Ground Beef Stroganoff

Ground Beef Stroganoff

 Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 Tbsp. Butter

1/2 medium onion

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

Wide egg noodles

Directions: in a skillet melt the butter and cook onions until they are translucent. Then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add hamburger and brown. Then stir in the cream of chicken soup and milk and cook on low for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over cooked egg noodles. 

Applesauce Cake

 2 C sugar

2 eggs

2/3 C shortening

3 C Applesauce

4 C flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp allspice

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream together sugar, eggs, and shortening. Mix in applesauce. In a separate bowl mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, salt, allspice and baking soda. Mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients a bit at a time. Pour in to greased sheet cake pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting. 

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

I made this for a summer barbecue and it turned out great. It doesn’t make a whole lot so I think I will double it next time. 

Mix together in a large bowl:

5-6 cups chopped broccoli

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 C crumbled bacon

1/2 C sunflower seeds, shelled and salted

2/3 C craisins

1/3 C red onion, finely diced

Dressing:  Mix well and stir into the salad mixture

3/4 C Mayo

1/4 C sour crea,

1 1/2 TBSP white wine vinegar

3 TBSP sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Refrigerate if not serving immediately. 

PREPARATION

STEP 1

Combine broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, bacon, sunflower seeds, and onion in a large bowl.

In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and well-combined.

Pour dressing over broccoli combination and toss or stir well.

Serve. Keep refrigerated if not consuming right away.

Caramel Apple Salad

About 10 years ago my mom made this recipe and I really loved it so I asked her to send me the recipe. Like a good lil' mama, she emailed it to me the next day. But somehow life must have taken over and I never got around to making it. Fast forward to 2019 and I got a hankering for it, so I searched my email and found the recipe. I made this salad for a BBQ at my boyfriend's house. It was a big hit, especially with his dad who told me it was "marketable" which I took as high praise indeed! And in case you're wondering, it really does taste like caramel apples!

1 egg
2 Tbsp. flour
1 10 oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 tsp. vinegar
1/4 C sugar
2 C mini marshmallows

Drain pineapple juice into a sauce pan and add sugar, flour, egg and vinegar. Cook until thick, then add marshmallows and melt. Stir in the pineapple and then put in the fridge for several hours.

Before serving add:
5 1/2 C apples, chunks
12 oz. cool whip
1 bag of caramel bits (buy them by the chocolate chips)
1 1/2 C salted peanuts, chopped

Chicken Salad

This year I have been making more of an effort to give my kids lunch options besides just sandwiches. So far I'm managing a couple times a week but it isn't even November yet. We'll have to see how good I'm doing next May! This chicken salad has been a crowd pleaser for sure and it's really easy to make.

Quick Chicken Salad

• 2 ( 12.5 oz) cans of chicken (or 3 cups diced cooked chicken)
• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 cup diced apple
• salt and pepper to taste
• pecans or cashews, optional

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken, mayo, grapes, green onion, celery, apple, salt, and pepper.  Combine until well blended.
2. Serve on rolls, bread, or croissants sprinkle with some cashews or pecans.  This can also be served on a lettuce leaf.

Orange Chicken

I'll admit I was pretty skeptical about 3 ingredient orange chicken but it actually tasted really good. I did double this recipe for my family of 6 and it made a pretty big batch. It was so good the kids were asking if they could take leftovers in the lunchboxes the next day! 

ORANGE CHICKEN

• 1 Cup BBQ Sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s)
• 1 Cup Sweet Orange Marmalade (Smucker’s)
• 2 TBSP Soy Sauce

Crispy Chicken Ingredients:

• 3-4 Chicken Breasts (We used 3)
• 1 Cup Flour/1 Cup Cornstarch (You can use both or either/or)
• 2 Eggs
• Oil (We used vegetable oil)

Cooking Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, add the BBQ sauce, marmalade, and soy sauce. Turn the heat on low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring a few times.
2. Meanwhile, cut up your chicken breasts into cubes. In one bowl beat 2 eggs, while the other bowl should mix the dry ingredients.
3. Dip pieces of chicken in the egg and then cover in flour/cornstarch. Set on an extra plate.
4. Add a thin layer of oil to a frying pan and turn your stove on medium/high heat. Once it sizzles, add the chicken to the pan. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes each side until it’s brown and cooked on the inside.
5. Set the oily pieces on a paper towel and let drain.
6. Add the chicken to the sauce and toss!
7. Eat it on top of white rice and enjoy. I think veggies would be good with it such as green peppers or broccoli.

Arabic Chicken Shawarma

I've made this fabulous Arabic chicken a few times now and it is delicious and really not very difficult either. It does require a little advance planning so it can have the 8 hours to marinate but it's worth it. I serve it with yellow rice and a vegetable.

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 large breasts)

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of cayenne

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

Nonstick cooking spray

To Finish:

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. turmeric

Instructions

Pour the 1/4 cup of olive oil into a large plastic zipper bag. Add in the marinade spices, then seal the bag and shake to combine. I know it seems like a lot of spices, but it's not over the top. 

Cut the chicken breasts into sixths, then place the pieces into large plastic zipper bag. Seal the bag and use your hands to work the marinade into the chicken. Place the bag of chicken into the fridge to marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then prepare a baking sheet by lining it with foil and spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the chicken pieces evenly on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes, flip the chicken pieces over, then bake for another 8 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let sit until cool enough to touch. Slice the chicken into thin pieces using a sharp knife.

Heat 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

While it is heating, mix the remaining spices together in a small bowl and set it near the stove.

Once the oil is hot, add one third of the cooked chicken into the pan along with one third of the spices next to the stove. Cook, stirring, until the spices are spread throughout the meat and the chicken is heated through (just a minute or two).

Repeat this process with the remaining oil, chicken, and spices so that it is cooked in three batches (or, if you have a really big pan you could do it all at once).