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Orange Chicken

26 Jan

 

While I was working on my meal plan for this week, I posted on Facebook that I was having trouble deciding what to make.  A friend of mine, CrunchyMetroMom, said she was working on a dish with chicken and orange juice.  Since I am getting a little burned out on making Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken popped into my mind, like the Orange Chicken at Panda Express.  So, I went in search of recipes online and then ended up doing something in between 2 recipes.  Then, since I got part of my friend’s Asian themed veggie pack, I had vegetables to stir fry to go along with the chicken.  The chicken I did in the slow cooker, but I think next time, I might do it like I do Sesame Chicken, cook the chicken, mix the sauce, then add the chicken and vegetables.  One advantage to using the slow cooker is that the chicken really absorbs the sauce well, but with my slow cooker, it didn’t leave a lot leftover for the vegetables.  I could have added the vegetables to the slow cooker, but I was worried about them being too mushy, but would have saved me some time.  Anyway, I’ll walk you through how I did it, and you can decide if you want to the same, do all in the slow cooker, or all in a wok.  Also, if you would like to add some heat to this, add some crushed red pepper flakes.

 

Orange Chicken and Vegetables over Rice
Based on recipes here and here

What you need:

Orange Sauce: (I made this twice, once for the chicken, once for the vegetables)
– 3/4 cup pulp free frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (this is 1/2 can)
– 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
– 1 Tbsp soy sauce
– 1 Tbsp ketchup
– 3 Tbsp brown sugar
– 1/2 tsp sesame oil

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup flour
Vegetable oil
Vegetables to stir fry (I used carrots, water chestnuts, green onion, bok choy stems and leaves, and broccoli)
Cooked rice

How to make it:

Dredge chicken in flour.  Heat some vegetable oil in a skillet, and brown chicken just enough to get the flour to stay on the chicken.  Place chicken in slow cooker.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the orange sauce in a bowl.  Pour over chicken in the slow cooker to evenly coat.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Once you are ready to serve, heat some vegetable oil in a wok.  Start with veggies that take longer to cook (in my case, the carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, and bok choy stems), then add the veggies that take shorter to cook (in my case, green onions and bok choy leaves).

Meanwhile, again, combine all ingredients for the orange sauce in a bowl.  Once veggies are all tender, pour in orange sauce and stir to coat evenly.  Add in the chicken from the slow cooker.  Cook until all heated through.  Serve over the cooked rice.

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Pizza Sauce

24 Jan

 

In recent weeks of Bountiful Baskets, I have received a lot of tomatoes.  I like tomatoes in salads, but I also wanted to try some new things with them.  One of those things was pizza sauce.  Most recipes I found called for canned, diced tomatoes or canned, whole tomatoes, or tomato paste, and while I knew I could make those things with fresh tomatoes, I didn’t want to spend the extra time.  So, I finally found a recipe on AllRecipes.com that was exactly what I wanted, a recipe that used fresh tomatoes and didn’t require any extra prep to those tomatoes.  Perfect!  It also used up the rest of my fresh basil and fresh oregano, and some of the fresh parsley in my Italian veggie pack.  Even better!  This sauce was used on a Sausage Florentine Pizza.  It made about 1 1/2 cups of sauce, so was perfect for the size pizza I was making.

 

Pizza Sauce
Based on this recipe

What you need:

2 ripe tomatoes, quartered and seeds removed
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil

How to make it:

Place all ingredients in a food processor.  Do not liquefy, sauce should remain somewhat chunky.

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Johnsonville Pizza Possibilities House Party

24 Jan

If you like to try out new products and host parties, you should look into HouseParty.com.  Manufacturers that want to promote a product work with House Party to get those products out to people who are interested in hosting parties.  Previously, I have hosted a Shutterfly Photobook party, a Febreze Set & Refresh party, and a Huggies Pull Ups Potty Dance party.  Each time, I got free products to share with guests, plus coupons and idea booklets for them to take home.  They all went really well.

In October of last year, I applied and was selected to be a Johnsonville Italian Pizza Possibilities party hostess.  I am already a big fan of Johnsonville sausage and brats, but had never used the sausage for pizza, so this was a good fit for me to try something new.  Unfortunately, some things came up in life and I wasn’t able to host an actual party.  So, now that things have slowed down a bit, I’m able to tell you about Johnsonville and share some of the recipes that were in the booklet with the party.

To start, let’s first talk about what I received in my party kit.

Shown above is an apron, recipe booklet, oven mitt, pizza cutter, paper plates, napkins, and a spoon for spreading pizza sauce.  Also included were coupons for me to get free packages of Johnsonville Italian Sausage and Sargento shredded cheese to use for the party, plus $1 off coupons for the party guests (which I did distribute to some friends).  If you would like to see the recipes in the booklet, you can find them here.

 

So, tonight I made the Sausage Florentine Pizza.  I didn’t have mushrooms, but used onions instead.  I used a homemade pizza sauce for it (recipe coming soon), and because my sauce had lots of fresh spices in it, I did not add the oregano and basil called for in their recipe.  I also used fresh spinach that I chopped instead of using frozen spinach.  I used 2 packages of pizza crust mix to make the pizza a little larger, on one of my baking sheets, so I also used more sauce, spinach, and cheese than what their recipe calls for.  It was great and the family loved it!

 

I’m not sure which recipe I will try next, but they all sound delicious!  So, stay tuned to see what I pick.

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More Bountiful Baskets for this week!

23 Jan

 

A friend of mine was feeling overwhelmed with her extra Asian themed veggie pack, so asked if I wanted it and I decided to take it.  She already used some of the items, but still plenty left!  There is bok choy, Napa cabbage, celery, snow peas, green onions, garlic, ginger, and water chestnuts.  I’m think that I will use most of it to have as stir fry veggies with the Orange Chicken I am planning on making  at some point this week.  I will probably also make Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad.

I’ve never actually seen whole water chestnuts before, so thankfully someone on the Bountiful Baskets Facebook page posted this article on how to slice and peel them.  I’m excited to get to work with something new.

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Pomegranates

23 Jan

The first time I got these in  Bountiful Baskets, I had no idea what they were or what to do with them.  Thank goodness for Google!  The part of the pomegranate that you eat is the seeds inside. These seeds are sweet, but can be very messy, so use caution when you open them.  I have seen 2 methods for getting the seeds out of the pomegranate.

The first is to use a bowl of water.  You score the pomegranate, break into wedges, then submerge the pomegranate pieces, and separate the seeds from the membrane.  The membrane pieces will float to the top so you can get them out, then drain the water from the seeds.  You can watch a video of this method below.

How to Seed a Pomegranate using a bowl of water

The second is to use a wooden spoon.  You score the pomegranate, break into wedges, then you hold the seed side down in the palm of your hand and hit the skin with the back of a wooden spoon.  You can watch a video of this method below.

How to Open a Pomegranate with a wooden spoon

I have done it both ways and both ways work equally as well.  With the spoon method, you don’t have to worry about water spilling out of the bowl or straining the seeds out of the water, so there is a bit of an advantage there.

As to what to do next, that’s up to you.  You can eat the seeds whole, just on their own or as part of a salad.  You can juice them as well, but I haven’t tried that.  We usually just eat the seeds whole.

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Weekly Meal Plan: 1/22/12 – 1/28/12

23 Jan

I’m struggling with a meal plan this week.  I have a couple things, but not sure what to fill in for the rest yet.  I at least wanted to post what I have so far, then I will come back and add in what else I come up with later.  The ones I know are carryover from last week that I didn’t get to make because I ended up making Spinach-Turkey Bacon Shells & Cheese one night and Frikadellen and mashed potatoes another.

Balsamic Bruschetta and Garlic Herb Chicken with Broccoli and Cauliflower (made last night, very good)

Sausage Florentine Pizza with homemade pizza sauce

Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, and some kind of veggie, maybe green bean casserole

Orange Chicken & Broccoli over rice

Eat out using a gift card from Christmas

And 2 more nights I’ll figure out how to fill up somehow!

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Balsamic Bruschetta and Garlic Herb Chicken with Broccoli and Cauliflower

23 Jan

We are big fans of Olive Garden restaurant, and we don’t get to go too often.  So, I decided I would try to make a couple of my favorites at home.  It worked out perfectly with some of the things I had gotten from Bountiful Baskets recently.  For the bruschetta, I used the Italian olive oil bread that my friend gave me this week, plus tomatoes from this week, then fresh garlic, fresh basil, and fresh parsley from the Italian themed veggie pack the week before.  For the chicken, I used part broccoli, part cauliflower from this week’s basket.  I wasn’t able to find the exact kind of pasta they use at Olive Garden, so I used medium shells.  I think that next time I will only use half a box of pasta instead of a whole box or double the sauce, because I felt like there wasn’t enough of the sauce to really get the full taste.  However, it still was very good.

Balsamic Bruschetta
Based on recipes here and here

 What you need:

4 tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf Bountiful Baskets Italian olive oil bread, or french baguette, sliced
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dries parsley

How to make it:

Toss together the tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 450 F.  Combine Parmesan cheese and parsley.  Place bread slices on a baking sheet and pinch some of the Parmesan cheese mixture over each slice. Toast in oven for 5 minutes or until bread starts to crisp.

Spoon some of the tomato mixture over each slice to serve.

Garlic Herb Chicken with Broccoli and Cauliflower
Based on recipe here.

What you need:

Spice Mixture for chicken
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to 1/2 inch thickness)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 box medium shell pasta
1 pint half and half
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups broccoli and cauliflower florets
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese

How to make it:

Combine ingredients from spice mixture. Rub onto the chicken breasts. Cook chicken in the olive oil until browned, set aside and keep warm.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add broccoli and cauliflower for the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Drain, return to pot.

Melt butter in a sauté pan and add garlic. Cook until garlic starts to brown, then stir in the half and half and cornstarch.   Simmer for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, until it thickens to a sauce.  Add additional salt, if necessary.  Pour over pasta and vegetable mix in pot, coat evenly.  Remove from heat.

To serve, place pasta and vegetable mixture on a plate, then place a chicken breast on top.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

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Bountiful Baskets – 1/21/2012

21 Jan

This week I got the conventional basket for $15 and 5 loaves of organic 9 grain bread (not shown) for $12, making it $28.50 total.

I got bananas, pears, oranges, grapes, pomegranates, kiwi, lettuce, corn, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.  I’m not sure what I will do with the corn yet, but the broccoli and cauliflower may be used in a pasta dish.  I’m going to try a different method for the Brussels sprouts this week, I will roast them in the oven with some olive oil.

Also, a friend of mine was kind enough to share a loaf of her Italian olive oil bread with me.  This will be used to make some yummy bruschetta.

And, I meant to post this last week, but one of the extras last week was Cinnamon Bread.  Another friend of mine asked me to pick up her basket, and for helping her out, she gave me one of her loaves.  It looked like Monkey Bread almost, and was pretty much gone by the afternoon.

 

Note: The type and amount of food may vary from another basket because of geographic location and because of variances in how the ends of produce cases are distributed after everything has been distributed evenly.

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Chicken Enchilada Soup

20 Jan

If you have had Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, this tastes pretty similar to that.  There is one ingredient that is not real common, masa harina, which is corn flour used to make tortillas.  You need to make sure you get the right thing, corn meal is not the same and will make the texture off.  Made that mistake before.  I found the masa harina in the baking aisle with the rest of the flour at my grocery store.  If not, you may also check the organic/natural section because it may be there with the different types of flours.  Anyway, this is a thick, filling soup that is very tasty!  To serve, I crushed some tortilla chips, you could also add some sour cream and/or pico de gallo.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or, I just use chicken from a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken to save on time)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup diced onion
1 clove garlic
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup masa harina (corn flour)
3 cups water, divided
1 cup enchilada sauce, or 1 cup salsa, or 1 cup diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or shredded Mexican blend cheese)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
*Note: If you use 1 cup diced tomatoes, you may wish to increase the chili powder  to 1 tablespoon.

In large pot over medium heat, cook chicken in oil until well browned on all sides. Remove, shred, and set aside.  (This step is skipped if you already have cooked chicken)

Cook onion and garlic together in remaining oil until onions are translucent. Pour in chicken broth.

In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. This step is important, if you just put the masa harina right in the pot, it won’t blend in as well, making it gritty.  Pour into pot with remaining 1 cup water, enchilada sauce, cheese, salt, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, until thickened.

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Spinach-Turkey Bacon Shells and Cheese

19 Jan

 

The last time I made Broccoli Cheddar Cheese soup, the bag of shredded cheddar cheese had a recipe on the back from KraftFoods.com for Spinach-Bacon Macaroni and Cheese.  Since I had spinach from Bountiful Baskets that still needed to get used, I decided this would be the dish to make.  I also had bacon on hand from making the Shredded Brussels Sprouts earlier this week, and Barilla Whole Grain Medium Shells were on sale recently for $1, and with a coupon, it made it $.50 for the box.  This was delicious.  My 2-year-old kept telling me how good it was and thanking me, and my 5-year-old, who was skeptical at first, tried it and liked it.

 

Spinach-Turkey Bacon Shells and Cheese
Serves 6

What you need:

3 cups whole grain medium shells, uncooked
2 cups fresh spinach, slightly chopped
4 slices turkey bacon
2 Tbsp. flour
1-2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, if needed
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cook shells as directed on package, adding spinach in to cook for the last minute.  Drain.  Return to pot.
Cook bacon in large skillet. Remove bacon to paper towels; save drippings in pan.  If you don’t have a lot of drippings, since turkey bacon usually doesn’t, melt 1-2 Tbsp butter or margarine.  Add flour; cook and stir until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly; cook 3 to 5 minutes,  or until thickened.
Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until melted. Chop bacon and add to cheese mixture.
Pour cheese mixture over shells and spinach; mix well.  Pour into a greased 2-1/2 qt casserole.  Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the cheese on top is melted.

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