Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Red Cabbage, shredded (1 head)
Onions, sliced or diced (1 large)
Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Sugar (1/2 cup)
Water (1 cup)
Salt (2 tsp)
Cloves, ground (1/4 tsp or more to taste)
Cornstarch (2 tsp)

Add onions to large pot (Dutch oven) with the butter. Cook for a few minutes then add the shredded cabbage. Toss so the onions and cabbage are distributed evenly. Add vinegar, sugar, water, salt and cloves. Simmer for an hour or more on low heat until the cabbage is very tender. Add the cornstarch to some cold water and then add the mixture to the juices to thicken slightly.

Sprinkle Cake Cookies

These are crazy delicious. If you love funfetti cake, you will love these cookies even more!

Flour (3/4 cup)
Funfetti Cake Mix (1 1/4 cup)
Baking Soda (1/4 tsp)
Butter, softened ((3/4 cup)
Egg (1 large)
Egg Yolk (1 large)
Vanilla (2 tsp)
Sugar (1/2 cup)
Brown sugar (1/2 cup)

Cream together the butter and sugars. Mix in the egg yolk, egg, and vanilla until creamy. Add in the flour, cake mix, and baking soda. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden.

Source: http://www.lovintheoven.com/2011/07/cake-batter-cookies.html

Blender Mayonnaise

Egg, large
Mustard Powder (1 tsp)
Sugar (1 tsp)
Cayenne Pepper
Salt (1 tsp)
Olive Oil (1/4 cup)

Vegetable Oil, fresh (1 cup)
Lemon Juice (2 tbsps)

Add all of the first 6 ingredients to your blender. Blend on high until combined. With your blender running, add 1/2 cup vegetable oil slowly. Then add the lemon juice and keep blending. Slowly add the last 1/2 cup vegetable oil and blend until thick.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Taken from Joy of Cooking

Quick, No-Can Pickled Beets

My man loves pickled beets and whenever I have beets around, this is what I do with them because I don’t have a canner. You can also use store-bought regular canned beets for this recipe, which makes it much easier.

Beets (approx. dozen small-medium beets) OR 1 quart canned beets
Vinegar (1 cup)
Sugar (3/4 cup)
Salt (1/2 tsp)
Mustard Seed (2 tsp)
Celery Seed (1/2 tsp)
Cinnamon (1 tsp–to taste)
Cloves (1/8 tsp)

Peel and slice or quarter beets. This definitely where most of the effort comes in, hence the canned beets instead. Cook the beets in boiling water, which can take quite a while–over an hour, depending on how chunky your slices or quarters are. It’s extremely important that the beets are fully cooked, because no further cooking will happen to them after this process… and you don’t want crunchy pickled beets. When the beets are done, DO NOT REMOVE THEM FROM THE WATER. You want to keep enough of their cooking water so that they are mostly covered. This liquid will contribute to their “pickling” juice. If you’re using canned beets, likewise, keep all the beet juice they were canned in and add the entire cans to a pot and heat up the mixture.

Add vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, cinnamon and cloves to the beets and their juice. Cook until the sugar is dissolved. All done. Store in glass containers (or something that won’t stain–I use old pickle jars) and refrigerate for at least 24 hours for flavours to blend. Store in fridge for no more than a few weeks… these aren’t real pickles, after all, so enjoy quickly!

Yummy Yummy Stir Fry

Chicken (2 breasts) [or tofu or other meat]
Ramen Noodles (1 package)
Broccoli, chopped into small florets (Small crown)
Onion, cut into large chunks (1/2 onion)
Leek, thinly sliced (1 small or medium, white part only)
Cornstarch (1 tbsp)
Sugar (1 1/2 tbsps)
Vinegar (1 tbsp)
Soy Sauce (1 tbsp)
Kung Pao sauce (1 tbsp) [I use Lee Kum Kee brand]
Garlic Salt

Chop all your veggies. While you’re chopping defrost your chicken in the microwave. When you’re done chopping the veggies, steam the broccoli and the carrots using your preferred method (I think microwave is easiest). Put your ramen noodles in some boiling water and let them soak until you’re ready for them. Slice the defrosted chicken breasts and put them in a frying pan or wok along with the onion and 2 tbsps of oil. Fry on high heat until chicken is browned and onions somewhat fried. Remove pan from heat.

Mix up sauce by adding cornstarch to 2 tablespoons water. Dissolve gently, then add vinegar, soy sauce, kung pao sauce, sugar and garlic salt. Adjust to taste.

Add sauce to chicken and onion pan along with steamed veggies, leeks, and drained ramen noodles. Cook at medium-low heat until sauce thickens.

I’ve done lots of stir fry experimentation (I like them as inauthentic as possible) and this is the yummy yummiest.