Easy Chicken and Broccoli Lo Mein

I made this for dinner tonight and everyone seemed to like it. It was so fast and easy AND incorporated some veggies (I'll try anything to get my kids to eat healthy).
8 ounces long pasta, such as linguine
2/3 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup fresh button mushrooms (I didn't have any, but it would be a great addition)
1 T. peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen broccoli (I just used a few crowns of fresh broccoli that I steamed)
3 cloves fresh garlic
2 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. ketchup
1 tsp. dark sesame oil

Boil noodles until tender. Meanwhile cut chicken into bite size pieces. Heat oil in deep skillet and sauce chopped onion. Next add the chicken. Let that cook for a few minutes and then add the mushrooms, broccoli, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release their liquid and the chicken is no longer pink.

Add the soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup (I thought this was a really odd ingredient for this recipe-but it worked), and sesame oil to the skillet and mix well. Remove the skillet from heat and add the drained, cooked pasta. Mix all together are serve immediately.

Asian Noodle Salad

Okay, another recipe from The Pioneer Woman cooks. It was really good. However, I warn you about making this for dinner--it makes a TON!! I had a 5 friends over and we didn't finish it. I even eliminated one of the ingredients and reduced the cabbages by about half and I still have leftovers. The dressing is good and I really like the addition of noodles in the salad. Mmmmm.

Asian Noodle Salad
adapted from Jamie Oliver

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 packages linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled

1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage (I used regular cabbage, that's all they had)
1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage
1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin (if available)
1 small bag bean sprouts (this is what I left out, there just wasn't enough room)
3 sliced scallions
3 peeled, sliced cucumbers (I didn’t have a cucumber for the photos above, but they’re yummy in the salad)
LOTS of chopped cilantro—up to one bunch
1 can whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet (I didn't toast them, but wanted to)

DRESSING:

Juice of 1 lime
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 hot peppers or jalapeños, chopped (I accidentally left out, but it was still good)
More chopped cilantro—LOTS

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter.
*Dressing keeps up to three days before serving, WITHOUT cilantro.

P.S. You might need some Gas-X or Beano with this meal.

Apple Dumplings

If you don't ever check out The Pioneer Woman Cooks, you should. I love her pictures and this particular recipe came out great!

Anyway, I made these apple dumplings for dessert yesterday and I was so surprised at them. They were so good!! I topped mine with cool-whip and J.D. with ice cream.

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Revel Bars

I have made these treats a few times in the past few weeks for friends, Home Teaching, and Playgroups and EVERY time the recipe is requested. So, I thought it would be a good idea to post it. This recipe involves a lot of butter and chocolate so I hope you enjoy!

Revel Bars

Crust: 1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
3 cups quick oats

Filing:
1 package chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together butter and sugar for crust. Add in the eggs, vanilla, soda, and salt. Add in the flour and oats and mix well. The dough is really sticky. Press 2/3 of mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Next, melt the chocolate chips and butter together. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Pour over the crust and then pat the remaining crust flat with hangs and lay over the top of filing in pieces (or you can just crumble the remaining crust on top). Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

ENJOY!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

This is the absolute best chocolate cake. One hundred times better than anything mixed up from a box. I've made this several times and it's always turned out perfectly moist and oh, so good. You can always find this on the back of Hershey's cocoa powder.

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.