Easy Kung Pao Chicken

01 Sunday Mar 2009

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Stir Fry’s are a dinner staple with my family. They are (generally) a low fat, low calorie, low budget… but very fulfilling meal that incorporates vegetables, meats (or not), and rice… all in one. They often come together very quickly too. Today’s lunch was a very easy version of the Asian dish Kung Pao Chicken. In all technicality, this is not your classic Kung Pao Chicken, however the chicken is marinated and cooked in an orange marmalade, and peanuts are added.

There was no written recipe base for this dish, as I have made so many Stir Fry’s, I doubt any of them have been exactly re-created. This Asian cuisine is so user friendly though, a specific recipe is usually not necessary.

Kung Pao Chicken (aka Orange Marmalade Chicken Stir Fry)

Serves 4 – 5, double as necessary

Ingredients:

2 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup peanuts (I used honey roasted because that’s all I had)
1 bag frozen stir fry mix (peppers, onions (mine included broccoli too)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbl cornstarch
Seasonings, as desired
1 tbl Cornstarch
Water
Hot Cooked Rice

Directions:

Combine chicken, marmalade and peanuts in 1 - 2 tablespoons of oil in wok or skillet. When chicken is nearly cooked through, add stir fry mix and soy sauce. You may need to add water throughout the cooking process. The key is to maintain a liquid base which you will thicken before serving. Once the dish is heated through, in a small cover-able cup, combine the cornstarch with 2 – 3 tablespoons of liquid… for me, I used equal amounts of water and soy sauce. Shake the cup until the cornstarch is dissolved, then add to stir fry. Let stand long enough to thicken. Serve over rice.

Shrimp Fried Rice – Wa-ay Easy!

08 Sunday Feb 2009

Posted by laurelg1 in Entree', Recipes, Seafood

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Simple Shrimp Fried Rice

It has been a busy week. I have had very little time to cook, much less post anything new. I did however get to spend some time in the kitchen tonight – and it wasn’t just washing dishes or cleaning up after five messy people.

I picked up some fresh extra large shrimp at the grocery store with the intention to cook it yesterday, but it never happened. I knew it needed to be cooked today. With leftover rice screaming to be used, I knew what I could throw together. Fried rice is such an easy dish to “toss” together, and you can use just about any vegetable or meat, or both that you have on hand. For this one, I simply used onions and peppers with the shrimp, leftover rice and some egg.

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
Soy Sauce
Red, yellow and green peppers, sliced
Onion sliced
Chilled cooked rice, I used about 2 cups
1 egg (or equal egg substitute) scrambled

Directions:

In a 10″ skillet, saute the onions and pepper in about 1 tbsp olive oil until translucent and soft. Add the shrimp, toss with some soy sauce and cook until pink, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the rice and some more soy sauce. Stir frequently until heated through. Add the scrambled egg, stir and serve with additional sauce.

Simple, easy, hearty.

The Immortal PB&J Sandwich with a Twist

29 Thursday Jan 2009

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GPB&J

Yes, I’ve actually lowered myself to posting about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I guess I am proving that I am a real redneck, but hey, there are few people that dislike this good ole classic. If you have kids, PB&J are likely staples at your house. I think my son bleeds peanut butter and jelly.

I was out a little late this evening and had to feed the hypoglycemic beasts at home as quickly as possible and this sandwich fit the bill.

These sandwiches are a great twist on a classic. I hope you try it, just for the heck of it…(Sorry to all the gourmet-ers out there, you will be disappointed in this one).

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

What you need -

Warm a large skillet, then take your favorite bread, peanut butter and jelly and make enough sandwiches to feed your crew. Butter the outsides of the bread and grill in the skillet (just like a grilled cheese) until you achieve your desired amount of browning – my kids like it golden, my dad likes it nearly charred. Slice the grilled sandwich dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Oh, buy the way, April 2nd is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Can you guess what we are having for lunch that day?

Mmm, PB&J Warm & Melting!

Nine Inch Bacon Cheeseburger?

25 Sunday Jan 2009

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Burger Pie

This is by far the biggest cheeseburger I have ever made… ok, it’s not a beef patty with a bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and bacon – but it sure tastes like one. It could be called “lazy burger”, or “redneck burger”. Today, I didn’t care. I was tired, fighting a head cold and listening to hungry people complain. Better, I had all seven ingredients to make a hearty lunch. Thank you Bisquick for the recipe…I adapted it slightly, if you want the original recipe, go here. I served a home tossed Caesar salad for the side. (There was not a drop left of either!)

Bacon Cheeseburger Pie

(aka Impossibly easy Cheeseburger Pie from Bisquick)

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2% milk)
1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart Mix
1 cup milk (skim)
2 eggs
Bacon Pieces (I used Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits)
Ketchup (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9″ pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Brown the ground beef with the soup mix in a skillet. Layer in bottom of pie pan and top with cheese. Stir the Bisquick, Milk and eggs until blended and pour into the pie pan. Sprinkle bacon pieces over top of pie and swirl ketchup over the top. Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and set in the middle. Remove and let stand about two minutes then slice and serve.

Note: I didn’t have regular Bisquick or an onion, so I compromised. No one knew – it was still great. I also thought the bacon and ketchup made a “prettier top”.

Sauce, Pepperoni, Cheese & Two Slices of Bread

21 Wednesday Jan 2009

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Pizza Sandwich

A little butter and a hot skillet will make this ingredient combination a quick , warm, comfort and come back for more sandwich. When I resort to this sandwich, it means that grocery day is very soon… enough that I am scraping the barrel to make dinner. My pantry is sadly void. Basically, this a souped up grilled cheese sandwich, but it very kid compatible.

It is a great hot sandwich that can easily be adapted to ones taste and/or available ingredients. I even make a version for my lactose intolerant dad…

Grilled Pizza Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Sliced bread – I use fresh baked Italian
Pizza Sauce
Sliced Pepperoni
Mozzarella Cheese (I use lactose free for my dad’s)
Butter, or butter spray
Non stick cooking spray

Directions:

Heat skillet and butter one side of each bread slice. Place bread, butter side down and top with some pizza sauce. Layer with some cheese, then pepperoni and more cheese. Top with a little more pizza sauce then other slice of bread – buttered side out. Carefully flip sandwich to grill both sides and cook until cheese is melted – hint: use thinly shredded cheese to speed melting time.

Slice and serve with additional pizza sauce (if desired).

Like I said – you can easily adjust the ingredients and “toppings” to your taste. Additional seasoning are optional – my family never asks.

Bourbon Chicken (without Bourbon)

19 Monday Jan 2009

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Bourbon Chicken

This is one of the many “gotta try” recipes I have bookmarked at Blog Chef.net by Bobby. My whole family enjoys Asian dishes and I have plenty of choices on her blog. I almost talked myself out of making this dish… mainly because it involved frying and I hate the smell that frying in the house leaves… but I am SO glad I did. My husband said this was the best Bourbon Chicken dish that he’s ever had… (We have a few mall food court dishes that we frequent… but this is better, and less expensive.)

I served the chicken over long grain rice that I cooked in broth instead of water. Using broth keeps the “customers” from asking for extra salt and butter. I also steamed some vegetables in my recently purchased food steamer – which I LOVE. Other than the frying (which I used peanut oil) this was a very nutritious meal. It was pretty easy and straightforward too.

Oh, and I am curious too as to why this is called Bourbon…since there is no liquor in it… Maybe it’s from Bourbon Street in New Orleans… don’t know… too tired to care…

Bourbon Chicken

adapted from Blog Chef

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into chunks
Corn starch
Peanut Oil

For the sauce:

1 garlic clove, minced (I didn’t have any, but I used some garlic salt)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon red pepper (I went real light on this)
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions:

Cube chicken and dust with cornstarch. In large skillet brown the chicken in hot oil then remove and drain. (I didn’t use the same skillet for the sauce).

Combine the sauce ingredients in large skillet or wok. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add chicken. Simmer for ten minutes and serve over rice with sauce.

Goin Italian

11 Sunday Jan 2009

Posted by laurelg1 in Entree', Recipes, Salad

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Meat Lasagna

I received a huge compliment today. It came from my teen daughter when she tried my lasagna, and even better, asked for more. You see, she has refused anything pasta or tomato based for years now. As a matter of fact, if you say the word “ravioli” to her, she nearly gags (drama, I know). Hence, the other family members suffer and rarely have Italian dishes. I do too, since many pasta dishes are easy and convenient to prepare. I didn’t care though… if necessary, she would just go hungry. Reluctantly, she agreed to taste the lasagna, and low and behold, she asked for more. I was honored!!! Anyway, here is the recipe.

This is an easy, no frills lasagna recipe that can be prepared the night before, or even frozen. As simple as it is, the taste is very good. Served with garlic bread and a Caesar salad, you have a great meal. I must pay tribute to my friend Michelle who taught me way back how to prepare this dish…

Classic Meat Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
26 ounce jar spaghetti sauce (I like Prego)
16 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
Lasagna noodles (go ahead, use the no boil!)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, (if cooking right away.)

Brown ground beef and drain. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer until heated through. Now add the ricotta cheese an stir until thoroughly blended. In a 11 x 7 ” pan, place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Now, in a single layer place three lasagna noodles. Top with more sauce, then mozzarella, and another thin layer of sauce. Repeat layers until it reaches the top of the dish, finishing with the sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for one hour, removing the foil the last ten minutes. If preparing early, cover well and refrigerate or freeze.

Note – the idea with no boil noodles is to cover both sides with the sauce, leaving no open spots on the noodles. I prepare a smaller portion (we had leftover too), but you can double the ingredients easily and prepare in a 9 x 13 pan, you will have to cook a little longer however.

I also prepared a Caesar salad using romaine, light dressing and more grated Parmesan cheese then topped it with croutons. This is a good way to get finicky kids to eat romaine.

Then finally, the all American Italian favorite, garlic bread. Can’t have pasta without it!

Hail Caesar!

Grilled BBQ Chicken & Potato Salad

10 Saturday Jan 2009

Posted by laurelg1 in Chicken, Entree', Recipes, Salad, Sides

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Backyard BBQ in January!!!

Tonight we had a wonderful meal, and at a wonderful price. This is the kind of meal you have at a summer picnic, but the last few weeks in Florida have felt like summer…so why not. Today was quite beautiful. The temperatures were in the 70′s and there was not a cloud in the sky. I actually wore shorts today, in January. Now I had no idea what the weather would be like when I planned this meal earlier in the week, but it turned out to be very fitting.

Leg 1/4′s were on sale at Publix this week at .59 cents a pound. I got a pack of 5 huge 1/4′s for $2.50… To go with the chicken I made classic potato salad and some steamed corn and broccoli. Dessert was a new twist too, but I will post that tomorrow.

To prepare the chicken you will need:

Boiling water, salted
5 -6 chicken leg quarters
BBQ sauce of choice (I prefer Kraft Original for this chicken)

I always boil leg quarters for a few minutes before throwing them on the grill. Bone-in meat always requires extra cooking time, and I cannot stand charred meat. So about 10 minutes in a boiling bath starts the cooking and also enhances moisture in the finished product.

Boil Leg Quarters for 10 minutes and gently transfer to hot grill (to keep the skin from tearing). Grill for 10 minutes right side up, then flip to brown the top. After about 5 minutes spread desired BBQ sauce on the bottoms of the chicken. Let cook for a couple of minutes and flip the chicken again. Thoroughly coat the tops with sauce and allow to simmer on grill until cooked through, which won’t be long… Remove and serve! My total cooking time after boiling was about 10 minutes on each side. The temperature on my grill was at 500 initially, and remained at 400 ish for the rest of the time.

Now, for the potato salad!

Classic Potato Salad

3 – 5 lbs baking potatoes, diced
6 boiled eggs
Sweet Relish
Salt, Pepper to taste
Diced Onions & Celery (if desired)

Boil potatoes until tender, remove and drain in colander. Chop eggs into small pieces, or use egg slicer. Place in large bowl, lightly salt and pepper then add potatoes. (Now this is where I just eyeball measurements and add to taste). Add 2 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise and sweet relish. Stir into potatoes. Add more mayo, relish and salt & pepper to taste. I like to prepare the salad while the potatoes are still warm. It kind of mushes the potatoes, but I think that contributes to the creaminess of the potato salad. If you stir gently, you will get a combination of creamy and chunky potatoes – yum. If using, add the chopped onions and celery and stir until well mixed. Maybe next time I will measure how much of everything I add.

After dinner I broke out the dessert, which I made last night. I will talk more about that tomorrow – I still have to take pictures.

Finally, after dinner cleanup, I prepared Sunday lunch. Home made lasagna. I will pop it in the oven before church and it should be hot and ready to serve when we get home. That’s it! Good night all.

Chicken Quesadilla’s

31 Wednesday Dec 2008

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Grilled Chicken Quesadilla's

I posted these back in October without pictures. I made them again tonight and took the time to take a few photos. As usual these were a hit for dinner. I will post the recipe for a re-cap…

These are sooo easy to prepare. They are very basic, but delicious and appetizing. I grill the tortilla until it begins to crisp, we prefer that over a soggy shell. I always serve them with tortilla chips and salsa.

Chicken Quesadilla’s

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast or tenderloin (no bone or skin)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (reserve some for topping)
10 flour tortillas (8″)
Sour Cream
Butter
Salsa
Any other desired toppings

Directions:

Grill chicken and slice into thin strips. Meanwhile saute onions and peppers. Butter one side of tortilla and heat griddle. Place tortilla butter side down. On one half, place cheese, chicken, onion/pepper and cheese again, in that order. Cook on griddle until shell is browned then fold in half. Remove and serve with sour cream, salsa and extra cheese. Slice in half if desired. Makes ten Quesadillas.

For ease of preparation, I place the chicken, cheese and vegetables in three separate bowls next to my griddle in an “assembly line” fashion.

Undercover Gordita’s

27 Saturday Dec 2008

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Turkey Gordita's

What’s for dinner mom??? That was tonight’s burning question. So what better way to disguise the superfluous Christmas turkey than with Mexican spices and ranch dressing!

This was my last minute dinner idea, it was quick, easy and everyone said it tasted really good.

Turkey Gordita’s (via Taco Bell)

Ingredients:

1 pound “surplus” Christmas turkey
1 Taco Bell Gordita Kit
1/2 cup water
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Olives
Shredded Cheese
Anything else you need to finish off!

Directions:

Shred the turkey and place in 10 inch frying pan. Mix the spice pack with the water (as directed) and pour it over the turkey, cook until the meat and sauce is hot. At the same time, toss the gordita shells in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until soft and warm. When everything is heated through, top the shells with meat, cheese, tomatoes and olives, finish with the included ranch dressing. Serve and smile! You have just finished off more turkey leftover and no one even knew!