General Tso's Chicken

There were so many ingredients in this recipe, but I decided to try it out anyway. I bought some dried chiles in the Mexican food aisle for a buck, and I had all the other ingredients. I served this dish over rice. I have to say I was a bit apprehensive about those chile peppers, since I don't like spicy dishes. But, it turned out just spicy enough for me!! Don't eat the pods, I didn't even eat the green onions!! The technique of getting the chicken ready to deep-fry was weird, but I guess it ended up working out OK. When I added the oil so the chicken wouldn't stick together it didn't really work. I used peanut oil and only put a bit in the bottom of a small frying pan, turning the chicken once the bottom side was golden brown. I didn't find that the soy sauce or wine taste overpowered the dish, as can sometimes happen, and I used chicken breasts rather than thighs. I will definitely keep this recipe. In fact, after eating one serving I almost want another right now!!

FOLLOW-UP: I ate the leftovers a couple of hours after the first taste and it was WAY more spicy!! I don't know if it was because I left the peppers in the container in the fridge or if the spices just "matured", but my mouth is burning right now. Other people won't notice it as much, but I am super sensitive to spicy heat!! Next time I will try to remove the pepper before I store the leftovers and see if that helps keep the heat down for me.

General Tso's Chicken

2 T cornstarch
1/2 c. water
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. ground ginger
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 1/2 c. hot chicken broth
3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1/4 c. soy sauce
1 t. white pepper
1 egg
1 c. cornstarch
1 c. oil
oil for deep frying
1 t. oil
16 small dried hot peppers
2 c. sliced green onions

1. Whisk together 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch with water. Add garlic powder, ginger powder, sugar, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, wine, and chicken broth together until the sugar dissolves.
2. Mix together in separate bowl chicken, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, and white pepper. Whisk in egg. Add 1 cup of cornstarch and mix until chicken is coated. Add 1 cup oil to separate chicken pieces. Divide the chicken into batches and deep fry at 350ºF until crispy and browned. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok or large skillet and heat on high until nearly smoking. Add hot peppers and green onions and stir-fry briefly.
4. Stir reserved sauce and add to wok with pepper and onion. Add reserved cooked chicken and lower heat to medium-high. Cook until sauce is bubbling hot and thickens. Makes 8 servings.

Chinatown Almond Chicken

I have decided not to keep this recipe, assuming I will find a better Almond Chicken recipe in my file box!! I didn't have any pea pods, so I used frozen peas instead, probably too many of them!! The fact that I don't prefer the taste of wine or soy sauce in general, the sauce was not the best part of this dish. The chunks of chicken were good, though, and the taste of almonds. I don't think I would use the whole almonds unless I didn't have slivered. I used peanut oil and it was yummy.

Chinatown Almond Chicken

1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, skinned, boned, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 t. ginger
2 t. sugar
1 T cornstarch
3 T water
3 T soy sauce
1/3 c. sherry
12 oz. Chinese pea pods, thawed
1/4 c. oil
1 c. whole almonds

1. In a bowl, mix ginger, sugar, and cornstarch.
2. Blend in water, soy sauce, and sherry.
3. In a wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add almonds, stir and cook about 3 minutes.
4. Add chicken and cook just until meat turns white.
5. Pour in sherry mixture and cook until sauce thickens.
6. Add pea pods and stir-fry until hot and glazed. Serve at once. Serves 4.

Pasta in Cream Sauce

This was a keeper recipe, so simple!! I used frozen cheese tortellini and it was yummy!! Add some bread and a salad and you have a complete meal. The only thing I didn't like was that the sauce was a bit grainy. I removed it from the heat to stir in the cheese because I didn't want to have a grainy texture, but it was grainy anyway. Perhaps I will try shredded Parmesan cheese the next time, or follow the recipe and stir in the pasta with the sauce instead of stirring into the sauce.

Pasta in Cream Sauce

1 c. whipping cream
3 T snipped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. tri-colored pasta, cooked and drained
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a saucepan heat cream, basil, garlic, and pepper just until bubbly and slightly thickened.
2. Toss with pasta and cheese. Serves 8.

"Sizzler" Blue Cheese Dressing

I have had trouble recently finding a blue cheese dressing that is not too vinegary!! So, I thought I would try out a recipe I found that purported to be from the famous Sizzler steakhouse. I think this restaurant single-handedly made salad bars "cool", and I have cravings for their salad dressing all the time. In fact, when I was there recently I found a big white blob in my dressing that was not cheese. I thought it might be cream cheese, but the waitress checked in the back and told me it was sour cream. So, this recipe might be authentic. I will keep it, the base of the dressing was good. I got a blue cheese that wasn't too "blue" since I only prefer the flavor of blue cheese instead of chunks. The cheese flavor was a bit too strong, but still much better than the vinegary-tasting alternatives of ready-made dressings. I have another recipe from Bob's Big Boy, and since theirs is the only one I will buy over the counter I will try that one next.

"Sizzler" Blue Cheese Dressing

1 T lemon juice
1 T white vinegar
1 T grated onion
1 t. salt
1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper
2-4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
2 c. sour cream
2 c. mayonnaise

1. In a large glass bowl, combine lemon juice, vinegar, onion, salt, pepper, and blue cheese. Chill overnight.
2. The next day, stir in sour cream and mayonnaise until mixed well.
3. Will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Makes 5 cups.

Scalloped Potatoes

I had some leftover evaporated milk and I had gotten a great deal on a bag of potatoes, so I thought I would make this recipe that I found on the label of the evaporated milk. I was pleased, usually I prefer potatoes "au gratin", but I think this was just a bit healthier!! The crust of Parmesan cheese on the top was yummy. This was good as leftovers, too!! To get a uniform sized thin slice I use a vintage VegOMatic!!

Scalloped Potatoes

2 lb. (about 6 medium) potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
3 T butter
1/4 c. chopped onion
3 T flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 can evaporated milk
1 c. water
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 11" x 7" baking dish.
2. Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Drain potatoes.
3. Heat butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually stir in milk and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. Arrange potatoes in prepared baking dish and pour milk mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is light golden brown. Serves 8.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I won't be keeping this recipe, in fact I couldn't even finish eating it!! I don't know if it was the fact that it was made with evaporated milk, the combination of cheeses, or the bread crumbs on the top, but it was not good enough to keep. I used some cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese. I grated the onions because I didn't want chunks of onion in the casserole. I am not used to having a bread crumb topping, but I have since been told that perhaps I should have used torn up bread instead of the canned bread crumbs.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound dried, short pasta (elbows are best)
generous pinch of salt
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 can evaporated milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 small onion, diced
2 1/2 c. grated cheese (or combination of cheeses) of your choice
1 c. bread crumbs, mixed with 2 T melted butter

1. Boil pasta in medium saucepan.
2. Liberally butter an 8" x 8" ceramic or glass baking dish. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
3. Melt butter over medium heat in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk flour into melted butter, continuing to whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes. Quickly add the milk and stir. Add bay leaf and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes. Do not let it bubble, reduce heat if necessary.
4. Remove pasta when just short of done. Drain pasta, but do not rinse.
5. Remove sauce from heat, remove the bay leaf, and stir in about 3/4 of your cheese, stirring until melted. Add the drained pasta into the sauce and stir until completely coated.
6. Pour pasta into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, followed by the bread crumbs.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Serves 4-6.