Cashew Chicken

I tried this recipe last week and it was a huge success.  This is one of my favorites to order at chinese restaurants, so I am excited that I can make my own at home now.

Dallin even added it to this month's menu, so he enjoyed it as well.

No pictures, but here is the link: http://gimmesomeoven.com/cashew-chicken/

Cashew Chicken Recipe (腰果鸡丁)
Ingredients:
Stir-fry Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into about 1″ pieces
• 5 slices ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 tsp.)
• 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/2″ dice
• 2 scallions, diced (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Marinade:

• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. rice wine (or rice wine vinegar)

Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. rice wine (or rice wine vinegar)
• 1/8 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
• Salt to taste

Method:
Marinate the chicken meat with the baking soda for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse the chicken off thoroughly with water. (Please make sure that the chicken is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda.) Pat the chicken meat dry with paper towels. Then stir in the cornstarch and rice wine in with the chicken, and let marinate for another 15 minutes.

Mix the sauce together and set aside.

Heat up a wok or skillet with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the chicken meat until the color turns white or half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.

Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok and add in the ginger, bell peppers and onions. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the green peppers. Then add the chicken meat back in, along with the green onions, garlic, and cashews. Stir and let cook for another two minutes.
Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste if you’d like.

Lemon Pesto Chicken & Raviolis

I really wish I could remember where I found this recipe. I might have even printed it off of this site! I just found it in my cookbook one day, and can't remember where I got it. Anyway, I made it for the first time last week, and it was really good!

5-6 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

3 Tbsp Olive Oil or Canola Oil

1/2 Pesto Packet (like taco seasoning packets)

2 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1 Cup milk

2 small yellow squash

2 small zucchini

2 Tomatoes

1/4 C. Parmessan

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a skillet, add in oil, and chicken. While chicken is browning, add in lemon juice, and cut the squash and zucchini into slices. When the chicken is brown on each side, (still pink in the middle), add in the squash & zucchini. Sprinkle pesto packet over everything in the skillet. Pour the milk on top, and mix around until everything is coated. Salt & pepper. Let cook at medium heat for about 10 minutes (until veggies are soft but not soggy). Add in sliced tomato and parmessan, stir. Remove from heat.

Serve over raviolis, or in my case, (I didn't have raviolis on hand), serve over pasta.

But here's another tip: Try it served over the Herb & Butter flavored Pasta Roni. I had some leftover from the kids dinner the next night, so I tried it. It was SO yummy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

If we were giving prizes away at Fabulous Friday I think this soup would have been a blue ribbon winner for sure. I'm pretty sure I saw people licking their bowls and weeping over the empty crockpot. :)

Thanks Alyssa for sharing this yummy recipe with us.

Cheesy Cream of Vegetable Soup

2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery (I replaced with broccoli)
6 teaspoons or cubes of chicken bouillon
Simmer above to semi-soft.

1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk

Do not drain vegetables. Add the white sauce to cooked vegetables. Add 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Heat together but do not boil.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Sometimes I have way too much zucchini, and I don't have any idea what to do with it all. I stumbled across this recipe & thought I'd share. It's really yummy!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

6 C. chopped zucchini/summer squash

1 chopped onion

1 C. chopped carrots

1 16oz. container sour cream

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 C. Shredded cheddar cheese

4 C. cooked chicken cubes (3-4 chicken breasts, or I just buy a whole rotisserie chicken & shred it.)

1 6oz. pkg Stuffing

1/2 C. melted butter

salt & pepper

Put zucchini, carrots, and onions in a large pot. Cover with water and add 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 min. Drain. Put vegetables back into pot. Add sour cream, soup, cheese and chicken and stir until combined. In a separate bowl, stir together the stuffing & butter. In a 9 x 13 pan spread 1/2 the stuffing mixture. Pour on the zucchini mixture. Top with the other 1/2 of the stuffing mix. Sprinkle w/ salt & pepper. Cover with foil and bake at 325 for 1 hour. (Take foil off for the last 15 minutes.)

Confetti Bean Dip

I've had lots of requests for this recipe, so here it is! I don't have a picture of it though. So next time I make it, I'll take a pic and put it on here. You'll just have to trust that it is DELICIOUS, without seeing the pic! ;)

Confetti Bean Dip

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can shoepeg corn, no need to drain
6 roma tomatoes, diced
3 avocadoes, diced
Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Mix above ingredients together, then mix:

1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix
1/4 cup white vinegar

Add that mixture to the rest, stir, and enjoy!
Serve with tortilla chips.

Caramelized Corn with Fresh Mint

This recipe sounds weird I know. But it is so refreshing and sweet and with the perfect hint of mint the flavors just all blend together. You have to try it to believe me.

1 10 ounce package of frozen premium corn
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp minced fresh mint
salt

Defrost the corn in a colander by running under hot water for a few minutes. Then let sit for a few minutes.

In a wide skillet, melt butter over high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring often, until golden and browned (kernels may begin to pop), about 8-10 min. Stir in the mint and sprinkle with salt. Transfer to bowl and serve while hot.

PW's Asian Noodle Salad

I love this salad. The best thing about it is that it makes you FEEL healthy just by looking at it!  So pretty!

Here's the recipe direct from PW's site:

Ingredients


SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled

½ heads Sliced Napa Cabbage, Or More To Taste

½ heads Sliced Purple Cabbage, Or More To Taste

½ bags Baby Spinach, Or More To Taste

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin

1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin

1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced

1 bag Bean Sprouts (also Called Mung Bean Sprouts)

Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste

3 whole Scallions, Sliced

3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced

1 can (about 10 Oz.) Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 whole Lime, Juiced

8 Tablespoons Olive Oil

8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil

⅓ cups Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped

2 cloves Garlic Chopped

2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapeno's, Chopped

Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.

Note: dressing keeps for up to three days before serving, without cilantro.



Some notes: This recipe makes A LOT! I made it with the intent to eat for lunches this week. Also, I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles, and it is just as good. I didn't buy any fresh ginger this time, but I think I will next time.

Gyoza aka potstickers

Another Asian dish. I combined this with the meal of Yakisoba last week. Here's how to make it. You can buy these wraps in the produce section right by the yakisoba noodles. Walmart does carry these, FYI.
Here is when you get to smoosh raw meat...a favorite ;)

Then fill the wrappers and fold.

The folding can be a lot of work, this recipe makes 60 gyoza. I don't go through that much work for one meal, so I freeze nearly all of them. My family eats between 8-12 with our meal, therefore I freeze them on a cookie sheet overnight, then the next morning throw them into a freezer bag and pull them out all month long as a light lunch or to add with a meal for dinner.

The finished product:

This is Tia Chapman's recipe from recipe swap. If Dallin makes it he makes his Japanese mission ones, but I like this one because there is no ginger.

One packet of gyoza skins

Mix Well:

1/2 head cabbage finely chopped (use food processer)

1 pound ground pork (you can use whatever meat you like best)

2 bunches green onions

2 shakes salt

10 shakes garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 TBSP soy sauce

Put a spoonful into each skin and fold together.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in frying pan, brown gyoza on both sides. Add 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook on medium heat about 5 minutes or until insides are completely cooked

Sauce:

1 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp sugar

Heat in pan to dissolve sugar.

lettuce wraps

While these are not exactly like PF Changs, this is what I make when I'm craving their lettuce wraps. They are so yummy and I wouldn't hesitate to serve them to guests or company. They look fancy, but they're really not that hard.

Any Veggies may be added or omitted, here is how we like it:
1 or 2 chicken breasts depending on desired quantity.
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrots (I use more like 1 cup)
green onions or onions as desired
1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 head iceberg or Boston lettuce

Stir Fry Sauce:
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 T sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp red pepper flakes or ground red pepper
1 tsp chili oil -or- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (I recomend using sweet chili sauce, it deepens the flavor)
1/2 tsp minced ginger

Method:

Finely chop all vegetables in food processor. Finely dice or chop chicken (also in food processor if desired-if chopping chicken in food processor make sure to chop veggies first to avoid cross contamination.) First add chicken to pan with 1T heated oil. Cook chicken. Add chopped add veggies. cook through until slightly crisp. Mix all stir fry sauce ingredients in a bowl or cup and whisk together and add to chicken and veggies. Allow to thicken. Serve in lettuce wraps. These are also good with sesame ginger dipping sauce and peanut dipping sauce. Although we usually just eat them plain. Here's the dipping sauce recipe, sorry, no picture.

I made them last night for dinner and had plenty left over for lunches today.
We don't like super spicy stuff, so I don't put the full amount of red pepper.
Sesame Ginger Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup cold water
3/4 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1.2 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 dash red pepper flakes
1 dash parsley

Mix well and heat until thickened.

Peanut Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 T vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili oil or chili sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 T brown sugar

Mix well and heat until thickened.

Yakisoba

This is a favorite dish at our house. I made it last night with some gyoza, I'll add that recipe too, but it turns out great every time. You can switch it up and make it with whatever vegetable you have/like. I like to make it vegetarian much to Dallin's dismay, but it's nice to have a couple vegetarian dishes. Last night I did add a little pork that was left from the gyoza though.

You can find these noodles in the asian section of the produce at a grocery store. For some reason Walmart doesn't carry them in Burley, but Smith's does.


This is a picture of the vegetables I used, but it was before I added the carrots. We had bean sprouts, mushrooms (shitake), cabbage, carrots and onion. Again just use whatever vegetables your family would like.
I use the instructions on the back of the noodle package, you stir fry your vegetables for 2-3 minutes, then add the noodles. Stir fry the noodles for a 1-2 minutes and add powdered sauce packet and 1/4 cup water and you have this:

Absolutely delicious. Similar to the 'mall noodles' we call them. The noodles you get at chinese restaurant's in the mall. We make it in our electric skillet, this was one package of noodles, but I usually make two. I have made up to four when we have had guests and the electric skillet handled it just fine. I think with just one or two packages you would be fine in a skillet on the stove or a wok would work great too.

Veggie Lazagna

I posted this recently on my family blog, so my apologies if it's a repeat for some of you, but I thought maybe the others would like it, and I already had the pictures and recipe on my blog so it was easy to move it over!

This has become one of my favorite things to cook and serve. I made it up myself... and I've tried and tested it several times now and every time it comes out tasting delicious! You can add sausage if you don't like to go all vegetarian. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Fresh Veggies: squash, zucchini, onions, red and green bell pepper, fresh or jarred garlic. spinach Fresh or canned tomatoes... *important: if you don't have garden tomatoes use canned... don't try store bought, they are just nasty. They don't even taste like real tomatoes and you won't like it.* 1 can any spaghetti or marinara sauce, 1 small container of ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (I have used both, they both taste good. I always use the low fat variety.) Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, mozzarella or Italian blend shredded cheese, whole wheat lasagna noodles boiled, al dente.


Method:
Chop all veggies.

Start cooking, garlic and onions first, add squash, zucchini,pepper,etc. season with salt and pepper and a little dash of Mrs Dash original blend. I always start with just a tiny bit of olive oil and then pour a little bit of chicken stock to steam the veggies so they don't get all crispy and burned. They cook faster this way and it adds flavor.

When the veggies are still a bit firm, but mostly cooked (not soggy!) add spaghetti sauce.

Next I prepare the pan and the noodles. Starting with one layer of noodles, ricotta cheese on top, thin layer of spinach leaves, then sauce and a small amount of cheese. Reapeat. Top with spinach leaves and mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake it at about 350 until it looks and smells done! Sorry, I'm so terrible with cooking times, it's really about 30 minutes. Cover it with foil for the first half of cooking so the cheese doesn't brown too early and burn. Let stand for a few minutes, serve and enjoy! Eat your veggies! :)

Easy blender salsa

I got this recipe from my good friend Jamie's recipe blog, Dinner's Ready. I love salsa, but I pretty much hate all jarred salsa that you can buy in the store. Same thing with ranch dressing - the prepared stuff = gross. This recipe is so easy and yummy. I could eat it like soup! Jeremy doesn't think it's hot enough, but it usually turns out plenty hot to my taste, especially if you buy "Hot" Rotel. I don't always use all of the ingredients in this recipe either - just what I have on hand (as long as it's the majority of what's listed). This recipe makes A LOT - I usually have to blend it in two batches. I dont' put all the lime in either, but that's just my preference.

BLENDER SALSA

2 cans stewed tomatoes (not Italian style)

3 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies ("Rotel" brand is the best)

1 cup cilantro, chopped

juice from 2 limes

2 garlic cloves, minced

half a white onion, chopped

1/2 C green onions, sliced

half green bell pepper (can add a red too if you like), chopped

salt and pepper to taste
 
Put all ingredients in blender or food processor and puree.