May's cooking class included a lot of fun "cool" recipes for summer. Sharon Walsh and Geri Smolka make us some yummy food.
Chinese Chicken Salad -Geri Smolka
1 head lettuce
2 chicken breasts (i usually use the meat of a whole chicken that I have boiled and deboned. It shreds better.
2 cans Mandarine Oranges
4 green onions (finely chopped)
Rice sticks (I usually use half of the bag)
4 oz. Wonton skins (cooked and crunched up)
Sesame seeds (how ever many you choose)
Dressing:
1/2 tsp. pepper 3 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar 1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
1 tsp. accent 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
You may add other ingredients like peanuts or parsley if you like to the salad.
PF Chang’s Chicken In Soothing Lettuce Wraps -Debby Bierman
Special Sauce:
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp Chinese hot mustard
1-3 tsp garlic chili paste
Stir Fry Sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 cup diced water chestnuts
1 cup diced mushrooms (recipe calls for 2/3 cup diced straw mushrooms- I just use fresh mushrooms)
3 Tbsp. chopped green onion ( I put in only if I have them)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup fried maifun rice sticks- I use sticky rice instead
4-5 iceberg lettuce cups (I use romaine)
1. Make the special sauce (for spooning over your lettuce wraps) by mixing all ingredients well and refrigerate until you are ready to serve the lettuce wraps.
2. Prepare stir fry sauce by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl
3. To prepare the filling for your lettuce wraps, saute chicken breasts in large wok of frying pan with oil. I usually just grill the chicken on my grill. Once chicken is cooked, remove from pan and cool.
4. As the chicken cools, dice the water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of peas.
5. When you can handle the chicken, cut it up into small pieces no bigger that a dime. With the wok on high heat, add vegetable oil. Add the chicken, garlic, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce tot eh pan and saute the mixture for a couple of minutes.
6. Prepare lettuce cups. I usually line the lettuce with sticky rice (this is where you can use the maifun sticks) Add the chicken mixture. Pour the special sauce over the top. Enjoy!
Island Vacation Party Mix -Sharon Walsh
2 1/2 cups Corn Chex
2 1/2 cups Rice Chex
2 cups macadamia nuts
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 cup flaked coconut
1 pkg. chopped dried pineapple
1 cup white baking chips
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine cereals and nuts; set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Microwave uncovered, on high for 2 minutes, stirring once. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat. Cook cereal mixture, uncovered, on high for 2 minutes, stirring once. Add coconut; cook 2 minutes longer, stirring once. Spread onto waxed paper to cool. Stir in pineapple and chips. Store in an airtight container.
Pudding Pops -Stacey Dalley
3.9 oz. Pudding (any flavor)
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups milk
1 cup cool whip
Blend and freeze. Yummy! Stacey froze the pops in Dixie cups with a Popsicle stick in it. The cups were easy to peel off once frozen.
Raspberry Frozen Yogurt -Francis Inman
2 cups vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4-1/2 cup sugar, to taste
1 package frozen raspberries, thawed or
2 cups fresh raspberries
Directions:
1. Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Place raspberries in a blender; process until smooth. Strain puree through a fine sieve over a bowl. Discard seeds. Add puree to yogurt mixture.
3. Pour raspberry mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacture's instructions. Spoon into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired. Yield: 8 servings (1/2 cup each)
** We have a great collection of these recipes and many others that were shared at our cooking class in the recipe binder at church. Be sure to get your copies!!
