Braised Short Ribs:

Ingredients:
4 pounds beef short ribs (or the canned beef in gravy from Costco - 2)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
5 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths (or one can of tomatoes with the juice)
1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon (or cooking red wine)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or just ground mustard)
2 cups low-sodium beef broth (if you use the canned beef in the gravy, no need for the beef broth)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.

Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*I have used short ribs before, but for times sake, I use the canned beef in gravy from Costco.
*I used canned tomatoes instead of fresh
*I use cooking red wine
*If you use the canned beef, you don’t need to actually braise it and no need to take out the beef, I just add everything together and then cook for about an hour, just so the beef can soak up the liquid.

Email me for questions: britneyericksen@gmail.com
 

Italian Polenta

Ingredients:
2 Tab olive oil
3/4 Cup red onion (most times I use a white onion)
2 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup polenta
3 Tab butter
1 1/2 tea salt (I use the coarse salt)
1/4 tea pepper
2 oz. parmesan cheese
Parsley

Directions:
*Pre-heat oven to 350
*On high heat, place a big skillet on the stove, add olive oil
*Add onions and salt
*Reduce heat and add garlic – sauté
*Turn heat back on high – add broth until boiling
*Gradually ad the polenta and stir

*Place into oven with a lid on
*Every 10 minutes, stir polenta
*Keep stirring every 10 minutes for 40 minutes
*After 40 minutes, take out and add butter, pepper, parmesan cheese and parsley

Side notes:
*Most of the ingredients I add to taste. For instance, I add more garlic and butter and cheese...
*Also, after the polenta has cooked for 40 minutes, it may still be runny. Let sit for a while before serving and it should set up to a more dense consistency.

 

Ham and Swiss Strata

Served at the ward 4th of July breakfast. YUM!

*This must be made the night before and then cooked in the morning.*

12 slices of wheat or white bread
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup green onion, minced
2 cups lunch meat ham, diced
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Cut 6 slices of bread into cubes. Put on a greased 9x13 pan. In a bowl, combine mayo, green onion, ham and cheeses. Spread over bread cubes. Cut remaining 6 slices of bread into cubes and put over cheese mixture. In a bowl, beat together eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour over bread cubes evenly. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes covered with foil.

*Submitted by Noreen Williamson

Chicken Lettuce Wraps- by Ela

Ingredients:

-Chicken (6-8 med. sized breasts) marinate meat overnight or at least for a couple hours in:

-few Tbs. olive or veg. oil
-1 cup kinkoman soysauce
-few Tbs of crushed garlic

...cook chicken (bake or just on the stove top is fine)

while chicken is cooking:

-saute ginger root, garlic (I use ginger/garlic paste- about a few Tbs), some grn onions and 1 pkg mushrooms.

-chop everything w/ a chopper to fine pieces (pretty much a "diced" consistency).

-Open 2 cans of waterchestnuts and dice w/ chopper.

add ALL ingredients together, including the chicken, and heat through- you can add a bit more soy sauce if you need it from the drained sauce from the chicken...

serve over pieces of iceberg lettuce in a "lettuce wrap" and enjoy!

Dipping sauce:
Sriracha sauce mixed w mayonnaise and sesame oil.

Create your own Stirfry!!! -Multiple Sauce Recipes

Create-your-own Stir-fry (serves 4)

 1 pound protein

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 recipe stir-fry sauce

1 and 1/2 pounds prepared vegetables, cut into small pieces and divided into batches based on cooking times

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1. Stir-fry the protein and prepare sauce.  Toss protein with soy sauce.  Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking.  Add protein and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps, until lightly browned, 1 1/2 to 5 minutes.  (While protein cooks, prepare sauce recipe.)  Transfer protein to a clean bowl.
2. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to pan and return to high heat until shimmering.  If using very tough vegetables, add to skillet with 1/2 cup water, cover, and steam over high heat for about 2 minutes; uncover.  Add longer-cooking vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp-tender, 1 to 5 minutes.  Add faster-cooking vegetables and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 30 to 60 seconds.
3. Clear center of the pan and add remaining 1 teaspoons oil, garlic, and ginger.  Cook, mashing garlic mixture into pan with back of spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in cooked protein.  Whisk sauce to recombine, add to pan, and bring to simmer.  Cook sauce until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Orange-Sesame Sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine ingredients in medium bowl and use as directed in stir-fry recipes.

Spicy Orange Sauce

1 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Combine ingredients in medium bowl and use as directed in stir-fry recipes.

Coconut-Curry Sauce

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1-2 teaspoons red curry paste

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine ingredients in medium bowl and use as directed in stir-fry recipes.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons orange juice

6 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in medium bowl and use as directed in stir-fry recipes.

Spicy Thai Basil Sauce

1 cup basil leaves, chopped coarse

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce (sriracha, sambal oelek, or chili garlic sauce)

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine ingredients in medium bowl and use as directed in stir-fry recipes.

Submitted By Jenny Shirts

Cabbage-chicken Stir fry

Chicken cut up into bite sized pieces

Shredded green cabbage

green onions

Shallots (very small, redskinned onions. Fragrant and sweet- usu. around $1/lb. only need a few)

vegetable oil

very finely chopped lemon grass (1.49 for a frozen bag of finely chopped lemon grass @ Lion Supermarket. Can refreeze. You only need about 1 spoonful max if you want a stronger lemon grass flavor)

garlic powder

Oyster Sauce (Lee Kum Kee Panda brand is a popular one, on sale it is 1.69 a bottle. Any other brand is fine. Under 1.69, you are doing good! You only need a couple table spoons max, for flavor, aroma, and color.)

Fish sauce (optional)

 

Heat up your oil on med-hi. Flavor your oil by adding shallots and a bit of garlic powder. Once shallots start sizzling, add chicken and lemon grass to flavor your meat. When chicken is semi-done, add oyster sauce (and fish sauce, if you like--only a little bit like 1/4-1/2 tbsp. max) and quickly stir until meat is barely done. Add cabbage and stir fry until semi-soft, semi-crunchy. When you are ready to serve, turn off heat and add in chopped green onions and quickly stir in to not overcook them. 

 

 

Submitted by Andrea Audoung

 

Chili-Bambooand Chicken Stirfry

Basically, you adjust the amounts according to how much you want and what your palate prefers, ie. salty, less salty, etc...

 

Chili-Bamboo and Chicken Stirfry:

 

-Chicken cut up into bite sized pieces

-Jar of Chili oil and Bamboo Shoots (They come in a clear jar with an orange or yellow lid. Main ingredients are Chili-oil and bamboo shoots. I've tried several brands, but they all taste the same to me. If you get a 12-14 oz jar for under 1.60, you are doing pretty good. Usually on sale at Ranch 99 or Lion Supermarket.)

-Fish sauce (optional and only a few squirts)

 

I stir fry my chicken WITHOUT adding oil on med-hi heat. When it's semi-done, then I add a few spoonfuls of the chili-bamboo, depending on if I want a lot of bamboo and spice or not.

 

Submitted by Andrea Audoung