Side by Side Stir-Fry

The Beijin Palace was my very first Chinese restaurant. Unlike my first kiss, I was probably three or four years old the first time I had it and my love for America’s version of Chinese food has been there ever since. The Beijin was your classic hole-in-the-wall, like most great ethnic restaurants are. It was the only Chinese joint in Berrien Springs, but that was just fine since the egg rolls were always fried to perfection and the sauce on the Governor’s Chicken was spicy and sweet and rich (this was back when I still ate meat).

After we moved from Berrien, I was worried that I’d never find another Chinese restaurant I loved quite as much as the Beijin Palace, but China Kitchen laid my fears to rest. Just a mile or so from my Alma Mater, Southern Adventist University, China Kitchen provided those perfect Asian flavors I’d missed, with tofu and veggie chicken options for every dish! Broccoli and bean curd dinner combo with brown rice; remember those words the next time you’re in Collegedale, Tennessee.

I’ve often wished I could recreate the Chinese foods I love at home. No, this is not a recipe showcasing how I finally figured it out. I still can’t. The salty, thick sauces you find on your veggies at these restaurants are full of ingredients I don’t normally keep in my kitchen, not to mention the fact they aren’t very healthy. However, the principles of one of the most famous of all Chinese dishes, stir-fry, are simple and quick to execute. Stir-fry is a standby meal plan that I save for when I don’t have any daring ideas for dinner. That said, you can get really creative with the ingredients and flavors you use.

I decided to make a big batch of stir-fry with some brown rice the other day, but didn’t have quite enough of any of the ingredients I wanted to use, so I made two; one with Asian flavors, one tasting more Mexican. This actually worked quite well for everyone since several people preferred one or the other. I went ahead and served some spicy Thai and soy sauce for the Asian blend and some salsa for the other. You could get creative with some toppers like that as well.

Side by Side Stir-Fry
Serves 8

Asian Stir-Fry
3 Tbs. sesame oil
1 1/2 c. chopped cabbage
½ c. chopped onion
1 c. shredded carrot
1 42 oz. can of Worthington FriChik, sliced
2 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 tsp. granulated garlic
salt and pepper

Mexican Stir-Fry
3 Tbs. light olive oil
2 c. chopped green pepper
1 c. chopped onion
1 serrano pepper
1 42 oz. can of Worthington FriChik, sliced
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. cumin
salt and pepper


In two large pans, heat the oils over medium heat.

Add vegetables, veggie chicken, seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is heated through, but be careful not to overcook.

Serve with your favorite rice.

Tips: If you decide to use some different veggies, you may want to add them to the pan at different times or cook them a bit ahead. For example, if you want to use broccoli, you’ll want to add that before you add any small pieces of onion, carrot, etc. If you don’t, the small things will overcook before the broccoli is done. Also, don’t skimp on the Fri-chik. Even though it’s a bit expensive, it’s the center of the dish. Buy a couple of large cans and use it all.

Breakfast Egg Bake

My husband’s family had two ducks when he was a kid. No they didn’t live on a farm, they just had ducks. One might think this is an odd choice for a pet, but they were put to good use. Sandy, my mother-in-law would devil the duck eggs and take them to potluck. If you’ve never seen a duck egg, I’ll just inform you that they’re considerably larger than chicken eggs. Apparently they’re tasty too. People would rant and rave over these ginormous deviled eggs, unaware of their origins. Duck eggs are completely edible, but Donnie, his sister and my father-in-law could never stomach it, and always avoided the deviled egg platter when going threw the potluck line.

If I had been around, I probably would have followed suit. Not necessarily because duck eggs gross me out, but because I’m not a big fan of eggs period. In fact, I think a lot of people like eggs a whole lot less than they realize. Why? Because people always love my eggs and my main goal when preparing them is to make them taste as little like eggs as possible.

With this in mind, I decided to make eggs for Donnie this morning before he woke up. Normally, I would just scramble them, but we just switched out our propane stove for a new electric one and the rewiring that needs to take place, hasn’t. No baking in the oven or cooking on the stovetop. However, we own a toaster oven, which has proven to be a lifesaver over the last few months while our propane stove was giving up the ghost. Since I have some small Pyrex ramekins I decided to attempt something like a frittata. Frittatas (or Italian style omelets) normally start in a frying pan and finish in the oven, but I made do in spite of this. This breakfast isn’t quick, but it’s something new to try on Saturday or Sunday morning when you have the time. And with all the goodies that go inside, all you need is a bowl of fruit to round the meal out.

This recipe is for two ramekins, but you could easily double or triple it and do it in a regular baking dish.

Breakfast Egg Bake
Serves 2

2-3 eggs (depending on size)
½ cup milk
1 tsp chives
½ tsp sage
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ tsp salt and pepper each
6 Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Links
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded potato or frozen hash browns
1/3 cup finely diced onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine eggs with milk, chives, sage, one crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper. Beat with whisk until bubbles form on top.

Microwave links till soft enough to cut. Cut or crumble pieces into bottom of ramekins or cooking dish. The bottoms should be completely covered.


Sprinkle half of the cheese over top of the links.

Combine the potatoes, onions and the other crushed garlic clove and cover the layer of cheese with this. Lightly sprinkle with salt.

Pour half of the egg mixture into each ramekin and bake for 25-35 minutes.

When the eggs are almost cooked threw, remove and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and place back in the oven to finish. When a fork inserted into the middle comes out clean, it’s done!

Tips: Some veggies would be great in this dish as well. Try adding some spinach, mushrooms or green/red peppers for some additional color and flavor. Also, I baked this for about 45 minutes in my toaster oven, but it should go a lot quicker in a full sized one. Check every 10-15 minutes to make sure it’s not overcooking.