Baking Mix

Don't buy Bisquick... make your own! Great for all sorts of recipes like Impossibly Easy Pies. Whenever I have Bisquick listed as an ingredient in a recipe it is always this instead.

8 cups all-purpose flour (or 4 cups each all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour)
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups dry nonfat milk
2 cups shortening

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a large mixer. Or use a pastry blender to cut in shortening if you don't have a mixer. I store this in the freezer for up to 6 months. Yield: about 12 cups. You can cut the recipe in half if you think you won't use it up within a few months.

For Biscuits:
Mix 2 cups of Baking Mix with 1/2 cup water. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. (I never use this mix to make biscuits, I make my own.)

For Muffins:
Mix 2 cups of Baking Mix with 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 beaten egg and 2/3 cup milk. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

For Pancakes:
Mix 2 cups of baking mix with 1 beaten egg and 1-1/3 cup milk.

For Waffles:
Mix 2 cups of Baking Mix with 1 beaten egg, 2 Tablespoons oil, and 1-1/3 cup milk.

Vietnamese Fried Rice

3 cups cooked rice

Heat 4 T. oil

Add:

1/2 pound cooked meat (any kind beef, pork, chicken)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. sugar

1 T. soy sauce

Fry until hot. 

Add rice and heat 5 minutes. 

Add 1 cup veggies and stir well.

Just before serving add 2 beaten eggs. Over medium heat stir until eggs are cooked.

Serve.

From More with Less Cookbook pg. 130

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

4 T. oil

1/2 cup flour

1 T. garlic powder

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

2 pounds beef cubes

2 small onions, quartered

6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

6 large carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 t. celery salt

4 cups beef broth

2 T. worchestershire sauce

Dash or two of Tabasco sauce

Heat oil over medium high heat. In a ziploc bag mix flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add meat a little at a time and shake to coat. In small batches, brown beef cubes in oil about 1 minute per side. Set beef aside. Add onions to pan and brown. Drain any fat from pan, if needed. Add meat and onions back to pot along with the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

For a thicker broth, about 30 minutes before stew is done, combine 2 T. flour and 2 T. cold water, then slowly stir into stew.

Suggestion: Serve with thick sliced homemade bread and root beer. :)

Adapted from Angel's Old Fashioned Beef Stew from AllRecipes

Crispy Chicken

1 1/2 cup Rice Krispies, crushed
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 cup butter, melted
4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine cereal, flour, and spices.  Dip chicken in melted butter then cereal.  Place in greased pan. Drizzle with remaining butter.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Sesame Chicken

  Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
2 green onions (sliced)

Marinade-

1 teaspoon chicken base
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sesame oil
ground white pepper (to taste)
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon raspberry wine (or any fruity flavored wine)

Batter-
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Sauce-
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
a sprinkle of ground black pepper

 
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Cut chicken breasts into 1” chunks and in a glass bowl combine all of the marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken and coat evenly. Cover and marinade for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Meanwhile, in separate bowl combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.
Step 3: Using a fork or tongs remove the pieces of chicken from the marinade and dip them into the batter to coat evenly (one by one). Deep fry the chicken in batches in your deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (or you can fry in hot oil at about 325 degrees in your wok for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 4: In your wok combine the sauce ingredients and warm over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until sauce slightly thickens.
Step 5: In the wok or in a serving dish coat chicken with the sauce and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.

Desset Pizza

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup firm butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted margarine or 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make your favorite crust recipe. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll and place dough on pizza stone or in pan. Brush with vegetable oil and prick with fork. Pre-bake for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven. Mix crumb topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Spoon over crust. Put the rest in a zip-type bag in the freezer to save for another pizza. Return pizza to the oven and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Remove and drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.
Optional: Spread your favorite canned fruit pie filling onto crust and top with crumb topping before baking.

Slow Cooked Oriental Chicken

1 broiler-fryer (3-4 lb.), cut up
2 T. oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. water
1 garlic clove minced
1 t. ginger
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional

Brown chicken in oil on both sides.  Transfer to a slow cooker.  Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic and ginger.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to low and cook 4-5 hours or until juices are clear.  Remove chicken and sprinkle with almonds.  Spoon juices over chicken or thicken if desired.

Options:        
Use boneless, skinless breasts cut up instead of whole bird.

(From Karen Bergstrom)

One Dish Chicken and Rice

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In a shallow, greased baking dish mix soup, water and rice.  Place chicken on rice mixture.  Sprinkle with paprika and pepper.  Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

(Adapted from Campbell’s Soup recipe)

Deep Dish Pizza Crust

1 1/3 cups warm water 
1/4 cup powdered milk 
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (1/16 ounce) package dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
9 ounces vegetable oil (3 ounces per pan)
cooking spray 

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Let rest for two minutes. Add oil and stir again.  Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on to a flat floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until elastic and no longer sticky.  Divide dough into three balls.  Put 3 ounces of oil in each of three 9-inch cake pans, making sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9-inch circle.  Place in cake pans.  Spray the outer edge of dough with Pam and cover with a plate.  Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Preheat oven to 475°F. Top as desired. Cook until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

Herb Roasted Chicken

1 whole (3 lb.) broiler-fryer chicken or 2-3 lb. leg quarters and breasts
2 T. margarine, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. basil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. thyme
1/4 t. lemon pepper

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Place chicken in shallow pan.  Brush with melted margarine, rub on garlic. In a small bowl stir together spices.  Rub onto bird.  Roast uncovered at 375 for 1 hour or until chicken is no longer pink (180-185 degrees).  Remove from oven, cover, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.