One Pot Beef Stroganoff - Pinterest Pick #18

I have been a fan of beef stroganoff ever since I had my first box of stroganoff flavored Hamburger Helper. Growing up, my mom did not use Hamburger Helper or make beef stroganoff (not to my recollection anyway) so this was a complete novelty once I was on my own. As I became a more experienced cook, I started experimenting with different stroganoff recipes, both on the stove and on the slow cooker. This one pot recipe that I found on Pinterest is a winner. It is tasty, easy, and there's not a lot to clean up. Definitely a winner. Find the Pin HERE and the original recipe HERE.

One Pot Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 8oz egg noodles (1/2 a package)
• 8oz sliced mushrooms
• 4 cups beef stock
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt & pepper
• 2 tsps smoked paprika
• ***optional: french fried onions for a crunchy topping

Directions:
Cook the mushrooms over medium high heat until caramelized, season with salt & pepper & paprika. Add onions and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in ground beef and cook until browned. Then add beef stock and egg noodles. Stir and cover for a lid, cooking for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off and stir in the sour cream. Sprinkle with french fried onions, if desired.
Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole - Home Cooked Recipe 49

What is more comforting then a creamy pasta casserole?  Not too much!  This week's recipe is all about comfort, and making a classic dish your own.  My girlfriend and I were talking about how much we love tuna noodle casserole while lounging by the pool on Saturday.  She was talking about how much she adores her mom's, and I told her how I make mine.  I was thinking, "what an easy dinner, let me make that Sunday night and blog about it this week"!  I am going to give you lots of ways you can alter the recipe to suit your own tastes.  A classic with options?  Sounds good to me!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:
2 5oz cans of tuna (I use solid white albacore, use your favorite OR you can use chicken if you don't like tuna)
1/2 bag (8oz) frozen peas (you can use ANY frozen veggie you like, mixed veg, carrots, broccoli, etc)
1/2 bag (6-8oz) no-yolk egg noodles
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of celery due to a mushroom disliker in my househould, but you can use any "cream of" soup, and you can also use cheese soups)
2 cans of milk (use your soup cans once empty)
2 tbs sour cream (this is optional, but I think it makes a huge difference in flavor and creaminess)
salt and pepper to taste (other fun spices you can use: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne)
Topping:
1 cup potato chips, crushed OR 3/4 cup breadcrumbs mixed with 1 tbs olive oil OR 1 cup croutons, crushed OR 1/2 sleeve butter crackers (such as Ritz), crushed - This time, I used garlic cheese croutons
Cooking spray
***Additional add-ins: sauteed onions, a handful of grated cheese (mozzarella or cheddar work well)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain.
grease casserole dish (I love my white round Corningware, but use whatever you have)
Mix together both cans of soup and both cans of milk.  Whisk in sour cream.  Add spices and combine well.  Drain tuna, flake with a fork, and fold into soup mixture.  Fold in frozen veggies, then stir in cooked noodles.  Top with your choice of topping.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.  Bake for 30-40 mins.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Garlic Chicken and Sesame Noodles - Home Cooked Recipe 19

There are a few food blogs I follow. I follow them because they post great pictures, have great recipes or both.  I was in the mood for Asian food (shocking, I know!) and wanted something I haven't had before.  I found this recipe for garlic chicken on For The Love Of Cooking, which just so happens to be another FoodBuzz Featured Publisher.  It sounded so delicious that I had to try it.  And I have to tell you, I was not disappointed.  This recipe will be something I make over and over.  As a side dish, I wanted to make sesame noodles (which I have had before, but like to try new recipes of) so I found a recipe on The Pioneer Woman.  Also very good, but next time I will cut down on the amount of sugar, as I prefer this dish a little more savory.  Here are there recipes, copied directly from their sites.

Chinese Garlic Chicken
(credit to For The Love Of Cooking)

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized cubes
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (divided)
• 1 tbsp dry sherry
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• Few drops of sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp chili paste
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
  
  Chop up the chicken into bite sized chunks. Place in a bowl, mix with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of dry sherry, mix until evenly coated then place into the refrigerator to marinate for 20-25 minutes.
  
  
  While the chicken is marinating, prepare the garlic and green onions. Combine the sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and chili paste together in a bowl. Set aside.
  
  
  Heat wok and add peanut oil. When oil is hot, add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry briefly on high heat, then add the garlic and green onion. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir until chicken is coated evenly. Total cooking time should be about 5 minutes.

Simple Sesame Noodles 
(credit to The Pioneer Woman)

• 12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil
• 4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin
   Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
  Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
  Sprinkle with green onions and toss

I hope you all like these recipes as much as I did!  
Enjoy!!!

Kobe Style Dinner - Home Cooked Recipe 5

We have a couple of Kobe Steakhouse's in our area, and I know they are around the state of Florida as well.  It's a very popular place to go for birthdays and special events.  But it can get expensive, and I have learned how to make a similar meal at home, albeit without the theatrics.  In this recipe, I left out the rice and just did the noodles, but you could easily add the rice to this by cooking some white rice, then frying it on the griddle like I do the noodles. Adding some frozen mixed veggies, and an egg will produce a similar to Kobe's fried rice! Since I don't have the large hibachi grill like they do at Kobe's, I use a flat-top counter-top griddle, and cook the components in batches, but you can also use a wok and work in batches. (*Hint, you can get a a cheap, really good wok at Ikea for $5!)

Kobe's Signature "White" Sauce ***this recipe really does taste extremely similar to the restaurants, but warning, make it at least the day before you are planning to use it!

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup water

1 tsp tomato paste

1 tbs melted butter

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp paprika

dash of cayenne

Stir all ingredients together.  Refrigerate for 24 hours before using - important, you must wait 24 hours for the best result!

Kobe Style Dinner - with chicken (you can sub beef, shrimp, or your fav protein for the chicken!)

1/2 lb of Lam's Chow Mein Noodles (these are most similar to Kobe's noodles)

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup julienned carrots

1 cup julienned red bell pepper

1 cup mushrooms

1 large onion, large dice

***you can also use zucchini like Kobe, I just have an allergic member in my household

1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced

Soy sauce

4 tbs butter

1 large lemon

Scallions and sesame seeds for garnish are optional

Preheat your griddle to 400 degress. Boil your noodles for 10 minutes.  While the noodles are boiling, add a tablespoon of butter to the griddle and begin to cook your chicken.  Cook on one side for 3 minutes then flip pieces over.  Sprinkle with lemon juice from a quarter of the lemon, and a tablespoon of soy sauce.  When chicken is cooked through, move to a plate.  Add another tablespoon of butter, then add the onions to the griddle. Cook until slightly translucent and remove from griddle.  Drain pasta.  Add 1 tablespoon of butter to griddle, then fry noodles lightly while adding lemon juice from a quarter of the lemon, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.  Remove from griddle.  Add remaining veggies, cook until softer, but still crunchy, adding soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of butter, and the remaining lemon.  Serve warm, with Kobe's "White" Sauce.  Enjoy!