Ginger, Beef & Green Bean Stir-Fry

From Cooking Light:

3 T soy sauce
4 t cornstarch
1 T hoisin sauce
2-3 t chili garlic sauce
14 oz chicken broth

Combine in a bowl and whisk. Set aside
Heat in a skillet:

1 t sesame oil

Add and saute 30 seconds:

1/4 c chopped green onions
2 T minced, peeled fresh ginger
3 cloves minced garlic

Add for 4 minutes and saute:

1 lb sirloin steak, in 1/4" strips

Remove from pan and wipe pan dry with paper towel. Add:

1 t sesame oil, then

5 c cut green beans
1 c red bell pepper strips

Cook 3 minutes and then add:

3/4 c sliced green onion tops

Cook about a minute and then add beef mixture and broth and stir.

Serve with:

2 c hot cooked white rice

Don't overdo the ginger - I learned that the hard way the 2nd time I made it!! Good just the way it is!

Renee Flynn's Rich, Rich Cheesecake

Cream with a beater 3 8 oz packages of cream cheese, and slowly add 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/8 t salt. Then add 4 eggs and beat thoroughly; add 1 t vanilla. Cook in a spring form pan, with a graham cracker crust at 350 for 50 minutes. Remove and turn the oven to 450 while letting the cake cool for 15 minutes. Then pour the following topping over the cake: 1 pt sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar or 1 t vanilla; cook at 450 for 8 minutes. Take out and let cool. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. 24 hours is best.

This was my grandmother's recipe. She was from New York City, and could she cook!!

Seriously the best cheesecake ever!

Great Chocolate Chip Cookies

First put 1 1/4 cups of oatmeal in a blender and make it fine.

Then:
Cream  1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add 1 egg and 1/2 t of vanilla. When creamed, add 1 cup flour, 1/4 t salt, 1/2 t baking powder and 1/2 t baking soda. When that is all blended well, add the oatmeal, and then 6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can also add walnuts, chopped (1/2 cup), if you like.

Use a tablespoon to put dough on cookie sheet - less than a golf-ball sized blob. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Yummy!!

Pork Fried Rice

2 T vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 t soy sauce
minced garlic to taste
1 T minced fresh ginger (I used both fresh and in a jar - either is good)
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thinly
1/2 lb ground pork
2 shredded carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup white rice (cooked will be 2 cups-ish)
2 T rice vinegar

Heat 1/2 oil in large nonstick skillet. In small bowl beat eggs with soy sauce. Add eggs to pan and swirl. Then let set about 1 minute. Fold, and then fold again. When cooked, put in a dish and cut into small chunks.

Heat other 1/2 of the oil and add garlic, ginger, scallion whites and cook till fragrant (30 seconds). Add pork and cook, crumbling, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, peas, and rice and stir. Add cooked egg, soy sauce, vinegar and cook another minute.

I used other veggies - whatever you like!! Quick, easy and hits the spot!!

Coke Cake

This one is from my mother-in-law. She gave it to me in 1984, and at that point had been making it for years. Years later, it's still the best!

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tbls coca

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1 cup coke beverage

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup miniature marshmellows

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Bring butter and coke to a boil and add to dry ingredients. Add buttermild, eggs and marshmellows. This will be very thin and marshmellows will float to the top.

Bake in 9x13 greased, floured pan at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes.

Rum Cake

I don't often like recipes that call for mixes, but this one is a classic. Again, my mother gave it to me over 25 years ago, and it never fails.

1 cup chopped pecans in bottom of greased and floured bundt pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Batter:

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 (3 3/4 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup rum

1/2 cup water

Mix and beat 4 minutes. Pour on top of pecans and bake for 1 hour.

Let cool 5 minutes and turn onto plate (with a lip). Prick top and pour on the following glaze:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup rum

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

Melt butter, stir in water and sugar, and boil for 5 minutes. Stir while heating. Take off heat. Stir in rum. Slowly pour over cake - may not take all the glaze.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

My mother gave me this recipe a billion years ago:

Melt 1/2 cup butter and 6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave. When it is cool, stir in 2 slightly beaten eggs and 1 cup of sugar. Add 1/2 cup of flour, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in 1/2 cup coarsely broken pecan pieces (or walnuts) and turn into a prepared or store-bought chocolate wafer crumb crust (unbaked). Sprinkle on top another 1/2 cup of unbroken pecans (we lay them delicately in a swirl pattern from the outside in). Bake in a 300 degree oven 30 minutes (it seems it takes a LOT more than that). Cool before serving, or chill.

We like it served with fresh whipped cream.

A family favorite for many, many years.