Indonesian Noodles

Once upon a time I read a review of a cookbook called Comfortably Yum, by Luisa M. Perkins. The review was so complimentary that I immediately looked up the cookbook on Amazon, and without thinking added it to my wish-list.

Fast forward who knows how long, to this past Christmas. Mark hacked my Amazon account to see what I had on my wish-list, not knowing that I never use it. Oh, except for that one time. And you can guess what I opened on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, I had no recollection of this book, so when I saw it I said, Oh, that looks neat. And Mark was slightly flummoxed when it became clear that I didn't remember the book.

Aside from all of that, this is a great cookbook. It is full of comfort foods, and a random assortment at that. I have only tried two recipes so far, but I am looking forward to trying all of them. This one is for Indonesian noodles and is incredibly quick, easy, and delicious.

1 lb. thin spaghetti or linguini (I used regular spaghetti)
2 T. sesame oil
1 c. chunky peanut butter
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
4 scallions, chopped (didn't have scallions; used plain old green onions)
2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or sliced thin
1 T. sesame seeds

Cook the pasta as directed; drain and toss with sesame oil.
In a large bowl, combine the PB, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger. Add it to the pasta and mix well, then add the chicken. I waited until the bowls were served up before garnishing each with the green onions/scallions and sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.

I halved this recipe for our little family and it turned out great. The green onions and sesame seeds really added the finishing touch to this dish-- don't skip those. I loved this and will definitely make again. It beats out another Asian noodle recipe I have made that has pork instead of chicken in it, so I am going to try this with pork next. YUM.

101 posts and a seriously life changing soup

I just noticed that the last post was the 100th! How great is that? I love this blog. Keep sharing the recipe love, everyone!

And on that note, the following recipe has some serious love to give if you are a fan of Thai food. A spinoff of the popular and delicious tom kha gai, this soup is to die for. If I could make all my favorite Thai dishes as easily as this one, and have them all turn out this yummy, I'd never have to venture to a Thai restaurant again. And I'm saying that after I didn't even succeed in my quest for lemongrass. Darn you, Asian market, for only selling a weird package of freeze dried lemongrass. (Well, darn myself, really, for waiting until the last minute to try to find some.)

Here it is.

8 c. stock (chicken or vegetable-- I used organic chicken stock)

2 shallots, peeled and halved

6 one-inch pieces of unpeeled fresh ginger

1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and cut into chunks (as noted, this soup will still be delicious sans lemongrass)

2 kaffir lime leaves, or 1 t. lime zest (I used lime zest)

1/2 t. sea salt

1 15 oz. can coconut milk (I used reduced fat coconut milk with great results)

3.5 oz. rice noodles, broken into 2" pieces

1 c. peeled and finely diced carrots

pinch of cayenne (or to taste)

1-2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/8" thick diagonal slices

2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

2 T. sliced scallions, for garnish (didn't have these)

Combine the broth, shallots, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves, and 1/4 t. salt in a soup pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop out all of the solids and discard. Stir in the coconut milk and continue to simmer, being careful not to boil, for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the rice noodles into a bowl of hot water and soak until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Stir the carrots and cayenne into the soup, simmer for 3 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 7 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Stir in the noodles, lime juice, and the remaining 1/4 t. salt. Do a taste test now and, if necessary, add a bit more salt. You may want to add a small amount of sugar-- I added 1/4 t.

Finish it off by serving it in bowls with the garnishes, if desired.

Variations: for an extra immune booster, add 1 c. of stemmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms when you add the chicken. Tofu can also be used in place of the chicken for an awesome vegetarian version.

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 45-55 minutes.

Storage: refrigerator for 3-5 days, freezer up to 2 months.

Per serving: 290 calories; 15.5 g fat (13.5 saturated), 35 g carbs, 6 g protein, 4 g fiber

Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

This is one of the few recipes I can call my own. After much trial and much more error, I have reproduced one of my favorite things to order at Thai restaurants. This was a great relief for me last year as I was far too poor to actually go out to eat more than once in a blue moon, and it has served me well ever since.

4 boneless skinless small chicken breasts (or 2 of the huge ones from Costco)

Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 in. piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp fish sauce
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS honey
1 TBS sweet red chili sauce


Peanut sauce:
6 TBS crunchy peanut butter, preferably the kind you grind fresh at various hippie stores.
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped or Thai red curry paste to taste (start small)
Juice of 1 lime
3 TBS coconut milk
1 TBS sweet red chili sauce

1. Rinse chicken breasts. Cut them into strips about 1" wide x 2" long x 1" thick (about the size of two bites).

2. Mix all marinade ingredients remembering to make the spiciness to your taste (but don't completely forgo it, trust me. I'm a wimp.)

3. Marinate chicken for a few hours or overnight, rotating breasts occasionally. While you marinate the chicken, soak your skewers in water by setting them in a cookie sheet or another lipped sheet full of water.

4. Heat grill to medium-high heat.

5. While grill is heating, thread the marinated chicken strips on your skewers, 2-3 strips per skewer, depending on the size of your skewers. If you didn't soak your skewers, you will want to cover as much of the skewer as possible to prevent it from burning on the grill.

6. Once grill is heated, grill skewers 3 1/2 to 4 minutes on each side until chicken is cooked through.

7. While chicken is cooking, prepare the peanut sauce by blending the sauce ingredients in the blender until grainy but not super chunky. You may need to add some salt if you have fresh-ground peanut butter. Adjust to your taste preferences, adding more hot/sweet/or salty as needed.

Serve with sticky rice, curry, or veggie kabobs.

Jerk Chicken

This chicken smacks of summertime. I think the recipe was found in a grocery store ad from Oregon and it caught my husband's eye. I thought it looked like a hassle and I (mistakenly) thought I didn't like jerked chicken and took no part in its historic inauguration. Alas, It was downright incredible and ever since then, this has sort-of been my husband's thing. It's ludicrously flavorful, sweet and tangy. I can never believe that it's good for me, but it really is!

Jerk Chicken
6 Green onions
1 onion chopped
A bit of jalapeno or habenaro, seeded (I'm a wimp so I barely use any)
3/4 C soy sauce
1/2 C white vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp each nutmeg, allspice, and cloves

1. Place all the above ingredients in the blender and puree.

2. Marinate 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breasts in the sauce overnight in the fridge.

3. Grill on breasts on med-high 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. We didn't have a grill when we first made it, so we threw everything in a large pan and cooked it in the marinade (sort-of curry style).

4. Garnish with fresh sliced limes and serve with sweet potatoes, rice, coconut shrimp or grilled veggie kababs.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

I stumbled upon this one on the Kraft website of all places. IT IS INCREDIBLE and absolutely perfect for this cool grilling weather we've been having in Utah. I of course made modifications to the original, ridding it of Kraft products and otherwise elevating this chicken to manna from heaven levels. I also increased the amount of bruschetta so you can have more for your crusty bread or just to eat with a spoon.

The technique on this chicken is a little weird, but not difficult. You grill the marinated chicken on one side, then place foil on the grill to cook the other side. The foil catches every last bit of lovely bruschetta and prevents your grill from getting nasty.

Note on grills: we have a tiny cheap $15 camping grill with small camping propane tanks plus charcoal. It was a small investment and pays off big time for our cooking-for-two needs. But if you don't have one, I'm sure this one would also work in the oven on a grill pan.

Chicken:
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 1/4 cup of your favorite italian dressing or marinade.
I didn't have any, so I used a couple TBS balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, salt, and herbs.

Bruschetta:
* 2 large roma tomatoes, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (optional)
* 1 large clove of garlic, minced
* 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
* 1 TBS olive oil
* Kosher salt to taste
* 1/2 cup  Shredded Italian cheeses. I mixed hard Romano and Parmesan with mozzarella and it worked fabulously
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves (but it's so much better with fresh!)


1. Marinate chicken for 10 minutes to 2 hours depending on your time constraints. Rotate chicken often.

2. Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; heat grill to medium heat.

3. While grill is heating, combine bruschetta ingredients and let sit.

3. Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill for 6 min.

4. Turn chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on the grill. Top with bruschetta. Close lid. Grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).

5. Serve with grilled asparagus tossed in olive oil and kosher salt.

Fried Chicken and Gravy

Ok, so maybe you are all experts at cooking chicken, but my chicken-cooking track record hasn't been that great. It always came out of the oven kind of...chickeny; a rubbery, chickeny sort of taste. Yuck. So imagine how happy I was when, after doing some internet research on the art of cooking chicken, I came across this recipe for fried chicken, tried it out, and almost fell off my chair when I took the first bite because it was delicious!! One tip (which I learned during my internet research) that seemed to work well for us was to brine the chicken breasts for just 20 minutes or so before coating them. (Brining = immersing them in a salt water solution of 1/2 cup kosher salt (or 1/4 cup table salt) in two quarts of water).

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup paprika (I didn't actually use this because we didn't have any)
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp ground mustard
1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground ginger (didn't have this either)
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Additional Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
4-6 chicken breasts
vegetable oil

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; mix well. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.

To prepare chicken: In a large skillet, heat 1/2 in. of oil over medium-high heat. (Oil should be fairly hot before you put the chicken in; this prevents the chicken soaking up oil and getting soggy.) Place about 3/4 cup of coating in a large resealable plastic bag. In a shallow dish, beat eggs and milk. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, then place in the bag. Seal and shake until coated. Brown chicken on all sides, cooking until done. Place chicken on a cooling rack (like for cookies) with something underneath to drip onto. (Again, this keeps the coating crispy.)

Gravy:

Whisk 1-2 Tbsp of the leftover coating mixture with milk, bring to a slow boil and allow to thicken. Delicious over the chicken and mashed potatoes!!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas -- DIVINE

I have been meaning to get on here and post a TON of recipes-- but school has not been letting me have much time. Until... I tried this recipe. This one I could not wait to post. It is SO good. The seasoning is so yummy and not overpowering. I am a big fan of chicken enchiladas if they are done right and these are definitely done right. Here you go:

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Marinade: 

6 T. honey

5 T. lime juice (approx. 1 large lime)

1 T. chili powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

Other: 

1 lb. shredded chicken* 

tortillas

1 lb. monterrey jack cheese, shredded

16 oz. green enchilada sauce

1 c. cream**

*I didn't know how many chicken breasts would equal 1 lb. shredded-- I ended up using 4 and it was fine, but if you use less chicken there will be leftover sauce to put in the tortillas.

** I didn't use cream at all, as you will soon see it is an optional step.

- Whisk first four ingredients for marinade and toss with shredded chicken in zip-loc bag. 

- Marinate for at least 1/2 hour, preferably more. (I only got to let mine sit for 15 min. It was still good!) 

- Pour 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan. 

- Fill tortillas with chicken, any extra marinade, and cheese. Roll up and place in pan. Make sure to save 1 c. of cheese for topping. 

- When pan is full, mix any remaining marinade with cream and enchilada sauce. Pour over top.

- Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 

- Bake at 350 for 30 min. or until browned and crispy on top. 

Basically, I didn't mix up the sauces with the cream, because I didn't have any leftover marinade. I just used the extra enchilada sauce and cheese for topping. Using 4 chicken breasts, I had enough for a full 9x13 and a full 8x8. I made these for a dinner we had with another couple from our ward and got rave reviews. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I think I may even use this honey lime marinade for chicken in other dishes. It's SO good. And don't worry, the chili powder does not make it too spicy, it's just right. 

Easy & Amazing Marinade

• Just combine: 
• 
  
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
  
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1/4 cup ketchup
  
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (* I think I may have used olive oil in ours...) 
  
• 1 tablespoon molasses
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot (* I used the dried ginger from the spice aisle) 
  
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard (* I used dijon for this b/c it's all we had, and it was great!)
• This makes an incredibly yummy marinade for chicken. We marinated chicken breasts and made sandwiches. SO good. I highly recommend this next time you are looking for a way to jazz up your chicken. 

Lasagna Florentine

It is hard to get my boys to eat their veggies so this is a great recipe to sneak in spinach. My boys eat this up and ask for more!! We call it white lasagna cause it has a white sauce. Serves 8-10 but for us it makes leftovers for days. :)

9 lasagna noodles, cooked & drained

spinach mix:
1 (10oz)frozen, chopped spinach, drained
2 c. cooked, diced chicken(I boil & shred it)
1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
nutmeg to taste
2 eggs
4 oz. mozzarella cheese

white sauce:
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 chicken boullion
2 c. skim milk or 2 c. half&half
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romanoff cheese (I can never find it and so I use more mozzarella)

1. Cook noodles & drain.
2. Combine spinach mix ingredients in bowl and set aside.
3. White Sauce: melt butter over low heat. Add garlic, chicken boullion, flour and milk. Stir until boiling. Remove from heat. Slowly add parmesan and romanoff cheese until melted.
4. Lightly rub 9/13 pan with butter. Layer lasagna: 3 lasagna noodles, then 1/2 chicken mixture, 1/3 white sauce. Repeat. 3 noodles and sauce on top.
5. Bake 350 degees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle mozz. cheese on top and bake 5-10 more minutes.