Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

When my husband and I were first married, I loved to experiment with different styles of cooking and was always trying some new recipe or method of cooking that I had not tried before. Then, enter 3 children who did not appreciate my culinary attempts to enrich their lives with the many flavors of the foods we loved! While I was not a picky eater growing up, 2 of my 3 children were. And none of them would eat anything related remotely to stir-fried food! So, I would sneak it in occasionally for just my husband and I. This recipe was given to me by a long ago friend. It is healthy and not at all difficult to prepare. In fact, with some preparation, you could fix it after working all day, as it comes together fairly quick. You can cut up the veggies the night before and put them in baggies in the fridge, and that would have most of the work out of the way!

I used zucchini, carrots, red bell pepper, onion, celery,and broccoli, and also fresh garlic and ginger root. You could also use asparagus, mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, whatever you have on hand. The most time consuming part is just cutting up the vegetables. After that, the cooking is pretty quick. Also, I use 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, that have been cut lenght wise into 3 pieces and then sliced fairly thin so they will cook fast. You don't have to have a wok to do this! This did just fine in my skillet. The secret is to cook each veggie by itself so that you can make sure it reaches the desired tender crisp stage. Also, put the rice on to cook right before you start the stir-fry. Cook it for about 15 minutes and then turn off the burner. It should be done about the same time! I used 1 &1/2 cups of white rice and 3 cups of liquid( half chicken broth and half water), 1/2 tsp.salt and a Tbs. oil. So let's begin, shall we? Make sure all vegetables are washed and dried before you begin. Slice meat and have all veggies chopped and ready to go. It is very important, because the dish will come together quickly.Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

4 Tbs. oil, sesame or canola works too

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 3 strips and sliced fairly thin

3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally

2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli or broccoli florets

1 cup celery, sliced diagonally

1 small zucchini, cut in thin slices 1medium onion, the ends cut off, and standing on flat end, thinly sliced

1/2 of a red bell pepper, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 inch or so of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

1 cup of chicken broth

1 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp. salt, I don't use the salt, it's plenty salty for me

Mix the chicken broth, soy sauce and cornstarch together in a small bowl.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add chicken and stir fry until pieces turn white. Remove to bowl or pan that you are keeping near the stove. Next, add the vegetable which will take the longest to cook, in this case, the carrots. Stir fry for about 3 minutes or until tender crisp. Remove carrots to the other pan. Make sure there is oil in the skillet, then add the celery and cook for2-3 minutes, stirring constantly; remove to the other pan. Add broccoli to skillet and stirring, cook for 2-3minutes. You get the picture! By cooking 1 veggie at a time you can make sure it's not overcooked. Continue with other veggies, adding more oil as needed. With the last veggie, add a little oil and the garlic and ginger root and stir fry, taking care not to burn them. When done, put the meat and all veggies back into the skillet and pour soy sauce mixture over all and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put rice on plates or bowls and top with your wonderful stir fry! This doesn't take long at all and is so healthy and delicious! I love the crunch of the vegetables and the bite of the garlic and ginger. The only problem that I've had, is one time the pan burned on the bottom and I think it was liquid left from the chicken in the pan. So, I now wipe out the pan with a paper towel, if needed after cooking the meat. Otherwise it turns out great! Also you may use steak instead of chicken, if desired. So, go ahead and have stir fry some night soon. You'll be so glad you did!

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

Growing up, my Mother's chicken and noodles were one of my most favorite meals. It was not soup that she made, but a very filling meal of lots of noodles and lots of chicken. Her noodles were thinner than mine and I've never been able to duplicate her way of making them. Luckily, my husband likes larger, more substantial noodles, like his mother made, so that lets me off the hook! You mix flour, eggs, a little milk and salt in a bowl and mix until it all comes together.

Pat ingredients together and work the dough into a smooth ball and place on a large, floured bread board. Flatten into a disk and turn over to flour other side. Taking a rolling pin, begin to roll out the noodle dough. It will be stiff, but just keep at it to get the dough really thin. Add extra flour if need, to keep dough from sticking. Try to roll it 1/8 in.or less.

After you are finished rolling. just let it dry for an hour or two. My Mother actually let it dry much longer, and then after she cut the noodles, they dried some more! She also rolled the dough up, jelly roll fashion and then cut the noodles into thin little wheels. Of course, you had to also unroll all the wheels of dough! I loved them, but it was an all day affair! I use a pizza cutter

to cut noodles into hopefully uniform strips. The noodles will get larger when cooking, so keep that in mind when cutting. Mine were actually a bit larger than I enjoy, but my hubby liked them! I also cooked a chicken so I had homemade broth to use. In a large pot I stewed a 4 pound chicken in 10 cups of water for about 1 &1/2 hours. If you are short on time, you can use canned broth and buy a roasted chicken from the deli. Mmmmm, there's nothing like a bowl of this on a cold evening!

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

To make noodles, combine in a bowl, 2 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp. salt. Break 2 eggs in a dish and add 4 tablespoons of milk and beat well. Add to the flour mixture and stir well; dough will be very stiff, but it will come together. If needed, you can add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time. On a large floured surface, roll out the noodle dough very thinly, about 1/8 inch or less. Use more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Now it can dry for 1 hour. Taking a pizza cutter or a knife, cut dough into desired lenghts. If possible, let noodles dry at least 1 more hour, or until chicken is done cooking.

In a large soup pot put one chicken (about 3 1/2-4 pounds) in 10 cups of water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and cover pot, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or so. Remove chicken to a platter to cool. This can be done 1 day ahead, if desired, then there is time to chill the broth and spoon off all of the fat that accumulates. But, if you are doing this in one day, you will need to carefully skim the fat off of the hot broth. If, using canned broth, skip the previous instructions. Into hot broth add 1/2 of a large onion, diced, 2 or 3 stalks if diced celery and 2 large carrots, sliced. I always add potatoes too, as did my Mother and Grandmother. They said it was the German way, so who am I to argue! Peel and cube 2 large potatoes and add to broth. Cook for about 10 minutes. You are now ready to add the noodles, a few at a time so that they don't stick together. I cook them about 20 minutes until tender. Add 1 teaspoon salt, or salt to taste. I am a low salt cook, so this may not be enough salt for you. You may also use 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, if desired. I also use pepper and sometimes Tarragon. At this time, add in about 3 cups of cooked chicken, but don't bring it to a boil as it will cause the chicken to fall apart and become stringy. If the chicken and noodles are too thick you may add in more broth or even water and adjust the seasonings.

This is one comforting meal and it has always been a hit in my family. All of my children love it and I consider that a miracle! It was difficult when my 3 kids were young to find something that they all loved to eat. But this is it! Do you make homemade noodles?

Whole Wheat Carrot- Banana Bread

Who doesn't love a good piece of Banana Bread? Do we need another recipe for Banana Bread? Probably not, but don't we enjoy trying something just a little bit different? I sure do, so that's why I decided to try this bread after sorting through a stack of "must try" recipes the other day. It has been cut out of some forgotten magazine, so I can't give a proper source for this yummy Whole Wheat Carrot- Banana Bread. I eagerly got all the ingredients out, turned on the oven, and then read the recipe again and discovered that I didn't have the proper sized pans! It called for 7&1/2in. x3&3/4in. pans, which was smaller than the regular bread loaf pans that I have. I toyed with just pouring all the dough into 1 pan, as it could work, maybe. But I had a recollection from my early married years of the first time I made my Mother-in-Laws homemade dinner rolls, and she assumed that I knew that it would take two pans for the whole recipe, but in fact, I didn't know that! I had dough oozing out of my pan and wrapping around the racks of the oven and creating quite a mess for me to clean up! So, I decided to play this safe, especially since I wanted to take pictures, and used 2 larger pans. The loaves are not as high as I would like, but at least they didn't flow over the sides of the pans, leaving me with a mess. An added bonus was that the loaves took less time to bake! So here's what you will need:

Whole Wheat Carrot-Banana Bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar ( the recipe calls for brown sugar, but I used 1/2 white and 1/2 brown)

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp.cinnamon

1 cup ripe, mashed bananas

1 cup finely shredded carrots

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to350 degrees. Grease 2 7&1/2 in. loaf pans. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs. In another bowl combine flours, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add dry ingredients and mashed bananas alternately to butter mixture, stirring after each addition. Fold in shredded carrots and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool in pans for about 15 minutes and then remove bread from pans to finish cooling on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves. In my larger pans, it took about 25 minutes to bake.

This bread is moist and yummy with a little different texture than the other recipe that I use. However, my husband doesn't like it as well as my old standby. He thinks it's a bit dry. It does have a more crumbly texture due to the whole wheat flour, but I do not find it dry. So, 1 bread, 2 opinions. I guess that if I make it again, I'll take it to a ladies brunch, or some other activity! Have you ever baked something and loved it only to have your husband or someone else not like it?

Baked Tilapia with Lime and Cilantro

When I was growing up, my family hardly ever had fish. When we did, it was usually fried or fish sticks from the store! So when I married, I didn't know how to fix fish unless it was fried. And I found fish rather intimidating, for some reason, so it's just been the last few years that I've added a few easy fish dishes to my recipe box. One such dish is Baked Tilapia with Lime and Cilantro. It's so easy and quick cooking that you can have a whole meal on the table in less than 30 minutes! The Tilapia only takes 10-15 minutes to bake, so if you pair it with rice and maybe a oven roasted veggie, like my Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar, or Oven Roasted Broccoli, dinner will be ready in no time! In fact the Tilapia and the asparagus or broccoli can baked in the oven at the same time, in separate pans. This recipe was for about 1 pound of Tilapia, which contained 5 small fillets. Preheat the oven for 425 degrees and get started!

Baked Tilapia with Lime and Cilantro

4 Tbs. fresh squeezed lime juice

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2-3 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. melted butter, optional

2-3 Tbs. chopped cilantro, or to taste

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, the olive oil and the garlic together and let set for a few minutes, if you have the time. That will allow the different flavors in the sauce to "come together"! Place fish fillets in a 9x13 non reactive baking pan and pour the lime juice mixture over the fillets. Turn fish to distribute the juice evenly and make sure that some of the delicious garlic lands on the fish! Top with the chopped cilantro and pour melted butter over all. I just like the taste of butter and olive oil together, but this step is totally optional. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10- 15 minutes, until fish flakes easily. I actually let the fish set in lime mixture for about 10 minutes before bakingas I had another interruption, but the fish was fine. I did not want it to marinate because the fillets are so delicate and don't need to be tenderized. But it came out really delicious with the tangy lime and garlic flavor with the cilantro. This is a recipe that I normally use with grilled chicken breasts and I will marinate them for several hours and it's delicious too!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar

I love oven roasted asparagus and usually just fix it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and sometimes a splash of lemon. I've tried slicing up some garlic and tossing it in, but didn't really get much flavor from it. As I was looking through Epicurious the other day for other asparagus recipes, I found one using Balsamic vinegar. Well, I love Balsamic vinegar, so decided to try it the next time I was craving asparagus. But I still wanted some garlic flavor, if possible. And I found a way! I thought of the garlic infused olive oil that I make sometimes for garlic bread and decided to try it, and it worked! In a small glass bowl, I poured about 2 Tbs. olive oil, and then using the garlic press, I pressed 2 cloves of garlic into the oil. I just let it sit a couple of hours before time to make dinner. The longer it sets, the better the garlic flavor! The first step is to wash the asparagus. Then, dry well so that it doesn't steam when baking.

At dinner time, I placed the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzled it with garlic oil and added kosher salt and coarse ground pepper. I looks so good, doesn't it? Stick the pan in a hot oven

and prepare to enjoy the aroma that will be enveloping your kitchen! Oh, it smells so good! Let it roast 10-15 minutes until tender, but be sure to take the asparagus out of the oven before the garlic gets too brown. What I had was luscious, tender asparagus that was slightly caramelized and infused with a wonderful hint of garlic! Then, I topped it off with Balsamic vinegar. Yum! It was a nice change to my favorite asparagus.
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar

1 pound of asparagus, with ends snapped, washed and dried

1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

2 Tbs. olive oil ( or more, according to your preference)

kosher salt

pepper

1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

Combine olive oil and garlic in a glass bowl and let set at room temperature for several hours, if possible.

Preheat oven to 425.

Place snapped asparagus on baking sheet.

Drizzle with the garlic infused olive oil

Add kosher salt and coarse ground pepper

Place pan in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork and slightly caramelized

Remove from oven and transfer to serving dish and splash with 1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

Enjoy! What is your favorite way to enjoy asparagus?

Meat Sauce for Pasta- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Well, I didn't get this posted this morning like I had hoped as I had interruptions. Does anyone else have interruptions that keep you from doing what you need or want to do? Of course, we all do. Life happens and we must go with the flow, either that or get ulcers! But here is my recipe for luscious Meat Sauce for Pasta. I use both lean ground beef and some Italian pork sausage which gives this meat sauce a wonderful, rich flavor that my family loves. I am definitely not Italian, nor do I claim that this sauce is either. It's just good meat sauce that I have made for many years that is robust with flavor and makes for very satisfying meals! So to start,

add 1 pound ground round and 1/2 pound Italian pork sausage to skillet on medium high heat and brown it, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. The sausage is harder to break into smaller pieces, but you can do it, just keep trying! Drain off fat if there is any. Season the meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. You'll add this to the sauce in a moment. In a stock pot or soup pot,

add about 2 Tbs. of olive oil and heat on medium. When hot, add 1 diced onion and 1/2 green bell pepper, if desired. I don't always add the bell pepper. Cook until soft, 5 minutes or so, and then add 1-2 minced garlic cloves and some more olive oil, maybe 1 or 2 more Tbs. Stir for just a bit, don't let the garlic get too brown, just soft. Now add in 2 cans crushed tomatoes, 2 cans tomato paste and 4 cups of water. Stir well and then add the meat to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover pot with a lid and cook on low for at least 1 1/2 -2 hours. Cooking it a little longer will not hurt. Stir every so often, and break up any large pieces of meat you may find.

Don't add the spices until the sauce is almost done. Spices lose flavor if cooked too long. When sauce is almost done check to see if you like the consistency. If it's thicker than you like, add a little more water. If the sauce is too thin cook it down a little with the lid off. When ready I add 1 tsp. oregano, 1&1/2 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper to taste and 1 Tbs. sugar. This time I also added 3 sprigs of thyme, which I have in the freezer. Can't wait to plant more herbs this spring! Now you're ready to make my Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce , pictured below, that I posted yesterday! You'll need 3-4 cups of sauce for this dish. Or use this sauce for any other pasta. This recipe makes about 8 cups of sauce, so I froze what was left.

I have based this recipe on one my Mother used. If you need a meatless sauce, just omit the meat part and start with browning the onions. This is what I do when making spaghetti and meatballs.

Meat Sauce for Pasta

1 pound lean ground beef, I use gr. round

1/2 pound Italian pork sausage

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced, optional

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 Tbs. olive oil

2- 15oz. cans of crushed tomatoes, or diced is fine

2- 6oz. cans of tomato paste

about 4 cups water

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 &1/2 tsp. dried basil,

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper, to taste
1 Tbs. sugar, optional

1/2 tsp. thyme, optional

In a skillet brown the ground beef and sausage together, breaking up chunks with spoon.

Drain fat, if any. In a large pot, in 2 Tbs. olive oil, cook the diced onion and bell pepper until soft. Add in the minced garlic and another Tbs. or so of olive oil. Stir until garlic is softened and then add the 2 cans of tomatoes, 2 cans of tomato paste, all of the meat and 4 cups of water. Bring to a simmer,then turn to low heat and cover with lid. Cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, at least. This makes the meat tender and develops the sauce. Stir every so often and if necessary, add more water. When sauce is done add the oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar and thyme, if using. Stir well and simmer maybe 15 minutes more. If sauce is too thick, add more water. If it's too thin, cook it down some without the lid. This is not an exact science here, I go by taste and by what the sauce looks like. If you think it needs more basil or salt, for instance, add it in. And if I have fresh herbs from my garden, I use them in place of the dried. So, go make pasta for dinner one night this week. Your kitchen will be filled with the most wonderful aroma, and your family will love you! If they like pasta, that is! Pasta is something my whole family enjoys. Even when the kids were young, picky eaters, they would eat pasta with meat sauce. Do you eat pasta very often?

Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

As I was getting ready to post this recipe this morning, I realized that I didn't even know the official name for these shells, I just always have called them "shells". So I looked up the info on google, and then got side tracked, and now I'm posting in the afternoon! I found out that these shells are called "Conchiglie Shells", which is Italian for Conch Shells, which makes sense, because they really do look like conch shells. On the pasta box they are called Jumbo Shells, so there is the reason I have always called them "Cheese Stuffed Shells"! I have been making these for many years and I think I adapted this recipe from one on a box of shells. Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce is one of my family's favorite dishes. If desired, you may use a meatless sauce, which in my opinion, is very good and contains less calories. But the carnivores in my family prefer the meat sauce. If you are really pressed for time you may use a jar of your favorite purchased sauce. I'm going to post the recipe for the meat sauce separately, tonight or tomorrow, so that it will be easier to refer to in other posts. So, let's get started;You will need 1/2 -1 box of Jumbo Shells. I don't fill the shells too full because as they bake and the cheese melts, it oozes out of the shell. I like the cheese to stay in the shells! So I cook about 28 shells for 1 9x 13 pan. Some of the shells always fall apart during cooking, so I cook more than needed. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add in however many shells you want to use. Stir with a wooden spoon so you don't tear the shells. Cook for the least amount of time listed on the box. When shells are done, pour into a colander and drain. When ready to stuff them rinse with cold water if needed, to separate the shells, so they won't tear.. In a bowl mix the cheese ingredients together; 15 oz. ricotta, 2 cup Mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 2-3 Tbs. chopped parsley and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

In a 9x13 non reactive pan, pour about 2 cups of meat sauce and spread it out. To fill the shells, take one in your hand and gently add about 1 Tbs. of cheese mixture. Lay it over the sauce and repeat with remainder of shells. I fit them rather closely together.

After all the shells are filled and in the pan, I drizzle 1 cup of sauce over the pasta. Then I top the dish with just a light sprinkling of Parmesan or Mozzarella, just to decorate it a little. Don't use much. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese is melted.. If desired you can cover with foil for the first 15 minutes. Also, if you stuff the shells really full, they may take longer to bake. When done, remove pan from oven and enjoy!

Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook for the least amount of time listed on your box's directions. Pasta will cook more after it is stuffed. Drain cooked shells in a colander in the sink. Cool until you can handle.

In a bowl mix together;

15 ounces Ricotta cheese ( I use low fat)

2 cups Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated melts better, or the one in the tub)

2-3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp.pepper ( You won't need salt as the cheese is saltly)

In a non reactive 9x13 baking pan, pour in about 2 cups of meat sauce and spread evenly.

When ready to stuff the shells, take 1 shell and fill with about 1 tbs. of cheese filling.( If shells are hard to separate, rinse with cold water and loosen with fingers.) Place each shell into the pan over the meat sauce. When the pan is filled, spoon an additional 1 cup sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle a little cheese over the top just to decorate! Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is just bubbling. I serve with salad and garlic bread. What's your favorite pasta shape?

UPDATE: The recipe for the Meat Sauce for Pasta (spaghetti sauce) is here.