Easy Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Ham fried Rice

I love Pinterest!

One of my latest finds is this tasty meal found HERE.  It is easy, light and filling and my kids vaccuum it down knowing there is plenty more.  I'm adding this to the label "under $10" because we had every indgredient but the chicken on hand which cost me six dollars to feed 8.

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts (I used the stir fry cut packages)

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

This is about half way done in the oven.  My fully finished golden brown version had a corrupted file.

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes

Fried Rice : This is so dang easy and it tastes just like restaurant ham fried rice.   

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)

3 tbs sesame oil

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup soy sauce

(I added ham)

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated!

Chinese Fried Rice via the Mayo Clinic

This is directly from the Mayo Clinic website.  you can see this recipe and the nutrition facts HERE

1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup rice
3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 green onions with tops, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 egg
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a saucepan, bring the water and rice to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 20 minutes.
In a large heavy skillet or wok, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the cooked rice and saute until lightly golden. Add the green onions, salt, carrots, peppers and peas. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
Hollow out a circle in the center of the skillet by pushing the vegetables and rice to the sides. Break the egg into the hollow and cook, lightly scrambling the egg as it cooks. Stir the scrambled egg into the rice mixture. Sprinkle with soy sauce, sesame oil and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Utah's famous Fry Sauce

If you are a Utahn, you are familiar with this fast food staple. For the fry sauce addict out of state, you'll be hard pressed to find fry sauce unless you frequent Arctic Circle. You should see the defiant looks at our local In and Out when you ask for Fry Sauce. I think they are more than used to having it requested and will cut you off mod sentence. "do you have any-" " We don't serve Fry Sauce."

Well now you can make your own and rest happy, knowing all is still right with your fries... And it is delicious on a burger.

The basic recipe is:

1/3 Ketchup. 2/3 Mayo (not Miracle Whip). And stir.

That's it!

For experimenters, try ranch dressing for the mayo, or BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. You can also add mustard, relish, or onion. But really, why mess with a good thing????

Mimi's Corn Chowder

4 Tb Butter
6 chopped onion

Melt and cook till onions are clear

Add 2 1/2 C water
3/4 C celery
2 tsp salt
1 pinch of pepper
2 C cubed, potatoes

Cook until potatoes are softened

Add all but 1 C of 1/2 & 1/2 1 Quart carton
defrost 1 pkg of frozen corn

Mix left over  1 C 1/2& 1/2 with 3 Tb flour.
Whisk in to soup and simmer 30 min.

Carrabbas Chicken Bryan!

I believe angels looked down from above and guided me to this recipe online.  LOL I stumbled upon it and can now feed this fantastic dish to my whole family for half the price of one plate at the restaurant.  It was SO easy and the whole family ate it.  The kids didn't even complain that I fed them goat cheese!

Here is my picture of tonight's meal.  I am so happy with the way it turned out.

The recipe came from Food.com  You can get their recipe HERE.

I differed from their recipe by using 1/2 the amount of basil and I used dried

I also sweeted some white cooking wine instead of dry white wine.

I broiled the chicken as I cannot seem to work the grill.

Sorry Carrabbas.  I need you no more.

Carrie's Faux Phillies

These are not authentic, but they are tasty!

 


1 lb VERY thinly sliced beef steak (Ribeye is preferable, but in a pinch I used sirloin.  Not as tender, but it works.)  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.

In a skillet place 2 Tbsp Olive Oil,  1 cup Fajita blend veggies, and 1 Tbsp minced garlic and carmelize (cook until the onions are soft and golden brown.)

Add Steak to skillet and stir occasionally until meat is browned thouroughly.  Add diced mushrooms.

Scoop onto toasted Hoagie Bun bottoms and top with wedges of sliced American cheese.  Close Hoagie bun.

If cheese isn't melted right away, you can place sandwich in the oven or microwave.

General Tso's Chicken

1 Large egg white

3tbl cornstarch

3tbl Chinese cooking wine (or white wine of your choice)

3tbl soy sauce

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (diced)

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tsp white vinegar

2 tsp sugar

vegetable oil for frying (sesame, peanut, etc)

12 dry red chili peppers

1 tbl minced ginger

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup roughly chopped cashews (optional)

Green onion tips sliced on the bias for garnish

In a bowl whisk together egg white, 2 tbl cornstarch, 2tbl wine, 1tbl soy sauce. Add chicken and toss to coat. Allow to marinade up to 2hrs.

Make sauce in a separate bowl - whisk together 1 tbl cornstarch, tbl chicken stock, (whisk together until smooth), add remaining 3tbl chicken stock, 1 tbl wine, 1 tbl soy sauce, vinegar, & sugar - set aside.

In a large wok heat 3inches of oil to 350. Cook chicken in oil until crispy. Remove and set aside to drain on a towel. Discard all but 1 tbl of oil from wok. Add chili peppers, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes & 1/2 cup green onions. Stir fry until fragrent (about 15 sec). Add chicken stock sauce, bring to a boil and cook - stirring constantly - until sauce thickens (about 1min).

Remove from heat - toss with chicken - serve over rice with green onion and cashew garnish.

Cream Cheese Wonton's

Cream Cheese Wonton's

Filling:

Cream cheese

2 cloves garlic grated or finely minced

fresh snipped green chives for color

lump crab meat (if you like and aren't allergic)

Egg roll or wonton wrappers

These are actually the same thing the difference is size grab what ever your local store has (they are located in the produce section)

1 egg and 1/4 cup water for egg wash

frying oil (your preference olive, peanut, etc)

If you have egg roll wrappers cut them into 4 equal pieces. Add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture to each square. Brush sides of each square with the egg wash mixture.
Pinch up the sides and set onto a drying rack while the oil comes up to temp. (Side tip: use the smallest sauce pan you have for frying. The smaller the pan, the less oil is needed)
Fry the wonton's one at a time (or as the pan allows - do not over crowd the pan it will bring down the temp of the oil). Remove from oil when the wonton has puffed up and is golden brown. This is very quick so don't walk away from the pan. About 30sec each! Remove onto a paper towel or rack to allow any excess oil to come off.

Serve warm :-)

Breakfast sandwiches

Fry an egg
Toast some bread and butter it
Slice cheese enough to cover the bread
slice of ham
Stack it together.

I like to have a runny egg, myself.  I break the yolk before closing the sandwich.
Do this on an English muffin and Poof!  A really inexpensive Egg McMuffin