Pork Chile Verde Posole - Soup

1 lb of pork shoulder, cut into pieces
4 cups chicken stock
1 onion, diced
1 TB minced garlic
1 TB cumin
1 TB oregano
1 TB  ancho chile powder
2 cans - oz  chopped green chilies
1 28 can of green enchilada sauce
1 - 25 oz can of hominy
4 potatoes, diced
a big bunch of cilantro , chopped
juice of one lime
olive oil


In a large pot with olive oil,  medium high heat, brown the pieces of pork  on all sides.   To the pot, with the pork, add chicken stock and garlic.  Simmer for about 45 minutes that will let the pork get tender.

To the  pot add cumin, oregano, chile powder, green chilies, green enchilada sauce, hominy, cilantro and potatoes.  Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes more until potatoes are cooked.

Garnish with avocado, green onions, lime wedge and cilantro

*** I simmered it for another 30 minutes on low to reduce the liquid a bit.  I like a thicker soup.





 

Cherry Almond Sweet Bread

 

 

 

Who doesn't love cherries !  I loved the smell of the cherries while chopping them and couldn't wait for it to be done baking.  This is not too sweet  and the almond flavor is a great addition.

 

What you need :

 

1 c. sugar

½ c. vegetable or canola oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1½ tsp. almond extract

 1/2 cup milk

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 (8 oz.) jar maraschino cherries, chopped - reserve the juice

 

How to :

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8x4-inch loaf pan.  In a large bowl, cream sugar, oil, eggs, milk, vanilla and almond extract  - mix well. Add the reserved the cherry liquid.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add  flour mix to wet ingredients a little at a time. Stir in the chopped cherries.

 

Pour into loaf pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes.. depending on your oven.  I always set my oven timer at the 45 minute mark to check the bread for doneness and then adjust baking time.

Spicy Edamame Snack

I crave this ! It's my favorite snack.  I've always liked munching on edamame when going to a sushi restaurant but it lacked flavor.  So one weekend I played around in the kitchen and came up with this spicy idea.  Oishii  !!

1 package of frozen , Edamame
2 Tablespoons soy
2 Tablespoons  sesame oil
Siracha
Togarshi, Japanese seasoning

How to :

Prepare the edamame according to directions on package.  ( Steaming them in the bag or box)
In a wide pan, on high heat, add sesame oil.   Add the steamed edamame.  And toss  for about 2-3 minutes... let the edamame char some !  The add the soy sauce and toss, let it saute for about 2 minutes.   Place the prepared edamame on a plate.  Drizzle with as much Siracha and Togarshi as you like !

Farmer's Dinner

This is a flashback to my childhood.  We ate this a lot growing up and I still crave it.  I'm not sure where the name came from, it was either passed on from person to person or the recipe was found on the back of a box of Kraft Dinner.  In Canada, we say Kraft Dinner for Kraft macaroni and cheese dinner. If you say " I'm having Kraft Dinner" in the USA, people will look at you strange and wonder what you are talking about.  I still say Kraft Dinner, always will.

Boxed processed food has a bad rap in the recent years... but I think it's OK to indulge in this every once in awhile.


What you need :

One box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

One package of Farmer John's Breakfast sausage or you can use regular size Italian sausage.  For this recipe, I used both.

One onion, chopped

One can of diced tomatoes, drain the juice.

I always cook the sausages in the toaster oven/oven first. Then slice them and brown them n the pan  with the onions. Just how I do it.  Do it how you feel comfortable, just make sure they are  sliced  & cooked when you  add to the macaroni.

Meanwhile

In a pan, saute onions with some olive oil until golden ( I like mine  a little burned in this dish)

Add the cooked sausage.

In another pot, cook the Kraft Dinner according to directions on box. 

When the macaroni is done, add the sausage and onions to the macaroni. Then add the drain diced tomatoes.  Mix al together.

Put in a casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes on 350f.  Don't let it dry out too much..







 

Banana Bread

I've been eating banana bread since I was a kid and as an adult I've been trying to make it the right way.  I have made it many times and have never used the same recipe more than once.  Every time I have made it, I was never wowed by it.  It was either too dry, too moist, not enough banana flavor or some other reason.  Last night, I had a bunch of bananas that were ready for the garbage bin but I didn't want them to go to waste.  I looked at all the banana bread recipes I had and came up with something that I feel would be a great tasting recipe.  This is what I came up with and I do like this one - It's a keeper !

Ingredients :

2 eggs
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp of almond extract

Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl.  Then add 1 cup of bananas.

1 cup mashed bananas


In another bowl, mix the following ingredients.

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together until blended.

Oven 325. for 60 minutes, check at 45 minutes, oven vary.

Avocado Dip

Bring on Summer !I love avocado, this is one of my favorite things to make in the Summer time with a nice juicy cocktail on the patio.  This avocado dip is great with plantain chips !

What you need :

2 avocados, chopped and slightly mashed
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 TB spoon of cilantro
1 stem, green onion, both green and white parts
1 TB lime juice
grey salt and cracked pepper


Mix all together . Serve with chips of choice.. but plantains chip are a great choice !

Sometimes I mix in shredded chicken or crab meat.

Enjoy !

Reuben Style Egg Rolls

I love these little pocket stuffed with gooey cheese, sauerkraut and corned beef !  They are perfect if you are having a St. Paddy's party. If you love Reuben sandwiches and eggs rolls, you are gonna love these !

Here's what you need:

1 cup of chopped corned beef brisket.

1 cup cup of sauerkraut, squeeze excess juice from it.

3/4  cup of shredded Swiss cheese

Put 2-3 generous tablespoons of the mixture on an egg roll wrapper.  Fold up to form egg roll shape.

Deep fry until golden.

Cut diagonal , serve with Thousand Island dressing or a grainy mustard.

Enjoy these... they are fantastic !

Asian Meatballs

Meatballs are a classic dinner time dish and there are so many different ways to make them.  I think  a sweet and sour meatball recipe was the first cookbook recipe I ever made  when I was in high school and I still make that same recipe today.  I wanted something different.    I love Asian flavours and these are great ! Try these as a dinner dish or as an appetizer at a cocktail party or get-together.

What you need :

For the meatballs  :

1 lb of ground pork
1 lb ground beef

3/4 cup of panko crumbs - Japanese bread crumbs, regular bread crumbs will do

1 egg
1 TB chili powder
1 tsp 5 spice powder
1/2 grated onion
2 TB lite soy sauce
1 TB sesame oil
3 green onions, chopped.. white and green part
1 tsp pepper


Mix all the above ingredients together.  Form into balls.  Place in a casserole dish.  Bake in oven for about 35-40 minutes.

For the Sauce :

¾ c brown sugar

½ cup soy
½ cup honey
1 tsp garlic
½ cup apple juice ( or orange juice)

2 tsp of cornstarch

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Pour over cooked meatballs and place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish.

Enjoy !

Ham & Cheese Swirls

I love these !  They are quick  & simple to make and taste lovely.  It's nice to just pop one of these in the microwave and warm them up for a light snack or lunch with a salad.  Kid friendly !

What you need :

One roll of  Pepperidge Farm  puff pastry dough

About 6-8 slice of Black Forest ham, Virginia ham or ham of choice

About 9 slices of Swiss cheese

1 TB each of poppy seeds & black and white sesame seeds.  If you don't have them.. just omit.

 How to :

First, roll out the puff pastry.  I stretch it out a bit.... enough to be able to put three slices of cheese  across.  ( do not use Kraft single cheese slices)

Mix the poppy seeds and sesame seeds.  Sprinkle over the pastry dough, press lightly into dough and  then flip over the dough so the seeds are on the other side.

Place the Swiss cheese on the dough, then the ham.  Roll up the dough to form a log.

                              Cut into generous 1 inch spirals.  Place on non stick baking sheet.


 375 degree oven. 

Bake about 30 minutes  or until golden.

Keep an eye on it as ovens will vary  ( mine is difficult & unpredictable)

Let  set a couple of minutes before you bite into them.  That cheese is hot !


Enjoy !

Lasagne - My way

I think everyone knows how to make lasagne, right?  When deciding to make a lasagne last minute, I always look for the quickest way.  Normally, I make the sauce from scratch with pancetta, red wine, stewed tomatoes, fresh herbs and let it simmer on the stove for a couple of hours.  We don't always have time for that or have the ingredients on hand .. or want to wait.  This is my quick & tasty go to recipe.  To make is extra delicious, I pour béchamel sauce over top !

This is for two.  I use a loaf pan when I make it for 2-3 people.

Ingredients :

1 lb ground beef - 1 tsp of onion powder, 1 TB chopped garlic
Mushrooms, half a package, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 jar/tin of pasta sauce _ U juts bought a cheap jar of Hunt's & added other ingredients to make is flavorful
 About 3 TB of tomato paste from 6oz can tomato paste ( freeze the remainder)
1 TB Italian herb blend
1 TB chopped garlic - jarred kind of olive oil
1 TB onion powder
2-4 TB olive oil

I box of lasagne sheets - you won't need them all.

I package of shredded mozzarella cheese  ( this recipe of used chopped fresh mozzarella, only because I had it on hand)

Béchamel Sauce :

4 TB butter
2 TB Flour
1 cup milk ( not skim)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt.

In a pan, over medium heat, ground beef, garlic and onion powder.  When the ground beef is almost cook, add the chopped mushrooms and green peppers.

When beef mixture is cooked.  Add the already prepared pasta sauce, tomato paste, the herbs, garlic, onion powder and olive oil.  Heat thoroughly for about 5-10 minutes on low heat.

With a loaf pan, make the lasagne... layering a pasta layer, meat layers, cheese layer.. repeat.


In the meantime, prepare the Béchamel sauce  - simple !  This goes on top of the lasagne when being served individually.

In a pot, on medium heat, melt butter. When melted,  add flour and blend well.  Let the flour paste mix cook in the pot, stirring  constantly so it does not burn or turn brown  When cooked, about 3 minutes, add the milk  to the pot.  With a whisk, stir the mixture until the sauce thickens,  The final step is to add the nutmeg and a pinch of salt.  If the sauce thickens too much.. add a little more milk,.

**  you can do the béchamel sauce step while the lasagne is cooking or just before the lasagne comes out of the oven

Retro Dining - Salisbury Steak

Growing up I never had homemade Salisbury Steak but I did have frozen TV Dinner in the tin trays.. I think many of us have.  I LOVED them.  Although the fried chicken was my favorite, I am nostalgic over the Salisbury Steak.  I haven't had one of those in years but I can still recall the taste of it.  Tonight, I am going to a concert to see Gordon Lightfoot -  his music was an integral part of my childhood and I deemed it only appropriate to have something retro to collaborate with the evening.

Salisbury Steak was named after an American physician, Dr. J. H. Salisbury, reportedly for a low-carb meal.  The Salisbury steaks were shaped to resemble a steak...  looks more like a foot ball.

Ingredients :

1 lb   ground beef, 85 % lean, you need some fat.
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/4 finely minced onion
2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp of salt and pepper
 2 TB of Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl, add all ingredients until mixed well.  Form into patties.  Traditionally, Salisbury steak was formed into flat football shaped patties.  I did this to keep the authenticity of the dish.

In a pan, with some olive oil,  medium heat, cook patties on both sides until done, 4-5 minutes per side.

Remove the patties from pan.  In the same pan, add :

half of onion, sliced
half package of sliced, fresh mushrooms

Sautee until cooked. about 4-5 minutes.

To the same pan, add :

2 cups of good beef stock
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 TB sage
fresh crack pepper
I added 1 TB of beef bouillion paste * you don't need to, but it adds depth.

Cook the sauce for about 3-4 minutes on medium high.

Take out about 3-4 TB of the broth , put in bowl, add 1-2 TB of flours.. mix to form a paste.  Add back into the pan.  Turn up the heat, to thicken the sauce. About 3-4 minutes.  Add the beef patties back into the pan.  Heat the patties through.

Serve !

Mediterranean Orzo Romaine Salad

Lately I have been eating a lot of salads and vegetables. I'm always looking for new ways to  prepare a salad.  This is light  and so refreshing.  The lemon zest really makes this dish pop !  Great addition to grilled chicken or fish !





Ingredients :

2-3 cups cooked orzo ( more or less)


Half English cucumber,  diced, middle part removed


3 green onions, sliced, green & white parts


1/2 cup black olives, chopped


1/2 cup green olives


1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley


1 red pepper, diced fine


6 oz crumbled feta cheese


**  the above ingredients are approximate  - you can add/ take away what you want.


2 lemons -  zest and squeeze juice from both


1/2 cup olive oil


 cracked black pepper


 I  romaine leaf lettuce

Delicious, even without the Romaine Lettuce

How To :


Cook the orzo pasta.  Run cold water over it, set aside.


In a large bowl, add the cucumber, olives, red peppers, onion, parsley, feta cheese.  Zest/ peel the lemons and add to the bowl of veggies.  Add the  pasta and blend all the ingredients.   Squeeze the juice of  the two lemons.  Add the olive oil.  Season with crack black pepper.   You may have to adjust lemon juice and olive oil..


I keep the pasta salad in a large container in the chiller and only take what I need when serving it with the romaine lettuce.


In another wide bowl, scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta salad.  Take a few leaves of romaine lettuce and chopped/shred it.  Toss into the orzo salad. 


Serve and enjoy this light delicious salad !

Sinfully Southern Breakfast - Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

This hearty, southern, traditional breakfast of America is not something you want to eat every day but it’s a great way to start off the day. It is argued where the origin of this dish is, but, I gather from the sources I read,  it  began after the American Revolutionary War ( 1775-1783)  when food was in short supply but a need for a filling meal was in demand.

 Ingredients :

1 lb of pork sausage meat, I used mild.

2 TB butter

1 cup beef stock

1 cup half & half

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp  garlic powder

A shake of salt, the pork sausage  probably has enough salt.

Fresh chopped parsley

Lots of fresh cracked pepper

2-3 TB flour - more if you like it thicker

Biscuits - if you have a favorite biscuit recipe, use it  !  If you have a favorite bakery that makes great biscuits like I do, but those !  You can also buy the frozen Grand Buttermilk biscuits that are great as well.

Eggs.

How To :

In a saucepan, on medium heat, melt the butter.  Crumble the sausage meat in the pan.  Cook until it's done, about 8-10 minutes, using your fork to crumble the pieces.. unless you like bigger chunks, then leave it as is.  When the sausage meat is cooked, add the flour and mix with the meat.  Let it cook for  2-3 minutes.  ( this cooks off the flour starchy flavor).  

Add the onion and garlic powder.  Add salt and pepper.

Then add the beef stock and stir. 

Add the half and half.

Cook until the gravy becomes thickened.

Add the parsley.

Plate it :

Split a biscuit in half and place on the plate.  I heated the biscuit up for a few seconds in microwave.  Place some of the sausage gravy over the biscuits.  At this point I fried an egg over easy and placed over the biscuit and gravy but many people just have it without.

Either way - you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy !

~ For my Father, Frank ~

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I really like using big, leafy lettuce leaves as an alternative to tortillas for this wrap. Light and fresh with a pop of spicy Thai peanut satay sauce, leaves a satisfying, guilt free meal.

What you need :

I make a big bowl of the cabbage mix and keep refrigerated  for quick meals.


green cabbage, shredded fine
2 large carrots, shredded
about a cup of edamame
6-8 leaves of fresh Basil
2 green onions, chopped


These are all approximate amounts - add more or less of what you like.


2 chicken breasts, seasoned and baked, in 350 oven for about 20 minutes.. depending on the size or until no pink remains ( cover with foil to lock n moisture.) OR buy a rotisserie chicken at your local grocery market.

Thai Peanut satay sauce - home made or store bought - your choice.

Assemble as shown in photo, drizzle some peanut sauce, roll up and enjoy.

Summer Chicken Salad Sandwich

I always loved chicken salad sandwiches.  I used to make them with just mayonnaise and chopped celery but now I've added some fruits and nuts.  There are  many variations of chicken salad and this one is now my favorite.  Hope you enjoy !

Ingredients :

One whole rotisserie chicken from you local grocery market or prepare a roaster chicken at home.  Remove bones and skin, chop up the chicken.  A good size chicken you should end up with about 4 cups of chicken.

Add chicken to a large bowl and add : you may adjust accordingly.

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup of dried apple, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup of sliced almonds, or more.

1-2 TB poppy seeds

1-2 cup of Coleslaw dressing.  I use Marie's as pictured below.  Mayonnaise just doesn't taste as good as coleslaw dressing.  Trust me on this one. Start off with 1 cup of dressing, then add more if you like is creamier, depending on how much chicken you , also.

Mix all ingredients.  Serve on a nice fresh croissant .. or bun, bread of your choice.

Enjoy !

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Arugula & Haricot Vert

This is one of my favorite simple, quick meals.  It's moist and delicious.

What You Need :


One chicken breast - split in half and pounded out


1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


One egg beaten, add 2 Tb water to the bowl


Olive oil.


Dip the Chicken into the egg wash and then coat with bread crumbs.  In a pan, over medium heat, add about 2-3 TB olive oil.  Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes.  Try not to over cook.


Salad :

Fresh Arugula
Use any vinaigrette  you like, not a lot, just enough to lightly coat.  I use a White Balsamic vinaigrette.
Steamed/cooked haricot vert or green beans - I like the thinner ones.




Enjoy !

Thai Chicken Burger

I like having different types of burger. I actually cannot remember the last time I had a traditional burger with ketchup, mustard and relish.  This Thai burger was a great twist on the iconic burger.

What You Need :
1 lb of ground chicken
1/2 cup of peanut satay sauce - you can make your own, I used jarred - photo below
2 green onions, sliced

In a bowl, mix the ground chicken with the satay sauce and green onions.
Form in to patties and cooked in pan on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the size you made the patties.

Burger dressings

Pickles :

**make pickled cucumbers a day of few hours in advance for better tasting pickles.
Slice English cucumber add to a bowl
In a sauce pan  add 1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar and 1/2 cup sugar
a few sprinkles of red hot chili pepper flakes.
Add the vinegar to the cucumbers and chill in a container.

Shredded cabbage and carrots.

Ginger mayonnaise - 3 Tb mixed with 1 Tb minced ginger

Black Bean, Avacado & Zucchini Quesadilla

This is a  vegetarian dish.... with cheese.  This is really very tasty and you don't even miss there being no meat.  I used a jalapeno and cilantro tortilla to give it an extra kick.

Try it !

Ingredients :

1  half of zucchini, diced
1/4 cup of black beans  - I used canned black beans, rinsed
1 half avacado, , diced
1/4 cup - or as much as you want of Mexican blend shreded cheese
few sprigs of cilantro
1 green onions , chopped
Salt & pepper, onion powder - for the sauteed zucchini

2 jalapeno & cilantro tortilla

Sour cream
Salsa

How to :

In a pan with some oil, sautee zucchini until they just start to be golden brown, turn off the heat and add the black beans to the pan.  You don't need to heat the beans, just let then get heated by the pan.  Place  tortilla down flat, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, then spread the black bean and zucchini over the tortilla, sprinkle some green onion, the avacado.  Top with more of the shredded cheese and place the other torilla on top. 
In a heated pan with a little oil, gently place the quesadilla in the pan, cook for about 2 minutes per side.  Slice into 4-6 wedges.

Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Chicken Addiction with Bacon ! Can it get any better !?

Before I became a beef eater I use to eat a dish at The Outback Steakhouse  everytime  I went there - Alice Springs Chicken.  It has chicken, cheese, bacon and sauteed mushrooms and you can dip it in this really yummy honey mustard sauce.  When I want something junky and delicious, I make this.

For Two People.

2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayo
2 TB yellow mustard
1 TB paprika
pinch of salt

*Mariande in the refrigerator for about an hour.  I sprinkled with Lawry's seasoning.  You can omit it.

Other ingredients :

half package of mushrooms, or about 8-10 mushrooms
4 slices of bacon
about 1 cup of shredded Mexican blended cheeses, or Cheddar and Monterey jack ( or Mozzarella)


Honey Mustard Sauce:

1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup of honey
1 generous TB of dijon mustard

Mix all the ingredients together well. Chill.  Serve with chicken.

* you can adjust the honey, you might like it a bit sweeter. I do.


How to:

Heat over to 375 and cook chicken breasts for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until no longer pink - time depends on the size of the breasts. 

*  I put it on broil for about 2-3 minutes  before I take it out of the oven and top the chicken with the shredded cheese to let it melt OR you can put the mushrooms, bacon  and top with cheese and put back in the oven to melt.  Either way is fine, you just want melted cheese.

While the chicken is cooking, cook the bacon, set aside.  Then saute the mushrooms in a pan with oilive oil and butter.



P.S Enjoy & don't feel guilty !

Aloha ! Hawaiian BBQ Chicken,

Grilled chicken is always a favorite. Chicken thighs taste best with this dish but I have used both chicken breasts and thighs. Marinading the chicken for a few hours gives the chicken it's great flavor, the longer the better.
What's in it :

3 large chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
2 chicken breasts
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 TB garlic paste, or 2-3 garlic gloves, crushed
1 tsp of ginger paste, or fresh ginger slices, minced
1 TB Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1 cup of coconut milk
1 TB sesame oil

How to :

Cut the chicken into bite size chunks.
Mix all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Add chicken, cover and marinade 2-3 hours.

On a skewer ( metal or wood) slide on pieces of he chicken.

Grill until done, about 4 minutes per side.. depending on how big you make your chunks.

Serve over rice and your favorite veggies. !

Burger of the week ! The Greek

Don't you just love a good burger ?! I love a big burger filled with a congregation of flavourful ingredients and having the sauce running between your fingers and dripping down your arm.... now that's a burger ! But sometimes the same old orginal burger can get a little boring, here's something new to try.

The Greek !

1/2 lb Ground beef

1 TB Greek Seasoning

2-3 TB feta cheese

Olive Mixture :

10 Kalamata olives, pitted , chopped

5 green olives stuffed with pimento, chopped

one thin sliced red onion, fine dice

2 TB olive oil

few turns of cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp orgeano

Toppings :

about 1/4 cup of crumbled feta chesse

about 12-14 slices of English cucumbers

Greek Yogurt

How To :

Combine the ground beef with the feta cheese and

greek seasoning. Form into two patties.

Sprinke with cracked pepper.

Grill or fry in a pan over medium heat.

Plate it :

Smear some Greek yogurt on the inside of buns, top and bottom.

On the bottom buns, divide the olive mixture.

Place the cooked beef patty on top.

Place some feta cheese on top of both patties and some

slice of the cucumbers.

ENJOY EVERY BITE !

Five Spice Chicken Wings & Sticky Soy Sauce

I make these everytime I make Chinese food and I make lots so I can snack on them throughout the evening. They are packed with flavor ! I always boil my chicken wings before I coat and deep fry them to make sure they are cooked through. The sticky soy sauce amplifies the flavor !

Ingredients :

3/4 cup flour

2 TB Five Spice powder

Oil for deep frying.

Mix the flour and 5-spice together

1 large package of chicken wings, cut in two, tips removed.

FOR THE SAUCE :

In a pot add

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup lite soy sauce

1 TB minced garlic

1 TB brown sugar & 1 TB cornstarch - blended together

1 tsp sesame oil

*Sesame seeds for sprinkling

HOW TO :

In a ziploc bag or large bowl place the chicken wings and sprinkle the Five Spice mixture, toss until well coated.

When the oil is hot, place a few wings at a time in the deep fryer or pot and cooked until goldne and crispy - about 3-4 minutes. Repeat.

Place the crispy chicken wings in a bowl and pour the sticky soy sauce over the wings, toss until coated.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Enjoy Every Bite !

Crab Rangoon

Crab Rangoon is crab and cream cheese stuffed wontons. These are addictive and you cannot just eat one. They make a great party appetizer and will go quickly !

Crab Mixutre :

I used some Dungeness Crab that I had frozen in the freezer, but you can use can crab

1 Cup crab , broken up
1 package of cream cheese, bring to room temperature
2 green onions, chopped

1 package of wonton wrappers skins

Canola oil, for deep frying

Method :

In a bowl mix, cream cheese and green onions. With each wonton wrapper, put about a tablesppon of the mixture in the middle of wonton wrapper. Fold over from one point to the next - unless you want to shape them differently.

In a pot of hot oil, deep fry wontons, a few at a time until crisp and golden.

**Use store bought plum sauce or your own plum sauce recipe.

The Ginger Plum sauce is photo is homemade.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Savory Apples.

Home cooked comfort food. Pork chops always transport me back to my childhood. This recipe is a new modern take on the old version of pork chops with apple sauce. It is simple and the flavors are wonderful !

What you Need :

Two boneless pork loin chops

1 box of stuffing for pork

1 green apple(granny Smith) skin left on, cut in half, slice and dice.

1 cup chicken broth ( I used 1/2 c chicken broth & 1/2 white wine - does make a difference)

3 TB Apple Jelly (don't have it? add 3 Tb apple juice and 1 TB sugar)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

3 Tb butter

1/2 tsp Thyme dried or fresh

Make stuffing according the directions on the box - set aside.

Make a slit almost all way through to pork chop, stuff with stuffing. Sprinkle with slat and pepper and fry in pan until golden on both sides. Finish it in the oven, to cook through - about 15 minutes, depending on thickness of pork chop. Until no longer pink.

In a pan, melt butter and add diced apples. Saute for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the apple jelly, let it melt down and saute for about 5 minutes.. will turn slightly syrupy.

Then add chicken broth and white wine if using it.

Add Dijon mustard and thyme.

Season with salt and pepper.

* To thicken, add about 1 tsp flour or cornstarch - makes it saucy

Pour apples and sauce over pork chop... serve with your favorite veggies or rice !

Love Every Bite !