Entree: Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/monday-night-dinner-pasta-with-bacon-and-mushrooms 

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
• 1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (OR Dry White Wine)
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• ½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti Or Angel Hair Pasta
• Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan.
Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown.
Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and parsley, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat.
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs. ***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***
Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan.

Entree: Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/2010/02/a-tasty-recipe-cinnamon-bun-pancakes/ 

• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons White Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.
In separate large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, corn syurp, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium/low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.
Serve warm with icing drizzled over the top.

Entree: Butter Chicken

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/2010/02/a-tasty-recipe-butter-chicken/ 

• 4 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
• ¼ teaspoons Cumin
• ¼ teaspoons Cardamom
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• ¼ cups Butter
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 pint Whipping Cream
• 1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
• 2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.
Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (I have used light cream or half-and-half also) and cilantro just before serving over Basmati rice.
Note: this is a little spicy, but you can cut back on the cayenne if you want.

Dessert: Fortune Cookies

 

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/02/fortune-cookies.html 

Homemade Fortune Cookies

adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 C flour- If you have bread flour, use it.

1/2 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla- or sometimes I use 1/2 almond 1/2 vanilla

2 egg whites

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend to combine. Place in a container and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper*. Draw 3-4 (3-inch) circles on paper. Turn paper over. Spoon 1 teaspoon batter into center of each of the drawn circles; spread evenly to fill circle. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until the cookies are brown just around the edges. Remove from the oven. Let sit for a few seconds before removing from pan. Working quickly, loosen edges of cookies with a spatula, and turn over.

*Alternately, you can use a silicone baking mat, like a Silpat. 
A Tip:  I've found that even with the silpat, it works well to spray a little non-stick spray on your surface and lightly rub it around with a paper towel.  It helps the cookies transfer off of the baking sheet since sometimes they have a tendency to stick.  One reader noted that using a plain cookie sheet sprayed with non stick spray (no parchment or silpat) worked perfectly for her.  So you might want to try a few methods and find out what works best for you.

Place fortune along the center of 1 cookie. Fold cookie over so the edges meet ; press edges together. Gently pull the ends of the cookie down over the rim of a small bowl (or jar); hold for a few seconds or until set. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies. Makes about 24 cookies.

Opinion of Fresh Strawberry Tart

While the name of the recipe says "strawberry", I think what it meant was "any type of fruit you want."

Cooking: Arranging different types of fruit on the top was the funnest part of this recipe. Tarts are just so pretty, who can resist them? The crust probably would have been more difficult, but as you know I'm lazy. I didn't roll out the crust. After it was mixed, I just crammed the dough into the pan and spread it out to the edges. This probably makes it less flakey, but I'm not that picky and laziness won out. The pastry cream was the most difficult to make. When boiling the milk, really watch it because it will boil over. And you better love the smell of vanilla, because when you use the bean, your hands will smell like it forever. (Or the rest of the day, but it might as well be forever because by then you will have forgotten what other smells are.) When it comes to the fruit, have fun with that. I had never had kiwi before, but though green would be a good color to add to the tart. Turns out, I love kiwi! I ate almost half of what I had and then had to spread the rest out on the tart so it would look okay. Also, there are a lot more berries out there than strawberries. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. I made this during the winter however, when berries are not so much in season. This may be more of a summer recipe, when I can find more of these on sale.

Opinion: I liked the fruit tart, and love the contrast between sour fruits and the sugary cream. I thought the cream was a little too vanillay though. When I make this again, I might try using just the bean without adding the scrapings, or just use the extract.

Opinion of Chicken Spaghetti

This is a recipe I tend to make a lot, but rarely look at the recipe. Sometimes I like to be a rebel, and do what I want.

Cooking: This isn't a very difficult recipe. The most annoying part for me is waiting for the chicken and pasta to cook, so I can finish everything else. But I'm just impatient, it isn't actually hard. The thing I like about this recipe is how much you can change it without ruining the dish. I usually use cream of chicken with herbs instead of cream of mushroom, because I like it better. And the vegetables can be substituted with anything. I like red and green peppers, but I've also used whatever frozen vegetables are currently in my freezer needing to be used up. This recipe also asks for specific spices, and I don't always have them, so I use whatever is on hand that will add a little kick. Make sure to taste a bit of it before you add too much spice though. No reason in particular that I would suggest that. None at all. Also, no reason to limit the cheese. Cheese is delicious and you can never go wrong with doubling the amount asked for. This applies to all recipes. I also recommend playing with the type of pasta you use. This is just as good with penne as with spaghetti!

Opinion: Like I said, I make this one a lot, so I obviously like it. It comes out different every time, and it's fun to play with different vegetables and spices to see what you get. Sometimes it turns out better than others. The only downside is when you use a lot of cheese, the pan is a lot harder to wash.

Opinion of Thai Chicken

Okay, I made the Thai Chicken in the slow cooker with a few variations due to laziness and lack of supplies.

Cooking: This recipe was fairly easy to make. It's mostly just throwing ingredients into the slow cooker, and letting that do all the work for you. I used frozen chicken tenders, so that eliminates the step of skinning the chicken, and I had no problem getting them to cook all the way. I also used a jar of ground ginger instead of fresh ginger root, and didn't have any cilantro. I would recommend using cilantro, because cilantro is awesome. Unfortunately, it being awesome is also why I am always out of it when I want to make stuff.

Opinion: I thought it was too peanutty, and not spicy enough. This may be because the salsa I used was a homemade variety given to me by a friend, and I generally thought the salsa wasn't hot enough anyway. So, maybe this would be better with hot salsa. And cilantro, of course.

Side: Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Preparation Instructions

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).
Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.
Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Entree: Quick Pork "lo mein"

(Shannon)

  * 1 tbsp olive oil
    * 1 lb. cooked pork roast, cubed (see below)
    * 2-3 (3 oz.) pkg. pork flavored Ramen Noodles
    * 1 1/2 cups water (may need more water if you use 3 pkg. of noodles)
    * 1 red* or yellow pepper, cut into strips
    * 2 cups broccoli florets* or cauliflower, thawed
    * 3 med. green onions, chopped
    * 2 tsp parsley
    * 1 1/4 tbsp soy sauce

Heat oil in skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add pork and stir fry until reheated, about 2 minutes. Break apart Ramen Noodles and add to skillet with water, seasoning packet and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until noodles are soft.

Roast Pork Loin

    * 1 tsp minced garlic
    * 2 tsp marjoram
    * 1 tsp salt
    * 1 tsp dried sage
    * 1 (about 3-4 lbs.) boneless pork loin roast

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together all seasonings; rub over pork. Place in a shallow roasting pan, preferably sitting up on a roasting rack. (If you do not have a roasting rack that fits in your pan, try rolling up pieces of aluminum foil and laying the rolls across the pan like a rack.) Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160° F. Let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Directions

Add 1/4 cup water to skillet; add pork and stir fry until reheated, about 2 minutes.

Break apart Ramen Noodles and add to skillet with water and two seasoning packets. Add remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until noodles are soft.

Serves 6


Number of Servings: 6

Entree: Swedish Meatballs

http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1444938-Swedish-Meatballs

• Bag of frozen meatballs
• 1 12oz. bag of egg noodles
• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 c. beef broth
• ½ tsp. salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 c. sour cream, room temperature

• Start noodles cooking according to package directions. If using cooked meatballs, reheat in oil for a few minutes or fry uncooked meatballs until done. Drain on paper towels. Combine remaining ingredients for sour cream sauce. Fold meatballs into sour cream sauce. Drain noodles when cooked and serve meatballs on cooked noodles.

Entree: Thai Chicken

 

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/slow-cooker-thai-chicken/

8	chicken thighs, skin removed (2 pounds)
3/4	cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
1/4	cup peanut butter
2	tablespoons lime juice
1	tablespoon soy sauce
1	teaspoon grated gingerroot
1/4	cup chopped peanuts
2	tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

Serve with...Coconut-Ginger Rice
Total Time: 22 min 

1.	Place chicken in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except peanuts and cilantro; pour over chicken.
2.	Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from cooker, using slotted spoon; place on serving platter.
3.	Remove sauce from slow cooker; skim fat from sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Entree: Chicken Spaghetti

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Entree: Gazpacho!

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/gazpacho

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ whole Red Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Cucumber, Diced
• 5 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 1 whole Zucchini, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• 1 dash Salt To Taste
• ¼ gallons Tomato Juice
• ¼ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ⅛ cups Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
• 6 dashes Tabasco
• 1 dash Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the minced garlic with half the red onion, half the cucumber, half the tomato, half the zucchini, half the celery, half the tomato juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, Tabasco, and a dash of salt.
Pulse until all ingredients are blended well; mixture will have a nice speckled, colorful texture.
Pour into a large bowl and add the rest of the tomato juice, and half of the remaining onion, cucumber, tomato, zucchini, and celery. (Reserve the rest of the diced vegetables for garnish.)
Stir mixture together and check seasonings, adding salt if needed. Chill soup for at least a couple of hours; soup needs to be very cold!
Remove the soup from the fridge and stir. Check seasonings one last time. Ladle into a bowl and garnish with remaining diced vegetables, a sliver of fresh avocado, sour cream, and cilantro. Finally, place a grilled shrimp on the top and serve with grilled slices of bread.
This is a to-die-for summer dinner.

Dessert: Billie’s Italian Cream Cake Recipe

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/billies-italian-cream-cake-recipe

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs (separated)
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 cup Coconut (from PW: If You Think You Hate Coconut, Trust Me: I Do Too, And I Love It In This Recipe)
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 2 packages (8 Oz) Cream Cheese
• 1 stick Butter
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 package 2 Lb Powdered Sugar
• 1 cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1 cup Sweetened, Flaked Coconut

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
Cake:
In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, then fold in egg whites.
Pour evenly into the three prepared pans, then sprinkle the top of each pan with 1 (at least) tablespoon sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.
Frosting:
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in chopped walnuts and sugared coconut. Spread between layers and serve.
Note: cream cheese frosting will soften at room temperature, so refrigerate if you won’t use it right away.

Dessert: Shortbread Cookies

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/shortbread-cookies/

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 36

Ingredients

• 2 sticks Plus 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup (scant) Corn Starch

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar together. Sift in flour and cornstarch and blend together using a pastry cutter until the ingredients all come together. (If mixture seems excessively dry, cut in 1 more tablespoon of butter—but only if you really need it.)
Form dough into a big ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 20 minutes.
Roll onto a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Bake for 20 minutes. Do not allow shortbread to brown; the edges should have the faintest golden tinge.

Bread: Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/bacon-onion-cheddar-biscuits

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¾ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ cups Vegetable Shortening (crisco, Etc)
• 10 Tablespoons Milk (whole Milk Is Best)
• 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 whole Egg
• 10 slices Thick Cut Bacon, Fried And Crumbled
• 1 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until all combined.
Combine milk, oil, and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together.
Combine flour mixture, milk mixture, bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Stir gently until all combined.
Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes on 375 degrees until golden Remove from pan and serve warm.

Bread: World's Best Rolls

 

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/rolls-and-orange-rolls.html

2 c. whole milk (if you're in a pinch, you can use 2%, but whole is best. Don't use 1% or skim)
½ c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/3 c. (5 1/3 Tbsp.) butter
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp.), preferably bread machine yeast
2/3 c. warm (105-115-degree) water
8-9 c. all-purpose flour
3 beaten eggs

Combine milk, 1/2 c. sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts. It's salty. It's sweet. Yum.

Remove from heat. Allow to cool to lukewarm. I usually rub some ice cubes along the sides of the pan or pop the entire pan in a sink full of ice cubes to cool the mixture down because this step can take forever. This step is really important because if the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

While the milk mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. If the yeast hasn't bubbled, you'll need to repeat this step--moving on with yeast that hasn't been activated properly will only end in heartache for you and hate mail for us.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c. flour and milk mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.

Add beaten eggs. Why should you beat your eggs first? Same reason you should combine your dry ingredients before adding them to moist ingredients when making cookies and cakes--it ensures everything is well-mixed and can be evenly-distributed through your dough or batter. If you add the whole eggs, your dough may not be as consistent.

Stir in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. This dough should be very soft--it will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it. Don't worry, it will firm up during the rising process. Part of what makes these rolls so good is that they're so soft and light; if you add too much flour, they will be heavy and dense. Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel; allow to rise 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out onto surface. Divide in half.
Spray 2 9x13 glass pans with cooking spray. Roll first portion of dough into a rectangle and then cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. I like to use a pizza cutter because it has a blade on each side, so it cuts right through dough without sticking to the blade. This dough should be very easy to work with, almost like playdough.
Shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough in the second pan.

 Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. When dough has about 15-20 minutes to go (depending on your oven), preheat oven to 375.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden-brown. When done, remove from oven. Rub a stick of cold butter over the tops of the rolls. You must now eat one. Now. While it's hot. Then pop the rest into a bowl and no one will ever know that you cheated.

 P.S. Using this filling or these fillings, this dough makes fabulous cinnamon or orange rolls. Just bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Entree: Broccoli Beef

 

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/broccoli_beef/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/jadens-beef-with-broccoli

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
• 3/4 pound broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

For the beef marinade

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Method

1 Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes
2 Prepare the sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
3 Blanch the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
4 Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink, Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds.

Drink: Ultimate Hot Chocolate

 

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/11/ultimate-hot-chocolate.html

Ultimate Hot Chocolate
Recipe from Our Best Bites

2 1-oz. squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla


Method 1: Using a Hot Chocolate Machine

In your microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the chocolate and the sweetened condensed milk until the chocolate is completely melted (about 2-2 1/2 minutes in the microwave). Whisk together to combine completely and set aside.

Combine water, chocolate mixture, and vanilla in your hot chocolate machine and turn it on, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Method 2: Using Your Stovetop

In your microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the chocolate and the sweetened condensed milk until the chocolate is completely melted (about 2-2 1/2 minutes in the microwave). Whisk in vanilla, combine completely, and set aside.

In a larger saucepan, bring 4 c. water to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate mixture.

Either way you make it, serve in mugs with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Serves about 6.

Variations:

Mexican Hot Chocolate: Add 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper in with the vanilla.

Mint Hot Chocolate: Replace vanilla with 1 tsp. mint (NOT spearmint) extract

Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Replace vanilla with 1 tsp. peppermint extract. Serve with a candy cane instead of a spoon to stir.

Almond or Hazelnut Hot Chocolate: Replace vanilla with 1 tsp. almond or hazelnut extract.

Dessert: Crumb-Topped Apple Pie

 

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/11/crumb-topped-apple-pie.html

Recipe from Our Best Bites

2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. uncooked regular oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. butter, melted
4 c. tart, thinly sliced apples (like Granny Smith; about 3 apples)
1/3 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, chopped pecans, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a measuring cup and set it aside; gently press remaining mixture into a 9" pie plate. Be sure not to pack it in there too tightly or it will be too hard and messy to slice the pie when it's baked.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and vanilla and bring to a boil. While mixture is heating, place apples in the pie crust. After sugar/water mixture has come to a boil, pour the hot mixture over the apples. Sprinkle reserved crumb topping over apples and then place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Bake for 43-45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes or so, you may need to cover the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep the pie from getting too brown.

Serve warm (if you can) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. But I'm not gonna lie, this is pretty darn fabulous even when it's not straight from the oven!

Entree: Fancy Macaroni

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/12/fancy-macaroni

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 4 cups Macaroni
• 8 Tablespoons Butter (Salted Butter)
• 2 whole Medium Onions, Cut In Half And Sliced Thin
• 10 slices Regular Bacon
• 1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease (reserved From Bacon Slices)
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Whole Or 2% Milk
• ½ cups Half & Half
• 2 whole Egg Yolks, Beaten
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• ½ cups Grated Gruyere Cheese
• ½ cups Grated Fontina Cheese
• ½ cups Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
• 4 ounces, weight Chevre (soft Goat Cheese)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook macaroni for half the time of the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Fry bacon until slightly, but not overly, crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve grease.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet and then saute onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.
In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter (and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease for good measure!). Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in milk and half & half, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt & pepper to taste. (Do not undersalt!)
Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another minute.
Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni and stir to coat.
Pour into a baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until sizzling and hot. Serve with red meat or a green salad.

Entree: Swiss Enchilaaaaaadas!

 

http://scribbit.blogspot.com/2009/08/swiss-enchilaaaaaadas_16.html

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced onion
2 cups diced or shredded chicken, cooked
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 4 1/2-ounce cans of diced green chilies
1 14 1/2-ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
6 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil for about five minutes over a medium heat until the onions are tender and soft. Stir in the chicken, chilies and tomatoes and simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan slowly whisk the milk into the flour (to prevent lumps) then cook slowly over medium heat, whisking, until the mixture begins to boil and thicken. Stir in the salt and pepper.

Spoon a bit of the chicken mixture into the warm tortillas and add a bit of the grated cheese as well. Roll up and arrange them in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Pour the milk mixture over the top and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese is nice and brown.

Entree: Ginger fried rice

 

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/ginger-fried-rice/

A Mark Bittman adaptation of a Jean-Georges Vongerichten recipe, with a bunch of notes added

Serves 4
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
Salt
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and dried
4 cups day-old cooked rice; Vongerichten recommends jasmine (I used brown jasmine) but this is the perfect way to use up any leftover rice you have, especially from Chinese delivery
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons sesame oil (for some heat but the same awesome flavor, use hot sesame oil)
4 teaspoons soy sauce
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and salt lightly.
[It hadn't been clear to me whether I was supposed to remove the old oil and bits of garlic I didn't get out and wipe out the pan before proceeding. I didn't. Everything worked out fine.] Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons oil and leeks. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Season lightly with salt.
Raise heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring well, until heated through. [I cooked this slightly longer because I wanted my rice to pick up a little more color and crunch.] Season to taste with salt.
In a nonstick skillet (it just makes it easier) fry eggs in remaining oil, sunny-side-up, until edges are set but yolk is still runny.
Divide rice among four dishes. Top each with an egg and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Sprinkle crisped garlic and ginger over everything and serve.

Bread: No-Knead Crusty White Bread

 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/12/01/the-crunchiest-crackliest-chewiest-lightest-easiest-bread-youll-ever-bake/

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-white-bread-recipe

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

• 24 ounces lukewarm water
• 2 pounds King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

Directions

*The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe. If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 1/2 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 1/2 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 32 ounces.

1) Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket. For first-timers, "lukewarm" means about 105°F, but don't stress over getting the temperatures exact here. Comfortably warm is fine; "OUCH, that's hot!" is not. Yeast is a living thing; treat it nicely.

2) Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir-stir-stir with a big spoon or dough whisk till everything is combined.

3) Next, you're going to let the dough rise. If you've made the dough in a plastic bucket, you're all set — just let it stay there, covering the bucket with a lid or plastic wrap; a shower cap actually works well here. If you've made the dough in a bowl that's not at least 6-quart capacity, transfer it to a large bowl; it's going to rise a lot. There's no need to grease the bowl, though you can if you like; it makes it a bit easier to get the dough out when it's time to bake bread.

4) Cover the bowl or bucket, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do.

5) When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough — a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit.

6) Plop the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can.

7) Place the dough on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the dough moist as it rests before baking.

8) Let the dough rise for about 45 to 60 minutes. It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven (and baking stone, if you're using one) to 450°F while the dough rests. Place a shallow pan on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

9) When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven.

10) Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.

11) Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown.

12) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

13) Yield: 3 or 4 loaves, depending on size.