Foodie Friday

Today is Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. This spring I had a Chinese luncheon for friends. The paper lanterns used for the decorations can be seen in my 4/23 post. I served a wonderful Chinese Chicken Salad. I know, I know, we have all made that salad before, but this recipe is really flavorful because the chicken is marinated after it is cooked. So I will post the recipe. Also, these Lemon Knot Rolls are unusually delicious and easy. I have never seen the recipe anywhere else so I am sharing a great secret with you today! The dessert of Red Velvet Cupcakes is of course wonderful (and caloric) because it is Paula Deane's! So you can look up that recipe for yourself. I hope you enjoy your lunch today!

Chinese Chicken Wonton Salad
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 pkg wontons cut into thirds
1 head iceberg lettuce, ton into pieces
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup sugar snap peas
]1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 pkg rice noodles (sometimes called bean threads)
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar

Cook chicken just until tender. When cool enough to handle, slice breasts in 1/4" slices. Place chicken in a glass dish. Mix soy sauce and sugar until sugar is dissolved. pour mixture over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, fry wontons one at a time (I folded and pinched mine in the center so they would look like a bowtie). Place rice noodles in bowl of hot water to soften, then in cold and drain them. Cut them into about 3" lengths with kitchen shears. Prepare the salad by adding all ingredients, then dressing, with the drained chicken, almonds, sesame seeds and wontons on top when serving.
Dressing
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 cup oil
2 t. sesame seed oil
3 t. rice wine fvinegar
1 T. hoisen sauce
1/4 t. dry mustard
Mix all together. (Taste as you go and add where you like)

Lemon Knot Rolls
2 pkg refrigerated crescent rolls
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 t. grated lemon peel
Heat oven to 375 F. In small bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon peel and 1-2 T. lemon juice. Mix well. Separate dough into 8 rectangles, firmly press perforations to seal. Spread about 2 T. cream cheese mixture evenly over each rectangle. Starting at longest side, roll up jelly roll fashion. Pick up both ends of dough and stretch longer. Tie in a loose knot. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for about 13 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze ingredients, adding enough lemon juice for desired glaze consistency, blend well. Drizzle over warm rolls, Makes 8 rolls. Best when served warm. Yum!
For more tempting menus go to Michael @Designs by Gollum and have your mouth water!

Thanks for coming by! What have you made lately?

Pomp and Cupcakes

I was so taken with all the pomp and circumstance of yesterday's events that I did my own American thing: Made patriotic cupcakes with my granddaughters. Here are some of them.

My dear sweet schoolteacher mother always had a poem for every occasion and quite a few for everyday too. Here is one from her kindergarten class entitled Washington by Nancy Byrd Turner

He played by the river when he was young,

He raced with rabbits along the hills,

He fished for minnows, and climbed and swung,

And hooted back at the whippoorwills.

Strong and slender and tall he grew--

And then one morning, the bugles blew.

Over the hills the summons came,

Over the river's shining rim.

He said that the bugles called his name,

He knew that his country needed him,

And he answered, "Coming!" and marched away

For many a night and many a day.

Perhaps when the marches were hot and long

He'd think of the river flowing by

Or, camping under the winter sky,

Would hear the whippoorwill's far-off song.

At work, at play, and in peace or strife,

He loved America all his life.