Vietnamese Pho Soup-Jonathan Jensen

• 6 ounces dried rice-stick noodles (rice vermicelli)
• 1/4 pound snow peas, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch strips (1 cup)
• 1 cup sliced shallots (3 large)
• 3 (1/8-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger, smashed
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh serrano chile, including seeds, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth (28 fluid ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef (from deli counter), torn into pieces
• 6 ounces fresh bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Accompaniment: lime wedges

Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water (not salted) 4 minutes, then add snow peas and boil 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well. Divide noodles and snow peas among 4 large soup bowls.
Cook shallots, ginger, and Serrano chile in oil in same pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add broth and water and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
While broth is simmering, divide roast beef, bean sprouts, and herbs among soup bowls with noodles.
Discard ginger from broth and stir in fish sauce, lime juice, and salt to taste. Ladle broth into bowls and serve immediately.

Holly here: This whole meal is cooked and ready in 15 minutes.

• I do the broth by cooking the shallots and ginger together, then add the beef broth, fish sauce and lime all at once for ease.
• While the broth is cooking, I chop up the rest of the veggies/herbs.
• My boys opt out of the Serrano chile….make it hot to your taste however you want.
• I like to pour the hot broth over the noodles as suggested, with the sliced roast beef in the bowl…cooks the roast beef a little more.

Matt and Mandy’s Famous Salad-Holly Jensen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 Slices of Bacon
1 Pkg. [6 oz.] Baby Spinach Leaves
1 Can [11 oz.] Mandarin Oranges
1/4 C. Sliced Almonds

Dressing:

1/4 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Vinegar
1/4 t. Salt
2 T. Canola Oil

1.  Wash your hands.
2.  Get out a big bowl to make your salad in.
3.  Have an adult help you cook the bacon in a large frying pan.  When it’s done put it on a paper towel or napkin to cool.

4.  Put the spinach in the bowl.  Drain the mandarin oranges, and put them on top of the spinach.  Crumble the bacon, and sprinkle it and the almonds on top.

5.  Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix lightly.

Source:  The Friend, September 2009, Kitchen Krafts, p. 47

Jonathan and David’s Silly Tacos-Jonathan and David Jensen

Ingredients:

Tortillas [or Tortilla Chips or Crispy Taco Shells] — We prefer the crispy taco shells!
Taco Meat
Goldfish Crackers
Lettuce
Cheese
Chopped Tomatoes
Sour Cream
Mild Salsa

Instructions:

Grab a crispy taco shell and spoon taco meat in the bottom.  Then, make a layer of GoldFish crackers on top of the meat.  Add the thick layer of lettuce, then some cheese, sour cream & tomato.  Dip in your own personal stache of salsa.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Whole Wheat House-Jonathan and David

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whole-wheat House Ingredients:

2 Pieces of Toast Mini-wheat cereal

Peanut butter [or almond butter]

Cheerios

Directions:

Use one piece of toast for the house, cutting out the windows and door. To raise the roof, cut the second piece into a triangle and shingle it with the mini-wheat cereal held in place with peanut butter. A small rectangle of toast, cut to fit against the roofline, makes an ideal chimney, especially with a puff of Cheerios smoke. For siding, spead the whole house with peanut butter, scratching in some shingles with a toothpick or fork. Makes 1.