Saturday, August 18, 2012

Chicken Fried Rice

http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/14/better-than-takeout-chicken-fried-rice/

Serves 5-

Ingredients:
4 cups prepared rice
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked (I recommend using Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken!)
1 cup peas & carrots, frozen
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce

Prepare rice according to package instructions to yield 4 cups cooked rice. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, peas, and carrots.

Stir fry until tender. Crack eggs into pan and scramble, mixing throughout vegetables.

Add rice, chicken, and soy sauce to pan.

Mix soy sauce throughout and remove from heat.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Crepes



Avocado Chicken Parmigiano



Ingredients:2 Chicken Breast Fillets, halved lengthways
1/2 Cup Plain Flour
2 Tablespoons Fresh Milk
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Dried Breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil/Cooking Spray
1/2 Cup Tomato Pasta Sauce
2 Avocado, Sliced
1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Salad Green, to serve
Method:-
1. Place chicken breast in a clear plastic bag(alternatively between 2 sheets plastic wrap), using a rolling pin or meat mallet pound until 0.5cm thick.

2. Place flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plate and lightly whisk milk and egg together in a shallow bowl.

3. Coat 1 piece of chicken breast in flour(shaking off excess), dip in egg mixture then coat in breadcrumbs using your fingertips pressing on to secure.

4. Place on prepared baking tray lay with foil or baking paper, repeat the same process with the remaining chicken breast with flour, egg and etc.

5. Lightly spray or brush the prepared chicken with oil, bake for 8 minutes(turning after 4 minutes to have evenly colours on the breadcrumbs) in preheated 200 degree Celsius (390 F) fan-forced oven.

6. Remove from oven and spread each chicken breast with 1 heaped tablespoon of pasta sauce. Arrange avocado slices over sauce and sprinkle with decent amount of mozzarella cheese.

7. Return to oven and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through.

8. Serve with either garden salad or use it as a main topping on cooked pasta. 

Friday, March 2, 2012

Chicken Chili Soup (Paleo)









3 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped (I used leftover grilled chicken breast)
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno or Fresno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
2 – 4 oz cans of diced green chilis
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, diced
Avocado, diced

In a large soup pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeno together in the olive oil until the onions are tender. Add the canned green chilis, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Stir together and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro and avocado.

Spicy Citrus Shrimp (Paleo)









Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
juice of 1 large orange
1 green onion diced (green and white parts)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbs olive oil

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients except the olive oil and the shrimp in a bowl.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
3. Add shrimp and quickly sautee on both sides for about a minute or two.
4. Add sauce and allow to cook down for about 2 minutes.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Paleo Meatloaf

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/4410757185/super-porktastic-bacon-topped-spinach-and-mushroom

Here’s what I gathered to feed 4-6 hungry adults:
1 pound frozen chopped spinach
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (from 1/2 medium onion)
1/2 pound Cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup coconut cream or coconut milk
1/2 cup small-dice celery (from about 2 medium stalks)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 pound ground pork (the original recipe calls for 1 ¼ pounds of pork, veal, or beef but I only had 1 pound of ground pork defrosted)
¼ cup coconut flour
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3-5 bacon slices
Tomato sauce, warmed, for serving (optional)

Here’s how I made it:
I preheated the oven to 350 F with the rack placed in the middle. I dumped a packet of frozen spinach into a Corningware container……covered it with a lid and nuked it on high for ~4 minutes to defrost it. Then, I dumped the spinach in a colander and pressed out all the liquid.I heated the butter over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet and tossed in the chopped onions and mushrooms along with some salt and pepper to taste.I sautéed them until the liquid had evaporated and the onions were softened.Next, I blended the coconut cream, parsley, and celery until a puree was formed.In this case, the $29 immersion blender trumped the expensive Vitamix; the small volume didn’t blend properly in my fancy blender.I placed the pork in a large bowl, followed by the chopped spinach, coconut flour, garlic, measured salt and pepper, and nutmeg.Then, I added the coconut cream puree, beaten eggs, onions, and ‘shrooms.I used my hands to gently combine all the ingredients.I tested if the seasoning was right by frying up a tiny meatloaf patty.Then, I transferred the mixture to an ungreased 9 x 5 loaf pan……and layered the bacon on top.(You can store the uncooked loaf in the fridge for up to a day and then bake it at your convenience).My loaf pan is kind of leaky, so I put it on a lined baking sheet before sticking it in the oven. I baked the meatloaf for 70 minutes, rotating it at the halfway point. Then, I broiled it for 3 minutes to crisp up the bacon.There’s quite a bit of grease that pools in the pan so I poured it off and I let the loaf rest for 20 minutes before slicing into it.I served the meatloaf slices with a generous ladle of Rao’s marinara sauce, but they also taste great without it.Man, this meatloaf was super-moist, delicious, and chock-full of veggies! Coconut haters: Don’t worry - you can’t taste any coconut at all.I can’t wait to eat the leftovers!

Fajita Frittata with Avocado




http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fajita-frittata-with-avocado-salsa/#axzz1lQttM0OJ

Ingredients:
1 pound skirt or flank steak, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1-2 poblano or green bell peppers, cut into thin rounds or strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin rounds or strips
10 eggs, whisked
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
2-3 avocados, cut into small chunks
2 green onions, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
juice of one lime juice
sea salt to taste

Instructions:
Season steak with cumin, chili powder and salt.
Preheat oven broiler to high.
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Add steak.
Saute 3 minutes (meat should be just slightly pink) then add garlic and peppers.
Saute 3 minutes more then add eggs and a handful of cilantro. Stir quickly then turn heat down to medium. Let cook 3-4 minutes, until the egg is set around the edges but still runny in the middle.
Transfer the pan to the oven under the broiler and cook until the frittata is golden and firm in the middle, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Gently mix together avocado, green onion, jalapeno and lime juice. Add sea salt to taste.
Transfer the pan to the oven under the broiler and cook until the frittata is golden and firm in the middle, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Gently mix together avocado, green onion, jalapeno and lime juice. Add sea salt to taste.
Serve with slices of avocado.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Myrriah's Peanut Butter Cookies


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oatmeal-peanut-butter-cookies-iii/detail.aspx

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping

Directions
In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.
Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each mound down with a fork to form 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown.
To Make Filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Herb Roasted Whole Chicken





http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/herb-roasted-whole-chicken/

* 3-4lb Whole Chicken
* Something to stuff inside the chicken (Apple, Onion, Lemon, Garlic, Carrot, etc..)
* Canola Oil
* Salt and Pepper
* Fresh Herbs

You can stuff various items into the chicken for roasting and this will provide additional moisture and aromatics that will help to flavor the chicken from the inside. I’m using a lemon, some garlic cloves, and an onion.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees while you pick the herbs from their stems.

Toss those herbs into a bowl and add in your salt and pepper.
For EACH chicken you’ll be roasting, you’ll need:
* 1-2 Tablespoons of chopped herbs
* 1 Tablespoon of salt (kosher is best)
* 1 Teaspoon of pepper

Add to that 2-3 tablespoons of Canola oil…
And give it all a stir.

Before we apply our herb mixture to the outside of the chicken, we’ll need to fill the cavity of the bird with our aromatics. As I mentioned, I’m using Lemon, Garlic, and Onion. You won’t be eating these items, so you can just give them a rough chop / slice / mash.

Stuff those aromatics into the nether regions of your chicken…

It’s important that your whole chicken be patted dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. This will help to insure a nice crust on your chicken once it’s finished. Begin rubbing the chicken down with your canola-herb-salt-pepper mix. No need to get crazy with it. It’s just a chicken.

Just be sure to rub it down on all sides…

Did I mention I’m doing multiple chickens at once? That’s one of the coolest parts about this. I can easily do six of these chickens in the oven for a large group of people. At $5 or less each chicken, and feeding 3-4 people each chicken…it’s a deal!

Slide your herb coated chicken(s) into that 450 degree oven for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes until they are golden brown and have developed a delicious crust.

Once the chickens have roasted, it’s good to let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This will allow all of the juiciness of the bird to redistribute to the right places. If you tore into it right away…all its goodness would run out and you’d be left with a dry chicken.
And that’s a no-no.

You’ll notice that I didn’t truss the chicken with any sort of butcher’s twine or anything. Normally this is just fine. If you notice the legs popping out too far (which can cause them to get overly brown) during the roasting process, you can always make a small cut in the skin itself and pop the legs through it as I’ve done with this particular chicken. Welcome to accomplishment. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Tetrazzini





http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kristis-tetrazzini/

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) package wide egg noodles
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 fresh broccoli, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch seasoned salt
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pinch paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Coat a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a 3 quart saucepan, boil chicken for about 30 minutes. Drain, and cut into bite sized pieces.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, broccoli, celery, sliced mushrooms, seasoned salt, salt, pepper, and onion. Stir in pasta and chicken pieces. Spread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and paprika.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Skinny Pad Thai





http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/skinnyfied-chicken-pad-thai/

Ingredients
8 ounces rice noodles
¼ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoon fresh lime juice, about 2 limes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cooking spray, we used olive oil spray
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast or tenders, cut into bite-size strips
6 cloves garlic, (about 2 tablespoons) minced
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon sesame oil or any vegetable oil, see shopping tip
1½ cup bean sprouts
¼ cup green onions, sliced
Topping
¼ cup peanuts, chopped
¼ cup green onions, sliced
Red pepper flakes

Instructions
1. Fill a large pot half way with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in noodles. Let stand for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the chicken broth, lime juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
3. Coat a large nonstick pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Stir often. Add garlic and continue to cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate or bowl and set aside.
4. Coat the pan again with cooking spray. Add the egg whites and scramble until cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add drained noodles and sprouts. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth mixture, cooked chicken and egg whites. Continue to cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until hot.
6. Divide Pad Thai among 5 bowls or plates. Top each with a little peanuts and green onions. Add a very little amount of red pepper flakes to each or let everybody add their own, if desired.

Makes 5 servings

Pizza









http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amazing-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/

Ingredients
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.

Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.