brit's benihana hibachi chicken

my blend brit posted this a while ago, but i thought it sounded like too much work. then my sister ellen asked me if i had tried it, and said it was amazing, so i gave it a go tonight. ellen was right. it's worth the effort (and it's not even that bad). i get nervous doing a new recipe on here, and especially nervous that whoever i got the recipe from will watch me make it and go "that's not how i do it, you moron" but i followed the recipe to the best of my ability...sorry if it's wrong.

let's get started. you'll need 4 chicken breast halves, 1 onion, 2 zucchini, mushrooms, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper, vegetable oil, butter, sesame seeds, and bean sprouts. i actually like bean sprouts but skipped them tonight because i was feeling lazy.
start by cutting everything up--your chicken, onion, and zucchini.

i put them in separate bowls, along with my measured soy sauce and lemon juice. this recipe moves quickly and it's easiest to have everything done ahead of time so you're not waiting for the soy sauce to drip out of that stupid lid while your chicken burns.

get out 2 frying pans, and put a tablespoon of oil in each over medium-high heat.in one pan add your chicken. pour over 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. butter, and salt and pepper. i like to leave it for a minute (not stir-fry) and let it cook all the way on one side, then flip it with a spatula. that way i know it's all the way done, at least on one side.

yum. (make sure you don't re-use your spatula, now that the chicken is cooked. get out a different stirring device).

while your chicken is cooking, in the other pan add your onion and zucchini to the tablespoon of heated oil, then add 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. butter, and salt and pepper. stir fry for a minute, then turn heat off and cover.
when your chicken is done, slide it over to the side of your pan. pour over 2 tbsp. lemon juice.

then add your mushrooms,
1 tbsp. butter, and another tbsp. soy sauce.

when they're stir-fried, mix together with the chicken, then add the vegetables.


serve with mom's fried rice, and enjoy!

Brit's Benihana Hibachi Chicken
(you'll notice that there are some differences in this recipe from what i showed you above. feel free to do whichever version you want).

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, diced
• 1 large onion, cut into large slices and quartered
• 2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise, then in half and into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp butter
• salt & pepper
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
• 6 cups bean sprouts (I don't like these so I leave them out)

Directions:

1. Spread 1 Tbsp of oil into a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Spread another Tbsp of oil in another pan over medium/high heat.

2. Add chicken to one of the pans. Add 1 Tbsp of soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of butter, and a dash of salt & pepper to the chicken. cook until done.

3. To the other pan, add the onion and zucchini. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of butter, and a dash of salt & pepper. Saute the vegetables as until tender. Turn off heat and cover until chicken and mushrooms are done.

4. When chicken is done, slide the meat to one side of the pan, pour the lemon juice over the chicken and add the mushrooms to the other side of the pan. Pour 1 Tbsp of the soy sauce over the mushrooms and add 1 Tbsp of butter plus a dash of salt & pepper. when the chicken and mushrooms are done, sprinkle 1 tsp of sesame seeds over the chicken, then mix the chicken with the mushrooms. combine the chicken and mushroom mixture with the zucchini and onions.

(optional: 5. Pour the bean sprouts into the same pan in which you cooked the vegetables, and cook over high heat. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp butter, and a dash of salt & pepper. Cook the sprouts for only a minute or two, or until they have tenderized. Just before you serve the sprouts, sprinkle 2 tsp of sesame seeds on them. Serve the sprouts next to the chicken and vegetables with mustard sauce and ginger sauce on the side.)

serve with steamed rice or fried rice and edamame for a complete meal

jenn's cheesecake parfaits

for my party tonight, i'm making these cheesecake parfaits that my friend jenn brought to my twilight party. they were so delish, and they seem surprisingly easy. i'm using strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

jenn's cheesecake parfaits

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla or cheesecake flavor instant pudding
1 1/2 cups thawed cool whip, divided
24 'nilla waferes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups seasonal berries (jenn used strawberries & blueberries)
1-2 tbsp. sugar

sprinkle sugar over berries and stir to coat; refrigerate.

beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. gradually beat in milk. add dry pudding mix; mix well. whisk in 1 cup cool whip. do not overmix!

layer half each of wafers, berries, and pudding mixture in 8 parfait cups (i'm just using clear plastic cups). repeat layers. serve with a dollop of cool whip on top.

chicken enchilada casserole, version 1

i love making chicken enchilada casserole because it tastes pretty much like a chicken enchilada but it's half the work. here is one version, i'll post the other another time. so let's get started. you'll need a package of chicken strips (or 2 chicken breasts), 1 can cream of chicken soup, 8 oz. sour cream, small can of diced green chiles, 6 or 7 corn tortillas, and a cup of grated cheese.
start by boiling your chicken for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. then in a medium saucepan, add your sour cream,

cream of chicken soup,
1/3 can of water,
and green chiles.
turn heat to medium-high, and stir until well-combined and bubbly.
spray a square pan with pam, then pour in 2/3 of your sauce.
about that much.
next, tear your tortillas into bite-size pieces.
like this:
next comes the chicken. this is where strips are easier, but it doesn't really matter. just tear up the chicken and layer on top of the tortillas.
like so.

now pour on your grated cheddar cheese.
and last, add the remaining sauce on top.
spread out evenly, and bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly. make sure it's bubbly though, because this meal is NOT good cold in the center (which has actually happened before).
and...how anticlimactic. i forgot to take a picture of it finished. ah well. it's still good.

this is a quick and easy chicken enchilada. yum!

sharon's chicken enchilada casserole

a package of chicken strips (or 2 chicken breasts)
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
small can of diced green chiles
6 or 7 corn tortillas
1 cup of grated cheese

boil the chicken until no longer pink (about 30 minutes). in a medium saucepan, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, green chiles, and 1/3 of a can of water. mix well and heat until slightly bubble. pour 2/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a square pan. layer the tortillas on top (torn into bite size pieces). then add the chicken (shredded). next comes the cheese, and the rest of the sauce. cook at 350* for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly

the perfect chocolate chip cookies

i knew cindy hansen when i lived in draper. not well, but a little. but i will never forget her now, for she has left me with the best memory: the perfect chocolate chip cookie. i'm telling you, they are perfect. i'm not a huge cookie lover, but these, fresh out of the oven, are perfection. cindy says,

i experimented with this one until i got it just right. they're barely crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. perfect!

seriously.

i didn't take step-by-steps because really, it's easy. but here are a few tips: there is a lot of flour in these babies, and unless you're literally married to he-man, you will need a kitchenaid mixer to get the flour completely mixed in. you cannot do it by hand, i guarantee. since i don't have a kitchenaid, i have to do it by hand, so i reduce the flour a bit when i make these now. also, this recipe may not translate to other states and/or altitudes. you be the judge. also, don't disregard the pizza stone. it makes a difference in the final product, i swear.

cindy's perfect chocolate chip cookies

1/2 cup butter (NOT margarine)
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

cream sugars, butter & shortening, then beat in eggs and vanilla. stir in flour, soda, and salt, then fold in chips. bake on a pizza stone at 350* for about 12 minutes (depending on cookie size). cookies should barely be brown. it is important not to over bake them. leave on stone about one minute, then remove to cool on a flat surface.
enjoy!

my pepper steak

okay, so this is really my mom's recipe, but i've never written it down and haven't made it in so long--and i'm a much better cook than i used to be--that i made a few changes on my own when i made it last night. dave doesn't like this meal, so i rarely make it, but it's one of my favorites. dave's complaint is that the meat is too tough, so i've done a few things to remedy that in this recipe that veers off of my moms.

i forgot to take a picture of the ingredients, so i'll just list them here: a sirloin steak, one green pepper, one small onion, a can of beef consomme, butter, garlic, and rice.

let's get started. first, chop up your green pepper in thin strips,

and your onion. throw them together in a frying pan with a tablespoon of butter, and brown on medium heat until they're crisp-tender.while those are cooking, get your steak out.
cut it in half, width-wise,
then trim off the fat (unless you LIKE to eat fat...and in that case, leave it. and then see a doctor about your inevitable bypass surgery).
now slice your steak into thin strips. i like it REALLY thin, but you can do whatever you want, really.
when your onions and peppers are browned and semi-tender, remove them to a plate.

turn the heat up. in the same pan, throw in a few tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of chopped garlic (i never chop my own garlic, i just buy it that way in a jar).
now add in your meat. sorry about the dark picture, my hands were all steak-y and i didn't get the flash on. you want the heat to be really high so you can sear the outside of your steak, sealing in the juices so that it will be more tender.
see that one on the top left? that's perfect. don't cook the steak too long or it will get tough. you just want to sear it so outside is completely brown but the inside is still pink.
once your steak is ready, grab a can of beef consomme.

put your peppers and onions back in, then pour the entire can of consomme in, and deglaze the pan on high heat.
once the drippings are all off the bottom, cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
when it's time to eat, put 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a bowl, then add a tablespoon or so of water.
stir until smooth. it should look almost like milk.
pour it into your consomme. you want to turn the consomme into a thicker, gravy-like substance.

stir with a whisk. if it's still too thin (like mine is), add a bit more cornstarch mixed with water.
it'll look like this when you pour it...
and like this when it's done. see how it turned a lighter brown, and it's thicker? perfect.
now serve over rice, and enjoy!

emily's pepper steak

1 sirloin steak
1 green pepper
1 small onion
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 can beef consomme
rice

cut your onion and pepper into strips, and brown on medium heat with a tablespoon of butter. remove to a plate, turn your heat up to high, and add the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and a teaspoon of garlic. add your steak, searing both sides. do this quickly so it doesn't get overcooked. once it's browned, add the onions and peppers back in and pour in a can of beef consomme to deglaze the pan (get the steak bits off the bottom of the pan). turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 more minutes. right before you're ready to eat, combine 2 tbsp. cornstarch with 1 tbsp. water and stir. pour into your pan, turning the consomme into gravy. serve over rice.