with what ingredients I had but it turned out really good. Also, I didn't have fresh herbs so I used dried. I may never buy ranch dressing again.

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 cup Barbecue sauce, divided
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pizza dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce; mix until combined. Spread the remaining barbecue sauce on rolled out pizza dough. Place red onion and chicken mixture over sauce. Drizzle ranch dressing over chicken then top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Creamy Chicken and Chile Enchiladas

1 lb uncooked chicken (or already cooked chicken)
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chiles
1 can (15 oz.) black beans
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drain off a little of the juice, but not all of it
Flour tortillas
1 or 2 cans (10 oz. can) Green Chile enchilada sauce; depends on if you like a lot of sauce or not
shredded cheddar cheese

Heat Oven 400 deg. Grease 9x13 inch pan.

In a nonstick skillet cook chicken over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Stir in cream cheese, green chiles, black beans, and diced tomatoes; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until blended and cream cheese is melted.

Spoon chicken filling into tortillas; roll up and put in pan. Pour enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 min.

Simple Chicken - Slow Cooker Style

I found this recipe on Beth's Mess. It's really simple but we really like it.

Here's the original recipe that Beth shared.

Ingredients:

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 c. warm water OR chicken broth

Directions:

1. Place chicken in cooker.
2. Sprinkle dressing mix on top.
3. Pour water/broth over chicken; cover.
4. Cook on low 8-10 hours.


My alterations: I used frozen chicken tenderloins (it doesn't have to cook quite as long). I also add a can of cream of chicken or celery because I like the sauce a little thicker to put on the rice or noodles.

White Girl's Enchilada Casserole

I am posting this as my contribution for a casserole call. I love this casserole, but it is another one of those that is not set recipe so I will again just put how I do it. My mom use to throw this together. I tweaked it a bit and added my own snazzy name.

White Girl's Enchilada Casserole

chicken breasts - boil and shred (use enough for your family, I usually use 2-4 breasts depending on their size)
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-2 cans diced green chiles
shredded cheese - a few handfuls or maybe like 1-2 cups (I love cheddar for this but you can use Mexican blend too)

I usually just mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl and use as the filling. You can also mix all ingredients minus the cheese and then use the cheese as its own layer.

Flour Tortillas

Place one flour tortilla on the bottom of casserole dish (i usually use a 8x8 dish). Spread filling on top and then layer with another tortilla (or put cheese on top of filling and then add tortilla). Repeat and top with tortilla and bake in 350* oven for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly

Variation:
You can also use an enchilada sauce and spread over filling or mix with filling. We use to do this, but now I just mash up the diced green chiles a bit and it makes for a nicer texture. But it is still yummy with the sauce.

Caramelized Salmon

I got this recipe from a colleague at work.  He grew up in Alaska where salmon was plentiful.  I made this a few weeks ago when we had Jenny & Brad over.  It is very very good!

1 cube butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp lemon zest

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp dill weed (adjust amount as you like)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (adjust amount as you like)

Mix above ingredients together in sauce pan until butter is melted and sugar dissolved.  Put sauce on salmon as it cooks (on grill or in oven).

Sweet Pork Burritos

This recipe comes from my mom's ward recipe book. It is really yummy! I love it!

1 (2-3 lb) pork roast
salt
pepper
garlic salt
1/3 c water
1 pkg flour tortillas, warmed in microwave
2 (15 oz) cans mild green chili sauce or enchilada sauce, divided
1/2 c brown sugar
1 (15 0z) can black beans
1 bunch cilantro-chopped
Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Season roast with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Place roast and water in crockpot. Cook on high 4 hours or on low for 8 hours until meat is tender. Shred pork and place in a bowl. Stir in 1/2 cut green chili sauce and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Mix well. Spray 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray and pour 1/2 cup green sauce into bottom of the pan. Fill each tortilla with pork, 1-2 tbsp beans, and 1-2 tsp cilantro. Roll burrito and place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remainder of green sauce over the burritos and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with the following garnishes: chopped tomatoes, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Spicy Beans with Coconut Milk

I tried a new recipe and it turned out to be really good. It's quick and easy to put together.

1 sweet onion, chopped
vegetable cooking spray
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 (15-oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-oz) can dinced tomatoes, undrained
1 (13.5-oz) can lite coconut milk
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Saute chopped onion in a pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add red curry paste, saute 1 minute. Stir in kidney beans, tomatoes, coconut milk and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with green onions and chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.