chicken egg roll bowl

 

My family really enjoyed this!  The additions I made were to add 3 scrambled eggs and some chili garlic sauce for some heat I really liked those additions.  We'll be having this dish again!

chicken egg roll bowl (skinnytaste)

1 pound 93% lean ground chicken

3 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce, divided (or more to taste)

3 medium scallions, sliced, dark green parts separated for garnish

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspsoon fresh ground ginger

3 cups slaw mix with cabbage, carrots and/or broccoli slaw 

2 cups baby bok choy, chopped and trimmed

1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (I used rice vinegar)

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

2 cups cooked white rice for serving

Note:  I added 3 scrambled eggs to the dish

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the chicken over medium-high heat with 1/2 tablespoon of the soy sauce until browned and cooked through, breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes.

Add the scallion whites and light green parts, garlic and ginger, stir well and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the veggies, pour the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil and cook stirring occasionally until the veggies are wilted but still crunchy, about 4 minutes.

Add the eggs and heat for a minute.

Remove from heat and finish with scallions.  Serve with rice.

quick-baked spinach artichoke chicken

 

This was delicious!  My youngest daughter said it tasted like the yummy spinach artichoke dip on top of chicken...and that's exactly what it tasted like.

quick-baked spinach artichoke chicken (adapted from wholesomlicious)

2 pounds chicken breast, boneless & skinless, fileted then pounded thin

4 ounces light cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2/3 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces marinated artichokes, drained and chopped

3 cups fresh spinach (I used more like 4-5 cups)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray or oil.  Place the chicken breast inside the dish.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayo, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir in most of the parmesan and mozzarella cheese, reserving a little top top the casserole.

Fold in the artichoke hearts and spinach and mix until well combined.  Spoon the mixture on top of the chicken breast.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.  Transfer the casserole to the oven.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

molasses crinkles with white chocolate chips

 

My husband said these are the best cookies I've ever made.  I don't know how that is possible since I have made a lot of cookies over the past almost 25 years...but great!  My youngest daughter also LOVES these cookies.  My son didn't say anything about them but he's eaten the most.

molasses crinkles with white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups shortening

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup milk-flavor molasses

2 eggs

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips

granulated sugar for rolling

Mix shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg thoroughly in a large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar.  Stir in white chocolate chips.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet.

Shape dough into 1 1/4" balls.  Roll in granulated sugar.  Place balls 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Using the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass, press the balls down a little bit.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until set.

Remove form cookie sheet to wire rack.

creamy caesar chicken

 

My friend shared this recipe and I already had everything I needed to make it.  It was really good!  I love how simple it is and it was a hit with my family.

creamy caesar chicken (my friend Dee-Anna)

2 large chicken breasts, fileted

several tablespoons creamy caesar dressing (my favorite is Ken's light creamy caesar)

salt, pepper and garlic powder

provolone cheese (I used mozzarella)

optional:  croutons and butter as a topping to add just before baking

Spread a little bit of creamy caesar dressing on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Place chicken in the baking dish.

Lightly sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder over the chicken.

Spread a little more caesar dressing over the top.

Cover with cheese.

Optional: crush croutons and mix with melted butter and sprinkle over the chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  If you did not use croutons, broil the chicken the last few minutes so the cheese is golden brown.

slow cooker indian butter chicken

 

Instant favorite and it's so easy to make!

slow cooker indian butter chicken (damn delicious)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

2 teaspoons yellow curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar (I omitted)

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt and pepper.

Place chicken, onion, garlic and ginger into a 4-quart slow cooker.  Stir in chicken stock mixture.

Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours.  Stir in heavy cream, lime juice and brown sugar; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with rice.

easy chicken shawarma

 

We had a chicken shawarma platter from a food cart in Kauai recently and it was SO good.  We made our own platter at home which was just as good!  The original recipe for this chicken called that the chicken be cooked on a grill pan but we grilled it on an outdoor barbeque instead.

easy chicken shawarma (damn delicious)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, water, lemon zest, lemon juice...and spices.

Add the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight.

Drain the chicken from the marinade.

Preheat grill.

Grill until cooked through.

Serve with yellow rice, veggies, hummus and tzatziki sauce.

yellow shawarma rice

I looked for a yellow rice recipe to go with our chicken shawarma for dinner tonight.  This recipe was delicious!  I had run out of white jasmine rice so it was half white and half brown jasmine rice.  It just needed a little more time on the stove but worked out very well!

yellow shawarma rice (the sassy foodie) 

1 cup jasmine rice

2 cups water

1 tablespoon bouillon concentrate

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon salted butter 

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

Boil the water over medium heat.

Add the bouillon concentrate to the boiling water.  Stir to dissolve the bouillon into the water.  Add the spices to the water.

Add the rice to the pot, and top with the butter.  Turn the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and keep the rice covered for another 5 minutes.

Once the rice has cooked, take off the lid and squeeze the juice of a lemon into the rice.  Fluff with a fork.

slow cooker asian "short ribs"

 

Instant family favorite!

I used beef stew meat instead of beef short ribs for a leaner version.

slow cooker asian "short ribs" (damn delicious)

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup beef broth

1/4 cup brown sugar (I used 1 1/2 tablespoons)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (I used 1 teaspoon ginger powder)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 pounds beef short ribs (I used 1.5 pounds stew meat)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (I used cilantro)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

toppings for a bowl:  rice, kimchi, sliced cucumber, thinly scraped carrots, diced avocado, roasted asparagus

In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vegetable broth, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and red pepper flakes.

Place short ribs in slow cooker.  Stir in soy sauce mixture until well combined.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water.  Stir in mixture into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley or cilantro or serve in a bowl which I highly recommend.

crazy birthday cake

 

THIS is the cake my daughter wanted for her birthday.  THIS is the cake that I made.  It looks fairly similar to the photo of a cake she sent to me.

I did the best that I could (thank you cakes class at Ricks College!) using my vegan chocolate cake recipe then store bought icing that thank goodness is vegan.

Yay for birthdays and for adventuresome cakes.

Here are the steps I took:

slow cooker thai chicken soup

 

Delicous soup.  A big hit.

slow cooker thai chicken soup (platings + pairings)

2 tablespoons red curry paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 jalapeno pepper

1 (12 ounce) can coconut milk

4 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2" cubes

1 cup frozen peas

7 ounces rice noodles

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

salt

garnishes:  cilantro, green onions, jalapeno slices, lime wedges

Combine red curry paste, brown sugar, garlic, cilantro, red pepper, onion, ginger, and jalapeno in a food processor or blender and process until a paste forms.

Add the paste to the slow cooker and stir in the chicken stock.  Add the chicken to the slow cooker, cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

Use a spoon to break up the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.

Add the coconut milk and rice noodles and cook for 10-15 minutes longer.

Stir in the frozen peas, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce and fish sauce and season to taste with salt.

Serve in bowls topped with cilantro, green onions, additional jalapenos and lime wedges.

slow cooker chicken poblano soup

 

Delicious!

slow cooker chicken poblano soup (cooks well with others)

2 pounds chicken breasts

3-4 poblano peppers, seeds removed and diced (I used Anaheim peppers)

2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced

1 onion diced

1 red bell pepper diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 (15 ounce cans corn, drained)  (I used 1 summer squash and 1 zucchini, diced instead)

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (I used my favorite- Trader Joes brand)

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

kosher salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes

4 cups chicken broth

8 ounces light cream cheese, cut into small cubes

optional:  grated cheddar cheese, hot sauce and green onions

Put all ingredients except the cream cheese into a slow cooker.  Turn it on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker.  Add the cream cheese and cook 30 more minutes on low, stirring a few times until the cream cheese melts.

Taste for seasoning and add more spices if needed.

Serve with tortilla chips and top with cheese, hot sauce and green onions if desired.

khorasan bread

 

My friend Alexa introduced me to two words I had never heard of: kamut and khorasan.  Look them up- they are ancient grains...and why wouldn't I want to try working with ancient grains?!  We split a 50 pound bag of 100% whole grain khorasan (and saved A LOT of money that way) and this was the first recipe I tried.  I love knowing just how nutritional this bread is AND it tastes delicious.  Everyone in the family who tried it enjoyed it.

You should know that when I make whole wheat bread they really don't like it much.  It's just too hearty and tastes too healthy.  I love that this bread was a go!...because I have 24 more pounds of it to use. :)

khorasan bread (occasionally eggs)

prep: 15 minutes, cook time: 35 minutes, rising time:  1 hour 30 minutes, total: 2 hours 20 min

1 2/3 cups non-diary milk, or dairy milk

2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast

1 pound khorasan flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until just warm to the touch.   Pour it into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and stir in the honey and oil.  Check the temperature now- it should be about skin temperature.

Mix in the yeast, then set aside to bloom for about 10 minutes.  If it doesn't bloom, either your yeast is too old or the milk was too hot.

Stir in the flour and salt to form a wet, shaggy dough.

Knead for about 8 minutes on low speed with the dough attachment or knead by hand (that's what I did).

Set the dough aside to rise, covered, for about an hour in a warm, draft-free place,  It should double in size.

Once the dough has risen, grease or line a bread tin.  Generously flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it.  Dust with some more flour, then press into a rough rectangle.  The short edge should be the same length as your bread tin.

Roll the dough into a tight spiral from the short edge, then place it seam side down into the prepared tin.

Cover and set aside to rise again for 30 minutes, or until the dough has just reached the top of the tin.  While the dough is rising preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool for a few minutes in the tin before tipping it out and cooling fully on a wire rack.

Let the bread cool before slicing.  

pozole verde

 

Hall of Fame.  My husband had seen this recipe and printed it out and was hoping we could try it.  It was a lot of work but it was worth it!

pozole verde

for the soup:

1 bunch cilantro

1 white onion

6 garlic cloves

2 pounds tomatillos

3 large poblano chiles

1 jalapeno

1 lime, plus wedges for serving

4-6 tablespoons olive oil

salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 bunch lacinato kale, torn into bite-sized pieces (8 cups)

2 (15 ounce) cans hominy, drained

4 cups vegetable broth

for the toppings:

2-3 cups shredded green cabbage

2-4 radishes, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

queso fresco, about 3 tablespoons per bowl

crema or sour cream, about 2 tablespoons per bowl

flaky salt

sliced avocado

Heat oven to 475 degrees.

Prepare the soup:  Separate the cilantro leaves and tender stems from the thicker stems.  Place the thicker stems on a large sheet pan and refrigerate the remaining until ready to serve the soup.

Halve and peel the onion.  Cut into rough wedges and place on the sheet pan; finely dice the second half and set aside.  Peel the garlic cloves; place 3 whole cloves on the sheet pan, then mince the remaining 3 cloves and set aside.  Peel and quarter the tomatillos; halve, seed and stem the poblanos and jalapeno; and halve the lime; add all to the pan.

Drizzle the contents of the sheet pan with a hearty amount of olive oil and a very generous tablespoon of salt.  Toss together until well coated.  Roast until the vegetables are well-browned yet there is still plenty of liquid in the pan, 25 to 30 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a large pot over medium.  Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the diced onion and a generous pinch of salt.  Turn down to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.  Stir in the minced garlic, cumin and oregano, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to open up the flavors, then stir in the chopped kale.  Cover and adjust the heat to low, stirring occasionally to cook down a bit; continue cooking while you tend to the roasted vegetables.

Take the roasted vegetables out of the oven and immediately transfer the poblano chiles to a bowl, cover with a plate and set aside to steam.

Let the remaining roasted vegetables cool for 5 minutes.  Remove the lime halves and squeeze the juices and pulp onto the roasted vegetables; discard the peels.  Using tongs, transfer the vegetables to a food processor.

Carefully pour and scrape the juices and any roasty bits from the sheet pan into the pot and stir into the kale mixture.

With the vent on the food processor lid open to allow the steam to escape, pulse the vegetables until combined yet still chunky, then scrape into the pot.  Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the hominy and broth, and salt to taste.  Stir well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

While the pozole comes to a simmer, peel off the clear outer skins of the poblanos and discard. Roughly chop the poblanos and add to the soup.  Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the flavors have melded.  Taste and adjust salt; don't be shy here- the salt will help pull all the flavors out and balance the acidity from all the tomatillos.

To serve, ladle a hearty portion into each bowl, top with cabbage, radishes, jalapeno slices, queso fresco, crema and the reserved cilantro.  Add a generous pinch of flaky sea salt to finish and serve with avocado and more lime, if you like.

chicken and veggie patties

 

My friend Dee-Anna shared this recipe with me so I thought I'd give them a try.  My family really enjoyed them dipped in some tzatziki sauce.  My son was disappointed when we'd eaten them all.  I think he was hoping for more.

chicken and veggie patties (my friend Dee-Anna)

1 small zucchini, grated

1 small carrot, grated

1 pound ground chicken breast

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons fresh sage

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1-2 tablespoons oil, for cooking

The instructions were missing so I just mixed everything together with the exception of the oil for cooking.  I formed them into small patties and refrigerated them for about a half hour before I cooked them in hot oil in a frying pan.

Serve with tzatziki sauce and enjoy!

lavash bread pizza

 

This is my new go-to.  It's SO easy to throw together especially if you have some things already prepped in the fridge like I did. 

It was just my son and I home for dinner and I had some leftover lavash bread from when I made pinwheel sandwiches.  I thawed some homemade marinara sauce I had stored in the freezer and made some pizza for myself and some for him.  You can see we like different things. 

lavash bread pizza

It's one of those recipes you don't really need a recipe for.

Spray some nonstick spray onto a rimmed baking sheet.

Place a sheet of lavash bread on it.

Spread some marinara sauce or pizza sauce all over it.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Add the toppings you love.

My favorites tonight were chicken (that was already in the fridge), diced red onion (already in the fridge), jarred red peppers and capers.  Sometimes I add mushrooms and spinach too.

delicious shrimp tacos

 

These were SO delicious!  I used a combination of two recipes that I found.

delicious shrimp tacos (pinch of yum for the shrimp spice, natasha's kitchen for the sauce)

shrimp spice mix

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

sauce for tacos

1/3 cup light sour cream

1/3 cup light mayo

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon hot sauce

you'll also need

1 pound shrimp, pre-cooked, deveined and peeled and tail off

1 tablespoon oil

corn tortillas

toppings:  diced red onion, shredded cabbage, avocado, cilantro, lime

To prepare the shrimp for the tacos, mix the shrimp spice mix with the shrimp.  Heat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil.  Get the oil nice and hot.  Add the shrimp and stir-fry until heated through and a little crisp.

Assemble your tacos the way you like them with all the toppings.

roasted bell peppers

 

Great recipe!  Loved it.

roasted bell peppers (slightly adapted from healthyrecipesblogs.com)

4 bell peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Cut the bell peppers into quarters then remove the seeds and membranes.

Put the following into a gallon sized ziploc bag: oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes.  Add the bell peppers.  Seal bag.  Coat the bell peppers with the oil and seasonings.

Place peppers on the lined baking sheet.  Roast until tender and charred in spots, about 20 minutes.  Serve immediately.