Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken
I have to admit to loving all things sweet and sour. Sometimes the color of commercial sweet and sour sauce is off putting to me. I like my own better. It’s not hard to make. With Chinese New Year here I seem to be making more Asian meals lately. I made this chicken for dinner the other day and made extra sauce to take to an Asian dinner last night.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. pineapple juice
3 T. ketchup
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. dried minced garlic
1-t. fresh grated ginger
Hot pepper flakes to taste
In saucepan combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring as mixture gets hot, until sauce begins to bubble. It will also get much clearer. Boil gently 1 minute, stirring constantly before removing from heat. Makes 1 1/2 c. Keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
Sweet and Sour Pork or Chicken
1-2 lbs. boneless pork or chicken
1 egg
1 t. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
1 t. soy sauce
Additional cornstarch for dredging
2 T. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thin
1 sweet green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 sweet red or yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained, reserving juice for sauce
1/2 c. almonds, optional
1 recipe sweet and sour sauce (see note)
Cut meat into cubes and place in bowl. Combine egg, 1-t. cornstarch, salt and soy sauce and pour over the meat, stirring to coat. Allow marinating at least 1 hour in fridge.
When ready to cook, heat 1T. oil in large skillet or wok. Sauté onions on high until tender. Add carrots and stir fry 3 minutes. Add peppers and sauté 3 minutes more. Remove to bowl and stir in pineapple. Dredge the meat in additional cornstarch and sauté in remaining oil until browned and when juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Return vegetables to pan with meat and almonds, if adding, and add sauce to desired amount. There is usually extra sauce for a later use. Serve over rice, makes 4-6 servings.
Note: If you make the sweet and sour sauce ahead of time it will get runny when reheated if made with regular cornstarch. Either use modified cornstarch (Clear Gel ) or make sauce just before using. You may also want to use only some of the sauce and save the rest for another use.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Apple Pie Won Tons
Apple Pie Won Tons
With a Chinese New Year dinner tonight with friends I wanted to bring something for dessert. Since I haven’t been going to the grocery store I had to work with what I have already. I am using won ton wrappers to make appetizers and decided to use some of them for dessert, too. I wrapped a small amount of apple pie filling in each wrapper, sealed them up and pan fried in a little oil. Before serving dust with powdered sugar. They taste like little crispy apple pies. Not a traditional Chinese dessert but a nice finish for dinner. These are tiny bites, allow 4-5 per person.
Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of each wrapper
Fold sides in
Roll up- use a little water to seal
Ready for frying
Drain on paper towels, then serve
Groundhog Day Cookies
Groundhog Day Cookies
I posted this last year, but thought you might like the recipe again. Even if you don’t have a groundhog cookie cutter- and I would be surprised if you did- these are a really nice cookie recipe.
Well it’s just around the corner. I like to celebrate this holiday by making up a batch of groundhog cookies. Not made from groundhogs, mind you, but shaped like them. The recipe comes from my dear friend, Cindy Kotula, whose late husband Mike was from Punxsutawney, P.A. She also gave me a groundhog shaped cookie cutter. Even if you don’t have one of those- I’d be surprised if you did- you can still make these wonderful ginger-snap cookies. Cookie cutters are available at some baking supply stores and online. They come out a lovely groundhog brown and are positively yummy. We enjoyed them today with lunch.
Spicy Groundhog Cookies
2 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
1t. each ground ginger, ground cloves, ground allspice and baking powder
1/2 t. each baking soda and salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg yolk
Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Beat sugar and butter until smooth and stir in molasses and egg yolk. Stir in dry ingredients and chill dough at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/8-inch thick on lightly sugared surface. Cut out with cookie cutter and place cookies on greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet. Makes 12-15 large groundhogs or 3-4 dozen small ones.
Note: I have the small groundhog cookie cutter- you can borrow it if you promise to return it promptly.
Happy Groundhog Day!
Corn and Ham Chowder
Corn and Ham Chowder
I was looking for a quick soup for dinner the other night. Inspiration hit when I came across some corn in the freezer. I had blanched and frozen it during the summer at the peak of corn season. I had a little ham in the fridge I was wanting to use up and the pairing was a natural. I started by sauteing an onion in a little butter. Once the onion was tender I added a peeled and diced potato, the corn, the diced ham and about 2 or 3 cups of chicken stock. I covered the soup and let it simmer until the potato was tender, about 15 minutes. I then took 4 tablespoons of flour and put it in a jar. I added a cup of milk, put on the lid and shook it until the flour was well mixed in. I poured the flour mixture into the pot and brought the mixture up to a gentle boil. I stirred it as it thickened up. I cooked it for a few minutes and adjusted the seasonings adding salt, fresh ground pepper and a dash of hot sauce. I also added some chopped parsley. The end result was a wonderful chowder that took almost no time at all. Sometimes the best dishes come from just looking at what we already have. In this case some frozen veggies and a bit of leftover ham.
Italian Wedding Soup
Italian Wedding Soup
I love this soup. I’ve had different versions over the years but they all have those wonderful little meatballs in common. This recipe came from the mother of a dear friend. I still have her handwritten copy in a file. Every time I make this soup I think of her.
Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs:
3/4 lb. ground beef or a mixture of beef, pork and veal or turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. dried parsley or 3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder or 2 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 t. each pepper and dried oregano
1 T. oil
Soup:
8 c. chicken stock, not too salty
1 c. thin sliced carrots
1 c. thin sliced celery
1/2 c. thin sliced green onions, optional
1/2 t. dried basil or 1 1/2 t. fresh chopped
1/2 c. uncooked small pasta, I like orzo
1/2 lb. escarole or kale, cut in thin strips
To make meatballs combine all ingredients except the oil and form into 50 tiny balls. Sauté in oil until browned on all sides. Drain. In large saucepan combine broth with vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered 10 minutes. Add basil, pasta, meatballs and escarole or kale and simmer 10 minutes longer. Serves 6-8.
Note: you can use spinach instead, but add for last 5 minutes of cooking.
Simple Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Cheese
I was lucky enough to get some beautiful winter squash from a local farmer friend of mine. Thank you Carl from Blue Pike Farm. There are an assortment of acorn, butternut and several spaghetti squash. If you haven’t had spaghetti squash before it is a squash with flesh that shreds into strings once cooked. It looks a little like spaghetti, thus the name. The taste is not as sweet as some other winter squashes. When using it don’t be afraid to add a lot of flavors to it. It is mild and goes with everything. I cooked one up with no real idea of what I wanted to do with it. To cook it I just placed the whole squash in a pot of water and boiled it until fork tender. That took less than an hour. I had to cool it down so I could handle it so I placed it in a big bowl of cold water for a few minutes. I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds. The seeds went out to the bird feeder. Then I took a fork and kind of pulled out the flesh, fluffing with the fork as I went. I ended up sauteing some onion in a skillet and then added the squash to the skillet. I cooked it over high heat, stirring often and adding some salt and fresh ground pepper. I also added a couple of cloves of chopped garlic. It tasted pretty good. I ended up just adding some fresh grated Parmesan cheese. It was wonderful. I had planned on serving the spaghetti squash as a side dish- but just had it for lunch all by itself. Sometimes the best dishes don’t have to have a ton of ingredients. Simple can be good, too.
Spaghetti Squash
Garden Skillet Dinner
Garden Skillet
I love to cook- not so crazy about a lot of dishes to wash so I am always happy with recipes that require fewer pots and pans. I love this Garden Skillet Dinner. It’s a little like mac and cheese but with some added veggies for extra flavor. Always a hit when I make it. This time I used a sharp white cheddar cheese. You can add whatever veggies you have on hand.
Garden Skillet
1 large onion, sliced
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 T. oil or butter
1 t. dried basil
1 14 oz. can tomatoes, chopped, undrained- I used my home canned tomatoes
4 c. cooked pasta
1/2 c. milk
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 t. spicy mustard
In large skillet cook onion and zucchini in oil or butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until heated through and cheese has melted. Serves 3-4.
The Challenge- Keeping it Green
Fresh Green Onions
Since I am not going to the grocery store these days I am trying to get the most out of what I do have. I had some nice green onions and when I used them rather than tossing the ends into the compost pile I stuck them in a small flowerpot. In less than a week I have lots of new growth and a steady supply of green onions when I need them.
It’s really easy to do. Just get a pot and put some potting soil in it. When you go to use your green onions just cut off the root, leaving about 1/4 inch of the white part. Place in the soil, water and wait. In a week I had some as long as 5 or 6 inches. When you use another onion- just add it to the pot. You can start celery and romaine lettuce pretty much the same way.
Freshly planted green onions
Tomato Bisque Soup
Tomato Bisque Soup
I had a chance to do a local television show recently. This is the soup I made on New Day Cleveland. It is an old family recipe. My grandmother used to make it in the summer with fresh tomatoes. Since I can tomatoes every year I can make it anytime I like. There is something about opening a jar of canned tomatoes that always reminds me of summer and of my grandmother making this soup.
Tomato Bisque Soup
2 T. oil
1 c. chopped onion
28-29 oz. can whole tomatoes, cut up or diced tomatoes, undrained or 1 quart canned tomatoes
1 qt. beef or chicken or vegetable stock
½ c. raw rice
1 c. sour cream
Cook onions in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Add rice, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Place sour cream in bowl and stir in a cup of the hot soup, stirring until smooth. Add another cup of the soup and then add this mixture to the pot. Heat through, but do not boil. Makes 6-8 servings.
Variations: Brown or wild rice can be added instead, but cooking times will be longer, about 45-50 minutes. Barley can also be added instead of the rice, but allow 45 minutes to cook.
Seafood: Once rice is tender, but before adding sour cream you can add any one of the following; ½ -1 pound raw diced fish (mild white fish are good or even salmon for a special treat), ½ -3/4 pound salad size raw shrimp, 2 cans crabmeat, 2 (10 oz.) cans clams, drained.
Here is my TV appearance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmjL7vd6MD8&feature=c4-overview&list=UUtLd3sOV5Jl0hBqi6tS9-hA
