Honey Chicken Over Snow Pea Rice

Here's another great recipe that comes from a friend.

1 T butter

1 1/2 c long grain rice

salt and pepper

5 c chicken stock

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 large handfulls of snowpeas

2 T olive oil

2 lbs chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 inch piece of fresh ginger - peeled and grated

3 T honey

1 T cornstarch

Melt butter in saucepan. Add rice and salt and pepper. Lightly brown rice for a few minutes. Add 3 1/2 c chicken stock and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. When rice has only about 3 minutes more to cook, lift lid and add snowpeas. Don't stir them in, just throw them on top of the rice. When rice is done, fluff rice, mixing in the snowpeas.

While rice is cooking, heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Brown chicken for several minutes. Add salt and pepper, pepper flakes, onion, garlic, ginger, and honey. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1 1/2 c chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a little bit of water. Add to chicken mixture. Mix thoroughly and cook for 2 more minutes until sauce thickens. Add lemon juice.

Serve the chicken over the rice.

*Tip for using fresh ginger* Store fresh ginger in the freezer (inside a freezer safe bag). It keeps longer and is easier to grate. When grating frozen ginger there is also no need to peel it before you grate it.

Taco Casserole

I just found this recipe that I had got from a friend years ago. I was hesitant to try it, because it didn't sound very good. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised at the outcome. I will be making it again soon. It was so easy. I put it together in the morning and let it sit in the fridge until I was ready to put it in the oven. 

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pkg taco seasoning

8 oz taco sauce (1 cup)

1 c sour cream

1 c cottage cheese

1 c crushed tortilla chips

1 c cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400. Grease bottom of 2 qt casserole dish. 

In a skillet brown ground meat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender. Add seasoning mix and taco sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese.

Place half of the crushed chips in bottom of casserole dish. Add meat mixture, followed by cheese mixture. Top with cheese and remaining chips. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Brownies w/Carrots and Spinach

Ok - so I'm sure the title has turned you off, but you really should try them. I just got this recipe from a friend, and they actually are yummy. They might not be the most incredible brownie I've ever tasted, but I definitely enjoyed eating it. Here it goes.

3 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/2 c carrot puree
1/2 c spinach puree
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c cocoa
2 T butter
2 t vanilla
2 egg whites
3/4 c flour (or oat flour)
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Melt chocolate, being careful not to burn it (use a double boiler, or very low heat). In large bowl combine melted chocolate, carrot and spinach purees, sugar, cocoa, butter, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add egg whites. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until blended. Bake at 350 in a greased 8"x8" pan. Cool completely before cutting and serving. DO NOT SERVE UNTIL COOLED COMPLETELY. The brownies loose the taste of spinach as they cool.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups oil
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup raisins

In large bowl, beat oil, flour, sugars, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and salt. Stir in the carrots, pecans, and raisins, and mix well. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9" cake pans. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on cooling rack. Frost with Cream Cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1/4 c butter
splash of milk
about 4 c powdered sugar (I don't measure it)
1 t vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add milk and gradually add powdered sugar until desired consistency. Add vanilla. Put layer of frosting in between both layers of cake. Frost top and sides of cake. For extra decoration, cover sides of cake with chopped pecans.

Baklava

This is a Mediterranean pastry that is SOOOOO delicious. It takes a lot of work to make, but is worth it! Plan on about an hour to put together after all the prep work is done (syrup made, nuts ground and seasoned).

SYRUP
2 cups honey
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks(or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
lemon peel(without pith - 4 inch-long piece)
orange peel(without pith - 4 inch-long piece)

PASTRY
4 cups coarsley ground walnuts (the fresher the nuts you use, the
better it will taste)
2 cups coarsley ground almonds
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 lb phyllo dough
1 lb unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS (make first so that it can cool to room temperature)
In a small saucepan, combine honey, sugar and water. Bring to a slow
boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Add lemon
juice, cinnamon sticks and peels and cook over a medium heat for 10
minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove peels and cinnamon sticks
and allow to come to room temperature before using.

In a medium bowl combine walnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg,
ground cloves and 3 tablespoons melted butter and mix thoroughly.

Place filo between sheets of waxed paper and cover with a slightly
damp towel to prevent filo from drying out. Brush bottom and sides of
an 18"x12" (cookie sheet) pan generously with melted butter. Place 8
filo sheets into bottom of pan, brushing each sheet generously with
butter. Take an additional 4 sheets of filo and place in pan allowing
sheets to drape over each of the 4 sides of pan. Brush these with
melted butter. Spread 2 cups of nut mixture into pan, distrubuting
evenly over bottom. Fold over the overlapping filo sheets brushing
each with butter, to envelop the nut mixture. Repeat layering process
2 more times to form 3 nut layers. Top pastry with remaining filo
dough and generously brush top layer with melted butter. Tuck in the
buttered filo neatly around.

Score through top layers of pastry with a sharp knife making 6 strips
lengthwise then cut 10 strips diagonally to form diamond shaped
pieces. Stud each diamond-shaped piece (and any odd looking ones near
the ends of the pan) in the centre with a whole clove per piece. Pour
remaining melted butter over pastry and lightly sprinkle some water on
top too (wet your hand under the tap twice and shake this out over the
pastry). Bake pastry in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour, until nicely
golden-brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully spoon cool syrup
over pastry. Allow to stand at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut through
the scored pieces and serve.

Rice Pudding

This recipe is adapted from the Lion House Recipes book.

2 cups cooked rice (I use the short grain brown rice that Costco sells)
2 1/4 cups milk (I use vanilla soy milk) (If you want a richer flavor, substitute 1/4 c milk with 1/4 c evaporated milk)
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/2 c plus 2 T sugar or other sweetener
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1/2 c raisins

Combine cornstarch, salt, sugar in small bowl and mix well. Scald milk in a saucepan. Slowly add the sugar mixture, stirring continuously until it begins to boil. Add cooked rice, and continue to stir until it begins to boil again. Pour a little of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs while stirring rapidly. Then add it into the mixture in the saucepan and stir until it is thickened (only a couple minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in spices, vanilla, and raisins (I steam my raisins for a few minutes to plump them up a little). Serve hot or cold. We like it so much that I always make a double batch.

Black Bean Soup

My mom just gave me this recipe. It is so easy and delicious!

2 can black beans (drained)
1 can chicken broth (about 2 cups)
1 cup salsa
1/2 t cumin
1 t paprika

Simmer in pot about 15 minutes. Put half of the soup in the blender until smooth, then return to the remaining soup in pot. Stir and serve.

Top with: sour cream, cheese, avocado, limes, tortilla chips