Main Dish


Asian Chicken Stir Fry

Here’s another quick and easy way to use leftover Asian Chicken.  For convenience sake, I use frozen veggies but they get mushy.  I have read if you thaw the veggies and run them through a salad spinner before cooking they will be less mushy.  Let me know if you try it.   Fresh veggies would be best if you have the time to prepare them.  This recipe is easily adapted to your preferences.  Mushrooms and sesame seeds would be excellent additions.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 Tbsp Palm Shortening or oil of choice
  • 1/4 Onion, chopped
  • 2 packs frozen Asian or stir-fry veggies (make sure they are sauce free)
  • 3 cups Rice, cooked*
  • 3 leftover Asian Chicken Breasts, chopped
  • Reduced Asian Chicken Marinade
  • Ginger
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

1.  Melt palm shortening in pan.  Cook onion until clear.

2.  Add veggies and cook just until tender.

3.  Add chicken and rice and cook until heated through.

4. Season with reduced marinade, ginger, salt and pepper to taste.

*Every couple of weeks I cook up a large pot of rice and divide into 3 cup containers to store in the freezer.

You might also like Asian Chicken Salad, Ginger-Lime Marinade for Chicken, and Honey Mustard Chicken.

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Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Over the weekend, it went from spring to fall here!  The warm sunshine has been replaced by cold rain.  Many of us in this household have had the sniffles.  It was time for soup.  The leftover Asian Chicken in the fridge inspired me to make this soup.  Let me tell you, it was really good!

 

It’s nothing like traditional chicken noodle soup.  The tamari, lime and ginger in the broth is amazing.   The cilantro adds something unexpected although I suspect if you’re not a cilantro fan the soup would be good without it.   The ingredient list looks long, but I assure you this is a very simple soup to throw together.  If you don’t have cooked chicken on hand, just cook the chopped chicken with the oil and garlic until the chicken is done and follow the rest of the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp Palm Shortening or oil of your choice
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 8 cups of Chicken Stock/Broth (I actually used 7 cups homemade stock and 1 cup water)
  • 1/4 cup Tamari Sauce (Soy-free recipes here and here)
  • 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 Tbsp Sucanat or Brown Sugar
  • 1/8 – 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (I’m a wimp.  I used 1/8 tsp.)
  • 1 1/2 – 2 pounds Asian Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I’m sure unseasoned chicken would be fine.)
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
  • Angel Hair Pasta, cooked (I used spaghetti!)

 

It might be fun to add:

  • Mushrooms
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Carrots
  • Sugar Snap Peas instead of Frozen Peas

 

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and cook a couple minutes.
2. Add broth, tamari sauce, lime juice, sucanat, ginger, red pepper and chicken and boil 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add peas and cilantro.  Let stand 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve soup over noodles.  Enjoy!

 

 

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Asian Chicken Salad

Salad Suggestions:
  • Chopped Romain Lettuce
  • Spring Salad Mix
  • Chopped Cilantro
  • Grilled Asian Chicken
  • Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
  • Sesame Seeds (I used sunflower seeds)
  • Mandarin Oranges
  • Chow Mein Noodles (For your non-allergic friends)
Dressing:
Boil the leftover Asian Chicken Marinade to reduce.  It will be thin.

 

 

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Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe

I served this chicken for Mother’s Day dinner.  Most of the men ate the chicken as is while the ladies enjoyed their chicken as the feature of their Asian Chicken Salad.  I reduced the leftover marinade to use as a salad dressing.  This makes enough marinade for about 6 chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup White Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Tamari Sauce (Soy-free recipes here and here)
  • 3/4 cup Honey or 1 cup White Sugar (I bet sucanat or brown sugar would be really good!  You would need to heat it to dissolve the sugar.)

 

Directions:

1.  Blend ingredients.
2. Marinade chicken at least 30 minutes.
3.  Grill as usual.
4.  Reduce the marinade to use as salad dressing for your Asain Chicken Salad and/or seasoning for your Asian Stir Fry.

You might also enjoy Grilled Pantry Pork Chops, Ginger-Lime Marinade for Chicken and Honey Mustard Chicken.

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This post is part of Tackle it Tuesday, Domestically Divine, Tasty Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, What’s on the Menu, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Show and Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesdays, What’s on Your Plate, Made it on Monday, Hunk of Meat Monday, Mingle Monday, Penny Worthy Project, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, Mangia Monday

Photo Credit: Candy TX’s

Honey Mustard Chicken/Pork Marinade

 

I love that this recipe uses ingredients I keep on hand. The meat doesn’t need to marinade very long, making it ideal for last minute company.  I haven’t tried this marinade on pork, but I’m sure it would be awesome!  Make sure you grill extra to top a salad for tomorrow’s lunch! This makes enough marinade for 1 pound of chicken breasts.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

 

Directions:
1. Blend ingredients.
2. Marinade meat for at least 30 minutes.
3. Grill or bake as usual.

 

I have mentioned before that I like to double or triple the recipe and freeze the marinade and chicken in gallon size baggies for later. When the chicken defrosts it marinades!

 

 

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How to make 5 jars of spaghetti sauce in 5 minutes for around $3

I love a truly from scratch sauce with fresh tomatoes from my garden.  In fact, I’ll be posting my favorite garden fresh sauce recipe this summer. But this time of year, I am happy to compromise with this sauce.  It tastes way better than any store bought sauce I’ve tried.

Store bought spaghetti sauce contain ingredients like corn syrup and “natural flavors” which we all know can mean just about anything, including MSG.  It can also be difficult for those of us dealing with allergies to find a jar of sauce that does not contain cheese and soy.

I am thrilled to share with you my secret to making 5 jars of spaghetti sauce in 5 minutes for around $3! I buy the large can of tomato sauce at Sam’s (or Costco) for $2.33.  I also buy the spices in bulk at Sam’s or Costco.

The hardest part of this recipe is opening the large can!  A regular electric opener won’t work.  I use a manual can opener.  Once I have the can open, I add the spices directly to the can and mix with a cheap immersion blender (like this one).  That’s it! It’s ready to be added to cooked ground meat or frozen for later.

But, you ask, doesn’t spaghetti sauce need to simmer?  I used to simmer it before adding it to the jars but I find that cooking the sauce with ground meat is enough simmering time to combine the flavors.

Bella enjoys this sauce over Mrs. Leeper’s Rice Shapes For Kids.  I have enjoyed this sauce in spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna.  We are meat sauce people.  If you prefer to go vegetarian, you probably need to add olive oil. Becca wrote this in the comment section:

As a vegetarian, I have to say: Adding olive oil will not give you the good flavor of adding something cooked in the oil.  This is really easy to do with kale, even if it is frozen, because it cooks so fast–give it 3 minutes in olive oil in the bottom of the pot, maybe with a clove of crushed garlic or some bits of onion, and then add the sauce and heat it up.  Kale is crazily nutritious and cheap, too!

Thank you so much Becca!

As a side note, my family of six really needs two pounds of beef in their spaghetti sauce to fill them up.  I buy organic, grass-fed beef from a local farmer which is a little pricier than store bought beef.  I can’t stand to use two pounds of beef in one meal, so I add a can of rinsed black beans to stretch the beef.  At first my kids acted like I was torturing them with beans, but they have gotten used to it.  If you want to try adding beans, don’t blame me if your kids won’t eat their dinner!  🙂

Ingredients:

  • Contadina Tomato Sauce – 105 oz. can  (I buy this from Sam’s for $2.33.)
  • 3 cloves of Garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder or 1 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes
  • 1 Tbsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  • 2 tsp Basil
  • 1 tsp Pepper

Directions:

1.  Open the can of tomato sauce.

2.  Add the seasonings directly to the can.

3.  Blend with an immersion blender or long spoon.

4.  Divide sauce between 5 recycled spaghetti sauce jars or storage baggies.

5.  Store sauce in the freezer.

You may also enjoy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ginger-Lime Marinade for Chicken Recipe

This is one of my favorite chicken marinades.  The ginger and lime together gives the chicken a little zing.   This marinade makes enough for 6 chicken breasts/whole legs or 12 thighs/drumsticks.  The chicken is good alone, over a bed of rice or as a kabob.  I like to grill extra and use the leftovers for fajitas.

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Grilled Pantry Pork Chops Recipe

About a year ago, someone gave us a frozen pork loin that was as long as my 4 year old is tall!   I have seriously never seen anything like it.  I said “Thank you!”  and put it in the deep freeze.  And there it sat.  For a year.  With spring in the air, I decided that monster in my basement would make some delicious grilled boneless pork chops.   I defrosted and sliced the meat and divided it into gallon size baggies with marinades.

 

We grilled some that night but the others we put back in the freezer for later.  Don’t worry, it came straight from the butcher so it can be refrozen.  I love grilling out but I often forget to marinade the meat.  Having the meat already in the marinade and in the freezer is a wonderful solution.  When I defrost the meat it marinates!

 

Grilled Pantry Pork Chops Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp tamari sauce (Soy-free recipes here and here)
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar, rapadura or Sucanat
  • 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 pork chops, about 1 1/4 inches thick each
Directions:
1. Whisk together the ingredients and pour into a gallon size baggie.
2. Add the pork, seal the bag and mush it around.
3. Marinade for 20 minutes to overnight in the fridge.
4. Bring to room temperature.
5.  Grill on high heat for 3 minutes on each side.
6. Turn the grill down to medium and cook until the juices run clear.

 


This post is part of Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Mangia Monday, Make a Food”e” Friend, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival, Mouthwatering Monday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, $5 Dinner Challenge, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Delectable Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, {TITUS 2}SDAYS, Slightly Induglent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Domestically Divine, Delicious Dishes, Whatcha Makin’ Wednesdays, What’s Cooking Wednesday, What’s on the Menu, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, What We’re Eating Wednesday, Made it on Monday, Strut Your Stuff, Frugal Food Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursdays, Real Food Weekly, Tip Day Thursday, Thrilling Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Food Trip Friday, Friday Potluck, Foodie Friday, Friday Favorites, Show and Tell Friday, Fight Back Friday, Food on Friday, Fat Camp Friday, So Sweet Sunday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Seasonal Sunday, Sugar Free Sunday

 

 

Easy Pulled Barbecue Chicken in the CrockPot

(No, that is not an allergy-friendly bun!  I forgot to take a picture of Bella’s bunless chicken.)

Last week we said goodbye to my Grandmother.  Lots of people came in town for the service.  I didn’t have a lot of time to cook but wanted to have some real food to eat.  I made super easy barbecue chicken and my signature green beans .  Usually I try to buy free-range, locally raised chicken, but for the sake of cost and convenience I bought a bag of Kroger brand frozen chicken tenderloins.  This recipe is super easy to double and feed a crowd.  In fact, I tripled this recipe for my family.

 

Easy Pulled Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 pound bag of frozen chicken breasts or 3 pound bag of frozen chicken tenderloin
  • 1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

Directions:

  1. Dump the entire bag of chicken in the crock-pot.
  2. Add a 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the crock.
  3. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.
  4. Drain the chicken and shred with a couple of forks.
  5. Dump the entire bottle of barbecue sauce in with the chicken and mix well.
  6. Turn the crock-pot back on low until heated through or flavors blend.

You might also enjoy Barbecue Potato and Crockpot Beef Stew and Mashed Potatoes.

This post is part of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table.

Photo Credit: stu_spivack

Taco Soup Recipe

This soup is a great way to stretch a pound of meat.  It is delicious served with cheddar or Daiya cheese, salsa, corn chips and sour cream if you can tolerate dairy.  This makes a huge pot full.  This recipe is easy to adapt to what you have on hand.  Adjust the corn and rice amounts to how thick you want your soup.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion or a couple Tbsp dried onion
8 cups chicken or beef broth
2 (16 oz) cans of beans (black, pinto, chili, kidney) with liquid
1/2 (10 oz) bag of frozen corn
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked rice (optional)
1 (4 oz) can green chile peppers (optional)
4 Tbsp (2 packet) gluten free taco seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste

 

1. In a large saucepan, cook ground beef and onions.

2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

3. Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.

This post is part of Penny Wise Platter Thursday.