Chicken Vietnamese Bowls

Chicken Vietnamese Bowls

Ingredients

4 Cloves Garlic 

2 Persian cucumber, diced

Cilantro, chopped

2 Limes, halved

1-2 Chili pepper, diced

8 oz Shredded carrots 

1 cup Jasmine rice 

1-1/2 lb Chicken Breast or thighs 

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce 

2 tsp Sriracha 

4 Tbsp Mayonnaise 

Directions

1. Wash and dry all produce. Mince garlic. Trim and halve cucumber lengthwise. Roughly chop cilantro. Zest and halve limes. Thinly slice chili pepper, removing seeds for less heat.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, carrots, lime juice, cilantro, and juice from one lime half. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Set aside. In a small pot, combine rice, water, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
3. While rice cooks, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium to high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board to rest. 
4. Make sauce. Heat a drizzle of oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and stir in the soy sauce, half the Sriracha, 1-1/2 tablespoon of sugar, and juice from remaining lime. Simmer, stirring, until thickened in syrupy, about one minute. Turn off heat.
5. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and remaining Sriracha. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture reaches a drizzle and consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Finished and serve. Fluff rice with fork, stir in lime zest, butter and season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls. Thinly slice chicken. Topper rice with chicken and carrot salad. Drizzle chicken with sauce. Garnish with Sriracha mayo, remaining cilantro and chili to taste.

Bulgogi (Korean Beef)

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion
• 3 green onions/scallions
• 4 inch carrot
• 1-1/2 lb thinly sliced beef (chuck or rib eye) (can also use tenderloin, top sirloin) 
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• Sesame seeds

Bulgogi Marinade

• 4 Tbsp Korean soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1/2 Asian pear 
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. To make the bulgogi marinade, add 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sesame oil, and 3 Tbsp brown sugar, and crush 8 cloves garlic (or minced garlic) in a large bowl.
2. Grate 1/2 of an Asian pear (I used an apple).
3. Add freshly ground black pepper and mix all together.
4. Cut the onion into thin slices and cut the green onion into 2 inch pieces and then cut in half lengthwise.
5. Using a peeler, peel some carrot (or slice thinly). Add the onion, green onions, carrot in the marinade and mix all together.
6. Add the meat in the marinade, separating each slices. Mix all together to coat with the marinade. 

7. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or best if overnight.

8. In a large skillet , heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil over medium high heat.
9. Cook the marinated meat in a single layer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to the plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
   
   
   Original from https://www.justonecookbook.com/wprm_print/61293

Avocado Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

Where do I begin?! YUM ... that's where. I wanted something healthy and fresh for dinner. I searched for a few ideas online and came across this salad dish and changed it up just a bit. I am in love with the dressing and used the leftovers for a burger the next day. It could even be used as a dip or hummus for chips.


Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 cups spinach

1 carrot, julienned
1 radicchio, chopped (optional)
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

Quinoa

The Avocado Peanut Dressing

1/4 avocado
1/2 cup peanuts
Juice of one 1/2 lime
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine honey, lime juice, soy sauce, and pepper. Marinate chicken in this mixture for at least 30 minutes.

2. Grill the chicken. Once cooked through, set chicken aside and allow to cool slightly. Cut into slices.

3. To make the dressing: Mix the ingredients (avocado, rice vinegar, peanuts, lime juice, olive oil and garlic) together in a blender or food processor. Adjust with salt and pepper.

4. Combine the chopped spinach carrots, cilantro, red onion and radicchio in a large bowl and toss it with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the quinoa and chicken on top along with the avocado. Drizzle on the dressing, top with chopped peanuts, and serve!

Note: The avocado peanut dressing can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for a couple of days.

Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Curry

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (seeded if you want less heat)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 stalks of lemon grass, cut into large chunks and bruised
• 3 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and either sliced thin or grated
• 1 Tb sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2-3 cups of water or stock
• 1 cup sugar snap peas or broccoli
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 Tb sriracha
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 Tb coconut oil
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• 1 green onion, sliced for garnish

Directions

1. Saute onion, jalapeno in coconut oil until onion begins to soften. Then add garlic and lemongrass. Toss around in the oil for another minute or so until garlic begins to caramelize.
2. Then add spices (curry powder, garam masala and turmeric), fresh ginger and sugar. Toss to coat.
3. Add cubed chicken and season with salt and pepper. Toss chicken in the other flavors and allow to lightly brown on the outside.
4. Add your veggies. Mushrooms, peppers, peas and green onion. (Note* I added my broccoli until the very end to avoid over cooking). Toss to coat with everything.
5. Add your liquid, coconut milk and 2 cups of stock or water. There should be enough liquid to lightly cover everything, so you may need to adjust accordingly. Also add a few dashes of sriracha.
6. Cover and cook on medium-low until chicken is cooked through. About 20 minutes. When done, add lime juice. 
7. Garnish with green onion and lime wedges.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1//2 lb chicken breast, julienned
1/2 lb smoked sausage, cut into rounds 1/4-inch thick
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
Salt to taste
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp oil

Directions
1. In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat and add onions, bell peppers, and celery. Cook until vegetables are completely cooked and browned, scrapping the bottom of the pot often, about 10 minutes.

2. Add all seasonings and cook for a few minutes longer, continue to stir and scrap the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

3. Add the tomatoes and chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.

4. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

5. Stir in the rice and return to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to a simmer, add sausages, and cover the pot. Cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed and rice is fully cooked.

Asian Fried Quinoa with Kale

http://crandlecakes.com/2014/01/09/asian-style-fried-quinoa-with-vegetables-gf/

Serves 1

2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups thinly sliced kale
¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1-cm cubes works well)
¼ cup frozen green peas
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 egg
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (use the gluten-free kind if desired)
1 teaspoon sesame oil for garnish (optional)
Sriracha or sambal oelek

1. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sweat onion for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger. When translucent but not browned, add carrots and peas. When peas are bright green and no longer icy and carrots are beginning to soften (about 4-5 minutes), add kale and wilt slightly, about 3 minutes (for softer kale, cook up to 6 minutes). At this stage, I added about 2 Tablespoons of water because the vegetables were beginning to stick. If you need to add water at this stage, make sure it fully evaporates before moving on.

2. When vegetables are softened, add quinoa, stir, and let sit 1 minute to brown a bit. Stir and let sit again, 1 more minute.

3. When quinoa is warmed through and crisped on some spots, make a well in the middle of the pan and crack the egg into it. Scramble the egg in the well and then mix into the quinoa (about 30 seconds.)

4. Just as egg finishes cooking, stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

5. Serve immediately with a drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha or sambal oelek.

{Slow Cooker} Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs from Shared Appetite

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 carrots, peeled and diced

2 bell peppers, diced

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about the same size as 2 cloves of garlic)

1 jalapeno, seeded and halved

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 tablespoon curry powder

3/4 tablespoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Cooked white or brown rice

Naan, for garnish

Plain Greek Yogurt, for garnish

Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1) Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken, carrots, and bell peppers.

2) Combine onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric in a food processor until mostly smooth. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

3) Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour mixture into the slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook for one more hour, or until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

4) Serve coconut curry chicken over rice, garnished with plain greek yogurt, naan, and cilantro

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs from Simply Sophisticated Cooking

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Zest from 2 lemons

4 lemons, quartered

1 head of garlic, separated and peeled

1 cup baby carrots

Olive oil to coat

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Zest 2 of the lemons before you cut them up. Mix the sage, rosemary and lemon zest and set aside until needed.

2) Gently loosen the skin on the chicken thighs, so that you can slide your fingers up under but the skin is still attached to the chicken. Tuck in about 1 tsp of the herb mixture under the skin. Lightly coat the chicken pieces with olive oil and generously salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining herb mix over the bottom of a large baking dish and lay the chicken thighs on top. Squeeze the lemon quarters over the chicken and tuck in around the pan. Finish by tucking garlic cloves and carrots around the chicken. Roast uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour or until a meat thermometer reads 165° F.

3) Allow chicken to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Moroccan Carrots

Moroccan Carrots

4 c carrots, steamed

2 tsp EVOO

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

1-1/2 tbsp cilantro chopped

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 ground cumin 

St. Pattys day feast

A little feast for St Patricks day and beyond, way beyond...I wanted to make corned beef but didn't want to have all the nitrates and added yuck that sometimes gets put in it.  At the organic grocer I found this great grass fed, nitrate free brisket and it worker perfectly for this recipe. Added bonus, there is a ton left over for Reuben's, yum yum.  Super easy supper.

• 1 corned beef roast(if its not nitrate free, rinse it really well or soak it changing the water several times)
• 1 large bottle of beer, I used apple cider beer.
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 onion
• 1 head of cabbage

Throw everything in a dutch oven and cook at 300 for abt 4 hours, it appears to take about an hour per pound of meat.  Alternately, you can put it all in the crock pot.  Its done when its tender. When the meat is done, take it out of the pan and put it on a foil lined cake pan.  Turn the oven to high broil.

In small sauce pot, boil

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp spicy mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Boil just till thickened and spread on roast.  Put back in oven on broil just until a little crust starts to form.  Remove and tent with foil for 15 minutes or so. Slice her up and enjoy, I'm pretty sure you will agree, it is absolutely delicious.

Brown Rice and Vegetable Salad

I actually made this with leftover veggies, so it could be easily altered to fit whatever is on hand.  I was pleasantly surprised with how good it turned out!

Ingredients:

• Brown Rice
• 1/2 Avocado, diced
• Bunch of Parsley, shredded
• 1/2 Red Pepper, diced
• 1 Carrot, grated
• 2 T Lemon Juice
• 1 T Olive oil
• Dash of salt and pepper

Cook brown rice and mix all ingredients. Finish with a sprinkle of Feta Cheese.