Cold Ginger, Soy, and Honey Sesame Noodles

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I have really enjoyed spending some time with my sister and my family. We have had tons of Thanksgiving foods and just enjoyed a long weekend together.
This recipe is one that I have made several times, the first time I made it to send with my younger brother and my son in their lunches last year. Those of us who were able to sample it at home, loved it.

It is really easy to make and is supposed to be served cold. The sauce only has 5 ingredients, so you can whip it up in no time. I always use whole wheat angel hair pasta when I make this and then it feels like it is just a little bit healthier for you.

The flavors of the sauce are really delicious- honey, sesame oil, peanut butter, fresh ginger and tamari (which is just a thicker, darker and a little bit richer soy sauce). Yum.

Recipe for Cold Ginger, Soy, and Honey Sesame Noodles

CEiMB- Oven Baked Onion Rings

I like onion rings. Well, more than like.

I have never attempted to make them at home- I don't fry things very often. I save them for an indulgence when we go out, sometimes.
I chose this week's CEiMB recipe- Oven Baked Onion Rings.

I have been interested in making onion rings, so, I thought this was the perfect chance to try them out.

I didn't change the recipe at all. I made it exactly as it was printed. Sara, on the other hand, has made this recipe multiple times and has worked out a version that she prefers, which adds a few more spices to the coating.

I made these on the 4th of July, for our meal that we enjoyed before we went to the National Mall to get ready for the festivities.

I should have tripled the recipe. These were marvelous. All the kids LOVED them. And so did the adults.
My 7 year old said, "These are better than the Varsity." Coming from a kid, who was comparing my baked rings to the greasiest ones on the planet, I thought that was a pretty impressive compliment.

My kids have begged for them again and they will be making their way into my cooking rotation. What's not to love about a onion ring that tastes great and isn't bad for you?

Hopefully everyone else loved them as much as we did. To see what the rest of the Ellie's thought, go check out the CEiMB Blogroll!


I also made a couple of the recipe I have missed in the past 2 months.
I made the Aromatic Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce and they were good-warm or cold.
I also made the Vegetable Cheese Strata when I was in DC. We enjoyed it before we set out to hike the Billy Goat Trail.

(Don't you just love the beautiful dishes my sister brought back from Portugal? It is kinda obvious I love them.)


Oven Baked Onion Rings by Ellie Krieger

• Cooking spray
• 4 cups baked potato chips
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 large Vidalia onions, peeled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet slightly with oil and set aside. Place potato chips in the bowl of a food processor and process into crumbs, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a shallow bowl, add cayenne, and set aside. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of flour, salt and pepper and set aside. Slice onions into 1/2-inch circles and separate into rings, keeping only large, whole rings (reserve rest of onions for other uses). You should come out with about 12 to 14 rings.

Place the remaining flour in a sealable plastic bag, then add onions, and shake to coat. Dip onions 1 at a time into the buttermilk mixture, then dip into potato chip crumbs and place on baking sheet. Spray canola oil evenly over rings and bake for 20 minutes, or until coating is crisp. Season with salt, to taste, and serve immediately.

Recipe for Vegetable Cheese Strata

Recipe for Aromatic Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce

Beef Stroganoff

Sometimes you have to make something for dinner that will please those who like meat and not tofu. Sometimes that meal will also include mushrooms. Most likely this dinner will not be too photogenic, but will garner rave reviews from everyone except the person who made it, because she couldn't make herself eat it. This is that dinner.
I do not like mushrooms. I shared that a few days ago. They are one of the few foods I really don't like. I can eat them on pizza or in small pieces, but when they are the star of the show along with beef (not something I enjoy), I just have a hard time.

So, I myself, didn't eat this (I was sneaky, so no one noticed), but everyone else did and they loved it, so I thought I would share it. It is another of my great grandmother's recipes that I revisited and changed a little (I didn't really think that cooking the meat in crisco was a good idea!) I also used sirloin steak and that reduced the cooking time a little bit.
If you want an updated Stroganoff, give it a try!


Beef Stroganoff by Great Grandma Ruthardt, adapted by Mary Ann
1 lb. 1/4-inch thick round or sirloin steak
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 Tbls canola oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 cups water mixed with 1 beef boullion cube or 1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 lb fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 Tbls chopped fresh chives or scallions

Rub steak with minced garlic. Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Slice steak unto 1x1 1/2-inch slices and toss in flour mixture. Heat oil in a dutch oven or cast iron pot. Add meat and brown well. (Keep the flour mixture). Add the onions and cook until transparent.
Add remaining flour mixture, water/broth, and mushrooms. Cover and cook slowly until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours (or if you use the sirloin steak, 35-45 minutes)
Stir occasionally. If the sauce is not thickening, mix 1-2 Tbls cornstarch and a small amount of cold water in a small bowl. Bring the sauce to a bubble and add cornstarch mixture and heat until thick.
Add greek yogurt. Serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle chives or scallions on top.