Basic Chicken Noodle Soup

Cover whole chicken with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for at least one hour and let cool in broth for best flavor. You can do this in the crock pot the night before. (As you boil the chicken, you can also skim off the "scum" from the top of the broth, to make the broth more pure) After cooling, drain the broth back into pot and add the following chopped vegetables: 4 carrots, 4 ribs of celery, 1 large onion, 3 cloves of garlic. Debone chicken and chop or shred. Add back to pot. (If you only want to use some of the chicken, freeze the rest in a freezer bag for later use in quick casseroles) Add some fresh chopped parsley, 4-5 chicken bullion cubes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add water if needed. Let simmer until vegetables are tender to your preference. Add about 4 cups of egg noodles in last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking. Check noodles for your preferred tenderness as well.

Fried Plantains

Slice ripe plantains diagonally. Fry in cooking oil on med-high heat for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt or sugar depending on your mood!

My mother in law's egg rolls!

Dice or thinly shred the following vegetables: 3-4 carrots, 3 ribs of celery, 2 small onions or 1 large, 1/2 head of cabbage

Mix with 1 lb. of ground pork, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp. oyster sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites). Optional: include 1 jumbo shrimp in each egg roll.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture onto a corner of the egg roll wrap (I use 1 package of extra crispy spring roll wraps) Roll diagonally until reaching the middle of the square, fold over sides, continue rolling once, dip remaining corner into reserved egg whites, and continue rolling completely (as seen in video). Fry in about 1-2 inches of cooking oil on med-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Devil's Food Cake with Fluffy Strawberry Icing

Icing: Gently stir 2 tubs of cool whip and about 1/2 a package of strawberry gelatin powder for flavor and color. Refrigerate.

Bake Devil's Food Cake mix in 2 8 or 9 inch round pans according to package directions. Let cool completely. Invert one of the two cakes onto a platter rounded side down. Smooth a layer of icing onto top of cake. Invert other cake, rounded side down onto first layer. Smooth a first layer of icing all over cake. Then another layer to cover up the "crumb layer." For garnish, take 1 ounce square of semisweet baker's chocolate and heat in microwave a 10 second intervals until you can smudge it with you finger. Then, take a vegetable peeler and peel a few shavings, and set aside. Then put the rest of the chocolate square into the microwave and melt according to package. Stir into a small sandwich bag, and snip a tiny hole from one of the corners. drizzle the melted chocolate over the cake to decorate however you want. Then add the chocolate shavings to the center of the cake. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Italian Grilled Chicken with Smothered Onions

Marinate 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in Italian style dressing, overnight or throughout the day while thawing. Cook in med heated skillet in extra virgin olive oil. Brown about 5 minutes on each side depending on thickness of meat. For a quicker cooking time, I like to slice each breast into thinner pieces. Place on plate and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and chopped cilantro mixture. Cover with foil and so aside so that cheese will melt. In same skillet add a few pats of butter and saute 1 sliced onion for about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper during cooking. Serve with chicken.

Thai Chicken and Shrimp Stir-Fry

Saute 1 small onion in olive oil or butter (or a mixture of both) for a few minutes on med-high heat. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, stir. Add 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped (marinated in oyster sauce and soy sauce, optional). Stir fry until chicken is browned. Add 1-2 16 oz. packages of frozen stir-fry vegatables ( i use a combinations of broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, mushrooms, corn, and carrots).
*If you prefer to use fresh vegetables, just chop and boil for a few minutes, then add to stir-fry* Add 1/2 pound of raw shrimp (if you want to buy cooked shrimp just add at the very end before seasoning. Stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes. Cover pan for a few minutes to tenderize vegetables (optional). Add about 2 tbsp. of oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, a little salt and pepper, and dash of sugar, and a splash of hot sauce (optional). Stir until mixed well....garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve over Jasmine Rice.

Chicken Manicotti

1 small chopped onion (any kind you like)
2 cloves minced garlic
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, chopped (marinated in Italian dressing, optional)
olive oil or butter or a mixture
Saute onions for a few minutes then add the garlic and chicken, brown chicken for about 7 minutes on medium heat. After browning chicken add pk. of softened cream cheese and melt into chicken mixture. Add 1 cup of frozen spinach (thawed and drained well) and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside. Whisk one egg until lightly beaten, add 1 15 oz. tub of ricotta cheese (can substitute cottage cheese if necessary), 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese (parmesan/romano/mixture....optional). Use electric mixer to blend egg and ricotta, then fold in the other cheeses, adding a little salt and pepper before folding. Stir chicken and cheese mixtures together. (I didn't use all of the chicken mixture) Fill a large resealable bag with the mixture, squeezing out most of the air. Snip a hole in a corner of the bag and squeeze mixture through whole into cooked (according to package) and rinsed (with cold water) manicotti shells. I filled 14 manicotti shells with this recipe. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with about 1/2 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or you can even use alfredo). Layer the manicotti shells, then drizzle with remainder of sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with more shredded mozzarella in last 10 minutes of cooking (optional). Garnish with fresh parsley, basil, or cilantro. (optional)