Butchering Monticello.

Imagine, if you can, living during the 1880s.  Pioneers had traveled over desolate landscapes, losing many a wagon wheel, but not one life, not even one of the oxen pulling those wagons.

Settling in Bluff, alongside the San Juan River, the pioneers still endured hardships.  There was the lack of food supplies, as gardens and farms needed to be cultivated.  They were able to trade with local Native tribes, those that were willing to; the Carlisle cattle ranchers butchered and sold what they asked top dollar for.  Of course, the army sent soldiers to patrol the county, make sure government surveyors and expeditions kept safe, and keep peace between the pioneers, Natives and ranchers.  While the army provided provisions to their men, it was not unusual for an expectation of meals to be provided from the pioneers.  Meals in exchange for safety, not a bad deal, right?

Around the end of 1886 to beginning 1887, it was decided that expansion of settlements was needed, and a prime focus was finding more water sources along Montezuma Creek, and within the Blue Mountains.  One settlement that became firmly established was Monticello, and while much of the land was cleared previously by the Colorado ranchers, there was still much to be done.  To truly get the gist of what life was like, I, once again, recommend reading the first issue of Monticello Journal, A History of Monticello Until 1937, by Harold George and Fay Lunceford Muhlestein.  There is an issue at the local library, and copies for sale at the San Juan Record.  After reading it, and knowing yourself, it truly will make you wonder, “Would I have survived being one of the pioneers?”.

The focus though, of this article, is on the establishment of a business surely needed in Monticello…Butchering.  Besides housing for the residents, businesses needed to be established (sort of what we desperately need now as well), since traveling to larger towns, or cities, would take days into weeks.  While growing vegetables and other crops was taking a firm hold, nutrition called for sources of proteins.  Fish and birds, when caught, could provide for some, but, again, getting beef from the Colorado ranchers was the primary source, and that didn’t charge cheap.

Ah, but eventually lawyers were able to prove that the ranchers had no legal foot hold all over San Juan County.  They were forced to either establish property deals, or leave the area; and many had to sell off cattle to the local residents.  Sheep and pigs were later introduced to the area, but these herds did not fare well, and cattle dominated.

In, 1909, the Enlarged Homestead Act, provided 320 acres of non-irrigable land for the purpose of farming.  The areas set aside for this were east and north of Monticello, and welcome to the birth of homesteading and dry farming.  Dry farming?  Dry farming is a technique relying on soil moisture conservation to grow crops like winter wheat without irrigation. Local farmers combat arid conditions by limiting plowing and using drought-resistant seeds.  One such homesteader was Hans Jensen, arriving in 1911, by horse and wagon; he lived on his land, in a tent, and daily worked his land.  Only 5’5” tall, 125 lbs., he determinedly worked as having his own thriving farm was his sincere goal.  There must have been more to this man than meets the eye, as the mayor’s daughter, Adella Adams, eventually agreed to marry him.  Oh, she could have had anyone, considering she came from money, but living in Hans’ tent showed how much she loved him as well.

 

Hans Jensen, photo by Dawn Joyce Boyle.

In 1921, Hans built a small building which became his butcher shop.  With no refrigeration equipment invented yet, he, and Duke Edwards, who worked for Hans, would cut out 100-pound blocks of ice, bury then in dirt, and cover with sawdust during the winter.  In warmer weather, the blocks were hefted onto the roof of the building (Hans had built an insulated box), and this helped keep the provisions cool.  Customers could come to him for cuts of beef or pork, but it was not unusual to see Hans delivering to homes further outside the town, in his Ford Model-T pickup truck.

Hans, Della, and their children (as they grew older) had strong work ethics which helped them prosper, and the City Meat Market became a much needed and wanted business in Monticello.  Now I could go on and on about Hans and his family, and eventually how Blue Mountain Foods, and Meats, became the strongest businesses for the butchering, and the purchasing of meats, fish and poultry.  Instead, I will refer you to an article, in the San Juan Record, Hans and Della Jensen – short in stature, tall in life, 04/28/2010, written by Bill Boyle, grandson of Hans Jensen, and owner of the San Juan Record.   Or, if you happen to have, or can get a copy of, Blue Mountain Shadows, Volume 31/Winter 2005; pages 41-44 have the story of Hans, his family and the development of, not just the business of butchering, but the City Meat Market/Mercantile, including photos.

 

So, how does all this historical rambling of mine lead into a recipe?  Alright, stay with me here…the original members that followed Brigham Young and John Smith came from the east coast.  On the east coast was another group, the Amish, who had come to the United States for religious freedom.  Culturally, it was not unusual for their recipes to have come from their old countries, and carried across the US with those heading to, first Illinois, and ending up in Utah.  Another business that needed to be established were granaries and flour mills, as bread goods were a serious staple for existence, and that meant goods such as noodles and pasta as well.

The recipe I am giving you is called “Pioneer Beef and Noodles”, brought to Utah by the pioneers, and influenced by the Amish.  The recipe is simplistic with the use of wide noodles, created with the flour purchased from the mill, and beef from the local butcher.  Another cultural influence came from the Scandinavians and Slavics, as adding sour cream to the mix, and safe wild mushrooms, would bring us to a simmering pot of Stroganoff.   

 

 

 

In my recipe, I use an Italian herbal mixture and tagliatelle pasta, but that’s creative license on my part, so wide noodles would be more authentic.  With the seasonings, the pioneers used either what they brought with them, or what the Native tribes taught them to be safe and flavorful.

 

 

 

Pioneer Beef and Noodle Skillet Dish

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (93/7)

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Italian herbal mix

8-12 oz. wide egg noodles, uncooked (or tagliatelle pasta for a more Italian twist)

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

 

Preparation:

 

 

 

 

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.

 

 

 

 

Stir in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

 

 

 

Add uncooked egg noodles, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

 

 

 

Option: Stir in sour cream for creaminess.  For a more “stroganoff” type texture, add one cup of sour cream.  To get even closer to stroganoff, add a cup of chopped mushrooms when browning the beef, onions and garlic.

 

Serves 4-6.

Mary Cokenour 

 

A Bite of Winter, Squash That Is.

Even though Monticello technically has four distinct seasons, sometimes Mother Nature plays tricks on the environment.  2017 saw a very short spring, weather wise, and the summer monsoon season continued further along than usual.  Fall had only just begun when on October 9^th, the townsfolk awoke to the first snowfall; furnaces pulsed to life while the air filled with the scent from wood burning stoves.  As suddenly as winter touched the town, fall was back with mildly cool temperatures and the turning of leaves to warm, golden colors. 

In the kitchen, recipe pages turned to comforting soups and casseroles; holidays just around the calendar corner tickled the sweet tooth for cookies, pies and cakes.  Fall and winter is also when we tend to hibernate; cocooning ourselves inside with mugs of spiced apple cider or hot chocolate.  We become more sedentary, so shouldn’t be surprised when the pounds begin moving the needle on scales upward.  Pasta is the winter downfall of the Cokenour household; thick lasagna layered with meat sauce and cheeses; puffy ravioli loaded with creamy cheese, and maybe I’ll sneak in some chopped spinach into the cheese mixture.  Therein lies the key, getting vegetables into the meals to offset some of those pounds trying to sneak onto the hips.

Spaghetti squash is an oblong shaped (normally yellow in color, sometimes with an orange tint) winter squash which can be easily prepared.  After cutting the squash lengthwise, use a simple spoon to scoop out the seeds; the raw flesh is firm and the surprise comes after cooking.  This type of squash can be baked, boiled, microwaved or steamed; my personal favorite way is baking it in an oven.  I have tried the microwave way, but I believe the baking method gives the squash more flavor, especially if you allow the ends to brown slightly.  A medium sized squash is about seven inches long and gives up about four cups of cooked flesh.  Oh, when buying a spaghetti squash, be warned that it looks slightly like a honeydew melon, but the melon typically has a greenish tint to it, while the squash won't.

After cleaning the squash, preheat the oven to 375F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the squash cut side down.  Some folks say to rub oil on the rind, but it really doesn't do a thing for the flesh inside and the rind will soften with or without the oil.  Bake the squash for 40 - 50 minutes; the edges will begin to brown and the flesh can easily be removed with a fork.  Clean the squash while it is still hot; hold the rind side with a folded towel and lean the bottom against the edge of your bowl; with a downward scraping motion pull the strands of the flesh into the bowl.  See how it looks like spaghetti, and the texture is almost the same also; the taste however is different, it does taste like a vegetable.  You can easily use the strands in any dish you would use the pasta in; top with your favorite pasta sauce, make a frittata, or go completely vegetarian with your recipe.  Could you add a protein?  Why not!?!  Small meatballs, grilled and sliced sausages, crispy bacon; treat it like a pasta that just happens to have more vitamins and minerals than whole grains.

 Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash

 

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 and 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 and 1/2 cups cup sliced zucchini

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

3/4 chopped fresh parsley

4 cups cooked spaghetti squash

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Option: grated Parmesan cheese on top

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; sauté' the mushrooms, zucchini and garlic together until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown.  Keep stirring to keep the garlic from burning.

Add the tomatoes, mix and let them cook down for about five minutes, so the excess liquid can evaporate.

Add the parsley, but only cook for one minute to allow it to wilt a little.  If you want it to look more dramatic though, instead of chopping the parsley leaves; leave them whole.  Add the spaghetti squash and toss well to make sure it gets a good coating of the vegetables and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste; depending on how vegetarian you want this dish, you might want to sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.

Makes 4 servings.

I served this to both my husband and his mother; neither had ever had spaghetti squash before, nor knew what it was.  They ended up splitting the four servings up between them.  Good thing I keep a jar of peanut butter in the house; made myself a sandwich for lunch while they chowed down on the squash.  Oh well, at least I know they enjoyed it...a lot!

Mary Cokenour

Cheating with Velveeta.

This is simply one of those, "I really have no idea what to make tonight" meals.  When it comes to packaged macaroni and cheese, I prefer the Velveeta Shells and Cheese; it's smoother and creamier than the powdered cheese brands.  It also makes a one skillet meal easier to create, and I don't have to deal with "hamburger helper" type boxed stuff.

Now I have tried Velveeta's Skillet Meals, and hated it!  Even though I was using the Velveeta cheese (I know, is it really cheese?), there were added ingredients in the box that simply gave the entire meal a horrible after taste.  The recipe I'm posting was simply looking through the pantry, figuring out what would go together with ground beef, and creating a total one skillet meal.  Yes, a separate pan is needed to cook the pasta, but the total package deal is created deliciously in one skillet.

Semi-Homemade Velveeta Cheeseburger Macaroni

 

Ingredients:

 

1 package (24 oz.) Velveeta Shells and Cheese - Family Size

1 and 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (93% or leaner)

1 small onion, diced

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chiles (mild, medium if desired hotter)

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

 

Preparation:

 

Prepare shells from Velveeta package as directed, but do not add the cheese sauce.

 

At the same time, in a 12 skillet, medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onions.










Add the diced tomatoes, ground black pepper and cooked shells; mix and let cook for 5 minutes.

Now here comes the Velveeta cheese part, squeeze it into the skillet, mix, reduce the heat to low, let it cook 5 minutes. 

Makes 6 servings of awesome goodness!  ...and here's the best part, the whole thing only took 20 minutes.  Semi-homemade, simple, easy and quick; can't ask for anything more, well except take out.

Mary Cokenour

 



Homemade Italian Dressing Chicken

You have probably seen the commercials that use bottled Italian salad dressing as a marinade; even seen it on recipe sites posted by many a home cook. You might even have that shaker bottle that you add oil, water, vinegar and a packet of dressing mix to; I still have mine and it comes in handy. First, lets that a look at what is in a typical brand name Italian salad dressing: VINEGAR, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, CANOLA OIL, SUGAR, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF GARLIC*, GARLIC, RED BELL PEPPERS*, ONIONS*, XANTHAN GUM, SPICE, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FRESHNESS). *DRIED.   Doesn't that look simply yummy...Not!

See the shaker bottle in the photo, told you it comes in handy, especially when creating your own homemade dressing.  Lets compare, the bottled brand uses vinegar, but what type?  I use balsamic which has a deep, rich flavor and scent.  Soybean and canola oils?  It's Italian dressing, so use extra virgin olive oil.  Dried garlic?  Nope, I used minced garlic that has been preserved in, what else, olive oil.  Where are the herbs?  While I use crushed rosemary, basil, oregano and parsley; the bottled brand uses...none?   While the manufacturer is using paprika to make the dressing "zesty", I use crushed red pepper flakes.  The onions and peppers, oh mine are coming later on darlings, and you will so love it.  Notice the manufacturer uses water; even when using that dressing packet mix, it asks for water...well how else are you going to rehydrate all those dried ingredients?

Lets get on to today's recipe and you'll certainly be able to see with all your senses why homemade is better than bottled.  Think about it, if you have the time to make that packet dressing, you most certainly can make it fresh from scratch.

 

Italian Dressing Chicken

 

Ingredients:

 

4 (1/2 lb each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves; or 8 (1/4 lb each chicken cutlets)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cups olive oil

2 Tbsp dried, crushed Italian herb mixture

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 each medium sized yellow, red and orange bell peppers; seeded and julienned

1 large red onion; peeled and julienned

 

Preparation:

 

 

If you are purchasing the chicken breasts halves, make sure they are partially frozen before slicing them.  Place your hand on top of the chicken and carefully draw your knife lengthwise throughout the piece to form two 1/4 lb cutlets.  Practice makes perfect, but your local butcher can do it for you if your hands are just too shaky.  Place the chicken cutlets into a large plastic, sealable bag.

 

To make the dressing, simply pour the vinegar, oil, herbs, garlic and red pepper flakes into your shaker bottle, or a small bowl; shake the bottle to mix or whisk in the bowl.  Set 1/4 cup of the mixture aside and pour the remainder into the plastic bag.  Work the dressing throughout the chicken, seal the bag and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, but no more than four hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F; have a nonstick jellyroll pan ready (baking sheet with a 1/4 inch lip on all sides).   Heat a nonstick large skillet on medium-high heat; place 4 pieces of chicken into the skillet and sear for two minutes on each side; transfer the chicken to the pan.  Repeat with the next 4 pieces; wipe any residue out of the skillet.  Place the pan into the oven and finish cooking the chicken off for seven minutes.

 

Take the reserved 1/4 cup of marinade, place it in the skillet, medium-high heat again; and toss to coat the julienned bell peppers and onions.  This will continue to cook in the skillet during the seven minutes the chicken is finishing up in the oven.  Occasionally move the vegetables around as you're using minced garlic and you do not want to allow it to brown or burn.

 

 

 

Here comes the real fun, first choice is a piece of chicken with a side of the peppers and onions.  Second choice, slice up the chicken into strips, place on a sub roll with peppers and onions for a new take on the old favorite of sausage with peppers and onions.  This is a great substitute for people who do not eat pork or red meat, but do eat poultry.  The marinated chicken can be made completely on a grill, instead of partially in the skillet, then finished in an oven.  The chicken itself is so full of flavor from the marinade, fork tender and dripping with juiciness.  The balsamic vinegar truly brings out the sweetness of the bell peppers and red onion, so no need to add any sugar as they do in manufactured bottled dressings.

 

This recipe makes 8 servings, but can be easily cut down for lesser portions, but why would you want to?  Enjoy the homemade!

 

Mary Cokenour

 





My Version of Five Ingredient Fix - Italian with an Asian Guest.

Anyone who is a home cook has been in this situation: need to make a meal for the family, not in the mood to cook, don't want to order take out or go to a restaurant, have no clue what to prepare.  You look in the freezer, the refrigerator, the pantry and think if you should tear your hair out or just serve cereal with milk.  Breathe in...breathe out...breathe in...breathe out...calm...calm...now think.  Suddenly you see an item in the freezer and remember another one from the pantry; yes, they'll work together, but what else?  Back to the refrigerator, oh my, what you just found that would compliment the other two ingredients; the next thing you know, you have five ingredients sitting on the counter and a recipe formulating in your mind.

Not only did I play this game with myself over the weekend, but I ended up playing it with my friend Heidi.  I don't truly like calling it "five ingredient fix", after the show on Food Network Channel; instead I've given it my own title that befits more the home cook, "What the Hell is in My Pantry!?!"  While Heidi ended up making a delicious meatloaf with mashed potatoes - American comfort food; I ended up making a pasta dish with shrimp and edamame - Italian comfort food with a little Asian undertone (the edamame), but I would not call this "fusion" cuisine.

Here are my five ingredients:

Lets go over each one separately before putting them all together as a skillet dinner.

Tortellini are little circles of pasta dough filled typically with a ricotta cheese filling; however nowadays they can be filled with spinach and cheese, chicken, roasted peppers, mushrooms, ground beef, even Italian sausage.  This pasta is usually found in three forms: dry, frozen or fresh.  Here's a little tip about cooking, not just tortellini, but any pasta; you do not have to add salt or oil to the boiling water to keep the pasta from sticking.  Say what!?!  That's correct, as soon as you put the pasta in the boiling water, immediately begin to stir it for one minute in a circular motion.  When you add the pasta, it decreases the temperature of the water slightly and the boiling diminishes; by stirring, the friction will help the water get back to the boiling point much faster than if you just let it stand.  After the pasta is cooked to your desired doneness, then you can season it with salt, herbs, olive oil, or add it to whatever recipe you're making immediately upon draining.  After I cooked my one pound package of frozen tortellini, it was drained and then mixed with three tablespoons of olive oil.

During the week I had made a different pasta dish using a homemade sauce I had made from processing fresh tomatoes, but had two cups leftover in the fridge.  If you have never had a sauce made from fresh tomatoes, then you have surely missed out on an experience. The taste, smell, texture is simply incredible; much better than using canned tomatoes and most definitely nothing, NOTHING, you'll get from a brand name jarred sauce.  I also used two cups of diced tomatoes to add further texture to the dish, and all those little pieces of tomato just looked so pretty too.  Remember, you eat with your eyes as well as your mouth.

In the freezer were a 12 ounce bag of steamed shrimp and a 16 ounce bag of edamame which had been purchased for a different recipe.  However, they just begged to be used now; the shrimp was already cooked, so needed no work done to it.  The edamame was put into a boiling pot of water for five minutes, then drained.  Now it was time to put it all together in one skillet.

In a 12 inch deep skillet, heat the sauce and diced tomatoes on medium-high heat, add the tortellini as soon as the sauce begins to form bubbles.   As you can see, the tortellini was not sticking together because of the oil I had mixed with it before hand.  Let cook for two minutes before adding...

...the shrimp and edamame.  Mix all the ingredients together and continue to cook for five minutes; taste to make sure everything has been thoroughly heated before serving, continue to cook additional minutes if necessary.  Be careful though, you don't want to overcook that shrimp and turn it into rubber bands.

There you have it, my own version of "Five Ingredient Fix" or "What the Hell is in My Pantry!?!"; isn't that so pretty, all those colors just popping out from the dish.  I did not have to add any seasoning as the grated cheese and herbs from the pasta sauce, and olive oil on the tortellini, did all the work.

Next time you're in a fit about what to fix for dinner; remember breathe, calm and think.

Mary Cokenour

Box Meal Made Fresh.

Hamburger, Chicken and Tuna Helpers have been around for a long, long time; and while there seem to be more and more varieties, it just never seems to taste any better. The newest commercial for Hamburger Helper is start with the basic ingredients in the box and add your own to make it special. I don't know, but wouldn't making the entire meal from scratch be more beneficial? Seriously, powdered sauces and cheeses are just not appetizing; and anytime I did use one of the products, I ended up "doctoring it up" anyway.

Then there is the newest product on the market by Velveeta; Cheesy Skillets. Now I have to admit that Velveeta, while might be a doubtful real cheese product, has its uses. I did try one of the new skillet meals and was very disappointed, mostly because the packet of "liquid gold" barely covered the pasta and meat in the skillet. Then there is the commerical using a blacksmith seducing a woman with his cast iron skillet and "liquid gold". Holy moly, but that guy creeps me out so much, I'd run before trying out the product.

Meat, cheese, sauce, and veggies mixed all together to make a meal; not a new concept, but manufacturers in the food industry have lowered the standard just way too much. I'm going to post for you my basic recipe for a creamy, cheesy meal that you can have as is; or doctor it up anyway you want. You'll know exactly what the ingredients are because you're putting them in your skillet; no mysteries out of a box. My recipe is for the crock pot, but can easily be made in a skillet by cooking the pasta at the same time you're browning your meat; then adding it all together.

I've also cut alot of oil and fat out of the meal by using very, very lean ground beef; and Velveeta made with 2% milk instead of whole milk. Why not real cheese like cheddar? You would have to melt the cheddar with milk to make sure it became smooth, not clumpy; and real cheese exudes alot of oil itself and who wants to see that floating at the top of your sauce? Like any of my recipes, you can tweak it to your liking, so if you want to use cheddar instead of Velveeta, go for it! Oh, and don't be worried that the meal looks too soupy after it's done; as it rests, the pasta will absorb liquid. Also, any leftovers will heat up easily and still be creamy; no spritzing water on it before reheating in the microwave.

 

 

Creamy Cheeseburger Macaroni

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean (93% or more) ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 cup diced mushrooms
4 cups uncooked pasta (small shells, rotini or large elbows)
2 cans (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 ¼ cups milk 1 (32 oz) package Velveeta cheese, cut into ½ inch slices

Optional: 1 cup diced bell peppers or ½ cup diced hot peppers (either sautéed with the beef), 1 cup diced tomatoes (add in last ½ hour of cooking); substitute ground turkey for beef.

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium-high heat, begin browning the ground beef, onion and mushrooms together until no more pink shows in the beef; drain what little oil there is. Place inside a 6 quart crock pot which has been coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Spread the pasta over the meat mixture. In a medium bowl, stir together the soup and milk; pour evenly over the shells. Layer the Velveeta slices on the top; cover and cook on low for 4 hours. It will look soupy at first, but begin to firm up as it rests; however it will remain creamy.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

PF Chang's Mandarin Style Goes Frozen.

PF Chang's

Website: http://www.pfchangs.com/index.aspx

The first PF Chang's China Bistro opened in 1992 in Scottsdale, Arizona and now has over 200 locations worldwide. In one episode of  "Gene Simmons Family Jewels", his daughter goes on a date to one of the restaurants; which makes me ask, "What makes this restaurant so special, it created meals to sell in the frozen food aisle?" Something tells me it's because it is so popular with celebrities. I've never eaten in one of their locations, but understand that it is Mandarin cuisine which is the Chinese staple for the West coast.

If you've read my blog before, and why shouldn't you have, you know I'm from the East coast, so Cantonese is what I enjoy. Also, that one of my very favorite dishes is Chow Fun (Ho Fun). So when I saw a commercial for PF Chang's new Meals for Two containing noodles, and Chow Fun was one of the noodle dishes; I had to try it. Remember, when I go to Chinese restaurants here in the Southwest and ask for Chow Fun, I usually get a strange look from the waiter, or they serve me lo mein.

Cooking instructions are pretty simple; put all ingredients into a skillet, turn heat to medium-high, cover, stir occasionally, and within eleven minutes your meal will be done. After eleven minutes though, my little nests of noodles were still in a semi-frozen state and no amount of mixing separated them. So the cover was back on again and I gave it another four minutes; the noodles separated and became coated in the sauce.

This meal was called "Pepper Steak with Chow Fun Noodles"; the steak pieces were tender and it was loaded with chopped yellow and red bell peppers and onions. The sauce was dark, rich and a surprising medium spice heat which you don't expect in pepper steak. The noodles were a little disappointing; they took longer to cook than the directions called for and they were chewy. However, it was the closest to Chow Fun that I have had out here.

PF Chang's frozen meals run from $6.99 to $9.99 depending on the store you buy it from. Would I buy this meal again? The answer is yes, this is one product I'm willing to give a second chance to. Since I know what to expect when cooking it, I'll adjust the cooking time further to make sure the noodles come out better.

Mary Cokenour