Chicken Chop Suey

I was hard core craving this the other day and simply had to find a way to make it happen! This was a dish I always ate as a child in Michigan at Chinese restaurants, but it seems to not exist out here, so I had to make due and find my own recipe!

Ingredients:

Raw Chicken Breast or Thigh
Bean Sprouts (these can be tricky to find! They will be placed usually in the produce section with some of the other pre-bagged options)
Olive or Sesame Oil
Carrots
Celery
Soy Sauce
Chicken Stock or Bullion  ("Better Than Bullion" is great!)
Rice

Directions:

-In a saucepan place water, chicken, soy sauce, salt, and chicken stock/bullion- just enough to cover meat.
-When cooked through, remove the chicken from the stock and add rice to the pan. Cover pan and continue steaming.
-Slice meat and place in a frying pan with oil and soy sauce. Cook until seared on the outside.
-Cut the celery into thin strips and cut the carrots length-wise to make flat long pieces.
-When the rice is tender and most of the water is gone, add the bean sprouts, chicken, celery, and carrots.
-Cook until all veggies are tender, add more soy sauce and salt to taste.

Thanksgiving Salad

Ooops! I definitely forgot to post this one when I made it, but here it is finally! This is a very delicious and nutritious salad :)

Ingredients:

Fresh Mixed Greens
Stuffing
Celery
Green Onions
Turkey
Slivered Almonds
Salt and Pepper
Cranberry Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Sugar

Directions:

-Place greens in bowl.
-Dice stuffing and bake at 400º until croutons form (this could take awhile, so if you don't care about the extra crunch, just warm the stuffing up and brown it).
-Dice celery, onions, and turkey and sprinkle on top of greens.
-Sprinkle almonds and salt and pepper to taste on top of salad.
-In a bowl,whisk together a little but of cranberry sauce, oil, vinegar, and sugar to taste (you might have to play with the ratios a bit until you find one that pleases your palate). Drizzle on top of salad and enjoy!

Leftovers Christmas Benedict

Looking for something to do with that Christmas ham and potatoes? Here's the answer! Some Christmas Benedict coming your way :) It's basically a simple and delicious version of eggs benedict combined with ham hash.

Ingredients:

Leftover Christmas Ham
Leftover Christmas Diced or Mashed Potatoes
Olive Oil
Eggs
Cheese (Gouda or Cheddar are great)
Hollandaise Sauce (see below)

Directions:

-Dice ham and place in hot skillet with oil. Flip when necessary.
-On the other side of the skillet, cook the potatoes (if mashed, this will take awhile and you will have to spread them out). Flip when ready.
-Once both the ham and the potatoes are cooked through, place ham on top of potatoes.
-Make either poached eggs, or eggs over easy (far simpler) by adding more oil to the pan and lowering heat. Crack eggs and be careful not to break the yolk. Flip when the egg whites are firm.
-On a plate, place the potato/ham pancake. Slice cheese on top and then place the egg on top. Cover in Hollandaise Sauce. Enjoy!

Hollandaise Sauce Directions

(I used this recipe):

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/hollandaise-sauce-recipe.html

2 egg yolks
1/2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice (I would consider using less, it was a little strong for me)
1/4 C butter, melted
Pinch cayenne
Pinch salt

-Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. 

-Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. 

-Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. 

-Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use.

I wound up adding some 1/2 and 1/2 to this mixture to make the sauce a little lighter.