White chocolate and cranberry cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 pkg white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl for an electric mixer add the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat until well combined. Mix in the eggs and almond extract. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mix until just combined. Using a spatula fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
3. Scoop golf balls sized balls of dough onto a baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until just set. Allow to cool for a few minutes on baking sheet, before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

cooking spray

two 24-oz. jars tomato pasta sauce

9 oven-ready or traditional lasagna noodles

2 lb. ground turkey 

1 large onion (chopped)

2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped (if using frozen, thaw first)

1/4 - 1/2 c. grated or shredded parmesan cheese

8 c. Mexican mix cheese 

INSTRUCTIONS

If using traditional lasagna noodles, boil according to package instructions, drain, and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350*.

Brown ground turkey  over medium heat until almost completely cooked, and drain grease off. Add the onions and peppers to the pan, and saute together over med-high until turkey  is no longer pink (about 2-3 minutes). Pour the sauce (except for about a 3/4 c.) into the pan and heat through, about 1 minutes. Remove from heat.

Grease 13x9" pan throughly with cooking spray. Pour reserved 3/4 c. of sauce into the pan and spread around the bottom of the pan with a spatula.

Layer 1:

Place 3 noodles over the top of this sauce.

Top noodles with turkey/pepper/sauce mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan, then shredded cheese mix.

Layer 2:

Place 3 noodles over the top of the cheese.

Top noodles with turkey/pepper/sauce mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan, then shredded cheese mix.

Layer 3:

Place 3 noodles over the top of the cheese.

Top noodles with turkey/pepper/sauce mixture.

Cover entire top of lasagna with a solid layer of shredded cheese mix.

(Note: You can freeze the lasagna at this point. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil. When ready to use, thaw all day and bake as directed below. I suggest freezing in a metal pan!)

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Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until edges begin to brown and bubble.

[At this point, I like to run mine under the broiler (on low setting) for just 1-2 minutes until the entire top is brown and bubbly, but this step is totally cosmetic - but be careful; it can burn quickly!]

Let rest for ten minutes before cutting.

Beef Pho

Beef Pho

Ingredients:

• 7 pounds beef knuckles with meat
• 1 large white (daikon) radish, sliced
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 ounces whole star anise pods
• 2 cinnamon stick, broken into two pieces
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 (½-inch) slice fresh ginger root
• 2 tablespoon sugar (rock sugar is the best)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 pounds dried flat rice noodles
• 1 pound frozen beef tenderloin

Toppings:

• Sriracha hot pepper sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Thinly sliced white onion
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Bean sprouts (mung beans)
• Sweet Thai basil
• Thinly sliced green onion
• lime--cut up into quarters 

Directions:

Liberally salt and pepper the beef knuckles and place in a large stock pot (9 quart or larger). Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to and continue to cook for 2 hours.

Skim the fat from the surface and add the radish and onions. Place the star-anise pods, cinnamon stick, ginger and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth or the tea ball and tie into a pouch using butcher’s twine. Add to the broth mixture. Stir in sugar, salt and fish sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 4 more hours (the longer, the better). Salt as needed. Strain broth (discarding the spice pouch and bones), and return to the pot to keep at a simmer.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes, then cook in boiling water until soft (about 5 minutes). Slice the frozen beef paper thin. The meat must be thin enough to cook instantly.

Return broth to a boil. Place some noodles into each bowl, and top with a few raw beef slices. Ladle boiling broth over the beef and noodles in the bowl. Serve with hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce on the side. Set onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, green onions, and lime out at the table for individuals to add toppings to their liking 

Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients: 

1/2 gallon water 

1 T chicken powder 

1 T garlic powder 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1 T soy sauce ( preference.. If you don't want it salty then add 1 t to start) 

1 bunch of green onion ( chopped) 

3 Roma tomato (cubed) 

1 teaspoon sugar 

1 teaspoon cornstarch ( mix with 1/2 C water) this will thicken the soup 

4 large eggs .. beaten (amount depends on how much eggs you like... I used 6 because my kids loves eggs) 

Pepper 

Direction:

In a large pot pour in your 1/2 gallon water .. Chicken powder.. Garlic powder soy sauce and sugar.

(If you like you can chopped up onions and cook it at this time too.. My kids don't like onions so I omit this step) 

When water start to boiled slowly pour in your BEATEN EGGS ( as you are pouring the egg..continuously stirring the egg into the water) this step is very important because you want the egg to be mix and not clumped. 

Once you are done stirring in the egg.. Pour in your cornstarch mixture so the soup can thicken a little .. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for another 3-5 minutes then turn off stove) 

Last drizzle in your sesame oil. If you like it more salty.. Put a little more soy sauce..

Garnish with green onion and tomato slices and cracker black pepper 

*** you can also use chicken stock.. I didn't have any so I used water and chicken powder. 

If you have chicken stock then omit the chicken powder and reduce your soy sauce because the chicken broth is salty already. 

** if you like your broth to be a little yellow  put in 1/2 t turmeric  powder 

Or use 2 additional egg yolk ;) 

That is what I do sometimes too 

ENJOY!! 

Ranch Porkchop

Ingredients: 

6 chops (thin cut--bone in) 

2 T dried ranch seasoning 

1 t Tony Chachere's 

1 t garlic powder 

3 T Italian dressing (I used dressing so I don't have to use oil or butter when I am pan frying) 

Pepper 

Directions: 

In a shallow bowl with a cover.. Mix in your  Italian dressing/dried ranch dressing/garlic powder/Tony/pepper and mix well then coat your chops and cover and put in the refrigerator. 

Marinate the pork chops with the marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator... If you can leave it over night it would taste even better. 

I used a nonstick frying pan.. Turn heat to high and sear both sides then turn heat down to medium-low and cover pan to cook the chops... About 5 minutes on each side. Depending on the thickness of your chops. My pork chops were thin so it only took me around 10 minutes to cook these. 

I sear then at the beginning to get that brown crust. Grilling these pork chops on the grill is even better ;) 

Serve up with white rice and veggies