Category: MISC

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 cup sliced celery
5-6 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup sliced carrots
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cold water
1-2 cups shredded chicken pieces
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes +/-
1 pound spaghetti or vermicelli

  • Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
  • Over a medium high flame heat the peanut oil in a heavy skillet.
  • Saute’ the celery, onions, bean sprouts and cabbage until cabbage is wilted.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon.
  • Add a bit more oil and saute’ chicken pieces.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon.
  • Add the broth, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. Simmer for several minutes.
  • Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth.
  • Add to the broth mixture and bring to a boil.
  • Add vegetable mixture and chicken pieces back in, heat through and coat well.
  • Toss with prepared pasta and heat through.




I use my salad spinner for draining pasta to get all the excess water out.


CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE–Save Room for Dessert

Hello Monday!

Have I got a great chocolate chip cookie recipe for you!
These are my favorite chocolate chip…hands down! I was once told that if Soft Batch cookies and the refrigerated pre-made Nestle Toll House cookies got married and had baby cookies, that these cookies would be their first born. I’ll let you judge for yourself!
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe from Jenn
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 oz bag of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine; set aside.
  • In a large bowl mix cream cheese and the butter. Beat on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the brown sugar and mix well, add the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
  • Slowly, add the flour mixture a little at a time, until well combined.
  • Fold in chocolate chips. I refrigerated dough for at least an hour, but you can skip that if you want.
  • Spoon about 2 tablespoons of dough onto greased cookie sheet.
  • Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
  • Let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
    Please come visit me at at Paper Plates and Chin

    OVEN BBQ PORK CHOPS

    OVEN BBQ PORK CHOPS
    1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork rib chops, trimmed of fat 

    1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

    1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
    3 teaspoons safflower oil, divided
    1 medium onion, sliced thin
    1 clove  garlic, minced
    1/2 cup  orange juice 

    3/4 cup  barbecue sauce
    2-3 cups prepared white rice

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Generously sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. 
    • Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. 
    • Add the pork chops and sear to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
    • Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. 
    • Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. 
    • Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. 
    • Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. 
    • Stir in barbecue sauce until well blended. 
    • Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.
    • In a large baking dish layer the rice on the bottom, smoothing the top.
    • Add pork chops to top of rice.
    • Pour remaining sauce over the chops and rice.
    • Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 145 degrees. 10-15 minutes.

    OVEN BBQ PORK CHOPS

    OVEN BBQ PORK CHOPS
    1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork rib chops, trimmed of fat 

    1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

    1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
    3 teaspoons safflower oil, divided
    1 medium onion, sliced thin
    1 clove  garlic, minced
    1/2 cup  orange juice 

    3/4 cup  barbecue sauce
    2-3 cups prepared white rice

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Generously sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. 
    • Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. 
    • Add the pork chops and sear to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
    • Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. 
    • Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. 
    • Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. 
    • Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. 
    • Stir in barbecue sauce until well blended. 
    • Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.
    • In a large baking dish layer the rice on the bottom, smoothing the top.
    • Add pork chops to top of rice.
    • Pour remaining sauce over the chops and rice.
    • Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 145 degrees. 10-15 minutes.

    TIME TO TAILGATE!

    IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
    We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

    It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

    If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
     We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

    TAILGATING TIME 2.0

    IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
    We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

    It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

    If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
     
     We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

    Fire Day Friday: Wanton Wontons

    One of the wonderful byproducts of grilling and smoking is that I usually have a little extra cooked pork, chicken, or steak left over. This week I had a bit of hickory smoked pulled pork. It wasn’t really even enough for two bbq sandwiches but it was enough for 8 appetizer servings of these fried wontons.
    These slightly spicy wontons make great appetizers for a formal meal or as the star of a tailgating menu.
    Wanton Wontons
    8 servings (3 wontons each)
    ¾ cup shitake mushrooms, diced
    ¼ cup carrot, diced
    ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
    1 Tbsp ginger, diced
    1 clove garlic, diced
    ½ cup napa cabbage, diced
    2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
    ½ cup pulled pork
    3 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
    ½ tsp fish sauce
    ½ tsp rice vinegar
    ½ tsp Sriracha sauce (hot chili garlic sauce)
    Teriyaki sauce
    24 wonton wrappers
    Preheat a saute pan or wok over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil.
    Add the mushrooms, carrot and saute for 4 minutes.
    Stir the bell pepper, ginger, and garlic. Saute another 1-2 minutes.
    Turn off the heat and stir in the napa, cilantro and pulled pork. Let the residual heat of the pan wilt the napa and cilantro for a minute.
    Mix the sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha sauce. Stir that into the pan mixture.
    Place about 2 teaspoons of the mix on each wonton wrapper. 
    Wet two edges of the wonton wrapper. Pull one corner over to the other corner.   Seal one edge and work as much air out as possible. 
    Seal the remaining edge. Repeat with remaining wontons.
    Preheat a deep fryer or a deep skillet with oil to 350f. Add the assembled wontons 3-4 at a time and cook for 30 seconds. Flip them over and cook another 30 seconds or until golden brown.
    Drizzle with terriyaki sauce, red pepper flakes and serve with a cold beverage.
    The crispy crunchy shell and the spicy fillings will make you “wantin’ wontons”.  yeah, I know, that’s a bad pun.

    BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS

    BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS
    corn tortillas
    black beans, drained well
    KNORR creamy rice mix
    4 ounce green chiles, drained well
    2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
    15 ounce can HATCH green enchilada sauce
    2 cups shredded cojack cheese
    sour cream

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Spray a large baking dish.
    • Prepare KNORR rice mix as directed.
    • In a large bowl combine chicken pieces, black beans, green chiles, rice and 1/3 of the cheese.
    • Spread sour cream on each tortilla.
    • Add a scoop of the chicken mixture.
    • Layer in baking dish seam side down.
    • When baking dish is full, evenly pour the enchilada sauce over the enchilads.
    • Sprinkle cheese evenly over all enchiladas.
    • Bake 30 minutes.
    • Enjoy.

    PUMPKIN BREAD, Molasses and wedding bands!

    Rain is pounding on the roof and the sun porch, darkness has invaded our evenings until daylight savings time comes to play. And since I received a request, the only thing left to do was bake. You know they* say “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” so tonight I am making pumpkin bread! When Jim requested pumpkin bread the first cookbook I thought of was “The Wooden Spoon Bread Book”. I have used this book time and time again through the years.
    Now you might be asking yourself how this could qualify as a “new” recipe for Make A New Recipe Tuesday, well let me explain. I had never made pumpkin bread with molasses before and let me tell you, it is wonderful! Second, this originally was a recipe that made one loaf and left half a can of pumpkin to be lost, so why not make 2 loaves and if that is too much for your family, you have a great surprise for the neighbor!

    Pumpkin Bread
    adapted from:  The Wooden Spoon Bread Book
    350 degree oven
    makes 2 loaves

    The intro:  Some of my friends take a pumpkin from the field and cook it themselves. Starting from scratch has it’s virtues, but I personally make pumpkin bread with canned pumpkin. This is one case where I prefer for someone else to do the work.  (my thoughts, canned pumpkin is great to be able to make this wonderful bread, long after fall is gone.)

    3 1/2 cups flour
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon each cloves, nutmeg, ginger OR 3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

    • In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, whisk to mix well. Set aside.

    2/3 cup oil
    2/3 cu8p molasses
    4 eggs
    2 cups canned pumpkin

    • In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients, beat well.
    • Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
    Divide between 2 loaf pans, bake 1 hour, or until tests done in your oven. Let cool 10 – 15 minutes, turn out to cook completely.
    I do want to take this moment to apologize for being absent from here. Getting married has a ton of chores that need to be done, even if the ceremony will be small and family only. One of the chores we did get done, was to purchase our wedding bands.
    My band has 3 diamonds, and Jim’s band is on order for size, with this one going back to stock, when we pick his up. One month and one day and counting………….

    As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop by.  I appreciate your time and your wonderful comments.

    * do you know who they are?

    You can also find me at MomsSundayCafe!

    CRY BABY BURGERS and ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES

    Good Morning everyone, Tamy here filling in for Melynda.  We like burgers, but hate the bread on a regular basis so I often make a “knife and fork” burger with fun toppings and this is one of our favorites.

    CRY BABY BURGERS
    1 pound ground chuck
    sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
    1 small can jalapenos, drained and chopped (save a small amount for the mayo)
    1 small can green chiles, drained and chopped
    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    2 slices pepper jack cheese
    jalapeno mayo (small amount of minced jalapenos whisked into mayo)
    caramelized onions – 1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

    • Combine ground chuck, jalapenos, green chiles, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
    • Form into 3 patties. Refrigerate for several hours.
    • Whisk together mayonnaise and minced jalapenos.  Refrigerate until chilled.
    • Sear and brown patties, turning frequently until cooked through.
    • While cooking the patties, melt a small amount of butter in another pan and caramelize onions to desired doneness.
    • When burgers are done, top with cheese, mayonnaise and caramelized onions.
    • Enjoy!

    ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES
    2 pounds baby red potatoes
    sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
    Hungarian paprika
    1/4 cup melted butter

    • Scrub potatoes.
    • Boil for 10-15 minutes.
    • Drain the potatoes until cool enough to handle.
    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Spray a 9×9 shallow baking dish with PURE.
    • Place potatoes on bottom in an even layer.
    • Smash each potato slightly.
    • Evenly sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
    • Pour melted butter evenly over top.
    • Bake 30 minutes until crunchy and bubbling.

    GREEN CHILI CHICKEN ROLL-UPS

    GREEN CHILI CHICKEN ROLL-UPSadapted from Shay @ Paper Plates & China Jalapeno Popper Chicken Roll-ups

    1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenderloins
    8 ounces of cream cheese**
    1 (4 ounce) can of diced green chilies, well drained
    2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
    Bacon slices (same amount as tenderloins)
    About 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke
    toothpicks
    Salt and Pepper to taste

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Mix cream cheese, green chilies, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce together until well blended.  You can roast your own jalapenos if you’d like.
    • Spread about 1-2 Tablespoons of cream cheese mixture over one side of chicken tenderloin.
    • Roll each piece of cream cheese layered chicken up like a sleeping bag and then roll a bacon strip around it, securing it with a toothpick.
    • Spray a casserole dish with PURE. 
    • Layer any remaining cream cheese mixture in the bottom.
    • Top the chicken roll-ups.
    • Salt and pepper as desired.
    • Bake 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and bacon is crisp.

    **I used philly cream cheese savory sauce because I was out of plain and it worked well.