Oriental Noodles

This is a yummy meal that I lost the original recipe for. So, we have just adjusted it to our tastes. It's quick and easy. Also, it gets some good veggies into the kiddos.

The Ingredients:

1 head broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 C. carrots, chopped into bite-size pieces
16 oz. linguine noodles
1-2 lbs. sirloin steak, sliced into bite size pieces (I use stir-fry meat)
3/4 bottle (16 oz.) Italian dressing
1/4 C. teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste



Let's Get Cookin:


1.) First, get all of your chopping done and bring 1 pot of salted water to a boil.

bite-size pieces of broccoli

bite-size carrot pieces

make sure the water is salted

2.) Spray a skillet or saute pan with cooking spray (or add 2 tsps. vegetable oil) and brown your steak pieces. Tip: Cook the steak on screaming hot heat to get a nice char on the outside. As soon as both sides are brown- take the meat off the burner! This will give you tender on the inside and yummy flavor on the outside. Also, add linguine to the boiling salted water.

Don't turn it until it's completely brown on one side

Add the linguine to an UNCOVERED pot

This is how it will look when it's done

3.) After the skillet has cooled considerably dump your italian dressing, teriyaki sauce, and ginger into the skillet with the beef. Mix it up and try to scrape up a big of the yummies on the bottom of the skillet.

Doesn't it look yummy?

4.) Add the carrots and broccoli to the pot of water and noodles during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. This will allow them to become tender enough to bite but still retain their pretty color and nutrients.

5.) Strain the noodle and veggie mixture and return back to the hot pot. Then mix in the meat and sauce mixture.

6.) Enjoy!! We usually serve this with some frozen egg rolls on the side. But, it's still super yummy and filling by itself.

Moroccan Chicken and Olives

If there is one reason (aside from our son) that I am most thankful for meeting J. it's for this chicken. He and his roommate from college (and childhood friend, to boot) came up with this yummy recipe when they were missing their mommy's homemade Moroccan food (because J. is, of course, Moroccan).

Ingredients:

2 1/2 large onions (or 2 large 1 small, as you see pictured)
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. veg. oil
juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper
4 large chicken breasts (the orignal recipes calls for a cut-up fryer chicken, but we're figure friendly around here)
1 C. water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 small jars green onions
1 loaf of French Bread or bolillos for serving

Let's Get Cookin':

1.) I use a food processor for this, but you're more than welcome to get your dice on! Chop up into a chunky paste (think picante sauce) your onions, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Then, mix in your salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, oil, and the juice of half your lime. Put that all into a big soup pot.

2.) Turn the heat on high and add in your chicken breasts, 1 C. water, and bouillon. Put a lid on it and let the pot of yummy stuff come to a hard rolling boil. Then turn the heat down to about medium-low (setting 3 or 4 on my electric stove) and let it simmer until the chicken is about done (I let it go about 30 minutes so it's tender). When you turn the heat down to medium-low, go ahead and preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

After you add the chicken

After you add the water

The thick yummy rolling boil of goodness

3.) Take the chicken out of the pot of goodness and put it on a foil lined baking sheet. Then stick it in that waiting oven. In the mean time, add your olives plus their juice to the pot on the stove and crank up the heat til the pot of yummy is rockin' and rollin' ... or just, ya know, a rolling bubble.

The cooked chicken waiting to get a tan in the oven

The olive sauce -pre rolling boil and thick yummy-ness

4.) After about 5 minutes, add your bread to the oven to get warm and crusty. 5 minutes after that take the chicken and bread out of the oven. By this time your olive sauce should be nice and thick.

That beautiful chicken breast after the oven

5.) Here's how you serve it. We eat a small dinner salad on the side.

Happy eating!!

Honey-Mustard Chicken with Tater Wedges

This is a recipe I politely borrowed from Rachael Ray ('cause ya'll know I have her on speed dial!). But, we changed it up a bit to suit the tastes of our family (and toddler).

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into 8 wedges 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts	2 large baking potatoes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Let's get started:

1.) In a resealable plastic bag, combine the honey, mustard, oil and lime juice. Add the chicken and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Please, do not let the poor chicken sit in that lime juice for longer than 20 minutes or it will start cooking it and you'll have some yucky overcooked meat on your hands.

2.) Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in a pot of salted water. Cook the potatoes for 20 minutes, then drain and let cool slightly. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges. Transfer to a bowl and gently toss with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. This is also the perfect time to spice things up. We added a pinch or two of crushed red pepper (ya know, cause we're rebels like that).

3.) Preheat a grill to medium-high. Add the chicken and potatoes, cover the grill and cook for 10 minutes on each side. They are done when the juices run clear. 10 minutes is simply a ball park range.

4.) Serve the chicken with the lime wedges and potatoes. Sprinkle the green onions over the potatoes with a dollop of sour cream, if you please.

photo is courtesy of www.rachaelraymag.com

Fried Tacos

This recipe has been in my family for years! And, after searching all over the web for a duplicate, I think it may actually be a family secret (unlike the fudge recipe I thought was my grandma's original recipe until I saw it on the back of the Marshmallow Puff jar named as Fantasy Fudge). This recipe makes for about 4 servings or 2 tacos per person. I usually serve it up with some refried beans and taco fixins.

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef (the most lean is best, I use 93/7)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. vegetable oil and oil for frying
10 slices Velveeta cheese (for sandwiches)
8 soft taco size tortillas

Let's get started:

1.) Brown your hamburger meat. In a separate saute pan, add the tsp. of oil and the diced bell pepper. Cook until tender. Then combine browned hamburger meat and green pepper in the same pan. Don't forget to season your meat. I just use salt and pepper for this recipe.

2.) Add the Velveeta cheese slices to the hot meat mixture. Stir until combined without noticeable cheese chunks.

3.) Start slathering the tortillas with the meat and cheese mixture. Leave about 2 inches of area around the edges without meat as the tortillas will puff.

4.) Fry the tacos for about 45 seconds on each side or until the taco is a medium to golden brown color.

Enjoy!