Stir Fry Ranch Chicken

Simple Ingredients:

• 6 pieces skinless and boneless thighs, cut into stripes
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 cups shredded Head Cabbage
• 1 package Ranch Salad Dressing
• pinch of salt and black pepper to your taste

Easy to make...

1. In a medium non-stick saucepan or wok, heat cooking oil on high and add sliced onion.
2. After onion turn soft, add chicken stripes and brown both sides. Sprinkle half package of Ranch Dressing and stir.
3. Add cabbage and stir. Add the rest of Ranch dressing, salt and black pepper. Stir frequently until cabbage is cooked. Serve with rice or noodle.

Tips:

• Don't add water for bold taste.
• You can use any other vegetables, such as carrot, celery, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, spinach, lettuce, etc.

Yogurt Sponge Cake

You will need...

Egg Yolk Mix:

• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 can ((6 oz.) vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch

Egg White Mix:

• 5 Egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• pinch of salt

Make it...

1. Preheat over to 300 degrees F. Line a parchment paper on a 8x8 inch baking pan. Place a pan of water on the lower rack in the oven (called water bath).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix yogurt and cooking oil with an electric mixer until blend. Add egg yolk one at a time, beat and mix well with each one. Add cake flour and cornstarch, mix with mixer until blend well.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat egg whites, sugar and salt with an electric mixer on high for about 5 minutes until form peak.
4. Fold in 1/3 of egg white mixture to yolk mixture with a spatula until blend. Then fold in the rest of egg white mixture to yolk mixture. Mix until blend well.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar if you prefer.

Slow Cooker Roast

Simple ingredients:

• 2 lb. Beef Tender Roast
• 1 pkg. Ranch salad dressing
• 1 pkg. Italian salad dressing
• 1 pkg. gravy mix
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb. red skin potatoes

Easy to make...

1. Set a slow cooker on high. Place beef roast fat side down, sprinkle 1/2 pkg. Ranch dressing over the beef. Then add Italian dressing, gravy mix, sugar and water. Simmer for 4 hours.
2. Turn slow cooker on low, add potatoes (cut in large cubes if you use large size potatoes). Sprinkle the rest 1/2 pkg. Ranch dressing over the potatoes. Simmer another 4 hours.

Roast is tender and can be pulled apart with a fork. Serve with rice, noodles, dinner rolls or make pulled beef sandwiches.

Banana Pudding

Adopted from keyingredient.com, submitted by Shannon M.

Ingredients

1	(8 ounce) package cream cheese
1	(14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1	(5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3	cups cold milk (I only used 1-2 cup milk)
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	(8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
4	bananas, sliced
½	(12 ounce) package vanilla wafers

Directions

1.In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping.
2.Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch dish with vanilla wafers. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill.

Tips:

• If you don't make for party, don't mix wafers and banana until you are ready. I store the pudding mixture in a container, use the amount that I need when I ready to eat, so that your banana pudding will always fresh.
• I use the same pudding mixture to mix with cooked sticky rice(glutinous rice), sweet potato and shredded coconut for Rice Pudding...as seen the picture below.

Stir Fry Ramen Noodle

Simple ingredients:

• 2 package Ramen Noodle
• 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 cup chopped head cabbage (or other leafy vegetables)
• 1/2 cup cooked ham, chicken or beef (or no meat for vegetarian, use scrambled eggs instead)
• Chives, cut into 1-inch long

Easy to make:

1. Cook the noodle as directions on the package. Leave the seasoning package out for later use. Drain the noodle and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat cooking oil on medium high. Add meat and cabbage, stir fry until the cabbage almost cooked. Add 1 Tbsp. water if necessary. Add the two seasoning packs from the noodle packages and stir. Then add noddles and chives, stir until all seasoning mix well.

Optional: Sprinkle few drops of sesame oil for extra flavor.

Pineapple Jello

Simple ingredients..

• 2 envelops unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup milk (or coconut milk)
• 1/2 sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cold water

Easy to make...

1. Lightly spray a Wilton's 24 mini bites silicone mold. (or use other containers, such as ice cube tray, baking pan, etc.)
2. In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 envelop of gelatin over 1 Tbsp. cold water and set aside. Meanwhile, microwave 1 cup pineapple juice and 1/4 cup sugar for 2 minutes, (or heat on the stove until boiling). Pour over the gelatin and mix well until gelatin dissolved. Pour into the prepared pan and cool in the refrigerator until set.
3. Make the milk mixture the same way above and set aside to cool. After the pineapple mixture set, pour the milk mixture over the pineapple mixture. Refrigerate until set.

Pineapple Pastry Square 凤梨酥

This is one of the famous Taiwanese dessert - flaky and crisp. Fillings can be substituted with Honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberry, papaya...red bean paste is the easiest filling that you can be bought from Asian stores. 

Ingredients for filling:

• 1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp. butter

Make the filling ahead because it takes some time to make...

1. Grate the cubed pineapple in a blender. Drain the juice out with a mesh strainer. (Pineapple juice can be used to make Pineapple Jell-O).
2. Place all filling ingredients in a large non-stick saucepan and heat to boil. Turn the heat to low and stir frequently. Slowly evaporate the liquid until turn into a soft dough. (it may take up to 1 hour). Set aside to cool.

Ingredients for pastry:

• 1 cup flour (or cake flour)
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder (or dry coffee creamer)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. sugar (or powdered sugar)
• 6 Tbsp. butter, soften
• 1 egg
• Pinch of salt

Make it...

1. Mix all dry ingredients - flour, sugar, milk powder and Parmesan cheese - in a medium mixing bowl. Shift if you like smooth texture. Add soften butter and egg, and fold into the dry ingredients with a plastic spatula until become a soft dough. When you touch the dough, it should not sticky on your finger. If the dough is sticky, add 1/8-1/4 cup more flour.
2. Transfer the dough to a cutting board and roll to a thick rope. Evenly divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece with your hand to a ball and flatten with your palm. Fill about 1/2 Tbsp. Pineapple filling in the center and close the edge, roll to a ball.
3. Place in a Wilton's 24 mini bites silicone mold, flatten lightly to fit the mold. Bake at 350 degree F for 15 minutes. Then set oven to broil to back the top for 1 minutes or until turn golden brown.

 Tips:

• I made little Origami gift bags for special occasions or place in goodies bags.
• The link to the images on how to make it.

 

Flaky Pastry with Red Bean Paste 红豆酥

Simple ingredients:

• 1 cup flour (or cake flour)
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder (or dry coffee creamer)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. sugar (or powdered sugar)
• 6 Tbsp. butter, soften
• 1 egg
• pinch of salt
• 1 can Red Bean Paste for filling (it can be purchased from Asian Grocery stores and can be used 3-4 batches.)

Make it...

1. Mix all dry ingredients - flour, sugar, milk powder and Parmesan cheese - in a medium mixing bowl. Shift if you like smooth texture. Add soften butter and egg, and fold into the dry ingredients with a plastic spatula until become a soft dough. When you touch the dough, it should not sticky on your finger. If the dough is sticky, add about 1/8-1/4 cup more flour.
2. Transfer the dough to a cutting board and roll to a thick rope. Evenly divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece with your hand to a ball and flatten with your palm. Fill about 1/2 Tbsp. Red Bean paste in the center and close the edge, roll to a ball.
3. Place in a mini muffin baking pan, flatten lightly to fit the mold. Bake at 350 degree F for 15 minutes. Then set oven to broil to back the top for 1 minutes or until turn golden brown.

Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, soften (about 1/2 lb. or 16 Tbsp.)
• 2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup white white chocolate chips
• 1 cup Butterscotch chips or caramel chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixture. Then add eggs and beat until just blend.
3. Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mix well. Then add flour and mix well to become a thick dough. Fold in 3 cups of chips.
4. Lay a alumni foil on the cookies sheet, use a spoon to scoop ping-pong size batter and drop on the cookie sheet with 1-inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a cooking rack.
5. Service with milk, yogurt or tea.

Tips:

• It is easier to transfer the hot cookies from cookie sheets to cooking racks with the alumni foil.
• For crunchy cookies may apply more baking time.
• Place cookies in small plastic gift bags and tie with color ribbons - great for gift bags or goodies bags for special occasions.

Ono Oatmeal Cookies

Adopted from Mrs. Field's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I got this great recipe from my friend Terry.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, soften (about 1/2 lb. or 16 Tbsp.)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 bag (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup white Raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixture. Then add eggs and beat until just blend.
3. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mix well. Then add flour and oatmeal, mix well to become a thick dough. Fold in chocolate chips, pecans and raisins.
4. Lay a alumni foil on the cookies sheet, use a spoon to scoop ping-pong size batter and drop on the cookie sheet with 1-inch apart. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on a cooking rack.
5. Service with milk, yogurt or tea.

Tips:

• It is easier to transfer the hot cookies from cookie sheets to cooking racks with the alumni foil.
• For bigger cookies may apply more baking time.
• Reduce the sugar for 1/4 cup less if you like less sweet cookies.
• Place cookies in small plastic gift bags and tie with color ribbons - great for gift bags or goodies bags for special occasions.