Chicken Pineapple Stir Fry

This stir-fry is one of my all time favorites for two very vital reasons.  First, it tastes fantastic of course.  Second, it takes minutes to prepare dinner and I am out of the kitchen in no time.  I usually buy the frozen pepper strips at Safeway but if you’re a diehard, you can chop your own veggies to add to the pan.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2 inch strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
• 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained, reserve 1/4 cup juice
• hot cooked rice

1. Mix first 7 ingredients with reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice in small bowl.
2. In large skillet, stir-fry chicken in hot oil 5 minutes.
3. Add vegetables, stir-fry 4 more minutes.
4. Stir in pineapple and sauce, heat through.
5. Serve over rice.

Serves 6

Source: rz#24306mizznezz

One of the Cheesecake Factory’s all time favorite dishes. Sautéed chicken breasts topped with fresh asparagus and melted mozzarella cheese, covered with fresh mushroom Madeira sauce and served with mashed potatoes. Dine out at home tonight!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast fillets
• 8 asparagus spears
• 4 mozzarella cheese slice
• Madeira Sauce:
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  3 cups Madeira wine
  2 cups beef stock
  1 tablespoon butter
  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place chicken breasts between plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch
thickness; season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in sauté pan; add chicken and sauté 4 to 6 minutes per
side, until lightly browned; remove from pan and wrap in foil to
keep warm.

3. Prepare Madeira sauce: Using the same pan, over medium heat, add
2 tablespoons oil and heat; add mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add Madeira wine, stock, butter and pepper; bring to boil, reduce
heat; simmer about 20 minutes or until sauce has reduced to 1/4 of
its original volume and is a dark brown color.

4. Meanwhile, bring a half saucepan of water to a boil; add salt;
return to boil; add asparagus and boil 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately
transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. The
asparagus should be cooked crisp-tender.

5. Transfer cooked chicken to baking pan; top with mozzarella
cheese and broil 3 to 4 minutes or until light brown spots begin to
appear on the cheese.

6. To serve, arrange 2 breasts on each plate, top each with 4
asparagus spears and spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of Madeira sauce over
each.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 (5 oz.) salmon filets
• melted butter, as needed
• salt & pepper, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste
• garlic butter, as needed

1. Preheat grill or heavy skillet to 550
degrees F.

2. In small pan, melt butter. Brush
raw salmon filets with melted butter;
sprinkle with salt, pepper and
garlic powder. Do this to both sides.
Discard any remaining melted butter
- it cannot be used for anything.
Place brush in hot soapy water and
clean thoroughly. Rinse well.

3. Place salmon in hot skillet or on grill
and cook approximately 2 minutes;
turn carefully and continue to cook
an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until
cooked through.

4. Remove from heat; with clean brush
(after it has been thoroughly
washed and rinsed) lightly brush
filets with garlic butter made from
softened butter and fresh minced
garlic (or garlic powder, if preferred).

Serve hot.

Serves 4

.

2 C. Bisquick

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Mix together baking mix, cold water, and grated cheese.

3. Roll out biscuits in a floured surface. Biscuits should be approximately one inch thick.

4. Cut biscuits with a cutter, and place onto an ungreased baking dish.

5. Melt butter and seasonings together.

6. Brush with the butter and spices and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

My comments: I haven’t tried these yet but I will.  However I note on Red Lobster’s website that although they won’t reveal the secret of their recipe, if you’re not using baking soda, you haven’t got it.  Note that there isn’t baking soda in this recipe so I will continue to research this and get back to you on it.  Meanwhile, it looks like a really good biscuit and I’m still going to try it.

Ingredients

1/4 cup cake flour (Wondra)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

4 tablespoons oil

4 tablespoons butter

4 chicken half breasts -

boneless, skinless

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup Marsala wine

Directions

1. In shallow dish, combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano; stir to blend.

2. In heavy skillet, heat oil and butter until butter melts and mixture bubbles lightly.

3. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour; shake off excess; sauté in pan 2 minutes for the first side or until lightly browned; as you turn chicken, add mushrooms around the chicken pieces. Cook about 2 more minutes, until lightly browned on the second side; stir mushrooms. Once the second side is lightly browned, add wine around the pieces; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Transfer to plates and serve.

Serves 4

1 hour | 15 min prep

SERVES 4

• 1 clove garlic, halved
• butter-flavoured cooking spray
• 3 lbs red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices (about 6 medium)
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese (not smoked!)
• 1 cup skim milk

1. Rub a 10 x 6-inch baking dish with cut sides of garlic halves; discard garlic.
2. Coat dish with cooking spray.
3. Arrange half of the potato slices in dish, and drizzle half of the butter over potatoes.
4. Sprinkle half of the salt and pepper over potatoes, and top with half of the cheese.
5. Repeat procedure with the remaining potatoes, butter, salt, pepper and cheese.
6. Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan over low heat; pour the hot milk over the potato mixture.
7. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender.

Egg Foo Yung

From the Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook, this is one of our favorite light meals for those nights when we’re just sick of eating so much meat. This one-dish recipe cooks up quick and easy and tastes great. However it also works very well as a side dish. According to my husband, the rice is better if made a day ahead but it works for me if I make it just before preparation too. It may appear sticky but once mixed into the other ingredients, all trace of stickiness is gone.

30 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 4 (2)

• 3 eggs, beaten
• salt and pepper
• five-spice powder, a good pinch (optional)
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 ounces fresh bean sprouts
• 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

1. Season the eggs and beat in the five spice powder, if using.
2. In a wok or large frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the oil and when quite hot, pour in the egg.
3. Cook rather like an omelette, pulling the mixture away from the sides and allowing the rest to slip underneath.
4. Cook the egg until firm and then tip out.
5. Chop the ‘omelette’ into small strips.
6. Heat the remaining oil and stir-fry the onion, garlic, pepper and bean sprouts for about 2 minutes, stirring and tossing continuously.
7. Mix in the cooked rice and heat thoroughly, stirring well.
8. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil then return the egg and mix in well.
9. Serve immediately, piping hot.

Potatoes, Green Peppers and Pork Chops

I just put this into the oven for dinner tonight and thought I’d share it here while we wait for it to cook. This is a great one dish meal that is so fast, easy and inexpensive to put together and tastes great. It’s so easy, I rarely have to refer to the recipe to prepare it and at my age, that’s saying a lot. Simple list of ingredients that you probably already have make this a great dish for those nights when you just don’t feel like putting in a lot of effort. Hubby really likes this one as well and for a guy who pretty much hates potatoes, that’s a big nod of approval.

1¼ hours | 10 min prep
SERVES 4 -6

• 4-6 pork chops
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 3-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 can tomato soup (undiluted)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Lay pork chops in a bottom of a baking dish.
2. Cover with onions, potatoes, and green peppers.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add tomato soup on top (you can add some water to thin it out a little bit if you like) Cover and bake at 350 degrees for at least one hour.

Source: rz#26260dana-mmh

Since then I’ve been forced to use handheld can openers because every electric one we’ve bought has been garbage. I tried buying those plain stainless steel openers that you pay a couple of dollars for but they would work once or twice and then I’d have to fight with them after that. I have arthritic hands so it’s painful for me to have to fight to get a can opened.

I was in Canadian Tire one day strolling through their kitchen wares and noticed a pretty hefty Kitchen Aid can opener that literally made my heart flip. "Ooooh, what a nice looking can opener you are!" I said. I picked it up and turned it over in my hand and thought this was probably as close as I’ll ever get to heaven. Well, maybe I exaggerate a bit but I was certainly keen on getting this can opener.

Look at the price of that baby! $14.99!!! For a manual can opener? Holy Mackeral you can buy electric can openers for less then that! But hubby twisted my rubber arm and reminded me that sometimes you have to pay a little more to get the quality so I left the Canadian Tire store that day happy as a duck with my new swanky albeit relatively expensive handheld can opener.

That was 3 or 4 years ago and I still use that can opener today. It still works like the day I brought it home and I’ve never struggled to open a can with it. Smooth as butter, it opens any size can easily and quickly. It isn’t one of my most hated chores anymore as I hardly even think about it now.

If you want a really great handheld can opener that may cost you a bit more initially but will outlast by years anything cheaper you may buy, get yourself the Kitchen Aid Handheld Can Opener (Product #42-2828-0)

I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

Streamlined Chimichangas

This is an easy to put together Mexican themed dish I will usually make on a Saturday night. Although the recipe directs you to use butter to brush on the tortillas I would use olive oil instead. I have tried butter once and it was not a pleasant experience. Butter makes the tortillas hard and crispy whereas olive oil lets them brown nicely in the oven but the tortilla stays soft.

I only ever make 4 chimichangas for us but that doesn’t affect the recipe ingredients. I just spread the amount of the filling over 4 tortillas instead of the 8 the recipe requires.
Once you have the tortillas rolled up, it only takes 13 mins to bake before dinner is ready. Serve with sour cream and anything else Mexican you like and enjoy!

Warning: These are very hot when they come out of the oven so be careful before you take your first bite.

30 min / 15 mins prep
Serves 6-8 (or 2)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup Pace Picante Sauce
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 flour tortillas (7 to 8 inches) (I only use 4)
• 1/4 cup melted butter (recommend substituting with olive oil)

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Brown meat with onion and garlic, drain
3. Stir in picante sauce, cumin, oregano and salt.
4. Simmer 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Brush one side of the tortillas with butter (olive oil).
6. On unbuttered (un-oiled) side spoon heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture into center.
7. Fold 2 sides over filling, fold ends down.
8. Place seam side down in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish sprayed with Pam.
9. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
10. To serve, top with sour cream, guacamole and additional picante sauce.

Source: rz#16371mysterygirl