beef stroganoff

Still needing emails for Follower Fridays - even if you've DONE it, you can do it again :) Add your email to the comments.

 Stroganoff is a food that I have one of those love/hate relationships with.  I know it's bad for me.  I know it is.  But it's also one of my comfort foods.  A big pile of warm, creamy, TASTY food.  So I make it sometimes.  I know I shouldn't.  But I do.  And I'm sure many of you are thinking, "Tiff, those ingredients are bad for you."  I know they are.  But like I said.  It's a love/hate relationship.

And this recipe, I'm telling you, is FREAKING delicious.  So don't try it unless you want to have a guilty conscience each time you make it ;)

Oh wait...and one more reason why it's on my love list - it's one more recipe that uses leftover Sunday Roast.

Beef Stroganoff
Beef
(I know that's really vague but you can use what you like - ground beef, leftover pot roast, stew meat, steak, whatever, you choose!)
1 cup of sour cream
1 block of cream cheese
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 packet of onion soup mix
2 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
(I told you it was bad)
Mix it all together in a crock pot.  Simmer on low for 6-8 hours.

My kids LOVE it!  And they are picky eaters.  So that's ONE MORE reason why I love it.

(terrible pictures - I'm no photographer, but I am a baker and an eater...haha, I'm so funny)

Acapulco Chicken and I need your email!

Alright everyone, before we get into another recipe, I have a huge favor.  I'm having a little trouble getting a hold of my followers because a lot of your profiles DON'T have your email address.  So, would you PLEASE send an email to willtherebefoodthere@gmail.com?  That way I can easily ask you to share one of your favorites.  Thanks - I'd really appreciate it.

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Okay...here we go.

Acapulco Chicken
(recipe from here - I tweaked it slightly)

2 chicken breasts

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 roma tomato

1 T. olive oil

1 T. chili powder

1 teas. garlic salt

Extras: sour cream, jalepeno pepper, hot sauce

Cut chicken breasts into small slices. Cover with chili powder. Cook chicken in pan with heated oil.

Add peppers, onions, tomatoes, and any other veggies you desire (jalapeno pepper).  Add garlic salt and a little more chili powder (& 10 drops of hot sauce).  Cook for 5 minutes occasionally stirring.

I usually add more onions, peppers and tomatoes.  But this was all I had left in the fridge!

Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  

Pour over a generous helping of rice or in a tortilla shell.  I like to add sour cream to the mixture if I'm putting it over rice - it makes a creamy sauce.  And if you're putting it in a tortilla, just put sour cream on the tortilla.

And it's usually WAY more colorful....but again, missing half of the veggies.

 Roll and eat!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Happy Monday!  Did you have a good weekend?  Did you try Caley's cashew chicken?  I hope so!

For today, I have a yummy recipe that my Mom taught me how to make.  It's insanely delicious and whenever I make it my husband comments that we're having Panda Express for dinner!  Yeah we like cheap Chinese.  But I promise this tastes BETTER than cheap Chinese :)

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Two medium size chicken breasts
2 chicken bouillon cubes
6 T. ketchup
6 T. water
1 C. Sugar
4 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 C. vinegar
2 eggs
oil
And more cornstarch

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine chicken bouillon cubes, ketchup, water, sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and vinegar in one bowl. Set aside.  Crack two eggs into bowl and mix. Pour a hefty amount of cornstarch into another bowl.

Cut chicken breasts into small pieces (strips, chunks, w/e). Dip chicken into egg, then corn starch and put into pan with oil already heated. Cook each piece of chicken until light brown on each side. Place cooked chicken into large casserole dish. Repeat until all chicken is deliciously cooked! Pour the sauce over the chicken. Put casserole dish into oven and bake for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, prepare your ham fried rice!

Ham Fried Rice
1 cup of chunked ham
 (I use leftover from a ham roast.  You don't HAVE to put in ham. 
I make fried rice more without the ham.)
1 cup rice
2 cups of water
2 T. of diced onions
2 T. of oil
2 eggs
1 T. soy sauce

Combine water and rice in saucepan over medium heat.  Once it comes to a boil, lower temperature, cover and set timer for 20 minutes.  Heat oil, onions and ham in a frying pan over medium heat until light brown.  Move ingredients to the side of the pan.  Crack two eggs onto opposite side of the pan and scramble the eggs until thoroughly cooked.  Mix eggs in with the other ingredients.  Turn off heat.  Pour fully cooked rice into the pan.  Add soy sauce and stir together.

Enjoy your chicken and rice.
(I forgot to take a picture of the finished project!  Next time...)
 

First Follower Friday: Cashew Chicken

Remember when I said I had some exciting things planned?  Well this is one of them! Each Friday I will choose one of my followers (are you following this blog yet?!) to submit a favorite recipe to appear on my blog. I'll do a little spotlight on that person and then post their recipe.  

Pretty exciting huh? See, I'm ALL about learning from you guys, too! 

So for today, my first Follower Friday goes to Caley. She's actually the person who inspired me to create this blog. We've been friends since freshmen year of high school. She's one of my heroes. She's kind, loving, and insanely creative! She works and writes for HowDoesShe.com. Her style is gorgeous and I wish I had her ability to design and decorate practically anything!  

Take it away, Caley.

>>>>>>

Thanks Tiff, you're the sweetest and I'm so excited about this blog! Woo woo!

Today I'm going to share one of my family's favorite meals...

Cashew Chicken

Without turning the heat on, combine into a wok or stir-fry pan:

1 tbsp garlic or garlic powder

1 tbsp cornstarch

5 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp water

Mix together, add 3-4 cubed chicken breasts and turn on the heat to medium-high. Stir often while the sauce cooks into the chicken...make sure the chicken gets completely cooked.

 

When cooked, add 1 diced green pepper and 1 can sliced water chestnuts... (you can also add 1/2 medium onion and 3 green onions if you/your family likes them).

 

One minute before you're ready to serve it, add the cashews. If you add them too early they might get soggy and they also get flaming hot! (Watch your tongues!)

Add some rice and you're all done! It's definitely a crowd pleaser and a delicious left-over meal! 

I hope it becomes one your favorites too! Enjoy everyone!

Would you like to share your family's favorite recipe? 

Become a follower and let me know! I'd love to have you!

And it begins...with Veggie Burritos

This is my food blog.  I absolutely love food.  I love to cook, bake, and eat food.  I'm quite surprised I'm not a million pounds yet because I have no control.  I'm no health nut, chef, or amazingly creative in the kitchen.  I'm good at following recipes and then maybe tweaking them just slightly.

 I plan on posting 3 recipes a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Sometimes the recipes will be nice gourmet (ha!) meals.  Sometimes (maybe a lot of the time) the recipes will be a yummy treat since all I do is try to bake new desserts.  And then other days the recipe I post might just be a snack my kids and I can't get enough of.  But be assured, that each week there will be 3 NEW recipes for you to try. 

I have a few exciting ideas up my sleeve for this blog so be sure to check often!

So for my food blog debut, I have one of my favorite recipes to share:

VEGGIE BURRITOS

(don't let the name scare you.  I am no vegetarian.  I love meat.  But this meal is filling and delicious!)

What you Need:

8 inch flour tortillas

One can of black beans

One jar of salsa (your choice)

Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Sour cream

One Lime

Bunch of cilantro

Rice

This meal can literally be prepared in 30 minutes!
The key is to do everything while the rice is simmering.

Combine 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rice into saucepan.  Once it comes to a boil, turn down to low, cover, and start timer for 20 minutes.  Shred cheese.  Open can of black beans, dump into caliender over the sink, rinse beans thoroughly.  Cut one lime into 8 wedges.  Rinse cilantro.  Pluck cilantro leaves off the stem.  Have sour cream, salsa, and tortillas out and ready to go!  When the timer goes off for the rice, remove the saucepan from the stove.  And begin making your burritos!

I start with warming my tortilla in the microwave.  However the absolute BEST tortillas are these.  Put a spoonful of sour cream across the middle of the tortilla.  Add a few spoonfuls of rice and beans.  Sprinkle on cheese.  Pour on salsa.  Top with cilantro and squeeze a lime.  Roll and enjoy!