Crabby Housewife

Why I’m in Love with Mongolian Stir Fry

February 16, 2018 August 18, 2015 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

Recently, my family went on a cruise. On board the ship was a station called the Mongolian Wok. I’ve had stir fry before, but usually pretty bland offerings. The food station on the ship allowed us to pick what we wanted in our stir fry and choose a Mongolian seasoning. Oh my goodness! Where has this food been my entire life? Okay, I know it’s been around forever, but I’ve not been eating.

That is about to change and here is why…

It has just the right kick but not too much
My taste buds love the bursts of flavor
I can use chicken, which is my favorite mix-in meat, but I can also use beef or pork or seafood
I can utilize leftovers to make a stir fry. This is a win-win for me as it saves money and is delicious
It’s pretty healthy overall. I can sub brown rice for the noodles, lower sodium soy sauce and it is chock full of veggies.
It’s easy to make. Takes only one large skillet or wok instead of multiple dirty pots and pans.
Can use healthy oils if needed or a non-stick surface and no oil.

Here is a simple recipe I made the other night that would have taken me mere minutes if the brown rice hadn’t been a major failure. Although I had the long-cooking rice, you can certainly use minute rice instead or cook the rice ahead.

Simple Mongolian Stir Fry

The recipe below uses bagged, frozen items. You can certainly throw together leftovers to make this dish. Throw in leftovers like fresh mushrooms, peppers, onions, zucchini, broccoli (whatever is on hand). Make your own sauce. I prefer Mongolian BBQ sauce made from ginger. I've added a link to an excellent recipe just below these directions.

Author: Crabby Housewife

Ingredients

Frozen bag of stir fry veggies with sauce I used 2 bags, but this was way too much food. We had more leftovers than we could eat
Frozen bag pre-cooked diced chicken
Dash of dark soy sauce Kikkoman is what I had on hand
1 Tablespoon canola oil

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok
Add frozen stir fry veggies and dash soy sauce on top. Give it all a stir and cook on medium heat until heated through.
You can either cook the chicken in a separate skillet or throw in with the veggies. I chose to cook it separate because I like the chicken browned a bit more than the way it comes.
Cook rice in microwave following instructions.
Once veggies and chicken are cooked, stir together and add sauce. Cook another five minutes or so.
Layer rice in a bowl and place stir fry on top. Yum.

Mongolian BBQ Sauce Recipe

4 Awesome Cake Video Tutorials by Ann Reardon

March 25, 2016 August 12, 2015 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

Those of you who know me well know that I love to watch funny cat videos on YouTube. This sometimes leads to other interesting videos.

This week, I discovered a set of cake videos created by Ann Reardon. Below are my favorites. What do you think? Do any of you want to tackle these? I’m trying the first one this weekend.

Love you all,

Lori

Lower Your Blood Pressure with the Dash Diet

March 25, 2016 August 10, 2015 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

Do you have high blood pressure? Take a look at the DASH diet, which claims to help lower blood pressure and help you lose weight.

The DASH diet received high marks from an expert panel set up by the US News and World Report. The publication named it the healthiest diet on November 1, 2011. This praise is something dieters who’ve tried DASH were not surprised over.

“I felt so much better on this diet and with exercise I was able to cut my blood pressure medication in half,” said Jen Conner, a lifelong dieter.

Get the details on how this diet works, so you can decide whether or not it is right for you.

What exactly is the DASH Diet?

The DASH is based on the book The DASH Diet Action Plan. It includes healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds and lean protein. If you’re not used to eating many fruits and vegetables, this diet may be an adjustment at first as it requires consuming a lot of these types of foods.

It is a high fiber, nutrient rich diet that claims to lower high blood pressure in 14 days or less.

Get Started

The amount of food you’ll eat is based on how many calories you need to consume to either maintain or reduce your current weight. Let’s look at the example for a 2,000 calorie DASH diet. All values are daily unless otherwise noted.

2-1/2 cups of fruit
2-1/2 cups of vegetables
2-3 cups of low-fat dairy
6-8 ounces of whole grain
6 ounces lean protein (chicken, turkey, etc.)
Nuts, seeds and legumes should be consumed 5 days out of the week
2-3 teaspoons oil

You can have sugary treats and alcohol, but only very occasionally. Think one treat a week and not one treat per day.

Get More Info

DASH is not the easiest diet to stick to. It requires control and determination. However, the health benefits you’ll receive will be worth the effort. Learn more about Dash at:

Creamy, Gooey, Cheesy Kentucky Hot Brown

February 16, 2018 August 4, 2015 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

There are some foods that Kentucky is famous for. From mint juleps at the Derby to anything with Kentucky bourbon, to the amazing hot brown. The recipe below is a lot easier to make than you might imagine and will impress even the most discerning palate.

History of the Kentucky Hot Brown

Have you heard of the hot brown? It is also called the Kentucky hot brown in some places. It is a gooey mess of an open-faced sandwich that will delight your taste buds. It meshes a thick, crisp bread topped with turkey, bacon and a rich cheese sauce. Most restaurants choose a Mornay sauce, which is whitish, but some places use cheddar or other alternatives. Some versions include a tomato slice on top.

The sandwich as been around since 1926 and was first served by Fred Schmidt at the Louisville, Kentucky Brown Hotel. According to the Brown Hotel website, in the 20s, the hotel was bustling with dinner guests anxious to attend a dinner dance. It attracted about 1,200 guests a night. Chef Schmidt recognized that these guests wanted to try something a bit more culinary than simply ham and eggs, so he created the hot brown, which was a variation of Welsh rarebit.

The sandwich is still served at the Brown Hotel today and they even have the original recipe listed on the website if you want to try mixing up a portion or two at home. Of course, if you’re in the Louisville area, go ahead and pop into the hotel and try out their variation for yourself. You’ll be tasting a bit of history.

If you want a recipe that is a bit more simple (because you know I’m about cooking things as easily and quickly as possible, but still making them delicious), try my hot brown variation below.

Creamy, Gooey, Cheesey Kentucky Hot Brown

Author: Crabby Housewife

Ingredients

Loaf of precooked bread from deli/bakery
Thick slices of roasted turkey
Cheddar or white cheddar cheese slices
Precooked bacon slices
1 to mato
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Slice the bread into thick slices at least an inch thick. Some variations of this recipe call for large canned biscuits, but I prefer the taste of bread.
Very lightly butter both sides of the bread and grill each side until browned and crispy
Place bread on baking sheet and layer with two slices of turkey and cheese (traditional hot browns have a LOT of cheese, but you can create to your own taste).
Place in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until cheese gets bubbly and starts to brown slightly.
While the dish is cooking in the oven, wrap the precooked bacon in several layers of paper towels and nuke for one minute to make it crispier.
Remove hot browns from oven and top with tomato slices and two strips of bacon each. You can also crumble bacon and dice tomatoes for a different look.

That’s it. You’ll be serving a somewhat traditional hot brown. of course, you can get a bit more advanced over time by baking your own bread and creating a cheese sauce on your stove top. You could also cook your own bacon. I’m just lazy and I like to save time when I can. If something tastes nearly as good and is easier to throw together, that’s the way I go.

I’ve even been thinking about buying the jarred cheddar cheese sauce in the past aisle and trying that for the topping.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons

Gluten Free Dessert Roundup

March 25, 2016 July 30, 2015 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

If you’re trying to follow a gluten free diet, one of the things you’re probably missing is your desserts. Not to worry, though. There are many delicious gluten-free dessert recipes online. Here is a roundup of some of my favorites.

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

living locurto — No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Poppers

These no-bake desserts are perfect to take to a party or for an afternoon snack. They are also very simple to put together. Sub gluten-free graham cookies or leave the cookies out altogether. Amy Locurto has some additional suggestions for toppings for this fun and simple dessert.

Gluten Free Donut Holes

Nicole Hunn over at Gluten Free on a Shoestring has come up with a brilliant gluten free recipe that mimicks Dunkin Donuts’ glazed donut holes. Although a bit involved, you’ll love how this recipe turns out so similar to what you can buy in the store – only gluten free.

No Bake Triple Peanut Butter Bars

Arman, over at The Big Man’s World has some really amazing recipes that just make you drool. This particular dessert recipe is both gluten free and vegan. It is just oozing with peanut butter gooeyness. Think peanut butter fudge on steroids. And, they are very easy to whip up for a party or just to gobble down.

Funfetti Celebration Cake

Need a cake for a special celebration? Kayley over at the Kitchen McCabe has a collection of amazingly delicious recipes. You will spend a little more time on these, but it’s a special occasion, so why not? This cake is just as delicious as any other cake out there. I promise you’ll adore the way it tastes and the way it looks.

Gluten Free Iced Soft Sugar Cookies

flippin delicious — Gluten Free Soft Sugar Cookies with Icing

You know those soft sugar cookies that are iced and come in the clamshell container at grocery stores via their bakery department? You’re drooling, aren’t you? Brianna, over at Flippin’ Delicious, has worked hard to recreate this treat in a gluten free version. Okay, now I am hungry. Must go make cookies. Hope you enjoyed this recipe roundup.

Frugal Recipes & Tips

Category: Food