Simple Stirfry the whole family will die for

This stirfry is simply the best tasting, and easiest home made stirfry you can make for your family. 

4 servings

You'll need:
2 chicken breasts
1 head broccoli
1/2 each red, yellow and green pepper
6 or so medium sized white mushrooms
1 can water chestnuts
A good handful of snow peas
1 medium onion (white or red)
Soya sauce
Oil
Oyster sauce (available in the Asian cuisine section of stores)
2-3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
Prepared rice or noodles

First:
Wash and chop all your veggies into bite-sized pieces.

Second:
Cube your chicken in bite-sized pieces.

Third:
In a frying pan, low to medium heat - cook chicken pieces with about 2 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp soya sauce and 2-3 Tbsp oyster sauce and a dash of salt.
Once cooked, set aside.

Fourth:
In a wok or large frying pan, add 3Tbsp oil, 1Tbsp soya sauce, 3Tbsp oyster sauce and 1/4 tsp salt. Add vegetables, and put on stove at medium heat.
Cook, stiring with wooden sppod once a while, until desired tenderness is achieved. I like to keep the veggies a little crispy. Add cooked chicken to the veggies.
At this point, in 1 cup of water, mix in 2-3 Tbsp cornstarch, and pour over your stirfry.  Cook until liquid thickens.

Serve over rice or noodles, or even eat on its own.  Your family will love this. I promise.... Or I ain't "the Man".

For an added delight, cashews always make a stirfry more interesting.

New addition.

I was blessed with a new addition to my kitchen.  A new way to be a man. Kitchen power tools.   Keep your eye open for new recipes.

Sorry

Sorry all... life got away from me....  I will get some new stuff up shortly..  my kitchen has been busy, but my life even busier.


-Jeremy

Awesome Homemade Chicken Wings

Who doesn't love chicken wings, besides my vegan and vegetarian friends?

Some people don't realize how easy they are to make at home.  And how much better they taste when you make your own wings from some nice fresh, never frozen chicken. 

-3 lbs fresh whole chicken wings (or separated if you dont like to do the work)
-1 cup white flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 pepper (packaged pre-ground works best, though fresh ground will work)
-peanut oil (or other oil if you have an allergy to peanut, canola works great)
-Gourmet Honey Garlic Diana Sauce, Frank's Red Hot, or any other sauce you really really like!

1.  WASH YOUR CHICKEN IN COOL WATER.  clean meat is the best meat... you can also remove any pieces of feathers that might have got missed when your wings were packaged.  Let water drip off, then pat wings dry with paper towel.

2.  Separate the wings into pieces.  To do this, you'll need to cut off the tips (dispose of these), and then separate the "drumstick" from the rest of the wing.  A sharp knife, and a little force works well. You'll need to cut down into the "joint".  See pictures at the bottom. (OR buy wings that have already been separated, but that costs $$$ and us men are cheap, and like to cut things up)

3.  Mix flour, salt and pepper in medium bowl.

4.  Pour oil into a deep frying pan/skillet. Enough oil to cover the wings, but not so much it will over slow when you add the wings. I use a good old fashioned cast iron skillet.  It works great for everything!  You could also use a deep fryer if you have one, but who does?

5.  Heat oil at high heat until when you flick a drop of water in it, it "snaps" and "pops".  If it crackles, get your spoon, 'cause you probably have Rice Krispie's.  But seriously, you want the oil nice and hot.  Once water makes it pop, turn heat to medium heat.

6.  Take your wings, a few at a time, and drop them in your flour mix. Flip around, in the flour, make sure they have a good dusting on them.

7.  Carefully drop in hot oil.  Continue until pan if loosely full of wings.  let cook for 4 or 5 minutes, then flip them over using a fork.  They will be floating.  Cook about another 4- 5 minutes, or until a uniform golden brown colour.

8.  Using METAL tongs, or something similar, remove wings, and place in an oven safe bowl with lid.  place wings in "warm" oven.  We dont want your wings to cool while waiting for the next batch to come out of the skillet.

9.  Repeat until all your wings are done.  The the fun part comes in.  Pour in your favourite sauce all over the wings.  I dont like to re-invent the wheel, so I use premade sauces. My favourite, Gourmet Honey Garlic Diana Sauce.  It is fantastic.  Feel free to use Frank's Red Hot, or any of your other favourite sauces, or heck... leave them plain if you like that better.

After you coat the wings with sauce, put back in the oven for a few minutes and allow the sauce to soak in a bit.

10.  Place on a plate, and then share 'em with your friends. And... BE A MAN!  These serve well with some ranch dressing and some nice fresh carrot sticks and celery to munch on.  But trust me, the vegetables only make you feel like you're being healthy, don't fool yourself, this is man food.


You can't beat these, I promise.  Where possible, stick with the peanut oil.  It gives the wings a specific flavour that can't be duplicated.  You can save your oil for a second or third use if you let it cool and strain it out. DO NOT SAVE LEFT OVER FLOUR MIX.  It is now contaminated, and needs to be trashed.  Bacteria builds up fast!

Vegan Double Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

This is a great loaf to have around for the holidays.  Great Vegan recipe, full of flavor, and to die for.

You need to make this right now... I promise.

2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
3 eggs worth of egg replacer
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 package vegan chocolate chips


Pre-heat oven to 350

1.  In a small bowl, prepare egg replacer as per directions on box.

2. In another small microwave safe bowl, melt the baking chocolate.  Only 20-30 seconds at a time of heat and then stiring, so as to not burn the chocolate.

3.  In a medium/large bowl, add sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla, melted chocolate and prepared egg replacer, blend well until all ingredients are evenly mixed.

4.  Add flour, salt and cinnamon to the mix in the bowl.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.

5.  Stir in vegan chocolate chips.

6. Pour batter into 2 - 9x5 greased loaf pans, or one greased cake pan.

7.  Bake in over for about 75 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let this cool on a rack for a while before trying to remove from pan.  Take out of pan carefully so to not cause loaf to break.  Serve slightly warm, with a little margarine..  its awesome.... BE A MAN!.

Perfect Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Not to toot my own horn, but I have been known for making some pretty awesome chocolate chip cookies. I modified my recipe to make it DOUBLE CHOCOLATE! You heard right, my famous cookies now come in double chocolate!

Makes about 3 dozen

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
1 package (300g or close to 10.5oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use PC Decadent)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees


1. In a medium-large bowl, blend butter and sugar until smooth, use a fork, it works well.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until perfectly blended.

3. In a separate bowl, blend flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda evenly.

4. Blend dry ingredients into the sugar/butter/egg mixture. Mix until evenly mixed.

5. Stir in whole pack of chocolate chips.

6. Everyone else will say here to drop spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet. I don't like this, I prefer to get my hands in here now (BE A MAN). I roll a ball about 2" in diameter, then place them on an un-greased baking sheet. This causes cookies to all be about the same size, and to all cook perfectly even.

7. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for about 2 minutes on baking sheet, then move to a cooling rack. Place in an air tight container once almost cool, this will keep them chewy for longer.

Vegan Mint Brownies - Just in time for the holidays!

My vegan chocolate cake created quite a stir.  I had people from all over the world checking it out.  To follow it up, I figured something Vegan, geared for the season was in order.

These brownies are made with love, and are 100% vegan friendly.
Give 'em a try!

2 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder (keep if you like more cake like, eliminate if you like it to be more dense)
1 cup water
1 1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract


Preheat oven to 350

1.  Blend all dry ingredient together evenly in a medium-large bowl, a wire whisk helps with this.

2. In a medium bowl, blend wet ingredient together.

3.  Add wet ingredients to dry, blend until smooth.

4.  In a 9x14, oiled and then dusted with cocoa, pour batter in, and even out in the pan.  Place in over, and bake for aproximately 30 minutes, or until firm.

Wait until cooled, and then it is safe to cut and or add icing.

To make icing:

3 cups icing sugar
3-4 tbs water (or more, or less, make it the consistency you like!)
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp pepperment extract
3-4 drops green food coloring.

Add oil and water to the icing sugar in a bowl.  The amount of water is relative to the texture you'd like the icing.  Add slowly to get your desired texture.  Add the food coloring at the end once icing is the way you'd like it.  Blend until smooth

Spread over brownies.
Add crushed candy cane for a nice festive topping.

Eat it up, and don't tell people it's vegan, and they'll never know the difference.
And remember, BE A MAN!