Chicken Stir Fry

My son and I had this for dinner tonight and we really liked it.  I was super pleased with the way it cooked up.  It is very easy to prepare and quite tasty.  And I'll admit, I was trying to finish up laundry so instead of stir frying the veggies properly, I stirred them long enough to coat them with the sesame oil to give them the proper taste and then threw a small amount of water in the pan and put the lid on and let them steam a bit while I took care of the laundry.  Maybe it's cheating, but when you're the only one doing every bit of the housework for two humans and four animals, shortcuts become a way of life.

2 cups white rice
4 cups water
2/3 cups soy sauce (I used reduced sodium soy sauce, but either works fine.)
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (If you don’t have cornstarch, 2 tablespoons flour will work.)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (If you don’t have fresh ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger will work.)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
1 green bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 can (8oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 head broccoli, cut into florets (If you don’t have fresh, 3 ½ cups frozen florets will work.)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 onion, cut into large chunks

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. I like to put a bit of sesame oil in the water.

2. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir or whisk until smooth. Mix ginger, garlic, and red pepper into sauce; coat chicken with marinade and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir bell pepper, water chestnuts, broccoli, carrots, and onion until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet and keep warm.

4. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving liquid. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken until slightly pink on the inside, about 2 minutes per side; return vegetables and reserved marinade to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Serve over rice.

**Try adding bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, snap peas or any other of your favorite veggies. You can also serve over noodles.**

Serves 6

Buffalo Shrimp Salad

My son was going through some recipe cards I had laying on the table and picked this out as something that he wanted to try "right away".  Although instead of a salad like the original recipe called for, he wanted his in a wrap.  Really there is no difference.  Just take the salad and stuff a wrap with it.  Pretty easy.  This turned out really good and is something that is great to take to work for lunch too.

1 large fresh mango, coarsely chopped
1 medium avocado, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 lbs peeled/deveined shrimp (thawed), tails removed
1 tablespoon garlic herb Buffalo wing seasoning
1 bag (9-10oz) romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Caesar dressing
1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
1/4 cup honey

1.  Preheat oven to broil and line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2.  Chop mango and avocado, discarding peel and seed.

3.  Arrange shrimp on pan in single layer.  Sprinkle seasoning over shrimp and broil 4-5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink and opaque.

4.  Place romaine in salad bowl.  Combine dressing, wing sauce and honey.  Drizzle 1/2 of the dressing over the lettuce and then top with shrimp,mango and avocado.  Drizzle the remaining dressing over prepared bowls and serve.

Serves 4

Mediterranean Herb Crusted Tilapia

My son really doesn't like fish all that much, but this he loved.  And I have to admit, it was truly tasty!  I had two servings myself!

1 teaspoon minced garlic (dried)
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves
¾ teaspoon ground mustard
¾ teaspoon basil leaves
¾ teaspoon oregano leaves
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
6 tilapia or flounder fillets (about 1 ½ lbs)
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted or olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Place fish on foil lined shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with salt. Mix butter and all of the spice in medium bowl. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon of the seasoned butter.

2. Stir spinach, panko, bell pepper and Parmesan cheese into remaining seasoned butter. Divide mixture evenly among fish fillets, pressing lightly so mixture adheres to top of fish.

3. Bake in preheated 400 oven 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 6

Potato Soup

For some reason, I've never made potato soup.  I guess I was afraid of the roux.  I don't know.  Or maybe I thought it would be a lot of work.  Well, last weekend that all changed.  I always take soup to work for lunch and Sunday night I realized I had nothing made.  It was a little chilly so I decided I wanted potato soup.  Much to my surprise this recipe was amazingly easy and turned out to be the most delicious potato soup I've ever had.  My son loved it.  I made 8 servings and he ate 6 of those servings....in one sitting.

1 pound bacon, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I leave my skins on and it turns out just fine)
4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done.  Remove bacon from pan and set aside.  Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.

2.  In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until the onion begins to turn clear.  Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat.  Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.  Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes.  Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.

3.  In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.  Whisk in the heavy cream.  Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. 

4.  Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan.

5.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Note:  I only had about a 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  For the remaining 1/2 cup of liquid for the roux I used half and half.  My grandmother used to simply use 1 cup of whole milk and I know some people who say they use water.  I don't know about the water, but I suppose in a pinch it would do.

Chili

This is a recipe I developed on my own over the last few years.  Often I put more of the seasoning in my chili than what I've listed below, but my son and I like our chili a little more flavorful than most.  So for the sake of my readers, I've toned the recipe down to accommodate the more sensitive palate.

1 lb hamburger
1 lb ground sausage
1 large red onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 (27 oz) can Bush’s Chili Beans in mild sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon garlic powder or substitute minced garlic to taste (I usually use minced garlic)
3 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons ground cumin

Put onion, green pepper, hamburger and sausage in large skillet and cook until meat is done and onion and green pepper are soft. Onions will be translucent. While you are cooking the meat, combine the rest of the ingredients in a Dutch oven or similarly large pot and warm over medium-low heat. When meat has finished cooking, drain well and then add to Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium-high and heat until bubbly. Turn heat back to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  If you are in a hurry you can skip the simmering step and simply serve immediately, but you won't have the same flavor as when you let it simmer.

I usually serve this chili with sour cream, shredded cheese and warm cornbread.

Serves 6-8

Tarragon Chicken

This is one of our favorite recipes.  It's very easy and makes a good Sunday dinner too!  I often make this smaller recipe when it's just me and my son.  Of course you can easily double or triple this recipe if you're having a lot of people.

1 whole chicken (2-3 pounds)
2 zucchini
1 carrot
2-3 springs of tarragon
olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Grate zucchini and carrot into large bowl.  Mix in just the leaves from the tarragon sprigs.  I usually chop the leaves, but I've been in a hurry before and put the leaves in whole and it turned out fine.  Stuff the chicken with the zucchini/carrot mixture and then place the chicken into a roasting pan.  Rub outside of chicken with olive oil.  It doesn't take much.  Use just enough to give it a thin coat.  You can also use butter if you don't have olive oil.  I simply prefer olive oil.  In a pinch I've also used my Pam spray olive oil if I was out of regular olive oil.  Salt and pepper the chicken to taste and garnish with more tarragon springs if desired.  Roast chicken at 425 for 45 minutes.  Turn oven down to 350 and roast another 45 minutes or until done.

Margarita Chicken

This is such an easy recipe! I came up with this recipe because my son and I enjoy Cuban food. As a test, I made some up and took it to my Cuban friend. She was amazed. She said it was like eating her mother's cooking. I knew I hit the mark when my son's pickiest friend ate TWO servings and asks to come over whenever I make this meal!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Margarita mix or lime juice
1 family size package yellow rice
2 large cans black beans or 1 lb dried black beans
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
Cilantro
Olive oil

1. Marinate chicken in margarita mix or lime juice. If you don't have time to marinate, you can simply pour the margarita mix or lime juice over the chicken and then cook. How much you use is up to you.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Cook chicken until done. Depending on the size of the breasts it could be anywhere from a half hour to 45 minutes. This also tastes great if you grill the chicken on a charcoal grill.

3. While chicken is cooking, prepare rice as package directs. If you are using dried beans, you will need to prepare the dried beans as package directs.

4. If you like to prepare food ahead, this step can be done the day before. Chop your tomatoes, 1 green bell pepper and half of the red onion. Combine in large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (less if you're not a garlic fan), lime juice (I usually use the juice from half a lime), and cilantro to taste. Mix well and store in refrigerator until you serve the meal.

5. Chop the remaining green bell pepper and onion and saute in a large skillet until softened. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add black beans and heat through, cooking until beans are of desired consistency.

6. To serve: Layer rice first on your plate. Then layer your beans on top of the rice. Next put your chicken on top of the beans. Sometimes I go ahead and slice the chicken, other times I don't. On top of that put the tomato relish created in step 4. Sometimes I sprinkle the dish with cilantro.

Harvest Leg of Lamb

Autumn is here! Well, not so much in Florida, but my calendar says it should be autumn and I'm craving autumn food. Here is one of our favorite autumn meals. I love to serve this on the weekends when I have people over for football. Especially if it's a cold, wet day.

1 5 to7 lb whole lamb leg roast (bone in)
6 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices (about half a bulb)
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon pepper

1. Trim fat from meat. With the tip of a knife, cut ½” wide slits into roast at 1” intervals (approximately 36 holes) inserting a thin slice of garlic in each. Brush meat surface with lemon juice. Stir together parsley, oil, Italian seasoning or oregano, and pepper. Pat parsley mixture into meat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

2. Place meat, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into center of meat, without touching bone. Roast in 325 oven until thermometer registers 140 for medium rare (1 ¾ to 2 ¼ hours) or 155 for medium (2 to 2 ½ hours). Transfer meat to serving platter. Cover meat with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 12 to 16

Calories: 187
Fat: 8 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Sodium: 68 mg
Carbs: 2 grams

Chicken and Pasta Primavera

This is a recipe from the back of a Campbell's soup lable. It isn't fancy or ground breaking, but it's fast and it gets the job done when you need dinner on the table ten minutes ago!

1 can (10.75 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bag (16 oz) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots mix is a good one)
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 of a 1-pound package spaghetti, cooked without salt and drained (you can also use whatever other pasta you may have on hand)

1. Heat soup, milk, cheese, garlic powder and vegetables in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.

2. Stir chicken in saucepan and cook until mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve over pasta.

Serves 4

Calories: 473
Total fat: 10 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Cholesterol 72 mg
Sodium: 449 mg
Total Carbs: 59 grams
Dietary Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 35 grams