Thai Peanut Chicken

It's been awhile since I had some good Thai food, so I thought I'd give it a shot at home. The recipe I came up with tastes pretty authentic and delicious : ) I reworked a couple recipes and added my own touch to it based on what ingredients I had available.

 

2 TB Teriyaki or Soy Sauce

2 TB White Wine Vinegar

1/4 tsp Red Cayenne Pepper

4 TB Peanut Butter (Creamy)

1 C Chicken Broth

1 TB Vegetable Oil

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

2 Chicken Breasts, Sliced into Thin Strips

1 C Flour

1 TB Salt

1/2 C Panko Breadcrumbs

2 TB Brown Sugar

1 Onion, Sliced into Long Strips

1 C Broccoli, Chopped

Salt to Taste

2 TB Fresh Basil

-Combine teriyaki sauce, vinegar, cayenne pepper, peanut butter, and chicken broth in a bowl, stir until combined and set aside.
-Combine flour, salt, breadcrumbs, and brown sugar in a freezer bag. Add chicken strips and shake until well coated.
-In a frying pan, heat oil. Add garlic, ginger, and chicken pieces. Fry until chicken starts to brown.
-Add peanut butter sauce, onion, broccoli, and salt to chicken mixture. Stir constantly and cook until sauce is thick.
-Add basil last. Stir in and then serve hot over rice!

Detailed Tomato Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

Since I have gotten a couple of requests for it, I am posting a more detailed version of my mac and cheese recipe. However, these are approximate amounts!!!!! I usually just feel out the "right" amount of ingredients. You might have to do some adjusting and definitely make sure to test out the sauce as you're making it.

Tomato Bacon Mac and Cheese

1/2 c      Small Macaroni Shells

3            Slices of Bacon
1            Tomato, Diced
1 tsp      Red Wine Vinegar
1 TB      Basil
1/4 c      Cream Cheese
2 TB      Butter
1/4 c      Half & Half
1/2 tsp   Salt
1/2 c      Shredded Cheddar (you can use whatever- sometimes I use gouda and parm or orher sharp mixes)

-Cook macaroni shells according to direcrions.  
-Cook bacon in a large skillet. When cooked through, dice bacon and set aside.

-In the bacon skillet, add tomatoes and cook 2-3 minutes.
-Add vinegar, basil, salt, and add back in diced bacon. Turn the heat up to high and allow all of the ingredients to heat through and start to brown. (Add olive oil if necessary)

-Turn the heat down while working on the sauce. 

-Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Add cream cheese and half & half and turn up heat to medium-low. Whisk until combined and the cream cheese is melted.  
-Add salt then turn up the heat to a medium-high heat.

-Add cheese and stir until combined and fully melted.
-The sauce should be a medium viscosity at this point. If it's too liquid, whisk in small amounts of cornstarch until it thickens. 
-Add tomato/bacon mixture to the sauce and stir until well combined. Add in the noodles and stir until coated. 
-Serve hot!

Ham and Broccoli Quiche

This is my Mom's recipe for quiche. I used leftover ham because I had some in the freezer, but when ham isn't available, I use bacon, which is just as good if not better! Another great option is vegetarian quiche. Using diced bell peppers and broccoli is a great combination. Besides making the pie crust, this recipe couldn't be simpler. It makes a good breakfast as well as dinner : )

Pie Crust: 

2 c Flour 
1 tsp salt 
2/3 c Butter/Shortening 
5-6 TB cold water

-Mix flour and salt.
-Cut in butter until a crumbly mixture forms.
-Add water 1 TB at a time until dough is moist enough to hold together.
-Roll out pie crust on a floured surface. Place in pie pan and crimp edges. 
-Bake at 350˚ for ~7 minutes.
-Remove from oven and set aside. 

Quiche:

2 TB Butter
1 Onion, Chopped
1/2 c Ham/Bacon, Cubed
1/2 c Broccoli, Diced
Salt and Garlic to Taste
4 Eggs
1/2 c Milk
1/2 c Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

-Melt butter in frying pan. Add onion and saute until translucent. 
-Add ham/bacon and vegetables. Stir in salt and garlic and cook another 5 minutes (it might take longer if you're using uncooked bacon).
-Spoon mixture into the bottom of the pie crust.
-Beat together eggs and milk. Pour over ham mixture into pie pan.
-Sprinkle a layer of cheddar cheese on top of the pie crust. 
-Cover the edges of the pie crust with a crust protector or foil.
-Bake at 350˚ for 30-45 minutes.

Mid-Week Food Frenzy

It's been awhile since I posted anything new I've cooked. This is mostly because I've been slacking on cooking anything of real substance lately. So yesterday I got into the baking spirit on my day off and tried out some new recipes. First, I made a white bean soup, next, a chick pea salad, and lastly, an amazing Kahlua triffle. The soup and salad were based off some random Foodgawker.com recipes I stumbled across and couldn't resist trying, and the dessert was something made out of the necessity of using up old cake.

White Bean Soup:

1 TB Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Red Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp White Vinegar
2 C Water
1 1/2 C Chicken Broth
2 Cans White Beans
1/2 C Diced Ham, Bacon, or Chorizo Sausage
2 C Frozen Collard Greens, Chopped

-Heat olive oil in large stockpot, saute onions for 2 minutes.
-Add garlic, saute another minute. Stir in spices and vinegar.
-Add water, broth, beans, and ham. Bring soup to a boil, then simmer covered for 30-60 minutes.
-10-20 minutes before serving, add collard greens and allow to tenderize.

Recipe from: http://moderncomfortfood.com/2010/10/white-bean-soup-with-collards-and-chorizo/

Chick Pea Salad:

4 Slices of Bacon
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
2-3 Large Carrots, Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Salt
2 1/2 C Chicken Broth
1 C Water
2 Cans Chick Peas
4 C Collard Greens


-Fry slices of bacon in a stockpot until crispy. Remove bacon and crumble, set aside.
-Cook chopped carrots and onion in rendered bacon fat for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in spices.
-Add crumbled bacon, broth, water, and chick peas. Bring to a boil then simmer covered for 20 minutes.
-Add kale and simmer for another 10 minutes or until water has cooked off.
-Serve warm or eat cold the next day!

Recipe from: http://www.lolfoodie.com/archives/2011/03/chick-peas-and-greens-salad/

Kahlua Triffle:

Old Cake (White or Chocolate)
Kahlua
Chocolate Pudding
Cool Whip

-Dice up old cake into cubes. Place half of cake in the bottom of a clear glass bowl.
-Pour Kahlua over cake until moist.
-Spoon and spread half of chocolate pudding over cake.
-Spoon and spread half of Cool Whip over pudding (some mixing may occur).
-Layer the other half of the cake (with Kahlua), pudding, and Cool Whip.
-Refrigerate until you're ready to serve it. I recommend serving with a White Russian!

White Russian:

1 Part Vodka
1 Part Kahlua
2-3 Parts Milk