Mireya's Stir-Fry

The second time I ever saw my now very close friend Mireya, she was making this for dinner and she had made so much that she kindly sent me home with enough marinated meat and cut up vegetables for me to feed my own family. It was so good, the kids said it was their favorite stir fry. So now it's called "Mireya's Stir Fry". (Ironically, she hasn't made it since then and asks me for the recipe, which she told me over the phone as I wrote it down.) She got this recipe from her mother-in-law.

Sirloin tri-tip (Costco) partly frozen to make it easy to slice in small strips
2-3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. oil
about 1 tbsp. fresh ginger (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

Slice the meat and marinate it in soy sauce, corn starch, oil, ginger, and black pepper for at least half an hour.

Wash and cut a combination of vegetables into bite-sized pieces. She did:
Broccoli
Asparagus
Red pepper
mushrooms
carrots
onion
garlic
gingerroot (optional)

Mix up the sauce. This is my version because I like a lot of sauce:
1 c. chicken broth (hot water mixed with bouillon is fine)
1-2 tbsp. oyster sauce
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. sesame oil

Stir fry the meat in some oil and cook until barely done. Remove from pan and set aside. Stir fry the vegetables in some oil in order starting with the ones that take the longest time to cook. I start with carrots and onions. When vegetables are just about done, add the meat, then the sauce, and cook a few minutes until the sauce is thickened. Serve over rice.

Rhubarb Bars

This is from my ward cookbook. Crust: 1/2 c. butter 5 tbsp. powdered sugar 1 c. flour Filling (mix all together): 2 well-beaten eggs 1 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. flour Dash of salt 2 c. chopped rhubarb 3/4 tsp. baking powder Mix together first three ingredients as you would pie crust and press into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until caramel color (I baked it for 10). Pour filling into pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350. Crust will form on top. Cut into bars. Good with ice cream!

Vegetable & Beef Lo Mein

I was at the mall yesterday and saw a Mongolian BBQ place that looked and smelled so good, it inspired me today. I used the vegetables I had on hand so you can use whatever you have. olive oil half an onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, chopped carrots cut in matchstick size pieces sliced fresh mushrooms 1 zucchini cut in small pieces leftover carne asada cut in strips (this is theoretically Mexican but it tasted wonderful in this dish!) 1 package thin Asian rice noodles, cooked/drained according to pkg directions Teriyaki sauce (I used "Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki) Just saute the vegetables in olive oil, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook, until cooked to your liking, then add the leftover meat, then the noodles, then season with a few dashes of the teriyaki sauce. I didn't use much sauce because it's pretty sweet. My girls went ga-ga over this when they got home tonight.

Caramel Apple Dip

¾ cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) real butter (I use less)
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt (I don’t use, doesn’t seem necessary with salted butter)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened and at room temperature
Granny Smith apples

Microwave brown sugar and butter on high 1 minute at a time, up to 3 minutes (but maybe less—watch it carefully) until bubbly and mixed. While caramel is still warm, blend in vanilla, salt, and cream cheese until smooth. Serve with sliced apples for dipping. Also good with salted pretzels.

Carne Asada

I got this recipe from my friend Kris and it turned out amazing! It was tender, and my beef is never tender. I sliced it across the grain and served it with flour tortillas, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and shredded lettuce. The half jalapeno gave some flavor but wasn't hot at all....I might try the whole one next time.   4 garlic cloves, minced 1 jalapeno, minced [I used half; make sure to use gloves and remove all seeds and membrane] 1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped [didn't use] Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 limes, juiced 1 orange, juiced 2 tablespoons white vinegar [I might use less next time...kids said it was a little sour] 1/2 cup olive oil Put 2-3 lbs of thinly sliced beef in a ziplock back with the marinade above. [I used "flap meat" recommended by my butcher, and grilled it on outdoor gas grill, just a couple of minutes per side.]

Artichoke Chicken

I haven't tried this yet but wanted to post it here so I remember it.

1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 pinch garlic pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic pepper. Place chicken in a greased baking dish, and cover evenly with artichoke mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.

Tater Tot Casserole

Preheat oven to 350. Brown 1 lb. ground beef (or less), drain off fat. Mix with 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 soup can full of milk, a dash or two of onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir in some sour cream if you'd like. Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking pan, layer tater tots all across the top. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.