Ginger Peach Sauce

Adapted from BHG

This is a great recipe for all those extra peaches that are around this time of year.  And the ingredients are most likely on hand, especially if you cook thai or asian frequently. If you don't I recommend you start :). Fish sauce is a staple in doing so. We served ours on pressure cooked chicken and some calrose rice.  This barely fed our family of 2 and 1/2. So you may want to double it.  Would be good with some sort of fish as well.

1 Tbsp oil
1/4 chopped onion
2 Tbsp ginger finely chopped
3 cups peeled chopped peaches (abt 4-5 medium sized)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; cook and stir 1 minute.  Add peaches, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, fish sauce and broth.  Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until peaches soften. Sprinkle with red pepper. Makes 2 cups

Chicken and Peanut Noodles

2 Tbsp. Peanut Oil

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into ¼ inch thick slices

3 cloves minced garlic

¾ cup reduced fat creamy peanut butter

2 cups water

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 pkg. 1 lb. frozen mixed pepper strips

3 scallions thinly sliced

Unsalted peanuts (optional)

Heat oil in large skillet, add chicken and garlic; stir-fry for 3 minutes until just cooked through.  Remove from heat; remove chicken from skillet.

Spoon peanut butter into skillet.  Whisk in water, vinegar, soy, pepper flakes and 1 seasoning packet from ramen noodles.  Bring to a boil.  Add noodles, breaking up slightly.  Add chicken; cover; simmer 4 minutes, stirring to separate noodles.  Place frozen pepper strips on top; cover simmer for 3 minutes.   Stir to combine.  Sprinkle with scallions and peanuts if desired.

Cheeseburger Pie

1 lb. ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (4 oz.) chopped mushrooms, drained

¼ cup chopped parsley

¼ tsp. salt

1/4/ tsp. dried oregano, crushed

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 pkgs. (8 rolls each) crescent rolls

3 eggs

6 slices American cheese

1 Tbsp. water

Brown the ground beef and onion until onion is transparent, drain off fat.  Stir in tomato sauce, mushrooms, parsley, salt, oregano and pepper; set aside.  Unroll 1 package of rolls and separate dough of one package and place in bottom of 13x9x2 baking dish, press together and up sides to form a crust.  Separate eggs beat together the whites from 3 eggs plus yolk from 2 eggs; pour half of beaten egg mixture over pie shell.  Spoon the meat mixture into shell.  Arrange cheese slices on top.  Spread remaining egg over cheese.  Mix reserve egg with water set aside.  Unroll second package place on top and press together at edges to seal, brush top with reserved egg.  Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes, cover loosely for remaining 20 minutes let stand for 10 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 lbs. 3-4 Boneless Chicken Breasts

1 Beaten Egg

Garlic Salt

1-Cup Cornstarch

Sauce:

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup ketchup

½ cup water

¾ cup vinegar

1 Tbsp. soy sauce or shoyu

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chili paste to heat up (optional)

Combine sauce ingredients in order given and set aside.

Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces.  Put chicken in a bowl and coat well with beaten egg.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.  Coat meat in cornstarch using a Ziploc bag.  Fry coated meat in oil until golden brown.  Put meat in a baking pan and pour sauce over meat and stir so all the meat is coated.  Bake at 350 for approx.  40 minutes, stirring meat every 10-15 minutes.  This will help to coat meat and thicken sauce.  Serve with white rice.

Grandma Patty's Lasagna

Meat Sauce

2 lbs. ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (1 lb. 2 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

Garlic to taste

Brown ground beef and add rest of ingredients.  Simmer one hour.  Meanwhile cook 10 oz. package of lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain.

Cheese Sauce

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 Tbsp.  Parsley

1 tsp. oregano

2 beaten eggs

Mix together.

Grate Mozzarella cheese.

Layer ½ noodles, meat sauce, cheese sauce, top with mozzarella cheese; repeat layers.  Bake for 30 minutes in 350-degree oven.  Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve.

Goulash

1 lb. ground beef
½ medium onion
1 can whole tomatoes
1 can kernel corn
½ pkg. salad macaroni
1 large can tomato juice

Brown ground beef in skillet. Add remaining ingredients pouring tomato juice into skillet until macaroni is covered. Continue adding juice as needed until macaroni is tender.

Fajitas

2 Chicken Breasts or 1 lb. Top Sirloin or combination of both

Marinade:
¼ cup Lime Juice
2 Tbsp. Oil
3 tsp. Vinegar
½ tsp. Liquid Smoke
½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Dash Onion Powder
1/3 Cup Water
1 Garlic Clove (pressed)
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Chili Powder
¼ tsp. Pepper

Soak meat in marinade overnight. Grill and slice into thin pieces when ready to eat.

2 Onions
2 Green Peppers
2 Tbsp. Oil
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp. Lime Juice

Slice the onion and green pepper and sauté in oil for 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients and add to onions and peppers, salt and pepper to taste. Use favorite flour tortillas and build fajita as desired.

Sloppy Joes (Barbecues)

1 lb. hamburger
1 chopped onion
1/2 c. ketchup
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 can tomato soup

Brown hamburger, add onion and cook till it starts to soften, add remaining ingredients, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Baked Ham and Cheese Ziti

2 ½ c. (9 oz.) uncooked ziti

¼ c. butter

1 clove garlic chopped

¼ c. flour

½ tsp salt

2 cups milk

½ Dijon mustard

2 cups shredded cheese

4 oz. sliced deli ham cut in strips

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350.

Cook and drain pasta.  Melt butter and garlic stir in flour and salt cook over medium heat till thick stir in cheese and mustard till melted stir in pasta and ham pour into casserole dish, top with Parmesan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Angel Hair Pasta with Leeks and Cream

10 oz. Leeks
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup light cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb dried angel hair pasta

Trim the leeks, discarding the root ends and the tough green tops. Slit leeks lengthwise three fourths fo the way down to the root ends. Wash, cut into crosswise thin pieces.

In large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add the leeks and saute stirring until tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, parmesan cheese, the cream and salt and pepper to taste, set aside.

Cook pasta to almost al dente.  Drain pasta, add it to the leeks in frying pan and raise heat to high.  Pour in the egg mixture and stir vigorously until the eggs are firm but not dry, (1-2 minutes).

Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Dijon Chicken Salad Sandwich

8 Rolls
10 oz can of valley fresh premium chunk white chicken, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 green onion, chopped
Dash garlic powder
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Dash onion powder

Combine all salad ingredients in medium bowl. Mix well and chill until ready to use.

Chicken Tikka Masala (McCormick)

2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons McCormick® Paprika

1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Garam Masala

1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Cumin, Ground

1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Red Pepper, Crushed

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, onion and lemon juice; cook and stir 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.Stir in paprika, minced garlic, garam masala and cumin; cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes; mix well.Mix cream, cornstarch and salt in small bowl until smooth. Gradually stir into skillet. Add red pepper to taste, if desired. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; stirring frequently, simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cajun Chicken Pasta (skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used Dreamfields)
• 1 pound chicken breast strips
• 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions:

Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.
Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.
Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes. 
Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!

Taco Casserole (food storage)

1 can hamburger (2 lbs fresh hamburger)
1 15oz can red beans (or kidney, black, etc.)
1 15oz can corn
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp dried red/green bell peppers
1 cup dried potato pearls (regular dried or fresh work as well)

Taco Seasoning:
1 tsp Powdered onion
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp crushed dried red pepper
1 tsp sweet basil
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp. Chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Heat can of hamburger (including liquid) and dried bell peppers-simmer till peppers are rehydrated and some of the liquid is evaporated. (abt. 5 minutes-drain off some of the liquid if heating is a problem)
2.  Add beans, corn
3. Add tomato sauce
4. Mix taco seasoning and add to above, stir well and heat through
5. Place in a casserole pan
6. Reconstitute potatoes- add 2 cups hot water to 1 cup potato pearls, stir with fork
7. Cover meat mixture with reconstituted potatoes
8. Sprinkle with cheese if desired
9. Heat in oven to desired temperature at 350 degrees.

Stuffed Bread

Roll out one loaf of bread dough to form rectangle about 9x15 inches, place on cookie sheet. Visually divide the bread into thirds lengthwise. Along the middle third section, layer filling ingredients. Make about 8 diagonal slices on each of the outside sections. Cross each strip over the middle, alternating sides, all the way down, Brush the top with beaten egg white and sprinkle with Toppings.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. May be eaten cold or hot.

Filling Ideas:
Mayonnaise, Provolone, Turkey, Ground pepper, sliced avocado, bacon strips
Pizza sauce, pizza toppings, mozzarella
Ham and cheddar
Apple or cherry pie filling
Sauteed onions and mushrooms, spinach, swiss cheese
Alfredo sauce, sliced green onions
Taco meat, cheddar cheese, salsa

Toppings:
Cinnamon and sugar
Poppy seed
Garlic butter
Parmesan cheese
Slivered almonds

Creamy Chicken and Rice

2 boxes wild rice mix-or 1 box wild rice, and 6 oz brown or white rice*
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cups sliced carrots (thinly)
2 cans (14oz) chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb chicken breast

1/2 cup cream
2 Tbsp dijon
2 Tbsp butter

Heat oven to 450, combine rice and one seasoning mix in casserole dish, add onion, carrots, broth, sage. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered.
Reduce to 400. Cover casserole. Bake for 15 minutes. Add chicken evenly. Cover. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together heavy cream and mustard in a small bowl. Remove the casserole from the oven. Add cream mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes.

*If using brown rice, precook for about 30 minutes

Spnach Tortellini with Beans and Feta

1 9oz package refrigerated cheese-filled spinach tortellini
1 15oz can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup crumbled garlic and herb flavored feta cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large tomato, chopped
Ground black pepper
4 cups baby spinach

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and return to pan
Add drained beans, feta chesse and olive oil to tortellini in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until beans are hot and cheese begins to melt, gently stirring occasionally. Add tomato; cook 1 miunte more. spinkle black pepper
Serve over spinach

Creamy Chicken and Penne

1 lb penne
4 cups broccoli flowerets
1 onion, sliced
1 Tbs. Olive oil
1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 3x1" strips
1 can disced tomatoes, drained
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook penne following package directions. Stir in broccoli flowerets for last 2 minutes
Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil in large skillet for 6 minutes, until softened, add chicken and saute` for 4 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, cream, chicken broth, vinegar, salt and pepper. SImmer for 4 minutes.
Drain pasta and broccoli, Toss with chicken mixture and parmesan cheese.
Serves: 7-8

Pasta Rosa

One of the first times I ever went to Noodles and Company I ordered their Penne Rosa. The newly opened location had ran out of Penne. So they used a spiral tube noodle called cavatappi. Loved it!!! next time I went I had forgotten that the original recipe was with penne and it wasn't near as good. I then found a copy cat recipe and made it my own, probably the closest thing you will find to the real deal.
1 (1 lb) box Squiggly tube pasta-cavatappi (I found mine at Macey's)
1/4 cup chicken broth
 4 Tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
1 tsp ground or crushed red pepper* (optional) o r white pepper for more heat
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup spicy spaghetti sauce (prego)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh, drained)
1/2-3/4 cup baby spinach (packed)
1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
Freshly grated parmesan (for garnish)
grilled chicken, sauteed shrimp, or asparagus** (for serving) See my next post for Parmesan Chicken

Boil pasta according to pacakge directions; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat broth, oil, marinara, mushrooms, tomatoes and pepper over medium heat; stir liberally for 4-5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft if using fresh.

Add pasta, mixing well. Add cream, continue stirring. Add spinach last, stirring until wilted.

Serve with fresh parmesan or feta cheese on top.

Meatloaf

1.5 lb ground beef
¾ cup oatmeal
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ tsp. pepper
1 can tomato soup
1 egg
½ tsp salt

Mix in a mixing bowl, place in greased bread pan. Bake for 1 hr at 350º