Gung hey fat choy!

Happy Chinese New Year!

I'm not sure that I fully understand all this holiday entails, but I do know that I want to help my half Chinese children to embrace parts of their culture where I can.  So we're starting small and celebrating Chinese New Year today.  They'll be getting red envelopes with "lucky" coins inside.  Lucky...because they're chocolate!  And I'm cooking a nice Chinese dinner for us.

While it's not the traditional New Years dinner, I think they'll get the idea.  And I'm pretty excited about it.

I was playing around on Pinterest last week.  Yes...I've finally figured it out...sort of.  One of my friends had "pinned" a recipe for chicken lo mein.  And it rang a bell in my head.  I know how to do this!  I can make it my own way!  So I did.  And now I'm going to share it with you.  It's super simple...much more so than you'd think.

My ingredients for chicken lo mein are 2 chicken breasts, 4 medium carrots, 1 broccoli head, 1/4 large sweet onion, snow peas, 1 can of water chestnuts, 1 cup of bean sprouts, 1/2 cup of chicken stock, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 2 teaspoons of garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and 1 package of low-carb spaghetti noodles.

Before any other prep work begins, start a pot of water to boil, adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water.  As soon as the water is boiling, add the noodles and cook them until they're soft.

Now we need to prep our foods.  Because I use just one cutting board for everything, I start with my veggies and finish with the chicken.  So you'll need to chop the carrots pretty small since we're stir-frying.  And if you're like me, you like them a little better cooked.  I put each of the chopped vegetables on their own paper plate.  Makes for easier clean-up.  Once I've done the carrots, onions, and broccoli I rinse the cutting board and start chopping the chicken.  I've mentioned it before, but it can stand to be said again...it's much easier to chop the chicken if it's still a little on the frozen side.  You'll want to do either very small strips, or small cubes.  I prefer the cubes because it's easier and looks pretty.

Once my chopping is complete I put about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the wok (if you don't have a wok, just use a large skillet) and turn it on high heat.  As soon as the oil is good and hot, add the chicken.  Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper onto the chicken and then give it a good stir.  Cook the chicken, stirring often, until it starts to turn a little golden around the edges.  You don't want to make it crispy, but you want to make sure it's thoroughly cooked.

While my chicken is cooking, I get my sauce going.  In a small bowl add the 1/2 cup of chicken stock, 4 tablesppons of soy sauce, 2 tablesppons of oyster sauce, 1 tablesppon of sweet chili sauce, 2 teaspoons of garlic, and 1 teaspoon of ginger.  You can use soy sauce from the grocery store.  All of these ingredients can be bought there.  But don't be afraid of shopping at your local Chinese market.  MOST of the labels are written in English also so you'll know what you're getting.  I use sauces bought from the Hong Kong Market in South Houston.  My garlic and ginger are from a jar.  It's just too difficult to keep these things fresh when I don't use them every day.  The flavor may be a little less robust, but they're still tasty!

Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together, then open the can of water chestnuts and pour them into the sauce.  Water chestnuts don't have much of a flavor on their own, so they'll pick up these combined tastes and add a little crunch!

Remove the chicken from the wok and set it aside.  Put a second tablespoon of vegetable oil into the already hot wok and the add the carrots and onions.  Stir-fry these until the onions are translucent.  Next add the broccoli and snow peas.  These you'll just stir for about 2 to 3 minutes.  You don't want them to wilt, and with just a little cooking the green color in them becomes very vibrant.

Keeping the heat the same, push the veggies over to one side of the wok then add the chicken back in and the cooked pasta.  Pour the sauce over the entire pan and then slowly stir all the ingredients back together.  This shouldn't need to cook for more than about 5 minutes or so.  Just until everything is warmed through.  Just before taking up your amazing dish, add the bean sprouts.

You've now made the better than take-out chicken lo-mein!  My kids love anything with noodles, and because I use low-carb pasta (Dreamfields is the brand) it's relatively healthy.

Grab some chopsticks...and eat up

Chicken soup...good for body and soul

We don't often get cold nights.  In fact, we spend most of our "winter" months in the 60's here on the Gulf Cost of Texas.  So when they do happen, we like to take advantage.  Everyone pulls out the lovely full-length wool coat that just had to be purchased, even though it's completely unnecessary.  I dig mine out of the back of the closet.  It's now 25 years old and "retro." But I suppose since I haven't had a lot of opportunities to wear it, it's stayed very nice. And there's the added bonus...it still fits!

I also take the opportunity on these cold nights to make my family eat something that's good for them.  Like chicken soup.  I tend to get this heavy sigh and eye rolling, especially from my husband, when I announce any kind of "soup" for dinner.  It can be difficult to get it substantial enough to make it worth the effort of eating.  So of course, I work extra hard at it!  And tonight...EVERYONE enjoyed their dinner, even my 2 year old AND my husband.

As with just about everything else I cook, my soup consists of very simple ingredients: 2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1/4 of a large sweet onion; 3 celery stalks; 3 good sized carrots; 1 tablespoon of butter; 1 teaspoon of salt; 1/4 teaspoon of pepper; 1 26ounce carton of chicken stock; 2 cups of frozen corn; and 1/4 of a box of low-carb spaghetti noodles.

I started my soup base with the onion, celery, and carrots.  Chopping them pretty small, I sauteed them in a tablespoon of butter (if you can't use butter, vegetable oil works just fine). Set the fire on low heat and sautee just until the onions are translucent.  The fragrance of these three in that pot will start your mouth to watering!

While my veggies are cooking, I chop my chicken breasts into cubes.  If you do this while they're still partly frozen, it makes the job a lot easier.  I like them cut into small cubes for two reasons.  First, because they go further.  Secondly, because they cook a lot faster if they're in smaller pieces.

As soon as you see the veggie mix is ready, add the chicken to the pot and turn it to high heat.  Put in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper then pour in the carton of chicken stock.  I usually take the empty carton and add the same amount of water to the pot.  Bring this to a boil and cover it with a lid.  Because the chicken pieces are so small, it should only take about 15 minutes or so for them to cook through.  Just watch them closely.

Once the chicken appears to be good and cooked (it should be completely white), add the 2 cups of frozen corn and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Continue boiling.

Next you'll add the spaghetti.  I usually break the noodles into three pieces, about two inches long each.  This way the pasta doesn't take over the soup.  Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt with the noodles.

A quick note about salt...in case anyone is wondering.  Every time you add a vegetable, or anything for that matter, to the pot you need to add salt for that ingredient as if you were cooking it alone.  You still end up using much less salt this way, and if you don't I promise you'll see the shaker being used at the table.

Let the soup boil until the noodles are soft.  And then you're ready to eat!  Pour it up into bowls and watch them enjoy!  We did!  And this delicious soup only took a little less than an  hour, including prep time.  It's worth every minute.  I promise!

Chilly night Chili

Baby!  It's COLD out there!  Or at least it was this past Friday night.  And...apparently will be again tonight.  Brrrrr...

Nothing tastes better on a cold night than a hot bowl of chili.  It'll warm you up from the inside out.  And contrary to popular belief, you don't have to spend hours to make the perfect pot of chili.

This is another of those quick and easy ground beef recipes that has a short prep time, and big taste.

As always, I use a pound of 90/10 fat ground beef.  You can make it less fatty if you'd like...or more fatty if it's easier.  The other ingredients are simple as well: Salt, pepper, onion, picante sauce, Ranch Style beans, chili powder, and tomato sauce.

Pull out your favorite pot, and let's get started.

My first step is to pre-heat the pot on low heat.  Drop in about a tablespoon of butter (or vegetable oil if you can't use butter).  Chop about a quarter of an onion and put it in the pot with the melted butter.  I generally use a sweet yellow onion.  This is not so much about flavor as it is about my stinging eyes!  You can use whatever type of onion your family enjoys.  Let the onions sautee until they're translucent.

Add the ground beef to the pot and turn it up to high heat.  Next into the pot is a half teaspoon of salt and about a quarter teaspoon of pepper.  Then add a cup to a cup and a half of picante sauce.  I like to use medium heat picante.  But you can make it as spicy as you're feeling!  Brown the meat, making sure to break it up as much as possible.  Since this is chili, you want the meat to be more "saucy."

As soon as the meat is brown pour in the entire can of Ranch Style beans (15oz) and a can of tomato sauce.  The last ingredient is two teaspoons of chili powder.  Once again...you can add more if you're looking for more heat.

Turn the fire down to low heat and let the pot simmer for about 10 minutes.  All of your flavors should be good and mixed.  If you need to expand this, or make it "thinner," just use your tomato sauce can and add a whole can of water to the pot.  For larger servings, remember this principle: for every pound of meat, a can of tomato sauce and Ranch Style beans.

I absolutely love my own chili.  I can't help it.  It's a smooth flavor that just makes my tummy happy!  When I serve it to my family, I serve it over rice or Fritos.  According to Christian, my 5 year old, Frito Pie is his favorite meal. And of course, its best with homemade chili!

A little cooking secret...I cheat on my rice!  My sweet husband bought me a rice cooker for Christmas a few years ago, and I've never had to watch another pot of rice boil.

Dish up a bit of rice, or Fritos, and pour the chili on top.  Then sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on top and warm up!

As always...I welcome questions and comments.  I hope you enjoy!

Dinner #1! Easy, old fashioned, but oh so tasty!

Last night we had a family favorite...Meatloaf and mashed potatoes!  I can't tell you how my mouth waters when I just think about it.  Yes, I know that sounds strange.  Meatloaf?  Yes!  Meatloaf!  My kids love it and so does my husband.  It doesn't take a long time to make, but some people shy away from it.  You can make it as simple or as complicated a flavor as you like.

The basic ingredients for my meatloaf are a pound of ground beef, some onions, Worcestershire Sauce, salt, lemon pepper, bread, and an egg.  That's it!  I use 90/10 fatty ground beef.  Mostly because it's cheaper to buy at Sam's that way!  I buy it in bulk.  When you're feeding this many people, you gotta keep a lot of meat handy.  Right now, since I have small children I only use a pound.  As they get a little older, I'll have to increase that.  If you need more yourself, just increase all of the ingredients except for the egg.  You still only need one egg.

First you'll take the ground beef and put it in a bowl.  I have a very nice set of metal mixing bowls from Pampered Chef that I love to use.  Three sizes...I can always pick the perfect one!

Add about a half teaspoon of salt (to taste really).  My cooking theory is this...if you add salt while you're cooking you use less and everyone is less likely to add later.
Add about a half teaspoon of lemon pepper.
Tonight I used dried chopped onions in my meatloaf.  Add about a tablespoon to the bowl.  Sometimes I use fresh onions.  I sautee them in a little butter first, because I do not like the flavor of raw onions in anything!  But the dried onions have a little bit of extra flavor to them, so I don't mind using them in this.
Next you'll add about a half tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.  Then crack one egg right into the bowl.
The egg will bind the meatloaf and hold it together.  You don't have to use it.  But it makes it stay in one piece a whole lot better!
My last ingredient is half a slice of bread.  We eat wheat bread, so that's what goes into mine.  You can use white if that's what your family likes.  The bread is nothing more than a filler, again you can take it out if you want.  But I find that it's a smoother consistency with the bread.  No one in my family eats the heal of the bread...so I use it for my meatloaf.  Just break it into tiny pieces into the bowl.

Your prep time on this should really be no more than about 5 minutes.  Unless of course, you have to chop and sautee the onions.

We now have all ingredients added to the bowl.  At this point I usually stop and prep my pan.  I use a skillet on top of the stove.  Add about a tablespoon or less of vegetable oil to the pan ( I do this even in my non-stick pans.  Keeps everything nice and slick.) and then turn it on high heat.

Now back to the bowl.  Using a fork, I start mixing the meatloaf ingredients.  Pressing into the bowl to mash up the meat as well as getting everything well blended.  Nothing tastes worse than a big bite of meatloaf with a CHUNK of salt in it because it didn't get mixed well.  Then comes the fun part!  STOP!  Put the fork down...and use your hands!  There's no way to make a meatloaf without using your hands.  So dig in!  With your hands, make sure every bit of the meat has been squished.  This will ensure that all ingredients have been incorporated.  Then, using those same hands...mold your meatloaf.

My meatloaf is more like a meat round.  I make a circle out of it  And I never form it any thicker than about 3/4 of an inch thick to an inch thick.  It cooks more evenly, and faster!  Once you've got it formed...turn and plop it into the already hot skillet.  Carefully please...don't want to read that anyone got burned! Mine looks like this:

I like to brown the loaf on each side on high heat.  About 2 to 3 minutes each side.  Once it's browned, I turn the heat down to medium and pour two cans of tomato sauce on top.  A lot of folks use ketchup, or brown gravy.  I prefer the tomato sauce because it doesn't take over the flavor so much.  Using the empty cans, I fill each can about 1/4 of the way with water.  This allows me to get every last drop of the sauce out!  Don't waste!  Then I pour it around the meatloaf.  Now cover the pan...and let it cook for about 30 minutes.  A little longer if your meatloaf is bigger.  But regardless of how much meat you use, if you don't make it any thicker than about an inch...it shouldn't take much longer than the 30 minutes.  And you'll want to watch the pan and add additional water as needed.

The 30 minutes should be right on for cooking time.  But I test mine to be sure by just cutting it in half.  It looks pretty for presentation that way any way!

I do gravy for my potatoes using the extra sauce in the pan.  I do it two ways.  Sometimes, if I've used 3 cans of tomato sauce instead of just two, I just scoop it out and use it like that.  But sometimes, like last night, I make "real" gravy.  Put three tablespoons of flour, a half teaspoon of salt, and a little pepper into a measuring cup.  Add a cup of water and stir with either a fork or a small whisk to get the lumps out.  Once you've removed the meatloaf from the pan, pour this flour mixture into the tomato sauce with the heat on low.  Stir until you're sure there aren't any lumps or bumps and let it cook for just about 5 minutes.  You're ready to take it up and pour it over your creamy mashed potatoes!  Mmmmmm...

When I'm cooking a dinner for my family I almost always have a meat, a starch, and at least one vegetable.  Sometimes two vegetables if I can.  Last night I made fresh mashed potatoes, which are easier than you think, and some boiled broccoli.  I use frozen broccoli normally, because it's so hard to keep fresh vegetables unless you go to the store constantly.  But I watch Dr. Oz!  And he said the frozen are just as good as fresh.  So I'll take his word for it.  Just put the broccoli in a small pan and cover it with water.  Add about a half teaspoon of salt, and some of those same dried, chopped onions.  Let them come to a boil and voila!  They're done! I add about a half tablespoon of butter...and it's served!

I hope this helps someone to be able to put a simple home cooked meal on the table.  Please ask if you have any questions!  And in the words of Julia Childs "Bon Appetit!"

An Introduction to My Blog

As an introduction to my new cooking blog let me say first that I am NOT a chef.  I am not trained, I have not studied, and do not claim to be the worlds best cook.  I am however, a very GOOD cook and I learned my art from the master...my Mammaw!  For anyone who knew Dorothy Davis, you know that she cooked with love and took pride in every dish she presented.  Some meals of mine could have come straight from her table!  And some of them...I've developed myself using every bit of cuisine magic taught at her apron.  

I want this blog to be fun and full of a love of cooking.  I can't promise to have nutritional information for you, although if I have it...I do promise to share it.  I'm always open to suggestions...but prefer to stay away from critiques.  You either like the food...or you don't.  And you don't have to cook like I do...but please feel free to try it if you choose.  

I have a husband, a teenager, three preschoolers, and my mother living under one roof.  So with seven mouths to feed, I have to get creative.  It's not easy finding meals that don't take hours to make, and that the majority of family members will eat.  And I'm still learning!  I love to experiment, but some weeks...I stick to some old-faithfuls. I told my nephew once "I cook this food because I love you!  And I want you to enjoy what I've cooked."  He now eats everything I fix for him at my home...because he understands why I've made it.  It's that simple.  

In the first few weeks I'll talk mostly about those old faithfuls.  And then we can experiment together! If you have questions or ideas...I'm all ears!  

Let's get cooking!