Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 3/4 C water
1 1/2 C white rice
3 TBS vegetable oil or wok oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inches fresh ginger, minced or grated
1/2 C store bought shredded carrots
1 small red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 C frozen peas
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 C diced ham (optional)

Instructions:

Bring water to a boil. Add rice and then reduce heat. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until tender, 15-18 minutes. Spread rice out on a cookie sheet to quick cool it, or place cookie sheet in fridge.

Heat a wok, or a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add oil to the pan. Add egg to hot oil and break into small bits as it scrambles. When eggs are scrambled, add garlic and ginger to pan. Add carrots, pepper and scallions to the pan and quick stir fry the veggies for 2 minutes. Add rice tot he pan and stir fry rice with veggies for 2-3 minutes. Add peas, ham, and soy sauce and stir fry 1 minute more; then serve.

Saucy Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients: 

1/2 C chopped onion
2 TBS butter
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1/3 C beer or non-alcoholic beer (or broth)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (7 oz each)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions: 

In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the soup, beer, curry, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Place chicken in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Pour soup mixture over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 24-28 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

 Ingredients:

24 white dinner rolls
24 pieces honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip
1 TBS poppy seeds
1 1/2 TBS yellow mustard
1/2 Cbutter, melted
1 TBS minced onion
1/2 tsp.Worcestershire sauce
 
Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

Note: Sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

 Ingredients:

4 (about 8 oz each) chicken breast, fat trimmed, sliced in half to make 8
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted (or olive oil)
3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (I used Polly-o)
1 cup marinara
cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture.  Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.



Lightly spray a little more oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, spoon 1 tbsp sauce over each piece of chicken and top each with 1 1/2 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese.    

Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Mini German Pancakes

 Ingredients:
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender.  Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.

Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.

Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins. Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.

Served with your favorite toppings.

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/4 cups raspberries

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, oil, and lemon zest. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until moistened. Fold in raspberries. Fill 18 muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and lemon juice. If glaze is too thick, add another tablespoon of lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins and allow to harden slightly, about 5 minutes.

Lemon Cream Cake

Cake

1 Betty Crocker white cake mix
1 1/4 c. water

1/3 c. vegetable oil

3 egg whites

Note: These measurements are based on a Betty Crocker cake mix.  If you chose to use a different brand, the ingredients and measurements might be different.

Lemon Cream Filling

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 c. powdered sugar

3 TBS lemon juice

1 c. heavy whipping cream

Vanilla Crumb Topping

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. cold butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Make white cake according to the directions on the box.  Divide batter between two 9'' cake pans. Bake according to box directions.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes. Then, invert cakes to cooling rack and cool completely.

Make the lemon cream filling by mixing  cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.  Mix in lemon juice.  Whip the cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until it forms stiff peaks.  Fold cream cheese mixture with whipped cream.  Stir gently by hand until blended.

Make crumb topping by combining flour and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.  Add butter and dribble in the vanilla extract.  Use your hands or a pastry cutter to mix cold butter into flour and sugar.  Break butter into smaller and smaller pieces as you incorporate it into the dry ingredients.  Be sure not to press the mixture together.  You want to end up with a very crumbly consistency with pieces no bigger than a pea.  

When the cake is cool, spread all but 1/2 cup of the lemon cream mixture onto the bottom half of the cake, then carefully place the top half of the cake over the filling.  Spread remaining filling over the top and sides of the cake.  Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the cake and press it onto the sides all the way around the cake.  Now chill the cake for at least three hours before you serve it.  When you are ready to dig in, slice cake into 12 slices.  Serve each slice topped with powdered sugar tapped through a strainer.  Serves: 12.  Keep refrigerated.
 
Hint: I added a little lemon extract to my filling to give it a little stronger lemon flavor.  I also sprinkled the vanilla crumb topping onto one of my cakes before I baked it, so it would create a nice crispy topping.  After letting the cakes cool completely.  I spread the entire amount of filling onto the bottom cake layer and then refrigerated it for a while, so it would harden slightly and it wouldn't run out the sides when I put the top cake layer on.  It worked beautifully and tasted great.