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Category: Main Dish
Today was one of those interesting food days. I was hungry for a meal packed with fresh vegetables. And my favorite way to satisfy that hunger? With a stir fry of course! A stir fry is so incredibly easy to make and so open to different ingredients (and amounts!), this recipe will give you the basics for a veggie packed stir fry with a light glaze. Now I’m hungry, so let’s get cooking! Garlic Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients: 8 – 12 oz chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 1/2 cups broccoli flowerets 1 carrot, sliced diagonally 1/2 onion, sliced 1 red pepper, julienned 2 large cloves garlic, slivered 2 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp…
Tonight, it is another recipe I created for the family when my daughters were younger. The beauty of this recipe is that it can be tweaked and twisted to suit whatever is in your pantry or on your taste buds! I made the basic variation, which was delicious! Other variations include using Italian seasoning instead of herbs de provence, substituing broccoli or thinly sliced brussel sprouts for the peas and carrots, etc. Let your imagination run wild or just try the basic… but do give it a try! Kielbasa and Macaroni with Peas and Carrots Ingredients: 1/2 kielbasa (approximately 6 to 8 oz), split and sliced 1/3 box of elbow macaroni (approximately 5 oz) 1/2 bag of frozen peas and carrots (approximately 6 oz…
When all that menu planning I discussed in an earlier post gets sidetracked, it is time to improvise. Today I was surveying the refrigerator and found the following items: about 1 cup of kimchi 1 carrot 3 green onions 1 red pepper 2 heads of broccoli Hmmm, that looks like the ingredients for a tasty fried rice. I checked in the freezer and I had a partial bag of medium (51-60) prawns – perfect as the protein in my fried rice plan. So let’s get cooking, shall we? Prawn Kimchi Fried Rice Ingredients: 24 medium prawns (51-60 size), thawed, deveined, peeled and tails removed 3/4 – 1 cup of kimchi, cut into 3/4 inch 1 carrot, sliced diagonally or julienned 3 green…
Remember the Bolognese Sauce I made recently? Well, I saved some and tonight I used it with cavatappi for a fast, tasty dinner. Here is a picture for your enjoyment…
Yesterday, I made one of my daughters’ favorite meals. Tonight, I honor my Austrian heritage with a family favorite and give thanks to my mom for making sure I knew how to cook (and clean and do laundry and manage money and…). Well, I’m hungry so let’s get started! Schnitzel Ingredients: 2 boneless pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick 2 medium eggs (or 1 jumbo) 1/2 – 1 cup of all purpose flour 1 1/2 – 2 cups of bread crumbs 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp shortening salt cracked black pepper Lemon wedges (optional) Horseradish (optional) Preparation: Pound the loin chops to 1/4 inch thick using a pan or mallet using a downward and slide outward motion. Season…
Tonight’s dinner is a dish I tweaked for my daughters. In 2000, we visited a Seattle Italian restaurant and my oldest daughter ordered this dish. Unfortunately, the dish just did not make the grade – it was overpowered by smoked salmon. But I loved the concept, so I created my own recipe. After a few trials, I thought I had a solid winner and surprised my daughters with it during one of their visits. Of course, as you can imagine, they were not amused… but I asked them to trust me. They did and a favorite was born! This recipe became one of their most requested meals. I have made this recipe for myself, for friends, and for guests ever since. And now I want…
Here it is, another week off and running. Feeling the end of summer and wishing I was on vacation somewhere tropical (like Maui!), I decided to bring the islands to me via Loco Moco. I have seen many different recipes and this one is something of a conglomeration that I enjoy. Are you ready to get started? Loco Moco Ingredients: 1 ground beef patty 1 egg 1 pkg brown gravy mix 1 cup of water 1/2 onion, sliced 1 7oz can mushrooms (stems and pieces) or 3 oz fresh mushrooms, halved and sliced 1 tsp garlic, minced 1 tbsp Spicy Teriyaki Tabasco sauce 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp butter, divided your favorite burger seasoning salt and pepper for egg 1 cup of cooked rice Preparation: Heat…
Now that we have a delicious Bolognese sauce, it’s time to make something with it. It would be delicious with any pasta by itself, but I think Sunday deserves something just a little more special – Baked Rigatoni! Baked Rigatoni Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of dried rigatoni (approximately 1/3 of a 1lb box) 1/3 cup of shredded Italian cheese (Romano, Parmesan, Asiago, Provolone, etc) 1/3 cup of mozzarella, divided into 1 tsp nuggets 1/4 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade Canola oil spray Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray canola oil in a small glassware baking dish (approximately 3 cups in size) to prevent sticking and ease clean-up. Prepare the rigatoni per the package instructions, approximately…
I thought today was a great day to make a Sunday gravy and a Bolognese sounded tasty. Don’t be daunted by the amount of ingredients and what appears to be substantial effort; it really is quite easy to prepare. Also this recipe allows me to work in some of the ingredients I have used recently so I reduce waste. I will be using the remainder of the country bacon from the Chuckwagon Chili, the cherry/grape tomatoes, mozzarella cigieline, and fresh basin used in the Caprese Poppers, and the remaining half onion and green pepper from the Sweet and Sour Chicken. So if menu planning doesn’t work out, resort to improvisation! Bolognese Sauce Ingredients: 6 oz ground beef 3 oz diced bacon or pancetta…
Ahhh… it is the typical end of the work week and today I really do not want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen. And sometimes I just do not want to go out – I just want to chill out, but I have to eat. This meal is easy, provided you have the ‘special’ ingredients of the sauce and chunk pineapple. The rest is typical pantry and vegetable crisper fare. So, let’s indulge on a nice relaxing Friday night with a tasty meal without having to order take out, delivery or even leave the house! Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients: 1 chicken breast, cut into 3/4 x 1 inch strips 1/2 red pepper, cut into 3/4 inch…