Welcome to the Blue Sky Cookbook. Here’s what’s cooking today:
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Serves 4-6
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Before preparing the chicken, start the white rice cooking. It will be done just in time. |
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¼ cup soy sauce
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp ground pepper
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Mix in a small dish or glass measuring cup. Set aside. Half will be used to marinate the chicken and the other half for the sauce.
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6 pieces boneless chicken breast (1 ½ lbs)
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Cut the chicken diagonally into ½ strips, then cut into cubes. The chicken will be most tender if you cut the diagonal strips across the grain like this:
Place the chicken cubes in a plastic bag or bowl. Pour half of the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Wash your cutting board and knife with soap and hot water before using for vegetables.
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1 green bell pepper
1 sweet yellow onion
Add any other chopped veggies as you like such as Zucchini, mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper, celery
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Wash and chop the bell pepper into 1” pieces. Peel the onion and slice across the rings to ¼” – ½ “ slices, then chop to ½” pieces.
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Olive oil
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Assemble the bowls with chicken, vegetables and sauce near the stove. Set the wok on the stove with high heat, or use a sauté pan with med-high heat. Pour in olive oil to coat the sides of the wok to ¼” in the bottom of the pan. Use a splatter screen when stir frying to avoid burns.
Carefully add the vegetables to the hot oil, protecting yourself with the screen. Stir with a long wooden spoon or wooden spatula. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion is tender and translucent around the edges. Turn off the heat. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Add more oil to the wok to ¼” in the bottom. Turn the heat back on. When it is hot, add the chicken, distributing it evenly around the bottom and sides of the pan. While adding the chicken, protect yourself with the screen- hold the screen in your left hand between you and the pan while adding the chicken with your right hand. Cover with the screen and let it fry for 5 minutes without stirring until it starts to brown on the bottom. Now stir at 30 second intervals and fry for an additional 5 minutes until the chicken is done. Turn off the heat.
Remove the excess oil from the pan by wadding a paper towel and pressing it along the sides. Throw the towel away.
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¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup water
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Turn the heat back on. Add the wine to the reserved sauce and pour over the chicken. Add water to the sauce dish and pour into the pan. Stir and cook for a minute until the sauce thickens. Add more water if the sauce is too thick.
Add the vegetables back into the pan, stir and heat for a minute to warm them.
Serve with white rice.
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Stirfry chicken was Jenny’s favorite meal as a teenager. We have it so often, we simply refer to it as “Chicken and Rice … Again”. This basic recipe works in many variations such as Cashew Chicken and Stirfry Chicken with Pineapple.
Posted in Chicken, Chinese Style, Main Dishes | No Comments »
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1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup water
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Measure the sugar into a 4 cup glass measuring cup or deep bowl. Add the water and stir. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir well. Microwave at one minute intervals and stir until the syrup is boiling for 30 seconds. Remove and stir.
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2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp maple extract
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Add and stir. Serve warm on your pancakes.
Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
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This is the maple syrup of my childhood. Dad called it “syruple”. When I first tasted real maple syrup, I thought it tasted funny. I still prefer syruple over the real stuff.
Posted in Breakfast, Sauces | No Comments »
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1 lb bag frozen blueberries
1 cup warm water
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
Pinch of salt
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Place about 1 cup of the blueberries in a 4 cup glass measuring cup or bowl. Add the rest and mix with a fork until the cornstarch is dissolved. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir well. Microwave at one minute intervals and stir until the sauce is boiling and translucent.
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Trader Joe’s frozen wild boreal blueberries are best!
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Add the remaining blueberries. Cover with plastic and set aside for a few minutes to defrost. Microwave on high for one minute just before serving on your pancakes.
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Posted in Breakfast, Sauces | 1 Comment »
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Single Pie Crust
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Prepare the crust and set aside to cool.
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1-1/3 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup cornstarch
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Heat the sugar, water, and cornstarch over low heat until all is dissolved.
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4 egg yolks
3 Tbsp milk
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Beat egg yolks and milk together and add to pan.
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2 Tbsp butter
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Add butter. Turn up the heat to medium high. Cook and stir constantly with a wire whisk until very thick and slightly translucent. Remove from heat.
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½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice (2-3 lemons or 5-6 limes)
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Add juice and beat thoroughly. Cool for 10 minutes, beat with whisk and pour into a 9” baked, cool pie crust. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours to set.
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Whipped cream
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Serve with whipped cream.
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Posted in Dessert, Pie | No Comments »
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Serves 8
Oven 400 F
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1 (6 oz) pkg Uncle Bens Original Long Grain & Wild Rice
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Prepare as directed. Start the rice first and it will be ready when you need it.
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4 large red bell peppers
3 Tbsp olive oil
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Cut the peppers in half, cut through the stem, leaving the stem intact. Remove the seeds and membrane. Wash and drain on paper towels. Arrange the halves in a 9×13 baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Roll the peppers over in the oil to coat. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 425 F. Cool slightly.
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12 fresh mushrooms
1 large onion
4 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
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Wash and slice the mushrooms. Dice the onion and celery fine to ¼” bits. Mince or chop the garlic. Set aside.
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½ cup pine nuts
Olive oil
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Pour olive oil to cover a large sauté pan. Heat to medium high. Quickly fry the pine nuts, stirring constantly until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Set aside.
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1 Tbsp dried herbs – Provence mix or Italian mix
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Return the pan with oil to the stove. Add herbs, onions and celery. Cook until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook 2 minutes.
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2 cups fresh chopped spinach or 1 small box frozen spinach, thawed
1 tsp Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Salt & pepper
If desired:
I-2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
or
1-2 cups raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
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Add additional oil if needed. Add spinach, cooked rice, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Stir and add more hot sauce to taste. Mix in meat or shrimp or both if desired. (This is a great way to use left-over turkey!)
Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture. Cover loosely with foil. Return to the oven and bake 30 minutes at 400 F. When they come out of the oven, sprinkle the stuffed red peppers with the pine nuts.
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I created (or I should say imitated) this dish after many samplings of the signature stuffed peppers at the Red Peppers Café in Esher, England.
Posted in Chicken, Main Dishes, Mediterranean Style, Turkey, Vegetarian | No Comments »
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4 Servings
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3 sweet potatoes
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Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 2 “ pieces. Place the sweet potatoes in a heavy sauce pan, cover with water and boil about 20 minutes until tender. Transfer the potatoes into a food mill and drain excess water. If you don’t have a food mill or processor, drain and mash the potatoes. Set aside.
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1 cup raw frozen shrimp
(peeled and deveined)
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Wash and roughly chop the shrimp.
Set aside.
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½ onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
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Return the empty potato pan to the stove; melt the butter and sauté onions over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté 1-2 minutes just until the shrimp becomes slightly opaque. Don’t overcook.
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2 Tbsp flour
Approx. 3 cups milk
Salt & Pepper
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Quickly sprinkle the flour and stir to form a thick roux. Add 1 cup of milk, stir and heat thoroughly. Add additional milk to form a gravy consistency. Add the mashed potatoes. Stir well and add milk to the desired consistency of a thick soup. Sprinkle to taste with salt & pepper.
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Nutmeg
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Ladle into warm bowls. Sprinkle nutmeg on top of each serving.
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I improvised this soup because I wanted to make shrimp bisque for guests, but did not have enough shrimp. I added the sweet potato as a filler because the color reminded me of shrimp! It turns out that the sweet potato is the best part- try it without the shrimp!
Posted in Fish and Seafood, Soup | No Comments »
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Oven 350 F
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½ cup butter, softened
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
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Cookie crust pie shell:
Mix ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly and consistency of cornmeal. Pour into a 9” pie pan, distributing evenly over the bottom. With floured hands, start in the middle and press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides as evenly as possible. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 F until lightly golden. Cool completely.
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1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
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Measure water, sugar and cornstarch into a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium high, stirring constantly with a wire whip until thick and translucent.
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3 heaping Tbsp strawberry Jello
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Add Jello and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
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2 pints fresh strawberries
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Wash strawberries; remove stems and slice into quarters. Drain well. Place strawberries in the cool crust; pour the jello mixture over top. Refrigerate 4 hours until set. Cover and store in refrigerator until serving.
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Whipped cream
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Serve with whipped cream.
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Gramma Florence gave me this recipe. It doesn’t seem like typical Ree Heights fare; I’ve always wondered where it originated.
Posted in Dessert, Florence Nicholas, Pie | No Comments »
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Yields: A Two-Crust Pie
or 2 Bottom Crusts
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2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp shortening
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Place flour and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add shortening. Cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender or the side of a fork. Blend until the dough is crumbly.
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6 Tbsp ice-cold water
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Add the cold water. Blend quickly with a fork to form a ball. Flour your hands and squeeze through the dough a few times. Divide into two balls. Take care not to handle the dough too much, it will be tough.
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¼ cup flour
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Sprinkle the flour generously on the countertop and rolling pin. Place the first dough ball on the flour, pat down and roll a few times to 1” thick. Push in the edges to build up the outside a bit and form a circle. Generously sprinkle flour on top and on the rolling pin. Roll the dough from the center to the edges to about 1/8” thick. Sprinkle more flour if it gets sticky. Gently lift one side and fold the dough in half. Pick up the half circle and lay it on the pie plate, adjusting to the center line. Unfold the dough and push it down the sides into the pie plate, taking care not to stretch the dough. Cut any excess areas to one inch larger than the pie plate.
If one edge is too short, don’t worry. Just take the excess from another area, wet it with a few drops of cold water and press into the short spot.
Add the pie filling.
Roll out the second ball of dough for the top crust. Fold the top crust in half and gently move to the top of the pie. Unfold and center the crust. Cut off any edges which are protruding more than one inch. Fold the top crust under the bottom and roll to form the edge all around the pie plate. Crimp the edges of the crust between your index finger and the other finger and thumb to form a fluted edge.
Cut a few vents into the upper crust. For fun, make a signature cut, such as my “H”. Cut 3” strips of foil and make a protective cover around the crust. This keeps it from burning.
Bake per filling instructions. Most fruit pies bake at 425 F for 35 – 45 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes.
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Posted in Dessert, Pie | No Comments »
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Yields: One 9” Pie Crust
Preheat Oven 450 F
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1 cup flour
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp shortening
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Place flour and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add shortening. Cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender or the side of a fork. Blend until the dough is crumbly.
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3 Tbsp ice-cold water
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Add the cold water. Blend with a fork to form a ball. Flour your hands and squeeze through the dough a few times. Form a smooth ball. Take care not to handle the dough too much, it will be tough.
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¼ cup flour
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Sprinkle the four generously on the countertop. Place the dough ball on the flour and pat down to 1” thick. Push in the edges to build up the outside a bit and form a circle. Generously sprinkle flour on top and on the rolling pin. Roll the dough from the center to the edges to about 1/8” thick. Sprinkle more flour if it gets sticky. Gently lift one side and fold the dough in half. Pick up the half circle and lay it on the pie plate, adjusting to the center line. Unfold the dough and push it down the sides into the pie plate, taking care not to stretch the dough. Cut any excess areas to one inch larger than the pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp with your finger, building up the crust along the edge of the pie plate.
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Using a fork, prick holes in the crust all over the bottom and sides. This prevents the crust from bubbling up when baked. Bake the crust 8-10 minutes at 450 F until lightly browned. Cool completely before filling.
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When I was a teenager in Cheyenne, I loved hanging out in the kitchen with Grandma Wanda (Pat’s mom). She taught me how to make this perfect, light and flaky pie crust. Measure the ingredients carefully and use your hands for the final mix, but don’t handle the dough more than needed.
Posted in Dessert, Pie | No Comments »
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1 sweet yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp dried herbs – Provencal herbs or Italian mix
¼ cup olive oil
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Chop the onion fine to less than 1/4” bits. Peel and chop the garlic very fine to 1/8” bits. Add to a large saucepan along with the oil. Rub the dried herbs between your fingers to release the flavors as you add them. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
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2 – 15 oz cans Hunts tomato sauce
2 – 6 oz cans Hunts tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
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Add tomato sauce, paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.
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Freeze leftovers in individual size portions for a quick pizza later.
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Posted in Italian Style, Main Dishes | No Comments »