Alfredo Sauce

I love Fettuccine Alfredo, but I never make it mostly because I think the jars of Alfredo sauce are more on the pricey side. I'm a cheap-o when it comes to grocery shopping. Why spend money on a name brand when you can by generic? Unfortunately, not all generic brands are good. So we go without. I discovered this recipe for Alfredo sauce and it's delicious and so quick and easy. And I bet you have all the ingredients sitting in your cupboard or fridge. 1/2 c butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
2 t garlic powder
2 c milk
6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
oregano to taste
basil to taste

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and seasonings. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

Stir Fry with Szechwan Sauce

I used to make stir fry a lot with using the sauce in a jar from the grocery store. I didn't really like the taste so I stopped making stir fry all together. Until a few months ago I came across this recipe for a Szechwan sauce. It makes stir fries delicious! It's spicy, so it's not for the weak! I made it with shrimp, but you can do any type of meat, and I use a frozen bag of mixed vegetables. You can usually find a bag that is specific for stir fries. Either serve with rice or noodles. 3 T olive oil
red chili peppers
2 t ginger
2 t garlic
5 T sugar
5 T ketchup
5 T vinegar

Mix all the ingredients together. I use a seasoning of red chili peppers and I put about a teaspoon in, but depending on how spicy you want it add more or less. When making it into a stir fry cook your vegetables and meat and toward the end add the sauce and let it simmer with the vegetables and meat.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

My Mom made this meal frequently when I was growing up and now it's become a favorite in my household. It's the prefect mixture of sweet and sour. I've had many different type of sweet and sour chicken and this is by far my favorite. Make sure you cover the chicken well with the cornstarch and that it gets crispy when cooking in the wok. Also make sure you using a glass baking dish.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 egg
cornstarch
vegetable oil

Cut chicken in to 1 inch strips. In a wok or a frying pan pour enough oil that will cover chicken. Dip chicken in beaten egg then cornstarch. Cook in wok, until golden crispy. Remove and place on a paper towels to absorb excess oil. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a glass baking pan pour chicken and sauce* in pan. Cook for 1 hour turning every 15 minutes.

*Sauce

3/4 c sugar
4 T ketchup
1/2 C white vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
(I often double the sauce)

In a saucepan over heat mix all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.

Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa & Rice

Cafe Rio is a hit in Utah and is making a hit in Arizona and Nevada. This is one variation of the recipe for their pork barbacoa which can be served either on a tortilla or as a salad. It's a hit with my husband, who doesn't like Mexican food. I usually cut the roast in half and only cook half of it and that makes enough for about four people or two with leftovers.

Pork Barbacoa

Boneless Pork Roast
1/4 c brown sugar
8 oz tomato sauce
black pepper
chili powder
garlic salt
chopped fresh cilantro
green chilies (optional)
hot sauce
minced onions (optional)

Trim off excess fat. Rub roast generously with spices. Place roast in crock pot. Add chilies, tomato sauce, brown sugar and cilantro. Cook for 5-6 hours on high, or until tender. Add hot sauce. Pull pork with two forks until shredded. Serve with tortillas, rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and lime sauce.

Rice

4 cups water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
3/4 t salt
1 T butter
1/2 onion
2 cups rice

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in food processor. Place in rice cooker with all other ingredients. Cook until done.

Lime Cilantro Sauce

1 lime
cilantro
dash of hot sauce
1/2 pkg dry ranch dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

Chop cilantro. Place in food processor and add buttermilk, sour cream and ranch mix. Add more sour cream if needed. Add lime juice and hot sauce. Blend well.