Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

Stir fry is so simple; many people tell me they don’t need a recipe for it. Just pick out your favorite meats and veggies, sauté them together and voila! I, however, always like to have a plan. This Rachael Ray stir fry recipe stuck out to me because it combines some of my favorite flavors – garlic, ginger and soy sauce. If you’re the type who likes to experiment, feel free to add some of your favorite veggies to the pan (water chestnuts might work well).

Ingredients

1/3 cup Oyster sauce
3 T vegetable oil
12 oz boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
8 oz broccoli florets
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced (I just bought a pack of gourmet mushrooms)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T minced fresh ginger (I substituted 1 T ground ginger)

Directions

1. Chop your broccoli and any other non-meat ingredients you are preparing by hand (ginger, mushrooms). Set aside.
2. Mix the oyster sauce with 1 cup water, set aside.
3. Heat 1 T vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet on high heat.
4. While the skillet heats, chop the pork into bite-size pieces.
5. Cook the pork in the skillet until the pieces are golden brown, 2-5 minutes.
6. Transfer the pork to a plate.
7. Add 2 T veg. oil to the same skillet and cook broccoli and mushrooms for 2 minutes.
8. Add the garlic, ginger and oyster sauce mixture to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes.
9. Return pork to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes. Serve.

From Rachael Ray

Fiesta chili dip

A hearty dip that fills people up is always a hit at casual parties. This meaty dip can be made a day in advance, simply refrigerate it and add the cheese before baking. You can serve it topped with sour cream or guacamole but I enjoyed it plain. My friends loved this cheesy, Mexican style dip!

Ingredients

1 T vegetable oil
1 lb ground turkey
½ t salt
2 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) vegetarian chili with beans
1 can (11 oz) corn kernels, well drained
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
½ cup chunky tomato salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2.In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and season with the salt. Brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Stir in the chili powder and cumin. Add the chili, corn, scallions and salsa. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a shallow 1.5 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top.

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

From Great Party Dips by Peggy Fallon.

Tilapia Tacos

Eating fish at least once a week is a healthy habit. To make it work, I need a variety of recipes to keep fish interesting. I found this recipe in my October issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Tilapia is not only very affordable, it is also sustainable. According to the magazine, "it's the world's second most successfully farmed fish." This yummy taco recipe includes an easy pineapple-black bean salsa that was so good, I might even make it just with tortilla chips!

Ingredients
3 pineapple rings
1 lb tilapia fillets
1.5 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped red onion (I substituted sweet onion)
2 T finely chopped jalapeno
8 corn tortillas, warmed (note that these are flimsier than flour tortillas)
Salt and Pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the pineapple slices on it. Broil 12-15 min until lightly browned.
3. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Rub with half a tablespoon of olive oil and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon lime juice.
4. Broil fish until flaky, 8-10 minutes.
5. Chop the onion and cilantro and place in medium mixing bowl. Cut pineapple rings into chunks and add to bowl with black beans, 2 T lime juice, jalapenos and 1 T olive oil.
6. Use a fork to flake the fish and divide among tortillas.
7. Top with the black bean salsa.

Cherry-Plum Crumble

Plums are cheap and juicy at the end of summer in Michigan and this easy Rachael Ray recipe is a great way to use them. You can serve it with vanilla ice cream, or use it as a topping for cheesecake as a few of my friends did.

Ingredients
6 plums, sliced
½ cup cherry preserves
5 T chilled, unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups oatmeal cookie mix (you can buy this or just make your own. I made it using the dry ingredients from the oatmeal cookie recipe on the back of a rolled oats container.)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice plums.
3. Grease a 7 by 11 inch baking dish, toss in plums and preserves.
4. In a bowl, mix oatmeal cookie mix with butter.
5. Scatter the oatmeal mix over the plum-cherry mix, bake for 30 minutes.

Hot and Steamy Artichoke Dip

I have a weakness for creamy artichoke dip appetizers and was delighted to find an easy recipe for making them at home. This was a hit with my friends, served with tortilla chips. Like many dips, it looks odd but tastes great!

Ingredients
6 oz jar of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
¼ cup mayo
¼ cup sour cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T finely minced red onion (I substituted white)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Slice artichokes and onions, mix in medium-size mixing bowl with all ingredients.
3. Transfer to a small casserole and bake until bubbling hot, about 15 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.

From Party Dips by Sally Sampson.

S’More Dip

There is nothing better than toasting marshmallows at a campfire and making gooey s’mores, but sometimes I wish I could make the toasty treat indoors. Behold s’more dip: it has all the ingredients of s’mores - indoors! (The photo is a triple-batch of this recipe because I had friends coming over).

Ingredients

1 cup of milk chocolate chips

2 T Milk

1 ¼ cups mini marshmallows

Graham crackers for dipping

Directions

1. In a medium sauce pan add chocolate chips, milk and 1 cup of marshmallows. Mix over medium heat until melted and smooth.

2. Use a rubber spatula to scrape chocolate mixture into a small casserole dish.

3. Top with remaining marshmallows.

4. Place dish under broiler for 1 minute or until the top has started to brown.

5. Serve with graham crackers.

Veggie Baked Ziti

This easy vegetarian recipe is great for potlucks and pasta lovers. You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge overnight, which I did. About two hours before serving, pull it out and set your slow cooker to simmer. Your home will smell of the cheesy deliciousness!

Ingredients

1 box of rigatoni pasta
1.5 jars of marinara sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Water
Butter
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 T garlic powder

Directions

1. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and reserve pasta.
2. Butter the sides of a slow cooker.
3. Pour in enough marinara sauce to cover the bottom.
4. Layer in about half the pasta.
5. Add 1 cup of chopped zucchini.
6. Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
7. Sprinkle with half the garlic powder.
8. Repeat layers (sauce, pasta, zucchini, cheese, garlic powder).
9. Cook on low for 4 hours.