Broccoli Beef

Ingredients
3/4 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
 3/4 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

For the beef marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
 1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth

Method
1. Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes
2. Prepare the sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Blanch the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
4. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink, Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds.

Honey Garlic Chicken

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 or one thigh per family member)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey
I added 1/2 cup pineapple juice and 1 tsp dried ginger root.

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 (I'd go with low---).
Serve with basmati rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese – optional
1 pound potato gnocchi – can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets
Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter, when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

Into the roux add in the carrots, celery, and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings.

Comments about this recipe: You can add more chicken if you like. While you could use left over cooked chicken breasts, I really think using the rotisserie chicken that are found in many grocery stores is the best way to get the optimal flavor of this soup. If you want to make the soup lower calorie you can use milk instead of half and half. Half and Half, does taste better, and it also reheats better than milk does.

Mandarin Magic Cake

1 (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges and juice
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
9 oz. Cool Whip
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, and mandarin oranges and juice; pour into a 9 by 13 inch greased and floured pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Mix the whole can of pineapple along with the juices with pudding powder and Cool Whip. Spread over the cooled cake. Keep this cake refrigerated.

Nutella Wontons

24 won ton wrappers
Nutella
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar for garnish

Heat 4 cups of vegetable oil in a pot to 350 degrees. Make an egg wash using the water and the one egg by placing in a small bowl, and mixing well. Brush egg wash along two sides of the wonton and place about 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella into the center of the wonton wrapper. Seal wonton wrapper by folding the the sides together. Place a few into the into oil, do not crowd the pan. and allow this to brown on one side, and then gently turn over, this should take about 30-45 seconds on each side. When browned remove from oil and dust with either cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.

Chili's Honey Chipotle Sauce

CHILI'S HONEY CHIPOTLE SAUCE

1/2 cup dark Rum
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 to 3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup honey
1-3 Tbsp ground chipotle chile pepper

Mix first 6 ingredients in sauce pan and bring to boil.

Combine constarch and lime juice and add to the sauce pan. Depending on how thick you want it vary the cornstarch between 1 to 3 tbsp (3 for me was too thick for us).

Add honey and chipotle chile pepper (add 1 Tbsp and taste 3 will make it very hot). Bring back to boil and cook till thickened.

Easy Summer Dessert

Recipe from Jenni

Use a 9X13 pan

10 twinkies
4 cups sliced strawberries (1 16oz tub should do, or you can use other fruit)
8 oz cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. cool whip

Beat cream cheese and condensed milk. Stir in Cool Whip. Slice twinkies in half and place in pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over twinkies. Place strawberries on top.

Turns out best if you make it the night before you plan on serving it.