Chinese at home

We love Asian food. When we get take out it is usually Chinese or Thai. American style Chinese can really pack in the calories, so I really prefer to make it at home. I can cut down on the sugar, fats and add more veggies. Tonight I did a Kung Pao Chicken adapted from a recent Cooking Light Magazine recipe. Restaurant Kung Pao can go up to 600 calories and 17 grams of fat for a 12 ounce serving. The sodium, I don't even want to think about. The other problem with restaurant Chinese is that the soy sauce used contains gluten.
At home I can use a gluten free soy sauce. I even modified the Cooking Light recipe to add more vegetables and added a bit more heat - we like that.
This is a quick week day meal (It took 20 minutes to make) and can be adapted to be vegetarian by substituting tofu for the chicken. I think I'll try that next time.

Kung Pao Chicken

2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup thinly sliced red pepper
1 pound chicken tenders
3/4 cup water
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp bottled minced ginger
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 package steam bag sugar snap peas - microwave one minute less than package directions
1/4 cup unsalted cashews

1. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and red pepper to pan, saute 3 minutes, add chicken and saute for 3 minutes on each side.
2. Combine 3/4 cup water, soy sauce, corn starch, brown sugar, ginger and red pepper. Wish together until sugar is dissolved and corn starch in mixed in well.
4. Add sauce to pan, bring to boil and add sugar snap peas.
Heat through. Add cashews.
Makes 4 servings- about 1 cup each. Serve over jasmine or brown rice. About 275 calories, 11 grams fat. 500 mg sodium.

Crockpot chicken again

Even though it's summer, I still like to use my crock pot. The pot does not heat up the kitchen and I can get dinner thrown together in the morning when it is still cool - or not so hot I don't want to move. So, in the evening when it is so warm in the house that I don't want to move, I don't have to move.

A few nights ago - I think last week, I had some chicken thighs that needed to be cooked and I was in the mood for something spicey, so into the pot goes about a pound of chicken thighs, a can of diced tomatoes and 2 Tbsp of "Tiger-Tiger Vindaloo Paste". The spicey sauce was obtained at the local grocery store - it is vegan and gluten free as well as very spicey. The same could be done on the stove top with shrimp or lots of veggies. In a few hours the house smelled delicious.

This easy, yummy chicken was served with rice and fresh, steamed sugar snap peas (from the farm share) The curry paste is high in sodium, but paired with low sodium vegetables and rice it brings the salt factor down to a reasonable level.

Boston Lettuce Love

In my farm share basket was a beautiful head of Boston Lettuce. And when I say beautiful I mean it was beautiful. The way the cup shaped leaves folded in on one another to make a rosey shape in the center was a work of natures art. I wish I took a picture, but I was too busy chomping on it. The texture and flavor more beauty. Crunchy, but soft; sweet with a subtle tang. I had to keep muching to be sure it was that good. Much of it got eaten with no dressing at all. I will dearly miss it when it is gone (tomorrow) and hope that another appears in our next basket. That said, I found a recipe using the lovely lettuce. Chicken in Lettuce Cups. The family thought it weird, but what else is new in the Green house.
When I make this again I will change a major feature. It has edamame in it - don't get me wrong, I love edamame (fresh soy beans), but they were not loved the the rest. I would put in less and add chopped carrot and waterchestnut. Some cashews would work well too. The lettuce is used as a wrap for the chicken and vegetables. Boston lettuce is low in calories and a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and vitamin K.

Chicken in Lettuce Cups
This makes up quick and easy.

3 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
2 tsp minced ginger (the bottled kind works well)
1 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/4 pound chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (or try diced carrot, red pepper, water chestnut)
1 stalk celery, chopped. ( I served this on the side as we have a celery hater among us)
12 large boston lettuce leaves - washed and dried.

1. combine soy sauce, ginger and honey, set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat sesame oil, add chicken chunks and cook for 3 minutes, stir occassinally.
3. Add edamame or other veggies and cook for 2 mnutes. Stir in celery and cook 2 more mnutes. Add reserved sauce and stir to coat.
4. Arrange lettuce leaves on individual plates or a platter. divide chicken mixture among the lettuce leaves. Fold leaves around chicken mixture and eat.

to make this vegetarian the chicken could be omitted. I ended up eating the uneaten edamame and it was very yummy. Would definitely add some cashews for added texture and more protein.

Go to chicken #3 and mushroom risotto

This Sunday, in keeping with my habit of making a decent meal to sit down and eat together, I made Chicken Piccatta, Mushroom Risotto and a vegetable mix of baby carrots, green beans and yellow beans (these were found conveniently in the freezer section) The two recipes are gluten free an d made with ingredients that I usually keep stocked. The chicken is a piece of cake to make, the risotto takes time and attention. It is not a good thing to make on a distracted day or if multiple interruptions are expected. Other wise it is pretty simple.

Every time I make risotto my hubby freaks out, because he thinks it is made of orzo (rice shaped pasta) and not rice. Every time, I explain to him that risotto is made from short grained aboritto rice, not pasta. It is gluten free. I think we have had this conversation 3 or 4 times, twice in restaurants. I first made risotto myself a few years ago, out of curiosity. I have also had it in restaurants and loved it. The curiosity part was about how difficult it was to make. If you ever watched "Hell's Kitchen" (Chef Gordon Ramsey screaming and swearing at aspiring chefs) they are always messing up the risotto - they burn it, make it too mushy, season it wrong ect... The basic trick is to be attentive to it or it will burn or turn mushy. As far a seasoning - let your imagination go. This recipe is adapted from Cooling Light magazine, I use it as a general guide when I am making risoto. The seasoning can be changed, other veggies can be added. I never make it the same twice.

Mushroom Risotto

2 cups hot water

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (any dried mushroom is good)

4 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 tbsp transfat free margarine

1/2 v up finely chopped yellow onion (can use shallots or leeks)

2 cups chopped mushrooms (mixture of cremini, shittake, baby bella)

1 3/4 cups Arborio rice

3/4 tsp chopped fresh sage (1/2 tsp dried is ok)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (try romano or Gruyere)

1.Combine 2 cups hot water and dried mushrooms in a bowl. cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid. Coarsely chop other mushrooms.

2.Bring soaking liquid and broth to a simmer in a medium sauce pan, keep warm over low heat.

3. Melt 2 tbsp margarine in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, until tender. Add rice, saute 1 minute. Stir in sage and pepper. Stir in 1 cup of broth, cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed before adding the next - takes about 25 minutes total. Near the end start checking the texture of the rice - if the texture feels right you are done.

4. Remove from the heat and add cheese, correct seasoning. Yum!! I could eat just this.

Asparagus is nice added to this or as a side.

Chicken Picata

This recipe is so simple that it has been minimally altered from the original. If making it with the risotto, get everything ready ahead of time and cooking the chicken when the risotto is done. It only takes 10-15 minutes to cook -- this is real fast food.

1 pound chicken tenders (if using chicken breast - pound them to 1/4 inches)

1/4 cup rice flour

1 tbsp tranfat free margarine

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp capers (rinse well under cold water- removes 1/3 of the salt)

2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Place chicken is plastic bag with rice flour- shake to coat evenly.

2. Heat butter and oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Chicken should be cooked through completely. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

3. Add white wine, 1/4 cup lemon juice, capers and garlic to pan, scrape pan to loosen brown bits. Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve over chicken.

Can also be served with rice pasta or roasted potatoes.

Go to Chicken Recipe #2- Greek Chicken

On Sundays, especially if I know the upcoming week in going to be crazy, I like to make a good meal. Tonight it was one of my go to chicken recipes, Greek Chicken. Most of the ingredients I keep stocked on. I usually just need to be sure to put feta cheese on the list. The original recipe used regular flour to dredge the chicken in and was very high in sodium. With a few tricks the sodium was easily lowered.
One of the ingredients is capers. They are put in at the end. What is a caper, no one really knows. Actually "caper" refers to a shrubbery native to the Mediterranean region. It grows in rocky, dry regions and is pictured here. It has really pretty flowers, the green buds of which become the caper used in cooking when brined. Now you know.

This recipe calls for pounding the chicken. This makes the chicken faster to cook as well as tenderizing it. Whenever I grill chicken, I pound it first. Pounding between sheets of plastic wrap can be a messy job. If you save the bag inside of the cereal box, this makes a perfect environment for the pounding. It is sturdier than plastic wrap and less likely to tear. After pounding the chicken, flour and seasoning can be added right into the bag and shaken. Less dishes to wash is always good.

Greek Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp dried oregano (can also use marjoram)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced (or equivalent of jarred minced garlic)
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup raisins
2 tbsp lemon juice (had no lemons, added some white wine)
2 tbsp capers (rinsed - reduces sodium by 1/3)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Pound chicken beast to 1/4 inch thickness using meat mallet. Add flour and oregano to bag and shake to coat evenly ( if bag has torn mix flour and oregano in shallow dish and dredge chicken to coat)
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, cook 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to warm dish. Add onion and garlic to skillet, saute 2 minutes, adding more oil if needed.
Stir in broth, raisins and lemon juice, cook 3 minutes scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return chicken to pan. cover , reduce hat and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken in done. remove chicken from pan, keep warm. Add capers and cheese, stirring with a whisk. Pour over chicken to serve.
Makes 4 servings. This is good over rice. The rice can start cooking while the chicken is browning. Make sure to have 1 cup of veggies too.

Chicken Paprika - my go to recipe

This is the first crocus that popped up in my garden. Just have to share. When the first breathe of spring comes I get a burst of energy. I start doing projects like painting bathrooms that have become dingy over the winter and organizing the horrible craft room. I dust off the bike and cruise around, up and down the hills. Being inside and cooking is often not what I am thinking about. It's times like these when a well stocked pantry and having some staple items on hand is a must. No time for a quick trip to the super market to pick up some weird ingredient.
I always keep a cans of diced tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, canned beans, and tuna in the cupboard. Whole wheat pasta and rice are always in stock as well. For vegetables I normally have potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots on board. Apples and oranges as well as a lemon or lime for fruits. I try to keep light sour cream in the fridge as well, it keeps well and I have substituted it for milk at times. Dry milk powder is also a good thing to have around, how many times have you gone for the milk and found milk gone bad. A multitude of spices are also found in my cupboard - paprika, oregano, basil, parsley, cinnamon, the list goes on. A few other condiments that are useful are dijon mustard, light soy sauce, worchershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, sundried tomato and salsa. The freeze always has some frozen fruits, frozen mixed vegetables, frozen peas and chicken breasts. Every one is different about what they consider essential to have around. I make sure that I have the ingredients I need for my favorite "go to" recipes. The tried and true meals that everyone likes. When I can't think of what to make this is one that I return to often "Chicken Paprika" I adapted this recipe long ago from the Fanny Farmer cook book. The original had I stick of butter, cream and a ton of real sour cream. The chicken breasts became a heart attack on a plate. The fat needed to be lowered and then the flavor punch boosted up. I then had to adapt it again for gluten free.

Chicken Paprika that Won't Give you a Coronary

4 chicken breasts
2 tbsp trans fat free margarine
3/4 cup onion
2 tbsp paprika
1/4 cup sun dried tomato - chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2-1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp rice flour (optional)
1/2 cup light sour cream

1. In a heavy duty skillet melt margarine, add chicken and brown well on both sides about 4 minutes per side, add chopped onion 1/2 way through cooking.
2. Remove chicken and transfer to warm dish. Add paprika and stir quickly, add sun dried tomato, broth and tomato paste. Simmer one minute. Add chicken back in and simmer, covered for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, add more broth as needed.
3. Remove chicken, reduce sauce by cooking a few more minutes if needed. Depends on how thick you want the sauce to be in the end. 3 Tbsp can be added here to thicken more. I don't care for a thick sauce, so omit this. Add sour cream and stir in well.
Serve over rice or rice pasta. Works well with egg noodles if gluten free not needed.

Crockpot Chicken

This is a request from Kaitlyn, a friend of my daughter's at University of Vermont. It seems that she has a crock pot and does not know what to do with it. My daughter believes I am the crock pot queen.
There being a time in my life when it was difficult to get dinner made most nights the crock pot was my culinary savior. I was working two consulting jobs and then taking either one or both of my two daughter some where. I could fill it with veggies and meat in the morning - sometimes even the night before - and by dinner time the food was done. Wednesday night was crock pot night. We could have dinner and then I could get my daughter and her friend Zoe to Band practice.
Gluten free recipes abound for the crockpot. Many dishes are made with potatoes or served over rice. Fats don't have to be added either, another plus.

So here you go Kaitlyn --- Chicken with Peppers and Pineapple

1 pound skinlees, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 - inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch cubes ( baby carrots work well
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp finely chopped gingerroot
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten free)
1/2 tsp allspice
1/ tsp red pepper sauce
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, drained and reserved juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Mix all ingredients except pineapple, cornstarch and bell pepper in slow cooker
2. Cover and cook on low setting for 7-8 hours (or high setting for 3-4 hours) or until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked through.
3. Mix reserved pineapple juice and corn starch until smooth, gradually stir into chicken mixture. Stir in pineapple and bell pepper.
4. Cover and cook on high heat setting about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Serve over brown or white rice. Top with chopped cashews.

Enjoy, Kaitlyn.