Manicotti

This was my first successful attempt at making real food when I was younger. I believe I was 16 when I first made this. I don't even know why I choose it, I hated spaghetti so who knows, but it sure is yummy. I still make it the same as I did  back then. I also still make it with corn bread I decided that is the only way I can have it. The sweet with the savory make an excellent combo.

1 Box Manicotti Noodles, cooked as directed

1 C Ricotta Cheese

2 C Mozzarella Cheese, grated

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese

1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cook noodles, when they are done rinse in COLD water
3. Combine cheeses in a bowl and mix well
4. In a 9x13 pan, spread about 1/4 cup sauce evenly on the bottom of pan
5. Grab a handful of cheese mixture and squish into a long narrow tube shape, then slide it into the manicotti noodle, place noodle with cheese in pan
6.  Fill all remaining noodles with cheese and place in pan
7. Pour remaining sauce on top of noodles, sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder
8. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
9. Serve with corn muffins

Korean Pork Bulgogi and Potato Side Dish

This dish is inspired by Korean Restaurant SAM HAWK on 660 N Freedom Blvd, Provo, UT (801) 377-7766. If you go I highly recommend the beef (sweet) and pork (spicy) Bulgogi and that you call ahead and place your order so you don't have to wait. If you haven't had Korean food before this is an excellent place to begin. The food is delicious and these dishes are somewhat similar to food I've had at some Chinese restaurants, so nothing strange. Also they serve everything with free appetizers and they are refillable. I love this place!! These dishes cost around 9.00. Sooooo because I can't go there whenever I want I found this recipe and it is a great substitute for their dishes.

2 Lbs. Pork Roast, sliced paper thin

1/3 C Soy Sauce

1/4 C Sugar

3 T Honey

4 T Rice Wine Vinegar

5 T Sesame Oil

1 Med. Onion, chopped

2 T Garlic, minced

1 T Red Pepper Sauce

1 t. Liquid Smoke

1 Large Ziploc Bag

2 t Sesame Seeds

1. Slice the Roast into paper thin slices. It is easier to do this when the roast is semi frozen and you have a very sharp knife, or if you get the butcher to do it that would be awesome
2. Combine  2 T of the sesame oil and all other ingredients except sesame seeds into the Ziploc bag.
3. Marinate for 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
4. In a large skillet put in 2 T sesame oil and heat to med high heat
5. Once pan is hot add meat  mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes, separating meat so pieces all cook evenly and do not stick together.
6. Remove all liquid in pan 
7. Add 1 T sesame oil
8. Cook until meat is browned remove from pan and top with sesame seeds
9. Serve with Rice and whole lettuce leaves, to be eaten lettuce wrap style if desired

Potato Side Dish

This recipe tastes EXACTLY like the potatoes at Sam Hawk. I have spent over a year trying to figure it out. Last time I was there I got the missing puzzle to the recipe, Steamed potatoes. Who steams potatoes? I guess they do. Steaming gives them the exact texture you need to have them taste right. So don't even think about boiling them! They will be all wrong and you will regret it!

3-4 Potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 C Water

4 T Sugar

2T Corn Syrup

1 T Garlic, minced

2 1/2 T Soy Sauce

1/8 t salt

3 T Vegetable Oil

1. Steam potatoes for 30 minutes or until soft
2. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl, add steamed potatoes
3. Put in fridge and marinate at least 4-5 hours best when marinated for 8-24 hours.
4. Remove from sauce and serve cold, some like them warmed a bit, just remove from sauce and microwave until temperature desired

Here is a picture of the red pepper sauce, so you can find it at the store.

Chicken Noodle Soup and Cheese Toast

1/2 Pkg. Homemade Style Noodles

3/4 C Carrots, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

3 Potatoes, cubed,  I used red here but normally I use Idaho

1 T Garlic, minced

**2 Chicken Breasts, cooked, and cubed (from chicken for many uses, recipe below)

10 Cups Water or More, make sure everything is covered with water

15 Chicken Bullion Cubes (Use 1 1/2 cubes for every cup of water)

1 T Cumin

1/2 t Rosemary 

1/4 t Nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a very large pot and boil for 20 minutes, until noodles and potatoes are done

**If you are using precooked chicken add in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Cheese Toast

Crusty Sour Dough or Grandmas White Bread, sliced

Butter

Parmesan Cheese

Mozzarella Cheese

Put butter on bread then layer with parmesan then mozzarella. Toast until cheese is bubbly and brown on top. Also very good with just Parmesan.

Just a word about recipes

I just wanted to say a word or two about recipes. I feel like recipes are really just suggestions. If you don't like something in a recipe, then substitute it for something you like.  If you don't have an ingredient then look in your cupboard and find something else. Sometimes it works out sometimes not but you never know until you try it. You may just find your new favorite dish by trying something new you have never thought of before. Be adventurous! Good Luck!

Pesto Pasta

This can be served hot or cold.

1 Box Pasta, cooked ( I really like mini bowtie and mini penne)

1/2 C Pesto ( I like the kind sold in the refrigerated section

1/2 C Kalamata Olives, sliced (I buy a large bottle from Costco, way cheaper)

1 Tomato, chopped

1/2 C Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded or cubed

Pine nuts, toasted (if you can afford them) they weren't

in this but they would have been Delicious!!

1. Combine all ingredients and mix until all the noodles are coated with pesto.

Chicken Almond Bake

I made this up the other night because these were the ingredients in my house and it turned out really well!

2 Shredded Chicken Breasts (from chicken for many things)

2 1/2 C Cooked Rice, perfect use for left over rice

1 Can Cream Of Chicken

3 Chicken Bullion Cubes

1/2 C Water

1/2 C Heavy Cream ( or water milk you have)

4 Green Onions, chopped

2 1/2 C Cheese, grated

1 Bag Frozen Vegetables ( I used carrots, peas, corn,green beans)

1/4 C Toasted Almonds

1t Salt

1t Pepper (freshly ground if you grew up on a pepper farm)

1 t Garlic Powder
1T Cumin

1. Dissolve Bullion cubes in hot water, I used the same bowl I added all the ingredients to so I didn't have to dirty one more dish
2. Add all ingredients except 1/2 C cheese and mix together
3. Put in a 9x13 casserole dish, top with remaining 1/2 C cheese
4. Bake 45-60 minutes until everything is bubbly

Peanut Butter Bars

I have tried many peanut butter bars in my day searching for the right one and this is it. I got this recipe from Amy Fugal but she says it is the one they use to make at our elementary schools, I loved those!!

3/4 C Butter or Margarine

3/4 C Brown Sugar

3/4 C Sugar

2 Eggs

3/4 C Peanut Butter

3/4 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

1 1/2 C Flour

1 T Vanilla

1 1/2 C Oats 

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream together butter, both sugars, and eggs
3. Add peanut butter, blend for 1 minute
4. Continue mixing and add soda, salt, flour, vanilla, when well mixed,
5. Add in oats but don't mix to much just until blended. You don't want the oats to fall apart
6. Put in a 13x9 pan for thick bars or a large cookie sheet for thinner bars.
7. Bake 25-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
8. While bars are cooking make the frosting.When bars are cooled, Frost with recipe below. Or if your me and can't wait that long cut out a few to eat frost those and then frost the rest later.

Frosting

6 T Butter or Margarine

4 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

1/2 C Milk

1/2 t Vanilla

Coco to taste about 6 T

Whip all ingredients together for about 5-10 Minutes, Until light in color and fluffy. 

You can also use Nutella, or put chocolate chips on top when it is right out of the oven then spread them when they are melted

Parmesan Potato Bites

I made these the other night and I have to say they were pretty yummy.

6 Red or Brown Potatoes , cut into bit size bits

3-4 T. Vegetable Oil

1/4 C. Parmesan Cheese

11/2 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

1t. season salt

2 t. Garlic Powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, shake vigorously until all potatoes are coated. 
3. Put potatoes on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
5. Eat right away they are tastiest when pipping hot.

Apricot Jalapeno Jam

This recipe is brought to you by Stephanie Trevino's Mom. She taught a class on how to make this really yummy jam. I don't normally love Apricot jam but this is so delicious!!!! I have served this at several different parties since making it and it has been a big hit with everyone. I serve it with different cheeses, cream cheese, goat, muenster, provolone, and crackers. Once I made caramelized onions to go on top of the cheese and crackers and jam and it was my favorite! Sooooo you won't be able to make it now, you need fresh apricots but you can drool and wish you had some then next year you can make it.

7 C. Apricots, pitted and blemishes cut off

Squish the apricots down hard into the measuring cup

6 T. Lemon Juice

5 C. Sugar

3 Large Jalapenos or 5 Little Ones, cut off stem and

cut out the seeds and inside white stuff

1 pkg. Liquid Pectin

This makes about 6 quarts, if I remember right

1. Wash all lids and bottles in the dishwasher with hot water.
2. Measure Apricots make sure you squish them down hard! Put them in a Large pot
3. Take 1 cup of apricots and puree them in a food processor with the jalapenos, add to pot
4. Add sugar and lemon juice
5. Stirring the ENTIRE time boil on med high, scrape off the foam and put into a bowl, Save the foam
6. Boil until mixture is thickened and no more foam is being made, about 30 minutes
7. Add pectin, boil 2 more minutes
8. Fill jars with jam, do not put lids on yet
9. Boil lids, (not rings) in water for 5 minutes
10. Wipe top of jars clean, put lids and bands on
11. Turn jars upside down for 10 minutes
12. Turn jars upright and by morning all jars will have sealed, you can tell by the lid being sucked down so you can't push it up and down and make a popping noise

With the foam you scraped off at the bottom of the white foamy part is some amber syrup, this is delicious on pancakes, waffles, and crepes. I would save this in the fridge, it is yummy!

**Now this jam will keep on your shelf for about a year.

** You can double this recipe but do not triple it, the jam will not turn out right.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 Chicken Breasts Shredded, Use recipe below (chicken for many things)

1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 Onion, Chopped

1 T. Butter

1 Green Pepper (frozen work great)

1/2 Bunch Cilantro, chopped

2 C. Cheddar Cheese, grated

3 t. Garlic, minced

1 1/2 t. Cumin

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 t. Onion Powder

1 t. Garlic Powder

1 Large Can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Corn Tortilla Shells

1 C. Sour Cream

2 T. Lemon or Lime Juice

Tomatoes 

Lettuce

1.  Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large frying pan add, butter, garlic, green peppers and onion. Saute until onions are soft
3. Add, chicken, beans, cilantro and spices
4. In a 9x13 pan, pour enough Enchilada sauce in to just barley cover the bottom. Do NOT grease pan.
5. Fill each tortilla shell with some meat mixture and cheese. Roll up and put in pan. The shells will break but that's OK 
6. Once pan is filled up, cover with remaining Enchilada Sauce and cheese.
7. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 min. Until everything is melted and bubbly. 
8. Mix sour cream with lime juice, 
9. Top enchiladas with lime-sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce
10. Serve with Rice

These freeze really well. I usually put a few in a disposable pie pan and freeze them for later. You usually have to bake them for about 1 hour frozen.

Chicken For Many Things

Here is an idea I got off of the website Deals to Meals. I really like most of her recipes. Anyway I tried doing this last time with my chicken and it has been very yummy and handy!!

Raw chicken breasts, (boneless/skinless), I did about 10 lbs.

3 C. Water

7 Chicken Bullion

4 T. Montreal Steal Seasoning

1. Put all ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on high for 3 hours.
2. When done cooking put 1-2 chicken breasts per Ziploc bag.
3. Freeze them to use later!

I have used this meat in Taco's, Enchiladas, Soups, Hawaiian Hay Stacks, and Salads. You could use this for many more things. I will think of more and post some recipes as they come to me.

Bean Dip

I recommend taking a Beano before eating this! This recipe comes from Pampered Chef, I just added the can of chili. I like this because it is served warm and has lots of flavor. It also tastes good cold.

1 can Refried Beans

1 can Chili (pureed in a food

processor or blender)

1 pkg. Cream Cheese

1 C. Sour Cream

1 T. Taco Seasoning

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 C. Cheese, grated

1/2 C. Olives, (I prefer Kalamata, 

I buy a large bottle at Costco)

1 Tomato, chopped

4 Green Onions, minced

1/4 C. Fresh Cilantro

11/2 C. Lettuce, chopped

Tortilla Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix together the chili and refried beans, spread on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

3. Combine, cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, and garlic. Spread on top of the beans. 

4. Sprinkle with cheese.

5. Bake at 350 for 18 min.

6. I usually take a few napkins and soak up the grease from the cheese

7. Sprinkle, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lettuce on top

8. Serve with tortilla chips, Yummy