Mushroom-Ricota Tart

Mushroom Ricotta Tart

1c flour

pinch salt

1/2tsp sugar

Whisk together.

1/2c cold margarine

Cut into dough until it looks like wet-ish(yes, that is a word!) sand. Add in 1tsp of cold water at a time until you can form a ball. You do not want it to be wet. Roll into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge while prepping the rest.

16oz mushrooms (whatever you like), sliced

1/2tsp red pepper flake

1/8c onion, chopped

2 garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add in red pepper, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Turn heat to high and cook until mushrooms are soft. Set aside. Sprinkle counter with parmesan cheese. Roll out dough until about 1/4' thick. Place on cookie sheet.

1c ricotta cheese

1/3c parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1 egg yolk

Mix together and spread to about 1/2" from the edge of crust. Top with mushroom mixture. Fold edges over. Mix 2tsp evaporated milk with 1 egg yolk and brush along edge of crust. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Turn heat down to 400 and cook for 15 more minutes.

This one is a little involved, but oh so worth it!

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken

1/3c soy sauce

3 dried red peppers, chopped

(original recipe called for 6, but that is too spicy for me)

4 green onions, just the green part, sliced

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1/2c broth

1 Tbsp chili paste

2tsp lemon juice

1/3c sugar

Heat on medium low for 5 minutes then turn heat up to medium and add a slurry of 2Tbsp cornstarch and 2tsp water. Let thicken for a minute and toss with tempura fried chicken. Mix half package of tempura with 1/2-1c COLD water. Dip chicken pieces in and deep fry for 4-5 minutes. Re-fry all chicken for 2 minutes to make extra crispy so it will hold the sauce well.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 orange

1 lemon

2c water

Cut fruit in half, place everything in a medium saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Take out fruit and add in

2/3c sugar

1tsp red food coloring (optional)

3 1/2 Tbsp vinegar

Boil for 2 minutes. Meanwhile make a slurry with 2Tbsp cornstarch and 2-3tsp water. Pour into sauce and let thicken for a minute. Take off and use as the sauce for your chicken tempura.

To make chicken tempura, buy a box of tempura coating (in the Asian aisle). I usually use half a package for our family of 5. Mix it with COLD water until just combined. I think I use between 1/2-1c water. Add more if too thick. Dip 1" cubed chicken pieces into tempura and deep fry for 4-5 minutes. Serve with ham fried rice.

Rice Balls

Looking through my recipes trying to find a quick dinner for tonight. I am pretty sure I need to plan ahead so not every night is a "quick dinner". Anyway...didn't find anything to make, but thought I would post about RICE BALLS since everyone who has had them loves them and wants the recipe.

Rice Balls

2c cooked brown rice

2c. cooked chicken, chopped to be about the same size as rice

1-2c cheddar cheese

1c cooked sweet potato (just bake it at 350 for 30-40 minutes until it is really squishy)

1/4c milk

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch (fiesta ranch flavor)

3 eggs

1/2c. broccoli puree

2c. bread crumbs

Mix the rice, chicken, cheese, sweet potato, milk and ranch together with your hands (seriously, it is way faster and more effective) Roll them into 1" balls, I use a cookie scoop for ease. I put them in the fridge to firm up a bit before breading, not needed though. Beat the eggs and add the broccoli puree if you are using it. Adding that is just a way to sneak some veggies into the meal. Roll rice balls in egg then in breadcrumbs. This is so much easier to do a day ahead or morning of, then just take them out and fry. I fry mine in a deep fryer set at 375 for about 3-5 minutes or until they are nicely browned. I only fry what we are eating then and leave the rest in the fridge to fry later. Buy an extra fiesta ranch packet and mix with a 16oz sour cream to make the best dip for these. 

*You can substitute the ranch packet for other flavorings*

Maybe someday I will post a healthy recipe....

Crockpot Potato and Corn Chowder

We love corn and potato chowder! I needed to bring a soup to our RS activity last night and feed my family (after a busy day of running everywhere) I usually just make mine up as I go, but I needed something for the crockpot yesterday so I searched a few recipes and came up with this...

Crockpot Potato and Corn Chowder

3 large potatoes, diced (I mean LARGE! Or about 5 cups after the dice)

1 1/2 lb frozen corn

1 large onion, diced

1c. chopped celery

2-3Tbsp garlic

3 strips of bacon

1/2tsp seasoning (I use Nature Seasoning)

4c chicken broth (I use bullion cubes)

1 (12oz) can evaporated milk

1/2c milk

1/2tsp. garlic salt (optional)

shredded cheddar cheese

crumbled crispy bacon

Put the potatoes, corn, onion, celery, garlic, bacon, seasoning and broth in the crockpot and cook on high 5 hours or low 8 hours. Take out the bacon and discard (unless you like soggy bacon, bleh.) This is when I take some out for A. This is a great meal for families with food allergies, like milk. Add in the milks and let heat for about 30 minutes. I added some garlic salt right before serving. Pour in bowl and sprinkle with cheese and bacon crumbles. YOU MAY NOT SERVE THIS WITHOUT BREAD!!!!! (That would be a sin.) 

*This could be made vegetarian if you leave the bacon out*

Our favorite meal--Black Chicken

Black chicken is really just fried chicken breast. I over-browned it once when H was younger. He LOVED it, renamed it black chicken and it has been a family favorite ever since. This is how I make it for our family of 5 and we like leftovers!
Black Chicken

4 chicken breasts

2 eggs

2c. italian breadcrumbs

1/2c margarine

Cut any fat off the breast and then one at a time place in a ziplock bag and pound out with a kitchen mallet (or a frying pan or the heel of your hand, anything that gets the job done!) until it is about 1/3-1/2" thick. I then cut the pieces into something more manageable, they get pretty huge once pounded. Dip in egg then in breadcrumbs, making sure it gets completely coated. Place on a plate and continue with the rest. I fry mine in an electric skillet since the heat distributes more evenly. If you have one set it to 350-375 or if you are frying stovetop I would probably do medium heat. Fry on one side for about 5-8 minutes or until browned well, sprinkle with seasoning then flip to the other side for a couple of minutes. These don't need long to cook since they are so thin. Our favorite way to serve is with pan gravy and mashed potatoes. For the mashed potatoes, just cube up at least 1 potato per person. Cover with water and boil until soft (about 15-20 minutes) mash up with a couple tablespoons of margarine and some milk. Don't forget to season.
Pan Gravy
leftover grease from cooking chicken (at least 2 Tbsp)
2-3Tbsp flour
2c. chicken broth, I use bullion cubes
Sprinkle the flour in the grease, let cook until it starts to brown. Pour broth in while whisking like crazy so you don't have lumps. Pour over the potatoes and chicken.
I am really hungry now!