Rich and I love Chinese food so I thought it would be great to try to make it at home.  This recipe was great.  Enjoy!

Mongolian Beef (http://ellysaysopa.com/2009/08/13/mongolian-beef/)

2/3 lb. flank steak, sliced across the grain (I used chicken because we don’t eat much beef)
3 Tbsp. corn starch
3 tsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. (heaping) red pepper flakes
2-3 large scallions, sliced

Pat the steak pieces and make sure they’re dry; then, toss the steak and cornstarch together.  Be sure all pieces are fully coated, but shake off excess corn starch. Mix together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and red pepper flakes.

Heat half the oil in a wok at medium-high heat and add the ginger and garlic.  Once fragrant (30 seconds or so), add the soy sauce mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl.

Turn the heat up on the wok and add the remaining oil. Add the beef and cook, stirring until just browned. Pour the sauce back in and let it cook with the meat. Let the sauce thicken to your liking, and then add the green onions in just before plating.

This is a really simple chicken dish that can be made during the week.  I have never cooked with Chipolte’s before and I think I will start using them more.  This is a sweet and spicy chicken so Rich was not too thrilled with it but I loved the flavors.  Enjoy!

Chipotle-Honey Glazed Chicken (http://ellysaysopa.com/2010/01/24/chipotle-honey-glazed-chicken-2/)

Serves 2-3
Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Grill It!
1 chipotle in adobo
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. ancho chili powder, divided
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Spanish paprika
2-3 chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
garnish – sesame seeds, cilantro, chives, scallions, etc.

Preheat the broiler (if you’re not grilling).

Place the chipotle in a mini food processor and puree. Then add the honey, mustard, 1.5 tsp. ancho chili powder, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil and pulse to combine.  Set aside.

Stir together the remaining ancho chili powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, and remaining 1/2 Tbsp. oil. Add the chicken breasts to the mixture, coating all sides. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a pan over medium heat (or use a grill), add the chicken, and cook about 3-4 minutes per side.  Place the chicken on a broiler pan and brush the top with the glaze. Broil for 1 minute. Flip, brush with more glaze and broil another minute or two until the glaze is caramelized and chicken is cooked through.  Top with more glaze (if you want) and garnish as desired.

I made this recipe when my parents came to visit in December.  The flavors are amazing and who does not like bacon.  Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Medallions with Apple Cider Sauce (http://dinnersforayear.blogspot.com/2009/11/bacon-wrapped-pork-medallions-with.html)

2 pork tenderloins (about 3 pounds total)
1 pound of bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
3/4 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the tenderloins into 1 1/2 inch thick medallions. Wrap each medallion with a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Heat a large saute pan to medium high and add the olive oil. Saute the medallions for about 4 – 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Tip the medallions on their edges to brown the bacon, about an additional 3 – 4 minutes. The internal temperature of the pork should be about 140 degrees when the pork is finished cooking. Remove to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the pan. Heat the pan back to medium high and add the shallots and saute for 3 – 4 minutes. Add the apple cider and scrape up any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the mustard and simmer for 4 – 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Whisk in the butter until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the pork medallions to the pan and drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately.

My parents decided to come and visit Rich and I in early December because I was not going up for Christmas this year.  My Dad said he was looking forward to all the great meals I had been telling them about.  So I went on a search for a great new recipe.  I found a pumpkin pasta that was sure to please.  This pasta was wonderful.  The pumpkin and sage were such a wonderful combination.  I think the pasta needed more sauce so that next time I make it I will double the sauce.  Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta (http://carascravings.blogspot.com/2008/08/amazingly-creamy-pumpkin-penne.html )

Ingredients
4 oz penne pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 75gm)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
about 2T chopped fresh sage
2 links cooked chicken sausage, sliced (see note)
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese (1% milk fat)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup nonfat milk
pinch of nutmeg
5oz torn spinach, thick stems removed
grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, optional

Directions
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently for about 10-15minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, sage, and chicken sausage; continue to saute.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

In a blender, combine combine pumpkin, cottage cheese, and milk. Blend until no lumps are present. Add to sausage mixture in skillet and continue to cook over low heat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add sausage mixture and baby spinach, and toss together. Cover for a few minutes to let the spinach wilt. Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note: People have asked me what kind of chicken sausage to use. I don’t think there’s one right answer! The chicken sausage I most often have on hand is one I buy at Sam’s club – it’ a spinach and asiago flavor. But, I’ve also been told the dish is great with an apple chicken sausage too. Pumpkin is very versatile and pairs will with sweet or savory, so you can’t go wrong!

Nutritional Info*
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 452.1
Total Fat: 12.9 g
Cholesterol: 73.7 mg
Sodium: 1,062.6 mg
Total Carbs: 59.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 10.1 g
Protein: 32.9 g

One of my favorite dishes growing up was chicken and dumplings.  So a few weeks ago I decided to try a Cooking Light recipe.  I thought the dish was wonderful but Rich was not so sure about the dumplings.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=521642)

Ingredients

Dumplings

Directions

Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in sherry and the next 4 ingredients (sherry through soup), and bring to boil. Add chicken pieces; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken pieces from cooking liquid. Place chicken in a bowl, and chill 15 minutes.

Remove chicken from bones, and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones. Add chicken to pan; stir in peas.

Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well.

To prepare dumplings, combine baking mix and milk. Drop the dough into chicken mixture to form 16 dumplings. Bring to a simmer; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

I am a little behind in my posts so I am posting a lot of recipes that I made around Halloween.  I found a blog that had some wonderful pumpkin recipes so I decided to try the pumpkin scones.  They tunred out wonderful and the icing was so yummy.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Scones (http://pinchmysalt.com/2007/10/18/pumpkin-spice-scone-recipe/)

• 1 C. all purpose flour
• 1 C. cake flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 t. ground allspice
• 1/4 t. ground ginger
• 6 T. unsalted butter
• 1/2 C. raisins (optional)
• 1/3 C. pumpkin puree
• 1/3 C. heavy cream
• 6 T. brown sugar
• 1 t. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Get out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper (not required but makes cleanup easy!). Cut the butter into small pieces, put it in a small bowl and put it back in the refridgerator. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt, and all spices. Whisk together well. Place bowl in freezer (refrigerator is fine if you have no room in freezer).

2. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. Put this bowl in freezer (or refrigerator) and take the other bowl back out. Get the butter pieces out of the fridge and dump them into the bowl with the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins if you are using them.

3. Get the liquid mixture out of the freezer and pour into the flour mixture all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is just moistened. The dough will be very crumbly, this is the way it should be. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and push the pile together with your hands. It should stick together fairly well. Knead it just a couple of times until everything is together. Don’t knead it too much or the dough will get too sticky.

4. Pat the dough out into a rough circle, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut it like a pie into 8 pieces. Place pieces on the baking sheet so that they are not touching. Bake scones for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be light brown on the bottom, the tops will darken as they cool.

Icing: For ginger molasses icing, stir together 1 T. molasses, 1-2 T. milk, and 1/4 – 1/2 t. ground ginger (to taste). Adjust the amount of sugar or milk to make the icing the consistency you want. It should be pretty thick. For cinnamon icing, mix together 1 C. powdered sugar, 2 T. milk, 1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste). Again, adjust amounts to change consistency. Icing can be brushed on or drizzled.

One of my favorite soups to make is Chicken Torilla Soup.  I found this recipe from Cooking Light a long time ago and use it as my base.  The recipe does not call for many veggies so I always add celery and carrots.  This soup has great flavor and is great the next day.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1571536)

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil, plus more for frying
• 2  large onions, chopped
• 8  cloves garlic, minced
• 1  tablespoon  plus 1 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  red chile flakes
• 12  cups  reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1  can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1  package (8 oz.) small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-in.-thick strips (see Notes)
• 2  pounds  boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-in.-thick strips
• 1  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• Sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, additional chopped cilantro, and/or sliced green onions for topping

Directions

1. Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in a large pot (at least 5 qts.) over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in two-thirds of the garlic, 1 tbsp. salt, cumin, and chile flakes and cook 2 minutes.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, and half the lime juice and increase heat to a gentle simmer; cook 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, pour about 1 in. of vegetable oil into a small frying pan set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add one-third of the tortilla strips and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer strips to a paper towel-lined baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips in two batches. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Set aside.

4. Purée soup in batches in a blender. Return soup to pot and resume simmering. In a small bowl, toss chicken with remaining lime juice, garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, then add to soup and simmer 5 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in cilantro. Serve hot with tortilla strips and your choice of toppings.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 142 (26% from fat)

Protein: 15g

Fat: 4.1g (sat 0.6)

Carbohydrate: 11g

Fiber: 1.5g

Sodium: 960mg

Cholesterol: 29mg

Zig Zag Zin ‘06

Mendocino CA

89 PTS WILFRED WONG. Totally user-friendly and absolutely first-rate, the endearing ‘06 Zig Zag Zin is a brightly-fruited Zinfandel with pretty raspberry flavors; round and delectable on the palate.

I bought this wine a couple of weeks ago at Bev Mo when they were having their 5 cent sale.  This is a great Zin.  It is full bodied and full of flavor.  I could definatley taste the raspberries in it as described in the review.  It also has a screw top so it is very easy to open.

One of my favorite ways to make chicken is to stuff it.  There are so many great cheeses and other fixings that you can stuff a chicken breast with.  One of my favorite mixes is goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes.  Rich loves this dish also and asks for it many nights of the week.  I came up with the sauces recipe after I had been making the stuffed chicken for many years.  The sauce adds a little more flavor and keeps the chicken moist.  Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken (made by me)

Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned
• 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet) (about 4 ounces)
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 T Sun dried tomatoes
• 1 T olive oil

Goat cheese-Wine Sauce

• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2/3 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
• 1 T Sun dried Tomatoes
• 1 T Goat Cheese

Preparation

For chicken:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pound chicken between sheets of waxed paper to thickness of 1/4 inch using meat mallet. Pat chicken dry. Combine cheese, garlic and sun dried tomatoes  in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread cheese mixture lengthwise over half of each chicken piece. Tuck short ends in. Roll chicken up, starting at one long side, into tight cylinders. Use some toothpicks to secure the ends so the chicken does not unroll. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate.)

Heat 1 T of oil in a skillet.  Add chicken to the skilled when the pan is hot.  Turn chicken every few min to make sure the chicken cooks through.  Some bits and pieces of tomato and cheese may come out of the chicken while it is cooking.  Leave these bits in the pan to make the sauce.   Once the chicken has been cooked for 15 to 20 mins remove from the pan the keep warm.

For sauce:
Add wine to pan the deglaze and boil 3 minutes. Add stock and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and swirl in 1 tablespoons of goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes to the wine and broth mixture until melted. Season sauce with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve over the chicken.