Stir Fry (general recipe)

We had some delish stir fry the other day and I managed to take some photos so time to blog!
:)

Ingredients:
(these are just my preference that day, feel free to use whatever veggies you like)
2 tablespoons oil
1 yellow squash
1 green zucchini
1 onion
1/2 of a cabbage
2 medium carrots
1/4 of a green or red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 pound boneless beef round steak, cut into thin strips
6 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt/pepper/seasonings to taste
Hot cooked rice

Step 1.  Chop veggies and stir fry in a large skillet with oil.  Some veggies take longer than others. I usually put in the carrots and squash/zucchini first with the garlic and oil to took for a few minutes before I add the rest of the veggies.  Stir fry until soft, approx. 5-10 minutes. 

 Remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, stir fry beef with soy sauce and bell peppers until fully cooked. 

 

Return veggies to pan and toss. 

Step 3.  Serve with warm rice. 

 This just happens to be my boyfriends secret recipe rice -

 his speciality.  We make everything with TLC. :)

Chicken Wings (hot 'n spicy)

In the spirit of the superbowl (wah, the Patriots should have been playing) I made some chicken wings for the boys with big appetites in my family (only 2 but they eat with a very hearty appetite)!!  Also not sure if I'm happy that they enjoyed them so much, I already have special requests to make them more often...

I did three different types of wings.  One batch had this hot sauce recipe (my guys like 'em hot!), one batch had a honey mustard (my favorite) and the third batch had basic BBQ sauce. 

I also made potato salad but have no pictures to show for it.  To be honest, I'm lucky I managed to snap a few pictures of the wings before they all disappeared!  

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings

Salt/pepper/seasoning salt

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup hot sauce

1 tablespoon butter
Serve with:
Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing
Celery/Carrot sticks

First Step:

Remove tips and cut wings at joint.  Heat the oil and fry the wings until crisp, about 10 minutes.  Halfway through cooking, add seasonings to taste.  I split my wings into two batches so they could cook evenly without being squished.

 

Remove chicken from skillet or deep fryer and drain on paper towels.

Next, melt the butter in a large skillet. Stir in the hot pepper sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Add cooked chicken to sauce and stir over low heat to coat. The longer the wings simmer in the sauce, the hotter they will be.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (this allows the sauce to really stick to your wings and dry up a little). 

Tip:  Line cookware with foil for easy clean-up.

 

Serve warm.

Black Bean Croquettes with Avocado/Tomato Salsa

Let's start with the ingredients:

Ingredients

·                     1 dash(es) cooking spray

·                     1 can black beans

·                     1 teaspoon cumin, ground

·                     1 cup(s) corn, whole kernel frozen

·                     1/4 cup(s) bread crumbs, fine, dry

·                     1/3 cup(s) panka bread crumbs, dry

·                     2 cup(s) tomato(es)

·                     2 medium scallion(s) (green onions)

·                     1/4 of a red bell pepper

·                     1/2 white onion

·                     1/4 cup(s) cilantro, fresh

·                     1 teaspoon chili powder

·                     1 teaspoon lemon juice

·                     1/4 teaspoon salt

·                     1 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin

·                     1 medium avocado

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Mash black beans and cumin with a fork in a large bowl. Stir in corn and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.

3. Combine tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, bell pepper, white onion, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup of the tomato mixture into the black bean mixture.

4. Mix the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a small bowl until the breadcrumbs are coated with oil. Divide the bean mixture into 8 scant 1/2-cup balls. Lightly press each bean ball into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat (I like to use panka Japanese bread crumbs). Place on the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake the croquettes until heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir avocado into the remaining tomato mixture. Serve the salsa with the croquettes.

Tuna and Artichoke Salad

A striking recipe with rich Mediterranean flavor. 

Let's start with the ingredients:

Ingredients

• 2 cans chunk light tuna, drained
• 1 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts
• 1 cup chopped olives (black)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 whole tomato
• 1/3 white onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. 

2.  Serve over lettuce or French bread.

Preparation:

cookbook cover

Which cookbook cover do you like better? I'm having a difficult time deciding!

Thanksgiving 2010