Garlic Noodles

My friend introduced us to these garlic noodles and they instantly became a family favorite.  We make them all the time.  Sometimes they are a main dish, sometimes they are a side dish.  My kids like them cold or hot.  (I prefer hot)

Garlic Noodles:

8oz cooked pasta (I use spaghetti noodles but you can really use any)
4 cloves minced or sliced garlic
1/2 bunch green onions chopped small
4  tbl spns butter
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbl spns brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbl spns oyster sauce.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet and saute onions and garlic.  Mix all other ingredients together in a small bowl.  Once pasta is done, drain and return to pot.  Mix pasta with all other ingredients including sauteed onions and garlic.  Serve immediately.  Seriously YUMMY!

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

I got this recipe out of my Our Best Bites cookbook and changed a few things to accommodate my liking (of course).

Prepare some spaghetti noodles.  I do about 8oz of noodles for my large family
You will need about 3 cups or so of prepared chicken.  I grill mine on the cast iron with some sesame oil and garlic YUMMO!
I also use bagged salad like romaine mix instead of their mix they suggest, easier and tasty!

Here's the recipe for the dressing:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbl Lime juice (I use the concentrate)
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbl spn rice wine vinegar
2 tbl spn soy sauce
3 tbl spn honey (tonight I used 2 tbl of corn syrup because I was out of hone and it worked fine)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-4 tbl spns water

put all those ingredients except for the vegetable oil and water in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Add vegetable oil and process until combined.   Add water a little at a time if it is too thick.

Assemble salad, noodles, chicken and top with dressing.  Best thing ever!!

Egg Rolls

I've been on a Chinese food kick lately.  Every occasion that I have to make it I do.  Here is a recipe for Egg Rolls that Chris found on Allrecipes.com that we really like.

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 quart peanut oil for frying
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 ounces shredded carrots
• 8 (7 inch square) egg roll wrappers
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

1. Season pork with ginger and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium skillet, stirring, until pork is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.
2. In another large skillet heat oil to about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) or medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour and water in a bowl until they form a paste. In a separate bowl combine the cabbage, carrots and reserved pork mixture. Mix all together.
3. Lay out one egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot and pork mixture on egg roll paper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the egg roll.
4. Place egg rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. Put on serving plate and top with sesame seeds if desired.

I have made these several times and have found out a few things.  First is I add a little sesame oil to the meat mixture after I cook it and it adds a nice flavor, I do not use sesame seeds.  Also if you try and bake these they are not as good.  The wrapper does not get done evenly and is really tough and chewy not crispy.  Other than that though a great find.  Also I think you could use any meat you'd like.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon ketchup

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place the sugar, vinegar, water, ketchup and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.

SYNDY'S COMMENTARY:  Made this in about 2 minutes and it was great!  Served it with my crab ragoon.  YUM!!!

Lasagna

Lasagna

Ok confession time I got this recipe off of the Oven Ready Lasagna Noodle package.  I've tried several brands and the recipe on the back is always EXACTLY the same!  So here goes.

1 package of noodles (I love oven ready because you don't have to cook them ahead of time)
1 large container of Ricotta cheese or Cottage cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese divided.  (I use the can, you can use fresh if you'd like)
2 eggs
1 tspn basil (I used fresh, you can use dry)
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1lb ground beef browned and drained (I have used ground beef, turkey, and also deer and they are all very good)

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parm, eggs and basil.  Mix well.  In another bowl combine sauce, water and browned meat.  Mix well.  In 9x13 pan spread 1/2 the meat sauce, place a layer of noodles in that, pour 1/2 the cheese mixture on top, then repeat that process for another layer.  sprinkle remaining mozzarella, and parm on the top.  Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Syndy's commentary:'

OK, I double this recipe if I'm making it to fit in a large lasagna pan.  Last time I put this exact recipe in the crockpot, and cooked on low for about 4 hours and it was done and GREAT!  I did NOT double the recipe for the crockpot.  I love lasagna and hate to make it in the summer because it really heats up the house but now that I know I can do it in my crockpot, that's how I'm always going to do it.  Talk about easy for after late start church!

Crab Ragoon

1 8oz package crab meat (I used imitation crab) chopped
1 8oz package of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 green onion chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yok
30-40 wanton wrappers

Mix crab, cream cheese, onion, soy sauce, and garlic together.  Put by heaping teaspoonful onto wanton wrappers.  Seal with egg yolk.  Fry in wok for 2-3 minutes until brown and hot.  Serve immediately.

Syndy's Commentary:

These were divine!  The crab ragoon we like at our favorite Chinese place have a sweet shell so next time we are going to dip them in the egg yolk and then into sugar and hopefully that will give the sweet crunch we like.  We'll see how they turn out for Thanksgiving this week!

UPDATE!


We made them with the sugary wrapper and they were ok, but my hubs went to the Chinese place and did a little field work and realized that they sweeten the inside not the outside.  So I added 2TBL sugar and then fried them like usual and they were PERFECT!!!!!!  these are going to be a fun family treat.  They are SUPER easy too.

BBQ Burritos

BBQ Burritos

Marinated meat
Mushrooms
Onions
Tortillas
Cheese (Monterey jack is best)
BBQ sauce

Cook your marinated meat on BBQ or in a skillet
Sauté mushrooms in a small amount of butter
Caramelize onions

Assemble burritos with meat, mushrooms, onions, and cheese, baste with BBQ sauce and put on BBQ, cook until tortillas are crispy and cheese is melted.

Syndy's Commentary:

We used a marinated fajita steak from Sam's Club, but you could use any kind of meat marinated any way you like.  Chris also cooked our meat on the BBQ first and it gave it an added flavor.  He used a spicy Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce and it was perfect.  I also made guacamole to dip them in afterward... YUMMO, these are going to be a new family favorite!!!

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken cut into bit size chunks

1 1/2 cups green onion sliced

2-8 dried chilies, seeds removed. (bird pepper, or Thai chilies, I used red chilies) how many you use determines how hot it is, I'm a wimp so I only used 2.

CORN STARCH SLURRY

1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium is preferred

1 egg beaten

1 cup cornstarch

SAUCE

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sherry wine or white wine (I used apple juice and it worked fine)

14 ounces of chicken broth

1. place all sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. I used a jar and it worked well to shake it.

2. Mix corn starch slurry in a bowl. The mixture will be strange but trust me it will work. It will be really thick and act funny. In the bowl if you move it around by just moving the bowl it will look like a liquid, but if you touch it or try and stir it with a spoon it will be solid and almost like paste or plaster.

3. Add the chicken pieces to the slurry, move bowl around to coat the chicken. Lift from slurry and let the excess coating to drip off, it will drip off even though it is VERY thick. Fry in very hot oil (350 degrees) until done. This slurry will make the chicken really crispy and yummy. I only fried a few pieces of chicken at a time so they did not stick together and had room to move around. Remove from oil when done and drain on a paper towel. Keep warm.

4. When chicken is done drain of most of the oil from the pan/Wok and add green onions and red chilies, saute for about 30 seconds then add the sauce mixture. Cook until thickened, add more cornstarch if it is too thin, more broth if it is too thick. If you've ever ordered this from a restaurant it is supposed to be very thick, like sweet and sour.

5. Add chicken to sauce after it's thick and stir to coat. Serve over rice.

SYNDY'S NOTES: I have never made homemade Chinese Food before. I was worried it would not be like you get from a restaurant, but it was better. It looked exactly like it had come in a little white box but the flavor was better. My hubby likes things hotter so next time I may add a couple more chilies. Also I used regular soy sauce and it was a little salty so next time I will get the low sodium. I served over fried rice, but you can also serve over white.

This recipe is a little time consuming because of the chicken needing frying. Next time I will use my fry daddy and it will go a lot faster. Also you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and just keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo Sauce

1 1/2 cube cream cheese
1 cube butter
1 1/2 cup milk
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp onion powder

Parmesan cheese to taste

Mix all together and bring to a simmer until thick. I also add mushrooms and chicken. Serve over pasta.

Makes enough to cover one package of pasta

Refried Beans

Refried Beans:



1 lb bag of pinto beans
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
taco seasoning


Cook beans until done with onion and garlic. I use my pressure cooker and it only takes 25 minutes for the whole process. When beans are done add taco seasoning to taste and also salt. Use potato masher, or immersion blender to blend up beans until consistency of refried beans. I usually have tons of leftovers and freeze the remainder in 2 cup bags. 2 cups of beans is about equal to a small can from the store.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice:


2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. I use my rice cooker and just put all of the ingredients in and turn it on.

Update:  I used a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and that worked a lot better.  It gave it a bit of spice too.  also just used enough broth to fill the skillet to the top and it worked very well.

Guacamole

Guacamole

4 avocados
Ortega Diced Green Chilies
Tomato
green onions
lime juice (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mash avocados. Add all other ingredients. You can use lime juice to keep it from turning black or just leave the pit in the bowl.

Chicken Tacos

Chicken Tacos

Chicken
Salsa

I use a whole chicken that I have taken off the bone you can also use 4-6 chicken breasts or any chicken pieces that you like. Place raw chicken in a 9x13 pan and cover with a jar of you favorite salsa. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Put on tortilla's and cover with your favorite taco toppings.

Tortillas

3tbl shortening
1 tsp salt
2c flour
3/4 c. water

combine, roll into rounds, cook on greased griddle about 20 seconds each side.

Trina's Chicken Chilaquiles

Trina's Chicken Chilaquiles

2 cups cooked chicken
1/2 c. green onion
1/2 c. jack cheese
2 tbl Parmesan cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup milk
1/4 c cilantro
1 (11oz) can tomatillos, drained
1 can green chili's
12 corn tortillas

Combine chicken, onions, cheese, spices. In a food processor combine milk, cilantro, tomatillos, and chili's blend until smooth. heat tortillas, pour 1/4 tomatillos mixture in 9x13 pan, arrange tortillas in mixture, top with chicken mixture and layer until all gone. cover with rest of tomatillos mixture. bake at 375 for 20 minutes until bubbly

Taco Soup

Taco Soup (total food storage meal)

1 sm. can tomato paste
1 can refried beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can Ortega chili's
1 can chili beans (Mexican style)

combine all ingredients in pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. May need to add water or broth to thin some. Also add cooked ground beef for those men out there.

bulgogi (Korean Meat)

bulgogi

1 1/2 tbsp Sesame Seeds (optional)
1/4 C. green onions
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbls. Sesame Oil
2-3 tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Sugar
1 lb meat beef, pork, chicken

combine ingredients and let marinate for a couple of hours, overnight is best. Stir fry in skillet serve over rice. Also can stir fry in some veggis