i'm baaaaack

so there's a baby in my belly hence my falling off the face of the earth for the last few months. pregnancy hasn't been very polite to me- eating and cooking just weren't on the agenda. well, i'm over the hump and expecting another baby girl in march. here's to getting back in the saddle again. my truck-driver appetite craves pretty much everything that's bad for you so strap on your seat belts (or elastic pants?).
i bring you kung pao shrimp! friends, this has a kick. red pepper flakes give it the heat so be sure to adjust the measurement based on your tolerance. i'm not a fishy eater, so i did the same rendition just substituting chicken. 

kung pao shrimp
1 lb peeled shrimp (i used 31-40 ct shrimp)
3 c brown rice
1/2 c cornstarch
3 tbl olive oil
6 tbl soy sauce
3 tbl sesame oil
3 tbl sugar
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 c dry roasted peanuts

1. cook rice according to the package.
2. whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, red pepper flakes and ginger. toss shrimp in cornstarch.
3. heat olive oil in saute pan until pan is hot. add shrimp cooking on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on  each side until cooked thru. 
4. pour sauce and peanuts over shrimp. simmer for 5 minutes allowing sauce to thicken. stir allowing sauce to coat both shrimp and peanuts. serve on brown rice.

lettuce wraps

pf changs anybody? pretty sure my pammy would be up for it! if you don't order the lettuce wraps there is something wrong with you. this is my version of the deliciousness. 

lettuce wraps

1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb ground chicken
1 can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 c brown sugar
iceberg lettuce

1. brown ground chicken in a saute pan. set aside.
2. add 2 tbs olive oil to pan. cook mushrooms, garlic and water chestnuts on low to medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. add the chicken and remainder ingredients. cook on low heat for 5 minutes allowing flavors to distribute.
4. serve on iceberg lettuce.

teriyaki pork tenderloin 2 ways

teriyaki pork tenderloin 

1, 2 lb pork tenderloin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs brown sugar
1/3 c soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbs olive oil

1. combine garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, pepper & olive oil in a large plastic bag.
2. place pork tenderloin in bag marinading for for 30 minutes.
3. grill tenderloin on medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until cooked thru.
4. let sit for 5 minutes allowing juices to distribute before slicing.

 

teriyaki pork tenderloin & pineapple quesadillas

grilled teriyaki pork tenderloin (above recipe)
1 c fresh pineapple, chopped
1 c monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 multi-grain 8- in tortillas

1. spray large pan with non-stick spray and turn to low-medium heat.
2. place tortilla in pan topping with pork, pineapple and cheese. top with another tortilla.
3. cook for 5 minutes on each side. repeat with remaining ingredients.
4. allow quesadillas to sit for 5 minutes before cutting into triangles allowing cheese to settle.

healthy chicken fried rice

everybody has a soft spot for fried rice. it's my favorite part of chinese & japanese restaurants. this is a healthier version. you won't feel the least bit guilty.

chicken fried rice

1 1/2 c cooked brown rice
2 chicken breasts, diced
1/2 c celery, diced
1/2 c carrots, diced
1/2 c frozen peas
5 green onions, diced
2 egg whites
4 tbl soy sauce

1. cook egg whites as you would scrambled eggs and set aside.
2. saute veggies (except for peas) in 2 tbs olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes). add peas in last few minutes of cooking. shift all to one side of the pan. add diced chicken to the other side cooking till cooked thru.
3. stir together. add cooked egg whites, rice and soy sauce.

sesame snow peas

absolutely love this recipe. so simple and so delicious. 

sesame snow peas

1 lb snow peas
2 tbl sesame seeds
2 tbl soy sauce
1 tbl sesame oil
1/8 t pepper

1. bring 1/2 cup of water and snow peas to boil. cook peas for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
2. drain water.
3. add remaining ingredients and serve!

"i really likes this"

guest blog with liz girsch
it is an honor to be stacy’s first guest blogger. it was a lot of pressure to deliver a recipe, and i think i spent a bit too much time obsessing about what would be the right fit. should it be kid-friendly, delicious for grown ups, easy to make, a soup, one of our house’s standard favorite, slow cooker fare? i could go on and on – ask stacy, i did.  and after all of my analysis, i’m sharing with you something brand new to me. i made this for the first time last night. my four-year-old announced “I really likes this” and a friend of my seven-year-old walked in our house and asked “what smells so good?” so that answers that… kid-friendly, check… easy to make, check.

i served with rice – sticky chicken and sticky rice are always a great combination plus a salad on the side. martha stewart served a napa cabbage slaw on the side. i didn’t want to push the envelope with my under 8 audience too much. next time around we’ll try that.

honey-teriyaki chicken is now in our family’s regular dinner rotation and i hope it will be in your’s too.

honey-teriyaki chicken

½ cup honey
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs peeled and finely grated fresh ginger (actually I say buy the stuff in the jar. it’s much easier than grating fresh ginger.)
coarse salt and ground pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)

1. preheat oven to 475°.
2. line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. in a large bowl, mix honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and 1 tbs salt and ½ tsp pepper.
3. add chicken and toss to coat. transfer chicken and sauce to baking sheet.
4. bake chicken, skin side up, until well browned and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.

adapted from martha stewart