Okay, for this week, I'm doing something a little different. I have a couple of new recipes I want to try so I'm NOT going to post them UNTIL I try them! That way, you'll know if they turned out okay. But my other nights dinners I'll go ahead and post. Hope this is giving you all some new ideas! I'm sure having fun, I know that!
BEEF STEW
(This is NOT the typical soup based type of stew. Mine is more of a gravy base)
2lb. cut stew meat (Or cut up a beef roast that you bought on sale!)
1/2 C. oil
1 1/2 C. flour
1 chopped onion
2-3 peeled chopped carrots
3-4 chopped potatoes
3-4 C. water
2-3 Bay Leaves
Pour oil into large pot and heat over Med.-High. Place flour in large bowl, sprinkle in generously garlic powder and pepper, throw in meat and toss to evenly coat. Add chopped onions. (You can also consider throwing in some of the leftover flour, this will help thicken the stew.) Once meat is thoroughly coated, pour into pot with heated oil. Stir occasionally until meat is all brown. Pour in water, carrots and potatoes. Once the water begins to boil, add your Bay Leaves' cover with a lid and let simmer approx. 20 min. or until carrots and potatoes are cooked to desired tenderness. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed. We put this on top of white rice, mash the carrots and potatoes and then mix it all up. (It's the way my daddy use to eat it and my boys have learned the same technique and LOVE IT!)
SPAGHETTI
I know, you probably DON'T need a recipe for spaghetti, but I though I would just share my sauce secrets.
1 onions finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 green bell pepper diced
1/2 lb. diced mushrooms
1-2 stalks celery finely chopped
dash of dried parsley
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 lb.raw bacon diced
(optional)
1-2 carrots shredded
1 zucchini shredded
OKAY, here's my secret, throw EVERYTHING into a frying pan and saute it until onions are translucent. (The grease from the bacon will help cook everything, if you need more, add a little oil) I then add 2 jars Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce. It never fails, I always end up with extra noodles and NO sauce.
BONUS RECIPE!!
CARAMEL FRENCH TOAST
Tried this one Sunday morning and it was GREAT, very sweet and rich but good all the same!
1 stick butter
1 C. brown sugar
3 TBS. light corn syrup
6-8 slices Texas Toast
6 eggs
1 1/2 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS. Cinnamon
Melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over Med. heat until it begins to boil. Pour into an 11x13 dish. Place bread slices on top of caramel. Mix eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour over the bread making sure it coats all slices of bread. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge over night. Take out the next morning and cook at 350 for 45 min.
PANCIT (FILIPINO RECIPE)
In case many of you don't know, I am part Filipino. My grandmother would make a few Filipino dishes which I loved. This one, I had to hunt for on my own. Hope one of you are brave enough to try it!
1 lb. boneless skinless thighs
1 pkg. bean thread (Can be purchased at an Oriental Market, cost is like $.99)
1/2 chopped bell peppers (Green & Red)
2 green onions chopped OR 1/2 yellow onion chopped
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 clove minced garlic
1 shredded carrot
1 can chicken stock
2 TBS. Soy Sauce
1 TBS. sesame oil
1 TBS. Sweet chili Sauce-OPTIONAL
FIRST STEP: Unwrap the bean thread and place in a large pot with warm water. You want the water to completely cover the noodles. Place pot on Med-Low. These need to soak while your other ingredients are cooking. Dice chicken into bite size pieces. Place in bowl and add soy sauce and sesame oil. Let sit for 5 min. Pour into Wok or Large Frying pan with a little oil. Completely cook chicken then remove from the pan. Add a little more oil if needed then throw in all the vegetables. Saute veggies about 10 min. on Med.-High heat. Add chicken back to the pan. Completely drain the bean thread noodles then add to chicken mixture. Pour in 3/4 C. of the chicken stock. (Season with a little Garlic Salt & ginger-this is optional) Cover with a lid and let simmer for about 5-8 min. or until liquid has cooked down. The noodles will be clear. Mix in your Sweet Chili Sauce and a serve. You can do MANY different combinations with this; like adding shrimp, ground pork or any other type of vegetable you like. Add Egg Rolls and you have a complete meal!
APPLEBEE'S CRISPY ORANGE CHICKEN
Made this last night and it was soo easy and FABULOUS!! Had company over for dinner and he is on the gluten free diet; so just omitted the flour and doubled the corn starch.
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Oil (for frying)
Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix well and set aside.
Stir cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl and mix well. Add chicken mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to coat each piece well.
Pour enough oil to be at least 1/2-inch deep in a wok or heavy skillet and set over high heat. When it reaches 375 degrees F (hot!) carefully add chicken pieces in small batches and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Do not overcook or chicken will be tough. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying chicken in small batches until all are nicely browned and crisp. Set aside while you make the glaze:
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cool the oil in the skillet slightly, then remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and set over medium heat. Saute garlic in oil for 1 minute (if the oil is too hot the garlic will turn bitter). Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, stirring frequently.
Pour glaze over chicken. Serve chicken over a bed of cooked white rice. Garnish with slivered almonds and chopped green onions. Applebee's tosses the chicken and orange glaze with an array of stir-fry vegetables like broccoli, snow peas and red peppers.
No comments:
Post a Comment