Beef (or Chicken) and Broccoli

Warning: not a kid-pleasing dish. Scott and I ate it all ourselves. I had to make a regular chicken gravy to put on their rice.

I got this recipe off of Recipezaar. (#99476) It was listed as "The Best Easy Beef and Broccoli Stirfry." It was easy and yummy.

I am lazy today so I am just going to paste the recipe right from recipezaar. I used chicken breasts instead of beef in mine.

The Best Easy Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup water, plus
• 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb boneless round steak or charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• hot cooked rice

Directions

1. 1

   In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.

2. 2

   Add beef and toss.

3. 3

   In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.

4. 4

   Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.

5. 5

   Return beef to pan.

6. 6

   Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.

7. 7

   Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

8. 8

   Serve over rice.

Healthier Banana Bread

I was trying to find a better alternative to my favorite banana bread recipe which is scrumptious, but contains a whole stick of butter.

I found a muffin recipe that I thought might work. I also reduced the sugar in it, substituted wheat flour for part of the white, and added vanilla. Really there wasn't a noticeable difference from my other banana bread recipe as far as taste or texture go, and my family ate a whole loaf in one sitting.

Healthier Banana Bread

(adapted from a muffin recipe in the Favorites cookbook)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream sugar and oil well. Add eggs and mashed bananas and beat. Add flour, soda and salt. Pour into greased pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes for small loaves (it baked 3, 7x3 1/2)

(It would probably make 2 medium loaves or 1 large loaf. Increase bake times accordingly.)

(also makes 18-24 muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes.)

(UPDATE: I just made this again the other day and substituted applesauce for all of the oil. It was a little more dry, but still very yummy.)

Any Cake Mix Cookies

I made these a few weeks ago when I had leftover frosting in the refrigerator and decided to put together some homemade oreos for the kids. The old me would have just got out a spoon and taken care of that frosting.

There are a few reasons why this is a GREAT recipe.

1. You can use any cake mix. I've used rainbow chip mostly. This picture was a triple chocolate cake mix.

2. They are good chewy cookies that you put together in no time. (3 ingredients)

3. Unlike the regular recipe I use for homemade Oreos, this one doesn't have shortening. Not even any oil. Sure the shortening makes your cookies puffier, but now I cringe when I add shortening to food. Flatter cookies are more like real oreos anyways, right?

4. They taste good.

The recipe came from a ward cookbook I was looking at a few years ago.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 package cake mix

2-4 tablespoons water

2 eggs

Mix well to form soft cookie dough. Place teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. (Watch the time. I actually left that part off the recipe and just guessed at it. I can't remember how long it took a few weeks ago.)

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Here's a great recipe for any New Year's Eve celebrations.

I can eat this stuff by the bucket. I use it to top lots of different things, but of course it is good with chips or by itself if you are a real purist.

I made some recently to take to a party, but I threw together a cheeseball at the last second so I could keep this home.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa


1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, cut fine
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/3 bottle of Fat Free Italian Dressing (about 2/3 cup)


Mix all ingredients in bowl and serve with chips. (This is also better when you make it ahead and let all the flavors "marry")

Christmas Cornflake Wreaths

Do you have a Christmas treat that we used to make growing up that you just love? I only remember making these once, but they sure stuck with me. And they stuck TO me while making them; butter your hands.

CHRISTMAS CORNFLAKE WREATHS
1/3 cup butter
1 10 oz pack large marshmallows or 4 cups of mini
1 tsp green food coloring
6 cups corn flakes
red cinnamon candies


1. in a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
2. add marshmallows and stir until completely melted
3. Remove from heat and stir in food coloring
4. add corn flakes, stir until coated
5. using 1/4 cup dry measuring cup coated with cooking spray, evenly  portion warm mix
6. QUICKLY shape into wreaths and dot with cinnamon candies

Oreo Truffles

These were decorated by my children.

I am certainly not the first to make these, but I thought they should make it into this blog recipe file. They are easy and delicious.

1 package of Oreos

1 8 oz package of cream cheese (I used fat free and it was still good)

dipping chocolate

sprinkles

Blend the oreos to fine crumbs in a food processor. Mix together with softened cream cheese until its a greasy  pasty mess. (I have found this is easiest to do with your hands)

Make it into a bunch of little balls and put them in the freezer for a while so they will be easier to dip.

Melt chocolate and dip the oreo balls in. Decorate with sprinkles.

I really want to try this with mint Oreos. Sounds delicious to me.

Quick Chocolate Softies

I needed to make some cookies to send to Scott's office on his birthday. I had some holiday swirl white chocolate chips to use up and wanted to find a quick soft chocolate cookie to bake them in. When I found this recipe right away in a book called Baking Secrets I felt I had been led there. :) 


We gave these cookies two thumbs up. They stayed very soft and were loved by all.




Quick Chocolate Softies (from Baking Secrets)


1 package devil's food cake mix
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 cup white chocolate baking chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.  Combine cake mix, water, butter and egg in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at low speed until moistened.  Increase speed to medium and beat 1 minute. (I had to set my hand mixer on high. This dough is THICK.) Stir in chips and nuts; mix until well blended.  Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.


Bake 10-12 minutes or until set.  Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.


The recipe said it makes about 4 dozen. Thats pretty optimistic. I got about 2 1/2 dozen.