Chinese Chicken Salad

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

INGREDIENTS

12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 teaspoons salt

1 head romaine lettuce, shredded very thin

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon peanut oil

1/2 cup peanuts (see headnote)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon ponzu

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

*I would also like to add crispy noodles and mandarin oranges on top

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a medium pot with enough water to cover the chicken by 2 inches. Add the salt to the water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to just below a simmer. Place the chicken in the water, making sure the water does not boil so that the chicken stays tender. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F or is firm and white in the center (not pink), remove from the pot and set on a plate to cool. Then cut into 1/2-inch cubes. 

2. In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, iceberg lettuce, carrot, and cilantro. 

3. To prepare the "wok"-style peanuts, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the peanut oil, peanuts, sugar, and chile flakes. Stir occasionally until the peanuts have small char marks on them but are not burned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. 

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, orange juice, ponzu, soy sauce, and sesame oil until well combined. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing and serve.

Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Burrito

Broccoli and Bow Tie Pasta

Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Toquitos

Chicken Milano

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

Honey Lime Chicken Skewers

Pork (To Top Nachos)

So-So by itself...but I like it to top macho nachos.

BBQ Comfort Meatballs

Meatless Lasagna

Brazilian Lemonade

Orange Julius

Pecan Pie

Apple Blueberry Pie

Oatmeal Pancakes

I often skip all the steps for ease....and just throw all ingredients in the blender and cook up.

Ham and Cheese Brunch Squares

Tikka Masala with Naan Bread

Wingers Sticky Fingers Salad

Place the chicken on top of a basic salad:

Romaine
Cucumber
Tomato
and pour ranch on top (buttermilk ranch packet is my favorite)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Tres Leche

Ceviche Tacos

RECIPE TO TRY - haven't made
We ate this at Extra Virgin and LOVED it.  Found this copy cat recipe and figure that we'll make it someday.

Ceviche Tacos
Recipe from restaurant Extra Virgin

3 Tbsp each fresh lemon lime, and orange juice
1 tsp aji amarillo paste
1 C. chopped sushi grade tuna
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 C. peeled, diced jicama
1/4 C. each chopped cilantro and scallions
1 Avocado, diced
1/2 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
1 large taro root

Whisk juiced together with aji amarillo paste. Set aside. Coat tuna with olive oil, hen sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add sauce. Stir in jicama, cilantro, scallions, avocado, and jalapenos.  Refrigerate.

Cut taro root into 12 thin slices.  Cut into circles with a large round cookie cutter.  Using a taco shell press or the underside of a large spoon, fry in 350 degree vegetable oil until crispy and golden brown., about 45 seconds.  Set on paper towels, season with salt, then cool.  Fill with ceviche.

Coconut Macroons

Coconut Macaroons
Recipe from Laura Watson

1 Large 14 oz bag coconut
1 1/3 C. Sugar
2/3 C. Flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 Egg whites
1 tsp Vanilla

Chocolate Chips
Almonds (optional)

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips and almonds together.  Spoon onto baking sheet and bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.  Melt chocolate chips.  Dip the bottom half of the cookies in chocolate and place an almond on top.

Six Cup Fruit Salad

Six Cup Fruit Salad
Recipe from Breta Finlinson

1 C. Marshmallows
1 C. Pineapple
1 C. Mandarin Oranges
1 C. Sour Cream
1 C. Coconut Flakes
1 C. Maraschino cherry halves
(opt) 1/2 C. Pecans

Mix together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cardini's Salad

Cardini's Salad
Recipe from Breta Finlinson

Romaine
Tomato
Purple Onion
Croutons (favorite is Mrs. Cubbins)
Parmesan, shredded
Cardini's Caesar Salad Dressing

Mix all together in a salad bowl.

Thanksgiving Turkey

(This whole process takes about a week)

Thanksgiving Turkey
John Craw

Thaw the bird thoroughly in the fridge over 2-3 days.  Remove everything from the cavity and either throw it away (meaning the stuff inside like the neck and liver) or save it to do what you like with it.

Make your brine:
Make 4 cups of vegetable broth (or beef broth, or chicken or turkey or whatever type of bullion you have to make broth with)
Add 1 cup salt (can buy any kind, non-iodized is probably better)
1 Tbsp crushed dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried sage
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp black pepper
Boil everything together well.

Take it off the heat and cool it down to nearly refrigerator temperature using ice (or just let it cool on its own if you have time).  This usually takes quite a bit of ice.

Use a 5 gallon bucket, like from Lowes or Home Depot.  You can line it with a roasting bag or even trash liner if you want.  Place the turkey breast down in teh bucket and add the brine.  You may need to add liquid to make sure the brine covers the turkey.  I usually add a thing of cheap apple juice, what water works too.

Place the 5 gallon bucket in the fridge (usually requires removing a shelf temporarily) and keep it there at least 24 hours (48 is better).

On Thanksgiving day, thaw some bacon and set it aside.  Remove the turkey from the brine and save the brine.  Remove the turkey from the brine and save the brine.  Cut the skin in the midline with a razor blade or sharp knife and peel the skin from center off the breast but don't cut it off or tear it (I use a surgical dissection technique where you basically use scissors, place them under the skin while closed and open them between the skin and the meat to dissect it off).  Place the turkey in a roaster or roaster pan held off the bottom with the rack by at least a centimeter or so.  Pour enough of the brine into the roaster to come up to the bottom of the turkey.  Scoop out the spices left in the bottom of the brine and spread them over the exposed turkey breast meat like a seasoning rub (you can add olive oil to it or butter.  I use a little butter.)  Lay the strips of bacon over the turkey breast meat.  Pull the skin back over the bacon covered breast meat and attach it in the middle using tooth pics like straight pins.

Cook the turkey on NO HIGHER than 225 degrees.  It's vital not to cook it at high temperature.  Try not to remove the lid any more than is necessary to keep the temperature even and constant.  I use the meat prove to tell me when the deep portion of the breast near the thigh reaches at least 165 degree (the closer to 200, the better).  A well brined turkey cooks much faster than normal, so don't worry too much about the low temperature slowing it down too much.  It generally does take 3 hours or so to get the internal meat temp up to around 200 where the meat will be very tender.

Take out the tooth pics, take off the bacon, wipe off the spices if you want and carve it up.

Giant Ganache-Topped Whoopie Pie

Recipe from bettycrocker.com

Ingredients

Cake

1/2

box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ devil's food cake mix (about 1 2/3 cups)

1/2

cup water

1/4

cup vegetable oil

2

eggs

Filling

3/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1

jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme

1

cup powdered sugar

1

teaspoon vanilla

Ganache

1/2

cup whipping cream

4

oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

Directions

Directions

Heat oven to 350.  Spray bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour.  In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Pour into pans.  Bake 14-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pans to cooling racks.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In a large bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.  On serving plate, place 1 cake layer, rounded side down.  Spread filling over cake, spreading slightly over edge.  Top with second layer, rounded side up.

In a 1 quart saucepan, heat whipping cream over low heat until hot but not boiling.  Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until melted.  Cool about 10 minutes.  Pour ganache onto top of cake; spread with spatula so it just begins to flow over edge of cake.  Store loosely covered.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

• Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
• Recipe from copykat.com
• 
  
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage links
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 quart water
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits (1/2 can)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh kale or Swiss chard
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the sausages in a baking pan and roast for about 30 minutes, until cooked through. Drain on paper towels and cut into slices.

Place the potatoes, onions, chicken broth, water, and garlic in a pot and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add the sausage, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low. Add kale, the cream, and more water, if necessary. Heat thoroughly and serve.