Sweet & Sour Chicken Meatballs

Sweet & Sour Chicken Meatballs

Definitely An Americanized Version With Chinese Roots.

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients 

Meatballs

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground chicken 85/15 fat content

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 tsp grated ginger

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp Mirin

1 tsp onion powder

black pepper

1 egg

avocado oil or vegetable oil for frying

Cooking Tools

Medium mixing bowl

Non-stick frying pan

Directions

Place first 10 ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix.  Shape into meatballs, if the mixtures is too wet, just add more panko.  Drizzle some oil in non-stick pan and just brown on all side, no need to cook through and set aside.

Ingredients

Sweet & Sour

3 large carrots, peeled & cut on the diagonal 

1 green pepper, cut into medium chunks

1 red pepper, cut into medium chunks

1 onion, cut into medium chunks

2 cup fresh Shitake mushroom, sliced

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

1 small can sliced bamboo shoots (drained)

1 small can sliced water chestnuts, (drained)

1/2 can baby corn, cut & drained

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Mirin

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping tbsp corn starch + 1/2 cup chicken broth (slurry)

salt

pepper

cooked hot rice

Cooking Tools

Deep wok with lid

Directions

Place 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a low boil, add in carrots first to cook for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients except the corn starch and chicken broth slurry ( this will be at the end to thicken the sauce). Once all ingredients are in the wok, mix and cook until vegetables are slightly tender. Add in the meatballs and submerge into the liquid to finish cooking on medium-low heat with lid on (approximately 30 minutes). Mix in the slurry throughout and stir gently until sauce starts to thicken, lower temperature and adjust seasonings. Place lid back on and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.  Serve with hot rice.

Serves 6

Lasagna

Lasagna

This is Our Go To Recipe, Everyone Has Their Own Twist On This Traditional Italian Dish!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour+

Ingredients

1 box dried Lasagna noodles, cooked

1  32 oz. container of whole milk ricotta cheese

1 large jar + 1 small jar of marinara sauce or Passata

3 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

1  1/2 lbs. ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup onions, small dice

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/2 cup red wine

1 tbsp tomato paste

parmesan cheese

minced chives or parsley for garnish

Cooking Tools

Large pot

Large pan

Deep lasagna pan

Directions 

Pre heat oven to 350 Degrees F. In a large pot, boil water with salt and cook the lasagna noodles according to box directions, if you use fresh noodles, cook al dente. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and place on dry cloth to absorb any cooking water off the noodles. While the noodles are cooking, start on the meat sauce.  In a large pan, brown the ground beef, drain off any excess fat. Add in onions and garlic until soften, pour in red wine to deglaze. Pour in the Marinara sauce and tomato paste, Italian seasoning and stir until nice and bubbly, place on simmer until ready to layer. In a lasagna pan, spread a light layer of sauce and place lasagna noodles to fit ( It will depend on the size of your lasagna pan will dictate how many layers your Lasagna will be, mine was two noodles wide with six layers). On top of the noodles, ladle more sauce, dollops of ricotta cheese down the noodles and spread Italian cheese blend evenly, then add another layer of noodles and repeat until layers are complete.  Make sure you have enough sauce for the top layer. Do Not put the last of the cheese on top until the last 15 minutes of cooking or it will burn. Bake in total about 45-50 minutes of cooking uncovered. Remove from oven and let rest for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving. garnish with minced parsley, chives and grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6

Fondant Potatoes

Fondant Potatoes

Melt In Your Mouth Potatoes! 

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 Idaho baking potatoes, peeled, cut into 1.5"-2" slices

6 cloves garlic, whole

2-3 sprigs Rosemary stems

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 stick butter, cubed

olive oil

salt

pepper

Cooking Tools

Cast iron skillet

Directions

Preheat oven 375 Degrees F. In a cast iron pan, preheat pan on medium- high, add olive oil to coat bottom of skillet, Salt & pepper, both sides of peeled, sliced potatoes. Sear potatoes on one side for several minutes to get golden brown or until the potatoes naturally release from the bottom of the skillet. Flip potatoes and sear for additional few minutes.  Pour in chicken broth or stock, add in the additional ingredients: rosemary, garlic and add cubes of butter onto each potato slice. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, the potatoes will absorb the broth while cooking. Serve as a side dish for your favorite proteins.

Serves 4

Reuben Sandwich

Rueben Sandwich 

I Always Have Leftover Corned Beef, So....Why Not a Sandwich!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 5+ hours

Ingredients

4-5 lbs. Corned beef brisket ( raw in marinade)

2 cups sauerkraut (rinse and drained)

8 slices of Rye Bread

8 slices Baby Swiss cheese

Thousand Island dressing

butter

Cooking Tools 

Baking pan

Grill pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Take corned beef out of bag and drain excess marinading liquid. Place in baking pan and cover with foil and bake for 5 hours. Remove from oven and cool before slicing against the grain. Butter sliced bread and add generous amount out of corned beef, then sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and slather Thousand island dressing and place on heated grill pan and toast each side until headed through.

Serves 4 

 

 

 

Everything Yogurt Bagel

Everything Yogurt Bagel

5 Ingredients And No Fuss For A Great Tasting Bagel!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups All-purpose flour

2 cups plain Greek yogurt

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup Everything bagel seasoning mix

1 egg, whisked

Cooking Tools

Medium mixing bowl

Lined sheet pan

Cooling rack 

Directions

Preheat oven 375 Degrees F. In a mixing bowl, add; flour, baking powder and mix. Combine yogurt to the flour and mix first with a fork then with your hands.  Dust counter surface with some flour and knead the dough about 20 times, approximate time about 1-2 minutes. If the dough is too wet then just a little flour in the kneading process. allow the dough to rest for about 15 minutes and cut into 8 equal sections and roll into a ball. Using your finger to punch through the cent of the ball and stretch to create a bagel ring. Brush the bagel with the whisked egg with a pastry brush and dip into the Everything bagel seasoning and place on sheet pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.  Bake in oven for 25 minutes and remove and place bagel on cooling rack. Serve with butter, cream cheese or what we serve is the smoked salmon spread.

Yields 8

 

Gluten-Free Meyer Lemon Tart

Gluten-Free Meyer Lemon Tart

With Delicious Lemon Cheesecake !

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Chilling Time: 4-5 hours

Ingredients

King Arthur gluten-free cookie mix

4 eggs

1 stick butter soften 

2 tbsp water

16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 meyer lemons, zest + 1 tbsp juice

1 tsp vanilla bean extract

4 Tbsp. Bonne Maman Lemon Curd + 1/2 cup

cooking spray

whipped cream for garnish 

Cooking Tools

2 medium mixing bowls

1 large round bottom release tart pan

Electric hand mixer

Directions

Bottom Crust: Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. In a mixing bowl, whisk King Arthur cookie mix, softened stick of butter, water, 1 egg until combined. Spray tart pan and press cookie dough evenly at bottom of pan.  Bake in oven for 20 minutes and remove from oven to slightly cool.

Cheesecake Filling: in a mixing bowl, add; softened cream cheese, 3 eggs, sour cream, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon juice and 4 Tbsp of the Lemon Curd and use electric mixer to whip until all incorporated and smooth.

Reduce oven heat to 325 Degrees F.  Respray inside sides of tart pan with cooking spray and pour cheesecake batter over the par-baked cookie crust and place back in oven for 1 hour, if needed an extra 10 minutes for additional baking. Remove from oven and let it get to room temperature before refrigerating for serval hours. Before serving, spread 1/2 cup of Lemon curd on top of Tart before serving with some whipped cream.

Serves 8

Korean Mayak Eggs

Korean Mayak Eggs

Delicious Marinated Eggs, Perfect For Over Rice, In Ramen Or As A Side Dish For Your Asian Dishes!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 12 hours+

Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

6 eggs, 8 minute egg

3/4 cup soy sauce

1 cup Dashi stock ( 1 cup water + 1tsp Dashi granules)

3/4 cup Mirin

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp Momofuku Chili Crunch

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp sesame seeds

1/3 of a jalapeño, seeds removed, sliced thin

1/4 cup green onion, sliced

Cooking Tools

Medium pot

Medium bowl (ice water)

Medium mixing bowl

Non-reactive container with lid

Additional 

cooked rice

Ramen 

Directions

In a pot of boiling water, add eggs and reduce to a simmer, cook for 8 minutes. Remove eggs from cooking water into a ice bath, allow to cool for 5 minutes before peeling. Whisk rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and add peeled eggs. Place eggs and the liquid marinade in a non-reactive container with lid and place in refrigerator for at least 12 hours + turn eggs on occasion  to marinade each side equally. The eggs should be consumed within 3-4 days. Place sliced egg on cooked hot rice and drizzle with the marinade.

Yields: 6 eggs

Garlic Butter Broccoli

Garlic Butter Broccoli 

With Pignoli Nuts & Raisins

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup Pignoli nuts ( pine nuts)

1/2 tsp onion powder

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

salt

pepper

Cooking Tools

Medium stock pot

Medium mixing bowl

Large sauté pan with lid

Directions

Add enough water in a stock pot, you will be blanching the broccoli first. Once water is at a boiling point; add broccoli florets and blanch for about 90 seconds the remove to a ice bath in a mixing bowl to stop the cooking process and to retain their green color. Drain broccoli and let dry. In a sauté  pan on medium-low heat, melt butter and add garlic and sauté for a minute, do not burn the garlic. add in the broccoli, pignoli nuts, onion powder and raisins and continue to sauté, put the lid on to steam broccoli until slightly tender. Salt and pepper to taste in the cooking process.

Serves 6

Sauerkraut & Potato Balls

Sauerkraut & Potato Balls

I Used Leftovers For This Dish!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, squeezed & drained of liquid

1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

3 eggs

1 cup flour

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

vegetable oil for frying

chopped parsley for garnish

salt

pepper

Tools

Deep Fryer or deep frying pan

Small ice cream scoop (optional)

Sheet tray with rack

 

Directions

Place potatoes, sauerkraut, Gruyère cheese, salt & pepper and mix well. Create balls out of the mixture, using scoop allows for consistent size. Make a dredging station, one with flour, one with whisked eggs and one with panko bread crumbs. Dredge each ball in flour, then eggs and lastly the bread crumbs and place on sheet tray to prepare for frying. Heat oil to 350 Degrees F. Fry several balls at a time for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Place on a rack to drain oil and serve hot. Cook's Note: Its important to note that removing the liquid from the sauerkraut is key to having a crispy ball and not have it fall apart in the fryer. If there is too much moisture in the mixture can cause oil splatter when it make contact with the oil while frying, so be very cautious. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Yields 12

Asian Pickled Cucumbers

Asian Pickled Cucumbers

A Quick Pickle As A Side Condiment For Your Asian Dishes!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 1 hour+

Cooking Time: No cooking required

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Asian seedless cucumber, sliced thin

1/2 cup red onion, sliced thin

3 slices fresh ginger, skin removed & sliced thin

1/4 cup green onion, sliced

1/2 tsp peppercorns 

1/2 cup Japanese Rice Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup Mirin, (rice wine)

1 tbsp sugar or palm sugar

pinch red pepper flakes

Cooking Tools

Small mixing bowl

Glass container with lid

Direction

Whisk together in a mixing bowl; vinegar, rice wine, sugar, peppercorns, pepper flakes, green onions.

Layer the rest of the ingredients in a glass container and pour the liquid over the top.  Place lid on top and refrigerate at least an hour to pickle.

Serves 4