Mongolian Beef

We found this recipe on a website. It's EXACTLY like PF Chang's or Pei Wei's Mongolian Beef. Really easy even though the directions seem long. The original recipe called for green onion instead of broccoli, but I put in broccoli instead. I just like it better. Either way, it's good! My husband is super picky and asks for this all the time.


Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 lb flank steak

1/4 cup cornstarch

½ head broccoli

Preparation:

Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/8" thick sugar packet size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.

After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add the broccoli. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.

Heavenly Mashers *Lauren Perry*

Everyone ALWAYS asks me what I do to my mashed potatoes. Truth is, I never really follow a specific recipe. I've always just made it up as i go along (like most of my recipes). Today I took the time to stop and figure out how I make these bad boys :)

Ingredients
5-6 LARGE brown potatoes
1/2 a stick of butter
3 good size dollups of sour cream
a few good shakes of garlic salt
a few good shakes of pepper
3 cloves of garlic (keep it whole, just peel the skin off)
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 - 1 cup of parmesan cheese
(optional but SUPER YUMMY- add 1/4 cup of blue cheese- it is wonderful with the garlic and parmesan flavor)

Directions
Peel and cube the potatoes. Add to a large pot of boiling water. Add some salt (I use Kosher Salt) to the boiling water
Toss in the garlic cloves whole (but peeled)
Boil for a good 20 + minutes
Drain the water and add the garlic and potatoes back to the pot
throw in all of the above and mash with a potato masher. You don't want to overly mash the potatoes and make them like paste, its nice to have little small lumps in there.
Scoop out the mashed potatoes and place in a casserole dish. Sprinkle a bit more parmesan on top and then bake for about 20 minutes on 350 when you are ready to eat them!
Serve with gravy

Curry Chicken *Lauren Perry*

Serve this with rice! It is very delightful :)

Ingredients
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of coconut milk
2 TBS curry powder
a few shakes of garlic salt
1 shake of pepper
3 large chicken breasts cubed
2 TBS of sugar (3 if you think it needs a little more)
1/2 yellow onion sliced
splash of lime juice

extras (if you want)
sliced shittake mushrooms (yum!)
shredded coconut
cilantro (yum!)
potatoes cubed (peeled and chopped)
carrots (peeled and chopped)

I cook it on the stove top until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (on med low) and then I simmer it for the flavors, but you could also throw it all in a crock pot and add the can of coconut milk at the end.
(I personally LOVE it with 1 container of sliced shittake mushrooms)

The Man-wich and Wedges *Lauren Perry*

Make this tonight! Your husband will thank you :) I am not a fan of horseradish, but I am OBSESSED with this special sauce!

Steak (i used a tenderloin- you could really use any kind of steak or prime rib)
garlic salt
pepper
(optional- a squeeze of lime if you like a very tender steak with a slight kick)
-grill it until tender and slice about 1/2 inch thick slices

Special Sauce
about 1/3 cup Mayo
1 TBS Horseradish
1 to 1 1/2 TBS of Ketchup
-mix in a bowl

Sauteed Onions
about 4 TBS of butter
1/2 of an onion slided into rings and cut in half (do not chop, this just gets messy)
pinch of salt and pepper
(optional splash of white cooking wine)

Sandwich
Sliced sour dough bread (or any type of bread works)
Provolone Cheese (blue cheese would be yummy too, but I just LOVE provolone)
*Special Sauce
*Steak
*Sauteed Onions

- Toast the bread slices
-add a good amount special sauce to both pieces of bread (trust me, the more the better!)
-add cheese and warm in microwave for 10 seconds if necessary (the bread and steak and onions should melt it pretty good on its own)
-add steak slices and onions

Potato Wedges
2-3 Large brown potatoes
2 cloves of garlic chopped
Parmesan cheese (powdered or shredded)
garlic salt and ground pepper
oil

-preheat oven to 400
-Pour a bit of cooking oil on a baking sheet
-slice potatoes into quarters, then quarter them again and cut into half (depending on size of potato) They should look like wedge fries
-set them on cookie sheet and mix them around with the oil on there
-add garlic salt, pepper and garlic
-if using parmesan powder, add before you bake, if using shredded parmesan- add with about 5 minutes left of baking
-bake for 30-40 minutes or until lightly golden

Italian Meatloaf Sandwich *Lauren Perry*

Brian flipped over this! I am not quite sure on the measurements, since I just threw it all together, but this is basically the measurements

Ingredients
1 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg (lightly beat)
1/3 onion (leave in large chunks)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
about 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs
garlic salt
pepper
garlic bread
1 can of pizza sauce
provolone cheese slices


Directions
Heat oven to 350
in a large bowl- mix ground beef, Worcestershire, onions, spices, bread crumbs, egg and milk. Press into a bread pan or circle cake pan

Top with Pizza Sauce (i don't use the full can because its nice to have a little extra to drizzle over or use for a dip)

toast the garlic bread with provolone slices on it

with 10 minutes left to meatloaf, add slices of provolone cheese to melt on top

Slice the meatloaf and set on top of a slice of garlic bread

Pick up and eat or use a fork!

Oreo Truffles

2 packages Double Stuf Oreos
8 oz. cream cheese
Chocolate almond bark
White Chocolate almond bark

CRUSH cookies to fine crumbs in food processor or cookies can also be finely crushed in a Zip-lock bag using a rolling pin. Place in medium bowl or mixer. Add cream cheese, mix until well blended. Roll cookies into balls about 1-inch in diameter. (I use a small cookie scoop so that the bottoms are flat.) Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on wax paper covered baking sheet then drizzle with melted white chocolate using a Zip-lock bag with the corner cut off.

REFRIGERATE until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

How to easily dip truffles: Place truffle ball in chocolate to coat; roll if necessary. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper.

Vanilla French Toast with Butter Syrup *Lauren Perry*

French Toast
Bread (white, wheat, sweet hawaiian ...which ever kind you want)
3 eggs
1/4 cup of sugar
1 TBS cinnamon
2 TSP vanilla extract
2 TBS Milk
(you could slice 1 vanilla bean and take out the insides too, but vanilla beans are pretty expensive)

mix in a bowl and dip bread in, cook on oven or on a skillet- cook until each side is golden brown

Butter Syrup
1 stick of butter
about 1/3- 1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of Karo Syrup
1-2 TBS of vanilla extract

melt all of the above in a microwave and stir it together until the sugar melts

extra- slice strawberries or fresh peaches and put on top of french toast, pour butter syrup over and enjoy!