Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

3 T oyster sauce - I only had fish sauce
2T dry sherry
1/4 c water
1 lb ground beef
1 red pepper - seeded & diced
5 scallions - sliced thin
1 T chili garlic sauce - I used sriracha
1 T fresh grated ginger
1 head bibb lettuce - I also used flour tortillas, as they are easier to eat.....
1/4 c chopped peanuts - forgot them........

whisk oyster sauce, sherry and water in bowl.

cook beef over med-high heat until just cooked.  drain - reserve 2 T fat.

heat fat in empty skillet.  Add pepper and scallions and cook until soft.  Clear center of skillet and add ginger and chili sauce - cook until fragrant.  Return beef to skillet with oyster sauce mix and cook until thick - about a minute.  Spook mix into lettuce and sprinkle with peanuts.

Nancy's Take:  I made these for friends - all of whom loved them - even the kids.

Green Chicken Curry

2 small bunches cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water, plus 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds, halved
1/2 teaspoon malt vinegar
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
Cooked basmati rice or warm naan bread, for serving

Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and pepper, to taste, to a food processor or blender. Puree on high until smooth. With the processor running, add about 1/4 cup water, and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste, a.k.a. "masala". Set aside.

In a large pot or deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown.

Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You'll know it's ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.

Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so that the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add about 1 1/2 cups water, just enough to cover the chicken, and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and serve over rice or with warm naan bread.
 
 Dave's Take:  Dave liked it a lot and enjoyed the leftovers too!

Nancy's Take:  Yummy - even the kids liked it!  Even the baby liked it!!  Will make again.

Curried Ground Turkey with Potatoes

Wanted to make something different for dinner and a blog I follow had this recipe - looked interesting, so I gave it a shot........

3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey (thigh meat if you can get it)
1 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
1-2 chopped fresh red chiles (optional)
A 1-inch piece of peeled ginger, grated fine
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp garam masala (or curry powder)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2-4 Roma or other plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro or parsley

1 Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with a lid. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat, spreading it out over the pan. Try not to crowd the meat (you may need to cook in batches). Cook the meat without stirring, until it begins to brown. 

2 Add the chopped onion and chiles. Stir and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion begins to color a bit. Sprinkle salt over everything.

3 Add the grated ginger and garlic, mix well and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

4 Mix in the spices, water, and the potatoes. Stir to combine and cover. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

5 When the potatoes are tender, add the diced tomatoes and peas. Mix well and cover the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add salt, if needed, to taste.

6 Right before you serve, mix in the chopped cilantro. Serve alone or with flatbread or white rice. 

Dave's Take:  He liked it a lot!  Will ask for it again.

Nancy's Take:  Liked it a lot!  Had my nose running from the spice - in a good way!  I'd imagine this is what Indian Chili would taste like - and it gives me ideas to try adding other things to it.  Might try ground chicken or beef next time - the turkey was a little tough.

Brown Sugar Chewies

Dave is out of town and I am bored.  So, what do I do?  Bake - and I don't want to go out for ingredients.  So, I am a little limited - that never stopped me before........

1/4 cup butter 
1 cup packed light brown sugar 
1 egg, beaten 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract - I used 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup chopped pecans - no pecans in the house, so used toffee chips
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Turn off the heat, add the brown sugar and stir until smooth. Stir in the egg. Stir together the flour and baking powder and stir into the brown sugar mixture. Stir in the vanilla and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. When cool, dust the top with a sifting of confectioners' sugar.

Nancy's Take:  Not great, but I've eaten 3, so they must be good.  Super easy to make, but did take longer than 20 minutes to cook - more like 27.  Thankfully, I'll be giving them away this evening at dinner club.  Better on their hips than mine.

Kool Aid Play Doh

Why make play doh when you can buy it?  Not sure.  But, the girls preschool teacher asked me to make it and here is the recipe.  I've actually made it twice and it was much easier and less sticky the second time.  So, I'll make sure to give you those tips...

2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup salt
2 packages dry unsweetened Kool-Aid
2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons oil

Mix the dry ingredients (minus kool-aid) together in a large bowl. 

Mix hot water and kool-aid together in a measuring cup.  Pour over the dry ingredients. 

Add oil.

Stir the mixture until it forms a ball (this may take a while - keep stirring). As the mixture cools, it will become less sticky. After the mixture has cooled, take it out of the bowl and knead it until it is smooth.  


I used a silicone spatula and the whole mixing process was simple and clean.


Nancy's Take:  Easy to make - probably cheaper than store-bought.


Erin & Evie's Take:  They love it!  They love the different colors!!

Leg of Lamb

Dave loves leg of lamb!  We don't have it often, but he loves it!  I wanted to make it, but had no idea how and did not have too much patience to try something fancy.  So, I went with the good old crock pot - having no idea what to expect.  I think this is a pricey cut of meat to use in a crock pot, so I hope it is good!

1 Leg of Lamb (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup Water

Veggies of your choice - onions, potatoes, carrots, whatever............

Run hot water over the frozen lamb package, just so it thaws enough that you can cut open the package and peel it away from the meat

Plop it into your crockpot along with veggies of your choice.

Add a half cup of water

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

you don't need to add any additional water as long as you keep the lid closed and don't futz with it.

*If you are using fresh leg of lamb with a dry rub, cover the meat with the 1/2 cup of water and cook on high for 4-6 hours.*

Dave's Take:  Again, he is out of town.  But, he LOVED it.  Ate it like he had not eaten in a LOOOOONG time.  Total and complete hit!

Nancy's Take:  I don't like leg of lamb too much, but this was yummy.  Super easy to cook and tasted really yummy.  I'd make it again - I am sure that would make Dave happy.

Enchiladas w/ Creamy Green Chile Sauce

3 tablespoons butter                                          

1 medium onion - chopped                                      

1 large garlic cloves - minced                                

1 teaspoon cumin                                              

2 tablespoons flour                                           

2-3 cups hot water w/ 1 extra large Knorr chicken bouillion cube

6 smalls cans green chilies - I used 3 cans mild and 1 can hot                            

12 corn tortillas  - oops I used wheat flour tortillas!

2 cups shredded mexican cheese                                  

4 cups shredded chicken                                       

In a pan, melt butter and saute onions till transparent.  Stir in garlic, salt, and cumin.  Then stir in flour.  Slowly stir in chicken broth.  Add chiles and stir well until bubbling.  Reduce heat to simmer, cook uncovered for 15 mins.  Add 1 c of cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine chicken and 1/2 the green chile sauce.  Heat tortillas in microwave to soften.  Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture and little bit of remaining cheese.  Roll up and place seam side down in 13x9 pan.  Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.  Bake 20 mins uncovered.

Serve with sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Notes:

- If you make as casserole - lay tortillas on the bottom of pan, then layer chicken, green chile sauce, and cheese.  Repeat layer and finish with torillas on top and a little sauce to cover. IF you decide to make the Green Chile Enchiladas in a casserole form, then do not mix half the sauce with the chicken.  Just layer the tortillas, shredded chicken, sauce, and cheese.

- Sauce can be prepared and refrigerated for 24 hours

Nancy's Take:  Yummy!!  This was a great way to use up a rotisserie chicken - they are my best friend!  It was pretty darn spicy - might not need the can of HOT I used - all mild would probably be fine.  I also accidentally used flour tortillas and they were fine.  I really liked it - did not try to give it to the girls - too spicy.  The enjoyed the chicken - I saved them some.  They always love rotisserie chicken!!

Dave's Take:  This dish was rather interesting.  First of all, I can't help but compare it to one of my favorite dishes which is buffalo chicken enchiladas.  This was no buffalo chicken enchiladas and the first night we ate this I think it was actually a bit too spicy.  But strangely enough, when we put away the extra and warmed up the left overs the next day it was so much better.  I don't know what happens to casserole type foods and how a day in the fridge helps release their hidden goodness but this was certainly the case this time.  I think next time I'll ask Nancy to make this ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days before serving.

West African Chicken and Peanut Stew with Chiles, Ginger, and Green Onions

Just the name of this dish made me want to try it.  It is actually a South Beach Diet recipe.  But, it looked yummy to me.  I don't know what to expect, but it sounds yummy!  Probably to be served with rice - not that SB Diet people eat rice........

1-2 T olive or canola oil (the recipe called for 2 T, but I think you could use less)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion (could also use regular onion)
1 T finely minced fresh ginger root
2 tsp. finely minced jalapeno

salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt)
1 tsp. chile powder
1 cup chicken stock (chicken broth from a can is fine)
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (use natural peanut butter without added sugar for South Beach Diet)
2 T tomato paste
1 T cider vinegar
3 cups diced, cooked chicken (I used Costco Rotisserie)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
3-4 green onions (scallions) thinly sliced

Finely chop the red onion, ginger, and jalapeno, and roughly chop the chicken. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add finely diced onion, ginger, and jalapenos, season with salt, and saute about 2 minutes. Add the chile powder, stir into other ingredients, and saute about 1 minute more.

Add chicken stock, peanut butter, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar, stir, and bring to a slight boil. As soon as it starts to boil, lower heat to a very gentle simmer, add roughly chopped chicken, gently stir to combine, and let simmer 10-15 minutes. (Resist the urge to stir it very much, or the chicken will shred apart, which you don't want here.)

While mixture simmers, wash, dry, and slice green onions. After 10-15 minutes, gently stir again if the oil from the peanut butter has separated. Serve hot, with a generous handful of green onion slices on each serving.

Nancy's Take:  I normally don't cook with peanut butter - I swear!  This was a good dish.  Not a favorite, but good.  I'd make it again - but not too often.  It went well with rice and peas.  And, the kids liked it.... which is always a plus!!

Dave's Take:  This was pretty good.  I don’t think I would ask for it, but if Nancy planned it for dinner and told me we were having peanut chicken stew I’d not complain.  The consistency was good for a stew.  Not too thin or too thick… just right.  I think Nancy didn’t add a jalapeño pepper because I forgot to get that from the store.  I wonder how that would have changed the dish.  Next time (and I think there should be a next time) we need to make sure to add the jalapeño.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I was supposed to make dinner for dinner-club.  But, I ended up not doing so (long story).  So, I had a ton of broccoli and only a few days to use it.  Since it is cold in Chicago I went searching for broccoli soup recipes.  Broccoli cheese soup is not usually a favorite of mine, but I figured I'd give it a try...

1 qt chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 cups milk (I used skim)

2 10 oz bags of frozen broccoli florets (I used fresh broccoli)

1/2 diced white onion

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1 cup each of three different cheeses (I used jarlsberg, gruyere, and velveta)

Mince the onion into really small pieces.  The onions are going to soften in the milk and the broth, and need to be quite small so you don't crunch on onion pieces when the soup is complete.

Add the onion to your crockpot, and top with the milk, broth, and spices. Stir in the two frozen bags of broccoli.

Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. The broth is done when the onion is cooked nicely.

20 minutes or so before serving, shred all the cheese you are going to use, and stir it in. The cheese will be stringy and will stick to the broccoli florets.

Serve with your favorite rolls.

If you want a smoother texture, use a hand held stick blender to blend some of the large broccoli florets.  I don't have one, so didn't use one.

Nancy's Take:  I really liked the flavor - super yummy.  I liked the broccoli a lot.  The only thing I was unsure about was the consistency - very thin.  But, it tasted very rich and good.  The girls enjoyed dipping their bread and chicken in it for flavor.  But, they did not eat big spoonfuls.  The only soup they really dig into is Chicken Noodle - made by my mom.  They (especially Erin) love it!! 

Dave's Take:  I always look forward to a good Broccoli and cheddar soup.  What I didn't know was how much a fan I am of a SMOOTH broccoli and cheddar soup.  The taste of this soup was pretty good and I did ask for and finish seconds, but the cheese seemed to clump up to the pieces of broccoli and the broth was rather thin.  One thing Nancy and I said should be done differently in preparation next time was to blend the final soup in a blender or use one of those hand blenders.  So bottom line, taste good.  Texture, needs improvement.

Asian Peanut Butter Pork - Crock Pot

I've been itching to use my crock pot lately.  Probably because I am finding myself unorganized when it comes to dinner time.  And, using the crock pot forces me to think about dinner prior to 3pm.  I also had nearly all of these ingredients on hand - and I've wanted to make this for some time.  The peanut butter seems odd to me - so I figured I should give it a try.....

1 pound pork tenderloin                                        
1 onion - sliced in rings                                      
1/4 cup soy sauce                                              
1/4 cup brown sugar                                            
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar                               
3 tablespoons water                                            
2 cloves garlic - chopped                                      
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter                                   
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts                                  
1 lime - cut in wedges                                         

Use a 4-6 quart crockpot.

Put onion slices into the bottom of your crockpot.

Put the pork on top. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, and peanut butter.

No need to stir--the peanut butter needs to melt before you can do so.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The pork will be more tender the longer you cook it.

1 hour before serving, flip the meat over in the crockpot to allow the other side to soak up the peanut butter.  Garnish with chopped peanuts, and serve with lime wedges. The lime juice mixed with the peanut butter is delicious.

Nancy's Take:  This was good.  Pretty darn good!  Seeing as I was nursing during dinner (sorry, too much info) I was quite happy I did not need to use a knife.  I liked the sauce - didn't need a ton of it, though.  Having too much peanut butter sauce would be just too much.  Served it with rice and corn which seemed to go well.  The biggest surprise was how much the girls LOVED it.  Erin ate seconds and Ev ate hers in record time as well - no seconds.  I did not feel the lime was necessary - it did not add much.  The one super nice thing about this recipe is I had all the ingredients in hand - except the unnecessary lime!

Dave's Take: This was a pleasant surprise.  The pork was very tender and the peanut sauce was very tasty.  I wanted seconds and enjoyed my seconds ... even though I'm supposed to be watching my portions.  Well I watched that second portion go right down.  I'd say this was short of an "All-Star" dish, but still really good.  I'd be happy to but this into a regular dinner rotation.  I'd say about once a month.