Cashew Chicken

Prep Time:  1 hour

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 lbs. snow peas, carrots, asparagus, or green onion
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce (I love the Lee Kum Kee brand)
3/4 cup raw cashew, toasted
Steamed Jasmine rice

1.  Cook the cashews in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350 degrees until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes.  (Do not toast them too long, if they get too dark they don't taste very good.)

2.  In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with the salt and pepper.

3.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken until browned, transfer to a plate.

4.  Add the remaining oil and vegetables to the skillet.  Cook for 2 - 4 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender.  Return the chicken to the pan.  Add vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.

5.  Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water; cook for about 1 minute, remove from the heat, add the cashews, mix, and serve over hot steamed rice.

Serves 4-6

The bones of this recipe comes from a cashew chicken recipe from Everyday Foods.  I've tweaked it a bit, and my family really likes it.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is my favorite recipe to make when someone in the family is sick.  It goes together quickly and is so yummy and soothing.


Prep Time:  1 hour

10 cups of chicken broth (I like to use Better than Bouillon chicken base)
2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped (you can also use a 12.5 oz. can of chicken)
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 stalks of celery, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped

1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 - 2 cups noodles (I like the Country Pasta homemade style egg pasta)
2 cups frozen petite peas

Bring the broth to a boil and add the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and noodles.  (If using other egg noodles that are not thick like the Country Pasta brand, don't add the noodles until you are about 10 minutes away from serving the soup or they will be mushy.)  Simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft and the noodles are still slightly chewy.  Add the peas, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste; simmer for 5 - 10 more minutes.

Makes about 12 cups.

Lime and Basil Turkey Burgers

Prep Time:  40 minutes

2 lbs. ground turkey (or chicken)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
6 green onions, white and light green parts only, minced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil, or 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 + 1/8 tsp. (so just under a half tsp.) chile powder
1/4 + 1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 + 1/8 tsp. pepper

1.  Heat grill to Medium heat (350 - 450 degrees.)

2.  In a large bowl, mix the ingredients.  Shape the mixture into 8 equal sized balls.  Press them to the size you desire your burgers to be. 

3.  Brush both sides of the burgers with olive oil and grill for about 5 - 7 minutes, or until cooked through (I slice a burger in half to make sure the burgers are cooked.)

4.  Place on a bun with tomatoes and spinach and serve with raw vegetables.

Makes 8 Burgers

(I have taken this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling.  This recipe is found on p. 210 in the book and has a delicious Creamy Cucumber Relish that you can serve with the burgers.  Weber's suggested serving method with the burgers and relish is without a bun, so I usually make a muffin or biscuit to accompany the meal when I follow their serving suggestion.  Tonight I was looking for an easy dinner though, so I served my burgers on a bun and opted not to make the relish.  Maybe I'll repost this recipe on another night when I make the burgers with the relish.)  :)

Lentil Soup

Prep Time:  1 hour

3 Tbsp. olive oil
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
5 celery stalks, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
2 cups lentils, sorted and rinsed
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups diced ham*
1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 tsp. salt (1 tsp. if you make this dish with meat)
1/2 tsp. pepper

1.  Heat the oil in a large soup pot, over medium-low heat and add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, cooking until tender, but not browned (about 5 - 10 minutes.)

2.  Stir in the water, lentils, tomatoes, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

3.  Stir in the ham, vinegar, salt and pepper, and serve.

Makes 6 servings (about 12 cups)

(I have taken this recipe from the Joy of Cooking, one of my favorite cookbooks, and have adapted it for my family.  I have added about one and a half extra vegetables, added ham, and reduced the amount of pepper called for.)

*I buy a 1/2 spiral cut ham with a bone-in for a nice Sunday dinner.  I freeze the leftover slices of ham and the ham bone (which is great for this soup!), in quart-sized freezer bags that are very convenient for cooking with later.  This is the only type of ham I use in this soup.  I have tried buying prepared packages from the store of diced or chopped ham, but my family did not enjoy the soup that way, they felt like the ham was too rubbery.

Black Beans and Rice

Prep Time:  45 minutes (longer if you are soaking and cooking beans, rather than using canned)

3 - 14.5 oz. cans black beans, drained or 1 lb. dried black beans
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 lb. sausage (I buy a 1 lb. tube of sausage and freeze the other half for later)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Rice

1.  If using dry beans (which I do--a great way to rotate my food storage), sort, rinse, soak for 8 - 12 hours, and cook for 2 hours in salted water (I cook my beans in about 6 quarts of water with about 1/2 Tbsp. salt.)  Drain when tender.

2.  Steam rice according to package instructions.

3.  In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the onion, bell peppers, garlic, and sausage until the sausage is cooked through.  Add beans to the cooked mixture.  (If using dried beans, I generally add all but about 1 cup of the beans to the mixture.  I freeze the remaining cup of beans to use later.)

4.  Serve the bean and vegetable mixture over the rice.  Garnish with cilantro.

Serves:  6

(I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Heidi.  My two oldest kids are nuts about this dinner.  My oldest son is a picky eater and doesn't usually eat second helpings, but he always does with this dish!)