Ginger Chicken

Now I got this recipe off of one of our favorite cooking websites and we loved this dish when we tried it, only suggest a few changes. Original recipe calls for toasted almonds to be sprinkled on top after it is plated but we couldn’t find any so we left that out. We also doubled the mango sauce for this because we felt that it needed a bit more (the recipe posted below has the doubled amounts). Otherwise a fantastic dish with great flavor. This is a definite make again recipe...YUMMY!

Ginger Chicken
(original recipe at Simply Recipes)

Ingredients

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 - 2 lbs. total) cut into strips.
* 2 teaspoons ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger plus ¼ cup diced fresh ginger
* 4 teaspoons canola oil
* 2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 4 large scallions (or 6 small), trimmed
* 1 cup mango chutney, large pieces chopped
* ½ cup chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1. Slice chicken crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Toss with ground coriander, grated ginger, 2 teaspoons oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Marinate at room temperature 15 minutes.

2. Thinly slice white parts of scallions. Julienne green parts; set aside.

3. Stir together chutney, broth, and garlic in a small bowl.

4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and diced ginger; stir-fry 30 - 45 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry until thoroughly cooked, 4 to 6 minutes. Add scallion greens and chutney mixture; cook, stirring, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve this over steamed white rice.

Serves 4-6.

Asian Style Salmon Fillets

This was a first time recipe for us so we may tweak it a bit next time around. The salmon was still very very good but I would recommend marinating the fish a bit longer than what the recipe calls for (maybe overnight).

Asian Style Salmon
1 1/2 Lbs. Salmon Fillets
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
Lemon Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
Salt to taste

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat. (I just used a saute pan, it worked just fine) Lightly oil grill grate or saute pan. Place salmon on preheated pan and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6-8 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

I served this on a bed of wilted spinach. I think sauteed bok choy would work better but the store didn't have any at the time. Served with rice, potatoes or asparagus or whatever else floats your boat. :)

Easy Peanut Butter Pie

This was probably one of the easiest pies i have ever made. However I haven't made many pies but that's beside the point. I had it finished in about 10 minutes. :) I got the recipe from a co-worker and so glad i did. YUM

Peanut Butter Pie

8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
16 oz. Cool Whip
Pre-made Graham Cracker Crust (go ahead and make your own if you like but I was lazy and used a packaged one)
Chocolate Syrup (optional)

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and cool whip until well blended. Pour in graham cracker crust. Pour chocolate syrup on top if you like. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve.

I ate a piece the day after I made it and found it to be even better the next day. Refrigerating overnight may be optimal.

Farfalle with Zucchini & Tomatoes

When I made this dish, Scotty and my sister weren't home to taste the goodness that was this pasta right when it was finished. Its too bad because I think it tasted the best right off the stove. The only thing I did differently from the original recipe was I didn't use Arrowroot. I looked all over my grocery store for it, but no luck. All I did was cook the sauce down a bit more and honestly the pasta made the sauce thicken. Also, don't cook the zucchini too much! I think I cooked it too long and it got a little mushy. Make sure it has a bit of a bite to it.

This pasta is perfect on a hot day. The ingredients are simple and the pasta reflects that. I would say that the fresh herbs are optional but they really make this dish sing. I mix them into the dish as a whole but I also sprinkle some on top of my plate for some extra freshness.

Farfalle with Zucchini & Tomatoes
This recipe is courtesy of Pioneer Woman.

16 oz. Farfalle Noodles
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2-3 Zucchini's Chopped into half inch pieces
1 Pint Grape Tomatoes - Cut in half
1 Small Onion - Diced
5-6 cloves Garlic - Chopped
1/2 cup White Wine
Handful of Basil - Chopped
Handful of Thyme - Chopped
Handful of Chives - Chopped
Shredded Parmesan Cheese (I bought mine in the deli already shredded, feel free to grate your own if you like)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Boil a pot of water. Add a handful of salt (this helps flavor the pasta!) Cook the Farfalle until al dente, drain and set aside. I also like to save some pasta water in case the sauce is to thick.

While the pasta is cooking, take a large pan and heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, throw in the zucchini. Don't stir it right away, you want them to brown a bit on the bottom. Once a little brown stir around and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook until desired doneness but don't overcook! Remove zucchini from pan and set aside.

In same pan, drizzle a bit more olive oil if needed. Saute onions and garlic until onions are transparent, about 2-3 minutes. Turn heat down to about medium and add grape tomatoes. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the white wine and cook down for about 3 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream while stirring and cook for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper at this point, and dont be skimpy!

Add the pasta directly into the sauce. I like to use a big saute pan so it all fits. The starch from the pasta helps thicken the sauce, so don't skip this step. Mix all together. YUMMM, looks good already.

Take a big handful of shredded parmesan cheese, and all of the chopped herbs and mix into the pasta. At this point, if the sauce is too thick, take some of that saved pasta water and pour it in until the sauce is the right consistency. Plate and serve! Put some fresh chopped herbs on each plate with a bit more parmesan cheese. Can we say yum? :)

A reason to start

Why am I doing this? I don't know.... But I have to start with the first post....the first post is always the hardest. I am horrible at writing anyways :) If you read this, you will find that my writing meanders back and forth. So for that I apologize.

I wanted to try something different. Maybe it gives me something else to do other than play World of Warcraft all of the time. I know one thing, it makes me want to cook more. I want to learn how to take pretty pictures of food. I want to try someday to make something that ISN'T from a recipe or book. It gives me a challenge and I can't wait to share what I know to whoever makes a point to read this.

Till my first recipe, latr gatrs :)