Recipe of the Day: Copycat Panda Express Sweet and Sour Pork

Copycat Panda Express Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients
5 cups salad oil (for deep frying)
16 ounces diced pork
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch (divided use)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon water
5 ounces diced pineapple
12 ounces peas

Directions
Heat a clean wok on high heat for at least 10 seconds and add the oil. Heat oil until it flows like water when the wok is moved.

Mix the diced pork with 1 cup of cornstarch, then deep fry the pork pieces in the oil for 5 minutes. Remove oil and pork and drain well, saving the leftover oil.

Return 1 tablespoon oil to the wok, and add ketchup, sugar and vinegar. Stir until sauce boils.

Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and the water to the wok; this will help thicken the sauce. Mix the sauce; and when it comes to a boil again, add the pineapple and return the pork to the wok. Stir well.

Sprinkle the peas on top, then serve. Enjoy!

Serves 2-3

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Recipe of the Day: Cafe Pierre’s Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

Cafe Pierre’s Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
1 carrot, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
About 5 tablespoons (3 ounces) tomato paste
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup veal stock or beef broth
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti, cooked to dente
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste

Directions
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the meat and brown, stirring frequently, 10 to 15 minutes, careful not to burn.

Using a slotted spoon, strain the meat from the pan, leaving the fat (it will seem like a lot of fat, but the fat will be absorbed into the sauce as it slowly cooks). Add the carrot, onion and celery to the pan, stirring until the vegetables are translucent and soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes to marry the flavors. Stir in the white wine and cook until the wine is reduced, about 5 minutes.

Stir the meat back into the pan along with the veal stock, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and one-half teaspoon pepper, or to taste. Gently cook over low heat until the flavors are married, 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with the spaghetti and grated
Parmigiano to taste.

Recipe found here: Cafe Pierre’s Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

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Recipe of the Day: Kentucky Biscuits *National Biscuit Day*

Just like KFC or Kentucky Fried Chicken biscuits!

Kentucky Biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 dash salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the buttermilk. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 2 minutes. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet, roll into a 6×6 inch square, and cut into 12 even sections. Do not separate.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center of the square comes out clean. Separate into biscuits, and serve hot.

Original recipe makes 12 biscuits

Recipe found here: Kentucky Biscuits

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Recipe of the Day: Starbucks Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino *National Strawberries and Cream Day*

Starbucks Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Syrup
16 oz Strawberries, hulled
Sugar to taste

For the Frappucino
1 cup Whole Milk
3/4 cups softened Vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup Strawberry Syrup (either make your own or use store bought!)
5-6 Whole Strawberries, chopped finely
2-3 ice cubes
Whipped Cream (optional)

Directions

Make the Strawberry Syrup:
Note: You may also use store-bought syrup!

Chop the stem (hull) off the strawberries. You can then do a coarse chop or quarter the berries.

Place them in a colander and rinse them gently under cold water. You can wash them first and then chop if you like.

Drain the water well and place the berries in a saucepan. Cook them in medium heat. Give it a stir now and then. (After around 5 minutes you will find the berries releasing their juices.)

After around 15 minutes of cooking, add some sugar to taste.

Let cook for another 5 minutes and then wait until sauce has cooled.

Strain the sauce into another bowl pressing the fruit well to give more syrup.PS: Store remainder of strawberry syrup in an airtight container. You can use the fruit pulp in another recipe (pancakes, waffles, cakes, muffins etc)

Make the Frappuccino:
Add rest of the ingredients along with your strawberry syrup (other than the whipped cream and chopped strawberries) in a blender. Give it a whirl until blended.

Drop some of the chopped strawberries in a serving glass and pour the blended mixture into it.

Add some whipped cream on top if desired and serve chilled.

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Recipe of the Day: Olive Garden Baked Pasta Romana with Beef

Olive Garden Baked Pasta Romana with Beef

Ingredients
1 5 pound flat brisket
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
16 – 32 ounces of beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
12 ounces of lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/2 cup Fontina cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Additional Asiago, Fontina, and Parmesan cheese for garnish
1/2 cup spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a dutch oven heat saute sliced onions in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add about 1/2 teaspoon salt to the onions. Saute onions until they are translucent. Remove onions from pan. Sprinkle both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper. Place brisket into pan brown on both sides. Once brisket is browned on both sides, remove brisket from pan. Pour in 1 cup of beef broth into pan, scrape brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add two tablespoons of tomato paste, and whisk together well. Place onions, and then the brisket back into the pan, add enough broth to the pan to cover the brisket half way. Bake brisket for approximately 3 1/2 hours. The brisket is done when a fork slides into the meat easily. If the meat is still tough after the initial baking bake for an additional 30 minutes. Once the brisket is removed from the oven, let rest for approximately 20 minutes before slicing.

Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the package. To use the noodles for the baked pasta dish, once the noodles are done, they need to be cut in half vertically, and horizontally. This way you don’t have to eat a whole lasagna noodle in one bite.

For the sauce combine heavy cream and butter in a sauce pan over medium to medium high heat. Once the butter and cream just begin to simmer, whisk in all cheeses. The sauce will thicken, remove pan from heat. Place noodles into a 2 quart casserole dish. Arrange the noodles by folding them over so they make nice curls. Pour sauce over the noodles. Toss spinach with olive olive, and then place the spinach around the sides of the casserole dish. Place 6 to 8 ounces of beef over the noodles. You may want to spoon a little of the cooking gravy from the brisket over the beef. Top with a little Asiago and Fontina cheese and place back into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese melts on the top of the pasta.

I do not recommend making the pasta and sauce portion ahead of time. You can make the brisket ahead of time.

Recipe found here: Olive Garden Baked Pasta Romana with Beef

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Recipe of the Day: Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1/2 ” thick
honey mustard
6 slices bacon, sliced in half
1/2 teaspoon McCormick’s Season All
1 cup sliced mushrooms, drained
3 cups shredded colby or 3 cups monterey jack cheese

Directions:
1 Rub chicken breast with Seasonal All and set aside to marinate for 1 hour.

2 While the breast is marinating fry bacon crisp and drain.

3 Sauté chicken breasts on medium heat in pan with just enough oil to prevent sticking.

4 Cook on both sides until a slight golden color and cooked in the middle but not dry.

5 Remove from pan and place in a 9 x 13 dish.

6 Spread chicken breast with honey mustard, cover with a layer of mushrooms, three pieces of bacon and then sprinkle with shredded Colby/jack cheese, chicken should be covered with shredded cheese.

7 Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

8 Sprinkle with parsley and extra honey mustard may be served on the side.

Recipe found here: Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken

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Recipe of the Day: Red Lobster’s Cheese Biscuits (in a loaf)

Red Lobster’s Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons of butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with oil.

In a bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Carefully stir in cheese cubes until covered in flour mixture, this will help prevent your cheese sinking to the bottom of your loaf of bread.

In a different bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Fold the wet mixture into the flour and cheese mixture, stir until just combined, do not over stir. Spread the mixture into the loaf pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Allow to cool for one hour before slicing and serving.

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Recipe of the Day: Ravioli Di Portobello *National Pasta Month*

Ravioli Di Portobello

Filling
12 -16 ounces portabella mushrooms, finely chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup butter
1 dash salt & pepper

Ravioli Dough
1 1/2 cups flour
2 medium eggs
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
8 ounces smoked gouda cheese
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Garnish
chopped green onion
diced tomato

Directions:

Filling

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft. Add mushrooms and sauté for two minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are fully cooked. Set aside.

Ravioli Dough

Mix dry ingredients and eggs in a bowl. Add water a little at a time, while stirring, until it forms soft dough. Dough should be soft, but not sticky.

Roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with flour.

Using a biscuit cutter or small glass, cut 3-inch circles from the dough.

Place a spoonful of the mushroom and onion mixture in the center of the circle and top with another circle of dough.

Crimp the edges with a fork, being sure to completely seal the ravioli. If needed, moisten the edge of the bottom circle with cold water before crimping the top circle over the filling.

Drop raviolis, a few at a time, into boiling water being careful that they do not touch in the kettle. When the raviolis float to the top, boil for one minute and then remove them with a slotted spoon.

Keep hot in a covered dish. Drizzling with a little butter or oil will prevent them from sticking to one another.

Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour to make a thick paste. Add cold milk, stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Cook until the sauce thickens.

Add cut up smoked Gouda cheese and the chopped sun dried tomatoes. Heat until cheese is completely melted.

Serving

Arrange raviolis on a dinner plate that has a slight indentation. Pour the sun dried tomato sauce over the raviolis so that the raviolis rest in a bed of sauce. Sprinkle chopped green onion and diced tomatoes over the top.

Recipe found here: Olive Garden Ravioli Di Portobello

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Recipe of the Day: Tombstone Cookies *National Cookies Month*

Tombstone Cookies

Ingredients
2 tablespoons cocoa (or cacao) nibs (see Notes)
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling cookies
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour $
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a blender, whirl cocoa nibs until each is about the size of a grain of rice.

2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy; beat in egg and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa nibs; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly, to form a soft dough. Divide dough into thirds, cover each portion tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour), or up to 3 days.

4. On a floured board, roll out dough, a portion at a time, to a thickness of 1/8 in. (keep dough refrigerated when not in use). With a sharp knife, cut out free-form tombstone shapes (about 1 1/2 by 3 in.; cut bottom edges at an angle to make them easier to poke into the pots de crème), and place slightly apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle generously with sugar.

5. Bake cookies until edges are lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool completely before handling.

6. Using a pastry bag with a very fine tip, pipe the letters “RIP” in chocolate on at least 8 of the cookies. Stick these cookies into the Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Crème and serve the rest of the cookies alongside.

Note:
Cocoa nibs, also called “cacao nibs,” give these cookies a mottled look that resembles stone. We made the recipe with both chocolate-covered nibs made by Scharffen Berger and plain nibs from Dagoba Organic Chocolate, and both worked well. Find both types in gourmet markets. Or substitute 2 tbsp. finely chopped bittersweet chocolate if you prefer. Make up to 3 days ahead; store airtight.

Recipe found here: Tombstone Cookies

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Recipe of the Day: Luby’s Sausage Steak

Luby’s Sausage Steak

Ingredients
1 pound ground sausage
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 pound bacon, cooked crisp and chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup beef broth

Instructions
Divide ground sausage into approximately six patties.

Shape the patties into oblong pieces.

Place sausage into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Cover the bottom of the dish with beef broth.

Broil the sausage patties in the oven.

Follow the directions on your oven’s broiler, on high this may only take 10-13 minutes.

Make sure the sausage is completely done.

Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon, place sausage steaks back into the oven for approximately one or two minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Recipe found here: Luby’s Sausage Steak

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