Spicy Orange Chicken

For New Year’s Eve, we had two couples over to help us bring in the new year…Asian style!

Names for the placecards were written in Chinese.

Here was the menu, although I’m only sharing one recipe with you:

Appetizer: Chicken Egg Rolls
Main Dishes: Spicy Orange Chicken over Rice and Vegetable Stir-fry over Egg Noodles

Dessert: Fortune Cookies and Mango Mochi



Spicy Orange Chicken: The star of the meal.



4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 egg

2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 green onion sprigs, sliced diagonally in one inch strips
2 Tbsp rice wine

Orange Sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
7 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp white vinegar
Zest of one orange

In a large bowl, combine egg, salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp oil; mix well. Stir in cornstarch and flour. Add chicken pieces and coat with mixture.

In a frying pan, heat 1 inch of oil over med-high heat. Add small batches of chicken at a time and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the sauce. Whisk together; set aside.

Discard oil from pan, wipe it clean and add 1 Tbsp of fresh oil. Add ginger and garlic; cook until fragrant. Add red peppers, green onions, rice wine and orange sauce. Bring to a boil, then turn to low. Stir in chicken to coat with sauce. To thicken sauce, stir in 1 Tbsp cornstarch and cook until sauce thickens.

Serve over white rice and garnish with fresh orange slices.

A simple dessert,

Mediterranean Meatballs over Couscous

1 lb ground beef, pork or turkey (I used beef in this dish)
1 egg
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 small red bell pepper, diced
½ yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp Moroccan Gourmet Garden Fresh Blends (found by the fresh herbs)
1 box of couscous (my favorite brand is Near East)
A large handful of fresh baby spinach
EVOO

In a large bowl, combine meat, egg, breadcrumbs, pepper, onion and Moroccan spice; mix well. Using wet hands to prevent meat from sticking, shape mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and cook meatballs. Brown all sides and make sure they are cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, make the couscous according to directions on the box. After 5 minutes when couscous has absorbed the liquid and is ready to be fluffed, stir in the baby spinach; cover and set aside.

Serve in a shallow bowl by making a bed of couscous and topping with meatballs. Drizzle with any remaining pepper and onion bits that might be left in the pan.

Picadillo

I came across this Latin American dish called Picadillo when I was searching for a recipe to make with the ground beef I had. There are several different versions with a variety of different spices and ingredients depending on the region it’s made. After reviewing several recipes, I decided to make a combination of the Costa Rican and Mexican Picadillo.

1 lb of beef or pork

EVOO

1 small onion, diced

1 russet potato, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced
Juice from one lime

1 cup of thick & chunky salsa

1 small can of tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed thyme

2 Tbsp freshly minced cilantro, same some to sprinkle as a garnish

½ green bell pepper, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

10 large green olives, pitted

Salt and pepper to taste

*If the mixture seems too thick, add ½ - 1 cup of broth or water

Heat a few drizzles of EVOO in a skillet over med-high heat. Start to brown meat. Add onion, potato, carrot, garlic, lime juice, salsa, tomato paste and spices. Cover, lower heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peppers and olives, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. If the mixture seems too thick and the potatoes aren’t cooking, add broth or water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve Picadillo over rice, sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe serves 4. Or you can serve 2 and use the rest for taco or tamales filling. I’m going to try to make Papas Rellenas, so stay tuned!

Scampi Style Chicken Pasta

This dish would taste great with some toasted pinenuts too, but I just didn't have any on hand.

1 lb egg noodles

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 lb chicken tenders, cut in thirds
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 small zucchini, diced
Juice of one lemon, plus zest of one lemon, save some zest for the garnish
1/2 cup white wine
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
Salt & Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Crumbled feta cheese

In a medium pot, cook pasta in salted boiling water per directions (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, preheat EVOO in a sauté pan over high heat. I used a wok pan since you’ll be tossing the pasta with the chicken mixture afterwards and it provides more room. Add chicken and sauté for a couple minutes until browned. Remove from heat to a bowl; set aside.

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and zucchini to the pan; sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and white wine; turn heat to high. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and let liquid reduce and zucchini to cook. Add butter, parsley, lemon zest and a couple spoonfuls of pasta cooking water and return the chicken. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Toss with chicken mixture.

Serve in a shallow bowl, sprinkle with feta cheese, top with a little of lemon zest and parsley.

Chicken in Spicy Vegetable Sauce

A healthy dish that's quick and easy to make. Perfect for those new year's resolutions of starting to eat right.

4 thin chicken breast filets
Salt
Pepper
EVOO
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 large carrot, diced
1 small onion, sliced
3 baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (optional)

In a sauté pan, heat a couple drizzles of EVOO over high heat. Season each side of chicken with salt and pepper. Quickly sear each side until browned, but do not cook through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Turn heat to medium, add vegetables to the same pan; sauté until tender. Add vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. If necessary, add water to help it get started. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Over low heat, return chicken to pan, add vegetable mixture, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Before serving, stir in a couple tablespoons of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to make sauce creamy (optional).

Serve over rice or pasta.

NOTES:
- To give dish a stronger garlic flavor, don’t sauté with vegetables and instead add to blender raw.
- To make dish spicier, don’t sauté jalapeno with vegetables and instead add to blender raw. Or if you don’t want a spicy sauce, omit the pepper entirely.

Baked Brie with Cherries, Pecans and Rosemary

I made this delicious appetizer for our Christmas appetizer. It was a huge hit and was gone in about 15 minutes. Everyone was asking for the recipe. I should have made three!

1 egg, beat in a small bowl

1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup dried cherries, soften in warm water for 20 minutes, then drain
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 puff pastry sheet (1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1 (15-ounce) Brie cheese round

Heat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, mix together the cherries, pecans, honey and rosemary.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Spoon the cherry mixture in the center of the sheet. Top with the cheese. Fold the pastry corners up over the cheese, pressing corners of sheet together. Using a spatula, carefully flip the wrapped cheese and place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the top with the egg mixture. (Optional, decorate the top with the any extra pastry scraps and additional rosemary.)

Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes (otherwise the cheese will just pour out if you cut into it too soon). Serve with the crackers or a sliced baguette.

Lentil Chili

This dish was really tasty. Next time, I'll probably add kidney and mung beans then call it 'three bean chili'. 

1 cup lentils
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
2 celery ribs, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (with jalapenos if you want to add some spice)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin

In a pot over high heat, add lentils and cover with water - about one inch over lentils. Bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer; cover and cook for about 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain any excess water and set aside.

In a sauté pan, brown meat; drain any excess fat. Add veggies and cook together until vegetables are soft. Stir in diced tomatoes, sauce, chili powder, cumin and lentils. Cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with a few dashes of hot sauce for an extra kick.

Note: If you don’t have chili powder or cumin, you can add a package of chili mix instead of the individual spices.

Chicken Vegetable Soup with Lentils

A warm, hearty soup for a cold day.

1 whole chicken

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

water
1/2 cup of dry lentils
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 garlic gloves, minced
¼ cup minced parsley
1 tsp minced Rosemary
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp all spice
Salt & pepper

In a large pot, add chicken and thyme, cover with water and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 ½ hours. When the chicken easily comes off the bone, it’s done. Give the drumstick a little wiggle to test it. Remove chicken and place in a bowl; set aside and let cool. Remove and discard the thyme stems.

Add lentils, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley, rosemary, bay leaves and all spice to the pot of chicken water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer; cook for about 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Shred chicken and add bite sized pieces back to soup. When the lentils are tender, the soup is done.

Serve with a nice crusty bread and enjoy on a cold day!

Note: If you don’t want to cook a whole chicken or don't have the time, use chicken broth and start the recipe where you add the lentils.

Mexican Casserole

I couldn’t decide if I should call this a Mexican Lasagna or a Mexican Casserole...you decide!

1 can of enchilada sauce
About 10 small corn tortillas, sliced into pieces
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 can of corn, drained
Cheddar cheese, shredded
9x9 casserole dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Layer the casserole dish with enchilada sauce, tortillas, chicken, peppers, onion, corn, cheddar cheese and repeat layers, ending with the cheese.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes. Broil for last 2 minutes to get a crunchy top. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Top with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with avocado slices. Serve with rice and beans or a side salad.

Shrimp Alfredo Pesto Pasta

3 servings

8 oz Fettuccine pasta
EVOO
1 large tomato, chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ lb large cooked shrimp, remove tails and cut in thirds
8 oz Alfredo sauce (my favorite kind is the little Buitoni tub by the refrigerated pasta)
4 oz Pesto (my favorite jarred brand is Classico) http://www.classico.com/pesto-sauces/basil-pesto-sauce.aspx
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Boil pasta in salted water according to directions on package.

In a sauté pan, heat EVOO over medium high heat. Add tomatoes, zucchini and garlic. Sauté until zucchini is slightly tender. Stir in shrimp pieces and heat through. Cover and remove from heat. Do not overcook shrimp, just heat through so they remain tender.

Once pasta is cooked, drain, return to pot and toss with Alfredo and pesto sauce.

Plate pasta and top with vegetable and shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with grilled salmon or eat alone with garlic bread.

Philly Cheese Steak Potato

You might remember me talking about my eatery idea, Spuds, my gourmet potato bar. It’s my make-believe restaurant that I create recipes for and then try then out on the hubby at home. Here’s one of Spud’s specials.

1 large russet potato
¾ lb beef loin
Salt
Pepper
1 small green bell pepper, sliced
½ small yellow onion, sliced
2 mushrooms, sliced (I used baby Bellas)
2-3 slices of Provolone cheese
A couple slices of butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean one large russet potato, cut in half, pierce with a fork, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minute minutes. You can use one whole potato per person but we usually just split a large one, especially since this dish contains meat, which is really filling.

Slice beef into thin slices and season with salt and pepper. Heat a few drizzles of EVOO in a pan over high heat. Sear each side of beef for 30-45 seconds, just until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more EVOO and sauté veggies for a few minutes until tender. When veggies are ready, lay slices of cheese on top, cover pan to let steam melt the cheese a little.

Remove potatoes from oven, unwrap, push ends together to insides open up. Sean with salt, pepper and a slice or two of butter. Using a spatula, scoop veggies topped with melted cheese from pan onto potato.

HELPFUL HINTS:
• Place beef in freezer for about 30-45 minutes so it hardens and is easier to slice thin.
• Melt cheese over veggies once potato is prepared to prevent over melting and it becoming runny.

One Pot of Chili: Two Dinners

Two dinners with one pot of chili. The second one just got created with the leftovers from the first. I love it when that happens!

Chili Stuffed Poblano Peppers
using leftover Spicy Turkey Chili

Dinner One: Spicy Turkey Chili

1 lb spicy turkey sausage
½ cup diced celery
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos, undrained
1 package of McCormick’s chili seasoning

Toppings:
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Diced red onions
Sour cream

Over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO in pan and wait for it to get hot. To prevent meat from sticking to your fingers, using wet hands, remove sausage from casings and drop into pan to cook through. Add celery; sauté for a couple minutes until soft. Stir in beans, tomatoes and chili seasoning. Cover, turn low and simmer for about 20 minutes; stir occasionally.

Serve in bowl topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, diced red onions and a dollop of sour cream.

Dinner Two: Chili Stuffed Poblano Peppers

½ cup rice
1 cup broth
2 cups of chili from recipe above
1 large Poblano Pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese

In the rice cooker, cook rice with broth. Once done, mix in chili; set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (Since I’m only using one pepper for the two of us, I just cooked it in the toaster oven.) Cut pepper in half, deseed and devein. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until soft and skin bubbles. Remove pepper halves from oven, fill with chili rice mixture. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese and place under broil for about 2 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Serve with a side salad topped with veggies and tossed in light vinaigrette.

Spicy Pork over Mexican Rice

This is my tasty version of Mexican rice, which is the star of this dish. 

1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
EVOO
1 ½ cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
1 cup basmati rice
Thin, boneless pork chops
Cajun seasoning
Handful of halved cherry tomatoes
Salt

In a frying pan over med-high heat, sauté bell pepper and onion in a couple drizzles of EVOO until fork tender. Transfer peppers and onion with broth, tomato paste and garlic cloves to a blender; puree.

In a rice cooker, combine rice with mixture from blender; cook until ready.

In a frying pan over med-high heat, sauté seasoned pork for a few minutes on each side, until no longer pink in the middle. Be careful not to overcook otherwise pork will become tough. After you flip the pork once, add tomato halves and sauté together. Salt to taste.

Serve pork over a plate of rice and top with cherry tomatoes.

Ono with Vegetable Rice

Wahoo is also known as Ono. Ono is a mild tasting fish with a firm texture. This is a good fish to grill or saute on the stovetop.

2 Ono Filets

Lemon Pepper seasoning

Sea salt
1 cup white long grained Basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
¾ cup frozen chopped spinach
1 can of corn, drained
2 green onion sprigs, thinly sliced
EVOO
10 asparagus spears, cut into 1” pieces
1 lemon

In a rice cooker, combine rice, broth, spinach and 2 teaspoons of EVOO. Cook until done. Mix in corn and green onions; set aside.

In a medium frying pan, heat a couple drizzle of EVOO over med-high heat. Cook seasoned filets, start with one side until the meat turns white half way up and then flip; cook until the other half turns white. Do not overcook or fish will be tough.

In a small pot, cook asparagus in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking; drain and set aside.

To serve, create a bed of vegetable rice, then add steamed asparagus and top with fish. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice.

Grilled Shark with Tropical Rice

This is a tasty and good-for-you dish that has a great combination of spicy and sweet flavors.

2 Thresher shark filets
Cajun seasoning
1 cup white, long grained balsamic rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup chopped mango
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp salt

In a rice cooker, combine rice, coconut milk, mango, onion and salt. Cook until done and rice is tender. Rice should be creamy and sweet with a hint of saltiness.

Preheat grill to med-high heat. Season each side of shark with Cajun spices. The filets I bought were about 1” thick so I butterflied them to make them thinner so they would cook faster. Grill them for about 4 minutes per side.

Serve shark over tropical rice. Enjoy!

Seafood Chowder

A yummy, creamy soup for a cold day. Adding bacon and shrimp turn this clam chowder into a unique and tasty soup.

4 slices of bacon

1 cup minced onions

1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups diced red skinned potatoes, unpeeled
¾ cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp butter
3 cups half and half cream
3- 6.5 oz chopped clams, save juice from two of the cans
½ cup small peeled shrimp
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat large pot over high heat. Cut bacon into small pieces. Sauté until crispy. With slotted spoon, remove from heat and to a paper towel lined plate. Using bacon grease from pot, add onion, celery, carrots and potatoes. Mix in flour to coat veggies. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth and boil uncovered for about 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Add butter, half and half, clams and shrimp. Turn heat to low and heat through for about 10 minutes. Do not bring to boil otherwise clams and shrimp will over cook. Season with pepper.

Stir in bacon and garnish with leftover bits. Serve with crusty bread and a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chili

1 lb beef (80/20)

3 Italian spicy hot links, meat removed from casings

2-15 oz kidney beans
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large jalapeno, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1-16 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1-8 oz tomato sauce
1 package of McCormick chili seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Break up meat and gently mix ingredients together. Cover and cook on low for 8+ hours. Stir before serving.

Garnish with cheddar cheese and minced onion. Serve with sliced bread.

Dijon Chicken

2-3 servings

½ tea coriander seeds

1 Tbsp EVOO
4 chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
¼ cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ chicken broth
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp minced parsley

In a large skillet over high heat, toast coriander seeds for about 2 minutes. Transfer seeds to a cutting board and mince; set aside.

Add EVOO to skillet until it starts to smoke and ripple. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to skillet and brown both sides. Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add broth and coriander seeds, cover and turn heat to low; cook for about 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Transfer chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk mustard, sour cream and parsley. Add mixture to skillet; simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. Add chicken back to skillet and coat in sauce.

Serve over white, long grain basmati rice. This dish would also taste good over egg noodles.

Tex-Mex Burger

My grandma and her friend were visiting from the Czech Republic last week. I wanted to cook something very different from their normal CZ cuisine, something with a Mexican flare since they were in San Diego, and because my grandma’s friend had her first burger and loved it. I thought this was the perfect unique combo for their dinner.

Serves 4

Salsa for burgers:
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
3 Tbsp minced cilantro
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp lime juice
½ (15 oz) can black beans, drained
½ (15 oz) can corn, drained

Burgers:
1 ½ lb ground turkey
¼ cup EVOO
½ (15 oz) can black beans, slightly mashed
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or grated
2 Tbsp minced cilantro
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
Sliced sharp cheddar cheese
1 large avocado, sliced
Hamburger buns

For the salsa, combine all ingredients. Store in fridge until ready to use.

For the burgers, in a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Using your hands, form mixture into 4 equally shaped patties. Grill over med-high heat until patties are done, or cook patties over the stove top in a frying pan for about 5 minutes per side, until done.

When the patties are almost done cooking, add cheese until melted.

Plate patties on toasted buns. Top with salsa and avocado slices. Serve with French fries and pickles.

Lentil and Cabbage Salad with Beets

I received this month’s Food & Wine mag in the mail today and was inspired by one of their recipes. The hubby LOVED it! He said it was a "flavor explosion in his mouth" and that this was the type of dinner he’d want me to make if his boss were to come over. Obviously he liked it. Though he said the name of the recipe wasn’t too appetizing, and that it sounds more like something they’d serve in an orphanage as a punishment. I guess I have to work on that.

1 cup lentils
4 thick slices of bacon
½ cup EVOO
Juice from one lemon
2 large beets
3 Tbsp freshly minced parsley
1 ½ cups chopped green cabbage
½ cup blue cheese crumbs
Salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and cut beets into large cubes. Toss with EVOO, place in a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes, or until beets are fork tender. While beets are baking, cook lentils.

Place lentils in a pot and cover with about 1 inch of water. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until they are tender. Drain and set aside. While lentils are cooking, cook bacon.

In a skillet over med-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Once done, set on paper towel lined plate. When cooled, roughly chop; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk EVOO and lemon juice together; season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss lentils, cabbage and parsley with lemon dressing.

Plate lentil and cabbage salad topped with warm beets. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon and blue cheese. Serve with grilled salmon or sautéed pork chops.