Spicy Kung PAO!! Chicken and Noodles

Ho-my goodness.  The flavor of this dish was incredible and the heat was insane.  Another recipe from Carlsbad Cravings that rocked our socks off.  Our mouths were EN FUEGO!!!  And of course, excited to have this one again.  Below is a little clip of what we looked like at the table.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large chicken breasts (1 pound), cut into bite size pieces
• 8 oz. vermicelli or thin spaghetti (I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles)
• 
  Marinade/Sauce
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 
  Stir Fry
• sesame oil (vegetable oil will do)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2-4 teaspoons red pepper flakes OR 8-12 dried red chilies (deseeded and cut into halves)**
• 1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed and cut in half (I used sugar snap peas)
• 5 stalks green onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup peanuts**

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade/sauce ingredients. Add ¼ cup of the marinade/sauce to a large freezer bag with chicken. Store the remaining sauce separately in the refrigerator while you marinate the chicken for 30 minutes up to overnight (the longer the better).

Cook pasta al dente in generously salted water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large wok or skillet, dry roast peanuts until golden, tossing occasionally, approximately 3 minutes. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Once hot and sizzling, add chicken (letting extra marinade drip off) and cook approximately 3-5 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Remove to a plate.

Turn heat down to medium and heat an additional 1 tablespoon oil. Add red pepper flakes (or chilies*), garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Add water chestnuts, celery, red bell pepper, and snow peas and sauté 1 minute. Add chicken and reserved sauce to skillet and bring to a boil. Simmer until sauce thickens, approximately 30 seconds.

Stir in peanuts, green onions and noodles. Taste and add desired, salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes. You can even add sugar if you like your stir fry sweeter.

**This was seriously TOO good - HOWEVER! If you're a pussy when it comes to heat I totally recommend using LESS crushed red pepper.  I used 2-1/2 tsp and dare I say it was almost too hot.  Next time I might cut it down to 1 heaped tsp.  ALSO, I think I'll add another 1/4 cup of peanuts.

Cashew and Coconut Crusted Chicken Strips!

This meal was really good and really easy.  Even if you don't like coconut (like the texture) this meal is epic and the crust turns out so perfectly crunchy.  Yum yum!

I got the recipe from Carlsbad Cravings - this website has quickly become one of my favorites.  Every meal we've made from it has turned out so incredibly well!

My mom and dad absolutely love coconut so I'm sure they'd love this one!

• Cashew Coconut Chicken Tenders
• 12 chicken tenders (just over 2 pounds)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup toasted cashews
• ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 
  Mango Honey Dip
• 2 mangos, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 green onions, roughly chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons red chili flakes

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add cashews and coconut flakes to blender or food processor and process until cashews are about the size of the panko crumbs, scraping the sides of the blender as needed. Add cashews/coconut, panko, chicken tender spices and brown sugar to a shallow dish and mix until evenly distributed.
   
2. Place the flour in another shallow dish. Whisk the egg with the lime juice in another shallow dish. Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour and then dip in egg, and then finally coat in the coconut/cashew/panko mixture, pressing mixture into chicken with your fingers to make sure the coating sticks.  (I had a hard time taking pictures since my fingers were covered in egg and breading)
3. Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) with a baking rack on top that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spray chicken with non-stick cooking spray for extra crispiness (optional). Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Broil until coconut is nicely golden, and panko crisp, but still light in color.
4. To make the Mango Honey Dip, place all the ingredients in a blender, starting with just 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and process until smooth. Taste and add additional red pepper flakes as desired.

The only thing Brent and I did NOT like about this meal (other than the Zataran's Caribbean Rice I made for a side) was the Mango Honey Dip.  There was just something about it.  It was too runny and I really didn't like how vinegary it was.  I think next time I'd rather just drizzle a little honey over them or buy a mango chutney.  Or maybe I could just try it again without the vinegar.

The chicken strips were so incredibly crispy and delicious and the egg and lime juice wash added a perfect kick.  I'm excited to try this one again!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is by far the best sweet and sour chicken I've made, and the leftovers were amazing!!  This has pineapple, bell peppers and carrots in it.  Jen on the Biggest Loser said she considers veggies to be fair game and next time I plan on adding more veggies to it.  It was just too good.

This recipe requires a little bit of time so if you're looking for a quicker meal you might want to save this for another night.

• Chicken Breading
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 ½ pounds), cut in bite-size pieces)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 
  Sweet and Sour Sauce
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (from 20 oz. pineapple tidbits can below)
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ketchup (6 tablespoons)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 
  Vegetables/Pineapple
• 1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, sliced as THIN as possible (2-3 carrots)

Alright, here's where the fun begins!

1. Add "Sweet and Sour Sauce" ingredients to a medium/large saucepan, stir and bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer while you prepare the chicken and dice the vegetables, stirring occasionally (turn off if longer than 20 minutes). Note, the sauce will not thicken, simmering is to soften the onions and blend flavors.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, set aside. Add ½ cup flour to a large freezer bag; set aside next to eggs. Whisk cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, pepper, ginger powder and onion powder in medium bowl; set aside next to flour.
4. Add chicken to eggs and coat, then remove, allowing excess to drip off, then add to freezer bag with flour. Toss until evenly coated then discard any extra flour. Add cornstarch/spices to the chicken in the freezer bag and shake until evenly coated.
5. Over high heat, heat enough oil (any kind) to generously cover the bottom of a large skillet until hot and rippling. Add chicken and cook 1-2 minutes per side, or until browned but not cooked through. (You may need to cook in 2 batches depending on size of your skillet). Transfer chicken to prepared 9x13 baking dish.
6. Add carrots pineapple and peppers to the sweet and sauce and mix until well combined. Pour sauce over chicken and stir until sauce/chicken/vegetables are evenly combined. Cook, uncovered for 50 minutes or until sauce, stirring occasionally.
7. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

French Toast Cupcakes with Maple Icing and... BACON!

Our bacon-loving Andy was leaving our department and I had to make him a farewell parting treat.  The kid doesn't even like sweets so the fact that he ate two of these cupcakes is pretty awesome.

Here's what you'll need:

What You’ll Need:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 ½  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• Maple Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows
• Crisp Bacon
• Equipment: A six cup jumbo muffin pan or 12 cup regular muffin pan

Directions:

1.) Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line the muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

2.) In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.)

3.) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla, and also set aside.

4.) Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter one at time, waiting for each one to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

5.) Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Alternately, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next (scrape the bowl down occasionally). Raise the speed to medium and mix briefly until a smooth batter is formed. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.

6.) Thoroughly clean the bowl of the mixer and put the egg whites inside. Whip the egg whites on high speed, using the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks are formed.

7.) Working in 3 batches, using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter, until just incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the cups in the muffin pan. Bake, rotating the pan once, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

8.) Remove the cupcakes  from the oven and cool completely.

Zeus likes to help

Maple Buttercream FrostingYield: about 1 2/3 cups, enough for 6 large or 12 regular cupcakes

What You’ll Need:

• 2 Sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon maple extract

Directions:
1.) In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

2.) Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the heavy cream and maple extract.. Raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Crisp BaconBacon works well for me baked in an oven at 425 degrees on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake 12-15 minutes, drain grease, and bake another 5-7 minutes or until crisp.  You can do it in a pan as well.

Finally – Frost the cooled French Toast Cupcakes with the Maple Buttercream Frosting and top with a Crisp piece of Bacon!

Another not bad piping job with a ZipLock bag!

Original Recipe

Orange Beef and Broccoli

This recipe would be awesome with chicken as well!  I was super happy with the turn out :)

Ingredients:
1-1/2lb flank or sirloin steak cut very thin (shaved if you can!)
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoons soy sauce2 Tablespoons cornstarch, divided
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice (for best results use pre-made or from concentrate, not fresh)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
4 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil
cooked rice, for serving

Directions: 

1. Add steak to a large ziplock bag then add 1 Tablespoon each soy sauce or Tamari and cornstarch. Seal then squish to evenly coat and then place in the refrigerator to marinate for 20 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce or Tamari and remaining 1 Tablespoon cornstarch with chicken broth, orange juice, rice vinegar, sugar, orange zest, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper flakes then set aside.
   
3. Heat a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat then add broccoli and water. Stir fry until broccoli is crisp tender, 3-4 minutes then remove to a plate and set aside.
   
4. Heat oil in wok then add half the marinated beef in one layer. Do not disturb for 30 seconds, or until bottom is golden brown. Flip slices then saute until second side is golden brown. This should go very quickly if your beef is cut thin enough. Also, don’t overcook the beef or it can turn tough. Remove to a plate then cook remaining beef and then add to plate.
   
5. Add the sauce to the wok then cook until thickened and reduced, about 5 minutes. Add cooked beef and broccoli back into the wok then scoop over cooked rice when warmed through.
   
   
   
   
   

Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownies - AKA CRACK BROWNIES!

Oh.. oh oh..  So good.  I went home this past weekend to help my mom and dad cook for Dad's employee grill out.  I made these.  They were awesome :)

• 1 (18 oz) box brownie mix, prepared and unbaked
• 1 (15 1/2 oz) pkg oreo cookies
• 1 (6 oz) jar dulce de leche (and 1 tbsp fleur de sel) or salted caramel (Smucker's)
• 2 (18 oz) roll ready-made refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Spray 9x13 pan.

Make brownie layer, per box instructions, set aside.

Now.. ASSEMBLE!

Press cookie dough into bottom of pan.

Add layer of oreos on top of cookie dough. nudge them as close together as possible without overlapping.

remove lid on caramel/dulce de leche and microwave for 35 seconds. use a spoon to drizzle over oreos (same some for final step).

Lastly, pour brownie batter on top of the caramel/oreo layer.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (sometimes up to 45 minutes). Test with knife to see if center is done. It's ok if the knife has some brownie on it.

Once out of oven, reheat the remaining caramel and drizzle over the top. If using dulce de leche, sprinkle fleur de sel on top.

These. Are. Amazing.

White Chicken Chili with Quinoa!

This was soooo good and soooo hearty.  The leftovers were awesome, too.  Leftovers being good is kind of a big deal since I'm usually the one eating them (sorry, Babes - it's the troof).  I'm looking forward to making this on those cool fall evenings.  Hopefully by that time I'll be on a normal shift for work and won't have to eat at 8:30pm every night.  Eck!

Here's your ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, diced
2 jalapeño peppers, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground (or just use a teaspoon of already ground stuff, I won't judge)
3 cups of chicken broth, or chicken stock
1 cup salsa verde
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (or thighs)
1-15 ounce can of white beans, drained
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed (I bought the ready to cook stuff because that's how I roll)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon lime juice (or about 1/2 of a lime)
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
** The store was out of jalapeño peppers so I bought two Serrano peppers - I later read that Serrano peppers are about twice the heat of jalapeños so I only used one of the Serranos.  Also, I didn't want to buy a huge jar of salsa verde so I bought the little seven ounce can from the "international foods" (lol) section of the store and then I bought a little can of chopped green chilies.  I think that's really the only thing I did different.  In hindsight I would have added the second Serrano - I would have enjoyed more heat with it.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and jalapeños.  Cook until tender, about 5 - 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the broth, salsa verde, chicken, beans, quinoa, and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the quinoa is tender, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken, shred or dice, return to soup along with the lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.  Add the diced avocado and stir to combine.

DO NOT add the lime juice with everything else.  The acid in the limes (or any citrus fruit) can keep the quinoa (or any legumes) from cooking properly.

This recipe serves four and is just under 400 calories per serving (397, to be exact).  44g of carbs, 8g of fiber and a huge 42g of protein make this a perfect and filling meal.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Mmm..  Cheese.

These have mozzarella cheese on the inside, too!  Soo tasty.  This recipe requires a mini muffin pan to help make these guys meatball sized, not meat muffin sized :)

INGREDIENTS

1 

cup panko

1/2 

cup Parmesan cheese

1 

tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 

egg

1 

pound ground chicken breast (or dark meat)

1/2 

cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 

cup diced white onion

2 

cloves garlic, minced

1 

tablespoon dried oregano

6 

fresh basil leaves, torn

1 

pinch salt and pepper

16 

small mozzarella cubes, cut from a block

2 

cups of your favorite marinara sauce (I LOVE the roasted garlic parmesan from Prego)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• In a small bowl, combine the panko, half of the Parmesan cheese, and the olive oil. Using your fingers (or a fork), combine the mixture until it's evenly coated. Set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg. Then add the chicken, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, the remaining Parmesan, basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.
  
• Lightly coat a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Place a couple of tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each well. Nestle a cube of mozzarella in the center of the mixture. Pat the chicken over the cheese to completely cover it.
  
• Sprinkle the panko/Parmesan mixture on top of each chicken mound, lightly pressing it into the meat.
  
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the panko is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. If needed, you may broil the panko to further brown it.
  
• Let rest 5 minutes. Then using a knife, lightly loosen each meatball from the muffin tin.
• In the meantime, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan.
• Serve meatballs with warmed marinara.
  
  
  
  Next time I'll use less onion and dice it finer.  They tasted fine it was just a little too "oniony" for Brent and I.  Otherwise, definitely a new favorite :)  And, as always, leftovers were AWESOME!

Funfetti Sugar Cookies

Oh my goodness - these were so good.  I made a bunch and then saved a dozen for my momma since she LOOOOOVES sprinkles!  This recipe takes a little longer to bake because you need to chill the dough, but it's so worth it.  Chilling the dough is NON-NEGOTIABLE and do not be tempted to over bake these.  If you do not chill the dough your cookies will not told up and spread all over the pan.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract (real vanilla extract may be substituted)
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons corn starch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
3/4 cup sprinkles (jimmies)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, egg, extract, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes). Do not shortcut the creaming process; make sure dough is very light in color and fluff, stop to scrape down the sides of the mixer as necessary.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Add the sprinkles and beat momentarily to incorporate, less than 1 minute, or fold in by hand.
4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two tablespoon mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
5. Preheat oven to 350F, line two baking sheets parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. These cookies should not turn golden or brown at all and should stay white. Do not bake longer than 9 minutes for soft cookies because they firm up as they cool - I baked for 9 minutes and rotated the pan half way through the baking process. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
6. Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.  I doubled the recipe as this is only a small batch recipe.