Chicken Lo mein

This is a great recipe to get a lot of vegetables in your diet. It's a bit time consuming but its well worth it. You'll find yourself making this again. Also, this recipe makes a lot!

You can adjust any of these measure's of the vegetables to your liking. I know some people favor things more than others. As long as the sauce is on target your good to go!

Things you will need:

2 chicken breasts, cubed

3/4 cup of small broccoli florets

2 grated carrots

1/2 cup of shredded cabage

2 shallots diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 celery sticks thinly sliced

1/2 a box of Angel hair pasta

SAUCE:

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 3/4 cup of warm water

1 T siracha

3 T low sodium soy sauce

1 t chili sauce

1/4 cup oyster sauce 

1/2 t sesame oil

Slurry-(comes last)

2 T cornstarch, 2 T cold water

Start making your sauce. Dissolve chicken bouillon in warm water, then add 5 remaining ingredients in the same bowl. Set aside. Cook pasta according to box directions.

Now get all your ingredients together for the stir fry part. Chop away, grate away, slice away. 

Get your wok on med high heat. Once hot, pour 2 T canola oil then add half your garlic and shallots. saute for 2 minutes then add your chicken and cook through.

Once chicken is cooked through remove and set aside. Now we have a nice coating on the pan of gralic and shallot flavor.

Add 2 T of oil again, make sure wok is still hot. Throw in all your veggies and the other half of garlic and shallots. Cook until veggies are tender. I cover the pan and let them cook for about 5-6 minutes. Stirring a few times.

Once veggies are cooked, add your chicken back in the pan. Then mix a slurry (2 T cornstarch + 2 T cold water) then add to your sauce bowl. Once that is mixed, pour sauce into wok. Bring to a boil for a couple of minutes to thicken.

Then toss your pasta in the sauce and get it all coated. You can use actual Asian lo mein noodles if you like or linguine noodles. I really like Angel hair though :)

Then you can make a quick run to the Chinese restaurant right down the road from you and get some egg rolls and crab ragoons. Because that's the convenience of living in a small town lol :) ENJOY!

Green beans

Today is the 4th of July, Phil and I are off and we decided to grill some steaks :) he did the grilling and I made the sides. And I made some yummy green beans.

So, when I first met Phil I wasn't into cooking. I cooked & baked every once in a while. I didn't hate it, I actually enjoyed it. Until we moved in together I got into cooking and pretty much taught myself along the way. And I must say I'm pretty proud of the cook I have become :) My point is.. I have actually grown a better knowledge over time on food enough to where I can replicate a recipe or specific item and it will taste great or even better. In my opinion. 

When Philip and I first met he liked the canned green beans! (UGH!) It's what he grew up on, and what I grew up on. I secretly hated them but we had no choice but to eat them because that was our vegetable!! I did cook them every once in a while. Over the past few years I have totally tossed all canned veggies and use all fresh vegetables now.. I don't even do steamers anymore because ..ew they are microwaved and the nutrition of the vegetable is killed in that 30 seconds or whatever the time may be. PLEASE don't think I'm a snob LOL We all have our beliefs and ways of doing things. Mine have changed over time. :) 

 

These will be the best green beans you've ever had. They are healthy and have the same texture of the ones from the can! Really soft. AND I know everything that is going in them :) Not some ingredients I cant read off the can!!!

Things you will need:

1 1/2 cup of fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 3's

2 cloves of fresh minced garlic

about less then half of a white onion thinly sliced

2 T of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Get all your stuff cut up. 

Saute the onion and garlic until onion is soft on med low heat. Don't burn the garlic.

Place your green beans in the pan then pour your chicken broth. Season with Salt & Pepper

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes on low. The trick is for soft green beans is to simmer for 30 minutes. If you like the crunch of green beans then simmer for about 15-20 minutes or to your taste

And they are done. :) Now you tell me Fresh or Can ?! 

Ranchero Sauce

So my husband works nights and he gets home about 715 in the morning and he's  always ready to go eat Huevos Rancheros at a local Mexican restaurant. Me on the other hand is probably in my deepest sleep about that time, and I don't like eating right when I get up. GOT to have my coffee first :) So... yes I do go with him sometimes or I will make some breakfast but not Huevos Rancheros and not at 7:15... 8 Sounds better!! Maybe even 830 :) Sorry babe! AND I don't know how to make a Ranchero sauce. But my mom and dad came over the other night and brought some fresh tomatoes and jalapenos from their garden and I said what can I make with these... and she said well I can show you how to make some Ranchero sauce! Sweet! - Phil will love this.

 

Things you will need:

1 can whole peeled tomatoes w/juice

1/2 of a white onion, thinly sliced

1-2 jalapeno, seeded. 

2-3 fresh chopped tomatoes

1-2 slices of bacon

1/2 t comino (aka cumin)

salt and pepper to taste

Start off by frying your bacon. I cute two pieces in half. (Yes I know! Bacon in a ranchero sauce..?! It's actually the secret ingredient! It gives a smokey flavor.) Don't judge until you've tried it :D

In the mean time, cut up your onion, tomatoes, and jalapeno. I used two whole jalapenos and it was actually still a mild sauce. If I added the seeds then it would have more heat. So keep that in mind.

Once your bacon is done frying, remove from the pan and leave a little of the bacon grease in the pan to saute the onions next. Saute until very soft about 4 -5 minutes.

Chop your bacon.

Add your tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften

Once they have soften, then add your can of whole tomatoes, bacon, and 1/2 cup of water (or less)... cut the whole tomatoes up in the pan with the spatula so its not so chunky. Then add your cumin, salt & pepper then cover & simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add your fresh jalapenos then simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste test to make sure the salt is right. If sauce is to thick just add water and simmer for a few minutes.

I made this the night before I surprised my husband with this BIG breakfast. He was very happy! LOL ...Let me just say that I used all four burners making this breakfast...As you can see I went all out and made everything that comes with the plate when you order from a restaurant. I never use more than one pan to scramble up some eggs in the morning. Unless I'm cooking some gourmet dinner I got the whole stove occupied... It was just a little to much work for 8am! And I'm use to going all out for dinner not breakfast. But he was happy so I was happy :)

Hamburger Steak

 

 I've never made hamburger steak so I decided to give it to a try and I wouldn't change a thing. I had some potatoes I needed to use up and I asked what would go good with a side of mash potatoes. I usually do meatloaf but I wanted something a little different and I didn't have much time to cook before Phil went to work. I managed to take a few pics though :)

Recipe:
1 lb of hamburger meat. (lean)

1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs

1 egg

2 cloves freshly minced garlic

1 T Worcestershire

1 T ketchup

salt and pepper to taste 

1 med white onion thinly sliced

1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms

Gravy

1 cup of beef broth

2 T flour
1/2 t season salt

I actually doubled the gravy so feel free to do so if you like a lot of gravy. :) I wouldn't double the season salt though. Taste it before you add more.

Using your hands or a spatula, mix all the ingredients and form your patties. Put a dimple in the center of the patty so they cook evenly. Then place in the pan with 1 T of canola oil on med low heat and cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes on each side.

 Once the patties are done remove them from the pan and set aside. Now, place your onions and mushrooms in the same pan and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until onions are caramelized.
Then sprinkle your flour over the onions and mushrooms and give it a toss. Add your beef broth slowly and whisking at the same time to make the gravy. Bring it to a boil then add your patties back in and cover. Simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes.

 -Serve with a nice salad or some green beans. :)