Sunday, June 24, 2007

Chinese Pepper Steak

This is my favorite Asian dish to make, it's so good! It's been passed down from my husband's family & no one really ever wrote it down, so the instructions are just from my experience in making it. Hopefully the way I wrote it, isn't too confusing!

Ingredients:
1 ½ pds. steak, cut into thin strips
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 med. onion, diced
2 C. diced celery
6 T. soy sauce
3 t. salt
1 T. ground ginger
2 C. beef broth
2 T. sugar
3 T. corn starch
hot cooked white rice (desired amount)

Start cooking desired amount of rice. Cook steak in skillet, until browned. Cook peppers, onions & celery in separate skillet with a little veg. oil, until tender yet crisp. Make sauce in a large pot by mixing together soy sauce, salt, ginger, broth, sugar, & corn starch. Stir frequently over med-high heat on stove-top until sauce thickens. Stir vegetables & steak into sauce over low heat. Serve over hot rice. My husband's family puts fresh tomatoes cut into thin strips on top.

Porcupine Meatballs

Here's a ground beef recipe I got from my husband's family. It's one of our favorites. It's kind of a spin-off of meatloaf & mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 pd. ground beef
1 egg
1 t. salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ cup uncooked white rice
2 cans Campbell's condensed tomato soup
1 empty soup can filled with water

hot cooked mashed potatoes

Pre-heat oven to
400°. In medium bowl mix together beef, egg, salt, pepper, & rice. Use entire meat mixture to form meatballs, place next to each other in bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. Mix 2 cans tomato soup & 1 can water, pour over meatballs in dish. Meatballs should be immersed in liquid. Cover with foil, bake @ 400° for 1 hour. Uncover & serve over mashed potatoes. Great as leftovers.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Chimichangas

2 lb. rump roast
1 ½ cup water
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp vinegar
2 T chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper
1 small can of green chilis diced
1 can red enchilada sauce

flour tortillas, cheddar cheese

1.Put roast in crock pot. Mix dry ingredients and rub on roast. Cook on low until tender. (about 6-8 hours) 2. When meat is cooked, roll up in tortillas with cheese and meat and fry in a deep pan with vegetable oil until golden brown. 3. Top with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and crock pot sauce(opt.). I've also made this without frying the tortillas and it's still really good.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Round Steak Sauerbraten

OK, in response to Susie, I will finally post a recipe. I just haven't felt a whole lot like cooking, Arby's 5 for 5 is about the extent of things....

I don't cook a lot of red meat, but this is one of my favs. It's actually super easy. My mom cooks it all the time.

1.5 lb round steak
1 env. brown gravy mix
1T dried minced onion
2T wine vinegar
1t Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t ground ginger
1 or more bay leaves
1T brown sugar
Hot buttered noodles (wide egg noodles)

Cut meat into 1" cubes. Brown meat in hot oil. Remove meat from skillet and add gravy mix and 2 cups water. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Stir in remainder ingredients (except noodles) add 1/2t salt and 1/4t pepper. Add meat back in. Put into casserole dish, cover and bake at 350, for 1.5 hours. Remove Bay leaf and serve on noodles.

My additions: I usually double or triple recipe (usually a 3 lb. steak) and I stick it in a crock pot all day til the meat is super tender. Sometimes the gravy needs to be thickened, in which case you can use cornstarch or flour, or however you like to thicken things. This also freezes well, makes great leftovers and most Elders like it. Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Ground Beef? Steaks? Red Meat?

I'm loving everyone's recipes! What a great website. I cook a lot of chicken and don't have very many recipes for red meat. I can't wait to try the ones on the site, but are there any more out there??? :)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

3 c. romaine lettuce- chopped
1 c. red cabbage- sliced thinly
1 c. napa cabbage- chopped
1/2 c. carrot- julienne or shredded
1 green onion- chopped
1 T. sliced almonds
1/3 c. chow mein noodles

Dressing:
3 T. honey
1 1/2 T. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 t. Grey Poupon mustard
1/8 t. sesame oil

Chicken:
1 egg mixed with 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. flour mixed with 1/2 c. corn flake crumbs, salt & pepper

Dip chicken in milk/egg mixture. Dip/cover with flour/corn flake mixture. Deep fry each side of chicken until golden brown - or - use pre made chicken breasts (tastes good with broiled chicken breasts for lower fat content!)

Slice chicken into strips, toss with salad and top with dressing. Enjoy!

Spinach Tortellini Salad

1 bag fresh spinach
1 bag frozen tortellini, cooked
pepperoni slices, halved
olives (I like to half mine)
½ onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
mozzarella cheese (however much you like
parmesan cheese (to taste)
ranch dressing, I just coat the tortellini and then mix them all in the salad, it is usually just right.

Just mix this all together, I always get great comments on this one!!!

Pumpkin Bread

3 ½ cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
(Mix above together)
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin (1 15 oz can)
(Mix in Mixer)
Combine and pour into greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for one hour. Cupcakes 25 min. Makes 4 loaves.

Crazy Quilt Pie

Coconut Pie

2 c. milk
4 eggs
½ cup flour
1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
½ t. salt
1t. vanilla

Place all ingredients into a blender. Turn the blender on medium speed and count to 10. Pour into 9” deep pie pan. During the baking process the flour drops to form the crust and the remaining ingredients form the filling.

Bake at 350 for 34 min.

Easy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I love this one when I want leftovers for sandwiches later. It's so easy!


Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts
1 Bottle BBQ sauce

· Pour BBQ sauce over chicken and cook on low 6-8 hours.
· Take out chicken and shred, put back in crock and mix until well coated and soaked. Serve on sandwich bread.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Chicken Crescent Wraps

This was suggested by a young lady in our ward as a quick and easy recipe. It was TASTY and the kids loved it! I am all about easy! The measurements were given to me vaguely, so I tried to represent them the best I could. I am not a good "measurer"...I like to add my "own creative ideas" (from Better Off Dead...anyone?)

2 (8 count) pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2-3 t. garlic salt
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 roll Ritz butter crackers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic salt. Set aside. Unroll crescent rolls and use a rolling pin to flatten. Spread mixture on thick end of crescent roll. Put chicken on top of mixture and roll.

Put rolls in a greased 9x13 pan. Crush the crackers and sprinkle on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If desired, drizzle prepared cream of chicken soup on top before serving.

Serves 4-6 people.

Mint Brownies



I got this recipe from my friend Jen. She makes the best chocolate mint desserts.

Bottom Section:
1 box of 9x13 brownie mix

Follow directions on the box and let them cool.


Middle Section:
2 C powdered sugar
5 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup butter
2 T milk
couple drops of green food coloring

Mix all ingredients and frost cooled brownies. Chill 30 minutes.

Chocolate Top:
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T crisco
2 T butter
1 tsp peppermint extract

Melt the first 3 ingredients in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Quickly stir in peppermint at the end and frost third layer. Cool again 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Poppers

8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz canned jalapenos (1/4 of jar=mild, 1/3 of jar=medium, 1/2 of jar hot, and anything else is smokin').
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
20 wonton wrappers
vegetable oil for frying

In bowl, combine the cream cheese, jalapeno, and Parmesan cheese. Place wonton on flat surface. Dip fingers in water and moisten the edges of the wonton. Then put about a Tablespoon of mixture into wrapper. Fold wonton diagonally and seal with fingers. In a deep skillet heat oil until hot but not smoking. Fry the wontons about 30 seconds per side or until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain oil. Serve immediately.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

I musthave something for cream cheese, very yummy.

1 package lemon cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg

Mix together with fork until dough forms. Pat into a 9X13 pan.

1 can lemon frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (NOT fat free)
2 eggs

Blend frosting and cream cheese until smooth. Remove 1 cup and set aside. Add two eggs to remaining frosting/cream cheese mixture. Beat 3-5 minutes. Spread over cake mix in pan.

Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Top should be evenly browned. Frost with remaining frosting.

Best served chilled.

Cream Cheese Squares

I had a friend bring these to a get together and everyone ate them up. They are really Easy!

2 tubes crescent rolls2 8-oz. pckgs.
cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
sugar/cinnamon combination

Line the bottom of a pan with a layer of the crescent rolls (you will have to do some stretching usually!). In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of crescent rolls. Put another layer of crescent rolls on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Bake at 375 for 20-25 min. You can eat them warm or they are yummy cold from the fridge.