P. F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

P. F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

Last night I was wanting something a little more exotic for dinner. I wanted to make General Tso Chicken because it's my husbands favorite. But I had just used up the last of our chicken to make Italian Chicken Sandwiches two nights before. So I thought of Mongolian Beef, my brothers favorite.
I had never made it before, but the recipe looked easy enough. I called my husband to see if I would have the time to make brown rice, and he asked what I was making. I told him Mongolian Beef. He's always a little worried when I say I'm trying out a new recipe. I'm not sure why though, in the five years of us being together I have only botched 4 recipes. To his credit they were so aweful we ended up having to eat take out or hot dogs, lol!
As in almost all Chinese Cuisine I only added half the sugar. And next time (because there will be a next time!) I'll be adding some Red Pepper Flakes to the sauce for a little more kick.
We all loved it and I'm definitely keeping this recipe on hand!

Here is the original recipe:


Ingredients:
Servings: 2




2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)

1 lb flank steak

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 large green onions




Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 30 mins



1 Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.

2 Don't get the oil too hot.

3 Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.

4 Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

5 Remove it from the heat.

6 Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.

7 Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.

8 Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.

9 Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

10 As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).

11 Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.

12 Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.

13 You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.

14 Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.

15 After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.

16 Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.

17 Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.

18 Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.

19 Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

Garlic Butter Pizza Crust

I made this recipe up as a copy cat to Hungry Howies crust. I love their pizza crust and I will be trying out their special cheese crust next time :)


Ingredients


6 fluid ounces lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tbs Butter, melted
Garlic Powder for dusting

Directions

Place the ingredients into the pan of a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Close the lid, select the Dough cycle, and press Start.

When the machine signals the end of the cycle, remove the dough and knead into a tight ball on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stretch the dough out to fit your desired pizza pan. Let rise for about 20 minutes for a thicker crust.

Brush pizza crust with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Bake pizza crust for 10 minutes. (If you like crispy crust)

Top with sauce, cheese and desired pizza toppings. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust is lightly browned on the bottom when you lift up to take a peek.

Hamburger Heroes

Hamburger Heroes



Ingredients:


1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1 teaspoon salt

4 large hero rolls, split and buttered

8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese

pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced, or dill pickle slices

Preparation:

Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; sauté onion until tender. Add ground beef to skillet; brown, breaking up as it cooks. Drain off excess grease and return skillet to heat. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Spoon meat mixture over buttered rolls; top with cheese triangles then arrange sliced green olives or pickle slices over the cheese. Broil for 3 minutes, about 4 inches from heat source, or until cheese begins to melt.

Makes 8 open face sandwiches.

Pepper Jack BBQ Chicken

Pepper Jack BBQ Chicken

This turned out So Good! I will be using this very often on nights I don't have much time, but still want a super yummy dinner.

Ingredients


4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

4 slices pepper Jack cheese

1 cup barbecue sauce

Directions

Carefully cut a pocket in each chicken breast half. Fill with cheese; secure with metal or soaked wooden skewers. (I used tooth picks and they worked great)

Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or a meat thermometer reads 170°, basting frequently with barbecue sauce. (I used my George Foreman Grill (: ) Yield: 4 servings.

Chicken Curry and Coconut Rice

Chicken Curry and Coconut Rice

Ingredients

Four Chicken Breasts, thawed
Curry Powder
White or Brown Rice
1 can (13.5 ounces) Coconut Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cover raw chicken on both sides with curry powder. Cover and let sit in fridge over night.
Make up white or brown rice according to package directions.
Grill, bake or fry your chicken till the juices run clear. I used my George Foreman Grill and it only took about 5 minutes to cook. While Chicken is cooking add 1 can of Coconut Milk to rice and stir.
The rice was still a little bland for us so I added extra curry powder, a little bit of salt and some pepper.
Serve Chicken over rice :)
The rice was still pretty bland for Austin and I, but Dakota loved it and even ate thirds! Next time I think I'll make the rice with half chicken stock and half water.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

The other day I tried my hand at Pork Chops for the first time. When I was a little kid I never really liked Pork Chops, They were always so dry I would have to use ketchup to be able to swallow them. But I find out the other day that my husband absolutely Loves them. (Poor Austin, he's been deprived for going on four years now!) I decided to make them when I saw they were on an Amazing sale at Aldi. (LOVE that place, but I'll save it for a different post!) I found a recipe that sounded yummy and tried it, and to my shock and amazement they were moist and awesome! Yay, Me! (lol!)


Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops


Ingredients


2 large eggs

1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan

4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil


Directions

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.



Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve!

Chili Dog Mac

Last night I didn't know what to make for dinner. So I looked through my pantry and got inspired!

Chili Dog Mac

1 pkg Mac'n'Cheese
4 Tbs butter
1/4 cup milk
1 can Hormel No Bean Chili
a couple of cut up hot dogs

Make Mac'n'Cheese according to the pkg. Once you've added the cheese mixture return to heat and add Chili and hot dogs. Heat through and enjoy!
My family loved it! It was my wonderful partner in crime's (aka, my husband's) idea to add the hot dogs :)

Simply Delicious Meat Loaf

Simply Delicious Meat Loaf

Hey Mom, (and Jess)
Here's the recipe for the meat loaf I was telling you about.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Golden Mushroom soup
1/4 cup water

1. Mix beef, bread crumbs and egg thoroughly. In medium baking pan shape firmly into 8-by 4-inch loaf.

2. Bake covered at 350' for 30 minutes. Spread 1/2 can soup over top of meat loaf. Bake 30 minutes more or until no longer pink.

3. In a small saucepan mix 2 Tablespoons drippings, remaining soup and water. Heat through. Serve with meat loaf.


Hope you enjoy!! love, Laurie

Ranch Style Chicken from The Pioneer Woman

I just got this recipe from a good friend of mine and I can't wait to try it!!! She got it off of The Pioneer Woman Blog. It looks so yummy!

Ingredients
½ cups Dijon Mustard
½ cups Honey
½ whole (juice Of) Lemon
½ teaspoons Paprika
½ teaspoons Salt
Crushed Red Pepper (optional To Taste)
6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 pound Thick Cut Bacon
Bacon Grease
Sharp Cheddar Cheese, to taste
Canola Oil

Preparation Instructions

To begin, make the marinade. In a large bowl mix together ½ cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with ½ cup honey, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy. Set aside.
Next, rinse the chicken breasts, place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around ½ to ¾ inch thick with a mallet. Next, add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve ¼ cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet.
When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. If cooking many pieces of chicken, repeat skillet process and remove finished chicken to baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.

Meat, Potatoes & Gravy, what a Manly meal plan!

Normally I'll make this with mini meatloaf patties that have been coated in bread crumbs and baked or grilled on my George Foremen Grill. But last night I forgot that we were out of milk, and had to run to the store last minute. So, I just used prepackaged frozen hamburgers that I grilled on my GFG. (george foreman grill)
Then I nuked mashed potatoes from my favorite box mix. And made brown gravy from an envelope.
It's so easy, and when it's hot out like it was last night you don't have to have the oven on and the stove only has to be on for a few minutes for the gravy. A life saver in my house because if I turn the oven on it will heat up the whole house. Extremely nice in the winter time, but a killer in the summer!

Bulgogi /Pulgogi Recipe

I have been trying to start making a wider range of food lately. I have been in charge of my own kitchen for over 3 years now, and I have the, "down home country cooking" down to an art form. But I was starting to lack inspiration so I have started to look for a more diverse palate. I have found some really good recepies I can't wait to share with you all!

Bulgogi /Pulgogi Recipe

Ingredients
1-1.5 lbs. of thinly sliced rib-eye steak purchased from a Korean market. Or you can slice your own rib-eye or sirloin steak across the grain in paper thin slices. Partially freezing the beef helps with cutting clean slices.
1/3 cup of soy sauce
3 Tbl white sugar
1 Tbl sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 of a medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into medium moon shaped slivers

2 green onions including the white parts, finely sliced into small pieces

2 Tbl toasted sesame seeds

1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

2 pinches of black pepper

*optional 1/4 tsp. of ginger, finely minced

Directions:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl except beef and onions. When most of the sugar has dissolved, add beef and onion slices to the bowl and massage the marinade with your hands into each slice of beef. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. To pan fry, place a few slices of beef in single layers and completely flat on a hot oiled frying pan and fry each side until cooked. Some people prefer to cook the bulgogi until some of the edges have turned dark brown and crispy. Serve with a bowl of hot brown rice. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken and Brown Rice

My husband Austin just Loves this recipe. He has asked for it many times already. I need to go shopping for more chicken!

~What you need~

2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice

2 Chicken Breast

1/2 Cup Tariyaki Sauce

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

1 of each, green, red and yellow pepper 1 Onion

Cut up Chicken into 1" chunks. Mix together Teriyaki and Soy Sauce in a Ziplock bag. Add Chicken and put in fridge for at least 2 hours. Cook rice according to the package. (keep in mind that brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice) Place wooden Skewers in water for half an hour to keep from burning while cooking. Cut up veggies into 1" pieces. Place chicken and veggies on skewers and either grill or fry them until the juices run clear when you cut into the chicken. Serve over rice that has been seasoned to taste with Terriyaki and Soy Sauce. As you can see there are a LOT of ways you can play around with this dish! So have fun and make it your own. (and let me know what you do!)