Mae's Cheeseburger Soup

• 2 lbs. hamburger
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 pound Velveeta cheese
• 4 Cups milk
• 4 t chicken bouillon
• 1 16oz pkg sour cream
• 4 t pepper
  

Saute onions and carrots in a large pot until tender. Cook rice according to directions. Brown hamburger in a frying pan.

Add hamburger, rice, milk, cheese to the vegetables and heat through. Add sour cream last (do not boil).

This recipe is courtesy of our Amish-ish friend, Mae, passed to me through my mother. I happened to have everything on hand so I made a big pot of it- and I do mean big. Seriously, don't make this stuff unless you're expecting the Duggar family for dinner or you plan on making April the Month of Cheeseburger Soup. I've been eating it for a week and finally took it to TJ & Alycia's to get rid of the last bit. It's a great comfort food and I especially like it with tortilla chips and salsa.

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguini

• 1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.

Mix shrimp, butter, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.

This was a Friday Lenten meal, thanks to Aldi and their ridiculously cheap seafood sales. True to its name, it's got a real pepper 'kick' to it, but if you're into that sort of thing (which I am) it's quite delicious.

Asian Chicken with Peanuts

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 3/4 cups Chicken Stock
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
  
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 small red peppers, cut into 2-inch-long strips
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts
• 4 cups Hot cooked regular long-grain white rice

Stir the cornstarch, stock, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil, if desired, in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it is well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the skillet. Add the broccoli, peppers and garlic and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir the cornstarch mixture in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Return the chicken to the skillet. Stir in the peanuts and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve over the rice.

This is the best stir fry I have ever made, and some of the best I've tasted, period. But then, I have a strong like of all things nutty. Regardless, this was quick and easy and great as leftovers.