Fun Monday

Well, it's Beccy's turn to be the hostess with the mostest for Fun Monday. Beccy asked us to post a recipe that would inspire her to get into the kitchen to chop, cut, grate, boil, steam, roast, chill, freeze, and eat, eat, eat.

So last week on Works for me Wednesday I put my current all-time favorite recipe (which incidentally was a recycled post) so I can't use that this time... But lemme tell you - chicken manicotti friggin' rocks!!

A WFMW before that I put something about Kraft Foods website that has rockin' good recipes.

So, I thought more---what do I want to post? Easy breezy chocolate chip cookies? Yummy but nah. Chicken and rice casserole? Nah. My simmers-all-day-so-the-house-smells-fab spaghetti sauce recipe? Nope....a girl's gotta have some secrets.

I have two I will share.

Beef Stroganoff (easy and Yummy)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds beef (I trim mine really well) - sliced into thin strips
3 beef boullion cubes
1 cup water
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup butter/margarine (you can use less - I usually do)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 medium onion cut into strips
Egg noodles

1. Simmer on medium beef and margarine and onion till beef is browned and onions are soft
2. sprinkle over flour so beef is coated.
3. Pour water and beef boullion cubes into mixture. it will start to thicken up. (NOTE: I usually heat the water and beef cubes in the microwave first - takes less time for the cubes to disintegrate)
4. Once sauce gets fairly thick, turn temp down to low and let it cool down a bit.
5. Pour in sour cream. If the mixture is too hot, the sour cream will curdle and get all lumpy.
6. Serve over noodles.

I usually start the water heating up when the beef is cooking. By the time every thing else is done, the noodles usually are too.

This is exceptionally good the next day.
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And for dessert - this is a common holiday cookie for my family - but I love it ALL the time.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
sifted confectioners' sugar
PREPARATION:
In a big mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, chocolate, oil, baking powder, and vanilla until blended. Beat in as much of the flour with the mixer as possible, then stir in the remaining flour. Cover and chill the cookie dough for 2 hours.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sifted confectioners' sugar, coating well. Place balls of cookie dough about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in a 375° oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until crackled in appearence. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar if desired.
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OK, one last one (I forgot about this).

This is a family classic.

Don't mock the title - it rocks. When I got home from bootcamp, this was my meal of choice... It was also what I requested mom cook when I took Mark home to meet them all for the first time.
Pork Chops, Sauce and Noodles

Approx 6-8 pork chops (this usually feeds me and my boyfriend and lunch the next day) - but buy what your family needs. My mom also buys a big pork loin roast thing and slices it up. Quantities below are for approx 6-8 small thin boneless pork chops.
1 onion - sliced into strips
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can campbell's tomato soup
1/2 - 1 cup water (depending on your desired thickness of sauce)
Salt (small amount) and Pepper (lots)
Egg noodles

1. Brown chops in electric fry pan or on stovetop with onions mixed in. Pepper them liberally.
2. Mix soup, tomato sauce and water in a bowl or cup with a wire whisk to blend together.
3. Once chops are done - pour sauce over chops
4. Let simmer until sauce is heated through. I actually like it to get a little dark around the edges. Gives it a great flavor. Not quite burned...
5. Serve w/ hot noodles.

OMG...greatness.