Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

Had to get rid of some girl guide cookies, so set DBD and her best friend out front with some pitchers of fresh squeezed lemonade. Made 2 large batches and it all went. Very easy to adjust the sweetness by watering down.
6/24/19 XBD requested homemade lemonade again. Cut the recipe in half.

• 1.5 c sugar
• 1 c water
• 1.5 c lemon juice (6-8 lemons)
• 7 c water (or part ice to speed chilling)

1. Heat the sugar with one cup of water, until the sugar is dissolved. 
2. Squeeze the lemons, remove seeds, but leave in pulp.
3. Stir syrup, lemon juice and remaining water in container.
4. Refrigerate until chilled.

Chocolate Crescents

Made the dough in the food processor and had AX, DBD, XBD help spread chips and roll the dough. I brushed them with the egg wash and curled them a bit. They puffed up quite a bit. Kids don't roll as tight as adults so that accounted for some of the puffiness. They turned out with tons of layers. 
3/20/20 Still easy and delicious.

• 1 c flour
• 1/8 t salt
• 1 stick cold butter, salted, cut into 8-1 T pieces
• 1/4-1/2 c ice water (cold tap water with ice cube in it)
• 1/4 c chocolate chips (mini or regular size)
• 1 egg
• 1 T water

1. Combine flour and salt in food processor (or mix by hand).
2. Pulse the butter pieces in until pea sized (or slightly larger)
3. Pulse 1/4 c water in and add water until no flour/it all comes together.
4. Put onto floured surface and roll to rectangle.
5. Fold in each side to thirds. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat. 
6. Repeat above step. Optional: repeat one more fold.
7. Wrap rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
8. For 8 crescents, roll dough to minimum 8x18". For 6 crescents, roll dough to 6x16". Cut into triangles.
9. Spoon chocolate chips at fat end. Roll tightly and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
10. Curve each roll into crescent shape.
11. Beat egg with water and brush onto rolls.
12. Bake at 400F for 22-26 min until lightly browned.
13. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy warm.

Stir Fry Chicken and Veggies

The recipe I found is supposed to use 2/3 c Chinese soy sauce, but I only have Japanese soy sauce so adjusted accordingly (in first 3 ingredients). I would still like to buy a bottle of Chinese soy but keep forgetting. Great for leftovers, which can be used inside wrap.
Aug 2019 XBD loves this dish as well as having it for leftovers for lunch. 
7/4/20 Made with a package of chicken thighs, 2 broccoli crowns, 2 carrots, 1 pkg white mushrooms, 1 can water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce instead of oyster sauce, and ground ginger instead of fresh.

• ~1/8 c Japanese soy sauce
• ~1/8 c oyster sauce
• ~1/2 c water
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 T ginger, minced
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 T oil (for veges)
• water chestnuts
• broccoli
• 1 c carrots, sliced
• 1 T oil (for chicken)
• mushrooms (oyster, cremini, white, etc)

1. Combine soy through garlic.
2. Marinate chick slices in sauce for 15min-several hours.
3. Saute the water chestnuts, broccoli, carrots (and other veges) in oil for 5 minutes.
4. Remove to bowl.
5. Cook the chicken, reserving the marinade, 2 min per side, until no longer pink. Cook in batches if necessary.
6. Add veggies back to pan with chicken and pour in marinade. Boil until chicken is no longer pink - about 5-7min.
7. Serve over rice.

Savory Pancakes

Using the food processor makes whipping up these savory pancakes so much faster.

Asian Pancakes - ****

Onion free, but add scallions if it's not an issue. Served as appetizer for 4 adults + 2 kids. All disappeared.

• 2 c zucchini
• 1.5 c carrot
• 2 c potato
• 2 c flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4-1 c water
• 1 t salt
• 1/ t black pepper
• 3 T soy
• 2 T black vinegar
• 2 cl garlic
• sesame oil

1. In a food processor, grate zucchini, carrot and potato until amount desired.
2. Stir in flour.
3. Mix in egg, water, salt and pepper. Add water if mixture is too dry/thick.
4. Heat 1/2 T oil in pan, flatten 1/4 c batter, and fry until browned and crispy. Flip and continue to cook until crisp. 
5. Cool slightly on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
6. Mix soy, vinegar, garlic and sesame oil as dipping sauce.
7. Serve immediately or freeze. 

Chickpea Pancakes - ***

Also onion free - use garlic powder or other Italian spices as desired. Makes 8 patties. Ate half for lunch.

• 1 c chickpeas (2/3 of a can)
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs
• 1 t dried basil (or use 2 t fresh)
• 2 cl garlic, minced
• pepper
• thyme
• optional: potato, parmesan

1. Grate zucchini and carrot in food processor. Add salt.
2. Blend chickpea in food processor.
3. Mix zucchini and carrot with eggs, bread crumbs and spices. Add more bread crumbs if too wet. 
4. Stir in chickpea mash.
5. Fry 1/8 of batter per pancake, until browned and crispy on each side.
1. Alternative: Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Eat warm plain or serve with salsa or ketchup.

Dogs in a Blanket

I used to love hot dogs as a kid. There was a stage where cheese filled ones were my favorite. Then one day I had a giant hot dog and found a vein inside and it grossed me out. I have not enjoyed hot dogs since. However, DBD has recently found a love for them and so I gave in and cooked these up with a homemade 'blanket' as we didn't have any buns (and I also remember a childhood love of pigs in a blanket, which I'd only had a few times). The kids helped stretch their dough and wrap their own dogs. With the leftover dough we made fun shapes and salted them for a snack. Kids each ate ~2 (one didn't eat bread of second, one didn't finish half a dog of second) and there was one leftover for a packed lunch. Only 2 stars because it's still just a hot dog, but it was a fun dough activity.

• 6 hot dogs
• 1 c warm water
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T oil
• 2.5-3 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 egg
• 1 T milk

1. Combine dough ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle. Wait 1.5 hours.
2. Remove dough and pat down on floured surface. Divide in 12 pieces.
3. With half the dough, roll each piece to 8-14" long piece and twist around hot dog. 
4. Mix egg with milk and brush dough with mixture.
5. Bake on sheet at 400F for 15 min, until bread is browned.
6. Use remaining half of dough to make shapes (ball, pretzel, breadstick, etc) and brush with egg-milk. Sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 min, until done.

Stir Fry Beef with Broccoli

My attempts at stir fry beef have always turned out tough and chewy - probably due to cut of steak and method of cooking. This time I found flank steak and followed a recipe using a marinade, high heat quick cooking. I only had half the steak needed so sauce was a bit much. Recipe adjusted for this below.

• 2/3 lb flank steak
• 1/4 c oyster sauce
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1/3 c sherry (or half water/half apple cider vinegar)
• 1 t soy
• 1 t brown sugar
• 1 t cornstarch
• 3 T oil
• 3 thin slices ginger
• 1 cl garlic, smashed
• 1 lb broccoli - florets and small stem pieces

1. Combine the oyster sauce to cornstarch.
2. Thinly slice the steak, against the grain.
3. Marinate the meat in the sauce for at least 30 min in the fridge.
4. Heat the oil in a wok and add the ginger and garlic. Saute until aromatic and then discard the ginger and garlic. Add the broccoli to the fragrant oil and cook for 5-7 minutes.
5. Remove the broccoli and then fry the beef in small batches, about 5 min each.
6. Once done, add the broccoli back and cook for 3 min.
7. Serve over rice or hefen noodles.