Chicken Lo Mein

I love Chinese food. My husband hates to go out to Chinese restaurants. What's a girl to do, but learn how to cook it herself? I'm still working on it, and this is definitely not the best recipe I've made, but it's good enough to satisfy the craving. Also, a lot of the uncommon ingredients for this recipe stay good for a long time, so don't be afraid to buy them, thinking that they'll go bad soon.

Lately, we've been eating out a lot because we've been traveling up to the new house, so we are definitely ready to start eating some good food. I've been so busy lately with job interviews, that I don't have much time to cook. So, I'll be cooking some old, trustworthy recipes this week. Hopefully, my job situation will be settled by the end of next week (fingers crossed), and things will get back to our semi-normal dual house lifestyle.

Chicken Lo Mein

12 oz. linguine pasta

1 large onion

1 1/2 lbs. cubed, cooked chicken

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)

1 tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. sesame oil

Cook linguine according to package directions. While the noodles are boiling, whisk the last 6 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Coarsely chop the onion and add to the oil. Saute the onion until crisp tender; add chicken and heat through. Meanwhile, drain noodles when done. Add noodles and the liquid mixture to the chicken and onions. Turn the heat to high and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes. Serve.

Notes: I think I used too much linguine. Also, I added a little more soy sauce at the end for more flavor.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This week has been filled with traveling, and therefore little cooking. I have had 4 interviews and 1 job fair lately. It wouldn't be so bad, but its a long drive across Houston during rush hour. I have had one job offer and I think I'll get another this week. I'm trying to hold out for the second offer with Magnolia ISD. Hopefully this week will be better (plus no school on Friday!!!!). Anyway, I've wanted to post these enchiladas for a while. They are so not the traditional enchiladas we are used to, but they are still tasty. My husband really likes them and they are easy to make.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

4 0z. cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp. water

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken

10 flour tortillas

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1- 4oz can green chilies

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, water, and seasonings until smooth. Stir in chicken. Place 1/4 cup of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll up, and place seam side down in a greased 13x9x2 inch dish. In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, milk, and chilies. Pour over enchiladas. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, bake 5 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.

By the way...I'm posting this from my couch on my new handy, dandy HP Netbook. I've never had a laptop, and I'm super excited. Hopefully I'll post more often now that I can do it from anywhere in the house (maybe).

2 days after Ike: Chicken Tortilla Bake

On Saturday, we ate some pork roast leftovers that we could warm up on the stove as we didn't have power. As stated earlier, we also ate a lot of chips and drank a lot of beer while enjoying the view from our front porch that night. There really isn't much to do without electricity!! On Sunday morning, we got up from our pallet on the living room floor (too hot to sleep in the bedroom), and my husband cooked some pork sausage. After breakfast, we loaded up all of our thawing food and headed for my dad's house. Since I had all my food with me, I decided to cook dinner there.

Chicken Tortilla Bake

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. oil

1- 16oz. can refried beans

1 can rotel, drained

6-8 inch flour tortillas, cut into 1 inch strips

1- 11oz. can Mexicorn, drained

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or a mexican cheese blend)

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, cumin, and salt in 1 tbsp. of oil until done. Combine the refried beans and rotel together; spread 1 cup of mixture into a greased 11x7x2 inch baking dish. Top with ~24 tortilla strips; layer with half of the corn, bean mixture, chicken, and cheese. Repeat the layers. Using remaining tortilla strips, make a lattice crust over filling. Brush the lattice crust with the remaining tsp. of oil. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.

Notes: You can use however many tortilla strips you like, and you don't have to bother shaping it into a lattice, obviously. But, it does make for nice presentation. I didn't want to bother cooking the chicken in a skillet this time, so I baked the chicken breasts in the oven (see previous entry about cooked, cubed chicken). I just sprinkled the seasonings on the chicken breasts before cooking. Feel free to use spicy refried beans or rotel, and we always add a dollop of daisy on top as well.

1 day before Ike: Fried Rice

This is the best fried rice recipe I've ever tried. You can adjust all of the ingredients to suit your tastes. My husband doesn't like many veggies, so I just have onions, bell peppers, and bean sprouts in mine. You can add carrots, broccoli, or any frozen stir fry mix (without the sauce). The trick is to used cold, cooked rice. I used the left over pork from the Savory Pork Roast (previous post), but you could used cooked chicken, beef, or shrimp instead. It's great for almost any leftover meat!!

Fried Rice

This photo isn't very good!!

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

2 tbsp. veg. oil

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups cold, cooked white rice

4-5 tbsp. soy sauce (or however much you like)

1/2 cup bean sprouts

2 cups cubed, cooked pork

salt and pepper to taste

Heat one tbsp. of oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet. Add the onion and saute for 1-2 minutes (you still want them to be crisp/tender after all cooking, so only cook for a few minutes). Add the green onion, bean sprouts, and green pepper; continue to saute until all veggies are crisp tender. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Heat remaining tbsp. of oil over medium heat. Add eggs; cook and stir continuously till set. Break up the egg while cooking, so you get small bite size pieces. Add the meat, rice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and vegetables into the pan. Cook and stir until heated through. Enjoy!!

Notes: I usually don't have leftover rice in the fridge, so I usually make 2 cups of instant rice at the beginning and throw it in the freezer while I prep the veggies. You might need more time for it to get cold if you prep faster than I do. I hope you try this one!!

Garlic Ranch Chicken with Potatoes, Peas, and Pearl Onions

I've been really busy with school starting so, I haven't been able to keep up with this as much as I'd like. Also, I haven't been cooking as much as usual because we've been going out a lot lately. My birthday was a little over a week ago, and we have finally finished celebrating. Margaritas at Gringo's!!! So, now it's back to the kitchen. Right now I'm praying that Ike stays away. I sure would hate to lose all of the food in my freezer. I've been working on my food stockpile for 3 months!!


Okay, so as for tonight's dinner... it was worth trying again, but not amazing. I need to work on it a little to make it great. Both of the dishes were new, so it was just a test run.

Garlic Ranch Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp. ranch salad dressing mix

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

Flatten chicken slightly; set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine milk and garlic. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, salad dressing mix, and pepper. Dip chicken in milk mixture, then coat with flour mixture. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil and butter over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or unitl juices run clear.

Potatoes, Peas, and Pearl Onions

1 package 20oz of regfrigerated red potato wedges (or about 1 1/2 lbs of red potatoes cut into wedges yourself)

1/3 cup water

1 1/3 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed

3 tbsp. butter

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can peas, drained

3 tbsp. chopped green onions

Place potato wedges and water in a 2qt microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute pearl onions in butter for 2 minutes. Add the cream, broth, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in the peas, green onions and reserved potatoes; heat through.

Notes: I really liked this dish, but I wanted the sauce to be thicker. I think that I'll let the cream mixture boil for a few minutes next time until its thicker, before I reduce the heat and simmer.

Chicken Soup with Mashed Potato Dumplings

Mmmm, Mmmm Good!! This is the greatest soup. My husband usually complains when I cook soup, but he was sad that he missed this one. It's great for leftover mashed potatoes, but if your house is like mine....you don't ever have left over mashed potatoes (they're my husband's fav). So, I keep a box of instant mashed potato flakes in the pantry just for this dish. I've made it with instant and homemade mashed potatoes. We couldn't taste a difference. This soup is good as leftovers, but the dumplings kind of dissolve, so you just get a great tasting thicker soup.

Chicken Soup with Mashed Potato Dumplings

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. veg. oil

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken (can use canned chicken in this one)

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 med. carrots, sliced

1/4 tsp. dried sage

1 1/2 cups biscuit/baking mix

1 cup cold mashed potatoes

1/4 cup milk

1 tbsp. chopped green onion

1/8 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil for 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in the broth, chicken, celery, carrots, and sage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a small bowl, combine the mashed potatoes and milk. Then, add the biscuit mix, green onion, and pepper. Form into small quarter size balls. Drop each ball into simmering soup. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean. DO NOT LIFT LID WHILE DUMPLINGS ARE SIMMERING.

Notes: As stated earlier, canned chicken will work in this soup. I usually make the instant mashed potatoes in the microwave and throw them in the freezer while I'm preparing the other ingredients, so that it's cold when I need it. Also, I've started leaving out the green onions. I haven't noticed a difference in the flavor of the soup.

Meal Fit for a King

This is one of my favorite dishes. Chicken a la King, not to be confused in any way with King Ranch Chicken. They are totally different. This really does come together quick and it is one of the best comfort foods. It's the dinner version of biscuits and gravy.

Chicken a la King

5 biscuits

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup of milk

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

2 tbsp. diced pimientos

Ok, here is how to get it done quick.

Preheat oven to biscuit baking temp. on biscuit package. Heat butter on low heat in large skillet. Chop celery and onion; add to skillet and turn heat to medium. Cook biscuits when oven is done preheating. While onion and celery are cooking, measure out flour and salt. Also measure out broth and milk. When onions and celery are crisp-tender, stir in flour and salt till blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken and pimientos. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 4-6 minutes (until heated through). Serve over split biscuits.

Notes: umm..umm..good

Cooked, Cubed Chicken

I usually saute boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pan to make cubed, cooked chicken to add to recipes, salads, soups, etc. But, I found that sometimes it's easier to cook it in the oven while I'm making something else. I think this will work especially well to make chicken that easily shreds for enchiladas.

boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
salt and pepper to taste
a little water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a casserole dish. Add enough water to the dish to barely cover the bottom. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper (and any herbs you like). Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Cut into cubes.

Ranch Chicken with Chive 'n' Garlic Corn

This is a super easy recipe for moist chicken. I can't take credit for the recipe. One of my best friends gave me this recipe on a drunken night at her apartment a few years ago. It's been a staple in our home since. The corn dish is ok. It's something to throw together on a busy night. The recipe is from Taste of Home, as are most of my recipes. I apologize for the unappetizing picture. I promise to work on my photography skills. You'll just have to trust me that the chicken tastes much better than it looks here.

Ranch Chicken

1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the ranch dressing and flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge both sides of each chicken breast in ranch dressing mixture and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella over each breast. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is bubbly.

Chive 'n' Garlic Corn

1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream style corn
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup minced chives
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

In a large skillet, saute corn and onions in butter for 5-7 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in chives, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Notes: Any cheese you have on hand will work with the Ranch Chicken, except swiss. We have tried a few, but my husband and I like mozzarella the best. The corn dish is easy, but I think I'll spice it up next time with some cayenne pepper to give it a little more flavor.