Chicken With Cashews and Snow Peas

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. sherry

4 T. cornstarch

2 T. hoisin sauce

2 T. peanut oil

40 snow peas

1 can sliced water chestnuts

1 C. chicken stock, hot

1 t. salt

1 C. raw, unsalted cashews

Directions:

1. Combine garlic, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, and hoisin sauce.
2. Marinate chicken breast in the mixture created in Step 1.
3. Heat oil to about 375° F and stir fry chicken and marinate about 3 minutes. 
4. Add snow peas and water chestnuts and stir fry 30 seconds. 
5. Add stock and salt, stir until thick. 
6. Add cashews, mix and serve.

Beef & Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup 

¼ C. milk

1 lb. ground beef

2 C. Pasta Sauce

9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400° F.  
2. Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.
3. Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. 
4. Pour off any fat. 
5. Stir in the sauce.
6. Layer 3 noodles, half the beef mixture, and 1 cup soup mixture in an 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish. 
7. Top with 3 noodles, remaining beef mixture, remaining soup mixture and remaining noodles. 
8. Sprinkle with the cheese. 
9. Cover the baking dish.
10. Bake for 30 minutes or until the lasagna is hot.  
11. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Pumpkin Bread

Years ago I found a wonderful Pumpkin Bread recipe.  After a couple of moves, the recipe has gone missing.  I'm still searching for the missing recipe since I don't have it memorized.

Ingredients:

2 C. all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

½ t. salt

1 t. baking soda

½ t. baking powder

1 t. ground cloves

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground nutmeg

1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 C. sugar

2 large eggs

1 (15-oz) can 100% pure pumpkin

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. 
2. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour (alternatively, use a baking spray with flour in it).
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. 
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
6. Continue beating until very light and fluffy. 
7. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and curdled at this point.
8. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
9. Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly.
10. Bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. 
11. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

3 T. coconut oil (olive oil may be substituted)

1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed

2 t. ground ginger or 1 T. fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 t. ground coriander

1-14-ounce can coconut milk

1 to 1½ C. carrots, shredded

2 zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces

2 to 8 T. Thai green curry paste, or to taste 

1 t. kosher salt, or to taste

½ t. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 to 2 T. lime juice

¼ to ⅓ C. fresh cilantro or to taste, finely chopped for garnishing

1 to 2 T. granulated sugar, optional and to taste

Rice or naan, optional for serving

Directions:

1. Using a large skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
2. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is done.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
4. Add the coconut milk, carrots, zucchini, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes, or until liquid volume has reduced as much as desired and thickens slightly.
5. Add the lime juice, cilantro, and stir to combine. Taste and optionally add sugar, additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:

2 (8oz.) pkg. Pillsbury crescent rolls

2 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

1 C. sugar

1 t. vanilla

¼ C. butter (melted)

1 T. cinnamon

¼ C. sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Press a can of the crescent rolls to the bottom of the dish, making sure to reach edges and keep together.
4. Bake the first layer of crescent roll dough just until done (5-8 minutes). 
5. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
6. Spread mixture over crescent rolls.
7. Roll the remaining crescent roll dough over the top and stretch to the edges and seal.
8. Brush across the entire top of the crescent roll dough with the melted butter.
9. Combine the 1 tablespoon cinnamon with ¼ cup sugar.
10. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
12. Let cool and chill for several hours before serving.
13. Slice into triangles or squares, drizzle with a little honey if you like and serve.

Kolache

Ingredients:

1 C. butter

4½ C. sifted flour

1 pkg. yeast

¼ C. warm water

3 T. sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

½ t. salt

1 C. evaporated milk

1 T. lemon juice

1 can (12 oz.) pastry filling (almond, poppy seed or fruit flavor)

Confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Cut butter info flour in a large mixing bowl until mixture resembles course meal.
2. Crumble or sprinkle yeast into warn water in a medium size mixing bowl. 
3. Let stand 5 minutes to dissolve.
4. Add sugar, eggs, salt, evaporated milk and lemon juice to yeast mixture.  
5. Stir to mix well.
6. Add to flour mixture, stirring to blend.
7. Cover tightly and chill overnight in refrigerator.
8. Work with half of dough at a time when shaping pastries.
9. Preheat oven to 350° F.
10. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness.
11. Cut into 3-inch squares.
12. Place 1 teaspoon filling on each square.
13. Overlap two opposite corners of each square, pinching to seal.  
14. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
15. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
16. When slightly cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top to dust lightly.
17. Yield:  about 2½ dozen pastries.

Christmas Trees

Ingredients:

1 C. butter, softened
½ C. sugar
1 egg yolk
3 t. vanilla
3 C. flour
½ t. baking powder
1 egg white
1 T. sugar

Directions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, and egg yolk together thoroughly.
2. Stir in vanilla.
3. Sift flour and baking powder together.
4. Stir in butter mixture.
5. Chill dough.
6. Roll out chilled dough ¼-inch thick and cut with Christmas tree shaped cookie cutter.
7. Combine egg white and sugar, beat well.
8. Brush tips of cookies with this mixture.
9. Decorate with green sugar.
10. Bake 375° F for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly brown.

Makes 6 dozen.

Note:  This makes a crisp sugar cookie meant for rolling out and using with cookie cutters.