Chicken, Mushroom, Asparagus Stir Fry

Two weeks since the last non brand new recipe was made. Some recipes have been slight modifications to recipes served in the past so they don't count as brand new meals but they do classify as a non repeated meal. For example, last night's flautas, only a different form of taquitos. The last true non new recipe was chalupas as they have been made numerous times over the years. They would be made more if I did not have that detest for frying foods. Two weeks has to be some type of records. Gonna have to look into this. Until then, lets add another brand new recipe, Ginger Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry

Modifications Made:
Ingredients: Chicken was seasoned with salt or black pepper but cooked plain. White onions were replaced with half batch of thinly sliced green onions. Green onion were not cooked but tossed into the chicken, mushroom, asparagus mixture directly before the seasoning were added.

Sauce: Regular soy sauce replaced low sodium soy. Chili garlic sauce was replaced with Sriracha.

Scaled for Likability: Great
Asparagus is a hit and miss vegetable. Cooked correctly, the stems are crisp and tender. Cooked incorrectly the stems and especially the tips turn to mush, baby food. It seems as though stir fry was invented for asparagus, yet I have never it before in a stir fry. Such a change of pace. Not better than broccoli, just different.

The table counterparts were not as impressed with this meal as I was as neither of them are mushroom or asparagus fans. Nope, this recipe was totally made for me and me alone. The sauce was abundant with a perfect mixture of salt to sugar. It will be added to the T&T list, even if it just for me.

Stir Fry Keys to Success
On a side note about cooking stir fry, there are several keys to follow to a making a successful stir fry. One is to have all ingredients ready before the skillet is even hot. The second is to use a skillet capable of hot, hot temperatures. Finally, make all the ingredients in batches seperately and then add together back in the hot, hot, hot directly before adding the sauce. This is stir fry, not steamed veggies. If the sauce is added back to a skillet that is not hot enough, the sauce cooks the veggies as the water is slowly evaporated. Added back to a skillet that is correctly heated, the liquid immediately evaporates leaving a thick, silky sauce.

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almost tender. Green be

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add potatoes. Cover and reduc

Sour Cream & Chive Scalloped Potatoes

Can't believe the Month of the Potato is over. There are so many more potato recipes saved. Guess I will have to work them into another month. Last week's scalloped potatoes were one of the best new recipes during the month of potatoes. With today being the last day in the Month of Potatoes, I decided to go out with a bang by cooking another batch of scalloped potatoes but this time sour cream and chive. The Best Scalloped Potatoes , or so they said. Modifications Made: Recipe was reduced by half. Mayo was omitted and one entire package of chives were chopped and added to sauce before pouring onto layers. Scaled for Likability: Good Betty Crocker Sour Cream and Chive Box Scalloped Potatoes were the standard for this recipe. These were a family favorite for years but have long since been discounted. Bummer. Trying to replicate this seemed easy enough. Alas, it was not. These had a nice texture but were too oily from the cheese and did not contain enough onion, garlic,

Eating Waffles

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