Beef stroganoff is a Russian dish consisting of sautéed pieces of beef in a delicious sour cream sauce.  If you are familiar with beef stroganoff you probably already know it’s been around for a very long time. I found this recipe on the net awhile ago and all I have got to say is this is got to be the best beef stroganoff…EVER. Hah yes, it really is that good! I prefer my beef stroganoff with steak but you can use ground beef as a great substitute.  The cream of mushroom soup and the sour cream combination give the sauce an amazing flavor that I just can’t stop eating it. Another highlight of this recipe is that you could have it on the table in about 30 minutes. If you have never tried beef stroganoff before or if you are looking for some of the best beef stroganoff don’t be afraid to give this recipe a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb sliced streak (or ground beef)
½ cup onions (minced)
1 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2-3 cans sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 bag egg noodles

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: sauté onion and garlic in butter over medium heat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles according to package directions.
Step 2: Add in sliced steak (or ground beef) and brown. Stir in flour, salt, mushrooms, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in cream of mushroom soup and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Stir in sour cream and cook until heated. Serve over egg noodles.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe,

Chicken, and bacon, better yet, crispy bacon. They are two of my favorite foods both in one easy recipe. I had some extra boneless-skinless chicken breasts on hand and was looking for an easy dinner which brings us today’s recipe for Bacon Wrapped Chicken. What really surprised me was the amount of ingredients in this recipe, there are very few! I feel the chive and onion cream cheese is a huge ingredient in the flavor department and does most of the work for you.  Try and pound the chicken breasts down with a mallet as thinly as possible because they will roll up a lot easier. If you want to do some outdoor grilling these can also be grilled as well. They go great with a side dish of pasta or flavored rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
12 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
2 (8 oz) cartons chive and onion cream cheese
12 slices of bacon
salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons butter

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Between 2 sheets of wax paper with a mallet flatten chicken breasts to ½” thickness.
Step 2: Spread 3 tablespoons of cream cheese over each chicken breast. Then Dot with butter and season with salt. Wrap with bacon and stick a toothpick through the rolled chicken breast to hold it together. Roll up and stick a toothpick through to hold it together.
Step 3: Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes (or until juices run clear).
Step 4: Turn on the broiler and broil six inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

Recently I had to make a couple cheesecakes for a graduation party.  I knew one of course was going to be my New York Cheesecake, but what was the other going to be? Immediately I began looking through my cheesecake recipes and the decision was made, I decided to go with a turtle cheesecake. Delicious rich chocolate, creamy smooth caramel and the finest of pecans all in a cheesecake – how could I go wrong? Needless the say it was a huge hit at the party and I think both of my cheesecakes were gone in about 5 minutes. I guess I should have made a couple more. Alright, enough about the parties, let’s get onto the recipe. This recipe will take a little work as all cheesecakes do, but in the end it’s well worth it. What I love about this cheesecake is the chocolate graham cracker crust and the topping of chocolate morsels, chocolate syrup, and caramels. If you need a great cheesecake recipe that almost everyone will love, go with this recipe for turtle cheesecake.

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs  (crushed)
½ cup melted butter (or margarine)
3 (8 oz) packages of softened cream cheese
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons caramel sundae syrup
½ cup pecans (chopped)
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees and grease a 9 inch spring form pan. Combine Chocolate graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press mixture onto the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the spring form pan.
Step 2: In a bowl beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until its smooth. Add sugar, lime juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat together until fully mixed.
Step 3: Microwave chocolate morsels in 10 second intervals until morsels are just melted. Stir 2 cups of cheesecake batter into the melted morsels.  Then spoon separate batters alternatively into the crust. Start with the batter without the morsels, then with the morsels, and end with the batter without the morsels.
Step 4: Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake is set (when the center moves just slightly). When cheesecake is done, cool completely. After the cheesecake is cooled top with chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, pecans, and chocolate morsels. Enjoy.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe, baking

I love chicken, I love butter, and I love garlic. Do you? Well if you do you will definitely enjoy this recipe to the fullest. Today I have the ultimate chicken recipe for garlic butter lovers everywhere, a recipe for none other than garlic chicken breasts. This garlic chicken recipe took very little time (the oven did most of the work), was moist, had great flavor, and made a perfect Sunday dinner. I have a few recommendations for anyone making this… the cheddar cheese for the breading mixture needs to be grated finely. You want it to be well incorporated into the coating. I would suggest grating the cheese in a blender if you have one. Also, if the chicken breasts are real thick I would recommend pounding them a little with a mallet to even the thickness.  If you would like to add a little lemon flavor to the recipe just add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to the garlic/butter mixture. You could also replace the cheddar cheese on top for mozzarella if you like. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
¾ cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
¾ cup cheddar cheese (finely grated)
½  cup grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350, and grease a baking pan (big enough to fit your chicken breasts).
Step 2: In a bowl combine 1/3 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon seasoning salt.
Step 3: In a separate bowl combine ¾ cup breadcrumbs, ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Dip the chicken in the garlic/butter mixture and then roll in the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated.
Step 4: Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes (If they are really thick, they might take a few extra minutes). Within the last 5 minutes of cooking top chicken breasts with shredded cheddar cheese.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

Yes, another recipe for meatballs! However, this time I’m posting something a little different – Pineapple meatballs. I have to admit when I first looked at the recipe I had no idea how this was going to taste, but to my surprise the flavors were all amazing. As you can see by looking at the ingredients, the sauce is very similar to sweet and sour sauce. I feel the Worcestershire sauce plays a huge role in the flavor of this recipe. This will take a little time to make, but if you want to speed things up you can brown the meatballs in the oven while you’re making the sauce. I know brilliant right ? This recipe for pineapple meatballs would be a great dish for a graduation party or for a dinner. I would suggest white rice as a side dish. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Meatballs-
2 lbs ground beef (lean)
2 large eggs
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Sauce-
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ¾ cups pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits)
¼ cup white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs by combining all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into about 1” meatballs.
Step 2: Brown Meatballs in a non-stick frying pan and drain on paper towels (or if you want to save time brown in the oven on a cookie sheet while you’re making the sauce).
Step 3: Make the sauce by combining cornstarch and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Then add 1 ¾ cup pineapple juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and stir. Simmer uncovered on medium low until thickened (about 8 minutes).

Step 4: In a casserole dish pour sauce over meatballs and add pineapple tidbits. Lightly mix meatballs until they are coated with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

Today I’m back with yet another Chinese-American dish – Orange Chicken. It seems as though you can find orange chicken almost anywhere you want to eat these days. It is most commonly found at fast food restaurants, but don’t worry, this is so much better than anything you will find there. What really makes this recipe stand out is the combination of both orange and lemon juice. Once again we are also using the deep dryer for cooking the battered chicken. Now I get a lot of questions from people wondering if they can use a wok instead. The answer is yes; a wok would work just about as good as a deep fryer and can be used without a problem. Just be sure to add enough oil.  Great oil for frying this battered chicken would be peanut oil. Using peanut oil will give you the most flavorful chicken. If you’re looking for a simple Chinese dish for dinner this evening be sure to give this recipe for orange chicken a try.

Ingredients:
Chicken-
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)
Orange Sauce-
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.
Step 3: Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions. Enjoy.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

Today is a great day for this site because today I am posting the first shrimp recipe – Shrimp Scampi. The term scampi is often used in the US for the name of the word shrimp in many restaurants, so I guess shrimp scampi literally means “Shrimp Shrimp”?  There are many recipes for shrimp scampi out there, and almost all of them are basically made the same. The combination of white win, butter, and garlic and lemon juice goes nearly perfect with shrimp.  The combination of flavors just creates an outstanding dish. What’s also amazing is the amount of time it takes to make this recipe. If you wanted to you could almost literally have this on the table within 15-20 minutes. I usually serve the shrimp mixture on top of angel hair pasta, but you could also go with linguini or whatever you prefer. Sprinkling Parmesan cheese on top is a must! If you love the taste of shrimp you need to give this recipe for shrimp scampi a try – it’s fast, simple, and will easily impress almost anyone.

Ingredients:
2 lbs raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1lb angel hair pasta (or linguini)
1 cup butter
2 shallots (minced)
8 garlic cloves (minced)
1/3 cup white wine
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cooking angel hair pasta or linguini according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt 1 cup of butter in a skillet. Add in shallots and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly (you don’t want them to burn)

Step 2: Add shrimp and cook over medium heat (4-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, make you sure flip them over so both sides are cooked)
Step 3: Add wine, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or two and pour shrimp mixture over pasta and serve.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

Being from the north I had always wondered how they served breakfast down south, and tonight I found out. Tonight I made a traditional southern breakfast dish – Sausage gravy with buttermilk biscuits. I decided it might be a good idea to add a little heat to the recipe by throwing in a few red pepper flakes and some cayenne. I was indeed right; the spices gave it a perfect amount of heat and really enhanced the flavor of the gravy. This recipe also goes great served with other traditional breakfast items such as crispy bacon or fried eggs.  If you’re feeling really creative you can even make your own biscuits. I was running short on time so I used Pillsbury biscuits, and they worked just fine. If you’re in the mood for something different for breakfast, give this traditional southern dish of sausage gravy and biscuits a try.

Ingredients:
¾ lb bulk pork sausage
1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
1 pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half (or milk)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 biscuits

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook pork sausage in a skillet until no longer pink. Drain the fat off, and add in cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook stirring until the meat is completely.
 Step 2: Stir in all the flour and mix until it is dissolved into the meat (2-3 minutes). Add in half and half and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened.
Step 3: Add in salt and pepper, and serve of biscuits.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe