CHILI STEAK MARINADE

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons Chicago or Montreal steak seasoning
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients.  Marinate 2-3 pounds of your favorite cut of meat for around an hour.  We prefer thick-cut sirloin from Costco.  Grill at 400° for 8 minutes on the first side, flip and continue to grill for 5 more minutes on the second side (for medium rare).  You can spoon on more marinade as it cooks. 

CRANBERRY SALSA WITH CREAM CHEESE

1 12-oz package fresh cranberries
¼ cup green onion, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash of salt
2 8-oz packages cream cheese
 
Put your cranberries in a food processor.  Chop up green onions, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper into small pieces. Add all ingredients but the cream cheese into a bowl. Mix them all together, cover and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours. The sugar needs some time to soak in to the cranberries and break up their bitter taste.  When you are ready to serve, place cream cheese bricks on a plate.  Spread the cream cheese out as evenly as you can.  Pour cranberry mixture over the cream cheese.  Spread it all around.  Serve immediately with Wheat Thins, Ritz Crackers or tortilla chips.

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD WITH SPICY GINGER DRESSING

• 1 boneless chicken breast, skin removed
• 1 medium-sized Napa (or Savoy) cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 small tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 mango, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
• handful of fresh mint, chopped
• handful of cilantro, chopped
• handful of roasted peanuts

Spicy Ginger Dressing

• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation
1. To poach chicken, place the breast in a small saucepan and add water, about 1 inch above the chicken. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiled, immediately lower heat to a very slow simmer and partly cover for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken to cook in hot water for another 15 minutes. Once cooled, shred chicken and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the spicy ginger dressing.
3. Add the cabbage, chicken, carrots, tomato, mint and cilantro to the large bowl and toss gently. Top with mango slices and roasted peanuts. Garnish with scallions and roasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Soup:

3 quarts water

chicken broth (you can use 20 bouillon cubes, 2 cans of chicken broth, or whatever chicken broth seasoning you have on hand.  I always just put in enough to the desired taste. You can always add more at the end, and as you go.

1/8 c. dried onion

4 c. celery (chopped)

4 c. carrots (chopped)

4 chicken breast cooked & cubed or I use one “ready to eat” full rotisserie chicken and shred it  

*In a large pot, add the chicken base to the 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil. Add onion, chopped carrots and celery. While the vegetables are cooking, I make the noodles:

Noodles:

5 Eggs               ½ c. cold water 

1 tsp. Salt          1/3 c. olive oil

Flour

Beats eggs with wire Wisk. Add olive oil, cold water and salt. With wooden spoon add flour until you have a soft dough. It will be sticky, which makes really good noodles-(instead of having too much flour). I just keep adding flour until it forms a sticky dough. You can always add more flour as you go. But, the least amount the flour the better.

Flour your surface and roll out to ¼ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter- cut the dough into thin (or fat J) strips. (About 2-3 inches long). Drop one at a time into your pot, while the vegetables are still cooking. Add your chicken pieces. The noodles take about 12 minutes to cook depending on the temperature of water. Serve with chopped green onion on top.

MOLASSES CRINKLES

¾ cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

2 ¼ cups flour

2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375.  Cream shortening, sugar, egg and molasses.  Add flour and dry ingredients.  Roll into balls and dip 1 side into granulated sugar.  Bake for 7 minutes.

CHEDDAR BACON DIP

16 oz sour cream
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
1 cube softened cream cheese

Serve with veggies or chips.

GABBY'S CHEESECAKE TRIFLE

16 oz [2 packages] cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

¼ teaspoon almond extract

½ pint heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon sugar

1 angel food cake, cut into 1” cubes

2 quarts fresh strawberries, bananas, blackberries

3-4 tablespoons sugar

2-3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur [optional]

In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened cream cheese and the confectioners’ sugar.  Then add the sour cream, vanilla and almond extract.  Combine the cream, vanilla and sugar, whipping until stiff.  Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Add the cake cubes and coat well.  Slice the berries and add the sugar and amaretto, mixing well.  Layer into a trifle bowl, starting with layer of fruit then cake [you can use a different fruit for each layer].  Continue these layers finishing with a layer of fruit, then a dab of cream.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill well before serving.  Serves 12-14.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

2 cups fresh cranberries

¾ cup superfine sugar

Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a simmer, remove from heat.  [Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.]  Stir in cranberries; pour mixture into a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid if desired.  Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish.  Add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar.  Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.  Makes 9 servings.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE

12 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

3 cups sugar

2 cups heavy cream

2 sticks unsalted butter

Pinch salt

In saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat.  Add sugar, cream, butter, and salt, and stir until blended.  Transfer to a fondue pot over low heat.  Serve with squares of pound cake, macaroons, pretzel rods, bananas, and strawberries.

CHICKEN CHILI VERDE

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 large onion, diced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

4 oz can green chilies

14 oz can pinto beans, drained

1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

1 tablespoon cumin

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Sauté onion, chicken, and garlic over medium heat.  Add remaining ingredients except for the lime.  Simmer one hour [it doesn’t have to simmer this long, but the longer the better].  Add the juice of one lime.

Serve taco salad style: over chips topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and olives or roll into a burrito.

PORK & KIMCHI DUMPLINGS WITH SAUCE

Dumplings:

½ cup finely chopped shiitake mushroom caps

½ cup finely chopped Shang Kimchi [see next recipe]

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons mirin [sweet rice wine]

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon dark sesame oil

4 ounces ground pork

24 gyoza skins

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cooking spray

Sauce:

1 tablespoon minced green onions

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 ½ tablespoons mirin [sweet rice wine]

1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

½ teaspoon dark sesame oil

1. To prepare dumplings, combine first 10 ingredients.  Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time, spoon about 1 ½ teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin.  Moisten edges of skin with water.  Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal.  Place dumplings, seam sides up, on a baking sheet sprinkled with 1 teaspoon cornstarch [cover loosly with a towel to prevent drying]. 2. Arrange half of the dumplings in a single layer in a bamboo or vegetable steamer coated with cooking spray.  Steam dumplings covered for 10 minutes. Remove dumplings from steamer; keep warm.  Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings.  3. To prepare sauce, combine 1 tablespoon onions and remaining ingredients.  Serve sauce with dumplings.  Makes 8 servings.  

Shang Kimchi:

14 cups coarsely chopped napa cabbage [about 2 pounds]

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

2 ½ tablespoons sambal oelek or Thai chile paste

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1. Place cabbage and salt in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine.  Weigh down cabbage with another bowl.  Let stand at room temperature 3 hours, tossing occasionally.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain and squeeze dry.

2. Combine cabbage, sesame seeds, and remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.  Makes 4 cups.