Asian Teriyaki Chicken

1/2 cup Teryaki Glaze
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 package chicken tenders (approx. 8)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced gingerroot
1 tbsp minced shallots
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp seaded, minced jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup bias-sliced scallions

Place 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Sear Chicken 3-4 minutes each side.
Remove from pan.

Place remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil in skillet
Saute gingerroot, shallots, garlic and jalapeno about 1 minute
Add Teryaki glaze and chicken stock
Replace chicken in pan and simmer 3-5 minutes

Serve over jasmine rice (cooked as per package directions), and sprinkle with scallions

QUICK CARROT AND RICE SIDE DISH

To make an easy and complete dinner meal, just add this delicious side dish to your favorite meat entree. It combines rice and carrots with tasty chicken flavoring that will please kids or adults.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rice (I like Uncle Ben's converted rice)
2 cups grated or chopped carrots (use baby carrots or peeled regular carrots)
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. sea salt
4 cups water
1 cube Wyler's chicken bouillon or 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
(note - can substitute 2 cans chicken broth or stock for part of the water, instead of using the bouillon cube/granules)
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In medium sauce pot, bring water, bouillon cube and salt to boiling. Stir in rice, butter and carrot. Bring to boil again. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for approx. 25 min. Stir; sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes longer (cheese should be hot and bubbly).

This recipe is a great way to get kids to eat their veggies!

SHOPPING TIP:
If you like to shop at Costco or other food warehouses, check out their frozen meat entrees that come in larger packages. Simply cook as many meat entree portions as needed for your family, and package the rest in a smaller container for a future meal.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For the Meatballs -
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup panko (asian bread crumbs)
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large egg - beaten
vegetable oil and olive oil - for frying

For the Sauce -
1 tbsp good olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 green pepper (chopped)
4 ounces portobello muchrooms (diced or sliced)
1-1/2 tsp garlic - minced
3/4 cup Chianti wine (or beef stock)
1 - 28 ounce can San Marzano Italian Tomatoes (chopped or crushed)
3 tbsp seasoned bread crumbs (optional - for thickening the sauce)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

To serve, 1 pound of thin spaghetti noodles cooked as per directions on package.
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese for topping.

Place all of the meatball ingredients except oils in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup warm water. Combine lightly with a fork or your hands and form mixture into 1-1/2" round meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of olive oil and vegetable oil into a large skillet until 1/4" deep. Heat oil to medium low. Very carefully in batches that don't crowd the pan brown the meatballs on all sides carefully turning with a spatula or fork. Should take 8 - 10 minutes. Remove them from the pan onto a paper towel lined plate to drain while you cook the rest of them.

Discard the oil from the pan but do not clean the pan.

In that same pan you will make the sauce.

For the sauce heat the 1 tbsp of good olive oil, add the onion, peppers and mushrooms and saute over medium heat until the onions are translucent. From 5 - 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Chianti or beef stock and cook on high until all liquid has evaporated. Scraping up the bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients.

Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce, simmer on lowest setting for 25-30 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.

Tartar Sauce with a Kick

This one is really easy and pretty tasty.

You can adjust the heat to your liking by adding more or less of the hot sauce and cayenne pepper.

Never had tartar sauce with a kick? Try it you'll like it.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp jar horseradish (called prepared horseradish)
1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp lemon juice
5-10 drops of hot sauce like Tabasco
a pinch of salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all together and let sit in the fridge overnight for best results. But can be used immediately. It just won't be as spicy until it's rested.

This is great with fish sticks for a super quick and easy meal. Or with any broiled or baked fish fillets.

TOO TIRED TO COOK - EASY RECIPES

Today was one of those days when I was too tired to cook. But at the grocery store this week, my son had found a can of Batter Blaster like the one reviewed earlier on this blog.
Tonight's dinner? Pancakes. The kids had a ball playing with the Batter Blaster, and even my hubby ate the pancakes.
But I also wanted to post that I found a cool Squidoo Lens with recipes for nights like tonight, when you need something quick but economical to avoid hitting the fast food restaurant down the street.
Here's the link:
TOO TIRED TO COOK RECIPES

I hope you find a recipe or two to add to your quick-cooking arsenal.

Super Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos

When my kids were home from college a couple of weeks ago for a visit, we decided to try out a yummy looking fish taco recipe I'd found in a magazine. The only problem? I don't really like fish very much. So we decided to adapt the recipe for chicken tacos instead, and came up with something so scrumptious that we made it twice in one week! After my son returned home, he experimented some more and found a way to use ground turkey to make another version that he said was equally as delicious and faster to prepare. Here are both versions of our Cilantro-Lime Tacos.

CHICKEN TACOS WITH CILANTRO-LIME MARINADE

Serves Four People.

Marinade Ingredients:

2 limes - juice and zest
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl.

To Make Chicken Tacos:

Wash and pat dry:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin slices.
Put chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade into bag.
Put in refrigerator to marinate for approx. 1 hour.

While chicken is marinating, get your outdoor grill ready (or chicken can be prepared in the oven if you prefer.)
Use large sheet of non-stick foil; remove chicken from marinade and discard all but 1 Tbsp. Put chicken pieces in the center of foil sheet; pour 1 Tbsp. reserved marinade over it. Add 1/2 a small red onion, thinly sliced, on top of the chicken. Take a second sheet of foil, cover the chicken and onion, and fold all the edges together to form a packet. Put chicken filled packet on the grill, and cook for approx. 20 minutes, or until chicken slices are done. Be careful when opening the packet - let the steam escape out one end first.
Oven version - Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 20 min., or until chicken slices are done.

TO SERVE:

Heat four taco size flour tortillas on the grill, or on stove top.
Fill with 1/4 of the cooked chicken, plus the following toppings:

Thinly sliced red cabbage
Homemade or fresh store bought salsa (not the jarred kind)
Thinly sliced green onion, whites and tops
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sour Cream (if desired)

The combination of topping ingredients with the cilantro-lime marinade is divine!

CILANTRO-LIME SKILLET TURKEY TACOS

Ingredients:
Cilantro-lime marinade (above)
1 lb. ground turkey

Put turkey and marinade together in ziplock bag; marinate in refrigerator for approx. 1 hour.

Heat skillet to med-high heat; add marinated turkey and cook until done.
Add cooked turkey to heated tortillas; top with the same ingredients above.

The turkey version is quicker to make because you do not need to slice the chicken or grill it. My son said he had enough turkey for more than one meal.

Enjoy!

Quick Pasta Salad

It's all about quick and easy when you have nine people to feed for dinner! This Quick Pasta Salad recipe has always been a favorite at our house and my kids invariably ask for it when home for a visit. With a minimum of ingredients, no muss or fuss, it's a great Go To recipe for every day and can be made ahead.
INGREDIENTS
1 16 oz. box pasta (we like tri color spirals)
1 bottle good Italian dressing (Newman's own is great)
1 8 oz block cheddar cheese
1 can small black olives
1 box grape tomatoes
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 lb. sliced Lebanon bologna, cut into small pieces
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced

Cook pasta as directed on box; drain and rinse in cold water. Put in large bowl, and add remaining ingredients except Italian dressing. Toss together.
Add enough Italian dressing to suit your family's taste. I usually add part of the bottle to begin with, and sometimes a little more at serving time, if I have made the salad in the morning.