Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sauce:
1/4 C. chicken broth
4 Tbs ketchup
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. vinegar
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt

3-4 eggs, mixed in a bowl
garlic salt
corn starch
oil

3 chicken breasts

Cut chicken into pieces. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Roll in cornstarch, dip in eggs. Heat oil in pan until hot. Brown chicken in pan until light brown. Place in a casserole dish.
Heat sauce in a small saucepan until sugar melts, don't boil. Pour over chicken.
Bake at 375 for 30 mins. Stir once after 15 mins. to coat all sides of chicken. Serves 4-5 people.

From my friend Natalie E.

Honey Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

1-4 pork tenderloins

4 cloves garlic chopped
1 Tbs. chopped, fresh rosemary
1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
3-4 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients for the glaze.
Set aside a small amount of glaze in a bowl for later.
Brown pork on all sides in a saute pan for about 5 mins.
Place pork in a 9x13 pan and pour sauce on top.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 mins.
Brush reserved glaze on top or serve on the side.
Slice pork and serve with garlic mashed potatoes (and enjoy that nice breath later on).

Recipe from my sis Amy.

Homemade Oreos

An oldie but a goody, and the worst picture ever.

1 package of devil's food cake mix

2 eggs

3/4 cup of shortening

blend all together at once.

roll soft dough in small balls on a cookie sheet (don't press down). Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes (don't over bake)

frosting for the middle:

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 stick of butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 to 4 c. powdered sugar

mix until smooth. when cookies are cool frost backs of cookies and make sandwich with another cookie.

Did anyone else make these all the time in high school or was it just me and did you ever think to call them Whoopie Pies before moving to these parts?

Time to start getting out the summer recipes!

Steak and Chicken shish kabobs

Steak and/ or chicken cut into chunks
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can Sprite

(any veges or fruit that you would like on the kabobs)
red onion
green/red pepper cut into chunks
pineapple chunks
mushrooms
cherry tomatoes
sliced zucchini

Marinade-
Mix soy sauce, oil and Sprite in a bowl. Put chicken and steak in and let sit in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours.

Soak kabob sticks in water for at least 20 mins. in water to prevent them from burning on the grill. Alternate chicken, steak, veggies and pineapple. Anything goes! Serve with jasmine rice and slivered almonds.

Recipe from my friend Jenny.

Lemon Bars

Crust:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan

To make crust:
* In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner’s sugar* Cut in butter until combined and crumbly.* Press mixture into bottom of pan.* Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:* While crust is baking, prepare topping.* In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.* Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.* Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.* Bake for 20-25 minutes.* When cool, dust with confectioner’s sugar and refrigerate.* Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

Spinach & Couscous Salad

This recipe is from Jana Fridfinnsdottir. Such a great combination of fresh ingredients for a salad. Soooo yummy! Thanks Jana!

I marinaded the chicken in pad - thai sauce this time but I just use whatever I have (last time I did Tikka Masala paste and plain yogurt & used turkey cutlets instead of chicken that was really good)

Fresh spinach

red onion

sweet peppers (I prefer red & orange but you can use any color)

mushrooms

strawberries

grapes

cucumber

tomato

cashew nuts

couscous

Feta cheese

chicken

and ranch dressing

So put the spinach in first then the veggies & fruit & nuts

then you put the couscous on top of it and the meat and the feta cheese on top of everything.

Originally the salad was just spinach red onions, feta cheese, couscous & chicken but I prefer to have more fresh stuff in it.

Chicken Breast Supreme

• 4 lb chicken breasts
• 2 cans cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. savory seasoning
• Rice

- Cover chicken breasts with water and add savory seasoning. Boil until done. Place in 9x13 inch baking dish.

- Mix soup, mayonnaise, whipping cream, and Worcestershire sauce.

- Pour mixture over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.

- Serve over rice.

This is another easy breezy recipe from Darin's mom. Very tasty! I often don't have all the ingredients, and its still really good with various substitutes. (cream of chicken instead of cream of celery) (milk instead of whipping cream) (low fat mayo instead of the real deal). Also, I sometimes bake it with the rice on the bottom.