Homestyle Orange Chicken

After picking my boys up from school today I informed them we needed to stop by the store for a few things.  I explained I was really in the "mood" for a garlic soup with an authentic crusty bread (Wheat Free) for dipping.  My oldest son responded, "MOM, I just want Chinese food tonight!"   Well, I guess I'll have to experiment with the garlic soup another night and make them something they are in the mood for.  So here it is...kid friendly orange chicken!

Marinade:
2 Tablespoons Dry Sherry
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch


Sauce:
1/3 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chile paste
1 teaspoon Sesame oil

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
Oil of your choice for stir frying
1/4 cup dry sherry, for deglazing the pan


Method:

1) Make the marinade, and allow chicken to saute for 30 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the sauce, mix well and set aside.
3) Add oil of your choice to a wok and when heated add the minced ginger and garlic, stir for 2-3 minutes.
4) Add the marinaded chicken and saute until browned on all sides, deglaze the pan with the 1/4 cup of dry sherry and once it disappears add the sauce and stir for a minute or so.  Serve over sticky rice and add a green vegetable on the side (Let's get these kids eating more greens:)  Enjoy!

New Toy

   Yep, I finally did it!  I bought myself a 'little toy' I've been longing for, for approximately 8 years!  It's a Vitamix mixer.  Watch out world, the juicing will begin! Of course, I have been making juice in my little "Magic Bullet" for years.  But, now I can blend things I otherwise would never have tried!  Raw carrots would never have been so completely blended in a traditional blender, but with the Vitamix, not only do I get a great consistency, I also retain all the fiber in the fruits and vegetables I use.  So... this will help my cardiovascular health along with helping balance blood sugar levels.  

Here "He" is!


   While we all can buy ready-made juices and smoothies, nothing quite beats the taste of a blend made at home.  So, now I'll make my green juice along with all the other combinations I can come up with.  Here are a few of my new morning juices:

Makes 2 small glasses

1/2 teaspoon Stevia sweetener
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water, boiling
1 small pink-lady apple peeled, other eating apple would work
10 blackberries
2 ice cubes
To decorate I used a cinnamon stick and a flower from a plant I'm wintering (Optional).

Method:

1) Put the stevia and cinnamon in the boiling water and mix until well dissolved.  Put into the blender.
2) Add the apples, blackberries and ice cubes.
3) Blend on high until well blended, pour into individual small glasses, decorate if you wish and enjoy at once.

Makes 2 4oz. glasses

4 organic carrots, cut up
2 small eating apples, skinned
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, peeled
1/4 cup filtered water
2 ice cubes
Fresh mint to decorate (Optional)

Method:

1) Place all ingedients listed above in the blender and blend until well combined, enjoy!

Vegetable Tortilla Soup

Last night I was in need of a meal...pronto!  I had a lot of left over ingredients, none of which seemed to combine well together so... I used what I could and decided to make a vegetable soup, Mexican style.  My kids love Mexican food so why not let them have it?  I warmed up some tortilla chips on the side to give it that authentic flair and we sat down to an amazing meal, which was literally made from all the leftover vegetables from the past week! P.S. I only added the cheese to the boys soup.  I just had the vegetables:(

1/2 large purple onion, diced
2 tablespoons, olive oil
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, along with any leftover tomatoes you have, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 15oz can black beans, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (Include the stems if it is leftover, do not waste it)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup salsa, (whatever you have in the refrigerator)
2 carrots, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, per serving (Optional, to top the soup)

Method

1) On the stove top, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, and carrots.  Saute until onion is slightly limp, 7 to 8 minutes. 
2) Add the broth, salsa, cumin, jalapeno, corn, black beans, tomatoes (including any fresh leftovers you might have) and cook on the stove, with a lid on, 8-10 minutes.
3) Add the cilantro, and a grind of salt and pepper, continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, turn the oven on broil.  When ready, ladle soup in oven safe serving dishes, place 1/4 cup or more of cheese on top and promptly place into the oven, 2-3 minutes.  When cheese is melted and slightly browned on top serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Vegan Bolognese ?

  Can there really be such a thing?  Typically, a true Bolognese contains ground beef, sometimes pork or pancetta along with vegetables, wine and cream.  Well, I guess I can't have that...or can I? 
  I decided tonight to try a Vegan Bolognese using ingredients I had around the house (using up all the vegetables on past recipes).  The combination was marvelous and the cooking time was even more appealing.  Normally, with a bolognese sauce the cooking time is 3-4 hours.  This sauce only took 30 minutes in actual cooking time and another 15 minutes of prep time (i.e. cutting all the vegetables). 
  If you're trying to go vegan and trying to stay away from too much wheat, this recipe is for you!  I was so surprised how good this turned out, I just had to share with all of you!  Enjoy!

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced small
3 large parsnips, diced small
5 large carrots, diced small
1/4 cup brandy
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking flour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water in
    separate container.
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1) Put olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, and parsnips in a pot, and turn heat on medium-high.  Cook and stir all ingredients together until the onions turn translucent and the other ingredients start to stick to the bottom of the pan.  When this happens, deglaze the pan by quickly adding the brandy and scraping brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  The brandy will cook off quickly so have the vegetable broth ready to add in after the brandy cooks off.

2) After you have added the vegetable broth add the extra 1/2 cup of water and Bob's Red Mill flour and water mixture.  Stir well and allow sauce to cook down and thicken a bit, around 4-6 minutes.
3)  Next, add the canned tomatoes and parsley and continue to cook.  If the sauce seems to be getting to dry put a lid on it, and turn down the temperature to an occasional bubble.  Salt and Pepper to taste.
4) Meanwhile, while the sauce is finishing up, make the pasta of your choice in a separate pan of salted water.  To serve, place pasta in bowls and cover each with vegan bolognese.  Serve with Parmesan for those that don't mind some dairy in there diet.  Enjoy!

Boyz Breakfast Sandwich

In my mind there are two types of food; "Adult food" and "Kid Friendly food"! It seems my children always want to eat something I consider to be bland or just plain unhealthy.  It has always been my intent, as an informed Mother, to have my children eat...well, somewhat healthy!
    When they were babies, I would make squash and mash tofu in it with a fork. I would also, cook organic carrots, blend it, and freeze it into ice cube trays. I think I covered the gamut, as far as, trying to bring up healthy children in an unhealthy world.  But, with this being said, they still WANT things I would rather NOT let them have!
    So… this brings me to today’s post!  I made a McDonald’s style breakfast sandwich as healthy as I could, without changing the consistency of it, too much! In other words, I didn’t add any spinach or vegetables of any kind which would have irritated the boys, even though this would have satisfied me tremendously!
    My oldest son’s response to this sandwich this morning was, “Wow, I didn’t even know this was an option in this house! What did you hide in it?” I responded, “Who me, I would never put anything in your food, lol!”

Makes 2 Sandwiches

4 Turkey Sausage links
2 Whole Wheat English muffins, toasted
2 large organic eggs
1/4 cup organic shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1) Heat pan on stove and complete the turkey sausage links according to package directions.  Allow to sit on paper towels, to get out any grease while you are making the eggs.  Slice lengthwise.
2) Toast the English muffins.
3) Meanwhile, in the pan you made the sausage links make the eggs.  Scramble the eggs and make them separately as you would small omelets.  Put cheese in the center and fold over to let it melt. 
4) Layer, english muffin, sliced turkey sausage, then mini omelet and top with english muffin.

Guacamole

We all LOVE guacamole at our house.  Here is the quick recipe I use all the time, I hope you're able to enjoy this one someday soon!

2 avocados
2 teaspoons fresh lime
2 green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro
1/4 fresh tomato, chopped (optional)
Salt to taste

Method

1) Cut the avocados, remove pits, and scoop the flesh into a bowl.  Mash with a masher and add lime juice simultaneously.
2) Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. 
3)  Taste and adjust seasoning.  ENJOY!

Printable Version

Crazy Winter 2011

This winter is ridiculous in Minnesota this year!  I mean really...How much SNOW do we need?  Here are a couple of photos to prove my point!  You can tell I'm having to shovel the roof as well...Lucky Me!

Today's photo:
 In this photo you're unable to see the tree on the left.  Sure hope the tree survives with all the heavy snow on top of it!

This photo was taken this past Summer!