Easy Biscuits

I really try to stay away from bread, but I love a good, buttery biscuit with homemade jam.  These were yummy.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 TBSP. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 TBSP. white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly.  Gradually stir in the milk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 15 to 20 times.  Pat or roll dough out 1 inch thick.  Cut biscuits with a large cutter or glass turned upside down.  I just use a pizza cutter and cut into squares.  Place biscuits onto a baking pan and bake for 13 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.  Brush with melted butter.

Sweet Pork Salad

This has got to be one of my hands-down, favorite recipes!  I love this salad.  It does take a little prep work and time to prepare, but it’s worth it!

To make the sweet pork:

Boneless pork ribs, roast or loin, marinated overnight in 1 1/2 cans of coke (not diet coke) and 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  The next day, drain the marinade and put pork, remaining 1/2 can of coke, 1/4 cup water, sprinkle with garlic salt in the crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until it shreds apart.  Double the liquid if you need to, depending on how much pork you are making.  When pork easily shreds apart, drain the liquid and shred the pork.  

In a blender, blend 1/2 can of coke, 1 can diced green chilies, 3/4 of a 10oz. can red enchilada sauce (medium spiciness) and 1 cup brown sugar.  Pour over shredded pork in your crock pot and cook on low for 2 more hours.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

1 cup uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 TBSP. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 TBSP. fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan, combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.  Remove from heat.  In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro.  Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

 Black Beans and Corn:
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cup tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 TPSP. fresh, chopped cilantro

In a skillet, cook garlic and cumin in a little olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.  Add beans, corn, tomato juice and salt.  Continually stir until heated through.  Just before serving, stir in the cilantro.

Guacamole:
 2 large, rip avocados, smashed with fork
1 large tomato, chopped
garlic and salt, to tasted

 Cilantro Ranch Dressing:
1 packet traditional Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk)
1 cup mayonaise
1 cup buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, and diced
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, seeded

Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

 Corn tortillas, cut in strips and fried in oil until crisp.

Pico De Gayo:
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Green onions, chopped
Yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic
Sprinkle with Rice Vinegar to taste
Add Salt, to taste

Mix all together in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair

We had Warren’s parents over for dinner and Warren made this yummy Basil Chicken.  It’s a really light, healthy, delicious meal.  

Ingredients:
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. garlic, chopped
6 cups chopped tomatoes
5 cups boneless chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil - it takes a lot of basil!
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Angel hair pasta
Oil, for sautéing

Directions:
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onions and garlic.  Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce.  Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

Lettuce Wraps

Warren and I both love the lettuce wraps at P.F. Chang’s as well.  I found this recipe online and decided to try it.  It isn’t exactly like P.F. Chang’s, but it’s really good.  I had to make the sauce recipe twice.  The first time I followed the recipe exactly and I didn’t like the sauce.  I added and left some things off the second time.  It tasted MUCH better!  Here is the recipe how I made it.  I doubled the chicken, but you definitely don’t need to double the special sauce.

Ingredients:
oil, for frying chicken
Chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
Water chestnuts - 1 can
Mushrooms - about a cup
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
Iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 TBSP. soy sauce
2 TBSP. rice wine vinegar
2 TBSP. ketchup
1 TBSP. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. red chili paste
2 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 TBSP. Soy sauce
2 TBSP. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

Directions:
Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.  Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, red pepper, garlic and red chili paste and sesame oil.  Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you’re ready to serve.

Bring oil to high heat in your skillet and saute the chicken pieces until done.  Add water chestnuts, mushrooms and onions.  (Chop the mushrooms and water chestnuts into small, diced pieces).  Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.  Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes, then serve in the lettuce cups with the special sauce on the side for dipping or sprinkling on top.

Mongolian Beef

My husband invited his life-time friend over for dinner this past week for his birthday and he made him this Mongolian Beef recipe.  It was delicious.  Both he and I are big fans of PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef.  I recommend you try this recipe out.  It’s delicious.

Ingredients:
4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. ginger, minced
2 TBSP. garlic, minced
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups. vegetable oil (for frying)
2 lb. flank steaks, sliced cross-grain, at an angle
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 large green onions

Make the sauce by heating 4 tsp. vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.  Don’t get the oil too hot.  Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.  Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to medium and boil the sauce 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens a bit.  Remove sauce from heat.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch slices.  Tilt the blade of your knife at about a 45 degree angle to the top of the steak so you get wider cuts.  Dip the steak pieces into cornstarch to apply a thin dusting to both sides of each piece.  Let the beef sit until the cornstarch becomes sticky, about 10 minutes.  As the beef sits, heat up the oil in your wok or skillet until it is hot, but not smoking.  Add the beef to the oil and saute for just 2 minutes, or until beef just begins to darken on the edges.  Stir the meat around a little bit so that it cooks evenly.

After a few minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour most of the oil out of the skillet.  Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add the sauce, cook for 1 minute while stirring and add green onions.  Cook for 1 more minute.    Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch-water mixture to desired thickness and serve it over rice.