Jaden's Chinese Beef Broccoli

I found this on the Pioneer Woman site. Yes I look on there oh too often, but I find some really good recipes that my family has really loved!

She found this in a new cookbook called The Steamy Kitchen. She raves about it, but I haven't seen it before. I did look on Amazon and got a sneak peek. She has all sorts of info on Chinese spices, marinades, etc. that was really good info to read. Maybe it might be worth it??

This was a really good, quick meal that my family all enjoyed. The flavors were good and it is always nice when your main course includes your veggie!

Chinese Beef Broccoli
(The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook)

1 lb top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8 in. thick strips (I used a London Broil)

1 1/2 lbs broccoli, cut into bite sized florets (I used about 3 stalks)

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp minced garlic (I like garlic and didn't measure this. I used 5-6 cloves)

BEEF MARINADE

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cooking oil
black pepper to season beef
(I doubled this marinade)

STIR-FRY SAUCE
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry ~ (I substituted apple juice here)
2 tsp Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, combine the ingredients for Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temp. (I actually marinated mine for 1 hour in the refrigerator)

In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the Stir-Fry sauce.

In a wok or large saute pan, bring to a boil about 1 inch of water. Add the broccoli and cover. Steam for about 3 minutes or until you can pierce the stem with a fork. Your broccoli should still be crisp, tender and bright green.

When broccoli is done, drain and let sit. Dry the pan and set it over high heat. When hot add 1 tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add your minced garlic and fry for about 15-30 seconds. The garlic should be fragrant when done. This happens quick, so have your meat ready to add.

Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry for about 30 seconds and then flip over for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the stir fry sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick-which happens pretty fast. Add your broccoli and toss to coat.

Eat with rice and enjoy!

Garlic-Balsamic Asparagus

I love asparagus! I have usually just steamed it and eaten it just plain or with a little salt and pepper!

I saw this recipe and decided, why not give it a try!

I was glad I did! It was very easy and really really yummy!

I found it in my new Our Best Bites cookbook, which I recommend to anyone!

I cooked it in my oven, but you can also grill it on your barbeque too!

Garlic-Balsamic Asparagus

(Our Best Bites cookbook

www.ourbestbites.com)

1 lb asparagus (or whatever you have on hand or want to serve)

1/2 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic (I used 2 cloves, minced)

1. 
   
   Preheat oven to 425 degrees


2. 
   
   Wash asparagus and then snap the woody ends off the bottom of each stem.


3. 
   
   In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Drizzle over asparagus in a small container and then toss to coat.


4. 
   
   Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle any remaining oil and vinegar mixture on top.


5. 
   
   Roast for 10 minutes, turning about half way through!

Enjoy a new an easy way to eat asparagus!

California Chowder

I was searching for a different soup recipe and stumbled upon this awesome soup! Even my kids raved about it being soooo good! And think of all the veggies they got tonight!

If you got a Bountiful Basket in our area this last week, then you have about everything you need! That is what got me more interested in trying this soup out! It has 5 different veggies and was super good on a cold day like we had yesterday!

I made a few changes, but for the most part it has ingredients on hand. If you are missing one of the veggies, you could probably do more broccoli if you don't have cauliflower etc.!

Enjoy!!

California Chowder

(www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com)

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tbsp chicken soup base (I used 2 chicken bouillon)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups whole milk (I used 1% milk I had on hand)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 clove minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic)
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions (I used dried onions because I didn't have an onion)
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup fresh broccoli
• 1 cup fresh cauliflower
• fresh parsley for garnish

Melt 4 tbsp butter in a soup pot. Add flour and mix well. Add chicken base (or bouillon) then slowly and steadily mix in the whipping cream, milk and water. Bring to a low boil. I stirred frequently to prevent any burning. Add potatoes, celery, garlic, salt and Worcestershire sauce.

Cook for 45 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. It may only take 30 minutes depending in how small you dice your veggies.

Saute onions in the 1/2 tbsp butter for 3 minutes (or just throw in the dried onions) and add to soup along with the broccoli and cauliflower.

Cook another 15 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Enjoy with fresh bread or we had saltine crackers with ours!

Makes about 6-8 servings!

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

I really liked how this recipe turned out! I changed it a little, because I didn't add the mushrooms, due to children who would turn there little noses up if they even spied those!

This was a yummy recipe that wasn't as heavy as the other chicken spaghetti recipe posted. I thought this was lighter feeling and just as good!

Next time I make this I am going to add other veggies~zucchini would be good, squash, broccoli, or any of your favorite veggies you like with pasta!~

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

(the pioneer woman)

• 1 whole cut up fryer chicken~I used a couple chicken breasts that I cooked in a saute pan with salt and pepper
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 16 ounces mushrooms~or another veggie of your choosing!
• 1/4 cups dry white wine~I substituted chicken broth
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cups flour
• 2 cups chicken broth~I ended up needing way more broth than this, so have more on hand
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cups (additional) dry white wine~again substituted chicken broth
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped black olives
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• black pepper
• extra cheese for sprinkling
• 1 lb thin spaghetti

Cook your chicken. If using a whole chicken~place in a pot of water and boil on med-low heat for 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly and keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms (or other veggie), add 1/4 cup dry white wine (or substituted chicken broth), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet (or other veggies) and set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. This broth you are using to cook your thin spaghetti. You need enough to cover your pasta and cook. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorted pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente.

While spaghetti is cooking, shred your chicken. You need about 2 plus cups of chicken.

Return large skillet (the one for the mushrooms) to med-low heat. Add 6 tbsp butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Pour in 2 cups of broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cups dry white wine (or chicken broth0, salt and pepper to taste. Cook and bubble until thick.

Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese and stir.

Add mushrooms (or other veggies), chicken, chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or golden brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

My camera has been hijacked by my husband! So I don't have a picture of this soup, but I wanted to post it in case there were some of you out there that got sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) from bountiful baskets and didn't know what to do with them!

This soup had great flavor, it was easy and it used the sunchokes and spinach that I got from my basket! It was rated with 4 stars on all recipes and had great reviews! My kids looked at it and weren't exactly sure about it! Luckily I was prepared for this and wasn't in one of my "You better eat this" moods!

We liked it and would make this again, if I got sunchokes again! I may even purposefully buy some!

_________________________

Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

(www.allrecipes.com)

• 4 slices turkey bacon, diced (I used regular bacon and 5 slices! If you cut it with your kitchen scissors it makes dicing really easy!)
• 1 (16 ounce) package turkey sausage, casings discarded, coarsely chopped (I used beef sausage, since that is what I had~I cut to bite size pieces)
• 1 lb Jerusalem artichokes, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 6 small white potatoes, peeled and halved (I cut into bite size pieces)
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped (I didn't add since I didn't have any)
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves~I like garlic!)
• 1 quart chicken stock (I used almost 2 qts, to make it more soup than stew!)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• (For fresh herb substitution use 1 tsp dried to every 1 tbsp fresh. I did this!)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on our soup!

Place the bacon, sausage, artichokes, potatoes, celery, onion, leek, spinach and garlic in a large saucepan. Pour in chicken stock ~ this is where I added more. The stock didn't cover the veggies and I thought it could use more liquid! Add parsley, basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a simmer over med-high heat. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer 45 minutes.

Stir the flour into the 1 cup water until no lumps remain. Stir into the simmering soup, and continue simmering, covered, 30 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally! If you added more liquid, you may need to add more flour if you want it thick!

Spinach Dip

This little packet makes the best Spinach Dip I have had! It is really easy and super good!

I have had it a few times, and finally asked how to make it and found this packet!

So if you are looking for a good dip to make, eat this one and then think you are eating a little healthier with the spinach!!

Recipe on the Back!

Yummy with French Bread!!

Turkey Pot Pie

Leftover Turkey anyone???? I have some and actually used this recipe last year! It is sooo good and I have decided as an early new years resolution to not be afraid of pie crust anymore! I even did a double crust tonight instead of cheating and only covering the top (which I have done before on pot pies)! At least once a month I am going to make a crust, so we are either having lots of pies or pot pies at our house!

My kids loved every bite too!!

Turkey Pot Pie

(from allrecipes.com)

• 1 recipe for a double pie crust
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced (I made this even simpler by substituting 1/2 a bag of frozen carrots and peas for the celery and diced carrots)
• 3 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 2 cups water (I used a can of chicken broth instead of bouillon and water)
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out bottom pie crust and place in the 10 inch pie pan and set aside. (I used a 9 inch and it worked fine)

Place 2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, celery, carrots (or frozen peas and carrots), parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in bouillon and water (or can of chicken broth). Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter. Stir in turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegie mixture, and cook until thickened. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.

Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 mintues. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown!

Green Beans

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home email I received! I have found a lot of recipes from Taste of Home lately, and they all have turned out really good! I tried this recipe for my family (since I don't like green beans), and even I tried one and liked it!

I was told this was one of the best ways for beans!

__________________

Jean's Favorite Beans

1 big bag flash-frozen string beans (I like the skinny ones)

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ( I minced the garlic)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
Put string beans in a frying pan with a little water; cover and simmer on the stove, about 5 min., until hot. (I actually steamed them in the microwave first and then followed the rest of the directions) Push to one side of pan. Add olive oil; when hot, add garlic. When garlic is light brown, mix string beans in with oil and garlic. Turn heat to high and let brown a bit. Add salt, pepper and cheese to taste. Serve.

Roasted Lemon Asparagus

Spray a jelly roll pan with olive oil and place asparagus on top. Spray again and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add slices of one lemon on top and place in a 450 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Or until done. Serve with out the lemon slices and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Reallly yummy!

Creamy Southwestern Sidedish

My mom got this recipe from a friend. It is super easy without sacrificing any flavor.

2 cans Southwestern Style Corn
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Mayo
1 cup Chopped Green Pepper
1 can Black Beans
1 Bag Chili Cheese Chips, crushed

Mix all ingredients, but don't put chips in until right before serving (they will get soggy). If you have the time, the flavor is better if you refrigerate the dish (minus chips) for an hour or so before serving. You can definitely play with this recipe a bit by adding some fresh tomatoes, onions, olives, etc. if desired. Alternate idea: I wanted to revive this on day 3, so, using a skillet, I cooked some of this on a flour tortilla with cheese---it was just as good as day one!

Roasted Vegetables

This recipe is very flexible--I just used the veggies I had on hand. Also, I just guesstimated on the amounts of the vegetables I used (based on what I thought the family would eat). So, first, I'll tell you what I did, then below I've typed the recipe straight as it was written in the magazine.

I used:
potatoes
onions
carrots
celery

Cut up into bite sized pieces and put into a mixing bowl. Then, I tossed 3 tbsp. of olive oil and 4 to 5 smashed cloves of garlic, along with some coarse salt and ground pepper. With the oven at 450 degrees, I baked the veggies for about 40 minutes (the cookie sheet I did cover w/foil).

Here is the recipe as written in the Everyday Food magazine:

2lbs. butternut squash (about 1 medium) seeded, peeled, and cut up
2 lbs. red new potatoes (12 to 14), well scrubbed and quartered
1 lb. medium red onions (about 2 to 3) peeled and quartered
1 lb. carrots (6 to 8), halved lengthwise, if thick, and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide veggies and garlic btwn 2 rimmed baking sheets (lined w/parchment, if desired, for easy clean up); dividing evenly, toss with oil, 2 tsp. coarse salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Roast until veggies are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them and rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Serve hot or at room temperature. (To store: Let cool, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Pour off any accumulated liquid before using.)