Orange-Chicken Rice Bowl

The only thing I can really say about this recipe is that the chicken really needed to be marinated in the sauce versus just being cooked in it like the directions indicate. Not a stir-fry I will be making again....

Orange-Chicken Rice Bowl
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/4 cup Asian toasted sesame dressing
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
3 cups hot cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts

Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, stir-fry 5 to 7 minutes or until done. Stir in dressing and juice. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables, cook 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with nuts. Serves 4.

cleaning out the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator

It was time to do some cleaning out in the kitchen to make room for meals that I have been freezing in preparation for the baby to arrive next month. A while back, my husband picked up Udon noodles at the store and they have been sitting in the pantry just waiting to be used. I enjoy lo mein, but had never attempted to make it myself. I also had a steak in the freezer that needed to be used, along with some fresh cut vegetables in the refrigerator. So, by changing this recipe a bit, I cleaned out some space and ended up with a good meal! (The main thing I changed was omitting the mushrooms and replacing it with cut up carrots and sugar snap peas.)

Pan-fried Udon Noodles with Beef, Broccoli and Shiitakes (or mixed vegetables of your choice)

1 package dried udon noodles (usually sold in 8.8 oz packages)
10 ounces chuck steak, sliced for stir-frying
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ cup + 1 tbs mirin (keep divided)

3 Tbls regular soy sauce
2 tsp sugar (more to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbls minced ginger
½ pound broccoli, cut for stir-frying
1 ounce dried shitake mushrooms (omitted)
1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted

If using dried noodles, boil them first for about 3 or 4 minutes less than indicated on the package. You’ll cook them further when you stir-fry them. Drain and rinse them with cold water. Allow them to drain well and toss them with a little oil if you aren’t ready to us them right away. Soak the mushrooms in boiling water until they soften up. Squeeze them dry and set aside until needed. In a small bowl, combine the sliced beef, cornstarch and 1 tbs mirin. Mix well and allow to marinate for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the other ingredients.Make the sauce by combining the remaining mirin, tamari and sugar. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Once all your ingredients are ready, heat a wok over high heat. When hot, add about 1 to 2 tbs oil. When it gets really hot, throw in the marinating meat and garlic. Quickly stir-fry until just no longer pink, but not until done. Remove from the wok and set aside. Add a little more oil if necessary then add the ginger, broccoli, and mushrooms. On top of that add the cold, drained noodles. Stir-fry without over-stirring for about 2 minutes. The noodles should begin to take on some color and the broccoli should begin to soften. Once the noodles are warmed through, add about half of the sauce and allow the noodles to absorb it. Covering the wok helps this go a little faster. Then add the beef back in and the remaining sauce. Once the sauce is absorbed and the beef is cooked through, you’re done! To serve, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4.

Sweet and Sour Pork and Pineapple Stir-Fry

This dish reminds me of the sweet and sour chicken my dad use to make when I was growing up. At that point, I really didn't care for the dish, but I'm happy that my taste buds have "matured" and I enjoy stir-fry now!

Sweet and Sour Pork and Pineapple Stir-fry (Pampered Chef)
1 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbls plus 1 tsp cornstarch, divided
2 cups fresh sugar snap peas
1 medium pineapple
3 Tbls soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 Tbls vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
3 cups hot cooked rice

On cutting board, trim fat and silver skin from pork tenderloin. Slice pork lengthwise into four strips. Thinly slice strips crosswise. Combine pork, salt and 2 Tbls of the cornstarch in bowl; set aside. On a large cutting board, cut sugar snap peas in half crosswise on a bias. Slice top and bottom off of pineapple, creating a flat base. Stand pineapple upright; core and peel. Set aside half of the pineapple for another use. Chunk remaining pineapple flesh. For sauce, combine soy sauce, vinegar and remaining cornstarch in small bowl, whisk well. Add preserves and whisk well; set aside. Add oil to 12-inch skillet; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until simmering. Place pork into skillet in single layer and cook undisturbed 4-6 minutes or until browned on one side. Turn pork over and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Add onion. Cook 30-60 seconds or until onion begins to brown. Reduce heat to medium; add peas, pineapple and sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly. Serve stir-fry with rice. Makes 4 servings.

Spicy Beef Stir-fry

My husband and I enjoyed this wonderful dish for supper last night. It was easy to prepare, although I should have read the recipe a little better before I started so I would have all the prep work done before heating up the wok! I would definitely make this dish again as we both really enjoyed the flavor. I made a couple of miner alterations to the recipe (noted below).



Spicy Beef Stir-fry
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 to 2 tsp Chinese chili sauce with garlic (I used 1 tsp, but next time will use 2 or more!!)
1 tsp and 1 Tb vegetable oil
1/2 lb beef flank steak, cut across grain into 1/8 inch strips
1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 lb Chinese pea pods, but diagonally into pieces (1 cup) (I substituted a frozen stir-fry vegetable mix for the pea pods)
2 cups hot cooked rice or soba noodles


Mix soy sauce, cornstarch and chili sauce, reserve. Heat wok or 10-inch nonstick skillet until 1 to 2 drops water bubble and skitter when sprinkled in wok. Add 1 tsp oil and rotate wok to coat bottom and side. Add beef. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until beef is brown; remove from wok. Add remaining 1 Tb oil and rotate wok to coat side. Add squash. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add broth; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 3 minutes or until squash is tender. Stir in cornstarch mixture, pea pods and beef. Stir-fry over high heat 2 minutes or until pea pods are crisp-tender. Serve over rice. Yields 2 servings.

"Rib-sticking Stir Fry" from Nigella Lawson and "Molly's Cake"

My husband and I were out running errands up until dinner time today. Rather than eating out, we decided to head home and look for a quick recipe using chicken we already had thawed in the refrigerator. I came across a recipe in a quick meals cookbook by Nigella Lawson.


Rib-Sticking Stir Fry
2 Tbls vegetable oil
10 oz chicken breast fillet, cut into 1 1/2 x 1/4 inch strips
4 cups chopped stir-fry vegetables (from a package!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (I used Mirin)
1 14 oz can cannellini beans, drained
1 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Heat the oil in a wok, and over fairly high heat add the chicken strips and toss them about to color. Once the meat has seared, add the vegetables and toss around again until beginning to soften, then add the soy sauce and the wine. The soy will help the meat strips bronze beautifully. Once the heat is back up and sizzling, add the beans and toss everything about to mix before tipping onto two plates. Sprinkle with the herb and serve while hot. Serves 2.


I also tried a new dessert recipe to take over to our pastor's house tomorrow for lunch. It smells great and I'm hoping it tastes the same!


Molly's Cake (I'm not sure who "Molly" is, but if the cake tastes good, I'll still give her the credit!)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick margarine or butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
4 cups powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 eggs


Mix together the cake mix, softened butter, chopped pecan and 1 egg. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese and 4 eggs until well blended. Pour over the top of the cake mix. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until done. You may also add chocolate chips to the cake mix or try other cake mix flavors.


**I took the dessert to Easter lunch and it was okay, but probably not something I would make again. I noticed the cake batter was very dry when mixing, so I added about 2/3 cup of water. The final product ended up a little dry (so probably could have used more water or oil) and it tasted fine, but not great. I'm wondering if the recipe is missing water and/or oil?