Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fried Rice

This is one of Tyler's favorites that comes from home...well...something that his mom used to make I should say! The fried rice is my add on to make it a more complete meal. Serve with egg rolls as well to top it all off!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients

Chicken tenders
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
Corn starch
Vegetable Oil

For Sauce
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions
1. Mix together milk and eggs
2. Dip tenders in egg mixture and then into corn starch
3. Fry in hot oil until crisp, turning once
4. Place fried tenders in greased pan, pour sauce over tenders, stirring to coat.
5. Bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring once.


Fried Rice

Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 stalk celery, thinly bias sliced
3/4 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 8.8 oz pouch cooked white rice
1 cup frozen carrot/pea mixture
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced

Directions
1. In a small bowl combine eggs and 1 tsp soy sauce. Set aside.
2. Pour 1 tsp sesame oil into a wok or large skillet. Preheat over medium heat. Add garlic and egg miture and stir gently to scramble. When set, remove egg micture from the wok. Cut up any large pieces of egg mixture. Remove wok from heat.
3. Pour 1 tsp cooking oil into the wok or skillet (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Return to medium high heat. Stir fry celery in hot oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Add cooked rice, carrots and peas. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp soy sauce. Cook and stir for 4-6 minutes or until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onions; cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Sweet and sour chicken from my MIL
fried rice from bhg.com

Stuffed Potato

This is a homemade version of the Claimjumper entree...

Ingredients

Potatoes
Alfredo sauce (I used bottled but if you're feeling ambitious...feel free to make your own!)
Fresh veggies (I like to use summer squash, broccoli, and zuchinni, but again...whatever you feel like eating!)
Grilled chicken strips (Once again, you can grill your own chicken or use store bought strips that only require warming)

Directions

Bake the potatoes until tender, generally about an hour in a 350 degree oven. For the honkers we normally use that we bring back down from Idaho, it can be up to 2 hours!!! Heat alfredo sauce according to directions on bottle. Steam veggies. Warm up the chicken strips according to the directions. Split potato down the middle, pile on the veggies and chicken and smother with warm alfredo sauce. Enjoy!!!

Omit the chicken to make a nice vegetarian dish :)

Fresh Tomato and Arugula Pasta

Here's another amazing recipe from bhg.com. I used spinich instead of the arugula, added some chicken (which I just cubed and boiled first) and I added the crushed red peppers. Very yummy and easy to make.


Ingredients

2-2/3 cups dried ziti or mostaccioli (8 ounces)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 to 6 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (3 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
4 cups arugula and/or spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or Parmesan cheese


Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomato, salt, black pepper, and, if desired, red pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat about 2 minutes or until the tomato is warm and release some of its juices. Stir in arugula and/or spinach; heat just until greens are wilted.

3. To serve, top pasta with tomato mixture; sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and cheese. Makes 4 servings.

4. Fresh Tomato and Arugula Pasta with Chicken: Prepare as above but stir 2 cups chopped deli roasted chicken into tomato mixture along with arugula.

Skillet Chicken and Vegetables on Cheese Toast

The original recipe didn't have the chicken in it but in order to make this a meal I added the chicken.


Ingredients

8 slices rustic wheat bread (wheat french bread works just fine)
1/2 of an 8-oz. pkg. peeled fresh whole baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 8-oz. pkg. button mushrooms, halved
4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, cut in thin wedges
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. soft goat cheese (chevre)
1 chicken breast, cubed
Basil, fresh or dried


Directions

1. Preheat broiler. Place bread on baking sheet; set aside.

2. In large skillet cook chicken, garlic and basil in hot oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add in carrots, mushrooms, and onion cooking over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, until vegetables just begin to brown. Add 2 tablespoons water; cover and cook over medium heat 5 minute, or until vegetables are crisp-tender stirring once. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, for cheese toast, lightly toast bread 3 inches from boiler heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Spread goat cheese on one side of each slice. Broil 3 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is softened.

4. On plates, top cheese toast with chicken and vegetables. Drizzle with additional olive oil; sprinkle with fresh basil. Makes 4 servings.

Original recipe from bhg.com

Chicken Flautas with Black Beans

This one is good for something different than tacos and burritos for mexican food night. Since I'm not a fan of frying things at all (I always make a huge mess and get splattered one too many times) I baked these and they were really good that way. I made guacamole to go along with them as well...which is always better than store bought stuff They also taste great dipped in sour cream and salsa. I also got 8 flautas out of this recipe and used canned chicken instead of cooking a chicken breast.


Ingredients

6 10-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cooking oil
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (2 ozs.)
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
Cooking oil for frying
3 cups shredded lettuce
Purchased guacamole (optional)
Bottled salsa (optional)
Dairy sour cream (optional)
Cilantro leaves (optional)


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in the 1 teaspoon hot oil until tender. Stir in chicken, black beans, 1/2 cup bottled salsa, the cheese, and 2 tablespoons cilantro.

3. For each flauta, spoon about 1/2 cup filling across each warm tortilla about 1-1/2 inches from one edge. Roll up tortillas as tightly as possible. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

4. In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1-1/2 inches of cooking oil to 365 degrees F. Fry flautas, two at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Keep fried flautas warm in a 300 degrees F oven while frying remaining flautas.

5. To serve, remove toothpicks. Halve flautas crosswise. If desired, serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

6. Baked Flautas: Prepare filling and shape flautas as directed. Place flautas on a large baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Serve as directed.

7. Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare filling and shape flautas as directed. Cover; chill for up to 24 hours. Fry or bake as directed. Makes 6 flautas.

From bhg.com