potato beef stir fry

Not really sure what to call this creation. I ordered a dish like this on the street months ago, and it tasted SO great. I have no idea how it was made - but this is my feeble attempt to re-create something of similar hue/flavor/combination! If you have a suggestion for a better name - please share!!

1/2 kilo beef (you can use other meats too), cubed
2-3 potatoes (washed, peeled & cut into small cubes)
veggie (2-3 carrots or cauliflower or none at all)
oil - 1/3+ cup
4-6 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1-2 T tomato paste
salt to taste (1/2 tsp?)
hot water

Optional: *onions, extra garlic

Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add meat and fry until cooked thru. Add salt & garlic to flavor. *You can add onions here if desired. Add teriyaki sauce and tomato paste and mix well. Add potatoes, veggies and stir well for 5 minutes. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, and simmer until potatoes are cooked thru. Serve over white/brown rice.

sage turkey burgers

Here are some zesty, quick-fix ground turkey burgers.

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 T finely chopped onion
1.5 tsp rubbed sage
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound ground turkey (your can use chicken or pork too)

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble ground turkey over mixture and combine well. Shape into eight 1/2-inch patties. Refrigerate for 1 hour. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, fry patties for 6-8 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. I think this would work over the barbecue as well. Hope you enjoy!!
glory to Amy, who is a master in the kitchen!

buttermilk biscuits

sift together
2 cups flour (white or wheat)
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

with a pastry blender or knives/fork, cut in finely:
1/2 cup shortening or butter

add
1 cup buttermilk (1 T vinegar + 1 cup milk)

Stir with a fork to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. Roll or pat to desired thickness (about 3/4") then cut into biscuits with round cookie cutter, glass or knife. Place on an ungreased baking sheet all together for soft sided biscuits or
about 1" apart for crusty-sided biscuits. Bake 425F for 12-15 minutes.
glory to Amy, mother of three, living in China too!

flour tortillas

4 cups flour
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
2 tsp salt
4 tsp vegetable oil
1.5-2 cups hot water

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix in oil, stir well. Gradually add hot water and stir...Add enough water to make a soft and warm dough that is not sticky. knead about 1 min. Divide
into 10-15 balls. Let rest 5 min - roll out and cook in pan on med heat. No oil needed in your pan.
glory to Amy: mother of three in China

banana oatmeal choc.chip cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter/margarine
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups mashed bananas

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Optional:
cocoa or nuts

Bake 190C (375F) 10-12 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen.

fudgesicles

1/2 cup sugar
2 T corn starch
3 T cocoa powder
2.5 cups milk

Cook all ingredients over low heat until thickened stirring constantly - then add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 T margarine (optional). Then remove from heat and allow to cool. Then pour into Popsicle molds and freeze! yum!!

chocolate pudding

1/3 cup sugar
2 T corn starch
2 T cocoa powder
2 cups milk

Optional: 1 tsp vanilla, 1 T margarine

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and simmer over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Turn off heat and add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 T margarine (optional). Pour into a container (or small cups) and chill. Enjoy with whipped cream or toppings.

no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies

Boil over med-heat:
1.5 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup butter/margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt

Remove from heat, and add:
3 cups oatmeal
1.5 tsp vanilla
nuts, optional

Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper or spread on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate until hardened & chilled. You can also cut into bars, or eat like a cookie! They are very addicting, and don't require a lot of time.

corn tortilla crepes

Mix together with a whisk
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1/2 box of corn starch (about 8 oz)
1 tsp salt

To this add
1/4 cup plus 2 T+ corn meal/corn flour
1/4 cup of melted butter

Mix well: keep whisking or the corn starch may thicken too much. Pour a small amount into a hot skillet and cook like a crepe, just a few seconds till it bubbles. Cook both sides about 20-30 seconds each. Use as a tortilla and fill with yummy stuff, even enchilada makings. We've used them for Huevos Rancheros, burritos, etc. They are nice & soft. Freezes well or tasty plain (gluten-free!). Enjoy!!
glory to Aunt Gloreen & her yp.wife

beans!

This is a very simple way to make your very own beans if you can only find dried beans, or love making things from scratch! It's also a fun activity with young kids, as our girls love to sort & wash the beans, or peel the garlic cloves (I think they like the beans better when they get to help!!).

3-4 cups dried beans, sorted & washed
1-2 T salt
1 onion, chopped fine
6-10 cloves of garlic, chopped
large pressure cooker*
water
Combine all ingredients in the pressure cooker, and fill 2/3 full with water. Cover & seal. Heat over med heat until pressure is reached. Turn down to simmer for 30-40 minutes. Turn off heat and allow pressure to return back to normal. Open pressure cooker & taste your beans to see if they are soft enough. Some beans require longer if they are bigger in size. If so, continue cooking under pressure for 20-30 more minutes until they are soft. You can eat them as is, or use them to make refried beans, use in Huevos Rancheros, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, chili, etc.
*Please read the instructions for your pressure cooker, as each can be very different & sometimes dangerous

corn tortillas - GF

every recipe I have TRIED to make gluten-free corn tortillas has made me frustrated because they taste plain, crack easily, and require heaps of patience on my part. This recipe was an experiment, but it worked!! Xanthan gum is not very common, but its so important for this recipe! I hope you find some....
2 cups corn flour (masa harina)
1/4 cup powdered milk
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp olive oil
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water, egg & oil - mix until it becomes a doughy consistency. Form into a ball, and let stand covered for 30 minutes. You can also wrap it in saran wrap, to keep it moist. Then form into 5-8 balls and press individually between wax paper in a tortilla press. Brown each tortilla in a non-stick skillet (about 1 minute on each side) until lightly browned (no oil needed). Enjoy!!

peanut butter balls - GF

1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter (crunchy or plain)

Optional: (1/4 cup) Rice Krispies, Koala Crunch (chocolate/plain), or any rice-crispy sort of cereal, to add some crunch to the yummy-ness. Also, you could use chocolate for dipping.

Mix powdered milk & honey first. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, and then stir in the peanut butter. Add optional ingredients here. Roll into 1-inch (or smaller) balls, and then roll in powdered milk to make them less sticky. You could dip them in melted chocolate if you wanted a more "candy" type of treat. To do this, just melt chocolate in a double boiler, and dip each ball partly into the chocolate, and chill. Chill the PB balls for at least 30 minutes and enjoy! Our girls would devour these in an hour if we let them. We prefer to savor them.... They are quite filling too. Hope your kids love them too!
glory to Violet McNabb, Justin's grandma - who often made them for him