Korean Beef & Rice Bowls

Story:

I totally just stumbled upon this stranger's recipe last week while I was doing an online search for a totally unrelated recipe.  (Here's the link to Alyssa's post, on the Recipe Critic.)  The almost-5-star reviews from the almost-300 people caught my attention and I gave it a try this week!  I was blown away by how quick and easy it was.  Most of my family loved it! (Gretchen wouldn't try it... but mostly because she was just in a mood.  And Ethan thought it was fine, but just "really weird.")

It's certainly not the most nutritious dinner, but I don't know that it's any worse than a frozen pizza or something that takes about the same amount time.  That said, I did spruce it up by eating it with Korean kimchi (yum!!!) and seaweed.  The green onions and sesame seeds on top give it the perfect flair and added color, texture, and flavor.

I'll certainly make it again... which is why I'm posting it here... for my own easy-reference.


Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef
1 T minced garlic
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
1/4 t ground ginger
a couple dashes crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t pepper
Hot cooked rice (or brown rice or whatever you like)
Green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds


Directions:

In a large skillet, cook up the ground beef with the garlic over medium heat, crumbling it into small pieces, until it is cooked through.  Drain the fat.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and pepper.  Once the ground beef is cooked, pour the sauce over the meat for a couple of minutes.

Serve over hot rice, with the green onions and sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

As I said above, I also served it with kimchi and seaweed squares and it was perfect.  :)


Notes:

If you click on the link of the original recipe, I varied a couple things just slightly... just for my convenience,  When I made this, I did up 2 pounds of ground beef, and then I roughly "one and a half timed" the sauce ingredients--just to avoid it being too sweet or something. It turned out well!
I like using Calrose rice for dishes like this. It kind of has more of a sticky rice texture.

Sweet Potato Hash

Story:
A few summers ago, the stars aligned and I found the courage to try the Whole 30 program.  (It is what it sounds like... whole foods for 30 days.  Veggies, fruit, meat, nuts, seeds and healthy oils.)  I loved it!  It took a lot of time and energy when you're trying to feed a big family, but I liked how I felt while eating like that.

One reason I did it, was to see how it would help my psoriasis. Spoiler alert: it didn't help.  I was surprised!  Since then, however, I've read more that many people with psoriasis should avoid "nightshade vegetables" (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, and all spices made with peppers).  Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, and are ok.  Thus, this recipe. Those were my go-to vegetables!  And I was eating a lot of them on Whole 30, so maybe that's why my psoriasis did not improve.  I'd like to try it again, but also omitting nightshades this time around.

Anyway, this is a recipe that I found somewhere on Pinterest, but this is an adjusted version.  It can be tweaked a lot!  It's just a breakfast hash, but I honestly love it for lunch or dinner too.  It's amazing.  Here's a general outline of ingredients, but it's fun to change things and add more or less of whatever you like in a hash!

Ingredients:

3 Aidell's (brand) chicken and apple sausages, diced
2-3 yams and/or sweet potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
Coconut or Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Eggs, soft-cooked

Also good: (But nightshades, so I don't add them in)
White potatoes
Bell peppers
Hatch green chilies

Directions:
Dice all the foods.  Heat a generous amount of coconut or olive oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and onions and get them cooking.  (If you are using potatoes, peppers, or chilies, add them too. Ben loves hatch green chilies and adds them to a lot of dishes and he especially likes them in this.) Then add the diced sausages. I add a generous amount of kosher salt and some pepper.
When they are getting close to being done, I throw some eggs into my egg cooker and set it for a soft boil.  When the hash is done, I serve it in a bowl with one or two eggs on top.  The yolk drips all over and you stir it all up and it is one of my favorite meals in the world!  I almost always keep these ingredients on hand for a go-to dinner.  Some of the kids don't love it, but that's just because they're crazy.  Ben and Ethan and I adore it.  I believe last time we had it, Ethan said something like, "I don't even know why this is so good.  I could eat it every day!"

Jane's Chicken Bowl

Story:
A couple of summers ago, Ben and I tried doing the Whole 30 eating plan thing.  It was insightful and I felt great! My Simon had a good friend (Ryan) in his class and I got to know Ryan's mom, Jane J, who is one amazing woman!  I love her so much and she was kind of like a Whole 30 pro! This is one of Jane's recipes that I snagged from her.

I don't think it is like an amazingly awesome meal or anything, but it is SO EASY and it fills the tummy, and I feel good after eating it.  Jane, if I remember correctly, says that she "loves it with her whole soul."  So it's worth keeping on hand!

Ingredients:
Zucchini and/or Cauliflower Rice
Chicken, cooked and chopped
Avocados, cubed
Salt & Pepper
Balsamic Reduction/Glaze

Directions:
Saute the zucchini and/or prep the cauliflower rice.  (When I made this for my family last night, I did up the zucchini in olive oil.  I also use frozen cauli-rice--so easy!--and just heat it on the stove in a non-stick pan. I ate it with the zucchini, the kids had the cauli-rice, Ben had both.)
Cook and chop the chicken.  (I actually only make this dinner when I already have cooked and chopped chicken that is ready to be eaten!  It makes for a super easy lunch too... when you already have leftover chicken.)
Cube the avocados. (Plan on almost a half an avocado per person.)

So in each person's bowl, they just put in desired amount of veggies, chicken, and avocado.  Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Then drizzle some Balsamic Reduction/Glaze on top.  Start with not too much salt and pepper and balsamic, but plan on adding more.  Not enough, and the dish isn't very flavorful, too much and... ew.

Note:
I believe the Whole 30 book has a recipe to make your own balsamic reduction... which I did once.  And it was sad to see my balsamic vinegar boil down to nada. So I just buy it at Trader Joe's.  :)

Parmesan Pesto Chicken & Veggies (Sheet Pan)

STORY:
In my journey towards better health and away from my (beloved) bad habits, I keep looking for easy and healthy family dinners.  Enter the new popular Sheet Pan Dinners.  I've only tried a couple different versions, but I've made this one twice and I'm making it again tomorrow.  My kids all love it.  Even the picky 7 year old boy.  The 15 year old boy says it's one of his favorite dinners. So yay!

I found an amazing food blog that every single picture looks like something I want to try! Like seriously incredible. I'm not sure I'm ever going to need to go to a different website for meal ideas.  It's called Carlsbad Cravings and that's where I came across this tasty dish that I'm adding to my little family blog tonight.  Here is the link to the recipe on their site.  I'm just adding it here for easy reference because, like I said, delicious and easy... and I almost always have every ingredient on hand.

Besides, my oldest child is almost a senior in high school (!) which means she may be living on her own soon which means she might want access to recipes that she already knows and loves which means I need to make sure I am adding more here for her easy reference...

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken & Veggies
2 C red potatoes, cut up no bigger than 1/2" to 1" pieces
1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into 1 1/2" chunks; breasts or thighs
3 C broccoli, medium sized florets
1 C thinly sliced carrots
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Pesto Mix/Sauce:
1/3 C basil pesto (I always keep a jar of the Costco jar in my fridge... it's good on a dozen things!)
1 T olive oil
2 t ranch dry seasoning mix
3-4 minced garlic cloves (Some people may not like it as much as fresh, but for convenience, I always have a big bottle of minced garlic in my fridge)
2 t dijon mustard
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk together all the pesto mix ingredients in a large bowl.
Line a large jelly roll pan/oversized cookie sheet (10x15) with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Put 2 tablespoons of the pesto mix and the potatoes in a bowl.  Toss to evenly coat.  Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop up the chicken, broccoli, and carrots.  Toss them in the bowl with the remaining pesto mix and really get in there and coat everything really well.
Remove the baking sheet with the potatoes from the oven and scoot all the potatoes to one side, while keeping in a single layer.  Then spread the chopped and coated chicken and veggies on the pan, again, in a single layer.
Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove again and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.
Return to the oven for 5 more minutes, checking for doneness.

While it's good to go just like this, Ben usually likes some sort of a grain with it.  So with this kind of meal, I'd usually just do up some rice or quinoa to go with it.

Chicken & Carrot Crockpot Dinner

Story:

My Tuesday and Thursday afternoons can be a little hectic around my house.  And sadly, we don't always get to sit down and eat all together as a big, happy family. (Because that's what our daily family dinners are mostly like, right?  Nothing but laughter and good times...  certainly no picky eaters or teasing siblings or tired momma or anything like that... We try.)  Anyway, for this season, I am trying to put together crockpot meals on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so even if we don't all sit down together, there is still a good meal ready for my hungry people.

And if I'm feeling a little low on ideas, what's the logical thing to do?  Pinterest, right?  So the recipe I am sharing here kind of came off Pinterest, but I read the comments and made some adaptations to it, and guess what... the kids loved it! Win!

Truth be told, I kinda threw it together before I had to leave for a staff meeting, so all measurements are estimates... but it's kind of one of those things that can't really get messed up.  I'm mostly adding it to the blog because the kids liked it and it was easy and I'd love to do it again.

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts or tenderloins (I used 5 thin-cut breasts that I cut into strips.)
Onions (I sliced 2 smallish ones)
Potatoes (I used 1 big one, because that's all I had.  3 would probably be good.)
Carrots (I used 6 or 7 big carrots, cut into quarters/sticks.  Baby carrots would be fine.)*
Chicken broth (I poured a little more than a cup in, just something wet for the chicken to cook in.)
Cube of butter
2 T minced garlic
1 t parsley
1 t thyme
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Directions:
Layer in the chicken, then onions, then potatoes, then carrots.
Pour the broth over it all, until you feel satisfied that the chicken won't be too dry.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add all the seasonings.
Pour the melted butter mixture over everything in the crockpot.

Cook on low.  I don't have an exact time, but 6-8 hours should be plenty.

Note:
The carrots were actually my kids favorite part.  I may add even more of them next time.

Cream Tuna Fish & Peas on Toast

Story:
Cream Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast.  Really? Sounds weird, I know.  But I grew up having this dinner and I always loved it.  I haven't made it for a while, and the other day my kids were asking for it.  It is super good, everyone loves it, and I always have the ingredients on hand.  I'm making it tonight, and my kids are looking forward to it!

Growing up, I don't think any of my friends' families EVER ate this.  I guess I kind of wondered if my mom's mom made it up.  But I just looked it up online, and found several recipes for it and several comments of people who grew up in big families eating this when money was tight.  Kind of a frugal, generational type dish, I guess.  On my quick search online, I found a few different variations on how to make the white sauce; below is my mom's version.

It's basically just a white sauce.  Add tuna.  Add frozen peas.  Serve over toast!  That's it.

Ingredients:
4 T butter
4 T flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper (error on a little less than more)
2 C milk
1 can tuna (or two if they are the really little ones--has anyone noticed that Costco small cans are 7 oz, and the grocery stores are 5oz??)
frozen peas (as many as desired; I throw in a lot)

Directions:
Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan.  Blend in the flour and the seasonings.  Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the milk.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil for one minute.  (Makes 2 cups of sauce.)
Add 1 can of well-drained tuna fish.  Stir into the sauce.  Add as many frozen peas as you want.  And warm through.
Serve over toast.

TIP: We love using PIZZA CUTTERS for lots of things.  For cutting up our waffles, pancakes, and of course pizza.  This is another time we use the pizza cutter to quickly and easily cut the sauce-covered toast up into nice sized bites.  Just an idea...

Shrimp Tacos

Story:
We love fish tacos.  Ben especially loves shrimp tacos.  We make them like our fish tacos (corn tortillas, maybe some cabbage, etc) but Ben has learned a few ideas to make them even yummier!

One benefit of Ben's work (as a physical therapist) is he works with all kinds of people.  All kinds of people in all kinds of professions.  He recently worked with a professional chef.  With how much Ben likes food, they had a lot to talk about.  Ben told him how much he likes fish tacos, so this man gave Ben a few fun tips/recipes.

Guac-Sauce
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1 small can salsa verde
1 dallop sour cream

Directions:
Mash the avocado and stir in the salsa verde and sour cream.  Just spoon over the fish/shrimp on your taco.

Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients:
1 red onion, chopped
2 t oil
2 ounces rice vinegar (that's what Ben wrote down... seriously? 2 oz?  I dunno... maybe a "splash")
1 T sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:
Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the chopped onion and cook in oil for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.  Add the "splash" of rice vinegar and the sugar and the salt.  Simmer for 7-8 minutes.

Shrimp Tacos
Ben prepares the shrimp.  I don't know how.
But lightly pan-toast up a corn tortilla, place a few shrimp onto it, then some thinly-sliced cabbage, some guac sauce, and some pickled red onions... voila!  The best-ever shrimp tacos!
OH! And the LIME!  One of Ben's all-time favorite accent flavors... lime wedges.  Feel free to squeeze some yummy limes over the top.  Mmmm.

NOTES:
I especially love the red onions.  They add a nice crunch.  The chef said you can keep them in the fridge for a week or so and use them on lots of dishes.  One day, I didn't have any fish done up, but I put some shredded cabbage on a plate with the guac-sauce and the red onions over it and ate it like a salad.  Even that was good (and simple!)

French Dip Sandwiches (Our Best Bites)

Story:
The extent of my meat dishes, sadly enough, is mostly limited to frozen chicken breasts, ground beef, and an occasioual ham.  So when I make something different, Ben warmly welcomes it.  Especially this dish... he loves a good sandwich, and French Dip is one of his favorites.

I bought myself the beautiful "Our Best Bites" cookbook for Christmas last year (2011).  Ummm... LOVE IT!  I love their food, their photos, and their clear instructions.  So good.  I highly recommend it.  I found this recipe in there; I've made it twice and Ben was pretty much drooling both times.  Thumbs up.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 (2 1/2 - 3 pounds) beef roast
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 (1 ounce) packages dry onion soup mix
2 C water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (16 ounce) package sliced Swiss cheese
Hard/Crusty rolls

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  While the oil is heating, sprinkle all sides of the roast with kosher salt and pepper.  Carefully place the roast in the pan and sear it on all sides. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes--you just want to quickly brown the roast to add flavor and seal the juices.

Transfer the roast to your slow cooker.  Sprinkle onion soup mix over the roast and add water and beef broth.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. (OBB recommends: You can also cook it on high until it begins to boil and then switch the heat to low; the meat is more tender.)

When the meat shreds easily with a fork, shred the entire roast.  Serve on sliced crusty rolls with a slice of Swiss cheese.  I like to put these under a broiler/in my toaster oven to toast the bun and melt the cheese.

Serve with the juices from the slow cooker as au jus for dipping.  Sooooo good.

Sausage & Asparagus Jambalaya-ish Dish

Story:
I've been meaning to post this one for a long time.  I really like this recipe!

It was introduced to me by my friend Shawn D.  I've talked about her before.  She was my back-door neighbor and friend when we lived in KY.  We were in a dinner group together for a looong time, and this was one of her recipes... although this version is kind of a dumbed-down version.  She's a little more "gourmet" than I am.

I've doubled this recipe and it turns out nicely.  I guess it's kind of like a jambalaya, though I'm not chef enough to know specifics. 

Ingredients:
1 pkg smoked sausage (or kielbasa or whatever)
4 C chicken broth
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
2 T butter
2 C rice (I've used Uncle Ben's converted rice, and it works nicely)
2 C sliced asparagus, cooked crisp-tender
1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 C parsley, chopped
(salt and pepper to taste)

Directions:
Cut sausage into half-inch cubes.  Set aside.
Bring 4 C broth to a boil.  Then reduce heat to low.
Heat olive oil in a skillet.  Add the cubed sausage, the onions, and the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add butter and rice.  Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. (My brother says the point here is to toast the rice before cooking it.)
Add about 1 C of broth at a time until absorbed.  Keep stirring.
Remove from heat and stir in the cooked asparagus.  Stir in 1/4 C of the Parmesan cheese and the parsley.
Top with the remaining cheese and serve.

Linguine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Story:

I love it. But I'm the only one in my family that does. Ha!

Found it in Southern Living magazine in 2010.

Ingredients:

1 package linguine (16 oz)

1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil (7 oz)

1/4 C pine nuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1 package crumbled feta cheese (4 oz)

2 T fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Directions:

Prepare the linguine according to the package directions.

Drain tomatoes, reserving 2 T oil. Cut tomatoes into thin strips.

Heat the pine nuts in a large skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes (or until toasted and fragrant). Remove nuts from skillet

Increase heat to medium and saute garlic in 2 T of the reserved oil and the additional olive oil. Saute for about a minute or until garlic is fragrant.

Stir in the tomatoes and then remove from heat.

Toss together the tomato mixture, the hot cooked pasta, the feta cheese, and the basil in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.

Enjoy! ...even amidst the complaining from the children... It really is good.

Skillet Lasagna

Story:

I'm in a "dinner group" with a few of my neighbors. There are 6 families all together. Each week 3 of the women prepare a meal (sometimes cooked, sometimes just all the ingredients for a specific recipe) for the other 5 families. The next week, the other 3 women prepare for all the families. We meet at a specified time every Tuesday to swap out. So every other week, I prepare a dinner for a total of 6 families (mine + the other 5), and I get 5 additional meals from my friends during those two weeks. Get it? It's really not as confusing as it sounds...

Anyway, this Skillet Lasagna recipe was the recipe that my friend Amy gave the ingredients for this week. It was super easy and really good. Megan loved it! I thought I'd post the recipe here, so I could refer to it again...

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or Italian sausage)

1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz)

3 C (uncooked) pasta - Amy used a macaroni type

2 C mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions.

Cook ground beef in a big skillet until crumbled and cooked through. Drain off fat.

Pour the spaghetti sauce in with the meat in the skillet. Simmer 5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked noodles and 1 C of the cheese.

Then top with the remaining cheese. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes, or until it is heated through and the cheese on top is melted.

Remove from heat and let stand for a minute or so before serving.

Easy as that! Enjoy!

Anniversary Chicken (or Teriyaki-Ranch Chicken)

Story:

My friend Erin L. is in a dinner group with a few other families. One day she was raving about some chicken that our friend Heather D. had made for the other families. So, you know me, I called Heather to get the recipe and this is what she gave me...

Ben asked me why this dish was called "Anniversary Chicken" ... I told him I didn't know, that's just what Heather called it. So he told me I should just call it Teriyaki-Ranch Chicken. Call it what you will, it tastes great!

Ingredients:

Chicken tenders (however many for your fam)

2/3 C teriyaki sauce

2/3 C ranch dressing

3 oz. crumbled bacon

1 1/3 C grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 green onions

Directions:

Brown and season the chicken tenders in a pan.

Put in a 9x13 baking dish.

Mix the sauces together and pour over the chicken.

Top with the cheese, bacon, and onions.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Notes:

Heather recommended using the jarred ranch dressing in the refrigerator section of the produce section. So that's what I've used to make it. I haven't tried the good ol' Hidden Valley kind yet, but I assume it would be just fine.

Kari's Quiche

Story:

My friend Kari invited me over for a little lunch with our friend Kristine. Kari always serves up tasty things, which she always claims are "so easy." She made this quiche which I loved... and because she said it was "so easy," I had to get the recipe and give it a try. She was right, it wasn't too hard, though you have to plan ahead a little because it bakes for about 40 minutes. I made this when I was kind of in a cooking slump, and I especially liked having something different than my good old standbys.

Ingredients:

1 C sour cream

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 t onion salt

1 pkg frozen veggies (chopped broccoli, spinach, etc.) - thawed & drained

1 C cooked and chopped ham or bacon

1/2 C green onions

1 1/2 C cheddar cheese

1 1/2 C swiss or jack cheese

[1 pie shell - or make your own]

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Make a pie shell (or just use a pre-made one).

Prick the bottom and bake about 5-8 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into the pie shell.

Top with nuts, if desired.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until brown.

Let set for 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes:

It looks like there are lots of ways to vary it... I've only tried spinach and ham so far, and that was pretty good. Kids didn't love it the first time, but for some reason, they did the second time! Ben and I especially loved it with salsa! Yum.

Chicken Soft Tacos

Story:

I really like using the crock pot whenever I can. Especially when the kids are in school and if I'm going to have a busy evening. So a few years ago, I picked up a "Fix-It and Forget-It (Lightly)" cookbook from Costco. I haven't used it a whole lot, but it sure has a lot of great ideas in it! One of the few things I tried was a recipe for Chicken Soft Tacos, but I have adapted it a bit and really made it "my own." I haven't made it in years... but I did today and the whole family loved 'em! (Kind of made me wonder why I haven't been making them more.) So, here's another "keeper" for y'all.

Ethan said this dish is now "tied in first" for his "favorite burrito." The other being our Cafe Rio recipe. These are a whole lot easier, so I'm glad I've found something less time-consuming that he likes just as much.

Ingredients:

2-3 frozen chicken breasts

1 can Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 C taco seasoning (= 1 packet)

1 can black beans

1 can corn

Directions:

Stick the frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot.

In a separate bowl, mix the RoTel, the taco seasoning, and the onions. Pour over the chicken.

Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Take out the chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Add the black beans and cook for about another hour or two.

Then add the can of corn a little before serving.

Serve on tortillas (burrito or soft-taco style) with shredded cheese, sour cream, and lettuce.

Note: I'm not a real stickler to times when using the crock pot... so all those cooking times above are estimates. As long as the chicken is cooked thoroughly, I'm good.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Story:

I have no idea where I picked up this little piece of paper that is tucked into my scrapbook-of-a-cookbook. I've had it for a long time, though, and we really like these meatballs.... not that we're big meatball-kind-of-people, but if you're ever in the mood, these are really good.

In someone's handwriting, which I don't recognize, on this recipe is a note that it is from the Lion House recipes. The anonymous person also jotted that they doubled the sauce, and I always do too, so note that the ingredients for the sauce is already doubled. Also, note that it says to make twelve large meatballs, I tend to be the "small meatball" type, so I make smaller meatballs, just filling up my 9x13 with 'em.

Ingredients for Meatballs:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

3/4 C rolled oats (I usually throw in a little extra)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 C finely chopped onion

1/2 C milk

1 t salt

dash of pepper

1 t Worcestershire sauce

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C vinegar

2 t mustard

1/2 C barbecue sauce

2 t Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients. Heat over low heat.

Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Mix well.

Form into several small meatballs (or about 12 big ones, if you prefer) and place into a 9x13 casserole dish.

Cover with the sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I like them served over rice.

Polynesian Skillet

Story:

Here is another recipe from one of those little "recipe exchanges" that I participated in once upon a time. I believe this one came from my friend and neighbor in South Ogden, Holly R. It's a pretty tasty one... and a dinner that I usually have all the ingredients on hand to make. I especially like it because it's an all-in-one-dish dinner.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into thin strips)

1 T oil

1 onion, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 can pineapple chunks (15 oz), reserving the juice

1 can mandarin oranges (11 oz), drained

2 t chicken bouillon granules

1 C water

1/4 C vinegar

1/2 C brown sugar

2 T soy sauce

2 T cornstarch

Directions:

In a large skillet (I use my electric skillet), cook the strips of chicken in the oil until chicken is lightly browned.

Add the onion and the green pepper. Stir fry until vegetables are tender.

Then add 1/2 C of the juice from the pineapple, chicken bouillon, water, vinegar, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine the soy sauce and the cornstarch; wisk until mixed.

Add the cornstarch mix to the chicken and vegetables.

Simmer until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Add the pineapple and mandarin oranges.

Serve over rice.

And, that's it! Enjoy.

Father's Day Flank Steak

Story:

I didn't grow up eating much steak. But when we did, I think it was always this recipe. I absolutely LOVE it. I called it Father's Day Flank Steak, because I only remembering having it on Father's Day. That may be a delusional memory, but I can still picture my dad on the back porch over the little charcoal grill getting the coals just right to cook this thing to perfection. When it was done, and he brought it in, my mom would slice it into really thin slices, and we would each get 1 1/2 to 2 slices each. Oh, the flavor was to savor!

This is what my little family had for our Christmas dinner this year. Simple and tasty and, since we don't eat much steak either, a nice treat.

Anyway, I'll stop drooling and give you the marinade:

Ingredients:

1/4 C soy sauce

2 T honey

2 T vinegar

1 1/2 T ground ginger

1 1/2 T garlic powder

3/4 C oil

3 finely chopped green onions

(and of course a flank steak!)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. I put them all in a 9x13. Marinate the steak for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Grill for about 5 minutes on each side. (I did mine on my "George Foreman grill" and it turned out great.)

Don't forget to serve it in thin little slices to maximize the enjoyment!

"Corny" Sloppy Joe Pizzas (easy!)

Story:

My parents came to Kentucky for a visit last month. They were both here for a few days, and then my dad left and my mom stayed for another week! She and I ran a lot of little errands. One day while perusing through the little dollar section at Target, we saw a little "Halloween Fun" cookbook put out by Pillsbury. It's just a little booklet full of little Halloween treats. In it was this simple recipe for "sloppy joe pizzas". I won't go into the cute way that you do up this thing to decorate it like a jack-o-lantern. Suffice it to say, the kids loved my post-Halloween sans-cutesy version of these little pizzas. (Great easy dinner when hubby is working late.)

Ingredients:

1 can large refrigerated buttermilk homestyle biscuits (8 count)

1 lb ground beef

1 can sloppy joe sauce (15.5 oz)

1 can whole kernel sweet corn, drained (11 oz)

(garnish: American cheese, pieces of green peppers)

Directions:

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and press each biscuit to form a little pizza round (about 4 inches). Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes (or according to pkg directions).

In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until thoroughly cooked; drain.

Stir in sloppy joe sauce and corn. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 5 minutes until heated through.

Spoon beef mixture evenly on to biscuit rounds. If desired, place cheese on top and put back in oven for a couple of minutes.

Disclaimer:

This is seriously nothing fancy... it just fills the tummies when mom's energy-level is low.

Paula Deen's Pot Pie

Story:

When I was going through a hard time a couple of years ago, my good friend, Emily D. (queen of compassionate service!), brought by this pot pie for dinner for my family one night. We all loved it and it became one of Ethan's very favorite dinners. Big thanks to Emily ... who graciously gives credit to Paula Deen, as it is Paula's recipe and all.

Ingredients:

2 C cooked & chopped chicken

3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced*

1 C thinly sliced carrots

1 C frozen peas

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 C chicken broth

salt & pepper, if desired

1 1/2 C instant biscuit mix (aka Bisquick)

1 C milk

1/2 stick melted butter

Directions:

In a greased 2 qt casserole dish, layer the chicken, eggs, carrots, and peas.

In a separate bowl, combine the soup and chicken broth (and season with salt and pepper, if using). Pour over the chicken and veggies.

In another bowl, stir together the biscuit mix and the milk. Pour over the casserole.

Drizzle the butter over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, or until top is golden brown.

*Every time we eat this, Ben comments that it's weird to have hard-boiled eggs in a pot pie. Every time I tell him that if he doesn't like them, I can make it without. But every time he says that they're good and he likes them, but that it's just different. Funny us.

Lisa's Sweet Chicken Fingers

Story:

Another good one from sweet Lisa P. I got it through my friend Heather D., though. She posted it on our ward's recipe blog: Sharing Is Love. She posted it, I tried it, and it's a hit. I've had some chicken tenderloins in the freezer that need to be used, so I'm making this tonight.

Ingredients:

Chicken tenderloins (as many as it takes to fill the tummies)

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 C flour

1/2 C cornstarch

1/2 t garlic salt

1 T oil

1 1/2 C sugar

1/2 C water

1/2 C ketchup

2 T soy sauce

1 t salt

Beat the eggs in one bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and garlic salt.

Dip the chicken in the eggs. Then roll in the flour mixture. Coat the chicken well and then fry in a lightly-oiled skillet until browned on both sides. (Add extra oil as you go, or in between batches.) Place the chicken in a 9x13 baking dish.

Whisk the ketchup, water, sugar, soy sauce, and salt together in a saucepan. Simmer until warm. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 minutes at 350. (Heather recommends making extra sauce or save some to pour over your rice or egg rolls.) Serve with white rice.

Notes:

As I've noted before, some things tend to be "too sweet" for Ben. The first time I made this, he was surprised by just how sweet is was. The next time I cut the sugar by a third. Still too sweet (for him). The third time I cut the sugar in half, and he liked it better, though it wasn't quite sweet enough for me to still be able to call it "Sweet Chicken Fingers." So depending on the intensity of your sweet tooth, adjust accordingly.