Chicken and vegetable lo mein

Ingredients:

2 cups slices of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
6 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
2 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp chili garlic paste (I could only find chili garlic sauce so that's what I used)
4 Tbsp corn starch, divided
1 lb thin spaghetti, broken in half
6 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 carrots, cut into sticks
2 stalks celery, sliced on the bias
1 cup snow peas
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Marinade chicken with 3 Tbsp soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili garlic paste and 2 Tbsp cornstarch for 1 hour.

Boil pasta until al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with 2 Tbsp canola oil.

In a wok, heat 2 Tbsp canola oil to almost smoking point then add the chicken. Cook until browned and just cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add 2 Tbsp canola oil to wok and heat to almost smoking point. Add vegetables and cook 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and spaghetti with hoisin sauce, 3 Tbsp soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss well and remove to serving bowl.

Mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with chicken stock then deglaze hot wok with mixture and let reduce by a third. Pour over lo mein and toss everything together. Serve garnished with scallions.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:

8 oz linguine
1 cup broccoli florets
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into 1.5 inch pieces
2 cups white sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground black pepper


Instructions:

Cook linguine. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of the cooking time. Drain well. Stir together white sauce, cheese, pepper, chicken, linguine, and broccoli in a 10-inch skillet over med-high heat until heated through. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken with Potatoes

Serves 6

One 3-4 pound broiler/ fryer
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 small lemon
1/4 tsp paprika
3 T minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6-12 very small, unpeeled potatoes

Rinse chicken. Put one bouillon cube inside the cavity. Squeeze lemon, reserving juice. Put lemon rinds in cavity. Put the chicken in the slow cooker, breast side up, and sprinkle with the paprika and parsley. Distribute the onion wedges and garlic around the chicken. Pour over the soy sauce and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the remaining bouillon cube, and sprinkle that over the chicken as well. Top with the potatoes. Cover and cook on HIGH until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees F, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. To serve, discard the lemon halves and portion the potatoes, chicken, and onions into bowls, discarding the skin and bones. Spoon some of the liquid over each serving.

cheeseburger pie

1 single 8 or 9 inch pastry shell (unbaked)
1.5 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup BBQ sauce or ketchup
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp oregano
12 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 ripe tomato

Cook beef, onion and garlic. Drain well. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese, bread crumbs, BBQ sauce or ketchup, egg, oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into pie shell. Slice tomato into 1/4 inch slices and arrange on top. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 F or until pastry is done and cheese is bubbly.

vegetable enchiladas with creamy poblano sauce

Recipe from Gourmet Today

For the sauce
3 poblano chiles, roasted and peeled
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche

For filling
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 cups corn kernels (from 2-3 ears) or 1 10-oz package frozen corn
1 lb zucchini (3 medium) cut into 1/3 inch dice
1 14-15 oz can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved, and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp chopped jalapeno chile, including seeds, or to taste

For enchiladas
3 tbsp vegetable oil
12 6-7 inch corn tortillas
1/4 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
2 tbsp Mexican crema or creme fraiche
2 tbsp water

Make the sauce: Open the chiles and spread flat; discard seeds and stems and cut out ribs. Coarsely chop chiles. Combine chiles, onion, garlic, salt, and water in a blender and puree until smooth. Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Carefully add sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in crema and remove from heat.

Make the filling: Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and zucchini and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, cilantro, and jalapeno and cook, uncovered, over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer filling to a large bowl to cool.

Make the enchiladas: Put a rack in upper third of oven and preheat the oven to 450 F. Lightly oil a 13-by-9 inch baking pan. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Reheat the sauce if necessary and transfer to a shallow bowl or pie plate. Add oil to cleaned 10-inch skillet and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tortilla and cook, turning once with tongs, until softened, 4-6 seconds. Transfer to paper towel lined baking sheet and blot each side. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, stacking them once blotted. Dip 1 tortilla in warm sauce, turning it with your fingers to coat both sides, and transfer to baking dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down middle of tortilla and roll up to enclose filling. Push enchilada to one long side of baking dish; you will be forming 2 rows of 6 enchiladas each. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Stir together crema and water and drizzle over top. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

cheeseburgers

Yields about 8 burgers

1 lb. freshly ground chuck
1 lb. freshly ground sirloin
Salt
Black pepper
Cheese (preferably American, cheddar or muenster)
Hamburger buns (preferably brioche buns or sesame-seeded whole wheat buns)
Fixings (lettuce, tomatoes, onions (raw and/or caramelized), organic ketchup, mustard, homemade mayonnaise, homemade barbeque sauce, bacon, pickles, etc.)

Without handling the meat too much, gently combine chuck, sirloin, a very generous amount of salt and black pepper until well combined. Form mixture into 4 oz. patties that are not too thick. Gently press center of burger down to form a slight dimple.

Place patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least half an hour. Alternatively, place baking sheet into freezer until patties are frozen through and then stack them in layers separated by parchment paper and place back in freezer. Thaw patties thoroughly in refrigerator before proceeding to cook.

Once ready to cook, preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high (if using charcoal, bank coals to one side to create a high-temperature zone and a low-temperature zone). Remove patties from refrigerator and place on grill (over high-temperature zone if using charcoal grill). Cook first side for about a minute and a half then rotate 90 degrees to obtain grill marks – cook for another minute and a half. Flip burgers and lower heat to low (or place over low-temperature zone of charcoal grill) and cook an additional 3 minutes with grill lid closed. Add slices of cheese to burgers and cook on low with lid closed until cheese has melted. While cheese melts, toast buns on upper rack of gas grill (if using charcoal, toast over low-temperature zone while burgers rest after their done cooking). Let burgers rest for 1-2 minutes then serve on buns with appropriate fixings.

chicken enchiladas

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp flour
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
Shredded chicken from a 2 lb bird
1 lb muenster cheese, grated
3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped
12 tortillas

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add 2/3 of the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of water and the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin and salt, bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, set aside. Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, 2/3 of the cheese and the chiles. Spread 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in a large casserole dish. Dip 1 tortilla in the remaining sauce to coat both sides and transfer to a plate. Fill with chicken mixture, roll up and transfer to the casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Top with the remaining onion, sauce and cheese, broil until golden-5-7 minutes. Turn off the broiler and leave the enchiladas in the oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.

aunt reba's chicken

Bread chicken as if to make chicken cutlets. Roll up. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a baking pan. Pour over 1/2 cup of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 F or 45 minutes at 350 F.

roasted pork loin with fig sauce

fig sauce:
2 1/2 cups port
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
8 dried black Mission figs, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pork:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 4-4 1/2 lb boneless pork loin
1 cup chicken broth

For the sauce: in a medium size, heavy saucepan, combine the port, chicken broth, figs, rosemary, cinnamon, and honey. Boil over medium high heat until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks. Transfer the port mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Blend in the butter, salt, and pepper.

For the pork: preheat the oven to 425 F. Stir the oil, rosemary, 1 Tbsp of salt, and 1 1/2 tsp of pepper in a small bowl to blend. Place the pork loin in a heavy, flame proof roasting pan. Spread the oil mixture over the pork to coat completely. Roast, turning the pork every 15 minutes to ensure even browning, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 F, about 45 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Let the pork rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over medium heat and stir in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Bring the pan juices to a simmer. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the pork crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange the pork slices on plates. Spoon the jus over. Drizzle the warm fig sauce around and serve.

From Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Italian

manicotti

Tomato Sauce
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes in juice
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Cheese filling
3 cups ricotta
4 oz grated parmesan (2 cups)
8 oz shredded mozzarella (2 cups)
2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

16 no boil lasagna noodles

1-For the Sauce: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can tomatoes.

2-Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasoning with salt.

3-For the cheese filling: Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs in medium bowl; set aside.

4-To assemble: Pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch broilersafe baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

5-Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

6-Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from heating element), and heat broiler. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then serve.

beef and butternut squash chili

6 large ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and coarsely torn
6 slices bacon
1 ¼ lbs. onions, chopped (about 4 c.)
3 lb. chuck roast, cubed (can substitute brisket)
Salt
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground coriander
14.5 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
12 oz. bottle of beer (preferably Mexican)
7 oz. can diced roasted green chiles
½ c. finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
Half oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 ½ lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
Half a lime

Garnishes
Fresh cilantro leaves
Chopped red onion
Chopped scallions
Diced avocado lightly dressed with lime juice and salt.
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla strips deep fried in canola oil and heavily seasoned with sea salt

Place chiles in medium bowl. Pour 1-2 cups of boiling water over to cover. Soak until chiles soften, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot to render fat. Remove bacon from pot and reserve for another use. Add onions to bacon fat and reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove onions from pot and reserve. Add a tablespoon or two of canola oil to pot and brown beef over high heat in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Season each batch of beef as it browns. Add beef and onions back into pot.

Meanwhile as beef browns, drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Place chiles in blender. Add 1 cup soaking liquid, garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Blend to puree, adding more soaking liquid if too thick. Pour puree over beef and onions in pot. Add tomatoes with juices, 1 cup water, beer, green chiles, cilantro stems and chocolate. Stir to coat evenly.

Bring chili to a boil then cover and place in oven. Cook for 2 hours then remove from pot from oven and stir. Place lid back on pot so that it is half on and half off so as to allow for a slow evaporation of the liquid. Continue to cook for another hour. Once again, remove pot from the oven and stir. Add squash and continue to cook with pot half covered until beef and squash are tender, adding more soaking liquid if needed to keep meat covered – about 45 more minutes. Juice half a lime into chili and stir. Season chili to taste with additional salt, pepper and lime juice if needed. Serve in bowls with garnishes.

chicken pot pie

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 + 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 cups cooked and cut-up chicken
1 (10 oz) package of frozen peas & carrots
Thin Butter Crust

Directions:
Heat the butter over low heat until melted. Blend in the flour, onion, s & p. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in the broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken and frozen vegetables, remove from heat and reserve.
Roll out 2/3 of the pastry dough to fit the bottom of whatever shape pan you are using (I like to use a pie plate). Pour the chicken filling into a pastry lined pan and roll out the remainder of the pastry dough and place over the filling. Roll the edges under. Cut slits in the center to allow the steam to escape. Bake, uncovered, at 425 F for 30-35 minutes.