Author Archives: Yumolicious

FRUITS & VEGGIES

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MEASURE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS PROPERLY FOR RECIPES – When using a recipe that asks you to include a specified amount of a fruit or vegetable, it can be confusing sometimes to know just how much they mean. The general rule of thumb is that if the recipe states “1 cup of diced carrots” then you dice them first and then measure out 1 cup. If it calls for “1 carrot, diced”, then it wants you to dice up one carrot. Most recipes are pretty forgiving though, so don’t stress too much over getting the perfect amount.

MEAT & POULTRY

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MAKE TASTIER HAMBURGERS – Homemade hamburgers are easy to make and taste far better than the store bought variety. Make them with medium ground beef, an egg and bread crumbs or crushed crackers. Season with your favorite seasonings or add barbecue sauce for a smoky flavor. For juicier burgers, add one-eighth cup of ice water to your beef or turkey before forming burgers.

PASTA JAMBALAYA

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1 tsp olive oil
1/4 lb hot italian sausage, casings removed
1 lg onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 lg rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz) can no-salt added whole tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 lb fusilli OR other short pasta twists
1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut across the grain into 1/4″ wide strips

in a lg skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. crumble in the sausage and cook until the sausage is no longer pink, 2-3 minutes.

add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry until the onion begins brown, about 5 minutes.

add the bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, salt, hot pepper sauce, cayenne, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer while you cook the pasta.

in a large pot of boiling water cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions.

uncover the sauce and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. remove the skillet from the heat.

drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl. remove and discard the bay leaf from the sauce, spoon the sauce over the pasta, and toss to coat.

serves 4

ORANGE AND BOURBON BAKED BEANS

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1 tbs olive oil
1 lg yellow onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbs cider vinegar
1 tbs prepared mustard
1 tbs tamari OR other soy sauce
2 (15.5 oz) cans navy beans OR other white beans,drained & rinsed
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

transfer the onions to a 3 1/2-4 qt slow cooker. add the tomatoes, molasses, vinegar, mustard, and tamari, stirring to combine. stir in the beans, bourbon, and orange juice concentrate, cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

serves 4

GINGERBREAD STAINED GLASS VALENTINES

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3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 tbs unsalted butter OR margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup water
5-6 oz hard red and white peppermint candies

in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. set aside.

in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter until light, about 1-2 minutes. beat in the sugar and molasses. blend in the water. add the dry ingredients and mix well.

shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. refrigerate for 45 minutes, or until firm but pliable.

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. line cookie sheets with aluminum foil. gently trace heart designs onto the foil, making the hearts about 5″ long.

divide the dough into thirds, then divide each portion into 10 pieces. roll each piece of dough into a rope between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thick and outline the heart shapes with the ropes of dough; pinch the ends together tightly to seal.

coarsely crush the candies between two sheets of waxed paper or in a sealed heavy-duty plastic bag, using a rolling pin, or crush them in a food processor. fill the insides of the hearts with crushed candy.

bake in the center of the oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the cookie dough is set and the candy melts. cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets, then carefully peel the cookies from the foil and remove to wire racks to cool completely.

makes 30 cookies

BENIHANA HIBACHI CHICKEN AND HIBACHI STEAK

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4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 lg onion
2 med zucchini
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tbs vegetable oil
6 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs butter
salt
pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp sesame seeds
6 cups bean sprouts

ON THE SIDE:

mustard sauce (recipe follows)
ginger sauce (recipe follows

before you begin cooking, be sure that the chicken, onion, zucchini, and mushroom have been sliced into bite-size pieces. for the onion, slice it as if you were making onion rings, then quarter those slices. for the zucchini, first slice them into long, thin strips, then cut across those strips four or five times to make bite-size pieces that are 1″-1 1/2″ long.

spread 1 tbs of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. spread another tbs of oil in another pan over medium-high heat.

begin by sauteing the sliced chicken in one of the pans. add 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1 tbs of butter, and a dash of salt and pepper to the chicken.

add the onion and zucchini to the other pan. add 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs butter, and a dash of salt and pepper. saute the vegetables as long as the chicken is cooking, being sure to stir both pans often.

when the chicken has sauteed for about 2 minutes, or when it appears white on all sides, slide the meat to one side of the pan, pour lemon juice on it, then add the mushrooms to the other side of the pan. pour 1 tbs of the soy sauce over the mushrooms, then add 1 tbs of butter plus a dash of salt and pepper. continue to stir both pans.

after 6-8 minutes, or when the chicken is done, sprinkle 1 tsp of sesame seeds over the chicken, then mix the chicken with the mushrooms. spoon the chicken mixture in four even portions on four plates next to four even portions of the vegetables from the other pan.

pour the bean sprouts into the same pan in which you cooked the vegetables, and cook over high heat. add 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs butter, and a dash of salt and pepper.

cook the sprouts for only a minute or two, or until they have tenderized. just before you serve the sprouts, sprinkle 2 tsp of sesame seeds on them. serve the sprouts next to the chicken and vegetables with mustard sauce and ginger sauce on the side.

YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A HIBACHI STEAK. JUST FOLLOW THE CHICKEN RECIPE, SUBSTITUTING A 16-OZ SIRLOIN STEAK FOR THE CHICKEN. ALSO ELIMINATE THE LEMON JUICE AND SESAME SEEDS FROM THE RECIPE.

KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR SLICED BEEF WILL LIKELY COOK IN HALF THE TIME OF THE CHICKEN, DEPENDING ON HOW RARE YOU LIKE IT.

serves 3-4 as an entree

MUSTARD SAUCE (for chicken and beef)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tsp oriental mustard
2 tsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp garlic powder

combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. chill before serving.

makes 2/3 cup sauce

GINGER SAUCE (for veggies and seafood)

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 oz gingerroot (a nickel-size slice), peeled & chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon (2 tbs)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white vinegar

combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed for 30 seconds or until the gingerroot and garlic have been pureed. chill before serving.

makes 2.3. cup sauce