Szechwan Shrimip

Adapted from Allrecipes

I felt like Asian food, so I logged on to Allrecipes.  This was one of their featured dishes of the week.  It turned out great!  I revised only by adding more veggies.  Quick, easy, HEALTHY, and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 8 Tbs water
• 4 Tbs ketchup
• 4 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste, depending on your spice level)
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• ½ medium onion, diced
• ½ green pepper, diced
• Large handful of snap peas
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz cooked shrimp, tails removed

Directions:

• In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper and ground ginger.  Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir in onions, bell pepper, snap peas, and garlic; cook for 30 seconds.  Stir in shrimp and toss to coat with oil.  Stir in sauce.  Cook and stir until sauce is bubble and thickened.

Serve with rice!

Frog Eye Salad

Adapted from a recipe from my Mother-in-law

This is scrumptious. It's especially fun to make for your kids. My little guy loves it!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup pineapple juice
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 package Acini de Pepe noodles, cooked
Mandarin oranges
Pineapple-1 can chunks and 1 can crushed (reserve liquid)
Passion fruit

9 ounces Whipped cream

Directions:

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a separate dish. In a pan, heat pineapple juice and lemon juice until boiling. Add flour/sugar mixture to pineapple juice and then add two beaten eggs. Add to cooked pasta. Refrigerate approximately 8 hours. Add fruit and whipped cream.

Chocolate Ice Cream

I really don't remember where this recipe came from but someone should be credited because it's delicious and so easy! It can also be adapted to make other flavors (example: replace cocoa with peanut butter.)

Ingredients:

2 cups half and half

1-12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

6 tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. table salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Put ingredients in ice cream maker as requires.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from twopeasandapot.blogspot.com

At one of the final get-togethers with friends during Medical school one of the girls brought these fabulous cookies.  I went home and told my husband about them.  Then my husband got the chance to try them when he helped one of the other graduating students move out of their apartment and this same girl dropped by with a plateful of these beauties.  He came home and told me about them and started bugging & begging me to make them.  They are that good.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1 T. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

• Cream the butter and sugar together until very light and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and incorporate well.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in 2 cups chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Whole Wheat Muffins

Adapted from Tried & True Recipes from the Ladies of the Innsbrook Ward

The lovely lady that submitted this recipe was my Visiting Teaching companion and she brought these yummy little muffins along to one of our monthly visits.  Not only are the scrumptious, but they are pretty healthy (applesauce and whole wheat) for a muffin!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Mix those two and set aside
• 1 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1 /12 cup whole wheat
• ½ cup oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all together with beater. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Asian Pork Kebabs with Apricot Mayo

Adapted from the Food Network

I copied this recipe down years ago.  Since I was in the process of cleaning out my fridge before the big move, I was trying to find a recipe that I already had all the ingredients for.  I stumbled across this recipe and decided I should FINALLY give it a try.  It was SO good.  I really regret not making it before now.  I loved grilling the pork.  I tend to grill either chicken or salmon, so pork was a nice change of pace.  And the apricot mayo was delish!  Give it a try!

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray

Apricot Mayo:

• 1 cup mayo
• ¼ cup apricot preserves
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ginger

Kebabs:

• 1 ¼ lb pork loin, trimmed of silverskin and cut into 1” cubes
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2” pieces
• Yellow squash, peeled and sliced
• Skewers
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat grill at medium-high heat until hot.  Combine all Apricot May ingredients in medium bowl.  Mix well, then remove and reserve 1/3 cup of the mayo.
• Alternate pieces of pork, bell pepper and squash on the skewers.  Season with salt and pepper.  Brush the remaining mayo mix all over the pork and veggies pieces.
• Spray the grill with cooking spray and place the skewers on grill.  Cook until pork is just cooked through (still slightly pink in the center), 5-7 minutes.  Turn frequently.
• Serve over rice and with reserved Apricot Mayo on the side for dipping. 

Peanut Butter Oat Cookie Bars w/ Snickers

Adapted from Tried & True Recipes from the Ladies of the Innsbrook Ward

It has been so long without a post!  My dear sister added a new little bebe to her family and is busy learning how to juggle two kiddos...meanwhile I moved to a new state!  My hubby is starting his medical residency and we have been busy, busy, busy getting settled in here.  Plus, we don't have the Internet hooked up yet.  {I am sitting outside a Starbucks right now taking advantage of the free wifi.}  Anyway, this little dessert is so yummy and so addictive.  The PB frosting is my favorite and the Snickers on top add just a little bit of something extra special to the recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Oat Bar:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt 
• 1 cup flour
•  1 cup oats

Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
• Approximately 20 Snicker’s fun-size bars

Directions:

• Cream butter and sugars together in a bowl.  Add vanilla and peanut butter. Mix all dry ingredients together and add slowly to bowl. 
• Spread on greased pan.  Bake at 325 degrees F. for 10 minutes.
• While the PB oat bars are cooking, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar until very smooth.  When the PB oat bars are cool, spread with frosting.
• Coarsely chop Snicker’s bars.  Sprinkle over frosted PB Oat Bars.  Serve!!!