Cashew Chicken

For some reason, I've wanted to make cashew chicken for a while now.

Yes, random craving...I know.

I browsed the internet for recipes,

 but ended up making up my own instead.

 I figure while living in the 'Orient' I should probably start cooking with some rice and soy!

So here we go...

Cashew Chicken

serves 6-8

6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup water

½ cup grated raw ginger(THIS ADDS ALL THE FLAVOR)

1 cup mushrooms(I used shitake)

2 cups carrots

3 chopped broccoli

1 cup green onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup unsalted cashews

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

Season chicken with grated ginger, salt, and cornstarch.

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 cup water.

Add minced garlic, green onions, mushrooms, broccoli and carrots to skillet.

Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In another pan, pour mixture of cashews, honey and soy sauce to cover bottom surface of the pan.  Add boneless skinless chicken cubes.  Cook 5 minutes, or until brown on both sides.

Once chicken is cooked thoroughly, add chicken cubes to veggie skillet mixture.  Combine and stir over heat for 30 seconds.

Serve over brown or jasmine rice.

Wildflower Chopped Salad

Mom and I had this salad in Scottsdale at the Wildflower Cafe while dad and the boys were at priesthood.  I went back and got again and snapped a pic.  It hit the spot! 

Salad:

Arugula

Craisins

Israeli Couscous

Peppers

Salmon (I had chicken)

Feta

Dried Corn (Roasted would be good)

Sunflower Seeds

Served with a Pesto dressing (wish I had the recipe).  It was delish.

jane's homemade rolls

i usually steer clear of making rolls...aren't rhodes rolls homemade?!?

plus, how inconvenient to do all that stoppin' and startin', rise and punch, roll out and fold...yadda.

plan on an all-day affair.

but, why not "try this!" on my own lil' fam?

in tribute to my dear cousin jane who also lived here in seattle 10 years ago

(only a couple blocks away) during residency, i made her homemade rolls from favorites

i froze over a dozen rolls, but the others were gobbled up.

not necessarily an every-meal-kinda-thingy, but would be nice for sunday dinner or such.

oh, and no need to add butter to these babies!

move on over em, maybe i'll be the one asked to bring rolls to the next family function....:)

jane's homemade rolls

from favorites

1 package dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

4-4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 stick butter, melted

pour warm water over yeast in mixing bowl. let stand. scald (heat until just before it starts to bubble) milk in saucepan and remove from heat. melt 1/2 cup butter in microwave and add to milk in saucepan. stir in salt and sugar. pour into mixing bowl with yeast, add beaten eggs and mix well. add flour and knead with dough hook for 2-3 minutes. cover bowl with a dish towel and let rise for 3-4 hours.

melt 1/4 cup of butter. grease 2 cookies sheets. divide dough in half (it will be sticky). roll half of the dough out on a floured surface into a 12'' circle. spread half of the melted butter on top with a pastry brush and cut into 12 slices with a pizza cutter. roll each slice up "croissant style" and place on cookie sheet. repeat with remaining half of dough. let rise again for 4-5 hours. bake for 9 minutes at 375 degrees.

shannon's chocolate chip cookies

Two little girls came and played with Jack all afternoon.

Along with crafts, they asked if we could bake...oh man! Girls sure are different from boys!

So, bake we did!

Awhile back I stumbled across my friend, Shannon's food blog.

Her chocolate chip cookie recipe caught my eye. I can never try enough CCC recipes!

These babies were the perfect balance of being chewy and crispy...right up my alley!

In fact, I just threw the last of the cookies in the freezer so I'd stop eating them.

Like, really. I have no stop-limit on fresh home-baked cooks.

Why, when I watch "Biggest Loser", does junk food go hand-in-hand?!? Ironic, no?

I present to you, Shannon's Chocolate Chip Cookies!

INGREDIENTS:  

(Makes about three dozen)

•  Two and one fourth cups all purpose flour
• One half teaspoon baking soda
• One cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (Or slightly melted in the microwave)
• One half cup granulated sugar
• One cup packed light-brown sugar
• Three fourths teaspoon salt
• Two teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Two Large eggs
• Two cups (about 12 oz) Milk chocolate chips. (I use Guittard... They are simply BEST)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda; set aside
3. In the bowl, combine the butter with both sugars; beat with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy
4. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs
5. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute
6. Add flour mixture and lightly mix together 
7. Stir in the chocolate chips
8. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough, about 2 inches apart, on baking sheets
9. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges (about 10-12 minutes) but still soft in the center
10. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes
11. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely

Birthday Carrot Cake!

We all know that this is the cake Vern demands for his birthday each year.  The truth is I have never been a fan of carrot cake so I had to find a recipe that everyone else (including myself) could enjoy too!
I am not a fan of raisins and nuts in cake, thus you will not find it here (of course... add if you like).  The secret ingredient may frighten you, but it is the secret to a real moist, flavorful cake... Carrot Babyfood!!!
Everyone who eats this cake LOVES it!!  So give it a TRY!

Carrot Cake

Blend:
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. oil

Then add:
2 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
4 small plastic containers of carrot baby food (3.5 oz size)
1- 2 t. vanilla
optional:
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1 c. coconut

Pour into greased/floured pan or pans (I use 2-round) and bake @ 350 degrees for 35-40 mins. (check w/ toothpick)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 T. softened butter
8 oz. cream cheese (can be low fat)
1/2 t. vanilla
about 6 cups of powdered sugar
add milk if too thick

 *Recipe originates from one given to me from Lori Radman/ Kris Plummer (her mom)

Healthy Oatmeal Choc-Chip Cookies

I made these puppies tonight and OH-MY!

Now that I've discovered them, I feel it's my duty to share this recipe with y'all.

Up until now, I haven't liked ANY dessert that uses APPLESAUCE as a substitute.

But, these cookies have now proven me wrong! 

Blake didn't even know I had "cheated" and used healthier substitutes.  

I waited to tell him until he had polished off his 3rd cookie.

So...he had a 4th!

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies

(each cookie only 88 calories)

1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened

1/2 cup honey

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cup rolled oats

2 cups chocolate chips (I used DARK chocolate)

Mix all ingredients together.  

Spoon onto cookie sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

original recipe here thanks to trainer momma

rosemary mozzarella skewers

for a baby shower last week, i realized i had a plethora of sweet things (of course), but needed some more savory dealios.

i found these babies over at pioneer woman...

click here for her exact recipe.
they were tasty. 
they take a second to assemble, though.
i made them the night before so they marinated awhile, and ran out of rosemary stalks, so used some toothpicks.
i forgot thyme, which was fine, and i also didn't use much olive oil. just a spritz.
i got all these ingredients at trader's...gotta love a one-stop-shop.
these would also be good with tomatoes, i'm thinking, esp. if you don't like salami!
needless to say, i enjoyed a few leftovers on my salad the next day...
mmmm.

rosemary mozzarella skewers

via pioneer woman

• Stalks Of Fresh Rosemary
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
• Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Drained
• Black Or Kalamata Olives, Drained
• Salami, Sliced Thin And Folded Into Fourths
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• Pinch Of Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper (lots!)
• Sprinkle Of Ground Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Strip all but 1 to 2 inches of rosemary leaves from stems. (Leave leaves intact at the top of the stem.)

Use stem to spear cheese cubes, artichoke hearts, olives, and salami in whatever order you’d like.

Mix dressing ingredients until emulsified, then drizzle over the top of the skewers. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Healthy Pasta Bake

As our first home cooked meal here in Singapore, I wanted to make a lasagne/pasta type dish.  The cost of the ingredients at the store totaled almost $76.00 SGD, but 

I don't really care...it tasted like home...worth every bite!

I saw this recipe a few weeks ago on trainer momma and altered it a little bit.

So here's the 'JANE' version...lotsa veggies and tons of flavor.

Healthy Pasta Bake

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti

1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links

2 chopped onions

1 zucchini 

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes or real tomatoes

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Cook sausage (be sure to remove from casings), onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until browned.  

Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms and bring to a boil. 

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a large casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. 

Repeat layers.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

 Finished Product:

 My attempt to set the table for our "special" home-cooked meal...

I even bought lemon Perrier!

Isn't this view fabulous?

I love eating my breakfast, lunch and dinner outside on our porch.

The Singapore skyline never gets old!

homemade hummus

cheers to my first singapore "try-this" post!

it feels oh-so-good to have my

supplies/appliances finally here and to be

 back up-and-runnin in the kitchen!

hummus costs $9.00 in the grocery store here and it's blake's favorite food.

so, to keep him happy(and me) and not break the bank, 

i decided to try making it myself.

i got this recipe from becky daynes, a friend from our ward here in singapore.

it was easy as pie...i threw the ingredients in the blender, and voila!  

there we have it...delicious hummus.

you MUST try!

HOMEMADE HUMMUS

2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans)  

2 tsp salt

6 garlic cloves

3/4 cup lemon juice - or more if you like it kinda sour

1/2 Cup tahini paste

1/2 Cup chopped parsley

Drain the chickpeas and puree in blender.   Blending the canned beans.  Crush the garlic with the salt, then beat in the tahini and lemon juice.  Stir in the chickpea puree and mix very well.  Garnish with pinch of cumin, chopped parsley and olive oil.  

Serve with pita triangles or veggies.