Butterscotch Cookies

This is a simple and very easy recipe that uses butterscotch chips, butter and sugar to give the cookies great flavor.This recipe uses crispy rice cereal to make the cookies perfectly crispy with a little crunch but yet still slightly chewy making the texture great. Be sure not to over bake them because they will get kind of hard if you do. There are so many great ways to make cookies and if you haven’t tried butterscotch chip yet give this recipe a try! Enjoy.

Parmesan Fish

There are so many good ways to cook fish, pan fried, baked, deep fried, or grilled. So many ingredients to enhance the flavor, there are even some really good box mixes out there, but this is better. Last night for the first time I tried Parmesan fish and it was great. The fish is first rolled in bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture and then deep fried but you can easily sauté in the pan if you don’t have a deep fryer. The real highlight of this recipe isn’t in the breading though; it’s in the delicious lemon sauce – A simple yet great tasting sauce consisting of lemon juice, lemon zest, mayo and basil. This recipe will work with many different types of fish including tilapia, cod, cat fish, bluegill, crappie, bass and many more. Enjoy.

Black Pepper Chicken

And the moment you’ve all been waiting for – a recipe for black pepper chicken.  If it’s well seasoned black pepper chicken is probably one of the best things you can find at any Chinese buffet. NThe sauce is truly outstanding, both black and white pepper and a little sake give it just the right amount of kick. There are also a few vegetables added to this recipe such as white onions, peas and carrots. Normally on the buffet tables they have white onions and green bell peppers and I have also seen celery in it before so just feel free to add whatever vegetables you like. You might want a little extra sauce to go with your rice, if so make sure to double or even triple the sauce depending on how much you want. Let me know how it turns out.

Zucchini Bread

It’s that time of year for garden zucchini and what better use for zucchini than to make zucchini bread? If you grow zucchini you probably have more of them than you know what to do with. If so, that means its time to give this recipe a try! If you have never had zucchini bread it is very flavorful and moist… Oh and did I mention it’s delicious as well? J This recipe is how to make a basic version of it but you could add many things such as nuts, chocolate chips and many other things. The best part about making this is its very inexpensive, takes little time and is very easy to make. The hardest part about it is grating the zucchini and that only takes a couple minutes tops. Other than that its just mixing ingredients and the oven does the rest of the work for you.

Beijing Beef

This is apparently a Panda Express recipe for their Beijing beef. The sauce kind of reminded me of sweet and sour sauce only with a little kick from crushed chili pepper. The addition of onions and red and green bell peppers nearly went perfect in the dish. To leave the vegetables crunchy and the beef crispy recommend removing the cook vegetables from the wok before making the sauce and coating the beef with the sauce and adding the vegetables right before serving.

Chicken Carbonara

If you are not familiar with chicken carbonara is it basically a type of chicken spaghetti. Pasta noodles, with chicken and bacon in a delicious parmesan sauce. The only other thing I added to the recipe was peas, but mushrooms and onions would be a great addition as well. Now the recipe does call for raw eggs in the sauce so what you are going to want to do is mix the sauce in the piping hot noodles right after you drain them. This will kill any bacteria. Serving with garlic bread is a must. Enjoy.

Chinese Fried Rice

If you enjoy Chinese food it’s almost a sure thing you have at least heard of Chinese fried rice. Fried rice is very popular in many parts of the world and can be found at nearly any Chinese restaurant or buffet in the US. A question you might wonder or hear a lot is – what’s the best version of Chinese fried rice? Unfortunately this can be a hard question to answer. A major part in making great Chinese fried rice is adding the ingredients to your taste. There are so many recipes out there all with different ingredients, the possibilities are nearly endless. You could add more vegetables such as celery or red peppers or maybe you want to throw in some chicken, shrimp or ham? When making fried rice do not use freshly cooked rice (if you do you will have a sticky mess) instead use left over cooked rice that is at least a day old (the rice should be kept in the refrigerator).  If you don’t have any left over rice and don’t want to wait you can cook the rice and spread it out on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. This is a version of fried rice that I happen to enjoy – it consists of a lot of soy sauce and a lot of garlic!

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao chicken first originated in central-western China and has become very popular in the United States. This is the westernized version of kung pao chicken consisting of wok fried chicken pieces, roasted peanuts, scallions and a spicy sauce. For those of you that have been waiting for a Chinese chicken recipe that doesn’t use a deep fryer – this is it. Even though you can deep fry the chicken pieces this time we are frying the chicken in the wok. Some versions of Kung Pao chicken use vegetables such as zucchini or red bell peppers. This recipe doesn’t call for those but you can add them if you wish. Serve on top of white rice.

Chicken Strips

One of the easiest things to make with chicken is possibly crispy chicken strips. This recipe is great if you are looking for a quick meal. Just marinate overnight, a few minutes to coat, throw them in the deep fryer and you’re done! The marinade for the strips not only enhances the overall flavor but also leaves them super juicy coming out of the deep fryer. The coating tastes amazing and they are double dipped leaving them extra crispy. If you like to add a little heat to your strips not a problem, just throw a little cayenne pepper into the seasoning mixture and your set.  You can either use whole chicken breasts and cut them into strips or just buy chicken tenders from the store. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy.

Mushroom Chicken

This recipe takes a little time to prepare but in the end it’s well worth it. The sauce is really easy to make and is basically a combination of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and balsamic vinegar. There was just enough sauce to cover the chicken, zucchini and mushrooms. So if you are serving with noodles or rice I would recommend doubling the sauce. As far as the chicken goes you can either use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, whichever you prefer. I feel frying the chicken in a mixture of vegetable and sesame oil gives it great flavor. Enjoy.

Chinese Broccoli Beef

Chinese broccoli beef (or broccoli and beef) is a stir fry dish consisting of fresh broccoli, slices of steak in a delicious sauce. It can be found at many take-out places and at many buffets in the United States, and now you can make it at home as well! The steak is first cut into pieces and then marinated in a soy sauce and sherry combination. After marinating for a few minutes the steak mixture is then fried in the pan with a little garlic and ginger. Now just a few minutes to stir fry the broccoli and you’re done! It’s really that easy.  Serve with white rice  Enjoy.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

 There are a few different versions of lemon chicken out there, all coming from different countries. Probably the most popular type of lemon chicken would be baked in the oven. We all know baked lemon chicken is great but here is the Chinese version – just like take out or at the buffets.  The Chinese version varies greatly from that of other cultures. Like most types of Chinese chicken the chicken is first cut into small chunks, battered, and then deep fried and covered with a sweet-lemon sauce.  This recipe goes great served with rice and broccoli. Enjoy.

Chinese Green Beans

how to make them at home with this recipe for Chinese green beans. The beans are first steamed for a few minutes and then stir fried in the wok adding delicious flavors such as garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes to add a little heat. They make a great side dish to go with any Chinese dinner, and the best part is you can make them in a very short time.

Pineapple Salsa

A perfect slightly spicy, light, and colorful summer snack – pineapple salsa. Pineapple salsa is the perfect combination of fruits and vegetables with a little kick. This recipe also happens to be very good for you. Getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables everyday is very important in a healthy diet. This recipe is a great source of fiber as well. Cayenne pepper gives the recipe a little kick but if you like something even spicier you can add a minced jalapeno pepper into the mix. If you are looking for a great party snack, this could be the recipe for you. It goes great on chips, tacos, fish, and many other things. Enjoy.

Cajun Fish

 Here is one thing you can do with it – serve it along side or on top of fish! This is a recipe for a delicious and spicy fish coating! the Cajun seasoning played an important role giving it just the right amount of heat. There are only 3 steps to this quick and easy recipe. The fish is first tipped in batter, rolled in a spicy cornmeal mixture, and then fried in the pan. This recipe is best served with Tabasco sauce, pepper sauce, or pineapple salsa.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Yeah, I confess, my sugar addictions are getting a little out of control. Last week I posted a recipe for The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Now I have for you non other than a recipe for the best peanut butter cookies!! I seriously don’t know if these recipes are really the best, but there one thing I can assure you of – they are definitely close! These turned out great and they had amazingly good flavor to them. I decided peanut butter alone wasn’t enough so I decided to add M&M’s as well. The M&M’s are totally optional – they still taste fantastic without them. Like most easy cookies recipes this will take very little time. The baking time differs depending on how chewy or how crunchy you like your cookies. Make a batch… or two of these and everyone is sure to love you J. Enjoy.

Orange Chicken

Today I’m back with yet another Chinese-American dish – Orange Chicken. It seems as though you can find orange chicken almost anywhere you want to eat these days. It is most commonly found at fast food restaurants, but don’t worry, this is so much better than anything you will find there. What really makes this recipe stand out is the combination of both orange and lemon juice. Once again we are also using the deep dryer for cooking the battered chicken. Great oil for frying this battered chicken would be peanut oil. Using peanut oil will give you the most flavorful chicken. If you’re looking for a simple Chinese dish for dinner this evening be sure to give this recipe for orange chicken a try.

Pineapple Meatballs

 As you can see by looking at the ingredients, the sauce is very similar to sweet and sour sauce. This will take a little time to make, but if you want to speed things up you can brown the meatballs in the oven while you’re making the sauce.This recipe for pineapple meatballs would be a great dish for a graduation party or for a dinner. suggested white rice as a side dish. Enjoy.

Turtle Cheesecake

  Delicious rich chocolate, creamy smooth caramel and the finest of pecans all in a cheesecake.This recipe will take a little work as all cheesecakes do, but in the end it’s well worth it. What u  love about this cheesecake is the chocolate graham cracker crust and the topping of chocolate morsels, chocolate syrup, and caramels. If you need a great cheesecake recipe that almost everyone will love, go with this recipe for turtle cheesecake.

Lemon Cheesecake

 This recipe is great if you’re looking for something light and refreshing – it would be great in the summertime!  This is a no bake cheesecake recipe so after only about a half hour it will be in the fridge. If you can find good ones, fresh strawberries taste just amazing on top of the cheesecake. Let me know what you think.

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich

It keeps getting warmer and warmer here in Michigan, and the weather is becoming great for outdoor grilling. So today I decided to fire up my grill again and make chicken teriyaki sandwiches. These sandwiches are a great combination of sweet and savory. For this recipe not only are you grilling the chicken, but you are grilling the pineapple as well! This was my first time ever putting pineapple on the grill and I think it turned out great. To get the most flavorful chicken it’s best to marinate overnight, but if you’re in a rush a few hours will work just fine. Some choices for toppings would be lettuce, tomato, onions, or just whatever you like. This recipe is great if you’re looking for a quick, great tasting meal that’s easy to prepare.

Blueberry Bread

If you choose a lot of variations could be made to this recipe – maybe instead of using blueberries use blackberries or raspberries? You could also consider adding some of your favorite chopped nuts into the bread. this recipe is how moist it came out and the great lemon flavor it has. This recipe for blueberry bread is a great combination of yogurt, blueberries, and lemon. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

 

 

Sweet and sour chicken is deep-fried breaded white meat chicken, coated or served with sweet and sour sauce. If you don’t know anything about the sauce, don’t worry because this article includes an amazing recipe for sweet and sour sauce as well! What really makes this recipe stand out from others or the buffets are the fruits and vegetables that go in it. We are tossing a generous amount of pineapple, green peppers, tomatoes, and onions into this dish. If you try this and like it, stay on the look out for my sweet and sour pork recipe coming soon. Enjoy. 

 
 
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” cubes)
Flour
4 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Oil
3 firm tomatoes (cut into 1 inch chunks)
2 onions (cut into 1 inch chunks)
1 green pepper (cut into 1 inch chunks)
1 can pineapple chunks (reserve juice for sauce)
Sweet and Sour Sauce-
½ cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cooking Instructions:


 
Step 1: Mix egg yolks and soy sauce with a bit of water. Roll the chicken in flour, egg, and then flour again. Deep fry the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes, and drain on paper towels.


 
Step 2: Stir fry pepper and onions for about 1 minute so they are still crisp and colored. Remove from pan and set aside.

Step 3: Make sweet and sour sauce by mixing vinegar, sugar, salt, orange juice, pineapple juice, and ketchup. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/8 cup of juice and stir in until thickened.


 
Step 4: Add tomato and pineapple chunks to the sauce and heat thoroughly. Pour mixture gently over chicken. Pour your peppers and onions on and serve. (best served while chicken bits are crispy and vegetables are crunchy still)

Strawberry Muffins

This strawberry muffins recipe consists of three parts. The muffins, the streusel, and the strawberry butter. All of that might sound a little complicated, but it’s really easy and takes little time. If you like muffins I recommend you try this immediately.

Sesame Chicken

Another great flavor enhancer is the marinade. The marinade is basically a fruity wine and chicken base combination. It adds great flavor to the chicken and makes it very moist coming out of the deep fryer.  If you’re craving some amazing Chinese food or are just in the mood for something different, don’t be afraid to give this recipe a try. 

How to Cook Eggs

With Easter only a few short days away, most of us are probably getting ready to hard boil eggs. Some of you may be new to hard boiling eggs altogether, or you might have tried it in the past and been a bit disappointed with the results – or maybe you just want those perfect fried or poached eggs to go along with your breakfast? Whichever it may be, if you’re looking to cook perfect eggs, this is the article for you. The problem with eggs is that they are very easy to over cook. Pan fried eggs can end up burnt, poached eggs can end up rubbery, and hard boiled eggs can end up with that nasty greenish ring around the yolk. In this article I will give you three easy methods of cooking eggs. This article will explain how to perfectly boil, pan fry, and poach your eggs.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Almost everyone has their way of making mashed potatoes. Some choose to go with peeled or unpeeled potatoes. Some choose to add milk, cream, butter, cheese…and the list could go on and on.  Well today I’m going to give you my way of making mashed potatoes. Before discovering this recipe we use to just add milk and butter to our potatoes. That is basically the most common way to make them, but I think this tastes much better. The secret to these great potatoes is adding fresh garlic to the potatoes while boiling them. Then during the mashing process we are adding a few ingredients such as milk, butter, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. If you’re in need of a quick and tasty mashed potatoes recipe for a side dish tonight, you’ve come across the perfect recipe. Enjoy.

New York Cheesecake

Every holiday a different cheesecake recipe. It’s extremely easy to make, and the almond extract and macadamia nut crust give it a delicious and unique flavor. It goes great topped with cherry or blueberry pie filling, but you could use any fruit filling or none at all.

Grilled Fish

 

 

With your typical Maitre D’ Hotel sauce the fillets would be breaded and then dipped in the sauce, but instead we are brushing the fillets in the sauce and putting them on the grill. The best part is there’s a good chance you have all the ingredients in your home to make the sauce. This recipe could be made with many different types of fish such as Bass or trout. This is a fast and easy fish recipe that everyone is sure to enjoy. 

Chicken Parmesan

If you’re a fan of Italian cuisine then chances are you’re familiar with chicken parmesan. My love for it began last spring when I cooked it for my family for the fist time. Everyone began raving about the great flavor and it’s been getting cooked on a regular basis ever since. Chicken parmesan consists of boneless-skinless chicken breasts rolled in flour and a seasoned bread crumb mixture that is topped with Marinara sauce and Mozzarella cheese. The chicken is first sautéed and then baked in the oven making it very succulent and juicy. This recipe takes a little time and effort to make but trust me, its well worth it! If by some chance your feeling a little creative you can even make your own Marinara sauce. Garlic bread would go great with this and serving with linguini is a must.

Asian Meatball

My fascination with foreign food continues tonight as  whip up some Asian meatballs. We definitely had some mixed reviews about this recipe. Hit or miss, you decide.

White Chicken Chili

This is a lot different from your normal chili, as it uses no actual chili powder. Adding the shredded Monterey jack cheese makes a huge difference in the flavor and is necessary so do not leave it out. The original recipe called for diced jalapeño peppers, If you want left over chicken you want to use up, this is a great recipe for that. Enjoy.

Beef and Bean Burritos

There are so many different ways you can make a good burrito filling. Some of these ways include chicken, bean, and beef. The type of filling that I have presented for you in this recipe includes bean and beef as well as brown rice. The cooking method is simple, the ground beef is cooked with onion and garlic, various seasonings are added and brown rice is mixed in. Tomato sauce is added to the mixture just before the simmering is finished. You can adjust the seasonings to your taste; add more chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper as desired. You can add different types of cheese to the burritos if you want, or even melt cheese on top when they are finished. What I like to do is put a little enchilada sauce on top of the wrapped burritos, add cheese, and place into the oven until the cheese has melted. You can also add additional toppings such as lettuce, tomato and sour cream. This recipe can easily be split in half. Enjoy.

Berry Cheesecake

Perhaps you are looking for a good cheesecake recipe for the Holidays. If so, you have come to the right place. There are a lot of good cheesecakes out there but this berry cheesecake might just be one of the best. Like most traditional cheesecakes we are making a graham cracker crust, and a delicious fresh berry topping. What really impressed me about this recipe is the nice lemon flavor this cake has. The cheesecake itself gets a lot of its flavor from a full tablespoon of lemon zest. The fresh berry topping is basically strawberries, raspberries and blueberries tossed with warmed jelly. Is this sounding good to you yet? If so, give it a try for the Holidays! Enjoy.

Sausage Stuffed Shells

Sausage stuffed shells are a great way to make good use of those jumbo pasta shells. Some of the stuffing ingredients include Italian sausage, chopped spinach, and parmesan and ricotta cheese. This is a fairly easy recipe, the hardest part is stuffing the shells. If you have an extra hand in the kitchen, it would be wise to get some help. This recipe can be on the table in about an hour. Serve with garlic bread. Enjoy.

Cookies n’ Cream Brownies

Cookies n’ Cream Brownies are the perfect treat for this holiday season. They put a nice little twist on your average chocolate brownie. Chocolate brownie mix is combined with crushed Oreo cookies in this fantastic recipe. If you want to experiment with different flavors you can use different flavors of Oreo cookies such as peppermint. After the brownies are baked and have cooled, a delicious glaze is drizzled over the top to even add sweeter flavor to these already amazing brownies. This recipe will make about 36 brownies. These are perfect for Christmas. Enjoy.

Cherry Cookies

These cherry cookies are perfect for Christmas and other holidays. The cookies are chocolate with cherries in the middle topped with even more chocolate. The flavor of the cookies reminds me of chocolate cake, they are very moist and rich in flavor. If you are looking for a great cookie recipe for Christmas, this is the way to go! Enjoy.

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels

White chocolate covered pretzels are almost necessary for the holidays. These are very easy to make and fun for the whole family. White chocolate can be replaced with dark chocolate if you prefer, and you can also add crushed peanuts on top instead of sprinkles. The recipe calls for the use of a double boiler but you can just melt the chocolate in the microwave instead if you desire. Everyone have a happy and safe holiday. Enjoy.

Key Lime Pie

One of the easiest pie recipes you will ever come across is Key Lime Pie. This pie originated in Key West, Florida. The pie is so simple to make the filling only consists of three ingredients; sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks. To save time you can use a prepared graham cracker crust and just pour the filling into it. Depending on where you live, you might not be able to find key limes.Enjoy.

Zucchini Brownies

If you have an abundance of zucchini this recipe for zucchini brownies might be exactly what you are looking for. Not only are these brownies a way to put that zucchini to good use, they are also some of the best brownies I have had in awhile. The brownies are so moist you might even have to eat them with a fork. To top things off, they are covered in a delicious chocolate frosting. When you are making the batter you will notice it is extremely dry, almost to the point where it’s like crumbs. This is normal and once it starts baking in the oven, the moisture from the zucchini will come out and moisten it. These are so easy to make and delicious, it’s well worth giving them a try. Enjoy.

Apple Muffins

Most of you probably already have an abundance of apples ready for use at this time of year and this recipe is perfect for that. These muffins have a delicious cinnamon topping that everyone is sure to enjoy. Some of the ingredients in the muffins include chopped fresh apples, flour, butter, and vanilla. This is a pretty basic recipe that is easy to make and will be out of the oven in no time at all. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Cake

Fall is the best time of year for baking because several things are in season. One of those things just happens to be pumpkin. Pumpkin cake is one of my favorite things to make with pumpkin puree. This cake is delicious and very moist. The original recipe calls for a 12×18 inch cake pan but two 9 inch round cake pans will work as well if you want to make a layer cake. You can add chopped walnuts into the better if you choose; I just put them on the top. The frosting is an outstanding cream cheese frosting that goes perfect with the pumpkin flavor. This is the perfect cake for fall, give it a try. Enjoy.