Sesame noodles

12 ounces thin noodles

1/4 C Soy Sauce

1/4 C Canola Oil

3 T Pure Sesame Oil

2 T Sugar

2 T Rice Vinegar

1/4 tsp hot chili oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 cloves minced garlic

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.   Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

 

Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, chili oil, pepper flakes, and garlic in a bowl.   Taste to adjust the ingredients as needed.

 

Drain the noodles.  Pour the sauce over the hot noodles and toss to coat.  Spring with green onions if desired. 

Vino restaurant in Harrisburg

I finally got to try Vino and I loved it!  The food is delicious and reasonably priced! They have a seperate gluten free menu you can request.  I highly recommend the chianti braised pork.  

Cauliflower Alfredo

I have been dying to try this for a while and finally got to do it, and it was fantastic!
Now I am a cheese based person, so we did sprinkle fresh grated parmesan cheese on top, but it was fantastic without it, just needed to satisfy my cheese craving :-)

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 medium head of cauliflower 
1 large yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter (or coconut oil)
5 cups chicken broth
¾ cup milk (or non dairy milk if needed)
½ teaspoon salt (I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the onion and garlic into thin slices. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet on low heat, add onion slices and garlic and sauté covered on low until the onions and garlic are golden and caramelized (about 20 minutes).
2. Bring chicken broth to a boil. 
3. Cut the cauliflower into florets and cook in broth until tender (7-10 minutes). Reserve 3/4 cup of broth, drain the rest.
4. Place the tender cauliflower into a blender or food processor together with the caramelized onions, garlic, 3/4 cup of broth (or more as needed), milk and salt. Puree until smooth.
5. Store the sauce in a container with a lid (like a mason jar) and place in the fridge, if not using right away.Depending on the size of you blender, you can also double the recipe.

Loaded Chicken and Potato Casserole

I tried this recipe the other day and LOVED it.   I tweeted it a bit for lack of all the ingredients on and hand for wanting to see the smoked paprika used :-)

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
2. 5 medium Russet or Idaho potatoes, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
3. 3 Tablespoons olive oil
4. 1/2 Tablespoon paprika  (I used it half regular paprika and half smoked paprika)
5. 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
6. 1 teaspoon salt (I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)
7. 1 teaspoon black pepper
8. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I was out of shredded cheese, i chopped up cooper, swiss, mozzarella and cheddar slices and tossed that on top)
9. 1/2 cup cooked, chopped bacon or pancetta 
10. 2 green onions, sliced thin (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Spread the diced chicken and potatoes evenly into the baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour mixture evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Stir to coat the chicken and potatoes.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 55 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with the cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, and onion. Bake another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I tried this recipe the other day and LOVED it.  

Wholly wholesome pizza dough

This worked pretty well, made several little pizzas and pizza pockets with it :-)

Kraft Cooking Creams

So  I was out of the cooking creams and wanted to make a chicken dish that Ken loves.  I knew I had plain cream cheese, but wasn't sure how to go about making my own.  Turns out, after a quick Google search I found a super easy way to do it and very cost effective!

Ingredients:

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T Italian Herbs and some Grated Parm cheese to your preference

In a small saucepan, combine the cream cheese and broth. Stir over low heat until the cheese is melted.

It's that easy.