Honey Chicken Stir Fry

Tired. Pregnant. Don't want to cook.  So I Googled things I could make with a bag of frozen vegetable stir fry, and this lovely little recipe popped up.  Thanks to Taste of Home for saving my night!

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 package (16 oz) frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
• Hot cooked rice (I used Minute Rice)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until blended well.
2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium high heat.
3. Add chicken and garlic to skillet; stir fry 1 minute.
4. Add honey, soy sauce, salt, and pepper to chicken; stir fry 2-3 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove chicken mixture from pan (I put mine back in my honey/soy sauce mixing bowl to save on dishes)
6. In same wok or skillet, heat remaining olive oil and stir fry frozen veggies 4-5 minutes.
7. Once veggies are tender, add chicken mixture back into the wok.
8. Add corn starch to the mixture, and bring to a boil. Stir 1 last minute, or until mixture thickens slightly.
9. Serve over rice. Add extra soy sauce as needed for flavor.

Thai Vegetable Stir Fry

This recipe can be made with or without the noodles.  I planned on making it over white rice, but found out half way through that I only had a half of a cup of rice left.  Not wanting to go to the store, I foraged around the kitchen and found some spaghetti noodles.  According to Rachel Ray, these noodles work just fine as a substitute for more authentic ones, and I tend to agree.  Thank you to Tracey Davies over at AllRecipes.Com for the original recipe.

You'll need:

• Spaghetti Noodles or Rice (optional)
• 4 tbsp soy sauce, plus a little extra as needed
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tsp peanut butter
• Olive oil
• 1 (16 oz) package frozen stir fry vegetables

Directions:

1. Cook your noodles or rice until al dente (or whatever you call rice when it's done).
2. Meanwhile, stir your soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and peanut butter in a small bowl.
3. Warm up your oil in a large frying pan or wok, then stir fry your frozen veggies 5-7 minutes.
4. When veggies are done, mix in about half of your soy sauce mixture into the veggies.
5. Add your noodles/rice, then pour in the rest of the sauce.  Stir well.
6. Feel free to add an extra splash or two of soy sauce to your liking, then dig in!

Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings

Well, it's been an interesting year to say the least.  I finished my last semester of college, completed my graduate assistantship, and up and moved to Denver.  The last several months have been a whirlwind, which is why my recipe blog has been set on the back burner the last year or so.  But alas, I'm back, and cooking more than ever.  And I have for you one of my new FAVORITE recipes from Steamy Kitchen (although slightly altered).  Great for your next superbowl party!

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or melted butter)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I made my own)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, rosemary, cumin and salt. Lay the chicken wings on a baking sheet and season the chicken wings with this mixture.

2. Bake the chicken wings for 50 minutes, turning turning them over after 30 minutes. While the chicken is baking, mix together the oil, fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and seasoning salt.

4. When the chicken is cooked through, toss the wings with the garlic/cheese/olive oil (or butter) sauce. Serve with the blue cheese/mustard dressing.

Peanut Butter Bars

So, I went to a small work luncheon yesterday, and my supervisor made these amazing peanut butter bars.  My mouth about melted off when I tried them, so I found the recipe on Pinterest, and had to repost it here.  Thank you to Bakerlady for the amazing recipe!  I'll post pictures after I make a second batch tonight!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind, or grind them in a food processor. Tiny granules.)
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended.
2. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan.
3. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Cranberry Feta Salad

As I was putting together my work lunch this morning, I thought--hey, I make this salad all the time... How come I haven't posted it yet?  It's so easy, it only uses 3 ingredients (plus whatever dressing you like).  I can put it together in minutes, it's delicious, and it's cheap!  Make in whatever portion size you like... These directions are for a single serving, but you could easily increase it for a party or potluck.

Ingredients:

• Spring Mix luttuce
• Crumbed Feta cheese
• Dried cranberries
• Salad dressing (I like to use Italian dressing)

Directions:

1. Grab a large handful of lettuce, and place in a bowl.
2. Top with 1 1/2 tbsp feta and 1 tbsp cranberries (I usually eyeball this to however much I like).
3. If you're taking it to work, keep the dressing in a separate container until you're ready to eat.

Kale Chips

This one comes from my mother, who found it online somewhere... I never thought I'd like Kale, but this turned out to be pretty amazing... Plus, if you haven't heard, Kale is SUPER good for you. Thanks to Tastefully Julie for the picture.

Ingredients:

• 1 big bunch of kale
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F
2. Wash the kale thoroughly under lukewarm water, then drain and pat dry with a towel.
3. Pull pieces of the kale leaves off into potato chip-sized pieces, leaving out the stem.
4. Place the kale in a big bowl and pour in the olive oil.  Stir with your hands until all of the kale is entirely coated.
5. Season to taste with the sea salt and pepper, then add the lemon juice.  Mix this with your hands too, but be careful if you have a cut on your hands-- I learned that the hard way!
6. Place the kale in a single layer on a big baking sheet (you may need 2) and place in the oven for about 35 minutes, or until crispy.  You may want to toss the chips every 10 minutes or so to make sure they all cook evenly.
7. Sprinkle extra sea salt if desired, then consume. :)

Jessie's Famous Shephard's Pie

My very best friend from 3rd grade just sent me this amazing recipe for Shephard's Pie... Thank god someone has time to cook, because it feels like a lifetime since I made a decent meal! I'm making this tonight!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can green beans
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 packs instant potatoes (8 servings) (I use Idohoan Instant Flavored Potatoes, but fresh works too)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (could be substituted with cream if chicken or 2 packs of instant gravy mix)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 2 T cream cheese ( optional)
• Cheese
• 1 cup of milk

Directions:

1. Brown meat and season with garlic salt.
2. Turn off heat add soup and 3/4 can milk.
3. Mix well and pour into 9x13" pan.
4. Evenly spread peas over meat.
5. Drain beans and evenly spread over meat.
6. Cook instant potatoes; after cooked, add sour cream and cream cheese.
7. Spread potatoes over meat and veggie mixture.
8. Cover in cheese and cook at 350 till edgest start to bubble ( about 20 min).
9. Consume with with soft rolls and butter!