Cajun Sausage and Pasta Skillet

Ingredients

12-16 ounces smoked sausage
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning. How much to add depends on the brand you use and the heat level your family enjoys. I used the full 3 teaspoons
3 cups penne pasta
2 to 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Heat the oil over medium heat in a 10 or 12 inch skillet with a lid

Slice the sausage into rings

Cook the sausage, garlic, onion, and bell pepper for 4-5 minutes or until the sausage is brown and the vegetables are tender

Sprinkle with the seasoning

Add the pasta and chicken broth
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer

Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, or until pasta is tender and most of the broth is absorbed

Whisk together the milk and cornstarch
Add to pasta and sausage

Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until a sauce is formed.

Firecracker Chicken

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup canola oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt
pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
Sauce:
⅓ cup buffalo sauce (if you like more heat use hot sauce, like Frank’s brand)
1¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.

In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture. I have also found that you can put the cornstarch in a gallon sized bag and shake the chicken to coat.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, buffalo sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, salt and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken and bake for 1 hour.
I stirred the chicken every 15 minutes so that it coated them in the sauce.

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients:

½ c. cocoa
¼ cup cornstarch/or arrowroot powder (or ½ c. all purpose flour)
3 egg yolks
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 c. milk

Directions:

Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar and salt, then add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over med-high heat. Cook until thick, beating it smooth. Cream pies take some time to thicken, so stir... and stir (10-15 min). Using a heavy bottom pan really helps. Just keep it up until it thickens. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Put in the fridge to chill, add whipped cream if you like, Or use the left over egg whites for a meringue topping!

P.F. Chang's Mongolia Beef Copycat Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound of flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil, for serving and sauteeing
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, not packed
vegetable oil, for frying
2 large green onions, sliced on the diagonal into one-inch lengths
cooked rice, for serving
steamed broccoli, for serving

Instructions:

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick 1-inch long slices. Add the cornstarch to a wide, shallow bowl and coat the steak with the cornstarch. Set aside and allow the cornstarch to soak into them meat while you make the sauce.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-low heat in a wok or large cast-iron or stainless steel frying pan. Add the ginger and garlic, saute until fragrant about 2 minute, stirring often.

Add the soy sauce and water then whisk in the brown sugar. Turn heat up to medium-high, bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes (not longer - the mixture will thicken up when you add it to the steak) whisking often. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Add 1/2 to 3/4-inch oil to the same pan and heat over medium heat until the oil shimmers. You can test it by adding a piece of steak - it should sizzle and start cooking immediately.

Add the beef to the oil and cook for about two minutes turning the pieces over so they brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider to a paper towel lined plate.

Let oil cool down - then drain off.
Heat the same pan over medium heat and add the meat back in along with the sauce and green onions. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring to coat the meat all over with the sauce.

Remove the meat and leave the excess sauce behind. Serve over rice with broccoli, if desired.

Bourbon Style Crack Chicken (crock pot style)

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tbls. cornstarch
2 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or more if you like a stronger ginger flavor
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper - or more if you like it spicy
2 tbls. applesauce, sweetened or not
1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tbls. ketchup
1 tbls. cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup lite soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk all ingredients into a crockpot. Add chicken and coat with mixture.
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Serve over rice.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Instructions:

Toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. 

Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will allow the balls to stay intact. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick. Put 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet.

 Press a few more chocolate chips/chunks on top of the dough balls for looks, if desired. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. Do not bake longer than 12 minutes. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2lbs cubed beef stew meat
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
4 cups water
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Dissolve bouillon in water and then add parsley, thyme, and black pepper and then both cans of diced tomatoes. Once meat is done add the meat to the soup mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
2. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours more.

Bourbon Street Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet.
Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken and drain. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Serve over hot rice.

Jagerschnitzel (German)

Ingredients:

1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten well
1 medium onion, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sour cream
4 pork steaks, pounded thin

Directions:

In a shallow dish mix together the bread crumbs and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Place the egg in a separate dish. Heat oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Dip pork steaks in egg and then coat in bread crumb mixture. Fry in the hot oil until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Remove the meat and place on platter and keep it warm. Add onions and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until lightly browned. Pour in beef broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir together the cornstarch and sour cream; add to the skillet. Cook over low heat until thickened but do not boil. Spoon over the pork and serve immediately.

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli (Chinese)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless beef roast, cut into strips
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooled sauce from the crockpot after being cooked
Fresh broccoli florets, as desired

Directions:

Place beef in a crockpot.

In a small bowl combine broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

In a cup stir cornstarch and sauce from the crockpot until smooth. Add to crockpot. Stir well to combine.

Add broccoli to the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (sauce has to boil for it to thicken).

Serve over hot cooked rice.

Chinese Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless beef chunk
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16oz) can diced tomatoes
1 medium green pepper, cut in chunks
1 cup water
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. Cut meat into 1/2-inch thick slices.
2. Brown meat in oil in large skillet.
3. Add garlic, tomatoes, and 1 cup water to browned meat.
4. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until meat is tender.
5. Add green pepper, onions, and celery.
6. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer.
7. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water and stir until smooth.
8. Stir into meat mixture and add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.
9. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened.
10. Serve over rice.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

The Chicken Coating

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

cornstarch

The Sweet and Sour Sauce

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

Start by preheating your oven to 325 F. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes (1 inch works best). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

San Francisco Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (I cut them in half length wise)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper for seasoning
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 - 3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon COLD water

Directions:

Cook chicken in olive oil until thoroughly cooked. Remove from pan. In same pan brown garlic. Then add all ingredients and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

       Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.