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.

Caesar Salad

I had some chicken to use up, and I have been attempting to eat more healthy foods. So, I got into my salad recipe box. This recipe was easy and tasty, although I am not sure that the dressing is authentic Caesar. I suppose they substituted mayonnaise rather than use raw eggs, which is a smart choice!! I liked the presentation of the Romaine lettuce, but only one of my halves was "pretty". The home-made croutons were fantastic, I won't ever throw away leftover sourdough bread again!!

After I took the picture at the top of this page I realized that I was eating this salad as my dinner, so I added the other half of the lettuce, some chopped up chicken, and finished off the dressing. I had some croutons left over, but I only used 3 slices of bread. I wouldn't have had enough salad dressing if I had more than 3 of the half-head servings, so next time I will make a bit more.

This is definitely a keeper. The picture below is my dinner-sized Chicken Caesar Salad. I used crushed garlic and shredded Parmesan, not having a hunk for shavings. There was plenty of cheese in the dressing. Also, serving the salad with warm croutons is yummy. I wish that I had made the salad dressing ahead of time so it was cold from the refrigerator. Oh, I also used some garlic powder when seasoning the croutons.

Caesar Salad

4 slices of sourdough bread, cut into cubes
1 T olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 T olive oil
1 T mayonnaise
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg. of Romaine hearts (3 heads)
Parmesan cheese for shaving garnish
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Toss the bread cubes with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and shredded Parmesan cheese until well blended.
3. Remove any wilted outer leaves from the Romaine hearts. Cut off the core end and slice the head lengthwise.
4. Place the Romaine halves on plates with croutons and drizzle with the dressing. Top with Parmesan shavings and season with freshly ground pepper. Serves 4-6.

Chocoladamias

These sounded good, but I didn't like them. I don't know if it was due to the fact that I used cashews instead of macadamias or that they didn't cook through, but I won't be keeping this recipe. I much prefer the taste of the blondies with chocolate chips that my grandmother made which were called Congo Bars and used brown sugar. I am going to go through my other blondies recipes and pull them out because I have realized that I already have the perfect blondies recipe!!

Chocoladamias

1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. white baking pieces
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 c. milk chocolate pieces

1. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan and line the bottom and sides with waxed paper. Grease the waxed paper.
2. In a small saucepan cook and stir butter and white baking pieces over low heat until melted, mixture may separate. Set aside.
3. In a small mixer bowl beat eggs. Gradually add sugar, beating until light. Add butter mixture and vanilla. Add flour and salt, mixing well. Stir in nuts and chocolate pieces. Turn into prepared pan.
4. Bake in a 325ºF oven for 35 minutes or until top is golden.
5. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Loosen edges and invert. Remove waxed paper and invert again. Cut into bars. Makes 36 bars.

Orange Basil Marinated Chicken

I probably won't keep this recipe, it was basically marinating and boiling the chicken in an orange flavored sauce. I didn't notice until after I cooked up some rice that they want you to serve it cold. I saved one breast for leftover, perhaps it will be good cold in a salad? I don't think I would want to eat this just plain cold, though. I also had to wipe off the parsley and basil from the top before I ate it.

Orange Basil Marinated Chicken

4 whole chicken breasts, skinned and halved
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c.oil
2 T oil
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1/2 t. basil leaves
1/2 t. grated orange peel
1/4 to 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

1. Arrange chicken breast halves in an un-greased 13" x 9" non-metal baking dish.
2. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
3. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
4. Heat oven to 375ºF.
5. Keeping the foil over the chicken, bake for 35 minutes.
6. Uncover the chicken and continue baking for 20-30 minutes, basting frequently until chicken is tender and no longer pink.
7. Drain and cool chicken. Wrap chicken tightly and refrigerate until serving time. Serve cold. Serves 8.

Grandma's Meatloaf

I found this recipe in my box, it had been typed by me from another hand-written recipe. I had to call my mom to see if this was, indeed, Grandma's recipe for meatloaf. I had hand-written "add some Worcestershire sauce, too" at the bottom. My mother said that she never made her meatloaf with pork and veal, only ground beef. I don't think I have ever had pork and veal in a meatloaf before, in fact I prefer not to use veal (philosophical issues). But, I figured I needed to do it Grandma's way the first time.

I grated the onion instead of chopping, I don't like eating onions but I like the flavor. I used 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, and 1/2 pound ground veal. I didn't have any milk, so I used some half-and-half instead. I think I might have used too much salt, so I will actually measure next time!! Needless to say, this is of course a keeper recipe!! I will try it without the veal next time, and then without the pork to see the difference. This was quite tasty and I am looking forward to sandwiches tomorrow.

Grandma's Meat Loaf

2 lb. ground beef, veal, and pork
1 egg
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1 T chopped onion (or more)
1 t. salt
pepper
1 c. milk

Bake 2 hours in moderate oven.

That is how the recipe reads. I mooshed all the ingredients together with my hands until incorporated. I placed the meatloaf into a loaf pan and baked at 350ºF for about 2 hours until the top was crispy. The juice overflowed the pan a little, so make sure you have a pan on the bottom shelf to catch the juices. I let it set for a couple of minutes, and then I cut off a piece to photograph. I noticed that there was a lot of juice in the bottom of the pan so, tilting the pan to make the grease go to the end, I removed the loaf to a piece of foil to store it in the fridge. I had to wipe off the meat before I ate it, it was really greasy (but tasty!!)