Monday, May 13, 2013

Slow cooker cashew chicken

Adapted from here.

What I had:
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 16 oz frozen broccoli florets
  • 16 oz sliced mushrooms
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced thin
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup cashews 
What I did:
  • Put chicken breasts on the bottom of a 7 quart slow cooker
  • Layered the vegetables on top - broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, ginger, and garlic
  • Poured the soy sauce, ketchup, and vinegar over the vegetables
  • Sprinkled the brown sugar over everything
  • Cooked on low for 5 hrs
  • Shredded the chicken breasts, added the cashews, and mixed everything together
  • Served over thin spaghetti noodles with some hot sauce, added some crushed cashews on top for garnish
Verdict:

Delicious! Could be spicier but since I was feeding the toddler, I just added the hot sauce to my plate. It's got the perfect level of sweet ad spicy, with a lot of vegetable servings.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Indian chili chicken




What I had:
  • 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Marinade:
  • 4 green chillies
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 4 tsp gluten free soy sauce
  • 2 tsp white vinegar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
For the chicken:
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp corn flour
Sauce:
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium whie onions, sliced thick
  • 2 orange bell peppers, sliced thinly
  • 6 green and red chillis, cut into small rounds
  • 3/4 warm water 
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Maggi hot 'n sweet sauce
What I did:
  • Ground the garlic and chilies for the marinade.
  • Added that to the chicken pieces, along with the soy sauce, vinegar and lemon juice in a small container.
  • Left it in the fridge overnight.
  • Next evening, added 1 beaten egg to the chicken pieces, coating them completely. Repeated with the corn flour.
  • Cooked the chicken pieces in olive oil in a 12 inch deep skillet till lightly browned and cooked through. Pulled them out and put aside.
  • Removed all except 2 tbsp oil from the skillet. Added garlic to the pan till fragrant.
  • Added onions till soft, then added both peppers.
  • Mixed the 3/4 cup warm water with the 2 tbsp corn starch; added to the skillet till it comes to boiling.
  • Added the chicken pieces to the pan and heated it well.
  • Served it with yogurt to cut the heat and roti.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Stew

What I had:
  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless breasts, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 bag crinkle cut frozen carrots
  • 3 stalks celery, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 cups chicken broth (I used 3 bullion cubes in 2 cups boiling water)
  • 3 cups water
  • 3.4 cup Goya Barley
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 3 cups water
What I did:
  • Layered onions on the bottom of slow cooker, added the carrots and celery on top
  • Added the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables
  • Poured in the broth and water
  • Added some coarse ground black pepper
  • Cooked on low for 8 hours
We haven't eaten it yet, but it smells great. From the small taste I did, I'll probably add a little salt and paprika to my bowl. Serve it with some fresh baked rolls on a rainy evening.


Possibly the best cookies ever

 and easiest ever! Chewy on the inside, burst of ginger and cinnamon flavor!


What I used:
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • A box of Pillsbury pumpkin Quick Bread mix
  • 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
  • 1/2 cup raisin
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • A mix of sugar and cinnamon to roll cookies in
What I did:
  • Mixed the butter and egg well
  • Added the bread mix, raisin, cinnamon and ginger, mixed till everything was wet
  • Rolled 1 inch balls through the sugar and cinnamon mix
  • Baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
  • Inhaled 2 within 2 seconds!
I don't even like pumpkin and I swear these were the best cookies ever!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Mac and cheese muffins

Or cupcakes, as Oli called them.


What I had:
  • Ronzoni small elbow macaroni, entire box cooked al dente
  • 3 oz shredded gruyere cheese
  • 3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 16 oz cut spinach (I used frozen, defrosted and drained)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 1 egg + 1 egg white
  • Salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder
What I did:
  • Melted the butter over medium heat in a medium sauce pan
  • Added the flour and whisked it fast to avoid clumping
  • Poured the milk and garlic in, continuously whisking
  • Brought it to a boil and added both cheeses, mixing till its a creamy cheese sauce
  • Mixed the pasta, spinach and cheese sauce in a large bowl till everything is covered in cheese
  • Poured heaping spoonfuls into a greased muffin pan
  • Baked at 400 for 15 minutes
  • Let sit for 5 minutes before taking the muffins out
Next time, I would add more cheese. I think I used more pasta than the original recipe did here.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Slow cooker coconut chicken

Recipe adapted from here

What I had:
  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 large red onion
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 1 very large tomato
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp paprika
What I did:
  • Put the chicken in the crock pot
  • Put everything else in a blender and mixed till pulverized
  • Poured the sauce over the chicken
  • Cooked on high for 5 hours
  • Shredded the chicken in the sauce
  • Served over rice, with a side of steamed veggies
This was toddler approved, he ate a big bowl of rice and the curry without a single complaint!

the red flecks are tomato skin, I didn't have any paste

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Vegetable Tian

What I had:
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 yellow squash, sliced thin
  • 1 zucchini. sliced thin
  • 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 large tomato, sliced thin
  • variety of spices, I used salt, paprika, garlic, parsley
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • olive oil
What I did:
  • Cooked garlic and onions in olive oil till soft
  • Sprayed an 8X8 glass baking pan
  • Layered garlic and onions on the bottom
  • Created rows of sliced vegetables, alternating them for beauty
  • Sprinkled spices over the vegetables
  • Covered with aluminum foil and cooked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
  • Removed the foil, sprinkled cheese over everything and cooked for another 15 minutes
It was delicious! One note, for next time, I would put spices on all vegetables before lining them up in the pan to more evenly distribute the flavor.