Oriental Veggie Salad

Oriental Veggie Salad

I love this salad because it is so versatile. I use veggies that are in season and have the most flavor. Sometimes I just throw together what we have at the restaurant and we might have a new salad each day with the same basic concept. Here is the basics and you use your imagination to create a salad that would be tasty to your tummy. Here goes:

3 cups sugar snap peas
2 English cucumbers, cut into quarters longwise and diced
3 cups baby bella mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 green pepper thinly sliced
1 red pepper thinly sliced
1 orange pepper thinly sliced
3 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup broccoli, cut into tiny florets

Dressing:

1 cup Hoisin Sauce
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut and prep all of your veggies and place into a large bowl. Put all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour over veggies and mix well. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours until serving so that flavors can meld with the veggies. Don't forget to use your imagination and try this will different veggies. Good luck and happy eating.

I Dream of Cheesecakes

You know, when I started catering back in 2004 I had not one clue how to make a cheesecake. Well, I decided that was one of the first things I better learn how to make and make well. I found a recipe online and adapted some of the flavors a bit and it is now my base cheesecake. This is such a simple recipe and turns out very pretty if you "baby it" a little.

3 8 oz. bricks of cream cheese, soft
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 bag of white chocolate chips, melted and smooth
4 eggs, added one at a time
1 tsp extract or oil

I make a variety of crusts, oreo, crumbled scone, graham, butter cookies. Use your imagination. I just add a bit of sugar and a little bit of melted butter and mix together and press into the bottom of my springform pan. Take vegetable spray and spray around the inside of the ring of the pan and then cut strips of parchment paper and put inside to make a ring to prevent sticking. Preheat the oven to 300.

Start making the cheesecake by adding the cream cheese to your mixer and mixing until smooth. Then you add the condensed milk, white chocolate and the eggs, one at a time. Then you need to decide what kind of cheesecake you are doing. I say we do a reeces cup cheesecake. So, you want to add a chocolate extract or a peanut butter or even a good vanilla will work. Then, take and cut up about 1 1/2 cups of reece cups into small chunks and mix into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Jiggle the pan a bit to make sure the cake is settled and take your spatula and smooth out the top. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. Just until is set in the center. Then turn off the oven and open the door a crack and leave for about 1 hour. Then move on into the freezer or refrigerator. Let set for at least 8 to 10 hours. If you froze your cake, let thaw a bit and then take off the ring and the parchment and slice into 12-16 slices. You can garnish with more chopped reece cups and drizzle with chocolate and melted peanut butter. Use your imagination. The options are endless.

Honeycomb Candy

Oh my gosh. I have been wanting to make this candy for ages. I looked for the recipe, but really didn't know what it was called, but I knew what it looked and tasted like. Well, my friend Bridget at @Bridget_Cooks from Australia sent me this recipe. Yummy and it is so easy. Just don't plan on being able to eat just one piece, unless you break it in very, very large pieces.. So here goes,

1 cup sugar

1 cup Dark Corn Syrup

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1 Tbsp Baking Soda

Prepare a 9x13 inch pan by lining with foil and spraying with vegetable spray. In a large heavy saucepan add the sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Make sure that your pan is large enough because when you add the baking soda it will expand. Put the pan with the sugar, syrup and vinegar on the stovetop and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil without stirring until thermometer registers 300 degrees (hard crack stage). Take off of the heat at add in the baking soda and stir in. Quickly pour into prepared pan to stop cooking and to avoid burning. Allow to cool and set. Lift out and break into pieces.

Thank you Bridget.

Oriental Chicken Wrap

Well, today was an awesome day. I have a ton of gray hair and I feel like I have run a marathon, but it was awesome nonetheless. At the restaurant I made Oriental Chicken Wraps and they were so easy and very tasty. So here goes.....

Boil 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, drain, cool and shred

In a large bowl add,
3 cups matchstick carrots
5 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 red peppers cut into matchsticks
2 yellow peppers cut into matchsticks
2 orange peppers cut into matchsticks
2 cups of mushrooms diced up
1/2 red onion very thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the Dressing:
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
3 garlic cloves minced
3/4 cup good olive oil
2 cups Marzetti's Oriental Sesame dressing

Whisk ingredients together and pour over the veggies in the bowl and mix well, then add the chicken, mixing well. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. I use 10" tortilla wraps and put about 3/4 cup mix in the center and roll up. You can use some of the dressing on the side if you want for a little extra yummmy value.

This will make about 15 wraps. You could also serve this hot if you wish, we just like it cold at the restaurant.

Happy Wrapping... :0)