Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice

I made Thai tonight and it was delish. I will admit that I cheated a little. Instead of making my own curry sauce I bought this at Trader Joe's...

...and it was good. Spicy, but good. (I like Joe's Tikka Masala sauce, too.) What I did was sauteed the chicken in a little bit of oil until it was close to done and then added sliced red peppers, onions and carrots and sauteed until they were done. I poured in the sauce (which already had coconut milk in it) and then added some of Joe's frozen french green beans. I then covered it and let it simmer while I made the fried rice.

Now, I love this fried rice not only because it's yummy but because it reminds me of my friend Andrea (hi, Andrea!). She invited us over for dinner one night and she made this. I just had to have the recipe, it was so good! I sure do miss Andrea and all my friends in Sacramento. There is just a wonderful group of people down there. Sniff, sniff.

Thai Heavenly Pineapple Fried Rice
recipe courtesy Andrea

1 small can pineapple chunks, drained, OR 1 whole pineapple
3 cups cooked rice, preferably several days old (Tip: if fresh, leave for an hour or more in the refrigerator uncovered)
2-3 Tbsp. peanut, coconut, canola, or other vegetable oil for stir-frying
1-3 Tbsp. vegetable stock (or chicken stock if non-vegetarian) for stir-frying
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 red or green chili, thinly sliced (reduce or leave out if you prefer very mild fried rice)
1 egg (vegans can omit)*
½ cup frozen peas

optional: 1 small carrot, grated (about 1/4 cup)
¼ cup raisins or currants
½ cup raw unsalted whole cashews
3 spring onions finely sliced
1/3 cup fresh coriander

STIR-FRY SAUCE:
2 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce, or soy sauce (use regular fish sauce if non-vegetarian)
2 tsp. curry powder

Mix 1 Tbsp. oil with the rice, using your fingers to separate any chunks into grains. Set aside. In a cup, stir the fish sauce/soy sauce together with the curry powder. Place 1-2 Tbsp. oil in a wok/large frying pan and turn heat to medium-high. Add shallots, garlic, and chili, stir-frying until fragrant (1 minute). Whenever the wok/pan becomes dry, add a little stock (1/2 to 1 Tbsp. at a time). Crack egg (if using) into wok and stir quickly to cook (like making scrambled eggs). Again, add a little stock when the wok/pan becomes dry. Add the carrot (if using), peas, cashews, plus the fish/soy sauce mixed with curry powder. Stir-fry 1 minute. Now add the rice, pineapple chunks, and currents. Gently stir-fry to combine over medium-high to high heat until the rice "dances" (begins to make popping sounds) - about 3 minutes.Tip: Avoid adding any more stock from here on, or your rice will turn out soggy. The wok/pan should be fairly dry. Remove from heat. Do a taste-test for saltiness, adding a few shakes of salt or up to 2 Tbsp. more [veggie] fish sauce, as needed. (If you happen to over-salt the dish, add a squeeze or two of lime juice.) To serve, scoop rice onto a serving platter (or in a carved-out pineapple, if serving at a party - see link at beginning of recipe). Top with spring onions and coriander, and ENJOY! SERVES 4 *(I used soy sauce and cranberries instead of fish sauce and currents)

Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo and 30 Minute Breadsticks

How wrong is it that I am starting to dread Fridays because I've committed to the whole Fish Friday thing?  Sigh.  I've read so many times that the way to get 'children' to start eating foods they don't like is to keep offering it to them and eventually, they start to eat it and enjoy it.  I hope this is the case with me!  Or I could just make the Fish Tacos every week, because I really did like that one, the batter really offset the taste of the fish!  This recipe was good, although I have to admit I only had one piece of shrimp.  And so long as I'm admitting things, I only ate half of the one piece of shrimp.  I know!  I'm horrible.  But I tried it, and that's all that counts.  My husband and seafood loving sons loved it.  The breadsticks were a snap.  I was intrigued when I saw the recipe, and thought, really?  30 minutes?  Really?  I'll bet they're no good.  But they were as promised, done in 30 minutes and tasty!  Perfect recipe for those days when you forget to make bread for dinner, or put off making it because you are dreading to eat SEAFOOD. 


Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
Recipe from Allrecipes

1 pound fettuccine pasta

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound cooked shrimp - peeled and deveined

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup half-and-half

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

salt to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet, saute shrimp and garlic in the butter for about one minute. Pour in half and half; stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. After all Parmesan is added, mix in parsley and salt. Stir frequently making sure it does not boil. Sauce will take a while to thicken.

When sauce has thickened, combine with cooked pasta noodles; serve hot.

30 Minute Breadsticks (or Rolls)

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups plus 2 tsp. warm water
1/3 cup oil
2 T yeast
1/4 cup sugar or honey
½ tsp. Salt
1 eggs
3 ½ cups flour

Directions:

Mix 1st 4 ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes. Add salt and eggs – gradually add flour. Shape into breadsticks or dinner rolls, or use in your favorite recipe that calls for dough. After shaped, let rest for 10 minutes. Bake 10 minutes @400 degrees until golden brown.

Tomato Spinach Soup

Yesterday we were all feeling a wee bit icky. It was a tomato soup and grilled cheese day. My kids love this soup (my two-year-old devoured two bowls!).

Tomato Spinach Soup

1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced small
2 tbsp olive oil
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
14 oz. can chicken or vegetable broth
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
5 oz (half a bag) of cleaned spinach
parm cheese

Saute shallot, onion and garlic in olive oil about 5 minutes. Drain diced tomatoes add to pan with crushed tomatoes, broth, spices and salt and pepper to taste. Shred spinach with a knife and add in handfuls to wilt in soup. Add sugar by the spoonful if soup tastes bitter, about 2 tsp should do it. Let it simmer 10 minutes and serve with a sprinkling of parm cheese. This makes 4 hearty servings.

Creamy Chicken Burritos and My New Favorite Salsa Recipe

We're having a rough day over here so I'll quickly post what we ate a few nights ago (behind as usual!). This burrito recipe is quick and delicious. I always buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco when I'm there because I ultimately will make something during the week that requires cooked chicken--this is one of them. This salsa recipe is AWESOME!! Of course everything Ree makes is awesome. I make this salsa at least once a week and it's highly addictive (Kath, grab the Juanita's chips and make this salsa!). I half the recipe for me and my hubby to munch on during the week.

Creamy Chicken Burritos

3 chicken breast halves cooked and cubed
1 4 oz pkg cream cheese (not fat-free!)
1 cup salsa
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 15 oz can pinto beans drained
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.Grease 9x13 baking dish.Add cream cheese and salsa to large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and blended with salsa. Add garlic, beans and chicken. Mix well. Fill tortillas, roll up and place in baking dish. Mixture will be a bit runny so be careful not to burn yourself filling tortillas. Sprinkle burritos with cheese cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, olives etc.

Restaurant Style Salsa
recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)(drain the juice)
¼ cups Chopped Onion (I double this)
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
¼ teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
½ cups Cilantro (I double this, too)
½ whole Lime Juice

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.

Panda Express Mandarin Chicken and Fried Green Beans

I love this meal.  Here's the thing....... I am in love with rice.  It is so weird, because rice is really boring but I love it.  I would have it with every meal if I could get away with it.  If you want the yummy, sticky rice you need to buy Calrose rice.  Just put it in your rice cooker and 20 minutes later - sticky delishishness.  I usually make twice as much rice as we need and double the sauce so I can eat just the rice and sauce for leftovers, a couple of my kids like to do that too.  Then there's the green beans.  I haven't been the same since I had tempura fried vegetables.  I don't have a recipe for the green beans, I just let some frozen green beans thaw, dipped them in some tempura batter (which you can buy in the Asian section of any grocery store) and fried them up.  Fried carrots are my favorite, but I decided I was only going to do green beans tonight.  I served them with sweet and sour sauce and Sriracha sauce for dipping.  This is what Sriracha sauce looks like:

It tastes like liquid fire to me, but tasty liquid fire.  You can also find this in the Asian food section of any store.


Panda Express Mandarin Chicken
Don't know where I got the recipe but it's all over the internets

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 skinless chicken thigh fillets (I use 4 boneless, skinless breasts)
Directions:

Combine sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, oil, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan. Combine water with cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to saucepan and turn heat to high. Stir often while bringing mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes or until sauce is thick. Preheat your grill on high for the chicken. When the grill is hot, rub each chicken piece with oil and cook the chicken for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until done. Chicken should have browned in spots. When chicken is done, chop it into bite-size pieces. Pour the chicken pieces into a large frying pan over medium heat. Heat until chicken sizzles then reduce heat and cover chicken until ready to serve. Spoon chicken into a medium bowl, then pour all the sauce over the chicken and stir until well-coated. Serve with steamed white rice. Do a happy dance from the yummy deliciousness.

Panini with Warm Vegetable Salad and Mud Pie

Monday night is all about the dessert at our house. On Family Home Evening I usually will make a little somethin' and the kids always look forward to it. When Charlie asked what I was making for dessert this Monday I told him I was making Mud Pie. "Really?" He asked, a little confused. A few minutes later he said, "Hey mom, I know how to make mud pies. You want me to go outside and make you one?" Love it!

Monday night I also made paninis. I don't have a fancy panini press, but I have a cast iron press and it works just as well. I usually use the Trader Joe's Cracked Wheat Sourdough for our bread. It's perfect panini bread. For our filling, I grilled some chicken and red onions, fried some bacon, piled it all on and topped with sharp cheddar cheese. Yum.

For our side I made Giada De Laurentiis' Warm Vegetable Salad. Does your husband have a huge crush on Giada, too? Yuck. Put a sweater on, Giada. Okay, okay, my husband doesn't complain about my Jimmy Fallon crush. Don't we all have at least one celebrity crush? Be honest.

Warm Vegetable Salad
from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian

2 whole red peppers
1 1/2 pound assorted red and white new potatoes (I use purple potatoes, too)
3/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Place the red peppers on a foil lined baking sheet.

Place the red peppers under the boiler. Turning every 2 to 3 minutes cook the peppers until the skin is blistered, about 8 to 9 minutes total. Place the blistered peppers in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and allow the peppers to sit for 10 minutes to allow the skin to separate and to let cool.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a cutting board. Add the green beans to the pot. Cook the green beans until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the green beans to a large bowl. Slice the potatoes in half while still warm and combine them with the green beans in the large bowl. Remove the peppers from the plastic bag. Peel off the skin from the peppers. Slice the pepper flesh into wide strips and remove the seeds and veins. Place them in the bowl with the potatoes. Add the scallions, parsley, and garlic
and toss to combine.

In a small bowl combine the oregano, lemon juice and zest, and white wine vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the salt and pepper. Toss the warm vegetables with the herb vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Mud Pie

3 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate (or 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 chocolate crumb crust (8 inches) (or graham cracker crust)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or not!)
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate; stir in condensed milk until smooth. Pour into crust; sprinkle with pecans. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Carefully spread 1-1/2 cups of pudding mixture over pecans. Fold 1/2 cup whipped topping into the remaining pudding mixture; spoon over pudding layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill until set. Refrigerate leftovers.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf and Lazy Day Rolls

Do you ever have those days where you just feel blah?  Today was one of those days for me.  It was cloudy outside all day and I don't function well when I don't see the sun.  I honestly didn't feel like making dinner!  So....... I just made something super easy!  Meatloaf is always a simple option, just slap a bunch of ingredients together and let it cook for an hour.  I also always have at least one can of biscuits in the fridge just in case I want to do these rolls, because honestly, you never know when a blah day is going to hit - you have to plan ahead!  The bonus is that even though they are just refrigerated biscuits, they are delicious brushed with all that bad for you oil and cheese.   I know Carrie will be trying to go to her happy place after seeing the picture of the meatloaf, but for everyone else, this meatloaf is SO GOOD!!  I love it, and I was meatloaf traumatized as a child.



Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.

Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.

In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

*What I did differently - I used probably only a 1/4 cup ketchup (yuck), NO ONIONS (hate onions!), and panko crumbs instead of cracker crumbs.  I also mixed the ketchup and sugar together instead of just layering it.

Lazy Day Rolls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

dash pepper

3 cans (12 oz.) each refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Directions:

In a small bowl combine oil, cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic powder and pepper; set aside.

Cut each biscuit in half.  Roll each portion into a 6' rope; tie in a  loose knot.  Place on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 450 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown; immediately brush with the Parmesan mixture.  Serve warm.

This makes a TON, tonight I only used one can of biscuits and adjusted everything else accordingly.