Yum-tastic Chicken Stir Fry
Stir-Fry Sauce:
1/4 cup Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts , patted dry with paper towels, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch squares
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (we used regular sesame oil)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (we omitted this, cause we forgot)
1 medium clove garlic, minced (obviously we used like 4x as much)
8 teaspoons peanut oil or vegetable oil (if you have non-stick pans, you can get away with much less oil)
1 small head bok choy , stalks sliced on the bias into 1/4-inch slices, and greens cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Start some rice or rice noodles or whatever aisan carb you desire.
For the sauce: whisk together the sauce ingredients; set aside.
For the chicken and vegetables: Toss the chicken with the soy sauce and sherry; set aside, marinate for about 30 min. or so. In a large bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, cornstarch, and flour; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the ginger, garlic, and 1 teaspoon peanut oil; set aside.
Stir the marinated chicken into the sesame oil-cornstarch mixture until uniformly combined. Heat 2 teaspoons peanut oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking; add half of the chicken to the skillet in a flat, even layer. It's important to cook it only half at a time, otherwise it steams, it doesn't fry nicely. Cook, without stirring, but gently separating the pieces, until golden brown on the first side, about 1 minute; turn the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 30 seconds. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl. Repeat with an additional 2 teaspoons peanut oil and the remaining chicken; cover to keep warm.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil to the now-empty skillet and return to high heat until just smoking. Add the bok choy stalks and red bell pepper and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet to clear the center; add the garlic-ginger mixture to the clearing and cook, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir the mixture into the stalks and continue to cook until the stalks are tender-crisp, about 30 seconds longer. Stir in the bok choy greens and cook until beginning to wilt, about 30 seconds.
Return the chicken to the skillet. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add to the skillet and cook, tossing constantly, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.
Serves 4
Interesting
Peach crumble
INGREDIENTS
-8 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (I used drained canned peaches, they were a little soft but tasted fine; I will try this again with fresh ones)
-juice of one lemon
-1/2t ground cinnamon
-1/4t ground nutmeg
-1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
-1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
-2T cold butter cut into small chunks
-1/4 cup rolled oats
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly spray a 9" pie pan with cooking spray.
Arrange the peaches in the pan, sprinkle with lemon juice and spices.
In a small bowl, mix together flour and brown sugar. With your fingers, crumble the butter into it (it's OK to leave the butter a bit chunky). Stir in the oats. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the peaches.
Bake till the juice is bubbly, the peaches soft and topping browned, about 30 minutes. Makes 8 smallish servings.
If you double this recipe, bake it in a 9x13 pan, and bake for 45 or so minutes.
Pasta with mixed mushrooms
INGREDIENTS
-2T olive oil
-garlic to taste--we use 8 cloves
-10 oz baby bela mushroom caps, sliced thick (1/4" or so)
-8 0z regular white mushrooms, sliced the same thickness as above
-zest of one lemon (use a fine grater if you don't have a zester, being careful to only grate the yellow part)
-juice of the same lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
-8oz whole wheat long pasta of some sort (we used thin spaghetti)
-1/2 to 3/4 cup of the hot water you cooked the pasta in (I'm adding this as an ingredient so you don't pour it down the sink (like I did the first time!) when you drain the pasta!)
-1cup freshly grated romano cheese (parmesan is fine, too)
-1/2 cup fresh basil chopped (the fresh adds a ton of flavor, use fresh if at all possible)
Boil a pot of water for the pasta. Do the veggie prep while the water is heating.
Throw the pasta in the water to cook.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and then saute the garlic till it smells yummy but hasn't turned brown. Add the mushrooms and cook on medium high till they are tender and lightly browned (4 or 5 minutes). Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
When the pasta is al dente, catch the reserved water you need and drain the rest of the pasta. Throw the pasta into the frying pan with the cheese, basil (reserve some for a garnish if you want), as much of the reserved pasta water as you need to make everything coat everything nicely, toss it around till all is well coated, serve right away.
Blueberry Banana Bliss
Roast Veggies a la Bonnie
My Photo of Aunt Jo's Beans
Couscous with Chicken, Spinach and Mushrooms
1 T olive oil
12 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced (obviously we put in about half a bulb...one clove! HA)
1- 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach (or 1 1/2 cups firmly pressed fresh)
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 sliced fresh mushrooms
2 T dry white wine or lemon juice (I think we use lemon juice since we never have dry white wine on hand)
1 package couscous (about 1 1/2 cups, if you don't use a flavored kind, substitute chicken broth for the water)
Grated parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, heat oil, add chicken, onion and garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
Stir in spinach, water, mushrooms, wine and bring to a boil.
Stir in couscous; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes; fluff couscous lightly with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese.
Makes 4 servings (300 calories per serving)
Lentils for Lunch
- Process bread in a food processor until breadcrumbs form. Put one cup of breadcrumbs into a large bowl.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over med heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, cumin and turmeric and stir until well combined. Cook for 1 minute. Cool.
- Add lentils, coriander and onion mixture to food processor. Process til well combined. Transfer to bowl with breadcrumbs. Add egg and flour and stir until combined. Original recipe said to make 16 small patties and fry them. I just dumped the whole mixture into a med hot fry pan and cooked, turning often, til it was a bit crispy ... but not too much so.
- If you are using the hummus, spread it on your your bread and top with tabouli and 4 lentil patties ( if you did the patties ! ) I put sliced tomatoes, fresh baby spinach and sliced red bell pepper on mine, topped that with the lentil stuff. Roll to enclose filling. Cut in half to serve.
- That's where the original recipe stopped. I tried it but the bread was a bit dry ! So ... I got out my handy dandy sandwich press and toated that puppy ! That made all the difference ! I enjoyed this lentil lunch ! I'll be having leftovers tomorrow ....
My Quinoa Vegetable Soup Photo!
Here's my picture.This soup was super yummy. Very good on a cold Alaska evening! I topped mine with cheese and sour cream because I can't resist either!
My Puttanesca Photo !!
Asparagus and stuff ...
Granola Peanut Butter Balls
Granola Peanut Butter Balls
www.foodnetwork.com
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 cups granola
2 to 4 tablespoons milk, or as needed
In a large bowl, mix together the honey and peanut butter. Using a spatula, stir in the granola. Add enough milk to just moisten--you want it to stick together. Form into balls. Chill until ready to serve.
Yields: 16 balls
In the picture above, I drizzled a little melted chocolate on the tops. These are so yummy, and nutritious!
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
What you need :
500g (1lb) chicken mince (can you buy chicken mince in the States ? If not, just grind some chicken breast in the food processor.)
1 tbls garlic
6 spring onions (scallions), chopped
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbls sesame oil
1 tbls gresh ginger
8 oz can of water chestnuts, drained, chopped ( the water chestnuts, not the can ! )
2 tbls hoisin sauce
3 tbls soy sauce
1 tbls cornstarch
1 oz asian vermicelli rice noodles ( you know, the clear ones ... )
head of iceberg lettuce ( or two depending on size )
How to make it :
Heat oil on med/high heat. Add ginger, garlic, spring onions. Cook for a minute, add chicken. Cook 3 or 4 minutes. Add water chestnuts. In a bowl, mix soy, hoisin, vinegar, cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. After chicken browns, add mixture to pan. Boil and let thicken. Readuce to low and simmer 1 min. Prepare vermicelli rice noodles according to package directions and add at the end. The ones I buy only require you to pour boiling water over them and let set for 5 minutes. These are not essential to the recipe ! You could even leave them out !
How to serve it :
Pull apart lettuce leaves. Put in big bowl and cover with ice water. I put out a big bowl with the chicken mixture, and the bowl of lettuce leaves in the ice water. When ready to eat, scoop a small amount of hot chicken mixture into lettuce leaf. YUM !
Salmon, Brown Rice, and Spinach
Shrimp Pasta Puttanesca
INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings)
6T olive oil
8 (or more if you like) cloves of garlic, chopped (not too small)
8 boned anchovy fillets, chopped
2T capers
16 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
8 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced about 1/4" thick
1/2t pepper (or to taste)
8 oz shrimp, peeled
1T each fresh Italian parsley and basil, rough chopped
8 oz long pasta (I use whole wheat thin spaghetti or cappelini (which is just a little thinner)
PREPARATION
--Put the pasta water on to boil.
--Saute the garlic in the oil till it's soft and starting to turn a little brown, then stir in the anchovies and then the capers. When they smell amazing, hold onto your hat and stir in the olives. When they are warmed through (and you have come back to your senses from the perfume), add the tomato slices and the pepper. Bring to the boiling point and then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring a few times gently to cook evenly but not break the tomatoes.
--After the 15 minutes you should have a lovely saucy juice in the pan. Gently place the shrimp into the sauce and gently cover them with the tomatoes so they can heat through. (They will be cooked when the pasta is done.) At the last minute stir in the parsley and basil.
--Put the pasta in the boiling water to cook. When it's done to a perfect al dente, drain it and divide it into portions on 4 plates. Spoon 1/4 of the sauce onto each lovely pile of pasta.
Mexican Chicken Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup
(www.foodnetwork.com)
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium rib celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
1/4 cup canned green chiles
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can posole drained (also called hominy) or frozen corn kernels
4 canned whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup cooked skinless shredded chicken breast (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, and cumin, and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the green chiles, posole, tomatoes, and oregano and cook for another 5 minutes.
Pull the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chicken, cilantro leaves, and lime juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information per serving Calories 250 Fat 11 grams Carbohydrates 25 grams Fiber 5 grams Protein 16
Lentils & Veggies of the Stir Fried Variety
Quinoa with Spinach and Mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup white wine
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white wine (we used a sweet wine...i suppose dry would be fine as well)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (we use dried)
salt and pepper to taste
1 (10 ounce) bag washed spinach leaves (this is way too much, we just throw in a handfull or 3)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (we used feta once and it was just as good...and keeps longer in the fridge)
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in quinoa until well blended.
Pour in 1/2 cup white wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed by the quinoa, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon chopped thyme. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Pour in 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup chicken stock, and 1 teaspoon chopped thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes.
Once the quinoa has cooked, stir in the mushroom mixture, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove quinoa from the heat and stir in spinach leaves, which will wilt. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.
This is yummy and way more filling that you'd think! Plus, Aunt Kathy sent me an article telling about how spinach is pretty much the perfect man-food. So if you have a man, feed him some of this... =)
Eggplant Parmesan
Thank you Bonnie for the invite! I can't wait to try all this great food!
Here's my first contribution. Sorry no picture. Next time I make it I will be sure to snap a photo, and edit this post.
Eggplant Parmesan
Recipe courtesy Juan-Carlos Cruz - http://www.foodnetwork.com/
1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 6 (1/2-inch) rounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed and then minced
1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
2 (15-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place bread crumbs on a shallow plate. Pour egg substitute onto another shallow plate. Place a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. Take a round of eggplant, dip it into the egg substitute until fully covered, and then drag through the bread crumbs until completely coated; transfer to a wire rack. Repeat for each round of eggplant and then bake in oven for 15 minutes.
While eggplant is baking, heat olive oil in a 5-quart nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the chili flakes and stir to incorporate. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to blend completely. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the basil, and remove from heat.
Remove eggplant from oven and leave oven at 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a medium-sized casserole dish (about 13 by 11 inches) with the eggplant rounds. Pour the tomato sauce over the eggplant. Top with the cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is soft and bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information | |
Nutritional Analysis per serving | Calories 245 |
Fat 10 grams | Saturated Fat 4 grams |
Carbohydrates 26 grams | Fiber 5 grams |