Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Gluten what??

So the BF and I are considering a low gluten diet (we've discussed it at length, gluten free probably wont happen....) for various health reasons. Plus we might lose some weight. Bonus! So this week we went meat and veggie shopping and I set up a weekly menu. The amount of planning makes me head hurt. I am not a planner. I'm more of a "whats in the fridge that I can cook in ten minutes before I eat the plate" kinda girl.

Now this is a play off of a recipe I used earlier this week to make beef and snow peas that I found off of Pinterest. I wanted to make it something different with a thinner sauce. I think the results we're pretty good,  and I was informed I could make it again using shrimp anytime I wanted. Wasn't that nice? But I will say it was REALLY good!

The Ingredients
Oil
Chicken, cut into bits
Cornstarch (enough to lightly coat chicken)
About 3/4 of soy sauce (remember I dont measure anything... sorry)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of orange zest (this was left over from another project and i didnt want to waste it)
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
2 Tbsps brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (fresh would be better but i was lazy)
Brown Rice (or any rice you want. We like brown, you like white. It's all good)


What to do
1.) Make the rice and set it aside
2.) Cut up your chicken into about 1 inch pieces. Dust with cornstarch and toss to cover and then set aside.
3.) Cut up your broccoli into bite sized pieces. (you know the size of your mouth better than I do so I'll let you decide what bit size is)
4.) In a seperate bowl mix the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, pepper flakes, garlic, and orange zest. Mix it up good and set aside.
5.) Pull out your wok (PLEASE tell me you have a wok, this will be awkward if you don't) and set it on a burner on high. Add some oil (I used peanut oil because it was on the counter). Let it get nice and warm.
6.) Carefully add the chicken so that you dont get splattered with oil (that hurts, trust me). Stir it until lightly browned and cooked through.
7.) Add the soy mixture and stir until chicken is well coated. Quickly add the broccoli and keep stirring it all together until the broccoli is at a doneness you like. I like mine with a crunch so only cooked 2-3 minutes.
8.) Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Better than what we get from take out. And healthier. AND I can pronounce all the ingredients. AND I have leftovers for the next day. So much win!

Baked Potato Soup

So its been a rough couple of weeks around here since the seasons creeping crud made it into the house.  The good thing is it has made us want some comfort foods.  For me that turned into Baked Potato Soup. So once I could drag myself around the house I made a bee line for the kitchen.

Baked Potato Soup (the quick and easy way)

This is based off of some recipe I read once upon a time when I was still in college, working part time and living with my mother and craving the Panera potato soup that was out of my budget.  Over the years it got adapted and changed, and when I started working full time it was simplified for my need for quick and fast meals.  Its fabulous, I've been waiting for fall weather to start to justify making it. The recipe makes enough for two plus left overs.

Ingredients 
3-4 strips of bacon
3-4 Baking Potatoes
2-3 Cups of milk (I average this since it depends on how it thins out with the roux and cheese, also you can replace some liquid with chicken stock or broth for added flavor)
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsps of butter
2 tbsps flour
1/2c cheese plus extra for sprinkling on top for that extra little flare of yumminess
1-2 tbsps of sour cream to taste
salt and pepper to taste

First cook up the bacon in the microwave (on a time crunch remember?) Cook it nice and crispy, drain and let it cool then chop it small and set aside. (Note: if you're feeling decadent cook the bacon in a pan and save the grease to make your roux. Your cardiologist will love this recipe)

Next poke those potatoes with a fork and stick them in the microwave until they tender. For me that's about 12-15 mins for four big potatoes. When they are done pull them out, cut in half and let them cool. You'll thank me for that later.

Now while the potatoes are cooling get yourself a pot for making soup, and stick some butter in there on low heat. Mince some garlic and let that simmer up a bit to get the garlicky goodness into that butter.   After about 2-4 mins of that throw the 2 tbsps of butter and whisk it for another 2-3 mins to make yourself a nice roux. Keep mixing so that it doesn't burn, it doesn't taste good when it burns.

When you have a nice roux together start adding the milk slowly while whisking continuously. Let it come to a bubble over medium heat mixing it every few minutes. While that is thickening head back to those Potatoes and start cutting them up. Skin on or off is your choice.  I prefer off. Cut them up into about 1 inch cubes. Take about 1/2 of those cubes and mash them, this will add to the texture of the soup and make the potato-ey goodness go throughout the whole thing.

Once your potatoes are chopped and your milk has thickened you can start assembling. Go ahead and put some of that bacon into the soup but save enough to sprinkle on top later for garnish. Add the mashed potato first and mix well then add the chopped potato.  Add the cheese again leaving some for garnish.  Keep stirring until everything is all mixed up and take it off the heat. Finally mix in the sour cream and Serve!

It sounds like a lot of steps but it really isn't. I promise. And its soooooooooo good. I served mine in bread bowls and had lots for leftovers for the work week.

General Tso's Chicken

Oh how I love Chinese food.  But it doesn't always love me. It's a shame really. Fortunately thanks to pinterest (my new favorite cookbook) I can make it at home. This one was a bit of a challenge. Mostly because making a caramel sauce scares me. Stuff of nightmares really. Hate it. But totally worth it.

So, if you want the link to an awesome DIY Chinese take out (great the next day for making co-workers drool at lunch time) here it is. Your welcome. It's worth it. Trust me.

Now if you looked at the link already (impatient thing that you are) that grocery list looks intimidating. Its not. I live in the middle of nowhere where's-the-nearest-outhouse-and-muskrat-skinning-shed eastern shore of MD. Seriously, when my mother moved here she went to the store looking for lasagna

noodles and ricotta cheese, and the store person didn't know what that was, let alone carry it. Its improved a bit over the years needless to say. But I digress....

This is totally worth the walk around in the ethnic food section of your store. Or better yet a visit to Wegman's (aka Mecca, aka My Happy Place).  It's like a game of hide and seek but you will find it eventually. And then you have the stuff to make LOTS of this stuff and feed your face FOREVER. Its just that good :)

So... Directions (again this is what i used feel free to follow the recipe link exactly, turns out good either way)

 Three chicken breasts still semi-frozen to make it easier to cut (I let them thaw the rest of the way as i got everything else together)

1 egg beaten mixed with about 1-2 tbsp water to make a nice egg wash

1 cup flour
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp salt

1. Mix up the flour and stuff well.  Put half in one bowl and half in another. I hope you already have the egg wash in a third bowl..... Line them up! DRY, WET, DRY

2. Dip the chicken in the dry stuff, then the egg, then into the next dry set. Place on a REALLY well greased pan or tin foil. (Mine stuck a bit to the pan, but thats normal for me)

3. Repeat till all the chicken is done (terribly tedious) and then pop in the oven at 375 for about 25-30 mins until cooked. Flip it half way through if you are so inclined. (please be so inclined, it tastes better that way)

Next set!

The SAUCE!! (This is done in two parts, hang with me. Its worth it)

4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar (white wine vinegar is fine in a pinch)
¼ cup water
2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
2 tbsp hot chilli paste or sauce (use more or less to taste if you don’t like it very hot)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp corn starch
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1. Mix ALL that stuff up up together in a bowl and set it aside. (Side note I used 1.5 Tbsp of the chili sauce and that was the perfect amt for us. Also freeze your ginger afterwards to save it for later use)

1 cup sugar
¼ cup water

2. Put THAT stuff on a boiler. Your are going to make a caramel (insert scary music here). 

3. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and WATCH that stuff. Like HARD. And stir it alot. It takes time. I'm paranoid so I cooked at a lower heat and it took about 10 mins. Basically you boil and watch it until it starts to turn faintly brown. Thats the caramel magic happening. Once it turns brownish, yank it off the heat real quick.

4. Give the bowl of red ingredients a quick mix (You did leave the whisk in that bowl right?) and pour it into the caramel. Careful, it bubbled a bit on me and I had to whisk like a mad woman to keep it from boiling over. 

5. Put it back on the heat and give it a stir for a few minutes. This will help mix it for the yumminess you deserve.

Rice and broccoli

1. I like brown rice, but we only had white. So oh well... Cook that up. While you're at it steam up some broccoli. If you need directions, use the instant stuff and read the box. I made the boyfriend do it, so I don't have anything clever to write here. 

So now you get to build your own Chinese dinner!

I personally go rice, chicken and broccoli, cover in sauce. But it's your dinner, go for whatever you want. I won't judge. Much. 

Someday I promise I will get pictures. Someday.....

Bacon Jam

Mmmmmmmmm

Its Bacon. Its Jam. Its perfect! Seriously, I had my doubts about this one when I read about it on my FB feed, but I have a party tomorrow and I wanted to try something different from the usual fare.

So we went hunting at our local grocery store and managed to russell up all the needed ingredients. Its pretty straight forward. The next time I will have all the prep work done in advance and all the ingredients pre-measured and ready to go (HAHAHA yeah I don't believe me either but its nice to have a goal in life).

Anyway, you can go here for the recipe, but just so you know I didn't follow it exactly (I know I'm terrible)

Here's what I used:
1 pound sliced bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 large yellow onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3/4 cup brewed coffee


I pretty much followed the recipe exactly. My biggest suggestion is don't get distracted and over cook your bacon. Its a tragedy. Possibly even a crime in some areas. So watch the bacon!!

1. Place your bacon in a pan over medium heat. Stir frequently and cook until the bacon is lightly brown. There's gonna be a lot of bacon fat in that pan, so fish out the bacon when its done and place it on a napkin to drain and drain off all but maybe a table spoon of that grease out of the pan.

2. Place the onion and the garlic into the pan and cook (stirring frequently) until the onion is translucent. This can happen quick so, again, don't over cook it!

3. Mix in the remaining ingredients and stir it up and don't forget it get the bits off the bottom of the pan. THose are the yummies! Cook it all until its well mixed up and then stir in the bacon again and get it covered in the juices.

4. Now here's the fun part. Stick it in the crock pot. Just put it in there. Set it on high and stir it every once in a while for the next 3-4 hours. Don't put the lid. You want that juice to thicken up and get uber yummy.  Try not to stick a spoon in there and eat it yet.

5. Once its all thickened up a bit, and you've watched a couple of movies, stick it in a food processor and pulse that baby until its chopped up into bits and chunky. You do NOT want to turn it into a paste. Trust me you want that texture to be there.

6. Let it cool off and enjoy! I have been informed by the boyfriend that it would likely taste good on english muffins (hint hint). So English muffins will be next on my hit list!

Anyway we've already previewed this jam and its fantastic and I'll be passing it out to friends tomorrow! New christmas gifts possibly?

What to do... what to do

So.... I figured what the heck. Why not post about some of the things I make. If nothing else it gives me something to refer to later on.

Needed something sweet tonight AND I wanted to try a gluten free recipe for future guests. Im a cake and pie kinda girl but that doesn't always work for everyone.  bummer.

So In the freezer I had some uber ripe bananas that I was going to make into banana bread, but that felt like a lot of work for a tuesday. After a glass of wine. And its hot and humid. And I have this ice cream maker. Sooooooo.......

Banana Ice Cream. OMG YUM TYVM!

It passed the boyfriend test with flying colors. Could be better with chocolate. Or nuts. But then again what isn't?

So the recipe? I kinda tweaked three or four recipes to make something semi edible since I didn't have enough cream and only two bananas. But it came out quite fine anyway. (eventually I will learn to add pics to this)

1. Take some nice and ripe (read black) bananas from  the freezer and let thaw for 45mins to an hour. You want them to be smooshable. I used two but you could use more if you want more of a banana-ery flavor.

2. Mix in about 1cup of sugar. I stuck it in  the stand mixer. I love that thing. I want flame decals for it someday. Mix it till the sugar is all smooshed up with the banana.

3. Add about 2 to 2.5 cups of milk. (I eyeball things sometimes. That's terrible I know. Im a terrible terrible person, but I can live with that). Anyway mix that in till the banana is all swirled in there. 

4. Then add about 2 cups of heavy cream, mix that in slowly, we don't want butter or whipped cream ice cream (I've done it by mistake, not as good as you might think) And while you're at it throw in about 1/2 to 1 tbsp of vanilla. I think it adds a nice flavor.

5. Once those are all mixed together throw it into your ice cream maker. (if you dont have one GET ONE. BEST. THING. EVER.) and let the machine do its thing until you have a nice soft serve style ice ceram on your hands. About 30-40 mins on mine (it was hot and humid today remember?)

6. Empty that bad boy into a container and put some plastic wrap against the cream (it will prevent ice crystals that will make it yucky) and stick that in the freezer until its firmed up.

7. EAT IT. Enjoy. Share. Make some more

Ingredients:
2-4 really ripe (and smooshable) bananas (mine were frozen and then thawed)
1c. sugar (can use splenda, let me know how that turns out!)
2- 2 1/2c. whole milk (could probably use low fat milk, I don't know. Try it, let me know)
2c. heavy cream
1tbsp vanilla