Mom's Buttermilk Pancakes

                                       Mom's Buttermilk Pancakes

I was planning on posting this along with a blueberry syrup recipe, but I forgot to add the blueberries to my shopping list. I guess I'll save that for another day. My favorite way to eat pancakes is with a little butter and homemade strawberry preserves.
If you want to make blueberry pancakes, drop a few frozen or fresh berries on the pancake, immediately after you pour it into the skillet.
This makes 12

Ingredients:
2cups flour
2Tbl. sugar
1Tbl baking powder
1/2tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. salt
2cups buttermilk- (or add 2tsp. vinegar to a measuring cup, fill to the 2cup mark with milk. Let stand 15 minutes=Buttermilk)
2 eggs
2Tbl. melted butter
1tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, butter and vanilla.
Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture, and stir just enough to moisten.
It should be lumpy, too much stirring makes them tough and rubbery.
I use a small nonstick skillet, and cook one at a time.
Heat a tsp. of oil in a skillet or griddle, on a medium/low flame.
Using a soup ladle, pour the batter into the pan and shake the pan once, (otherwise the center will be puffier than the edges) 
When the pancake seems to be getting dry around the edges, flip and brown the other side.
Since I usually have to make a mountain of these, I butter them as soon as I pull them out of the pan.
Serve with your favorite topping.

Chipped Beef Gravy on Toast

                                   Chipped Beef Gravy on Toast
 
Like a lot of Americans, I'm not a breakfast type person. Just beans for me... coffee beans that is.
A shower and a  strong cup or two of Colombian roast, then off to work.
I do like breakfast for dinner occasionally. This is one of those dishes, that incites nostalgia for me.
I always think of Mom.

Ingredients:
4oz dried beef- chopped ( I also use Buddig beef )
3Tbl. butter or oil
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1/4cup flour
1can evaporated milk
2cups water

Preparation:
Melt the butter, on medium heat, in a 2quart pan. Add salt, pepper and beef.
Fry the beef for about 2 minutes, then add the flour.
Cook another minute, whisking constantly.
Add the milk and water.
Whisk, scraping the bottom, until it comes nearly to a boil.
If it's too thick, add a little water.
If too thin, cook a bit longer, (it will thicken as it cools too)
Serve on toast points.

Peach-Glazed Porkchops

The first of the peaches are ripening, My favorite fruit. I wait all year for the two weeks when I can eat 'til my heart's content.
One of the fondest memories of my grandparents house, was sitting in grandpa's "homemade" peach tree, juice dripping from my chin and elbows, in complete euphoria. He called it homemade because, he claims he raised it from a seed, that he brought back from Oregon, but grandpa liked to tell stories, so I'm not sure if it's true.
In about a week, my family will be so sick of peach dishes. I'm going to sound like Bubba  from Forest Gump. "Peach cobbler, peach bbq, peach pie..."

                                     Baked-Peach-Glazed Porkchops
                  I really can't decide, if I prefer these baked or grilled.

Porkchops
Peach BBQ Glaze
garlic powder

Preparation:
Sprinkle the chops with garlic powder, and grill or bake until cooked through.
Baste a thick layer of the peach sauce onto them, and cook until it forms a glaze.
Serve.

Peach BBQ Glaze

                                         Peach BBQ Glaze

Ingredients:
2cups fresh peaches-peeled and diced (I'm pretty sure drained-canned peaches would work too)
1/2cup diced onion
2Tbl. Mixed Citrus Vinegar
1Tbl. kikkoman soy sauce
1tsp. Worcestershire
3Tbl. ketchup
3Tbl. sugar
1/2tsp. dried mint leaves

Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a heavy bottom pan.
Simmer on a very low flame, while crushing occasionally with a potato masher until the sauce begins to thicken.About 30 minutes.
Cool and puree in a blender. It's ready to use.
Baste onto meats at the end of baking or grilling, as you would BBQ sauce.

It's ready to cool and puree. I've tried puree-ing first, then cooking the sauce, but it tastes better this way. I think a chipotle would be really good in this, but I haven't tried it yet. My family really loves this as is.

Mixed Citrus Vinegar

                                  Mixed citrus vinegar and vinaigrette


The funny thing about this vinegar, is that the finished product doesn't taste or smell like vinegar, just citrus juice.

Mixed Citrus Vinegar:
2 oranges- sliced- I prefer to use Minneola tangelos
1 lemon- sliced
1 lime- sliced
3 cups white vinegar
a large jar with a lid-I use a gallon pickle jar
A wine bottle to store the finished vinegar

Preparation:
This makes enough to fill a wine bottle.
Add the citrus slices and vinegar to the jar. Place the lid and put it in a dark cool place.
Allow to rest several days- up to 2 weeks.
The vinegar will mellow a bit as it steeps, but you can use a milder vinegar such as rice or white wine vinegar. both are considerably more expensive.

 No need to shake or stir.

 Strain and discard the fruit. If you press the fruit, your vinegar will become cloudy. You will still have a bit of sediment floating in the vinegar, which can be removed by pouring it through a cheesecloth a few times.
Pour it into a wine bottle.

                                     Mixed Citrus Vinegar steeping.

For the vinaigrette:
This makes enough for 2 servings of salad.
4Tbl. mixed citrus vinegar
4Tbl.sugar
1/2tsp. poppy seeds
3Tbl. salad oil

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a blender. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes to allow the oil to blend.Serve.

Baked Zucchini Fries

                                   Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries

I had two really large zucchini sitting on the counter, trying to decide if I was going to make the old zucchini-bread stand by. I was really not in the mood for that today. So I decided to play around with different variation of zucchini fries. They were all really good, so I decided to post them all.
The method is the same for them all, just different spice variations.

Parmesan Fries:
Pre-heat oven to 425*
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray
2eggs beaten
zucchini cut into strips 
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2Tbl. Parmesan cheese
1/2tsp. garlic powder
1tsp. basil
1/2tsp. salt
1cup flour

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, set aside.
In another bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, basil, and salt.
Place the zucchini in a third bowl, add the flour and toss to coat.
Shake off any excess flour, and toss them in the beaten egg, to coat.
Roll the strips one at a time in the breadcrumb mixture, and place them on the cookie sheet.
Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve alone or with a dipping sauce, I like to use ranch dressing.

                Remove the seeds from the zucchini and slice into strips.

I thought I'd make it a little easier and toss the strips in a bowl with 1cup of flour. Worked well.

Then toss them in the bowl of beaten eggs, you will have to roll them one at a time in the breadcrumb mixture. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake.

                                  Sugar and Spice Zucchini Fries.


Sugar and Spice Zucchini Fries:
Pre-heat oven to 425*
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray
zucchini cut into strips
2eggs beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2Tbl.sugar
1/2tsp.nutmeg
1tsp.cinnamon
1cup flour

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, set aside.
In another bowl mix together the breadcrumbs,sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Place the zucchini in a third bowl, add the flour and toss to coat.
Shake off any excess flour, and toss them in the beaten egg, to coat.
Roll the strips one at a time in the breadcrumb mixture, and place them on the cookie sheet.
Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

                                  Caribbean Spice Zucchini Fries
 
Pre-heat oven to 425*
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray
zucchini cut into strips
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1tsp. jerk seasoning
1/2tsp. cayenne powder
1tsp.onion powder
1/2tsp garlic powder
1/2tsp. salt
1cup flour

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, set aside.
In another bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, jerk seasoning, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder and salt.

Place the zucchini in a third bowl, add the flour and toss to coat.
Shake off any excess flour, and toss them in the beaten egg, to coat.
Roll the strips one at a time in the breadcrumb mixture, and place them on the cookie sheet.
Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Indian-Hot Spicy Lamb

                  Hot Spicy Lamb with Naan Bread. My favorite Indian Dish
I rarely cook lamb, and this rich and spicy Indian dish, is usually the only way I make it. It's great with plain rice and Naan bread.
This recipe, as written, was a little confusing, so I have separated it to make it easier to understand.
It's been a while since I made this dish, so I was really shocked, when I had to pay nearly $20.00 for 2 shoulder chops. This is worth it though.

This is very hot, but I imagine you could replace the jalapeno, with 2 bell peppers, and it would probably still taste the same.

Ingredients:
2tbl. oil
2lbs. lamb cut into chunks
1/2Tbl. garam masala -or-  homemade-garam masala
2 large onions- large diced

For the first sauce:
2/3cup yogurt
3tbl. tomato paste
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
1tsp. minced garlic
1-1/2tsp. salt
2tsp. cayenne
1Tbl. ground coriander
2tsp. nutmeg
1/2Tbl. Garam Masala

Second Sauce:
1Tbl. ground fennel
1Tbl. paprika
3 bay leaves
3-1/4cupswater
12 jalapenos- large diced
1Tbl. gram flour -or- Homemade-gram flour

Thickener:
1Tbl flour
2Tbl. warm water


Preparation:
In separate bowls, mix the first and second sauces, set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the lamb and 1/2Tbl.Garam Masala and stir-fry 8-10 minutes.
Remove the lamb from the pan. set aside.
Add the onions to the skillet and fry until browned.
Add the Lamb back to the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer.


Add the first sauce to the skillet, stir-frying about 5 minutes.
Add the second sauce ingredients to the skillet
Cover and simmer on a very low flame about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens.

Mix the thickener ingredients together and stir it into the skillet, mixing well.
Cook a few minutes longer to thicken the sauce to a gravy-like consistency.Serve.

Homeade Garam Masala- seasoning

Garam Masala

Back when I began to learn to cook Indian food, I could not find many of the ingredients.
Luckily I found recipes, to make them myself. I have since, started using blended bottles from the spice section.  My small town is moving up, I actually found smoked paprika a few weeks ago. I'm posting the recipe I used to use. It may come in handy for somebody.

Ingredients:
1 cinnamon stick- broken into 3-4 pieces
8 dried bird chilies
5Tbl. coriander seeds
2Tbl. cumin seeds
2tsp. cardamom seeds
1tsp. fennel seeds
1tsp. black mustard seeds
2tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp whole cloves

Preparation:
Heat a skillet on a very low flame and dry-fry the cinnamon stick and chilies for about 2 minutes.
Add the remaining spices and continue to cook (stirring or shaking constantly) for about 8 minutes, or until they give off a strong aroma.
Remove from heat and cool completely.
Place in a spice grinder, and grind into a fine powder. It's ready to use.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months

Gram Flour

Fresh ground Gram Flour- also known as- Besan, Channa, Harina De Garbonzo. The recipes I use this in, call for only very small amounts, so I keep a bag on hand and grind as needed. It only takes a few minutes.

Ingredients:
1 bag of dried chickpeas (garbonzo beans)

Add the beans to a spice grinder, food processor, or maybe a blender
( haven't tried it, I hear it works.)
Grind it into a powder and pour it through a sieve, to remove any large particles.

Homemade Honey-mustard Salad Dressing

  Homemade Honey-mustard salad dressing with Grilled butterfly porkchop sandwich
 I love this recipe, perfect. Makes 1/2 cup.

Ingredients:
2Tbl. honey
2Tbl. Dijon mustard
2Tbl. cider vinegar
2Tbl. sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
Preparation:
Add everything except the oil to a blender, blend on low for a few seconds.
Add the oil, pouring it in very slowly, while blending.
Replace the lid and blend on high for five minutes, to blend in the oil.
Chill and serve.

Boolvo Souvlaki- Greek Grilled Beef

                  Boolvo Souvlaki,  Kolokithokeftedes and Loukoumathes


In Greece, pork is traditionally used for Soulvaki.
There are specific marinades that the Greek use, for each type of meat.
I'll be posting the pork version soon. This is not one of my favorite marinades, I'm not a big fan of rosemary, or using white wine in cooking. (red is great)
But everyone else seemed to love it.
My 3 year old grandson Zach, was very curious about what I was doing with the "pokeys" (skewers) as I was threading the beef. I explained I was going to cook steak on the grill. He ran to the other kids yelling, "Grama's makin' pokey steak!"

Ingredients:
2lbs. beef cut into large cubes
1 gallon storage bag
skewers

For the marinade:
1/4cup oil
1cup white wine
1tsp. minced garlic
1/8tsp. black pepper
1tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
1/2tsp. oregano
1/4tsp. rosemary
juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:
Whisk the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup for basting.
Add the beef and the remaining  marinade to the bag. remove the air, seal and refrigerate overnight.
If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for a few hours before grilling, to keep them from burning.Grill according to taste.

Kolokithokeftedes – Zucchini Fritters

                                   Kolokithokeftedes – Zucchini Fritters

With all the zucchini coming out of the garden, I've planned a few meals this week around that versatile veggie. Today it's a Greek themed meal with kolokithokeftedes,  Boolvo Souvlaki  and Loukoumathes .
This is based on an authentic recipe, but altered to make it puffier.
This is my favorite way to use zucchini. They are awesome served with a dollop of plain yogurt.

Ingredients:
4cups shredded zucchini
1/2cup whole green onions-chopped
1tsp. dried mint
1/2tsp. dried dill
2 eggs beaten
1 small container crumbled feta cheese (I have made this without feta, and they were still awesome)
1/2cup Parmesan cheese
1/2cup plain breadcrumbs
1Tbl. baking powder
2cups flour ( more if needed)
1tsp.salt
1/8 pepper
oil for frying

Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, onion, herbs, salt, pepper, eggs, and cheeses.
Add the flour, breadcrumbs and baking powder. Mix to combine. cover and refrigerate about an hour.

Heat about 1/2inch of oil in a skillet on medium heat. You want to cook these slowly or the center will be too moist.
Shape the mixture into small flat patties, add more flour if it's too moist. I test-fry  a small amount first, to make sure.
Fry, a few minutes on each side. (flip over when the bottom becomes golden brown, then brown the other side) Serve warm with a dollop of yogurt.

The fritter batter will have a moist consistency, but it firms and puffs in the oil.

Loukoumathes

Loukoumathes are little donut-like fritters, drizzled with a honey-lemon syrup, sprinkled with cinnamon.
This is a street food, sold by vendors in Greece, often served with yogurt.


Ingredients:
Oil for deep frying

For the fritters:
1package active dry yeast
2cups flour
1cup lukewarm water
1tsp. sugar
1/2tsp. salt

Honey-lemon syrup:
1/2cup honey
juice of 1 lemon

You will also need:
cinnamon

Preparation:

In a bowl combine all fritter ingredients, cover and leave in a warm place about 1-1/2 hrs.
Just before frying,  heat the honey and lemon in a saucepan, until it comes to a boil. Set aside
Heat the oil and drop in 1inch pieces of the dough. The dough is a bit sticky, so I spray cooking spray on my fingertips first.
Fry, turning every few seconds with tongs, until golden brown.
Once all the fritters have been fried, drizzle them with the syrup and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Best served warm.

                       Leave the batter in a warm place until it looks foamy.

Gringo Gyros- A search for the best method.

         Gringo Gyros- served Chicago Style with fresh chopped Thai-basil


I have tried maybe a dozen different recipes for homemade pitas.No luck.
I've decided the problem is the cook. I haven't given up though.
I have been sitting on this recipe for Gyros several years, waiting until the day when my pitas finally puff.
Finally I have decided to use flour tortillas, I really love those things. I'm always looking for an excuse to use them.
I made a few adjustments to the recipe I had. I did a little research before I began, and found a couple of different techniques I'll try. (kneading the loaf, baking in a water-bath and finishing one of the loaves on the grill) This makes a lot, but the lady who gave me the recipe, told me that you can freeze the leftovers.

Ingredients:
2lbs. ground lamb
2lbs. ground chuck
1cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2Tbl. minced garlic
1-1/2Tbl. oregano
1Tbl. basil
1Tbl. onion powder
1/2Tbl. red wine vinegar
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2tsp. cumin
1tsp.black pepper
1tbl. salt

You'll also need:
Flour tortillas
diced tomatoes
1 recipe Tzatziki sauce
Fresh chopped basil- I prefer Thai basil

 Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350*
 Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Knead for at least 5 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a metal baking pan, shape into elongated loaves, about 3inches high.
Place the baking pan inside a larger pan, fill the larger pan with water, until the smaller pan is 1/2 to 2/3 submersed.
Bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, remove the loaf pan from the water-bath and cool.
Heat the grill, setting it on a low flame, pre-heat to 300*
Place the loaves on the grill, (not directly on the flame) cook about 15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes.
Cool completely before slicing.
Slice across the top of the loaf, I used a fillet knife, slicing as thin as possible.
Warm the tortillas on a griddle. Fill with the sliced loaves, Tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and basil.

            The first loaf I baked like a meatloaf, except longer and thinner.

I pulled it out after 1 hour 15 minutes, The juices were not clear but, I started to see signs of browning. I'll cool it, and finish it on the grill.

Water-bath method: The second loaf,  I decided to cook in a bundt pan, I don't know why... I just do these things sometimes. If it works out for the better, I'll call it a stroke of genius, if not... I'll blame it on hormones. I filled it enough to submerse 2/3 of the bundt pan.

Darn these hormones! Ok , apparently the bundt pan is not a good idea. It seems to attract gremlins, that steal chunks of Gyro loaves. But I think I do like the water bath method, I pulled this out after 2 hours. The juices ran clear, no browning and it looked really moist.

 The water-bath method, on the left, sliced beautifully, and had a pressed meat texture. the non water-bath method was grainier and crumbled quite a bit. For the sake of science, I put half of the water-bath loaf on the grill, to see if there was a change in flavor. I'm glad I did. A blind taste test on my family, decided that was the winner.

Normally, I prefer the thin, delicate Azteca brand tortillas, but if I want to come anywhere near the texture of a pita, I would have to use these big, fat, honkin' Mission brand. 16 of these babies, weighs in at 1-3/4 pounds. That's a lotta masa. Warm them in the microwave or on a griddle, before filling.

  Finally, It looks like; knead the loaf, refrigerate overnight, bake in a water-bath, grill on low for 15 minutes. They were really good.

Tzatziki Sauce

                                               Tzatziki Sauce


I like to make this several hours ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend.
3 cucumbers- peeled and grated (about 2cups)
1tsp. minced garlic
2Tbl. grated onion
1tsp.salt
pepper to taste
1cup yogurt

Preparation:
Add the cucumber garlic and onion to a bowl.
Mix to combine, then add salt and pepper.
Mix in the yogurt, until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

                                  Thai coconut chicken curry- with zucchini
 I found another use for the mountain of zucchini Paul has been harvesting

My husband introduced me to this dish.
Paul takes great pride in creating food that's too hot for anyone else to eat.
You should see the devilish grin he gets, like a proud Papa.
In his search to inflict culinary agony, He occasionally discovers something, even my less developed palate can handle.
I love the complex combination of spices in green curry paste: chilies, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, curry leaves and Kaffir lime leaves.
I'm posting the recipe as I usually make it (minus the zucchini)
This is only mildly hot, great dish. Fast and easy too.

Ingredients:
14oz. can of coconut milk
4Tbl. green curry paste
3-4 boneless chicken breast- cut into bite sized pieces
4Tbl. fish sauce
2Tbl. brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth with 1tbl. cornstarch dissolved in it
4-6 cups cooked rice-jasmine rice is best.
1 cup frozen peas
a can of bamboo shoots- drained

Preparation:
In a 4quart pan, add the coconut milk and curry paste. Simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in all other ingredients, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix the rice into the curry and serve.

You can find coconut milk, green curry paste, and fish sauce in the Asian section of your grocer.

Boston Cream Minicakes

                                        Boston Cream Minicakes
It worked! I tried this method to make eclair shells... what a disaster
Update: the glaze that I used, did eventually dissolve where it came in contact with the pastry cream, so you might want to try a different glaze. Maybe I'll try to drizzle melted chocolate next time.

Ingredients:
1 recipe- Yellow cake batter
1 recipe- Pastry cream
1 recipe- Cocoa chocolate glaze
Pre-heat oven to 350*
Spray the donut pans with cooking spray

                               I'm breaking in my new donut pan.

                   For the mini cakes I filled the cavities almost to the top.

Bake about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.Cool 5 minutes and remove from the pan.

                                      Cool completely on a wire rack.

                          Fill with Pastry cream and spoon on the glaze.

Cocoa Chocolate Glaze

                                             Cocoa Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients:
6Tbl. butter
1/4 cup dark-chocolate cocoa powder
1/4cup milk
2-3/4cups confectioners sugar

Preparation:
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.
Add the milk and cocoa, bring to a boil while whisking.
The glaze will thicken when it comes to a boil.
Remove from heat, and beat in the sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and glossy.
Drizzle or dip your cakes, donuts or cookies, while the glaze is still warm. It thickens as it cools.
Reheat as necessary.

Pastry Cream

                          Pastry cream for filling cakes, donuts etc..
Ingredients:
2egg yolks
1 egg
 ...........
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4cup sugar
............
 2cups milk
1/4cup sugar
 ...........
2Tbl. butter
1tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and egg until well blended.
In a smaller bowl, whisk the cornstarch and sugar until well blended.
Add the cornstarch mix to the eggs and whisk until well blended.
In a heavy saucepan, whisk the milk and sugar. bring to a boil.
Pour the milk mixture (very slowly, in a thin stream, while whisking) into the egg mixture.
You have to pour it slowly so you don't curdle the eggs.
Pour it back into the pan and bring to a boil, while whisking constantly.
It will thicken immediately at the boiling point.
Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, so it wont form a skin.
Refrigerate until chilled.

Yellow Cake Batter

My favorite yellow cake batter.  It's a bit denser than usual, but moist and flavorful.
It's a good starting point for flavored doughnuts too.
This will make a 2 layer cake.

Ingredients:
2 -1/4 cups flour
1- 1/2 cups sugar
4tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp. salt
1cup milk
1/2cupVegetable oil
1/2 stick butter - softened
1Tbl. vanilla extract
3 eggs

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350*
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar baking powder and salt.
Add the milk, oil, and butter. Beat with an electric mixer, until smooth.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat 2 minutes.
pour into greased pans.

Firecracker sesame chicken and pasta

         Firecracker sesame chicken and pasta-Very close to T.G.I. Friday's.

I usually leave out the chicken and serve this as a super-fast side dish.
I love this Szechuan sauce. I even use it as a dipping sauce for naan bread, shrimp, steak... Sweet and Spicy.
Once I used 2 packages of Ramen noodles (minus the spice packet) in a pinch. Worked great! This is a bit on the hot side, but not ridiculously so.
You could also use a batter for your chicken and fry it first.
(I use the marinade/batter for General Tso's favorite chicken )

Ingredients:
12oz. pasta - such as fettuccine, linguini, udon, lo mein - cooked
1Tbl.oil
5 dried bird clilies
1Tbl. minced garlic
1tsp. pureed ginger
2 boneless chicken breast - cut into bite sized pieces

For the sauce:
1/4cup rice wine
3/4cup sweet chilli sauce-or- Homeade sweet chili sauce
1Tbl.chili garlic sauce -or- Homemade chili garlic sauce
1tsp. Kikkoman soy sauce
1tsp.sesame oil
2Tbl.  sesame seeds

Preparation:
Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Heat the oil in a skillet (very hot) and add the chilies, garlic and ginger.
Stir-fry 10 seconds then add the chicken. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through.
Add the sauce to the pan and cook,stirring until the sauce thickens.
Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Toss to coat and serve

                         Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Stir-fry the garlic, chilies and ginger for 10 seconds, then add the chicken.

Once the chicken has cooked through, add the sauce. Cook a few minutes more until thickened, then add drained pasta. Toss to coat.

Great way to use Your Zucchini Bumpercrop- 2 Marinated grilled vegetable recipes

Here come the zucchini, one plant is more than enough to feed the entire neighborhood.
So Paul planted three...
I'll be posting other recipes for them in the coming weeks. Three plants worth!
Zucchini has the ability to really absorb the flavors in marinades and sauces. Prefect for grilling.
It's also great in Garden style spaghetti and Ratatouille.
We also like to marinate them in Italian dressing ,then grill.

Asian Marinade
1/4 cup Chicken broth
2Tbl. sugar
1Tbl. Kikkoman soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil.
Preparation:
Whisk together marinade ingredients in a large bowl..
Slice -or- (cube if you are using a grilling basket) any vegetables.
Add the vegetables to the marinade . Toss to coat.
Let stand at least 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
Grill to taste.



Garlic Butter Marinade:
1/4 cup melted real butter.
2tsp. garlic powder
1tsp. salt
Preparation:
Whisk together marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Slice -or- (cube if you are using a grilling basket) any vegetables.
Add the vegetables to the marinade . Toss to coat.
Let stand at least 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
Grill to taste.

Sweet Onion Salad Dressing

Sweet Onion Salad Dressing - Really close to Ken's Steakhouse Sweet Vidalia dressing

I have been working on this for 2 years, finally got it. Not only is it a great salad dressing, but also good in recipes. Sweet onion teriyaki wraps

Ingredients:

For the caramelized onion 
1 small yellow onion- diced
1Tbl. butter

You will also need
6Tbl. salad oil
5Tbl. cider vinegar
4Tbl sugar
2Tbl honey
2Tbl. water
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. celery seed

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan on a very low flame.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, until caramelized. Cool.
Add the onions and all other ingredients to a blender.
Pulse a few times, then blend about 5 minutes.
Chill before serving.

                              Caramelized onion- It takes about 15 minutes.