RECIPES – Page 300 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

Vegetable Pork Stir Fry & Fried Rice

VEGETABLE PORK STIR FRY
Peanut Oil
egg white (save the yolk for the fried rice)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 pound thin pork chops (chicken works great too)
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 cup snow peas
3/4 cup carrots slices
1 cup broccoli florets
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup orange juice

An hour before you plan on cooking slice pork chops into thin strips.
Whisk together the egg white and cornstarch.
Coat pork strips in egg mixture and chill for 1 hour.
Slice the onions, carrots and broccoli to bite size pieces.
Cut the snow peas in half if they are large or leave whole.
Heat peanut oil to medium high.
Stir Fry pork pieces quickly and remove to drain on paper towel.
Add vegetables and stir fry until tender. Add pork slices back in.
Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and orange juice.
Add to the pan and toss to coat.
Heat through until glaze forms.
Serve with Fried Rice (recipe follows).

FRIED RICE
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs + the yolk from the above recipe
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup diced broccoli
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup diced carrots

Cook rice according to package directions.
In a small pan scramble the eggs and set aside.
Melt the butter in a skillet and saute vegetables until tender.
Add the rice, soy sauce and sesame oil, stirring constantly.
Just before serving add egg back in and heat through.

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Broccoli Tomato Salad

BROCCOLI TOMATO SALAD
2 crisp broccoli crowns, washed and trimmed into bite sized pieces
1 cup grape tomatoes, washed and halved
1 very small red onion or 1/2 large, trimmed into thin rings
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hot bacon grease
8 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled*

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add broccoli until crisp, about 8 minutes.
Cook bacon until crisp reserving fat for the salad. Any additional bacon fat I store in pyrex in the refrigerator until the next time I make green beans and then add it to the beans for flavor.
While bacon is cooking whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
Halve tomatoes and slice the onion, tossing them both with the vinegar mixture.
Crumbled bacon over the tomato mixture and toss well.
Drain the broccoli well.
Pour tomato mixture over broccoli and toss well. I like to use my Tupperware marinader so I can turn it frequently to coat everything well.
Chill at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

*I make the whole pound and save the extra for BLTs.

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Farmer’s Breakfast Skillet

FARMER’S BREAKFAST serves 4-6

This is another one of those recipes that has floated around for so long that I have no idea what I tore it out of. The paper has yellowed, the edges look like they have been gnawed on, but the flavor is the same!

1/4 cup butter
2 cups small cubed uncooked potatoes
1 large bunch green onion, sliced thin
1 cup cubed ham
6 eggs
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack/Mild Cheddar combo

Melt butter in cast iron pan.
Add potatoes and onions. Sprinkle with celery salt.
Cover and cook over a medium high heat, stirring occasionally until evenly brown and golden, about 20 minutes.
Add the ham and cook another 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low.*
Whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper and cream until well blended.
Pour egg mixture over ham and potatoes, cover and cook until eggs are almost set, about 10 minutes.
Occasionally run a knife of spatula around the edge to allow eggs to run down and not burn.
Sprinkle with cheese and cover again until cheese melts.
Cut into wedges and serve with toasted Oat Sunflower Bread.

*Using an electric stove, I switch burners and start with a cooler burner at this point since cast iron does not cool down as quickly. I like the cast iron though for the nice crisp edge to the potatoes.

♥

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Cleaning the Fridge Soup

I love this soup! I make it whenever I clean the refrigerator. I start with all the vegetables that are on then wilting side. You’ll notice the tomatoes are a bit wrinkly and the lettuce is limp. I clean all the outsides and trim the edges and then put them all in the pressure cooker with 3 cups of homemade chicken broth. When the rocker starts, I let it go for 10 minutes and then let it cool naturally. I’ll use whatever I have, fruit included, last time there was also a banana, apple and kiwi in the mix.

After it cools I open it and drain the broth out through a colander Then I mash all of the vegetables and and let them drain through the colander for a few minutes also.

I add 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of white pepper to the broth and a 2 1/2 pound chuck roast to the broth. I start the pressure cooker again and when it starts rocking let it rock for 20-25 minutes this time. I let it cool down naturally again.

I mix the vegetables back in and add 2 cups dry pasta and let it simmer for an hour.

You haven’t wasted anything because it’s wilted and you have a super tasty soup. It makes 8 servings.

Head over and say hi to Katie @ A Listmaker’s Life for more great soup recipes!

♥

Chicken Flautas

I used to have a favorite lunch haunt called simply ‘Nachos’. It started as a hole in the wall, literally!, with ‘mama’ making her own tortillas and sauces. Mama couldn’t speak a word of English, but her traditional Mexican fare spoke volumes for her. She prepared the best Mexican food! At work we used to all pool together, call in a big order, send someone to pick it up and then truly pig out when the food arrived back at work! Their Nachos were truly awe inspiring ~ crisp and gooey all at the same time.

One of my very favorite meals that she made was her Chicken Flautas! Now that we’re here in the North Woods, where honestly they wouldn’t know Mexican food if it bit them on the butt, I crave those Chicken Flautas and have been working to replicate them. I tried boiling chickens with various seasoning combinations, none of which were correct and then finally settled on this recipe. It’s actually easier and tastes perfect too.

1 lemon herb rotisserie chicken (lemon & herb works best)
1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Juice of 1 lime
sea salt
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
1 package tortillas
sour cream
Fresh Guacamole
Garden Tomato Salsa
1 cup or so Safflower oil for frying

Remove chicken pieces from the bone and finely shred the meat.
Toss the chicken pieces with the green onions, lime juice and salt.
Warm tortillas so they are soft and pliable.
Distribute the chicken and cheese mixture evenly amongst the tortillas.
Sprinkle onions over top.
Sprinkle with sea salt and lime juice.
Roll each tortilla up jelly roll style.
This works best with deep frying, but I found a cast iron pan works well as long as the oil goes at least half way up the side.
Fry each Flauta until golden. (Don’t crowd them in the pan)
Drain on a paper towel.
Serve with sour cream, Fresh Guacamole & Garden Tomato Salsa for dipping.

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Chicken Florentine aka Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts ~ Simply Delicious Sunday

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! I remember one potluck at church several years back that I asked for a recipe and she instantly pulled it out of her pocket. Obviously I wasn’t the first to ask! Those are the recipes I like, the ones that bring a memory to mind like Lonnie handing me that recipe card.

Now while I kept her combination of spices and seasonings intact I did make changes that made it more palatable to my family. For example hubby doesn’t like cooked mushrooms so I either have to eliminate them or substitute for something else. but sometimes I’m a little sneaky and they’re in there, but just not so he can tell. One son doesn’t like tomato pieces, but loves tomato sauce, his old girlfriend won’t eat cooked carrots, and on and on! So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

This recipe has been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where it originated which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived.

This is the start of tonight’s dinner so I’ll post the finished picture in a few hours.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE aka STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
FILLING
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper*
1/3 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves**
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 bunch green onions, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
2 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened or 2 ounces grated mozzarella
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
CHICKEN
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 slices sourdough bread, staled and crumbled
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1+1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter add 1 teaspoon olive oil in skillet.
Saute’ garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add in spinach and cooked until spinach is completely wilted. If using frozen stir until well blended.
Drain well.
Combine cream cheese, flour and spinach mix until well blended and set aside.
Between 2 sheets of wax paper flatten each chicken breast to 1/4 inch and set aside.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix until crumbly.
Divide the spinach mixture equally between the chicken breasts.
Carefully roll each chicken breast.
Using a pastry brush coat each chicken bundle with the beaten egg and then roll in coating mixture.
Place seam side down on a small baking sheet or stoneware pan (I prefer the stoneware pan for a crisper, non-greasy chicken)
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown in color and juices are clear.

*I like to make this recipe back to back on my weekly menu with Twisted Pepper Steak to make the red pepper usage more efficient, use jar (olive oil soaked) red peppers or I substitute a jar of pimentos in a pinch.
** You can use frozen chopped, but it must be drained well and then drained a few more times until dry!!

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♥

Apricot Pineapple Monkey Bread aka Bubble Bread

APRICOT PINEAPPLE MONKEY BREAD*
BREAD
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup minced walnuts
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
TOPPING
20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, super firmly packed
1/2 cup apricot pineapple preserves**
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2+ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins*
1/4 cup rum*

Soften the yeast in the warm water.
Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Soak the raisins in the rum until needed. Drain before adding to the bread.
Combine the milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
Add yeast to milk mixture and then the eggs, the raisins and nuts.
Add the flour. Mix to a soft dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Turn over once, cover with a cheesecloth and let rise until double in size.
Punch down and let stand ten minutes.
Prepare the topping while the dough is standing.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the preserves, brown sugar, cinnamon and almond extract. Cook until smooth and fairly thin.
Add the pineapple (and raisins if you’re using refrigerator rolls) and heat through.
Roll into many small balls about the size of golf balls.
Grease a Bundt cake pan. (I like to use my pineapple upside down cake pan.
Arrange a layer of the balls haphazardly in the cake pan.
Dribble about half the topping loosely over them.
Arrange the other half of the dough balls.
Pour remaining sauce over top.
Allow to rise until double in size (about 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours)
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
Enjoy

*You can cheat and use 3 cans of refrigerator biscuits instead if you’re in a hurry. If you still want the raisins you can add them to the topping instead.
**You can use pretty much any flavor you want – I also use raspberry, peach and blackberry depending on my mood. A lot of times I combine the peach and blackberry half and half.

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Italian Chicken Provencal aka red wine vinegar & garlic yumminess

Being married to an Italian has it’s dietary drawbacks – rich food and poundage. I have revised this recipe so that it is still rich and full flavored, but a little easier on the hips!

ITALIAN CHICKEN PROVENCAL
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons minced garlic jar
2 large slices EXTRA SOUR sourdough bread
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground basil
1 large bay leave, deveined and crumbled
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup home made chicken broth*
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup mayonnaise**
6 chicken breasts

Using a mortar and pestle revive the seasoning scents of the basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper by grinding fine.
Whisk together the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaf and basil.
Pour over the bread slices and soak the bread in the red wine vinegar mixture until all the vinegar is absorbed by the bread.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over a medium high heat.
Add garlic to skillet and saute’ until fragrant. With a slotted spoon transfer the garlic to the food processor.
Lightly brown the bread on both sides in the olive oil. Transfer to a small food processor.
Add the butter to the skillet so it can melt into the olive oil while you make the paste. Remove from heat.
Add the almonds to the food processor. Process until you have a paste.
Gradually add the broth to the paste to form a sauce.
Return the skillet to the heat and brown chicken pieces on both sides until golden.
Add the sauce mixture to the skillet. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Transfer chicken to a serving dish and keep warm.
Whisk mayonnaise and lemon juice into the sauce in the pan until smooth.
Pour over chicken and Parmesan Potatoes. I serve it with asparagus. The sauce is a perfect compliment for it.
Serve & Enjoy!

*1 cup boiling water + 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
**light works well too

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Chicken Salad

CHICKEN SALAD
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
4 large sweet pickles, minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
a dash of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and chill.
Serve over sliced tomatoes along with fruit and deviled eggs for a complete meal.

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Sherried Garlic Scallops with Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes~Simply Delicious Sunday [7]

This is one of the simplest recipes and smells and tastes great too. It’s the perfect romantic ♥Valentines♥ dinner. I served it with Parmesan Rolls.

30 small bay scallops (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 pound organic spaghetti or linguine
2 teaspoons minced jar garlic
1 bunch chopped green onions
4 Asparagus spears, tender tops cut into small pieces
8 cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup cream sherry
shredded Parmesan cheese

In a medium skillet melt butter and oil together and bring to a medium high heat.
Add scallops and saute’ well so that the scallops sear on the edges.
Add garlic and onions and continue sauteing about 5 minutes.
Add Asparagus tops and heat through.
Add sherry and lower heat and cook until a thick glaze sauce forms.
Add tomatoes and heat through.
Toss with prepared pasta.
Shred Parmesan on top and serve immediately.

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Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Salted Chocolate Cookie Drops

Hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy
This recipe was inspired by my good friend Barbara’s candy recipe for Salted Chocolate over at Kitchen Comforts.

SALTED CHOCOLATE COOKIE DROPS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 Heath bar, chopped into bits
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small chips

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
Add the flour mixture and mix just until well blended.
Add chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
Line baking sheets with silicone mats.
Roll into 1 inch balls.
Press down slightly as you place them on the baking mat about an inch apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
If needed press down slightly with the back of the spatula as you remove them from the oven.
Cool for 5 minutes before removing from mats.

Makes about 4-6 dozen cookies.

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Slow Cooking Thursday ~ Sweet & Sour Pork

Slow Cooking Thursday is hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

SWEET & SOUR PORK

2 pounds boneless pork chops cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons peanut oil
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 large can crushed pineapple
2 cups sliced carrots
1 large Vidalia onion, wedged
1/2 cup Grandma’s molasses
2/3 cup Apple Cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoon tapioca beads
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoon salt

Heat peanut oil in a skillet.
Brown the pork pieces.
In your slow cooker whisk together the tomato sauce, molasses, vinegar, brown sugar, paprika and salt.
Add carrots and onion wedges.
Stir to coat well.
Add browned pork pieces and stir until well coated.
Cook on low 7-8 hours until meat is tender.
Serve over rice or pasta.

♥

Category: RECIPES