Restaurant Style Fried Rice

A quick fried rice like you get at your favorite Chinese restaurant. A couple of eggs, baby carrots, peas and soy sauce is all you need.

Ingredients

• 2 cups enriched white rice

• 4 cups water

• ⅔ cup chopped baby carrots

• ½ cup frozen green peas

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 eggs

• soy sauce to taste

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, to taste

Directions

• Step 1

  In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Step 2

  In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.

• Step 3

  Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

Fair Sausage and Peppers

It wouldn’t be a county fair with questionable sausage and peppers that have probably been cooking for far too long.

Ingredients

• 8 (4 ounce) links Italian sausage

• 1 tablespoon garlic flavored olive oil

• 3 medium (blank)s green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

• 2 medium (blank)s red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 6 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 large onion, cut into wedges

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2 tablespoons garlic flavored olive oil

Directions

• Step 1

  Slice each sausage link into 5 pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, and cook until browned, turning as needed.

• Step 2

  Drain excess grease, then add the green, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over all, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

• Step 3

  Remove the lid, and stir. Add the garlic and onion to the pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover, and simmer for 15 more minutes. Stir, then top with mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from the heat and enjoy.

Tomato Cucumber Kachumbar

Kachumbar is an Indian-style salad that is served on top of curry. Fresh herbs and lemon add a refreshing, tangy crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes

• 1 cup diced cucumber

• ½ cup chopped green onions

• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Mix grape tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, mint, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.

Crispy Potato Wedges

These make for a great side dish. They are spicy and crispy yet fluffy in the middle. They go with everything.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons paprika

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 large potatoes, cut into wedges

• 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Step 2

  Mix paprika, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until marinade is smooth.

• Step 3

  Place potatoes in a baking dish; add marinade and rub into potatoes. Sprinkle bread crumbs over potatoes and coat each wedge well.

• Step 4

  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 355 degrees F and continue cooking until wedges are tender enough to puncture with a fork, about 30 minutes more.

Frozen Vegetable Stir-Fry

Soy sauce and peanut butter add a nice Thai-style flavor to this stir-fry. Using frozen vegetables makes it a very quick and tasty vegetable side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons peanut butter

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

• Chicken (Optional)

Directions

1. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and peanut butter in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir frozen vegetables until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and fold in soy sauce mixture.

Biscotti Toscani

These twice baked cookies have a delicate flavor, great with vanilla ice-cream, tea, frozen yogurt, or cappuccino.

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup butter

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

• 2 teaspoons orange zest

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup toasted almond pieces

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a large baking sheet.

• Step 2

  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in almonds. Divide dough into two pieces. Form into long flat loaves about 1/2 inch tall and 12 inches long. Place the loaves 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

• Step 3

  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

• Step 4

  With a serrated knife, cut diagonally into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, turning over once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

• Step 5

  Place chocolate chips into a small, microwave-safe bowl. Melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until smooth. Use a spatula to spread chocolate onto one side of each cookie. Let stand at room temperature until set. Store biscotti at room temperature in an airtight container.