Stir Fry Sauce Recipes

I like putting together a stir fry meal.  It is quick, delicious, and nutritious.  I just toss in whatever vegetables I want, sliced fresh ginger, and minced garlic.  I usually serve it over rice, but sometimes I just eat it as it comes out of my wok!  Here are my go to sauce recipes. . . I've never been a fan of bottled sauces.

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

For all of the above, whisk together the ingredients and use sparingly in a stir fry meal.  Store in the refrigerator in tightly sealed container for several weeks.  I like my Lodge Manufacturing cast iron woks.  I have a 14 inch one and a 9 inch.  The smaller one is great for a nice meal for me.  But if I have company or want left overs, the larger one works fine.

Sweet Potato Casserole

 Sweet Potatoes:

3 medium sweet potatoes, baked and mashed

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

12 tablespoons melted butter, divided

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

3/4 cup crushed corn flakes

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.  In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, 6 tablespoons melted butter, milk, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Mix well and pour into the baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the topping.  In a small bowl, combine the corn flakes, nuts, brown sugar, and the remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter.  Sprinkle on top of the baked sweet potatoes and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

Sausage Blossoms

Here's a great appetizer to serve when guests come over.

2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed

2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese

2 cups salsa

1 package won ton wrappers

sour cream

chopped green onions

Brown the sausage in a skillet, stirring until crumbly.  Remove from heat and add the cheese and salsa, stirring until the cheese is melted.  Press the won ton wrappers into miniature muffin cups.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until won ton edges begin to brown.  Remove to a serving platter and let stand 5 minutes.  Spoon a small amount of sour cream on top of each sausage blossom and sprinkle with chopped green onions.  Serve immediately.  Makes 24.

Marinated Broccoli

I was going through tote containers in the basement that hadn't been opened in months. . . years?  I ran across an old cookbook from my mother-in-law's Women's Club, circa 1980.  I found quite a few recipes I want to try but this one I remember making, back in the days when I was trying to get my boys to eat more vegetables.

1 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dill seed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/3 cup vegetable oil

With two bunches of broccoli flowerets, cleaned and cut into small pieces, marinate in the marinade recipe above for at least 5 hours.

The Perfect Cookie (cookbook)

America's Test Kitchen, in my opinion, has the best cookbooks.  They put every recipe in their cookbooks through rigorous testing so that you get superior results.  I have several of their cookbooks and love every one of them.  They put a paragraph or two by each recipe telling you why it works.

Their cookie cookbook is really out of this world fantastic!

I admit I have gotten into a rut over the years when it comes to baking cookies.  My old standbys, chocolate chip, peanut butter, and sugar cookies are about the extent of my repertoire and at Christmas I often make the Hershey's Kisses Peanut Butter cookies.

This book has encouraged me to try others that I am sure will become favorites.

There are the Classic Chewy Oatmeal cookies, Lemon Sour Cream cookies, Chewy Chocolate cookies, Cinnamon Swirl cookies, Hazelnut Lemon Curd Thumbprints, and so many more.

Check it out!  You won't be disappointed.

Chinese Spinach

This is a great way to prepare spinach.

1 lb. fresh spinach

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup water chestnuts

2 tablespoons chopped onion

In a large, covered saucepan, simmer spinach with a small amount of water for 3 minutes.  Drain well.  Heat oil, soy sauce, and sugar in a skillet.  Add spinach, water chestnuts, and onion.  Cook and toss until spinach is well coated and heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. 

Rice Pudding

This is one from "way back."  I dug it up recently to make it and had forgotten just how good it is!

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs beaten

1 cup cooked rice

3/4 cup raisins

butter

Mix together the sugar and milk.  Add vanilla, eggs, and milk.  Mix well.  Add rice and raisins.  Dot with butter.

Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Grape Salad

 

This is just so good and quick to prepare.  A great summer salad.

1 block of cream cheese soften

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 lbs green grapes

2 lbs purple grapes

1 cup chopped pecans

3 tbls brown sugar

Mix 1st 4 ingredients until smooth and creamy, fold in grapes. In a separate bowls mix pecans and brown sugar and sprinkle on top.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Bundt cakes are great.  You have one baking pan, rather than with layer cakes, and using a glaze is quicker than frosting 2 or 3 layers!  I like using my Lodge Manufacturing cast iron bundt pan.

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup blueberries

Glaze: 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon water, few drops lemon juice.  Make sure cake is completely cooled before adding glaze.

Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat in flour mixture alternating with buttermilk.  Beat well.

*Put 1/3 of the cake batter into a prepared bundt pan.  Put 1/3 of the blueberries on top.  Repeat from *

Bake at 350 for 50 to 55 minutes.

Note:  I have had good luck using Baker's Joy with flour spray in my pan.  The cake just slides right out.  I like it better than Pam spray.

Blueberry Chicken Salad

Another one of my old favorites.

2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

3/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (shallots are a good choice)

1 6 oz. carton lemon yogurt

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

Greens - lettuce, spinach, arugula for plate

Place blueberries, chicken, celery, red pepper, and onion in a large bowl.  Toss to combine.  Stir together yogurt, mayo, and salt.  Drizzle over chicken mixture and toss gently.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  Serve on greens lined platter, garnished with blueberries.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Secret:  If I don't have, or can't get lemon yogurt, I use plain Greek yogurt.