Manic Monday Peanut Chicken Pasta

We don't only eat this on Monday because I'm manic every day of the week! (That was lame, but I was dying to say it.) I am not sure where I got this recipe, I’ve had it for years and it's yummy and easy, really easy. I’ve changed it a little from the original.  I use a Pampered Chef Stir Fry Wok as the skillet and it works great. 

1 T vegetable oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into ½ inch chunks

1 14 oz. can chicken broth

2 T honey

1 T soy sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 T cornstarch

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes – I used Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste that I had in the fridge. You can use whatever you’ve got that’s spicy, it just needs a little kick.

2 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, squished

1 green or red pepper, thinly sliced 

1 package thin spaghetti, or linguini - I use Udon noodles because they are pretty

Cook noodles/pasta following directions on package.   

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet, add the chicken and cook over high heat until lightly browned ‑ 5 to 7 min.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. 

In a bowl whisk together the chicken broth, honey, soy sauce, peanut butter, cornstarch, ginger and hot pepper flakes, or paste. Pour this mixture into the skillet after you remove the chicken, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Add the green onions, garlic and red or green pepper. Cook for another couple of minutes. Return the chicken pieces (and any juice that has accumulated) to the pan and simmer the mixture for 2 or 3 minutes, until heated through.  Serve over hot, cooked noodles, thin spaghetti or linguine.

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Manic Monday Peanut Chicken Pasta

EZ Brownies

I've had this recipe since the summer of 1994. I got it from Janee Shepherd, my next door neighbor when we lived on Main Street in Farmington. Janee was an awesome cook and a good friend. I'm sure I've made these at least 100 times, probably more. They are really easy and everyone loves them. The frosting is like fudge. FUDGE! How can a brownie not be good with FUDGE as the frosting? If you have extra frosting after frosting the brownies, there's nothing wrong with eating it from the bowl with a spoon. FUDGE!

Melt together either in a pan on the stove or in the microwave:

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup margarine

Don’t wash the pan, you can use the same one for the frosting

Add cocoa mixture to a mixing bowl then add in order shown:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

Mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with ¾ to a full bag of mini marshmallows.  Return to oven and bake an additional 2 minutes. Cool and then frost.

Frosting:

½ cup margarine

1/3 cup cocoa

Melt together and bring to a boil for just a minute:

Add to a mixing bowl then add:

1 t vanilla

Powdered sugar

Milk – about ¾ cup, warm the milk in the microwave before adding

Start with about 2 cups of powdered sugar and about 1/3 cup milk.  Beat this with the cocoa, vanilla mixture, then add more powdered sugar and milk until it is the consistency of frosting. I use almost a full package of powdered sugar and about ¾ cup warm milk. I heat my milk in the microwave so that when I add it to the warm cocoa mixture it doesn’t make lumps. I try to always let the frosting set up before I cut these, but if you want to serve them right away, they will be soft, messy, and yummy.  

Some tips:  It takes 25 minutes in my oven to bake them, I’ve never had to cook them for 30 minutes. I always use an entire bag of marshmallows because I don’t like to have a few left over in my pantry. This can also be baked in a jelly roll pan, but I’ve never done it so I’m not sure how long to bake it. 

I can never make brownies pretty when I cut them in the pan so I have started to line the pan with foil and then spray with generic Pam.  If you do it like this, be sure to spray the edges of the foil because the marshmallows are very sticky.  After the brownies have cooled, I frost them and let the frosting set up, then pull the brownies out of the pan using the edges of the foil.  To cut I use a long knife and I dip it in hot water after each cut and wipe it off with a paper towel.  These freeze beautifully, I’ve frozen them cut, and I’ve frozen them not cut.  If you freeze them un-cut, be sure to remove them from the freezer several hours before you want to cut them.

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EZ Brownies

Thai Turkey Burgers - save a pig, eat a turkey

I got this recipe at a grocery store early 2012. They were demo'ing it and I was very brave and tried it. I loved it. I actually met the woman who created the recipe, really nice lady. She'd be so proud if she knew I blogged her recipe and that you were reading it. So proud.  Here goes...

1 pound ground turkey, I use breast

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 t freshly grated ginger

3 green onions, thinly chopped

1 T soy sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar

1 T sesame oil (I use vegetable because I don’t use the sesame oil fast enough and it gets rancid)

1 T toasted sesame seeds

About 1 t salt, if desired

Buns, toasted with butter, if desired – I like hearty, crusty buns, like Ciabatta

Combine everything except the ground turkey and mix well. Add the ground turkey and lightly mix.  Form into patties, I get 4 good size patties from a pound of ground turkey. I use my new kitchen scale and each patty is about 4.5 ounces. Get a scale! They are so cool! 

I cook them in a non-stick skillet with a tiny bit of vegetable oil, probably about a teaspoon swirled around the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, the heat should be hot enough for them to sizzle, but not so hot that they burn. When they are nice and brown and done cooking, remove them from the pan to another dish and let them rest for 5 minutes.  Resting allows the juices to settle inside the burger and it makes them moist and yummy. If you have a thermometer, they should be at least 165 degrees. I stack them together in the pan to test them, you can’t really check one burger, it’s too thin.

To toast sesame seeds, just put them in a pan, I usually use a saucepan. Put them in dry and turn on the heat.  Watch them carefully and stir them and after about 2 minutes they will turn light brown and that means they are toasted. When you do this the first few times, be sure to watch them carefully because burnt toasted sesame seeds stink. Worse than burnt toast. 

Serve with:

Chili Lime Mayo 

½ cup mayo, I use light

1 T Sambal Ground Fresh Chili paste or any hot chili sauce 

Zest of one lime 

Juice of one lime 

¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Serve with burgers.

This is really important! 
I found the coolest way to peel ginger. COOLEST WAY! Rub the fresh ginger with the edge of a spoon and the peel comes right off.  You won't believe it when you do it, it's so easy and it works! 

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Thai Turkey Burgers

                                                       

Hot Pizza Dip

I sold Pampered Chef for several years and this is a recipe I would make at my kitchen shows.  It's really easy and everyone loves it.  Plan on giving out this recipe, everyone wants it.

I'll add a picture next time I make it. 

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened. I always use generic

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 8 oz. can pizza sauce, I use Ragu or Kroger bottled sauce

2 T sliced green onion

1 t Italian seasoning

¾ cup (3 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

2 T chopped green pepper, if desired 

Combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning, mix well. Spread in bottom of a baking pan.  Combine cheeses and sprinkle half of cheese mixture over cream cheese. Spread pizza sauce over cheese. Top with remaining cheese, onions and peppers. Bake 15 – 18 mins. or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbling around edges.

My method: I always double or triple this recipe. Always. I usually use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese. I buy the jar of pizza sauce, I think it's 14 oz., and use the whole thing for one recipe. I layer all of the ingredients in a crock pot and cook it for about 2 hours until it is bubbly on the sides. It might get bubbly before 2 hours, so check it, you don't want it to burn, just get warm and the sides bubbly. I swirl it around just a little bit so it all blends together after it is done warming. I serve it with cubes, or tiny slices, of French bread. I usually make bread with my Valtrompia bread tubes from Pampered Chef. I'll post that recipe one day soon. I don't add the green peppers, they don't like me.

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Hot Pizza Dip

Apple Nut Ring

This is another recipe from Pampered Chef that I made all the time at my kitchen shows and at home. It's easy and really inexpensive and again, everybody loves it. I always use generic biscuits and they are just fine. The recipe calls for a Pampered Chef Deep Dish Baker, but you could probably use a metal or glass pan. It doesn't even need to be round. The recipe states to bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 400°.  That's way too long for my oven, it takes about 19 minutes for them to bake at my house. Watch them carefully after about 15 minutes to make sure they don't overcook. I don't use raisins because I don't really like them. I use almonds for the nuts because I love them and it's my kitchen, so I use almonds. You could use walnuts or pecans or almonds or whatever nut you like.

2 tubes refrigerator biscuits 
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted - I use margarine 

3/4 cup sugar  

1 T cinnamon
2 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/3 cup chopped nuts

1/4 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 400°.  Separate biscuits into 20 pieces.  Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip biscuits into melted butter, then roll in sugar mixture.  Arrange biscuits in a single layer in baking dish. Place an apple slice between each biscuit and around outer edge of baking dish. Mix nuts and raisins with remaining sugar mixture and sprinkle over top. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

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Apple Nut Ring

I have these handy gadgets that make this recipe easier to prepare. You might have these cluttering up your kitchen and you never use them, now you know what to do with them.

Apple/Peeler/Corer/Slicer 

My grandma had one of these! That's how long they've been around. The stand doesn't come with the APCS, but the APCS will attach to a counter top, or a table tob. I love my stand, but I could live without it. You need to use firm apples with the APCS, Granny Smith are perfect.

This is a Zyliss cheese grater and it works great for grinding nuts.  The recipe uses chopped nuts, and I use them sometimes, but I mostly use grated nuts. My grandma had one of these, too! Hers was metal and it had three different drums, I don't think it was Zyliss.  I loved that thing for grating cheese. It makes me feel close to my grandma when I use these gadgets. She loved gadgets. 

Exciting way to peel fresh ginger! (I have no life)

I found the coolest way to peel ginger. COOLEST WAY! Rub the ginger with the edge of a spoon and the peel comes right off. You won't believe it when you do it, it's awesome!

Is it wrong to break off a piece of the fresh ginger at the store? I hope not, because I do it. 

Try my Thai Turkey Burger recipe because it calls for fresh ginger and now you know how to peel it. It's awesome! 

Lasagna with White Sauce

This is a recipe from Taste of Home Magazine and I’ve had it for at least 15 years. It sounds difficult, but it’s not. You don’t even need to cook the noodles. Really. The recipe says it will serve 10 – 12 people. ?????? I can eat a fourth of it myself. Those must be some TINY people. You could probably use a packet of White Sauce mix from the grocery store, but it's so easy to make it homemade, try it. 

1 pound ground beef, could use ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

1 can (14 ½ ounces) tomatoes with liquid, cut up

2 T tomato paste

1 beef bouillon cube

1 ½ t Italian seasoning

1 t salt

½ t pepper

¼ t ground red or cayenne pepper

WHITE SAUCE:

2 T butter or margarine, (I use margarine)

3 T flour

1 t salt

¼ t pepper

2 cups milk

¾ cup water

1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

10 – 12 uncooked lasagna noodles

In a dutch oven, or big pot, cook beef and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain.  Use a spoon to break the meat into tiny pieces. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon and seasonings.  Cover and cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Add milk gradually; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and cook for 1 minute. Add ¾ cup water. (I add the water to give the sauce a little more moisture since the noodles aren’t cooked.) Remove from the heat and stir in half of the cheese; set aside.  Pour half of the meat sauce into an un-greased 9x13 baking dish.  Cover with half of the lasagna noodles.  Cover with remaining meat sauce.  Top with remaining noodles.  Pour white sauce over noodles.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover and bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until noodles are done.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before you cut into it. 

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Lasagna with White Sauce

Golden Knots

This recipe is from Taste of Home magazine around 1998. These rolls are seriously the best, easiest, softest roll ever. They always rise, always. One of my co-workers told me that his mother made the best rolls, that his wife makes the best rolls, but that mine are better than theirs. I don't need the yeast to make my head swell!

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

1 cup plus 2 T sugar, divided

1 ½ cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees), divided

1 cup milk

½ cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

2 t salt

8 ½ to 9 cups all purpose flour - can use 5 cups of this as whole wheat flour

Melted butter or margarine

In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter and 1 cup water to 110-115 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 2 T sugar in ½ cup water. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture. Add eggs, salt, 5 cups flour and remaining sugar; beat until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough, (I usually end up adding all of the flour). Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Divide into thirds; roll each portion into a 14-inch roll. Divide each roll into 14 pieces. Roll pieces into 9-inch ropes and tie into knots. Place the rolls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Yield: 3 ½ dozen

My method:

** I mix it in my bread mixer with the dough hook. My mixer has an auto knead button and I push that and let it do its thing, I don’t have to knead it manually.

** I never use butter, always “Real” margarine, that isn't the butter "spread".

*** I use 2 T of yeast from my big Mason jar and I proof it with 1 T sugar in a small bowl.

** I heat the margarine and milk in a saucepan until the sides start bubbling and then I remove the pan from the stove and add the 1 cup of water to kind of cool down the milk and margarine. I put the dry ingredients in the bowl, mix them for a second with the dough hook, then add the milk/water/butter mixture, even though it’s still quite hot, then I add the yeast mixture and the rest of the ingredients. 

** I discovered that if I use my kitchen scale, each roll can be 2 oz, and they are perfect.
** I don't brush the rolls with the melted butter because they don't need it, they are yummy without it. 

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Golden Knots