Honey chicken stir fry

umm, so it's been months since I've actually posted anything new, so I thought I'd add something. This is shamelessly stolen from Rachel Ray: 365, no repeats cookbook which Christy loaned me

1.5 cups rice
1/2 cup wine
1 tbs butter
2 c chicken stock

saute the rice in the bottom of the pan with the butter, then add the wine (tip- Vodka isn't really so very much the same as wine- I tried. I still claim it outranks the Coors, .. ) when the wine evaporates add the stock and cook like rice (low heat, etc) until it's done.

While the rice is cooking make the chicken

1-2 lbs chicken cut in small peices (you DID remember to thaw it, right?)
2 tbs fresh ginger minced
1 onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced
3 tbs honey
2 c chicken stock
1-2 Tbs cornstarch
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper

saute the chicken the pan with some oil, and salt and pepper to taste. then add garlic, ginger, onion and cook a few mintues. then add honey and stock and cook about 10 minutes. mix the cornstarch with water (just enough to be able to pour it) and add it to the pan. cook until the sauce is thick (or you can't wait any longer)

Corn tomato pasta salad

Story: I stole this one from the Rachel Ray magazine as well.

Ingrediants:
mini star pasta (original was orzo, but Smith's doesn't have it)
2-3 roma tomatoes
1 can kernel corn
1/2 red onion chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs vinegar (I used rice but red would be more normal)
garlic, basil cilantro or other spices

1. cook the pasta and drain.
2. toss pasta, tomoatoes, onion, and corn
3. mix remaining ingrediants into a sauce.

Yummy!

southern Tortillas

Story: I scammed this idea from the Rachel Ray Everyday mag December issue, then modified to make even easier.

Essential ingredients:
Tortillas
Black Beans
leftover cooked sweet potato
cheese
Other good but non essential ingredients:
Salsa ( I used a mediocre mango salsa from costco)
green onions
chicken (canned or fresh cooked up in the frying pan)
cilantro
hot sauce
. . .

You shouldn't need directions. I put cheese on one half of the tortilla and sweet potato on the other and then fold in half around the other stuff, the sweet potato helps it hold together. I'm a solid frying pan tortialla person but I suppose a microwave would be fine. I used leftover baked sweet potatoe caserole, but I think any version (roasted, baked, etc) would work.

No Knead Bread

Story: This is from the New York Times. It has to sit over night but makes AMAZING bread. It's one of the few recipies I follow exactally. The only high altitude adjustment is the rising time.

Recipe: No-Knead Bread
Published: November 8, 2006
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Ladies Aid Red

Story: The women's group at the church in my hometown always make at least 2 soups for the luncheon: a chowder and "the red one"- this is the red one:

Ingredients:
1 cup dried beans
6 cups water
2 15oz cans tomato product (sauce, or crushed, or diced, . )
1.5 cups finely shredded cabbage (about 1/3 of a small head)
1 lb hamburger cooked
1 24oz can V8
2 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
spices
carrots
celery
onion

cook the hamburg (and onions) in a frying pan. If you're using dried beans, put them in a pan with cold water, bring it up to a boil, and then pour it off, do this at least 2 times or they will take FOREVER to cook. Or else use canned beans. Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Put in a crockpot to meditate until done.

Blog start!

I've decided to start a blog of real yummy recipies for myself and my friends. I really like to make a big batch of something on Sunday and the weekly emails I get from those cooking shows are too complicated and expensive for real people. Contact me if you want to be added to post on the blog!