Beef Satay Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1 lb beef stew meat, diced into smaller pieces
3/4 cup baby carrots, diced
1 medium red bell pepper
4 green onions
1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
2 cups uncooked rice
3/4 cup peanut sauce
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
**salt & pepper to taste**
chow mein noodles for garnish
egg rolls (as the side)

* cook rice as directed, set aside to cool

* heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a deep pot or wok, cook stew meat pieces until just cooked then remove meat from pan to a separate warming dish reserving liquid

* add additional 1 tsp vegetable oil to reserved liquid in pot (wok) and return to heat

* add Thai curry paste to pot (wok) and stir until well combined

* to the pot (wok) next add the diced carrots, red pepper, green onions and stir fry until tender crisp

* combine rice into the vegetable stirring until the rice is well covered with the sauce

* finally add peanut sauce, peanuts, and cooked stew meat to rice and vegetable mixture

* stir until well combined and food is thoroughly heated, add salt and pepper if desired

* serve topped with chow mein noodles and prepared egg rolls

Hints & Tips: We used up the leftover vegetables from other meals this week and bought frozen mini egg rolls to save time in the kitchen. 5 of 5 family members enjoyed this meal completely!!

Spicy Beef & Broccoli

Ingredients:

2 TBS vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 TBS cornstarch

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat

3 cups broccoli florets

1 medium onion

1 medium red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp peeled fresh ginger root, freshly chopped

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup beef broth

1 cup dry roasted peanuts
**rice or noodles**

- In a large ziploc bag combine soy sauce, cornstarch, stew meat, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Place filled bag in refrigerator to marinate 2-4 hours prior to cooking.

- Prep broccoli, onion, and red pepper by cleaning and cutting into bite-size chunks.

- When you are ready to cook, heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet to a medium heat.

- Cook marinated meat with juices in vegetable oil until meat is completely browned. Juices will begin to thicken the longer the meat cooks.

- Slowly add beef broth and continue to stir.

- Add the vegetable to the skillet last, and cook until tender crisp.

- Serve over prepared rice or noodles, garnished with dry roasted peanuts.

**Tonight we used unseasoned ramen noodles...a compromise to make my kiddos very happy campers**

Chicken Con Queso Pizza

We are trying different recipes at our house this month. Breaking out of our rut so to speak...

Tonight we made pizza. Pizza? Yes, pizza.

We make pizza here usually about once a week.

Tonight however, we made pizza with Queso in place of the traditional pizza sauce.

And it was good! Really, really GOOD!!


Besides the Queso, the other *secret* ingredient in our pantry tonight was Southwestern Seasoning. Personally, I am a fan of the Pampered Chef bled. It's awesome! But I haven't placed a Pampered Chef order for over a year...and lucky for me look what McCormick is making now and selling at my local grocery store - Southwest Seasoning. Woohoo!!

Now let's talk pizza:


Ingredients:

1 pizza crust, (we used a homemade crust tonight, I like the ones you can buy in the refrigerator section of the grocery store too)
1 cup Queso dip
1 (13 oz) can chicken breast, drained
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 TBS Southwestern Seasoning
1/2 cup bacon crumbles
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

* Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare pizza crust according to recipe or package directions.

* Combine chicken breast, red pepper, green pepper, red onion, and Southwestern Seasoning in a mixing bowl. Mix well.

* Spread Queso dip over pizza crust.

* Top Queso with chicken and vegetable mixture.

* Add bacon crumbles to top of chicken and vegetables.

* Cover pizza top with shredded Mexican cheese blend.

* Bake for 17-20 minutes at 450 degrees F, or until crust has browned and cheese is golden brown.

Tuna (& Crab) Ring

Do you ever have those special moments in the kitchen when what you plan to do and what you actually do are two very different things? Last night was one of those nights...

The good news is, it worked quite well. The bad news is, before I make home made Crab Rangoons I need to buy a replacement can of crab meat.

Oops!

The plan was to use 2 cans of tuna for this recipe. If you are not a fan of tuna, chicken breast can be substituted as well...or the 50/50 split of 1 can tuna and 1 can crab meat like I cooked. Whatever your personal preference for protein, this is a dish I enjoy and my steak and potato guys enjoy without protest.

Ingredients:

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 cans (6 oz) water packed tuna, drained (**or chicken, or 1 tuna & 1 crab**)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 can (3 1/2 oz) sliced black olives
1 1/2 TBS lemon zest
1 (4 oz) package of crumbled Feta cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan, Roman, Asiago cheese blend
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS Italian seasoning blend

*egg white + 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning*

1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2- Unroll crescent rolls and separate triangles. Arrange triangles in a round pattern, with the wide end in the center, and the point extending out, overlapping enough to create a base for the filling.
3- Combine the tuna (crab), diced red pepper, artichoke, olives, lemon zest, both cheeses, garlic, and 1 TBS Italian seasoning.
4- Place combined filler in a circle on the overlapping section of the crescent rolls.

5- Pull the pointed ends of the triangles gently up and over the filler and tuck in the center.

6- Brush outside of crescents with egg white + 1 tsp Italian seasoning mix.

7- Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Adapted to meet our kitchen needs from the Mediterranean Tuna Wreath recipe, published on page 13 of the Pampered Chef's 2001 Fall/Winter Season's Best Recipe Collection.

Chicken Broccoli Braid

**This is not my recipe, it originally came from a Pampered Chef cookbook**

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1 garlic clove

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp all purpose dill seasoning mix (pampered chef)

1/4 tsp salt

2 packages crescent rolls

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 Tbs slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop chicken and broccoli. Place in bowl. Chop pepper and add to bowl. Press garlic into bowl. Add cheese to mixture. Next add mayo, dill mix, and salt. Mix well. Unroll crescent rolls but do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of a 12x15 pan. Using dough roller seal perforations. On longest sides cut dough 1 1/2 strips apart for braiding. Put mixture from bowl into center of dough lengthwise and pull cut pieces of dough up over filling to cover in a "braided" fashion. Twist each strip one turn. Tuck ends under to seal. Coat outside of dough with brushed egg white. Sprinkle top with almonds. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown.

**Mary's modifications: I used egg beaters egg whites instead of separated eggs, used a pizza crust/roll mix instead of crescent rolls, did not do the whole braid thing...instead more of a stromboli...it was a hit**