Mystical Meatballs

2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
5-6 green onions with tops (about 1/14 cups sliced), divided
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each), or substitute 2 lbs thinly-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp Pampered Chef Asian Seasoning Mix
4 pkgs (3 oz each) oriental-flavor ramen noodles
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups water

Cut carrots into julienne strips. Cut bell pepper lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. Slice green onions; set aside tops for garnish.

Trim fat and silver skin from pork tenderloins. Slice pork lengthwise into four strips. Thinly slice strips crosswise. Combine pork, sesame oil, seasoning mix and two of the ramen seasoning packets. Mix well.

Add vegetable oil to 12-inch skillet; heat over medium high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add half of the pork. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until browned; remove pork from skillet and keep warm. Repeat with remaining pork.

Add carrots and bell pepper to skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add water and remaining ramen seasoning packets; stir to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add ramen noodles and white parts of green onions to skillet. Cover; bring to a boil and cook 4-5 minutes or until noodlesare softened. Add pork; stir to break apart noodles. SRemove skillet from heat; let stand, covered, 3-4 minutes or until pork is heated through. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 530 calories, 24 g fat (8 g saturated), 100 mg cholesterol, 38 g carbohydrates, 38 g protein, 1280 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Posted by Chef at 12:04 PM | Permalink

1 1/4 cups water
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup honey
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the manufacturer's recommended order. Select Wheat cycle. Use Light crust color.

Posted by Chef at 12:07 AM | Permalink

4 1/2 - 5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp sweet basil
2 Tbsp sugar
1 envelope rapid rise yeast
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large egg
all purpose flour for dusting

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, cheese, basil, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water and olive oil until very warm (120° to 130° F). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg and 1/2 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 - 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half; shape each half into a round loaf. Cut an "X" about 1/4-inch deep in center of each loaf. Place on greased baking sheets; lightly dust loaves with flour. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 375° F for 20-25 minutes or until done. Remove from sheets; coon on wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves.

Posted by Chef at 5:08 PM | Permalink

Total Time: 25 Minutes

3 cups uncooked bow-tie (farfalle) pasta (7 1/2 oz)
1/8 tsp curry powder
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 to 3/4 lb chicken breasts, sliced and cut in half crosswise
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 bag frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 Asian seasoning packet (from Ramen, etc.)
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup Alfredo sauce
3 Tbsp coconut
3 medium green onions, sliced (3 tablespoons)
1 cup peanuts

In 3-quart saucepan, cook pasta as directed on package; drain. Return to saucepan; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet or work, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and soy sauce; sprinkle chicken with curry powder. Cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Add frozen vegetables and Asian seasoning pack. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and cook 6 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in lime juice and peanut butter.

Stir Alfredo sauce into cooked pasta to coat. Spoon vegetable mixture over pasta mixture; stir until well mixed. Spoon onto individual serving plates; top with coconut, onions, and peanuts.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: Calories 480; Total Fat 26g; Cholesterol 105mg; Sodium 1270mg; Total Carbohydrate 38g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 25g

Posted by Chef at 9:13 AM | Permalink

Start to Finish:1 hr

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
3/4 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
1 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, almonds, allspice and cinnamon. Stir in butter, vanilla and almond extract until soft dough forms.
2. Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.
4. Place powdered sugar in shallow bowl. Gently roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat all sides; place on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Makes: About 2 dozen cookies

Posted by Chef at 11:04 AM | Permalink