Sweet and Sour Chicken

A new family favorite! It is similar to Rosemary's but I prefer it this way.

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

This meal makes you feel like you have gone to an amazing Thai restauant for dinner. It is seriously delicious. I found this recipe on Picky Palate and I love it! When it's fresh and warm, the sauce has a tendency to pool at the bottom, so serve it in a shallow dish and scoop deep when serving. I agree with the chef, "Every ingredient is important - if you don't have fresh ginger, cilantro, roasted peanuts, or red bell pepper, I would say, wait until you do!"

1lb whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
½ Cup smooth peanut butter
¼ Cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 scant teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 Cup hot water
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup finely chopped white onion
½ Cup finely chopped red or orange bell pepper
2½ - 3 Cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
¼ Cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ Cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (I just sprinkle some on top)

*I cooked the chicken in the crock pot in the morning and shredded it before preparing the rest of the meal. Alternatively, you could cook the chicken in the microwave at 50% power until cooked through. Set water to boil and cook noodles according to package. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce in the food processor.
*Place garlic and ginger in food processor until well chopped. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pulse until well combined and slowly add hot water. Set aside.Place olive oil in hot skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chicken breast, cilantro and salt. Stir until heated through.Add sauce and chicken mixture to noodles. Toss to coat and garnish with peanuts and sesame seeds if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Red Beans and Rice

I got this recipe from My Sisters' Cafe and tried it last night. It was so yummy and so easy. What more can you ask for? My kids even gobbled it up!

1 1/2 c red beans
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 pkg Polska Kielbasa
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 Tb butter
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp dry mustard
1 Tb Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Cajun spice

Soak beans in 4 cups hot water and 1 Tb salt; cover and let stand for 6 hours to soften. Then drain beans and add 3 1/2 cups fresh water and tomato sauce. Cut sausage into pieces and saute with butter. Add chopped onion, garlic, and green pepper until tender; add to beans. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot rice. (To thicken last 15 minutes, mix 1 part flour to 3 parts cold water. Stir into mixture until desired thickness.)

*Now the way I did it was in the crockpot with canned beans...here it is:
In place of the dry beans, use 3 cans of red beans. (Drain most of the liquid off the beans) Also, you may substitue 1/2 tsp garlic salt for the garlic clove. Place all ingredients (minus butter)directly into the crockpot - no need to saute veggies with sausage. Add 3/4 c water. Cook on low for 3-5 hours. We served it with brown rice which was very good and had the added bonus of being healthy! Also, I used the lowfat Polska Kielbasa which is just as good to me but some might prefer the real thing.

Penne Arrabiata

The Arrabiatia is for SPICY (but oh so tasty)! If you have some sensitive palates in your home, half the red pepper flakes. We like to add more though.

1/2 c olive oil divided
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
1/2 c tomato sauce
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
2 eggs
2 c italian bread crumbs
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 lb thin chicken breast cutlets
1 (12 oz) package dried penne pasta
1/2 pint heavy cream

1. Heat 1/4 c olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the basil. Simmer for 20 minutes and stir occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
3. Wisk eggs in a small bowl. Place bread crumbs on a plate. Add in garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip chicken into the egg and then press into the bread crumb mixture until completely coated.
4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until the coating is a nice dark brown color.
5. Take the sauce off of heat. Stir in heavy cream (I use 1/4 pint). Do not add over heat or the cream may curdle.
6. Remove chicken and cut into thin slices. Add to the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked penne and allow to simmer a few more minutes to soak up the flavor, then serve.

Corn Salsa Deliciousness

I just made a particularly yummy batch of this last night. Our family likes it best with tortilla chips but it is also yummy in pita pockets or as a garnish with a meal. Ava likes to eat it with a spoon!

Mix:
1 can corn drained
1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 bunch of green onions chopped
1 bunch of cilantro chopped (1 use 1/2 bunch)
6 roma tomatoes finely chopped

Add:
1 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing, prepared according to package directions. Mix the dressing with the ingredients above.

Before Serving -Add:
2 avocados, finely chopped.