Sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Hello there! I haven't been around here much (well, at all) lately. I have not been cooking as much as I used to, and mostly old favorites when I do. That being said, I have tried several new great recipes, but didn't think to take a picture or keep a record of them, and now I'm kind of kicking myself!

One of my favorite things I made during the Christmas season was my Gram's homemade marshmallow recipe. I showed my students how to make them, too. One day, they made the marshmallows, then the next, they made homemade hot cocoa to go with their homemade marshmallows and we sat down with our cocoa and played a few games! It was a reward for finishing a huge restaurant business pitch project and they really enjoyed it. A lot of crazy flavors came out of that experiment!

We, like many other people, are trying to change a few things up with the new year. One of them is getting back to eating wholesome homecooked meals in the evenings. For a while, we were just in survival mode, which didn't include cooking. I finally feel like we're in enough of a routine that cooking will be easier to fit in the evenings now and that feels really good! As soon as I make that proclamation, everything will change. Babies are weird! Sweet, but weird!

This sweet and sour chicken fit the bill of something new to try (a different method than I've tried before) and something Norris would eat. Plus, it was really good! I thought the process was a little obnoxious with the stirring every fifteen minutes for an hour, but you really do have to do that to get the sauce baked on evenly.  I would agree with Stephanie that it's not a weeknight meal in my house...too long for that! Not difficult, just too long from start to finish. I'm thinking you could accomplish this with nearly the same results if you simmered the chicken in the sauce. Plus, it would be done faster. I'll definitely be making this again. Served with a little brown rice and some sauteed green beans and peppers, this hit the spot on a really cold winter night!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil (or enough to cover bottom of pan)
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. Heat oil in saute pan.
 Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Shake off any excess, then fry in oil until lightly browned but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic salt together and pour over chicken.
Bake for one hour at 325 degrees, uncovered, stirring chicken every fifteen minutes.

(Freezer) Ranch Cheddar Burgers

Another item to add to the freezer stash. I froze half and cooked half for dinner. Norris said they're really good, so I'm looking forward to trying them in a month or so! I followed the freezer instructions on these, also. Norris says the only thing to change would be to add more ranch flavoring next time, so I guess there will be a next time! Much better than those frozen burger patties (although those definitely aren't a terrible thing!).

Ranch Cheddar Burgers (links to recipe)

from Once a Month Mom

(Freezer) Mexican Chicken and Rice

We are within a few weeks of meeting our little man, so whenever I have enough energy and not too much swelling going on (so that combo doesn't happen too terribly often!), I am trying to get a meal stashed in the freezer. Norris keeps reminding me that he can cook for us, but I know we'll both appreciate having some things stored away to just pull out and heat that doesn't include frozen boxed pizza.

I can't attest to the flavor of this dish yet as it is in my freezer still, but I am already looking forward to eating it. I do know that the rice is awesome! I froze cooked rice for the first time recently and it reheated perfectly, so I am excited to have this (x2) in our freezer. I followed her freezer directions and this was really quick and easy to prep for the freezer. I think it would also be good in the crockpot if you don't have/don't want to use a grill.

Mexican Chicken and Rice (links to recipe)

from Once a Month Mom

Chicken Alfredo Rollups

Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups

9 lasagna noodles
2  cups alfredo sauce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp garlic salt
2 cups shredded Mozzarella

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour in just enough alfredo sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.Cook noodles according to package directions to the al dente stage.

Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and blot dry with paper towel. Line up the noodles side by side.

Combine all but 1/3 cup afredo sauce, chicken, oregano, garlic salt, and 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella.

Divide filling evenly among noodles. Roll up noodles and place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce, then remaining cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Pan Fried Crappie

Happy Valentine's Day! My valentine and I went out to dinner a couple of nights ago to avoid the rush (thanks for dinner, Mom and Dad!). We discovered a restaurant new to us that we will be returning to many times!

Tonight, we went for a boat ride, which was far colder than we expected, with hopes to catch dinner. Good thing Norris caught fish last night because we had no luck tonight! After the chilly boat ride, we came home and cooked together. We were done in less than twenty minutes and it was one of the best meals we've had in a while. We tried a little different method than usual and we'll be using it again.

 

 

 

Pan Fried Crappie

 

canola or vegetable oil for frying (about 1/2 inch deep in skillet)

crappie fillets

1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed (used Ninja to make a fine crumb)

1 cup flour

seasonings

2 eggs

 

Season flour and crackers. Set up breading station with a plate of flour, then eggs, then saltines.

Heat oil to about 375 F.

Dip fillet in flour, then eggs, then crackers, then fry for about 45 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

Chicken Fried Steak

I know it's the time of year to make a bunch of healthy recipes, but I am pretty much using the same ones of those I've posted before. About once a week, I've been making a more-than-weeknight meal based on Norris' request. This week, the dish was chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and white gravy. Mmmmm, comfort food. I told him as we were eating it (and he was looooving it) that I can't remember ever even making it before. I may have before, and I have only eaten it a couple of times, but it's pretty easy to know what it's supposed to taste like and whether it tastes good!
It really wasn't too labor intensive and I had most of the dishes done before we sat down to eat, which I always like, so it could be a weeknight meal, but it's definitely not a super quick one. Great for a meat and potatoes man (or woman!).
I made my favorite mashed potatoes on the side--boil potatoes along with peeled cloves of garlic, then season (butter, milk, salt, pepper, sour cream, whatever you like) according to taste. Love that cooked garlic flavor in them and it helps you not need as much butter in the end. I'm just linking you to the recipe since the only change I made was to make 1/3 of the recipe and use skim instead of whole milk, which worked just fine!

Chicken Fried Steak

from Pioneer Woman

"Panda Express" Honey Walnut Shrimp

We have been to Panda Express a few times and the honey walnut shrimp is amaaaazing. I don't have a "normal" order because I've only been there a few times, but I have had a bite or two of this each time and know it's good. Norris requested that I make it at home and we loved this, too. It has a few more dishes than my typical weeknight meal, but they were worth it. I will use this coating technique for shrimp in any sauce again. Norris liked it so much that he suggested I use this recipe for school, and I know the kids would also love it!

"Panda Express" Honey Walnut Shrimp

1lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined, with tails removed)
1 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
½ cup walnuts
4 egg whites
2/3 cup cornstarch
¼ cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp milk (skim works)
1 cup oil (for frying)

 

Bring the water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the walnuts and boil for two minutes, then drain and spread on a baking sheet or plate to dry.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy (a mixer makes quick work out of this). Add cornstarch and stir until thickened.

Combine mayonnaise, honey, 1 tbsp sugar, and milk in a small saucepan and keep warm.

Heat oil in frying pan or deep fryer. Dip shrimp in egg white batter, shake off excess, and fry in hot oil until golden brown, or about four minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss shrimp in warm mayonnaise sauce, then toss with walnuts and serve.

adapted from allsecretrestaurantrecipes

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

This recipe has a little different flavor than your regular chicken breast, but is still very simple and yields great results. We both loved this and it was even great as leftovers! The only thing I changed was adding the brown sugar to the saute pan as the garlic was browning because it made more of a paste to spread over the chicken.

 

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

(link to recipe)

Smothered Pork Chops with Smashed Potatoes

Just a link so I don't forget...these were great! Norris said I should make this every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. (he says that about all the dinners he loves, I think) The only part I didn't do was mix coleslaw in with the potatoes and just served salad on the side instead.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/smothered-pork-chops-with-smashed-potatoes/

Spicy chicken tenders with honey mustard

It was time for dinner and I knew I was making chicken tenders, but hadn't decided how or what to do with them. I normally just throw some spices together, but was feeling like trying something new (but without thinking, so knew I'd need a recipe:). This recipe from Giada was excellent! I used half the amount of breading/egg ingredients and it was plenty for about 12 chicken tenders. I made half the honey mustard, too, and it was perfect with the chicken tenders! The amounts below reflect the changes I made.

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard

cooking spray

 

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

 

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp hot sauce

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

 

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

 

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil or line with Silpat.

Combine honey and mustard until smooth and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs and hot sauce. In another medium bowl, mix together cornmeal, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then shake off excess. Roll in cornmeal mixture and place on baking sheet with space between each chicken tender.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway through.

Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

from Giada

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

Another Pinterest winner! Especially for Norris--he really liked this. He loves it when I make hot food (what I consider dinner food) for lunch, so over break I made this. I prepped it two days before I actually baked it, so I baked it for a little longer and covered it with foil for the first part so it wouldn't overbrown. It also made great leftovers!

 

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (I also saw other versions that used regular milk with good results)
1 (1 oz) pkg. dry ranch salad dressing mix (not the dip blend).....I accidentally used the dip blend and it was still good
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 C. uncooked penne pasta
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated (I saw another version that replaced these two with three cups of colby jack, and I'd say I used closer to 3 cups)

Spray a 9x13 baking dish.
Cook pasta until about 2 minutes under regular cook time. Drain and add to baking dish.
Combine evaporated milk, dressing mix, and pepper in a heavy saucepan. Heat just to a boil, thensSimmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly.
Layer chicken, sauce, and cheese into dish over pasta. Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving if you want it to come out prettier, or just eat it in a big pile on your plate while it's still steaming, which is more my style!

from Mommy I'm Hungry

Baked Pizza Pasta

This is super easy to prepare and does well when prepped ahead of time. I made it two days ahead, stuck it in my fridge, then baked it the night we wanted it. I think it would also freeze really well. The recipe is really a no-brainer, but I wanted to be sure I have it as an idea for the future!

Link to recipe

"Panera" mac and cheese

I have a coworker who raves about Panera mac and cheese. I've still never tried it because I'm always swayed by the turkey sandwiches and fuji apple chicken salad, so I can't compare this to theirs, but it's awesome. I should be embarrassed to say how much of this we ate in one sitting, but it was goooooood. The only thing I changed was using yellow cheddar because the white cheddar wasn't in the grocery store I was in. I've seen it in a different store, but wasn't making two trips that day. It was amazing and the best homemade stovetop mac and cheese I have had. 

Panera Bread’s Signature Macaroni & Cheese

1 (16-ounce) package of rigati pasta (or other small pasta shells)
¼ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups 2% reduced fat milk (or cream) --I used skim milk
6 slices white American cheese, chopped  (this is basically white Velveeta...processed cheese)
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar (I used yellow cheddar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Gradually whisk in milk (or cream); cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).

Serves 4 to 6

from Panera's website

Cilantro Chicken Tacos

I have noticed lately that almost all of my grocery lists contain cilantro. If I could keep a plant alive, I'd grow it myself. That's why I like the "dormant" orchid Norris bought me. I can say it's still alive because it's "dormant". I don't actually know whether it is still alive...

I made these ahead of time and froze them, then served over garlic rice, so I guess I lie when I say they're tacos. I mixed the chicken and pesto in with garlic rice and topped it with jalapenos and salsa. This dish was amazing. I'm sure they'd be amazing tacos, too. Thanks to Joelen for a great make ahead recipe.

I followed her instructions, so you can check out the recipe at  What's Cookin' Chicago!

Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad

I'm probably getting obnoxious with talking about how much I love summer produce and how everything tastes like summer, but this is another one of those. I loved this salad and you could really customize it however you want as far as veggies and grain. Don't change the dressing--it's so good and a great balance with all of the other flavors! Enjoy summer produce while it's here!!!

Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well (I used millet)

2 cups chicken broth


3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
1 cup blueberries
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped small (peeled if outside is thick and tough)
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped basil
1/2 jalapeno, minced


1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey


salt & pepper


Rinse quinoa or millet very well in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water. Add to a saucepan with the chicken broth then bring the broth to a boil. Place a lid on top, lower the heat to medium-low, then cook until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.
For the dressing: Combine lemon zest and juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk to combine. Set aside.
Combine corn, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, basil, jalapeno, and cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and mix well to combine. Serve with grilled or sauteed shrimp, chicken, or fish.


from Iowa Girl Eats

Bangin' Good Shrimp

Lately, I've been making quite a few things Norris has absolutely loved (no, the baked zucchini wasn't one of them; that was all for me!:). When he finished this, he asked if we were having it for dessert, with the hopes that I had hidden some leftovers that he could have. It really was excellent and tasted like a restaurant dish, but was a lot cheaper and better for us. This came together quickly and would be a great weeknight dinner,especially if you already had the peels and tails off the shrimp. The texture combinations here are awesome. You can add, omit, or sub any of the pasta/veggies.We'll be having this again!

Bangin' Good Shrimp

1/3 cup light mayonnaise (thinking you may be able to sub at least half with Greek yogurt!)
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce (or to your taste preferences)
~2 tsp Sriracha (or to your taste preferences)
1/4 cup chicken, shrimp, or vegetable stock

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vegetable oil
4 cups coleslaw mix or shredded purple and green cabbage
2 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta, cooked
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, and Sriracha in a medium bowl and set aside.
Coat the shrimp with cornstarch in a bowl.
Heat vegetable oil in wok over medium high heat. Once oil is heated, add shrimp and stir fry for about three minutes, or until pink and done. Stir shrimp into mayonnaise sauce.
Stir fry bell peppers in work for about two minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
Remove pan from heat and add the stock to it. Add shrimp with sauce to the pan and stir, whisking away any clumps that form. Leave in pan until sauce is heated through.
To plate, put the pasta on, then the cabbage, then shrimp/sauce, then peppers, then peanuts, then onions. Serve with extra Sriracha if desired.

adapted from Skinny Taste

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Why does my can of "chipotle" peppers say "chiLpotle"????

Made with chipotle or chilpotle peppers, this dressing is full of flavor and a great spicy balance with all of the other ingredients in this salad. As I was assembling it, I was thinking it would be really pretty in a glass bowl or trifle dish for a party or shower. You can adjust the ingredients to your liking. Norris and I both enjoyed this and it's really filling for a salad!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Serves 4 entree salads
Dressing:
1/3 c chopped cilantro
6 oz sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
4 t lime juice
1/4 t salt

4 c shredded romaine
2 c cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 or 1 avocado, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
9 oz frozen corn, thawed (could also use no-salt-added canned corn)

Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
Assemble all other items and toss salad with dressing. Stores (dressed) well overnight in the fridge without getting soggy, which doesn't normally happen!!

from Cooking Light myrecipes

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

I have to borrow Kalyn's line for this: "If you like zucchini, fresh basil, and cheese, you'll love this Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake." Girl is right--this stuff is so good. Like, I was eating it with my fingers when I should have been putting it in a container good. I know, again with the zucchini, but take advantage of what's good in the garden right now and make some of this! It would probably be close to free for some of you--zucchini and basil from the garden and I guess if you milk your own animals and make cheese, you can even save there:) I kept talking about this the whole time we were eating. I could have had just this for dinner. It was totally the star of my plate and took up the most space! It's light and filling and absolutely delicious!

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

makes 4 side servings (I only made half the original recipe, which said it made six, but those would be gigantic servings even for me, the lover of this stuff)

1 zucchini, cut into half-moons (rondelle)
1 yellow squash, cut into half-moons (rondelle)
2-4 T chopped fresh basil
2 T thinly sliced green onions
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cheese, divided (suggested: pizza blend cheese, mozzarella, or grated Parmesan)
salt and pepper, to taste

Spray 8x8 pan or a small rectangular pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine everything but cheese in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese and mix thoroughly.
Bake for 25 minutes uncovered, then add cheese and bake for another 15.



Norris' favorite chicken marinade

This title doesn't tell you much about the recipe except that it's chicken and Norris loved it. That's because the original recipe is called "Grilled 7up Chicken" and our propane tank was empty, so it was baked, and I used Sprite instead of 7up, so it's really "Baked Sprite Chicken"!
Anyway, Norris told me he would eat this every night of the week. At the end of the meal, he said "I really liked it. That means I'd like you to make it again. Like, soon....not in three months." :) He knows me too well...I like to try new things so often that our "regulars" aren't even that "regular" most of the time! I will be happy to oblige (if he's reading this, I wonder if he'll hold me to it...) because this was super easy and cheap, and I like cheap and easy!

Baked Sprite Chicken aka Norris' favorite :)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp horseradish
6 oz lemon lime soda (NOT diet. the sugars from the regular caramelize on the outside of the chicken when you grill it)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large chicken breasts (or three regular sized)

Combine all ingredients and let marinate for at least thirty minutes and up to overnight. Grill or bake until chicken tests done.

adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff (yup, found on pinterest)

Shrimp Stuffed Squash

This is another great summer dinner (and one that makes me wish I had my own garden since I keep using things from other people's gardens...thanks, friends and family!). It was light, but filling, and bursting with flavor. I kept telling Norris how much I loved it. You could adapt the filling however you'd like...omit tomatoes, add more cheese, use garlic powder instead of fresh, use crab, go meatless, use shallot instead of onion...whatever you have and love will probably work! Enjoy!

Shrimp Stuffed Squash

Serves 1 entree or 2 sides

1 large zucchini or yellow squash, split in half longways and seeds/pulp scooped out
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
3 Tbsp chopped red onion
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
dried or fresh basil, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of cayenne

Preheat the broiler to high and adjust rack to about six inches below heating element.
Brush squash with 1 tsp of olive oil and broil, cut side down, for about 8 minutes, or until it is releasing moisture beads. Remove squash from oven.
Reduce heat to 450 F.
Heat remaining olive oil in small saute pan over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion for about two minutes, or until soft.
Combine garlic, onion, tomato, shrimp, 1 Tbsp of cheese  basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stuff into the squash halves and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is browned and filling is cooked and hot, about 20 minutes.

adapted from allrecipes