Honey Ginger Chicken - Part II

I finally made the Honey-Ginger Chicken over the weekend.  Being lazy I made the marinade, but threw in the the chicken thighs whole, and baked in the oven until done.  Instead of glazing the thighs, I served the sauce on the side.  We ate this with oven fries, and steamed vegetables.  The whole meal was a big a hit, but there was some leftover chicken and sauce.

The leftover chicken became a very tasty and ridiculously quick dinner tonight that was also a big hit with everyone.

• 1.75 c water
• 1.33 c Couscous
• oil
• 1 onion - diced
• 1 green pepper - diced
• 1 orange pepper -diced
• leftover chicken and sauce - diced

Prepare couscous according to package directions.

Heat oil in pan, add diced vegetables and saute for a few minutes.  Vegetables should still be a little crisp, add leftover chicken and sauce to the pan to warm.  Once the chicken is warm toss the vegetable and chicken mixture with the couscous, and enjoy!
   

 

Not for Everybody

Lucky for me neither of my kids have any allergies.  If I let them DaKids would live on peanut butter sandwiches with the occasional side of shrimp.  However DaGoof and I need something a little more substantial than that.

One of the things that has become a favorite in the house is Peanut Butter Noodles.  There is a great recipe for a peanut sauce as part of this recipe.  I typically make this with what we have on hand.  Tonight we had the sauce with thin spaghetti, shrimp, onions, carrots and thinly sliced cabbage.  I sauteed the shrimp and onions while the noodles cooked.  When the noodles were almost done I poured the sauce into the hot pan with the shrimp and onions and whisked it all together.  Then I tossed the noodles with the shrimp mixture, the shredded carrots and thinly sliced cabbage. 

The kids cannot turn down anything slathered in peanut butter, so everything including the raw cabbage was eaten without a fight.

Sometimes I use chicken, and I am betting that pork would also be really good in the sauce.  I also think that next time I might toss in strips of peppers.     

Back to School

Now fall has officially arrived.  My girl is back in school, and I start my quilt classes again tonight I find that I need to be a tad more organized. 

Over the summer the kids started complaining about dinner every night, even on the nights we had their favorites.  So this week with my first real meal plan for the fall I asked them what they wanted.  DaGirl requested pancakes and DaBoy wished for chicken.  I wished for something super simple for the night I needed to get out of the house early.  The plan for this week:

• Monday - Kitchen Sink Pancakes (whole wheat pancakes with banana, walnuts & chocolate chips) and Scrambled Eggs
• Tuesday - A visit with Memere & Pepere (they got to make dinner instead of me!)
• Wednesday - Crockpot Chicken Chili with Cornbread
• Thursday - Sandwiches with leftover Chili
• Friday - Honey-Ginger Chicken Bites with mashed potatoes and salad
• Saturday - Date Night, DaKids can have boxed mac'n cheese with the babysitter! 

Strawberry Soup

Tonight we had turkey sandwiches with strawberry soup.  All four us of loved the soup.  DaBoy actually asked for a straw to slurp out the last few drops of soup.  I believe that is the highest form of praise any 2-year-old can offer!

After reading several different recipes this was what I did:

  about 2 c frozen strawberries (I had a mix of sweetened and unsweetened)
  2 c low-fat milk
  1.5 c plain fat-free yogurt
  1 t vanilla extract

Puree in food processor or blender until smooth.  Serve cold.

Fresh or unsweetened berries could easily be substituted but you might want to add a little sugar.

Summer Cooking

It has been a hot summer!  I have avoided turning on the stove as much as I can.  We have been eating mostly simple grilled meats with grilled, raw or steamed vegetables. 

There have been a few exceptions to the above mentioned and my favorite has been the No-Knead Oat Bread recipe I found from King Arthur.  It makes a huge loaf of bread that is very tasty.  DaGirl is happy to snack on plain slices of the fresh bread.  I really like the bread lightly toasted with a smear of peanut butter and a touch of jelly for breakfast, or a couple of thinner slices make a great sandwich.  I think I want to add some raisins to the next loaf of Oat Bread that I make.

Another of my favorite meals was an eggplant dish based on a simple Eggplant Parmesan recipe. I added a couple of cups of diced tomatoes to the bottom of the casserole dish, which made it a very saucy dish.  I also added some ricotta cheese to the center filling.  I may have used a little extra mozzarella since the kids love cheese.  This was severed with thin spaghetti (aka worms) and salad.  The one thing I would like to try is grilling the eggplant instead of baking it.       

We have also done a little canning.  The plum tree in the yard is very giving this year and after picking almost 18 pounds of fruit a few nights ago we set to making plum jam.  Due to some logistical problems and miscommunications DaGoof and I canned nearly a dozen jars of plum sauce which is delicious on top of vanilla ice cream, maybe this weekend we will try the sweet stuff on top of some pancakes.  I also have a couple of plummy recipes from the book Put 'Em Up by Sherri Brooks Vinton.

Salmon Kebabs

I made the salmon kebabs without the rosemary.  The salmon came out very tasty.  DaGoof declared that dinner was "very buttery."  I liked all the flavors but felt something lacking. 

I think I would like to try something similar but different.  Using the marinade, but brushing it over a whole fillet to grill would be easier.  Then flake the salmon and toss with grilled and crushed cherry tomatoes, a couple cups of orzo and some dice cucumber. 

I also hope that next time I will have some fresh rosemary in the garden to add to the marinade.

Burning Down the House

Last night was a complete disaster.

I put the rolls in the oven to bake, and started to herd the kittens outside to the backyard.  I had every intention of coming back in the house in a few minutes to check on the rolls.  It took a little more coaxing than usual to get the kids in the back yard.  Then they requested a trip to the garden to pick some strawberries for a snack.  When we were done picking strawberries I started to plant the flowers that were waiting patiently.  I suddenly remembered sometime much later that the rolls were still baking.  I exceeded the 12-15 minute bake time by about 45 minutes. 

Lucky for us our favorite Mexican restaurant is a short walk away and they weren't burning anything.