Copycat "Uncle Ben's" Long Grain & Wild Rice

As you know we love to test out new recipes in the kitchen.  We have also tried quite a few "Copycat" recipe's from different sites.   We thought we would try out this side dish one night with scallops.

Copycat "Uncle Ben's " Long Grain & Wild Rice
http://www.food.com/recipe/copycat-uncle-bens-long-grain-wild-rice-113180

Ingredients:
1 tsp dry chopped onion flakes
1/2 tsp dry parsley flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups water plus 1 tbsp low sodium chicken bullion granules)
1 cup long grain rice
1/3 cup dry wild rice
1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Directions:

• Combine all of the spices in a medium saucepan & mix thoroughly.
• Add both type of rice, the chicken stock & butter.
• Bring mixture to a boil and stir to combine.
• Cover saucepan with lid, turn down heat to a simmer and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.

Tupps Tidbits ~ if you decided to try this, precook the wild rice, it was not completely cooked 

If  Tupps was writing this he would probably say this was "Copy CRAP".  It's was not bad, it's just not at all a copycat of Uncle Ben's as it claims. NOT A KEEPER!

Honey Wheat Bread like Outback

You know the bread they serve at Outback Steakhouse?  Well, we are hoping this top secret recipe has got it pretty close.  I can not wait to serve it warm with some butter.

Honey Wheat Bread like Outback
http://www.food.com/recipe/honey-wheat-bread-like-outback-64435

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbs. butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
2 cups bread flour
1 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 Tbs. cocoa
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. yeast (1 pkg.)
cornmeal, for the top

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a bread machine in the order listed above & use the dough setting.
• When it is done, let is rise for about an hour.
• When the dough is twice its original size punch it down & split it into rolls.
• If you want authentic Outback size, make about 8 tubular loaves.
• The recipe prefers you to make 12 rolls.
• The dough is sticky, so make sure you use a well-floured cookie sheet & plenty of flour on your hands.
• Sprinkle the entire surface of the loaves with cornmeal & then let them rise again.
• Bake for 20-24 minutes at 350.

Tupps Tidbits ~ the dough was very sticky, you might need extra flour , we did mini loaves instead of tubular loaves, you could make any shape you want

Wonderful aroma, taste, and texture! Fantastic, fabulous bread! This is now one of our favorite recipes...Definitely a KEEPER!

Steak and Shrimp Kabobs

These kabobs look so attractive and healthy I could not pass up trying them. Especially when we have an abundance of cherry tomatoes this time of year.  Let's enjoy the last of the summer nights and grill these up!

1 cup teriyaki sauce
1 can ( 6 ounces) pineapple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 pound beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1- inch cubes
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound whole fresh mushrooms
2 large green peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions, halved and quartered
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch

Directions

• In large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.  Pour half of the marinade into a large resealable bag; add beef.  Seal bag and turn to coat: refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
• Drain and discard.  On metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread the beef, shrimp, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and tomatoes; set aside.  In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and reserved marinade until smooth.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
• Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.  Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan.  Place kabobs over drip pan and grill, covered over indirect medium heat for 6 minutes, turning once.  Baste with sauce.  Continue turning and basting for 8-10 or until shrimp and beef reaches desired doneness.

Tupps Tidbits ~  instead of buying pineapple juice, we bought canned pineapple in its own juice & drained the juice for this recipe....also, we left the tails on the shrimp for cooking & that seemed to work well

We both loved the flavor that came out of this sauce and also the leftovers heated up well. We we will definitely make these again! KEEPER!

Skinny Baked Vegetarian Egg Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Normally you would not think egg rolls would be healthy but these Skinny Vegetarian Egg Rolls are!  They’re loaded with good veggies and baked, not fried.  They should make a wonderful appetizer or complement a stir fry dinner night.

Skinny Baked Vegetarian Egg Rolls with Peanut Sauce

www.kinnykitchen.com

Ingredients for Egg Rolls:

2 ½ cups shredded cabbage

2 ½ cups broccoli slaw

1 cup snow peas, chopped

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 cup scallions, chopped

1 tsp. vegetable oil or olive oil

2 tsp. ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbs. rice vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar

1 ½ tbs. soy sauce

A little fresh ground pepper

12 egg roll wrappers

Cooking spray

Ingredients for Sauce:

¼ cup peanut butter

3 tbs. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.

2.     In medium bowl, combine cabbage, broccoli slaw, carrots, pea pods and scallions.

3.     Heat oil in large non stick pan over medium-high.  Add ginger, garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Stir in cabbage mixture, 1 ½ tbs. soy sauce, rice vinegar and black pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes until soft-crisp.  Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes

4.     Place 1 egg roll wrapper at a time onto work surface with 1 corner pointing toward you (wrapper should look like a diamond).  Spoon 1/3 cup cabbage filling into center of wrapper.  Fold lower corner of egg roll wrapper over filling.  Fold in corners and roll up jelly roll fashion.  Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers and veggie filling.  Lightly coat egg rolls with cooking spray and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn over and bake 10 minutes more until golden brown on both sides.

5.     To prepare sauce:  In blender add all sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.  Taste and add more red pepper flakes, if desired.  Serve sauce on the side with egg rolls.  Use ½ tbs. sauce to dip with each egg roll.

6.     Serve at once.  To heat, preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place egg rolls on baking sheet.  Place in oven and heat until crisp.

Makes 12 egg rolls

Tupps Tidbits ~…most supermarkets have egg roll wrappers, normally they are in the produce, refrigerated aisle

 I loved this so much and could eat them all day!  We are going to add chicken or pork next time.  Of course taste is not quite up to “fried” standard but if you are trying to be healthy these are an excellent option.

Confucius says: Keeper in our house!

Ginger Steak Fried Rice

I like this meal idea for a couple of reasons.  You combine all the ingredients in one pan and serve with rice, so clean up is a snap & it is quick!  You can fill a hungry tummy in a hurry! Let’s hope tastes good!

Ginger Steak Fried Rice

www.tasteofhome.com/simple August/September 2013

Ingredients

·        2 eggs, lightly beaten

·        2 tsp. olive oil

·        1 beef top sirloin steak

·        4 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided

·        1 pkg. (12 oz.) broccoli coleslaw mix

·        1 cup frozen peas

·        2 Tbsp. rated fresh gingerroot

·        3 garlic cloves, minced

·        2 cups cold cooked brown rice

·        4 green onions, slice

 

1.     In large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir eggs over medium heat until no liquid egg remains, breaking up eggs into small pieces.  Remove from pan; wipe skillet clean if necessary.

2.     In same pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add beef; stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until no longer pink.  Stir in beef; stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until no longer pink.  Stir in 1 Tbsp. soy sauce; remove from pan.

3.     Add coleslaw mix, peas, ginger and garlic to same pan; cook and stir until coleslaw mix is crisp-tender.  Add rice and remaining soy sauce; tossing to combine rice with vegetable mixture and heat through.  Stir in cooked eggs, beef and green onions; heat through

Tupps Tidbits ~…..purchase instant brown rice to save even more time

This was an ultimate simple and satisfying supper.  The bagged coleslaw mix gives the dish a good crisp tender bite and the rest of  nutritious ingredients taste wonderful.  Keeper in our house! YUMO!

CopyCat -Wendy's Frosty

What’s in a Wendy’s Frosty?  From reading different articles, I found out that a frosty requires almost 14 ingredients just to make this special summertime treat! We thought we would give this Copycat recipe a try….it only calls for 3 ingredients!  So fire up the grill and have some burgers and a Frosty!

Copycat Wendy’s Frosty

1 can condense

½ gallon chocolate milk

8 oz. cool whip

Directions:    Mix all together in blender & freeze

Tupps Tidbits ~ 1/2 the reciepe fits in a blender

Can't be that much cheaper than going to Wendy's but if you want to make one at home and you are miles away from Wendy's it would come in handy because they definately taste just like the real thing!  This is definitely a KEEPER at our house!

Pretzels with Cheese Dip

State Fair only comes around once a year, bringing with it prize-winning livestock, award winning pies, rickety roller coasters, and a unique food experience!  The recipe pick this week was indeed chosen with this mind but on a  healthy note of course (without the cheese dip)!   I am hoping these are by far the best homemade soft pretzels tasted & we can make them more often and serve as a snack or even part of a meal.

Pretzels with Cheese Dip

www.tasteofhome.com

Ingredients

·        1 package ( ¼ ounce) active dry yeast

·        1 cup warm water

·        2 tbs. butter, softened

·        1 tbs. sugar

·        ½ tsp. salt

·        2 – ¾ cups flour

·        4 cups water

·        2 tbs. baking soda

·        Coarse salt

·        8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta, cubed)

·        1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

·        1 -2 tbs. milk

·        Prepared mustard

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add the butter, sugar, salt and 2 cups flour.  Beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form soft dough.  Cover & let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Punch dough down.  Divide in 12 equal pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece in to a 15-in long strip; twist into a pretzel shape.

In a large non-aluminum pot, bring water to boil, add baking soda.  Drop 2 pretzels into water; boil for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain.  Place on a greased baking sheet; sprinkle with coarse salt.  Repeat for each pretzel.

Bake at 475 for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from pan to wire racks to cool.

For dip, combine cheeses in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until melted, stirring occasionally.  Stir in milk.  Serve pretzels with cheese dip and mustard.

Tupps Tidbits ~…use tape measure to make sure each 15 in long strip is the same size, this will ensure them to bake properly…also, 10 minutes was well enough for baking, 12 minutes probably would have over cooked them

 They came out chewy & golden brown and delicious!  We found out that it would be best to only salt the ones you are going to eat that day, due to the fact the salt dissolves & made the pretzels wet and soggy.  We suggest to freeze the unsalted pretzels.  When you are ready to have them another day, you will need to moisten with water & salt them.  Re-heat in the oven for about 10 minutes..  …..This is definitely a KEEPER at our house! Oh and did I mention the cheese dip was not bad either (skip the mustard)!