Chicken Lo Mein

From my mom

1/2 lb Linguine
2 Chicken Breasts
3 T Soy Sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 Cup salad oil
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/4 lb peapods
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 Large red pepper, sliced
1/2 Cup water
Instant Chicken Boullion
1 T sherry

- Cut chicken into thin slices (best if use the thin sliced chicken breasts or the tenders)
- In a medium bowl mix chicken, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, and set aside
- Prepare linguine
- Over medium high heat, heat oil
- Cook mushrooms, pods, onions, red pepper
- Stir quickly, 3-5 minutes
- Remove to bowl
- In drippings, cook chicken mixture
- Stir until tender
- Return veggies to skillet
- Add water and boullion
- Boil
- Add linguine and heat through

Nana's Minestrone

1 Cup Cooked Macaroni
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/4 lb Bacon, chopped
1 tsp Parsley, chopped
1/2 Clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 T Tomato Paste
2 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 Carrots, sliced
2 Potatoes, chunked
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Can Chick Peas
1.5 Quart Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Water

- Brown oil, bacon, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper
- Add tomato paste diluted with one cup water
- Simmer 5 minutes
- Add vegetables and stock
- Boil gently 45 minutes
- Add cooked macaroni
- Cook 10 minutes

Nana's Iowa Corn Chowder

8 Slices Bacon
3-4 Chicken Breasts, chunked
2 Stalks Celery, chopped
1 Small or 1/2 Large Onion, chopped
3 Potatoes, chunked
1 Lg Container Chicken Stock
1 Bag Frozen Corn
1 Cup Heavy Cream
8-10 Oz Water

- Brown Bacon in a large stockpot, remove when crispy
- Brown Chicken, Celery, Onion in bacon seasoned pot
- Drain
- Add Stock, Water, Potatoes, Corn
- Cook 30 minutes
- Add Heavy Cream and Bacon and cook for additional 5-10 minutes

Kiki's Chowder

For a Large Crock Pot

4 Cans Condensed Snow's Chowder
4 Cans Minced Clams
at least 2 Cans Fat Free Half and Half
at least 2 Cans Whole Milk
2 Heaping T Minced Garlic
1/2 Stick Butter

Pepper
Oyster Crackers

Optional: Minced Potatoes

Start Early and On Low.

Fire and Spice Ham

Made for Easter 2009

1 5.6-6 lb 33% less sodium smoked, fully cooked ham half
Cooking Spray
1/2 Cup Red Pepper Jelly
1/2 Cup Pineapple Preserves
1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

Preheat Oven to 425

Trim fat rind from ham half. Score outside of ham in diamond pattern. Place ham on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Combine jelly and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Brush 1/3 jelly mixture over ham.

Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 (do not remove from oven); bake 45 minutes, basting ham with jelly mixture every 15 minutes. Transfer ham to serving platter. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Ina's Pan Fried Onion Dip

Uh-Mazzzzing

2 Large Onions
4 T Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
4 Oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Good Mayo

- Slice onions THIN
- Heat butter and oil in cold pan over medium heat
- Add onions and spices. Saute' 10 minutes
- Reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until brown and carmelized

COOL COMPLETELY

- Mix sour cream, mayo and cream cheese
- Add cooled onions. Mix well

Serve Room Temperature

MODIFICATIONS

I know it is sacrilege to alter Ina's recipe, but 2 large onions was just too much for me. I find one large onion to be enough.

Baked Haddock

(Real Simple January 2009)

1/4 Cup & 2 T Milk
1 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup & 2 T Bread crumbs
2 T Grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp Ground Dried Thyme
2 Haddock Fillets
2 T Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

In a small bowl, combine the milk and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and thyme.

Dip the haddock fillets in the milk, then press into the crumb mixture to coat. Place haddock fillets in a glass baking dish, and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake on the top rack of the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily, about 15 minutes.

MODIFICATIONS

I prefer the Captain Cut Loins of Haddock and I typically buy one pound. This is easy, light and is definitely in our rotation.

Grilled Sausages and Polenta with Marinated Peppers

(July 2009 Real Simple)

Serves 4

2 T Fresh Lime Juice
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Honey
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
1 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
8 Small Links Italian Sausage (1 1/2 pounds total)
1 lb Store-Bought Cooked Polenta, sliced into thick rounds

- Heat grill to medium high. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, honey, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper until the honey is dissolved. Add the bell pepper and onion and let sit, tossing occasionally, for 15 minutes.

- Meanwhile, grill the sausages, turning occasionally, until charred and cooked through, 10 - 12 minutes. During the last 6 minutes of cooking, oil the grill and all the polenta. Grill until charred and heated through, 2 -3 minutes per side. Serve with sausage and vegetables.

MODIFICATIONS MADE

Chicken sausage was on sale this week in many varieties. I chose Sweet Apple Chicken sausages and they were heavenly. The toddler was on a hunger strike, either that or she ate her weight in red peppers before dinner. Jury is still out on that one.

I had planned on prepping the veggies by the recipe, but in the end knew that everyone would enjoy a more traditional approach with salt, pepper, italian seasoning and a good saute.

Steve gave the meal 3.5 stars and asked that we make it again.

Mussels with Tomatoes and Olives

(July 2009 Real Simple)

Serves 4

2 T Unsalted Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
Kosher Salt and Pepper
1 Cup Dry White Wine
1 Lb Beefsteak Tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives, roughly chopped
2 Lbs Mussels, scrubbed
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley, choppped
1 Small Baguette, warmed

- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook until just tender, 4-5 minutes.

- Add the wine and simmer until slightly reduced, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and olives. Add the mussels and cook, covered, until they open, 3-4 minutes. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Stir in the parsley.

- Divide the mussels and cooking liquid among bowls. Serve with bread.

MODIFICATIONS

I love mussels. I rarely have them, but when BigY advertised a special on PEI mussels this week; 2 lbs for $5, I quickly added this to the week's menu. I substituted tomatoes on the vine (on sale) and eliminated the olives because I was already pushing it with this meal. Steve wondered aloud multiple times what else we were having for dinner. I prepared a side of whole grain linguine and poured the leftover cooking liquid over a small bowl for each of us.

While Caroline declared "yuck" after sampling a small mussel, she dipped her baguette into the cooking liquid again and again with many declarations of "yummmm."

Not something we'll have all the time, but it was a special and delightful treat ready in under 20 minutes and definitely worthy of sitting down to have despite one crazy thunderstorm's ill-timed arrival.

I made divine fresh toast the following morning with the leftover baguette. Perhaps we will need to have this more often afterall. I love french toast.