Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

Since this week I will be away Monday night, Wednesday night, and possibly even Tuesday night for a tv commercial shoot, I wanted to be sure there were plenty of leftovers to keep the hubs fed while I'm away this week.

Tonight's dinner did just that -- this recipe made about 6 portions of what was a delicious combination of chicken, pasta, and vegetables, all with an Asian-like sauce.  A good make-at-home, healthier version of Lo Mein.  Jam-packed with veggies, you can pick and choose your favs and make this your way.  I learned tonight that while my husband doesn't love corn, he definitely does not like baby corn.  Next time, I'll do him a favor and leave them out.  

With our bellies full and four packages in the refrigerator  I think he'll have enough to suffice while I'm shooting the next best Brother™ P-touch® commercial.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

What You Need:

• 1/2 box thin spaghetti
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c chicken broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 c thinly sliced carrots
• 1 c broccoli florets
• 1 c sugar snap pea pods, halved
• 1 (15-ounce) can Chinese baby corn, drained and cut in thirds
• 3 large chicken breasts, cut into small chunks

How You Do It:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. Stir-fry the ginger and onion for 2 minutes until onions are tender.
4. Add the mushrooms and carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes more.
5. Add the broccoli, pea pods, and corn. Stir-fry the vegetables for 2 more minutes, then transfer them to a large bowl.
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add chicken and stir-fry it until no longer pink. Add the cooked noodles, vegetables, and sauce. Lightly toss the mixture until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein recipe adapted from Fun Family Magazine

Sesame Chicken

Thanks to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, tonight's dinner is being brought to you by one serious hangover.  Last night they threw an amazing wine party and today I paid for it.  And, nothing helps a hangover like some Chinese food.  However, takeout can get pretty fattening, so I bring you some make-your-own-takeout: Sesame Chicken.

I will admit - this sesame chicken does not have the deep-fried, sticky, ooey-gooey sauce, nor does it have the true "sesame chicken" flavors.  It was, however, delicious.  The orange marmalade and soy sauce flavors really shine through and don't be afraid of all those red pepper flakes - not much of a kick at all.  Certainly one to be filed in my "make-your-own-takeout" folder for another night.

Thanks, Tricia and Ed, for another amazing wine party!

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

What You Need:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c flour
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

How You Do It:

1. In a large Ziploc bag, combine soy sauce, orange marmalade, wine, and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss in the chicken cubes and marinate in refrigerator up to 1 day.
2. Combine flour and sesame seeds in separate large Ziploc bag.  Drain chicken and toss in flour mixture to lightly coat.
3. Spread chicken cubes on large rimmed baking tray.  Drizzle with melted butter.
4. Bake at 375* for 10 minutes.  Turn chicken and bake additional 10 minutes.

Sesame Chicken recipe adapted from Melissa d'Arabian at Foodnetwork.com.

Crock-Pot Chicken Parm

This recipe has been on my Pinterest board to try for a while now and this was the perfect night to do so.   You see, tonight the Packers take on the Bears.  And a good friend of ours, a Bears fan even, was coming over to watch the game - he's lucky I let him in, being a Bears fan and all.  (To those of you who are unaware, I'm a proud Cheesehead and Packer fan having been born and raised in the great cheese state of Wisconsin.)

Said friend is a big Italian food fan, so I knew tonight was a good time to pop in some chicken topped with cheese and sauce into the crock-pot, let 'er go all day, and boiled some noodles when I got home.  A great success!  Five minutes in the morning, 7 hours on its own... come home and dinner's ready.  Gotta love that!

To top it off, let's hope for a Green Bay WIN!

Crock-Pot Chicken Parm

Crock-Pot Chicken Parm

What You Need:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 c shredded mozzarella
• 1 28-oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Prego Roasted Garlic and Herb)

How You Do It:

1. Spray bottom of your crock-pot insert with cooking spray.  Place chicken on the bottom.
2. Top chicken with cheese.
3. Top cheese with sauce.
4. Cook on low 6-7 hours.

Crock-Pot Chicken Parm adapted from Full Bellies, Happy Kids.

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Tonight there was a culinary "situation" in our kitchen: we are out of garlic.  Not quite sure how that happened, as last week we had not one, not two, but three heads of garlic in our garlic keeper.  Nonetheless, the cooking went on, sans garlic.  Next time this recipe deserves two cloves.

Now, on to dinner.  I'm a big fan of fruit in my savory dishes.  I like pineapple on my pizza, craisins in my salad or couscous, raisins on my celery and peanut butter.  I also like snap peas, much to my husband's dismay.  But he's a good man and will eat them every once and a while.  My husband, on the other hand, likes hoisin sauce, and I will tolerate it in moderation.  (Yes mom, tonight I cooked with "poison sauce".)  Tonight - snap peas and hoisin.

This was a good combination of veggies, lots of veggies in fact, the sweetness of the pineapple, and a nice twist with the hoisin sauce.  A nice bed of rice would make a complete meal, but it was already too late at our house for the additional carbs.

(Check out the nod to my Minnesota peeps - my MN-shaped spoon rest with the Golden Gopher "M" painted on in the right corner of the photo.  GO GOPHERS! RAH!)

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

What You Need:

• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 can pineapple chunks, drained, reserving 3 tbsp juice
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 c sugar snap peas
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

How You Do It:

1. Combine hoisin, soy sauce, 3 tbsp pineapple juice, and pepper flakes and set aside.
2. Heat oil in large pan.  Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
3. Add bell pepper and and peas.  Saute until soft.
4. Add garlic and saute 1 minutes.
5. Add reserved pineapple chunks and sauce, and toss to coat.  
6. Bring sauce to a boil.  As soon as the sauce starts to thicken, remove from heat, tossing to ensure everything is coated.

Note: I added the garlic to the recipe -- next time, I too will use garlic!

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry recipe adapted from Jenn's Food Journey.

Cheesy Salsa Chicken with Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

Tonight's dinner was brought to you by cheese!  Not only was the chicken stuffed with cheese in a three-ingredient chicken dish, but the orzo was packed full of it too!

Stuffed chicken offers an open door of possibilities and flavors... tonight's was simple:  cheese and salsa.  Yum and yum.  And a delicious chicken dish it did make.

As for the orzo, over the weekend the hubs and I indulged ourselves at the New Jersey Jazz It Up Festival.  Not only was there live music, but there were 21 different wineries sampling at least ten varieties each.... that's a lot of wine tastings!  We had an awesome (and delicious!) time... and came across a stand selling flavored pasta.  We picked up a few bags, including the Lemon Garlic Orzo I used in tonight's side dish.

A complete meal totally worth a try!

Cheesy Salsa Chicken

Cheesy Salsa Chicken with
Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

What You Need:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese
• 1/2 c salsa

How You Do It:

1. Carefully split each chicken breast making a pocket inside, mindful not to cut all the way through the chicken.
2. Spread one wedge of cheese on one side of the chicken (inside).  Top with salsa.
3. Place in a baking dish and cover with foil.
4. Bake at 350*, covered 20 minutes.  Then remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

What You Need:

• 1 c orzo
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 c shredded cheese
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c milk

How You Do It:

1. Cook orzo in boiling water about 3 minutes.
2. Add broccoli and cook until broccoli is tender and orzo is fully cooked.  Drain well.
3. Return mixture to pot and add milk, butter, and cheeses.  Stir until butter and cheese is melted.

Cheesy Salsa Chicken adapted from Hungry Girl.
Cheesy Broccoli Orzo adapted from IowaGirlEats.com

Almond Joy Bread

Today is my girlfriend's birthday and what better way to celebrate than by turning one of her favorite candy bars into a sweet loaf of bread!

Perfect with a cup of coffee, the almond-coconut flavor really shines though.

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

Almond Joy Bread

Almond Joy Bread

For the Bread:

• 4 eggs 
• 2 c sugar 
• 3/4 c vegetable oil 
• 1/4 c melted unsalted butter 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 tsp coconut extract 
• 3 c flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 c buttermilk 
• 1 c sweetened coconut 
• 1/2 c slivered almonds 
• 1 c mini chocolate chips

For the Glaze:

• 1 c sugar 
• 1/2 c water 
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter 
• 1 tsp coconut extract

How You Do It:

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Starting with the flour mixture alternate flour and buttermilk, mixing until just combined.
4. Fold in coconut, chocolate chips and almonds.
5. Pour into deep loaf pan that has been greased and floured. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in bread comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and place on rack to dry.
7. To make the glaze, Place ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about a minute. Turn heat off but leave saucepan on burner.
8. While cakes are still warm, poke several holes in the top of the cake with a wooden skewer. Drizzle Coconut Glaze into the holes, and then pour as much of the glaze over the top as you prefer.

Almond Joy Bread adapted from Steph's Bite by Bite.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce

Tonight the husband reports this was one of the best tilapia recipes I've made thus far... and I must say, it was pretty good.  Good, quick, and healthy.  Just up our alley.  

You'll see in the photo, the original recipe calls for brine-packed green peppercorns.  I followed the recipe on this one (which is what you see in the photo), but both of us ended up trying one and then pushing them to the side.  While they may have given the sauce a light pepper flavor, they were far too strong for our liking when eaten whole.  Next time I'll just add some fresh cracked pepper to the sauce.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce

What You Need:

• 3 oz chicken broth
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp butter, divided
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tilapia fillets
• 1/4 c flour

How You Do It:

1. Combine lemon juice and chicken broth. 
2. Melt 1 tsp butter and oil in large skillet.  
3. While the butter melts, pat dry and coat the tilapia fillets in flour, shaking off excess.
4. Add tilapia to pan and saute 3 minutes each side.  Once flaky, remove from pan.
5. Add broth mixture to pan and scrape up the brown bits.  Bring to a boil and let reduce, about 2 minutes.
6. Add in remaining 2 tsp butter and whisk to combine.
7. Top tilapia with sauce.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

Every so often, my mother-in-law trudges into the City to see her doctor.  This always presents itself with something special for us - tuna steaks!  Far too expensive to buy at our local grocery store, Zabar's has quality tuna at a good price.  Well, it used to be a good price.  The M-o-L reports back the prices drastically went up, so this might be it for us.  Good thing she walked out of the store with four!  Two for tonight, two for the freezer.

Now usually I would marinate these suckers in some soy-citrus mixture, but we had all intentions of grilling these puppies... until Mother Nature decided it was going to rain this Labor Day weekend.  (Thanks to the hubs, who grilled in the rain last night for our BBQ!)  Instead of making the poor guy grill in the rain two nights in a row, I opted for the stovetop.

A sweet mango salsa underneath, a little black pepper on the tuna and we were good to go!

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

What You Need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded, and small diced
• 1/3 c orange juice
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 2 tsp fresh mint, minced
• 2 tuna steaks

To Make the Mango Salsa:

1. Sauté the olive oil, onions, and ginger in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Add the mangos, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.
4. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes, until orange juice is reduced, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from the heat and add the mint.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

To Make the Tuna Steaks:

1. Heat two tablespoons oil in large skillet.  
2. Coat both sides of tuna with freshly ground pepper.  
3. Sear tuna, 3 minutes each side.

Place one tuna steak on top of mango salsa to serve.

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa adapted from Ina Garten.