The Recipe
1lb chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp cooking sherry or red wine (optional)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp oil
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 spring onions, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cashews or peanuts
sesame seeds
Sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp white vinegar
Combine soy sauce and sherry in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, put it in the bowl and stir until all the chicken is coated with the mixture. Set aside while you prepare the rest.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add red pepper flaked to oil and stir. Add chicken and leave without stirring for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook chicken until golden on all sides. Drain as necessary. Add cashews, bell pepper and spring onions. Turn heat down to low. Pour in sauce and stir to make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Leave for a couple of minutes until sauce thickens (you may have to turn up the heat a bit).
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.
The Verdict
I really liked it, but it is very similar to other dishes I make, so I don't know how often I'll be making this particular version of it. But anything that adds cashews to a dish is A-OK with me :)
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Week 15: Baked Potato Buffet
The Recipe
Serve baked potatoes a la pita bread... set up all the toppings and let everybody build their own.
Plan for 2-3 baked potatoes per person - depending on size.
Toppings
Bacon
Diced ham
Diced chicken
Spring onion
Bell pepper
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Pickles
Jalapenos
Avocado
Cheese
Butter (I can recommend garlic butter)
... anything else that catches your fancy
The Verdict
Why had I never thought of this before? Very easy and sooo good! But then I've always had a weakness for baked potatoes. The perfect dish for a low-key evening with friends. Definitely something I'll be making again.
Serve baked potatoes a la pita bread... set up all the toppings and let everybody build their own.
Plan for 2-3 baked potatoes per person - depending on size.
Toppings
Bacon
Diced ham
Diced chicken
Spring onion
Bell pepper
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Pickles
Jalapenos
Avocado
Cheese
Butter (I can recommend garlic butter)
... anything else that catches your fancy
The Verdict
Why had I never thought of this before? Very easy and sooo good! But then I've always had a weakness for baked potatoes. The perfect dish for a low-key evening with friends. Definitely something I'll be making again.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Week 14: Chinese Chicken
The Recipe
6 chicken pieces with skin and bones
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1 tbsp red wine
salt and pepper
Mix together everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Put the chicken into an ovenproof dish and baste with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Bake at 225C for 45 minutes or until the chicken is done.
The Verdict
Easy and tasty! The marinade had penetrated the meat nicely, and left the skin crisp and the meat moist. Definitely something I'll be making again.
6 chicken pieces with skin and bones
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1 tbsp red wine
salt and pepper
Mix together everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Put the chicken into an ovenproof dish and baste with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Bake at 225C for 45 minutes or until the chicken is done.
The Verdict
Easy and tasty! The marinade had penetrated the meat nicely, and left the skin crisp and the meat moist. Definitely something I'll be making again.
Week 13: Tomato-Pepper Casserole
The Recipe
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 large tomatoes
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp thyme
Heat the oil in a pot, add onion and let it cook at low heat until tender. Add bell peppers and let them simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, brown sugar and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes.
The Verdict
A nice side dish for pretty much any meat. Nothing special, but it's easy to make and tastes good.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 large tomatoes
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp thyme
Heat the oil in a pot, add onion and let it cook at low heat until tender. Add bell peppers and let them simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, brown sugar and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes.
The Verdict
A nice side dish for pretty much any meat. Nothing special, but it's easy to make and tastes good.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Week 12: Pasta with Pesto and Asparagus
The Recipe
1/2lb pasta
150g bacon
1 lb asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup basil pesto (~130g)
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup mozzarella cubes
Fried eggs for serving
Preheat oven to 200C. Place asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 8-12 minutes until tender and crisp. Let them cool before cutting them into 1-inch pieces.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
In a pan, cook sliced bacon until crisp. Put aside, leaving drippings in pan (use them for frying the egg later).
In a bowl, toss together pasta, bacon, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.
Serve immediately with a fried egg on top.
The Verdict
Okay, the original recipe didn't have the bacon, I added that myself. Everything tastes better with bacon ;)
I absolutely loved it! I don't think the egg did anything either way, but the rest was extremely yummy! The only thing lacking was roasted pine nuts, so I'll have to add that next time :) Unfortunately DH isn't too keen on that much pesto, but I thought it was fantastic. Will definitely be making this again.
1/2lb pasta
150g bacon
1 lb asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup basil pesto (~130g)
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup mozzarella cubes
Fried eggs for serving
Preheat oven to 200C. Place asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 8-12 minutes until tender and crisp. Let them cool before cutting them into 1-inch pieces.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
In a pan, cook sliced bacon until crisp. Put aside, leaving drippings in pan (use them for frying the egg later).
In a bowl, toss together pasta, bacon, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.
Serve immediately with a fried egg on top.
The Verdict
Okay, the original recipe didn't have the bacon, I added that myself. Everything tastes better with bacon ;)
I absolutely loved it! I don't think the egg did anything either way, but the rest was extremely yummy! The only thing lacking was roasted pine nuts, so I'll have to add that next time :) Unfortunately DH isn't too keen on that much pesto, but I thought it was fantastic. Will definitely be making this again.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Week 11: Giant M&M Cookies
The Recipe
2 tbsp butter (~30g) at room temperature
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp mixed egg*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp peanut butter (the recipe called for creamy, I used crunchy)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup mixed M&Ms (I used half ordinary, half peanut)
* Make omelet or scrambled eggs for breakfast, and put aside 2 tbsp of the eggs before you add all the other things.
Preheat oven to 175*C
In a bowl, mix the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. This is easy if the butter is really soft. Add egg and vanilla and mix until it's well combined. Add peanut butter and then flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until about half combined, then add the M&Ms.
Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes until cooked through. Let cool completely before eating.
The Verdict
The recipe said this made for "1 giant cookie or 4 regular ones" -- I went for the 4 regular ones. They didn't melt down quite as flat as I had expected, so they turned out less crunchy than expected. Next time I think I'll push the dough down further before placing them in the oven.
I like my "regular" M&M Cookies better, but for a quick fix, these'll work really well :)
2 tbsp butter (~30g) at room temperature
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp mixed egg*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp peanut butter (the recipe called for creamy, I used crunchy)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup mixed M&Ms (I used half ordinary, half peanut)
* Make omelet or scrambled eggs for breakfast, and put aside 2 tbsp of the eggs before you add all the other things.
Preheat oven to 175*C
In a bowl, mix the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. This is easy if the butter is really soft. Add egg and vanilla and mix until it's well combined. Add peanut butter and then flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until about half combined, then add the M&Ms.
Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes until cooked through. Let cool completely before eating.
The Verdict
The recipe said this made for "1 giant cookie or 4 regular ones" -- I went for the 4 regular ones. They didn't melt down quite as flat as I had expected, so they turned out less crunchy than expected. Next time I think I'll push the dough down further before placing them in the oven.
I like my "regular" M&M Cookies better, but for a quick fix, these'll work really well :)
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Week 10: Crock-Pot Fajitas
The Recipe
1lb chicken
3 bell peppers
1 onion
1 package taco seasoning (~40g)
Tortillas
Toppings: Guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa
Slice bell peppers and onion and put them into the crockpot. Pour half the package taco seasoning over the vegetables.
Put chicken on top and pour the rest of the seasoning over the chicken.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4.
Take out the chicken and slice thinly. Stir back into the crockpot.
Serve with tortillas and toppings.
The Verdict
A new favourite! This was awesome. Extremely easy and tasted delicious. Definitely the best fajitas fillings I've tried yet. This one is a keeper :)
1lb chicken
3 bell peppers
1 onion
1 package taco seasoning (~40g)
Tortillas
Toppings: Guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa
Slice bell peppers and onion and put them into the crockpot. Pour half the package taco seasoning over the vegetables.
Put chicken on top and pour the rest of the seasoning over the chicken.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4.
Take out the chicken and slice thinly. Stir back into the crockpot.
Serve with tortillas and toppings.
The Verdict
A new favourite! This was awesome. Extremely easy and tasted delicious. Definitely the best fajitas fillings I've tried yet. This one is a keeper :)
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