Sweet and Sour Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts

1 c. cornstarch

2 eggs

1/4 c. oil

Preheat oven to 325.  Cut chicken into 1 inch chunks and salt and pepper them.  Roll in cornstarch, then in beaten eggs.  Fry in oil over medium-high heat until browned on the outside.  Place in 9x13 pan and cover with sauce.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Serve with fried rice.

Sauce:

3/4 c. sugar (or honey)

1/4 c. ketchup

1/2 c. vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. garlic salt

Juicy Gelatine

4 envelopes gelatine
1 c. cold juice
3 c. boiling juice

Pour gelatine over cold juice and let sit while the other juice boils.  Add boiling juice and stir until disolved (takes a while).  Refrigerate until solid.  Cut up and store in refrigerator.

Strawberry Lemonade

2 c.  strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 c.  lemon juice
1 c.  sugar (or honey)
5 c.  ice water

Blend lemon juice, sugar, strawberries and one cup of water.  Add to remaining water and stir.

THE best tortillas

4 c. flour (whole wheat works)
2 t. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
1 1/4-1/2 c. hot water
Mix flour and salt.  Stir in oil.  Add 1 cup of water and stir.  Continue to add a little water at a time until ball holds together.  Use hands to knead the dough in the bowl for about 1 minute.  Let rest (if there’s time).  Make into balls and let rest again while griddle heats to 325.  Roll out into thin circles and cook until they start to lightly brown on each side.  Still good the next day.

Banana Bread Bars

Banana Bread Bars:
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. softened butter or coconut oil
2 eggs
1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

Mix wet ingredients.  Add dry ingredients.  Bake in greased jelly roll pan for 20-25 min. at 375.  Make frosting while they cook.

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk

Brown butter on stovetop—don’t burn.  Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Frost cake while still warm.

Tres Leches Cake. The Real Deal.

Cake

1 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

5 eggs, separated

1 c. sugar, separated

1/3 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Beat egg yolks and 3/4 c. sugar until pale yellow.  Add flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla and stir gently.  In separate bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add 1/4 c. sugar and beat until stiff, not dry.  Mix egg whites gently into batter and pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Smooth with spatula and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Pierce top of cake with fork all over then turn out onto platter or cookie sheet and cool completely.

3 Milks

1/4 c whipping cream

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

12 oz can evaporated milk

While cake cools mix milks together.  Pierce the rest of the cake with a fork and slowly pour milks over.  Let sit for 20 minutes before frosting.

On Top

1 pint, minus 1/4 c.,  whipping cream

3 T. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

cinnamon

Whip cream and sugar together.  Add vanilla.  Spread over cake and shake cinnamon on top.  Chill several hours.

Best Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

cream butter and sugar. add eggs and beat well. add sour cream and vanilla. sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. roll to about 1/2” thick and cut out.  bake at 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes. makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Sean’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
½ c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
3 c flour
1 t vanilla
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla, mix well, then add dry ingredients, and mix just until combined. Fold in choc chips. Bake on doubled-up ungreased cookie sheets from 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.

For cranberry white chocolate chip:
Substitute almond flavor for vanilla, add 1/2 c. craisins, 1/2 c. sliced almonds, 1/2 c. white chocolate chips.

Curried Coconut Chicken with Rice

2 lb chicken, cut into chunks
1 t. salt and pepper
1 1/2 T. oil
2 T. curry powder
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
14 oz can coconut milk
14.5 oz can stewed, diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
3 T. sugar
Salt and pepper chicken.  Heat oil and curry powder over med-high heat for 2 minutes.  Add onions and garlic and cook another minute.  Add chicken and cook over medium until cooked through, 7-10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  To thicken, remove lid at the end of cooking.  Serve over rice.

Korean Beef and Rice

1 lb ground beef
1 T. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

Brown beef in oil with garlic.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Serve over rice with diced green onions and sesame seeds.

Our Favorite Pancakes with Coconut Syrup

1 1/4 c. coconut milk
1 t. lemon juice
2 T. coconut oil
1 t. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
1 1/2 T. sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Mix all ingredients in blender.  Cook on griddle heated to 325.  Serve with coconut syrup.

Coconut Syrup:
1 can coconut milk
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. shredded coconut

Bring ingredients to boil over medium heat.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Let cool and blend in blender until smooth.  Can be refrigerated and reused for up to 2 weeks.

Mexican Lasagna

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion

1 bell pepper

1 package or 1/4 cup  taco seasoning

3/4 c. water

1 can tomatoes w/ green chilis

1 can beans, rinsed and drained (we prefer black or pinto)

1 c. frozen corn

1 can refried beans

2 c. grated cheese

6+ corn torillas

Preheat oven to 325.  Grease 9x13 pan.  Brown beef with chopped onion and pepper.  Drain.  Add water and taco seasoning.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and beans.  Layer tortillas, refried beans, corn, and meat mixture.  Cook 20-25 min.  Serve with sour cream.

Cream Cheese Enchiladas with Simple Enchilada Sauce

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sour cream

1 recipe Simple Enchilada Sauce, divided

2 cups shredded cheese, divided

2 cups cooked shredded chicken (crockpot)

1 cup frozen corn

4 oz. can diced green chiles

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

10-ish corn tortillas

Cook chicken in crockpot and shred.  Prepare enchilada sauce while chicken cooks.

Preheat oven to 325.  Grease 9x13 pan.

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup of enchilada sauce, and half of the cheese.  Add spices, corn, and chilis.  Add chicken and combine.

Pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Roll chicken mixture into warm tortillas.  Cover with remaining sauce and cheese and scallions. 

Bake 20-25 min.  Serve with sour cream.

Can also be put together as a casserole.

Enchilada Sauce:

4 T. Chili Powder

1 t. Cumin

1/2 t. Onion Powder

1/2 t. Garlic Powder

2 T. Flour

14 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 c. Water

Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until thick.