Beef Lo Mein

Ingredients:

8 ounces Thin Spaghetti; broken in half
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/4 cups Hot Boiled Water
1 tablespoon Beef Better Than Bullion
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
Oil; for frying
1 pound Beef
2 large Carrots
2 cups Broccoli
1 large Onion
4 Garlic Cloves

Directions:

Cook spaghetti per box instructions. Into cooked spaghetti add sesame oil and stir to combine.

Into hot, boiled water add Better Than Bullion and brown sugar; stir to dissolve. Into the mixture, add soy sauce and set aside. Using a hot skillet, brown both sides of the beef. Let beef cool and slice it into two inch pieces. Dice carrots, broccoli, and onions into 2 inch pieces.

Add sliced beef into the same skillet, fry until completely cooked. Into the cooked beef, add sauce mixture, cook all together for about a minute, set aside.

Using the skillet, where you've cooked beef, sautee onions until golden brown. Remove from the heat.

In a separate oiled skillet, sautee carrots until softened, add broccoli and cook for about three minutes. Press garlic into the same mixture and remove form the heat.

In a large dish, combine spaghetti, vegetables and beef, together. Toss to combine, serve hot.

Honey Srichach Chicken Foil Packs

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1/2 cup water
1 box (7 oz) Green Giant™ healthy weight frozen vegetables (sliced carrots, sugar snap peas, black beans and edamame lightly tossed with butter sauce), thawed
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (from 20-oz package)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix rice and water. Soak 5 minutes; drain. Stir in thawed vegetables.

Cut 4 (10x12-inch) sheets of Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil. Spray center of one side of each with cooking spray. Spoon one-fourth of the rice mixture on center of each sheet. Top each with 1 chicken breast.

In small bowl, mix honey, lime juice and Sriracha sauce. Spoon evenly over chicken.

Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal. Place packets on ungreased cookie sheet with sides.

Bake about 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
1 (15 oz.) container small curd cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon pepper
lasagna noodles, uncooked
salt, to taste

Directions:

Brown and crumble ground beef in a large skillet.
(You need a larger skillet for this because you'll be adding the spaghetti sauce and water to it later). Then add in onion and garlic and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. I like to season my beef mixture with a little salt at this point too.
Drain excess grease from beef. And put back into skillet. Pour in spaghetti sauce, water and cherry tomatoes (if using).

Give it all a good stir (you can turn the heat off at this point). Give it a taste test, add additional salt if necessary.

In a separate bowl, mix together cottage cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, egg, pepper and chopped parsley. (Put your remaining cheeses back in the fridge, you'll be using those as a topping later).

Spray Crock Pot with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop approximately 1 cup of meat sauce into bottom of slow cooker. Top with one layer of uncooked lasagna noodles.
Just do your best to break them up to fit into your crock pot. Next top with a layer of the cheese mixture. Keep adding layers, ending with meat sauce.

I was able to get 3 layers in my 5-quart slow cooker.

Put the lid on and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
(It took exactly 4 hours in my slow cooker).
You want most of the liquid to be absorbed and noodles should be soft. When it is finished cooked add the remaining cheeses.
Put the lid back on for about 10-15 more minutes until cheese is melted.

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.

Easy Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/3 cups Shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 cup Water
6 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

Combine the 2 1/2 cups flour, shortening, and salt, in a bowl and blend with a fork until it forms pea sized crumbs. In a small container with a lid combine 6 Tablespoons flour and 1/2 cup water and shake until combined.

Pour onto the shortening mixture and gently combine. Be GENTLE. The more you work the dough the tougher it gets. Form into a ball and lay on a floured surface. 

Cut into 4 pieces. You will have enough dough for the top and bottom of 2 pies. Take one of the quarters and roll it into a ball and then flatten it with your palm. Flour the top and start rolling from the middle, turning a quarter turn with each roll. 

Don’t hesitate to sprinkle your surface or the top of your dough with more flour so it doesn’t stick. When it is about 12 inches in diameter place the dough over the rolling pin and lay onto your pie dish.
For one pie crust cut and crimp the edges and and poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. 

For a double crust, put in the filling before cutting the edge of the bottom crust. Water you fingers and wet the edge of the bottom crust slightly. Place on the top crust, cut the extra and crimp the dough all the way around. Make steam holes in the top, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 375 degrees on a metal cookie sheet(it helps to cook the bottom crust), for 50-60 minutes. The crust should be slightly browned and the filling should be bubbling through the steam holes.

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts

Ingredients:

1/2 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
11 oz thin crust pizza dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown and drain ground beef. Add water, vinegar, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp canola oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Divide the pizza dough into six equal portions and roll into a round, tortilla-like shape. Fry the dough for one minute on each side or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Top with beef mixture and shredded cheese.

Oatmeal/Apple/Cinnamon Breakfast

Ingredients:

2 sliced apples
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cups oatmeal
4 cups water

Directions:

Put all ingredients in crockpot in order. Do NOT stir. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours.

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.

Cowboy Stew

Ingredients:

1st hamburger meat
2 cans Ranch Style beans with jalapeños
1 can water
Large onion, chopped
2 cans Milestone soup
1 can rote
2 hot links

Directions:

Brown hamburger meat and the drain. Chop the hot links and onions, brown.
Add all ingredients together in a pot and cook until hot.

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp garlic powder
22 oz (6 1/2 cups) cauliflower florets
3/4 cup Hot Wing Sauce
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray a large non-stick baking sheet with oil.

Combine the water, flour, and garlic powder in a bowl and stir until well combined.

Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture and place on the baking sheet; bake for 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower is baking, combine the hot sauce and butter in a small bowl.

Pour the hot sauce mixture over the baked cauliflower and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with ranch dressing if desired and celery sticks.

Goulash (Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 bay leaves 
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning 
2   (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes 
2   (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce 
3 cup water 
3 cloves garlic, chopped 
2 large onion, chopped
2 lbs lean ground beef 
1 tablespoon Paula Deen Seasoned Salt
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, saute the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sauteing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

Salt Dough

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Flour
1 Cups of Salt
1 Cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200.

In a large bowl mix salt and flour.

Gradually stir in water. Mix well until it forms a doughy consistency.
Form a ball with the dough and kneed it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you kneed the dough the smoother it gets!
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, or use it like you would clay and form ornaments (like snowmen etc, but remember the dough will take longer to dry in 3d ornaments!)

Place the ornaments on a cookie sheet and poke a hole in the top with a toothpick, so you can thread ribbon for hanging. If you make 3d ornaments, then you may want to invest in tiny cup-hooks to screw into the top before baking. Let them air dry or bake them at 200F until dry (you can up the temp to 350 but they may turn brown a bit. Not a big deal if you paint them anyway, and if not it might look rather nice. They tend to look like cookies, or bread when they turn brown a bit).

Bake the ornaments at 200 F until they are dry. The amount of time needed to bake depends on size and thickness; thin flat ornaments may only take 45-60 minutes, thicker ones can take 2-3 hours or more. Increasing the temperature to 350F will dry the ornaments faster, but may make them brown. If you paint them, this will not matter, since the paint will cover the brown. On the other hand they may look very nice and rustic, like cookies or bread if they are kept the natural colour and just lacquered.

These make great “Baby’s first Christmas” presents as well and look cute tied to a gift! You can personalise them by painting the name of the recipient on them!

Have fun making your very own ornaments for your tree!

Happy Holidays!

Peppermint Balls

Ingredients (peppermint centers):

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 tablespoon crisco
Pinch of salt

Ingredients (coating):

1 bag Hershey Special Dark Chocolate Chips
1-2 tablespoons crisco

Directions:

Blend powdered sugar, corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, crisco, and a pinch of salt together.

Roll into balls as big or little as you like. Lay out on parchment/wax paper and stick in freezer. You can freeze for as little as 15 minutes or overnight.

When done freezing pull off wax paper so you can use it for the chocolate dipped ones.

Melt 1 bag Hershey's chocolate and crisco (makes it thinner for dipping) in a bowl of a pot of boiling water (double boiler).

Toss 1 ball at a time in the chocolate making sure to coat really good, fish out with a fork and set on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes.

These are good kept in the fridge.

Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups raw or roasted & salted peanuts
1/4 teaspoon salt (if you used raw peanuts)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Combine sugar, water and syrup in a medium-large saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook at medium heat slowly to the soft ball stage (245 degrees F. on a candy thermometer), stirring gently every so often. Add 2 cups of peanuts and salt (if using). Continue to cook until the thermometer registers 300 degrees F. Add baking soda. Stir to blend and continue to cook until golden brown (just a minute or so more). Remove from heat and stir to combine.

3. Pour the hot mixture onto the prepared pan and spread it out as much as you can with a wooden spoon. Cool completely, and then break into pieces.

Tips:

*Keep your peanut brittle in a tightly covered container until you are ready to serve/eat it. The texture of candy can be greatly affected by the humidity in the air.

*If you are using a candy thermometer that clips to the side, just make sure that the bottom of the thermometer is resting inside the liquid and not pushed all the way to the bottom of the pan (you'll get a false reading if it's touching the bottom of the pan where the heat source is strongest).

Chicken Lo Mein - One Pot Wonder

Ingredients:

½lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks
12oz whole wheat linguini or fettuccini, broken in half
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in thin 3 inch long strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin 3 inch long strips
1 bunch green onions, white part sliced and green part cut in 3 inch long strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup water
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Add the chicken, then the pasta, then the remaining ingredients to a large stockpot and cover. Bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until most of the liquid is gone and the chicken is cooked through.

Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I use turkey sausage)
¾ pound lean ground beef
½ c onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 T sugar
1½ t dried basil leaves
½ t fennel seeds (I usually omit this)
1 t Italian seasoning
1 T salt (I usually reduce to a couple teaspoons)
¼ t ground black pepper
4 T chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles (regular or no cook. I usually use no cook noodles.)
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ t salt
¾ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until cooked through and browned.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water, and stir everything together.

Add sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 T salt, pepper, and 2 T parsley, and stir to combine.

Simmer, covered, for at least 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. I usually try to simmer for as long as possible.

If using regular lasagna noodles, cook according to package instructions and drain.

In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, remaining parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375°F.

To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange a single layer of noodles over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Beef Roast Stroganoff

Ingredients (roast):

3-5 lb. beef roast
1 C. water
1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Ingredients (sauce):

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. sour cream (opt.)
2 tsp. beef bouillon
1/4 tsp. pepper

All of the broth left over from the crockpot

Directions:

Place roast in crockpot. Mix water and onion soup mix and pour over the top of roast.

Water does not need to cover the roast. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. When roast is done, take out of crockpot and shred meat; set aside.

In a saucepan, combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream (if desired), bouillon, pepper, and the leftover broth from the crockpot. Bring to a boil. Add shredded beef.

Serve over egg noodles or potatoes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 whole boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves, garlic minced
1 can (10oz) rotel tomatoes with green chilies
32 ounces chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups hot water
2 cans (15oz) black beans, drained
3 tablespoons cornmeal
5 whole corn tortillas, cut into uniform strips about 2 to 3 inches

Garnishes:

Sour cream
Diced avocados
Diced red onions
Salsa
Pico De Gallo
Grated cheeses
Cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in rotel, chicken broth, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with small amount of water. Pour into soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed - add more chili powder if it needs more spice and be sure not to under salt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Serve in bowls with favorite garnishes.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup minute rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice, onions, pepper and garlic. Cook until the rice is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in the water, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat d simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 15 to 17 minutes. Stir in the cheese and transfer to a serving bowl.