Kung Pao Chicken

kungpao

Yield: 4 servings

Kung Pao Chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1# skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4" cubes (about 2 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2-4 dried chiles, seeds removed
  • 3 tablespoons safflower or peanut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
  • 1 scallion cut into 1 1/2" pieces
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
  • 2 slices unpeeled gingerroot, 1x1/8" each
  • 1/2 cup unsalted blanched peanuts, toasted, or unsalted dry roasted peanuts

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, salt, and cornstarch and mix well. Set aside. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce together in a small bowl with the sherry, sugar, vinegar, and sesame seed oil. Set aside.
  2. Pour the cooking oil into a cold wok and add the chiles. Heat the pan over medium high heat and stir the peppers until they turn dark brown. Add the peppercorns, garlic, scallion pieces and ginger and stir a moment. Mix up the chicken again and pour it into the pan. Stir briskly.
  3. After stirring for about 1 minute, add the soy sauce mixture, the peanuts, and the thinly sliced scallions. Turn the heat up to hight and stir for about 30 seconds until well mixed. Remove the chicken and ginger, if desired.

 

Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

image

Yield: 5 servings

Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cucumbers, (about 2 cucumbers), peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion, very thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons parsley sprigs, chopped fresh
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large serving bowl, toss together the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, onion, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, to taste. Let the salad stand for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Cucumbers and Onions

cucumbersonions

Cucumbers and Onions

Cucumbers and Onions

Ingredients

  • 4 cucumber (thinly sliced)
  • 1 white onion (or red, thinly sliced)
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • sea salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  1. Place half of the cucumbers in a large sealable container, then add half of the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Repeat until cucumbers and onions are all used.
  2. Add the vinegar, water and sugar to the container, seal and shake to blend ingredients. Taste and adjust.
  3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend.

 

Amish Macaroni Salad


Yield: 6 servings

Amish Macaroni Salad

Amish Macaroni Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
  • 1 cup creamy salad dressing (e.g. Miracle Whip)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup white sugar (little less)
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons white vinegar
  • dash salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain, and set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, onion, celery, red pepper, and relish. In a small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, mustard, white sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seed. Pour over the vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

This is good!

Pizza dough, Whole Wheat

image

Yield: 1#

Pizza dough, Whole Wheat

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
  • 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 2 cups white whole-wheat flour, plus more for kneading
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Stir together the warm water, honey and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Mix the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and mix together with a spatula. Form the dough into a uniform ball in the center of the bowl. Scrape any dough stuck to the sides. The dough will be sticky. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  3. Dust baking sheet with flour. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on a work surface. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, working in just enough flour to make the dough less sticky but still moist to the touch. Form the dough into 1, 2 or 4 balls, for large, medium and small pizzas and place the on the baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let rest for 30 minutes. The dough can then be shaped and cooked as desired or wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen dough at room temperature, shape and cook as desired.
  4. Per serving (1/4 pound): Calories: 290; Fat: 5 g (Saturated: 0.5 g); Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 260 mg; Carbohydrate: 50 g; Fiber: 9 g; Protein: 10 g; Sugar: 1 g

 

Cole Slaw

Coleslaw

Yield: 6

Cole Slaw

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed

Instructions

  1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Add cabbage and carrots, toss to coat.
  3. Cover and refrigerate several hours to allow flavors to blend.

 

Italian Sausage with Shells and Kale

italian sausagepasta

Yield: 2

Italian Sausage with Shells and Kale

Italian Sausage with Shells and Kale
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • salt to taste
  • 8 ounces spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium* chicken broth, divided, or as needed (see note)
  • 1 1/4 cups shells or orecchiette pasta, or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped kale, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to
  • taste

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until onion is soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir sausage into onions; cook and stir until sausage is broken up and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. T
  3. Pour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into sausage mixture and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add orecchiette pasta; cook and stir pasta in hot broth, adding remaining broth when liquid is absorbed, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  4. Stir kale into pasta-sausage mixture until it wilts. Ladle pasta into bowls and dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
  5. *Note: because of the sodium already in the sausage, make sure broth is low-sodium.

 

Breakfast Sausage

breakfast sausage

Yield: 16 2" patties

Breakfast Sausage

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork butt (2.5 # with bone), diced into 1/4" pieces
  • 1/2 pound fat back, diced into 1/4" pieces
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp fine chopped fresh sage
  • 2 tsp fine chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 tsp fine chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Combine diced pork with all other ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Using the fine blade of a grinder, grind the pork. Form into 1 inch rounds. Refrigerate and use within 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. For immediate use, saute patties over medium low heat. Saute until brown and cooked through, approximately 10-15 minutes.

 

Italian Sausage

italian sausages

Yield: 3 pounds

Italian Sausage

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1" strips
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp marjoram
  • 1/8 tsp rosemary
  • 1/8 tsp thyme
  • 1 1/8 tsp toasted fennel
  • 3/8 tsp chile flakes
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoon shortening*

Instructions

  1. Place pork on a metal baking sheet and freeze 20 minutes. Combine salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, onion powder, paprika, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, fennel and chile flakes. Sprinkle over pork. Assemble grinder using coarse plate. Grind pork into bowl. Add wine and stir to mix.
  2. *shortening is for sausage stuffing:
  3. Assemble sausage stuffer. Grease stuffer with shortening and slide casing on tightly. Tie off end of casing. Stuff pork mixture into casings. Twist sausage into smaller links and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

 

Honey Whole Wheat Bread with Oats and Flax Seed

breadflax2

Yield: 12

Honey Whole Wheat Bread with Oats and Flax Seed

Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 1⁄2 cups water
  • 1⁄4 cup butter, softened
  • 1⁄8 cup molasses
  • 1⁄4 cup honey
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1⁄2 cups white flour
  • 1⁄2 cup rolled oats
  • 1⁄4 cup ground flax seeds

Instructions

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
  2. In a large bowl, combine butter, molasses, honey and salt and mix well.
  3. Add yeast mixture and then gradually add flours.
  4. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth.
  5. Place in buttered bowl and let rise until double.
  6. Punch down and let rest for a few minutes.
  7. Divide dough into 4 parts and shape into loaves.
  8. Place in greased pans and let rise for about an hour.
  9. Bake at 375* for 35 to 40 minutes.

Notes

Future tryout!