3/30/2011

Crock Pot French Dip

Yes another new recipe. I found this french dip sandwich you make in the crock pot. It was delish and Zach kept saying it was the best dinner ever.

3 lb boneless beef roast
1 can french onion soup
1 can beef consume
1 can beef broth
1 t beef bouillon
1 onion
1 pkg fresh sliced mushrooms

Put it all in the crock pot on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and shred. Serve on rolls with juice on the side. You could easily leave out the mushrooms for those you don't like mushrooms and I just sprinkled some dried onion in since it has the onion soup in I didn't think it needed that many onions.

3/29/2011

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

I found this recipe on The Sister's Cafe, but it is a recipe is from Picky Palate. Most of my kids liked it. I really liked it. If you like things with a peanut sauce I think you will like this.

1 lb whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
½ Cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
¼ Cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 scant teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 Cup hot water
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup finely chopped white onion
½ Cup finely chopped red or orange bell pepper
2½ - 3 Cups cooked, shredded chicken breast ( I used rotisserie chicken)
¼ Cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ Cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (I just sprinkle some on top)

Set water to boil and cook noodles according to package. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce in the food processor.
Place garlic and ginger in food processor until well chopped. Add peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pulse until well combined and slowly add hot water. Set aside.
Place olive oil in hot skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chicken breast, cilantro and salt. Stir until heated through.
Add sauce and chicken mixture to noodles. Toss to coat and garnish with peanuts and sesame seeds if desired.

I forgot the sesame seeds and the red pepper flakes.

3/22/2011

Chicken Gyros

From My Kitchen Cafe
Christie and I both made these for dinner tonight, at least Christie was going to make them, I don't know if she actually did. But I did. I thought they were good, Caleb loved them, Sarah liked them.

For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not fat free unless it is Oikos or Fage or another Greek-type yogurt)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded (I used 1/2 of an English cucumber)
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

To assemble:
Greek pitas
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (I sauted them in a hot skillet.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

On her blog there is a recipe for flat bread which looked delicious, but I didn't have time to make my own.

3/14/2011

Wacky Cake

I took dinner to a friend whose husband could not have dairy or eggs, so I was trying to find a treat we could send. I remember mom had a recipe for Wacky Cake in her recipes that we used to make. Apparently it is a depression era recipe that came about when people did not have access to milk or eggs. It makes a pretty tasty cake. I think I liked it most as cupcakes dusted with powdered sugar.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (I just used white vinegar)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa. Make three depressions. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour water over all, and stir well. (I didn't actually do this.. I just mixed the dry ingredients together in my mixer bowl and then mixed all the wet ingredients together and combined the two in my mixer)
3. Pour cake batter into an 8x8 pan sprayed with pam. (I have done cupcakes in cupcake liners.. filled to about 2/3-3/4 full)
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost or dust with powdered sugar. (Cupcakes don't cook as long-- I cooked mine for about 18 minutes-- it made about 12 cupcakes)