Recommended Recipes

Sausage Potato Salad****

This was really YUMMY and the kids enjoyed it! The taste was fresh and not heavy, only changes I made was using russet potatoes in place of red one! This is a "gotta try"!

Thai Chicken Curry Soup****

This soup was SOO good!! We obviously didn't serve this to the kids as it was just too spicy, but I am sure with some minor adjustments we could very easily share with the kids, this is not a lot of food either. But the broth is DELICIOUS!! I didn't use store bought roast chicken, I roasted my own in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper and then shredded it and chopped it. I froze the left overs which I KNOW will make a great lunch for me or a snack for the hubs!

Sauteed Peppers and Onions****

We use these on sweet sausage and hogie rolls. They are simply YUMMMMMY! Only difference I can add is using balsamic vinegar in place of red wine vinegar! We will def keep this one as a staple for quick easy dinner that everyone LOVES and eats right up!!

Herb Quick Bread***

Made this for CG one night to go with the stuffed pepper soup I made. I also baked a garlic loaf, which I didn't really like as much although it seemed to be a hit too. This had that sweet and herby taste that I think goes so well with yummy warm soup recipes! I will def use this again. I didn't use caraway seed, I subbed in anise and it was really good! My only complaint is that this was made by being dipable! If it was stand alone it might be a bit dry, but I didn't try an herbed butter or anything to go along with it so that might made it less dense!

When New Recipes Are A Hit

Whenever I made something new I always wonder "Will this be good?" "Will they all (and I mean all) like it?" and it warms a momma's heart when it makes a HIT!

I made Sweet and Sour Chicken this week as a trial recipe, it needs some tweaking, but the kids all loved it!

Peanut Chicken Wraps

Chicken cooked, sliced thin or shredded
rice
flour tortillas (I make homemade, they are so much better!)
Shredded cabbage
cilantro, chopped
green onions chopped
Peanut sauce

You just pile them on and enjoy! Our family was visiting some friends from seminary when they served this meal (well she did) and I loved how easy and fresh it was. I started making my own tortillas and it made this all the better. You really cannot mess this one up! We don't give the kids this with the peanut sauce, unless they like spicy, we use terriaki for them!

Beef Lettuce Wraps

1 1/2 very lean ground beef
1/2 c hoisen sauce
1/2 c asian peanut sauce
1 med cucumber seeded and chopped
1/2 c shredded carrot
12 large boston lettuce leaves

Brown beef in large skillet  over med heat until beef is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in hoisin sauce and peanut sauce. add the cucumber and carrots just before serving. Toss gently. Serve in lettuce leaves.

Don't have hoisin sauce on hand heres a quick sub that tastes just the same, only a little bit less thick:

Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Soy sauce - dark/light/usual
2 tablespoons Peanut butter - or black bean paste
1 tablespoon Honey - or molasses
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
20 drops Chinese-style hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Springfield Cashew Chicken

Spingfield cashew chicken is a missouri favorite. During our five years there we met an amazing family who made us one of their own. They became our surrogate parents, they are two of the most wonderful people you will every meet! We love them so much today and not simply because they introduced us to this recipe!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups canola oil for frying
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar (don't sub this out)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onion for topping
2 cups cashew halves (we use unsalted canned)
White Rice, enough for each person you are feeding to have two servings.

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. In another dish or bowl beat the eggs. Dip chicken pieces into flour mixture, then eggs, then flour mixture again. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet and deep fry coated chicken in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile (while frying chicken), heat broth to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce and white pepper. Mix remaining 4 tablespoons cornstarch with a small amount of cold water in a cup. Stir cornstarch mixture slowly into broth mixture to thicken, then cook for another 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
Serve the fried chicken on top of the white rice topped with the green onions and cashews, then pour the sauce over all. I usually just set everything out on the table and let people make their own piles, it works well and then everyone can have what they want in the amount they want, Will always takes less cashews than green onions and I ften make a pile of just rice, onions cashews and sauce. So go to town and then imagine you have actually been to Missouri.