Thai Basil Lettuce Wraps

Hola, chingus!  As some of you know, my husband has been out of work since July.  As you may also know, I am an active member of the LDS church,  and as such, we have food storage.  A lot of people think it's for big disasters or a zombie apocalypse, but really it is for exactly this.  A time when we don't have an income to buy the necessities of life.  And yes, we store toilet paper, too.  I refuse to ever be out of toilet paper.  But, I digress.

SO....while we've been unemployed, we've been eating out of our extra freezer and our canned and dried storage and only buying fresh dairy and produce, and the occasional chicken when it's on sale.  Because I"m not buying groceries, and only eating out on date night (off the $2 menu at Dennys), we have cut our food bill enough to help pay other important things like the electric bill.  It is stretching our savings until we ever find a job.

The longer we go, the more challenging it gets.  We're pretty far from eating only rice and beans, but dinner-making time is getting more interesting around here.  This recipe is from a Cooking Light Recipe that we like, but I modified to stuff we actually had on hand, so I didn't have to go to the store.  It ended up even better.  I love it when that happens.

Thai Basil Lettuce Wraps 

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/2 cup finely minced onion (I mince it really fine, so picky girl can't pick it out)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 lb ground chicken (I ground my own chicken breasts in the food processor cuz that's what I had)
2 Thai or serrano chiles, minced  (I only had one, two would have been better)
1 1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 cup basil leaves (I do the roll them up and slice them thing, don't remember the french word)
1 T fresh lime juice (didnt have limes, used bottled lime juice)
4 lime wedges (didn't have those either, it was still good)

Here's my ingredients, all chopped up.  I didn't have a cup of basil, I only had about a 1/4 cups worth, it was still good, but it's better with more.  Be careful of the chili when you're cutting it up, use gloves if possible.

Heat a large nonstick skillet (I used my wok) over medium-high heat.  Add 2 teas of oil to the pan, swirl to coat.  Add onions, saute 2 minutes, add bell pepper, saute 1 minute, add garlic go another 30 secs.  Remove mixture from pan and set aside.  I sauted the bell peppers separately, because I have a bell pepper hater.  I just serve them on the side and the non-haters can put them in their wrap.

Add remaining 2 teasp oil (I used a bit more because my chicken breast was very lean, usually ground chicken has more fat in it).  Add chicken, cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.  Drain fat if you need to.  While the chicken is cooking, mix the fish sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.  After chicken is browned and drained, add chilis, cook 1 minute, add soy sauce mixture, stir it in and remove it from heat.  Stir in basil and lime juice.

Serve with Boston Bibb lettuce, butter lettuce or some other kind of leaf lettuce.  Iceberg tastes ok, but tends to fall apart.  Take a lettuce leaf, fill with chicken and squeeze your lime wedge over it, and eat it fast before it falls apart, lol.   Today, we ate it with Teriyaki sauce (Meg), Gochujang (me) or both (Sam) and a side of steamed rice.  I think we liked it better than with just the lime.  

Other things that I like in the mixture when I have them are chopped water chestnuts (gives it a nice crunch) and mushrooms, which in my opinion make nearly everything better, but I live with haters.    If I put mushroom in it, I have to chop it tiny enough to not be detected.  It serves four as it is, but if you added the other stuff, I would also add a bit more soy, fish sauce and brown sugar, and then you could probably stretch it to 6 not-so-hungry people, or 2 teenagers.

Chianti Cookies, aka Italian Wine Biscuits

This is one of my father's favorite snacks, a hard cookie made with a generous amount of red wine.

I have since researched them online and found all kinds of different recipes (and shapes, for that matter), but I'm going to stick with what I know!

The recipe calls for a cup of red wine, but I have experimented with other liquid options such as fresh squeezed lemon juice for a tart cooler-style cookie, and different spices like ginger and cinnamon.

Also, the shape.  The traditional shape uses a double twist technique, but I do a single twist for two reasons: (1) It's easier; and (2) It makes an "S" shape like my name!  So without further ado, here it is:

Chianti Cookies

4 cups flour

1 TBLS baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup oil

1 cup red wine (Chianti or other sweet red)

Mix together until a dough forms.  Using a teaspoon-size amount of dough, roll into a rope, form a circle and twist it once to give it a “figure-eight” shape. Twist it twice for a more traditional shape.

Brush with egg yolk (optional)

Bake 400 for 18 to 25 minutes until brown.

Tortellini Soup - 8 servings

I lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I use turkey sausage sometimes)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
5 cups beef broth
1  cup water
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1-1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1/2 tablespoon basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces fresh cheese filled tortellini pasta
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Brown sausage in a large (5-6 quart) soup pot.  Remove sausage and drain, reserving one tablespoon drippings.

Saute onions and garlic in drippings.  Stir in beef broth, water, tomatoes, carrots, sausage, basil, and oregano.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Skim fat.  Stir in zucchini and parsley.  Simmer covered for 30 minutes.   Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes.

Serve with a loaf of crusty Italian bread.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

This is one of my dad's recipes. He makes this every year for his work Christmas party. This year I made it for my work party, but it didn't turn out as good as when my dad makes it. I was really craving something pumpkin since the person who made pie this year forgot to add sugar to the pie. It didn't end up tasting good, but this is a nice alternative and I love the crust more than regular pie crust. 

1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
3 eggs
2 TB melted margarine
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
    (2 ½  tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger, ½ tsp cloves)
1 8oz. package softened cream cheese
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine cake mix, 1 egg, margarine, 2 tsp. of spices.  Mix on low speed until crumbly.  Press into bottom of 15” x 10” jelly roll pan.  Beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, 2 eggs,pumpkin and remaining 2 tsp. spices and salt.  Mix well and pour over crust.  Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes on 350 degrees.

Cook, chill and cut into squares.

Store in refrigerator.

Note: 9” x 13” cake pan may be used, but baking time is increased by 20 - 25 minutes until knife comes out clean. Crust will be thicker.

(For this batch I used a large jelly roll pan and a single recipe of crust and a double recipe of pumpkin and didn't add the nuts. I should have added the nuts.)

Chicken Pot Pie

This is one of my favorite recipes from my mom.  I normally pick up a whole roasted chicken at the grocery store, eat the wings, legs, and thighs, and use recipes like this one for the white meat.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 cup cooked chicken

1 9 oz package, mixed veggies

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ cup milk

1 egg

1 cup Bisquick mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a 9-inch pie plate (I use a glass dish), put in the soup, vegetables, and chicken

In a bowl, mix the egg, milk and Bisquick together.  Pour over the chicken and vegetables. Spread evenly.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

Naturally, it's the one in the middle!  The others are rice porridge (l) and chicken fried rice (r)

Shukie

Greates Love Inspired Deokbokki Recipe

 How many times we have watched a drama and wanted to eat exactly what they were eating?

I know I do it almost all the times. One of those things I often crave, because you can find in almost every single drama and move, is this popular street food. So i decided to start this series about drama inspired recipes with this easy Deokbokki recipe, that you can adapt to your own taste

• 300grs  aprox. 2 cups  of  rice cakes (Deok=떡) 
• 3/4l. aprox. 3 cups of water
• 7 dried anchovies
• 1 medium size carrot 
• 1 small onion
• 1 small zucchini 
• 3 green onions
• 1 tbsp sugar 
• 1 tbsp of garlic (I used garlic powder)
• 4-6 tbsp of hot pepper paste (to taste)
• 1 tbsp of rep pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 hard boiled eggs cut in half (otional)
• You can also add clear noodles, and fishcakes  

Slice onion and cut carrots and zucchini into thin 1 inch long sticks. Remove head and gut of the anchovies and add them to a pot with the water. Boil for 10 minutes to make the broth. If you want to make a vegetarian version you can use kelp instead of anchovies. If using fishcakes, you should add them at this moment, and take them out at the same time that the anchovies, to cut them into 1"long by 1/4" wide pieces.

 

After 10 minutes discard the anchovies/kelp and add the Doek, red pepper paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if used). Cook for another 10 minutes at medium heat.  Passed that time add the vegetable, you can play around with them. If you don't love them, just add green onions. You can also add some other vegetable you have at home such cabbage. it is at this moment that you should add the clear noodles and/ or fishcakes. Passed 5 minutes, they are ready. Serve in a deep dish or bowl with the eggs. And Enjoy them as our puppy Lee Seong-gi does, as Sun Woo-hwan, in this scene of Shining Inheritance or as Dok Ko-jin ( Cha Seung-won) does up above for The Greatest Love. By the way I see a pattern, in both scenes our boys wanted to be fed by the leading ladies.  We should take note and put into practice when needed.  

By the way, I'm still not used to blogger and the layout is not coming out as I would like ti. Be patience with me ;)

Vegan Ginger Cupcakes

After a few recipes for those meat lovers, I decided to come with one for those sweet lovers and those non meat eaters.
Last year I was looking around for something delicious to make for a friend, who has almost everything he might need. Two years ago I made him a beautiful mix-media collage. We have a regular cake that year, it was before we discovered that milk was behind all his skin problems. Last year I decided to make him a cupcake extravaganza. There were just 3 or 4 kinds of vegan cupcakes.  One of those I made back them, and that had really good critics from all the guest, was this Ginger Cupcake recipe:

Ingredients for the Cupcakes

2 cups Soy Milk
1 tea spoon of apple cider vinegar
2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups of sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of ground cloves
½ cup of oil
½ cup of maple syrup

Ingredients for the Frosting

½ cup or 1 stick of vegetable margarine. (I used a soy base margarine)
3 cups of confection sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon extract or to taste
1 teaspoon or more of Soy milk to work on consistency

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 F
Add vinegar to milk, and set a side to curdle.
In a large mixing bowl sift all the dry ingredients.
Add oil and syrup to the milk and mix well.
Slowly add liquid mix to the dry ingredients and keep mixing and adding until it is completely mixed and homogeneous.
Pour mix into cupcake liners. Fill just ¾ of the liner.
Bake for 20, or until done. You can check by inserting tooth pick on cupcakes, if it comes clean, cupcakes are ready.

For the frosting, mix the margarine, at room temperature, with ½ cup of sugar until it becomes a cream keep adding sugar and working the cream. Add the lemon extract and keep mixing the cream. Add a teaspoon of soy milk to the mixing bowl and work the cream until it get the thickness desire. You might have to add more soy milk until that point is reach.
Finally, put icing on top of cooled cupcakes and enjoy.

My apologies, since this post lacks of any illustration, I''ll try to get nice step by step pics for my next one. In any case, I hope you like it.