2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green bell pepper, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and Cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
ZUCCHINI-APPLE BREAD
4 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 c. shredded zucchini (about 3 med.)
1 c. shredded apple (about 1 med.)
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans
Combine first 6 ingredients; set aside. Combine eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in zucchini, apple and pecans. Add dry ingredients to zucchini-apple mixture, stirring just until moistened.
Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 8 1/4" x 4 1/2" x 3" loaf pans or may be baked in a bundt pan and served as a cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire rack and cool completely. Yield: 3 loaves.
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 c. shredded zucchini (about 3 med.)
1 c. shredded apple (about 1 med.)
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans
Combine first 6 ingredients; set aside. Combine eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in zucchini, apple and pecans. Add dry ingredients to zucchini-apple mixture, stirring just until moistened.
Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 8 1/4" x 4 1/2" x 3" loaf pans or may be baked in a bundt pan and served as a cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire rack and cool completely. Yield: 3 loaves.
Pad see ew
Pad see ew
1 egg250g or 9oz of Chinese broccoli1-2 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like it, chopped2-3 tbsp of cooking oil (I use grapeseed oil)a little less than 1 tbsp of thick soy sauce (You can buy it here or here.)fish sauce to taste1 tbsp of rice vinegar
For the protein and marinade225g or 8oz of pork loin, cut into very thin bite-size pieces1/2 tbsp fish sauce1tbsp oyster saucea splash of dark sesame oilToss the pork and all the sauces together until well mixed. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes before cooking time.
Make sure you have all the ingredients prepared before you begin. For the Chinese broccoli, I love to use the stems as well. I use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough skin from the stems and slice them thin before cooking. Separate the stem pieces from the leafy part because they don't cook at the same rate. Cut the leafs into big pieces because they will cook down quite a bit.
Heat the wok on the highest heat your stove can handle. When the pan is very hot, add a tiny splash of oil. Throw in the broccoli stems and toss quickly in the hot pan for just a few seconds. Add the leafy part and a splash of fish sauce. Toss quickly again until the leafs are wilted. Transfer the broccoli into a plate and set aside.
Set the wok back on the fire and let it heat up until smoking. Add another splash of oil – this time a biggish splash. Tilt the wok to coat it well with the hot oil, then throw in the noodles. Shake the wok a few times and toss the noodles to coat them with oil. You can do it with a twist of your wrist if you're good, use a spatula if you're not so sure. Add just a little less than a tablespoon of thick soy sauce, and a few splash of fish sauce. Toss the whole thing again quickly to evenly distribute the sauce. Spread the noodles around the wok a bit to maximize the contact with the heat. That's how you get a nice charred bits from the wok. Add more oil if the noodles stuck to the pan. Like Pad Thai, this aint no diet food. When the noodles are done, cooked through and nicely charred in parts, transfer them to a plate and set aside. Scrape the wok with a spatula to get all the burnt bits out and chuck them.
Set the pan back on the fire to reheat. Add another splash of oil, follow by garlic and the marinated pork (or whatever protein you use). Spread the pork pieces around the wok and let it char, undisturbed, for a few seconds, then flip to the other side. If you cut the pork thinly – like I told you to - they will cook very quickly. When the pork are done, push them over to the side of the wok and crack one egg into the middle. Let the egg set for a few seconds and then stir everything together quickly.
Grab the plate with the broccoli you set aside and throw the veggies back into the pan. Stir quickly to mix, then grab the other plate with the cooked noodles and throw that in too (the noodles, not the plate). Toss again to mix everything well.
Taste it, you might need to add another splash of fish sauce or a bit more dark soy sauce to your taste. Some people add a little sugar too, I don't - I'm quite sweet enough already, thank you very much. Add one tablespoon of rice vinegar and give it a toss. A turn or two of pepper, another quick toss, and you are done!
See? It's really not all that complicated. If you need to make more, wash the wok quickly with hot water, no soap needed, just to remove all the bits stuck to the bottom. A quick wipe to dry and set the wok back on the fire to work on your next portion.
Trust me, you'll never order another Pad See Ew again.
----------------------------------------------
Want it vegetarian?
Easy. Use tofu in place of the animal protein. Find a tofu that's a bit on the sturdy side, silken tofu will turn into icky puree when you stir fry them. You can even use fried tofu - I find the step-by-step instructions here helpful for frying tofu, though I must tell you that I do not endorse you going to your local chinese market, opening containers of tofu, and squeezing it to gauge freshness, as recommended there!
If you don't want to bother with frying up the tofu, you could buy ready made ones at any chinese market. Seitan, if you're into that kind of stuff, will do well here as well.
To make it really strictly vegetarian, use this vegetarian "oyster" sauce in place of the regular oyster sauce, and this light soy sauce in place of the fish sauce in the recipe.
1 egg250g or 9oz of Chinese broccoli1-2 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like it, chopped2-3 tbsp of cooking oil (I use grapeseed oil)a little less than 1 tbsp of thick soy sauce (You can buy it here or here.)fish sauce to taste1 tbsp of rice vinegar
For the protein and marinade225g or 8oz of pork loin, cut into very thin bite-size pieces1/2 tbsp fish sauce1tbsp oyster saucea splash of dark sesame oilToss the pork and all the sauces together until well mixed. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes before cooking time.
Make sure you have all the ingredients prepared before you begin. For the Chinese broccoli, I love to use the stems as well. I use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough skin from the stems and slice them thin before cooking. Separate the stem pieces from the leafy part because they don't cook at the same rate. Cut the leafs into big pieces because they will cook down quite a bit.
Heat the wok on the highest heat your stove can handle. When the pan is very hot, add a tiny splash of oil. Throw in the broccoli stems and toss quickly in the hot pan for just a few seconds. Add the leafy part and a splash of fish sauce. Toss quickly again until the leafs are wilted. Transfer the broccoli into a plate and set aside.
Set the wok back on the fire and let it heat up until smoking. Add another splash of oil – this time a biggish splash. Tilt the wok to coat it well with the hot oil, then throw in the noodles. Shake the wok a few times and toss the noodles to coat them with oil. You can do it with a twist of your wrist if you're good, use a spatula if you're not so sure. Add just a little less than a tablespoon of thick soy sauce, and a few splash of fish sauce. Toss the whole thing again quickly to evenly distribute the sauce. Spread the noodles around the wok a bit to maximize the contact with the heat. That's how you get a nice charred bits from the wok. Add more oil if the noodles stuck to the pan. Like Pad Thai, this aint no diet food. When the noodles are done, cooked through and nicely charred in parts, transfer them to a plate and set aside. Scrape the wok with a spatula to get all the burnt bits out and chuck them.
Set the pan back on the fire to reheat. Add another splash of oil, follow by garlic and the marinated pork (or whatever protein you use). Spread the pork pieces around the wok and let it char, undisturbed, for a few seconds, then flip to the other side. If you cut the pork thinly – like I told you to - they will cook very quickly. When the pork are done, push them over to the side of the wok and crack one egg into the middle. Let the egg set for a few seconds and then stir everything together quickly.
Grab the plate with the broccoli you set aside and throw the veggies back into the pan. Stir quickly to mix, then grab the other plate with the cooked noodles and throw that in too (the noodles, not the plate). Toss again to mix everything well.
Taste it, you might need to add another splash of fish sauce or a bit more dark soy sauce to your taste. Some people add a little sugar too, I don't - I'm quite sweet enough already, thank you very much. Add one tablespoon of rice vinegar and give it a toss. A turn or two of pepper, another quick toss, and you are done!
See? It's really not all that complicated. If you need to make more, wash the wok quickly with hot water, no soap needed, just to remove all the bits stuck to the bottom. A quick wipe to dry and set the wok back on the fire to work on your next portion.
Trust me, you'll never order another Pad See Ew again.
----------------------------------------------
Want it vegetarian?
Easy. Use tofu in place of the animal protein. Find a tofu that's a bit on the sturdy side, silken tofu will turn into icky puree when you stir fry them. You can even use fried tofu - I find the step-by-step instructions here helpful for frying tofu, though I must tell you that I do not endorse you going to your local chinese market, opening containers of tofu, and squeezing it to gauge freshness, as recommended there!
If you don't want to bother with frying up the tofu, you could buy ready made ones at any chinese market. Seitan, if you're into that kind of stuff, will do well here as well.
To make it really strictly vegetarian, use this vegetarian "oyster" sauce in place of the regular oyster sauce, and this light soy sauce in place of the fish sauce in the recipe.
SALAD DRESSING
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup and 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup and 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1. In a container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
CREAMY GARLIC AND GREEN OLIVE SALAD DRESSING
Ingredients
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 cup green olives, pitted and drained
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 cup green olives, pitted and drained
Directions
1. Combine all except olives in blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add olives all at once and process just until chopped.
4. It should be a bit chunky.
5. Chill until ready to use.
1. Combine all except olives in blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add olives all at once and process just until chopped.
4. It should be a bit chunky.
5. Chill until ready to use.
MARY'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Preheat oven 350 ungreased cookie sheets
Makes 5 ½ dozen
1½ cups (3 sticks margarine) (Fleischmann’s)
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1¼ cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Chocolate chips to your taste up to 4 cups is ok.
Cream margarine and both kinds of sugar together. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add flour salt and baking soda mix well.
Bake 12-15 minutes.
Recipe can be cut in half for smaller batches.
Makes 5 ½ dozen
1½ cups (3 sticks margarine) (Fleischmann’s)
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1¼ cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Chocolate chips to your taste up to 4 cups is ok.
Cream margarine and both kinds of sugar together. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add flour salt and baking soda mix well.
Bake 12-15 minutes.
Recipe can be cut in half for smaller batches.
MARINATED SALAD
1 17 ½ oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 16 oz. can pitted black olives, drained
1 8 oz. can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
1 8 oz. can green beans, drained
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 16 oz. bottle Italian dressing
1 teaspoon dried dillweed
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Combine – Toss – Refrigerate at least two hours before serving. Can be topped with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
We never use the entire bottle of dressing. Dump everything into a strainer as the cans are opened, add the cucumber and dressing – easy easy.
1 16 oz. can pitted black olives, drained
1 8 oz. can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
1 8 oz. can green beans, drained
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 16 oz. bottle Italian dressing
1 teaspoon dried dillweed
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Combine – Toss – Refrigerate at least two hours before serving. Can be topped with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
We never use the entire bottle of dressing. Dump everything into a strainer as the cans are opened, add the cucumber and dressing – easy easy.
THAI CASHEW CHICKEN (GAI PAD MED MA-MUANG)
Adapted from Bai Pai Cooking School
Make slices the chicken as thinly as possible so it cooks quickly. Use a very sharp knife and cut at an angle as if you are slicing a flank steak. Dried Thai chiles would be ideal, but the medium-hot chiles de arbol I had on hand worked really well. If you don't have dried chiles, sprinkle in some hot red pepper flakes, since you really should have at least a little heat in this dish. The Thai chili paste is irreplaceable as far as I know. Luckily, you can get it online here and probably in well-stocked markets.Serves 4,
3 tbs. canola oil, divided
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 1/2 tbs. Thai chili paste (Mae Pranom brand)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tbs. sugar
6 dried red chiles (such as chiles de arbol)
Generous 1/2 cup raw cashews, toasted (or substitute dry roasted, unsalted cashews)
5 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
Steamed Thai jasmine rice, for serving
Heat 1 tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, season with salt and pepper and stir fry until cooked through. Put the chicken in a bowl and set aside. Repeat with 1 tbs. of the oil and the rest of the chicken. Add the remaining oil to the empty skillet and heat. Add the chili paste, stirring constantly to break it up for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, red bell pepper, onion, oyster sauce and sugar. Stir well and simmer for 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the vegetables are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chiles, cashews and scallions, stir to combine and serve immediately over rice.
ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP WITH TORTELLINI
3 Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 box of beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1 28oz can of plum tomatoes chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
pepper flakes to taste
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 red pepper
2 tsp honey
DIRECTIONS
In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in sausage and all remaining ingredients except tortellini. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Skim fat from the soup. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Pre cook tortellini add to the soup bowls dish up hot soup Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 box of beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1 28oz can of plum tomatoes chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
pepper flakes to taste
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 red pepper
2 tsp honey
DIRECTIONS
In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in sausage and all remaining ingredients except tortellini. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Skim fat from the soup. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Pre cook tortellini add to the soup bowls dish up hot soup Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
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