Archive for July, 2007
Once again, friends, I must apologize for the lapse between posts. After blogging for well over a year now, I’m finding that I’m not making much that I haven’t already posted before! So, bear with me, keep checking in, I shall endeavor to do more experimenting in the kitchen! I plan to try making sesame sticks later this week and another version of granola bars.
My sister Sue asked recently if I’ve ever made my own pita chips for dipping and snacking - the answer is no. I do like Pita chips bought from the store and I do find them too expensive, so I don’t buy them regularly. I think making them yourself would be similar to making croûtons - lots of oil or butter, your favorite seasonings - (can anyone say garlic?!) - and a slow toasting in the oven. (Oops - I just realized I have never taught you how to make your own salad croûtons, there I have a post for tomorrow already!) However, the difference is that I would have to buy pita bread or figure out how to make it, in order to make pita chips. On the other hand, to make croûtons, all I have to do is save regular old bread heels. Unfortunately, I cannot dip my croûtons in hummus, cheese dip, salsa, etc. — so you might have something there, Sue.
For today’s recipe - we’ll do a little Chinese stir-fry idea that I whipped up yesterday following church.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
3 c. leftover cooked rice
2 chicken breast halves
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. salt
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can baby corn
1 c. pineapple chunks
1/2 c. green pepper
Sweet and Sour sauce - just buy a bottle from the store.
There are a few things to note here: One, the rice will fry up much better if it is leftover. Fresh rice is not sticky enough. I cooked the rice in the morning before church, refrigerated it for 2-3 hours, and used it for lunch. That worked just fine, or it can be 2-3 days old, too. Two, if you have a choosy family, you can keep all of the components of this meal separate, and let everyone decide how much of each part they want on their plate. I have at least one child who doesn’t like rice, one who doesn’t like some types of meat, and a couple who wish vegetables would vanish off the face of the earth. Three, tossing the chicken with cornstarch helps keep the chicken tender and juicy and you can use this method anytime you are frying small bits of chicken breast.
Okay, for the instructions. Pour a liberal amount of oil in the bottom of a skillet and heat on medium-high. Cut the chicken into small ‘nuggets’, pat dry, and sprinkle with salt and cornstarch. Toss. Next, once the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir it around a bit. If it’s sticking, add more oil. While the chicken cooks, do the same with the vegetables (skip the cornstarch and salt bit, though.) Saute the veggies in oil. I usually start with the carrots, as they take the longest to cook, then add them in one at a time, depending on how long they will take to soften. Carrots, celery, pepper and onion, peas, then the canned items. By the way, use whatever vegetables you like here. My recipe yesterday didn’t even include the pineapple, which is a classic sweet and sour ingredient, because my husband doesn’t like cooked pineapple.
Ooh - I am getting rather long-winded here. Let me finish up. Okay, so your chicken should be browning nicely, and the vegetables are somewhere between soft and crisp. Add a little bit of the sweet and sour sauce to the vegetables, give them a stir, and remove to a serving bowl. Add a tiny bit of oil to that skillet and add the rice. Stir and Fry. Stir. Fry. Get it? Ha! Anyway, the idea here is to add a little flavor and to heat up your rice. Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel, place the rice in a serving bowl, and you are good to go.
Or, toss it all together in a super large bowl and holler for the troops to come to the table.
EnJOY!
July 30th, 2007
Can something as simple - and tasty - as coconut help sufferers of IBS? (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) This is what I’d heard, and a quick google search confirmed - that some people with IBS have found that eating just two Archway macaroon cookies each day helps control their symptoms (diarrhea).
We had to put this to the test, and - by golly - it really does seem to help. Some folks say it is the coconut oil, others claim it is the soluble fiber. Who cares - coconut is yummy and I think it’s not a hardship to eat a couple of coconut cookies every day.
This morning, my ten-year-old tried the recipe for macaroons that is printed on the back of the coconut package. I’ve decided to call them meringues, since they really are a meringue cookie with coconut added. Macaroons, I believe, have flour, eggs, etc., like a sugar cookie. These were so easy for her to make, all I did was separate the eggs. She probably could have done that, too, but they were my last two eggs, so we didn’t take any chances. 
Coconut Meringues
makes 2 dozen or so
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. sweetened coconut flakes
Heat your oven to 325.
Whip the egg whites, vanilla, and salt until stiff, white peaks form. This takes awhile, as any experienced meringue-maker knows — be patient, it WILL happen. Next, slowly add the sugar - a little at a time, while still beating. The mixture will remain stiff and become glossy. When all the sugar has been added, turn off the mixer and gently fold in the coconut.
Grease a cookie sheet and plop spoonfuls of your mixture on it. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Let cool before removing from cookie sheet.
Enjoy!
July 21st, 2007
If you’ve never heard of or had a German Pancake, you’ve got to make one next Saturday morning for the family. Or just for yourself. Although you can top it off just like ‘regular’ pancakes, with maple syrup, fruit, or jam, the pancake itself is much different.
I’m no expert on diabetic diets, but it occurred to me as I made this yesterday, that German Pancakes are a possible alternative for people watching their carbohydrates. Consisting more of eggs than flour, it is a higher protein, lower carb breakfast choice. If you top it off with blueberries or other super healthy fruit, you can feel good about the way you have started your day. It also takes a lot less to fill you up and get you going than traditional pancakes.
We topped our German Pancake yesterday with fresh, juicy, delicious peaches, which I chopped into small pieces and added just a little bit of sugar to. Mmm… Mmmm… it was SO good. Hubby, who generally is not thrilled about being served sweet things for breakfast, really liked it. I mean he REALLY liked it. Okay, here you go — a totally basic recipe for German Pancake.
German Pancake
makes one (which you can cut into about 6 servings)
4 Tablespoons butter
6 eggs
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
optional - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Making this couldn’t be much easier. Come to think of it, it’s simpler than flipping regular pancakes on a griddle.
Heat your oven to 400 degrees and place the butter in a 9×13 pan. When the oven is up to temperature, place the pan (yes, with only the butter in it) in the oven in order to melt the butter and let it spread over the bottom of the dish.
Meanwhile, combine the other ingredients. If your blender is handy, feel free to use it. You really want to whip this into a smooth, frothy concoction. Using a wire whisk and some elbow grease works well, too.
When the pan with the butter is ready, take it out of the oven and pour your pancake batter into it. Yes, the butter will somehow end up on top, but that’s okay. Place it back into the oven for 10 minutes. While baking, the edges will curl up and the entire thing will puff up and the curled-up edges will turn a lovely brown color.
When the 10 minutes is up, and you take it out, it will “deflate,” but don’t feel too disappointed - you are about to eat and it is tasty! Sprinkle a little confectioner’s sugar on it if you aren’t watching your carbs and calories too much. Cut into 6 or 8 servings. Top as desired.
ENJOY!
July 16th, 2007
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