Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry

As I've mentioned recently, we are on a restaurant hiatus right now. Eating out really adds up and we realized that the meals we were getting out were rarely worth the cost. SP is excited to get back in the kitchen so look for posts featuring his cooking soon.

Stir fry is something that has always intimidated me for some reason. I've tried it a handful of times and the flavors were never right. It's such a simple thing, but if the sauce isn't good then the whole dish flops. My friend Katie over at So Tasty, So Yummy had this Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry on her menu recently so I thought I'd give it a try since I trust her to make a good dish.


I really wish the photo was better but I lost daylight early because of the thunderstorms. This picture doesn't do the recipe justice. It was utterly delicious. SP and I both cleaned our plates and wished we didn't have to save the leftovers for lunch the next day. The Sriracha packs a spicy punch, but it isn't overwhelming at all. The good news is you can increase or decrease the amount in the sauce to suit your spice tolerance. One tablespoon was perfect for us.

I can't wait to make this a regular part of my menu rotation. SP said it was better than any Chinese take out we've ever gotten.

Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry
So Tasty, So Yummy

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Marinade for chicken:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 cup green beans, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Transfer chicken to a plastic food storage bag. Add marinade ingredients and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch, water, Sriracha, soy sauce and oyster sauce.

In a wok heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat, add vegetables. Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Remove to a plate.

Wipe wok out with wet paper towels. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. When hot, add ginger and garlic; after a few seconds, add chicken mixture. Stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Pour in the sauce. Stir until thickened. Return vegetables to the wok. Serve over rice.

Menu - Week of September 11, 2011

September is here and it seems to have brought cooler weather with it. I can't remember a time when we've had this much rain or such cool temps this early in the fall season. Heck, it isn't even officially fall yet! Regardless, I've put away most of my summer recipes in favor of fall. I'm looking forward to comfort food classics, although I'll have to be careful because those tend to come with fat and calories attached to them.

Sunday - Out to dinner with my dad and stepmom, making Caprese Pasta for lunches on Monday

Monday - Panko chicken, cheesy zucchini rice (I'm using the panko coating technique from the chicken recipe since it works so well).

Tuesday - Swedish meatballs with egg noodles

Wednesday - Chicken Parm Burgers, Caesar salad

Thursday - Bacon Lovers Mac & Cheese, side salads

Friday - Pizza (Not sure of the toppings yet. I might go super simple with plain old cheese and sauce).

Saturday - Roast Beef with Onion gravy, mashed potatoes, peas (my dad's favorite birthday dinner meal. I finally asked my stepmom for her onion gravy recipe. I hope it works out as I remember it).

Sunday - Chicken in Tarragon Mustard Cream Sauce, rice (My tarragon plant went rogue and I have so much tarragon I'll never use it all).

Recipe Swap - Honey Mustard Salmon with Potatoes and Asparagus

Want to see what other Fish/Seafood recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Fish/Seafood Recipe Swap Roundup

The theme for this week's swap was Fish/Seafood. I don't cook a lot of fish so I was excited to get this recipe for Honey Mustard Salmon with Asparagus from Jenna at Jenna's Cooking Journey. I thought roasted potatoes would go beautifully with the salmon and asparagus so I added them to the recipe.


This was a gorgeous plate of food. SP took one look and whistled his approval, telling me he's happy we're on a restaurant hiatus since he loves the food I cook at home. I have to admit, I was pretty impressed myself. Our supermarket sells beautiful salmon already cut into fillets and vacuum-sealed, so this was a breeze to prepare. I also liked that everything cooks in the oven, aside from a few minutes on the stove-top to brown the salmon.

The glaze was delicious, but I agree with SP that it could use more Dijon to pack that flavor punch. I will definitely be making this one again. Thanks, Jenna!


Honey Mustard Salmon with Potatoes and Asparagus
Modified from Jenna's Cooking Journey

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 salmon fillets
1 lb potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or rosemary, finely chopped
1 bunch asparagus
Lemon juice
Grated Pecorino cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until they have melted together. Stir in the mustard, honey, and soy sauce.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan flesh side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fully browned and flip. Brush with half of the glaze and place the pan in the oven until the salmon is firm and flaky (but before the white fat begins to form on the surface) about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes on one half of a large baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme or rosemary and roast 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, place asparagus on the other half of the baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and return to oven to cook about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes and asparagus are both tender. Sprinkle asparagus with lemon juice and Pecorino before serving.

Restaurant Review - Bluecoast Seafood Grill

We had one truly amazing meal while we were on vacation, at a seafood restaurant called Bluecoast Seafood Grill. Everything on the menu sounded amazing and we had a tough time deciding, but the good news is we plan to go back every year when we're down there for vacation.

We shared the Flash Fried Buttermilk Calamari with lemon and warm tomato sauce, which was tender with a crispy coating:


We each got a salad. SP had the Caesar salad with Romaine, Butter Croutons, White Anchovies & Parmesan, which caused me serious plate envy. It was tangy, cold and crispy, with the option of whole anchovies on top:


I had the Spinach salad with Apple, Cranberries, Blue Cheese, Pistachios & Orange-Vanilla Vinaigrette, which was too sweet for my tastes. Thankfully a bite or two of SP's Caesar in between bites of my salad helped tame the sweetness:


As soon as I saw the Seared Scallops with Paremsan Grits, Crawfish Beer Jus & Zucchini Corn Salad on the menu I knew that would be my entree choice. The scallops were beautifully cooked, the grits were creamy and the corn salad provided a burst of summer. I would have drunk the jus if it was socially acceptable:


SP had his eye on the Lobster Cavatapi with Peas, Crisp Prosciutto, Parmesan & Lobster Vanilla Cream. He was practically drooling over the dish, which was full of large chunks of sweet lobster. This was an outstanding dish:


We got desserts, but they were a real disappointment after the incredible meal. I'd recommend skipping it and heading into town to one of the many ice cream stands instead.

The entire meal was wonderful, up until the desserts arrived. The restaurant gets very crowded, especially because they don't take reservations. We had come early because of that (and because of Baby Girl) but by the time we were ready to leave the place was packed. Right after our desserts arrived our waitress appeared, slapped the check down on the table and made it very clear that we should pay and get out. That 30 seconds ruined the other wonderful service we'd had up until that point. And it had been some of the best service I'd ever experienced. Dirty dishes were immediately removed from the table by any member of the wait staff who happened to be nearby. Drinks were refilled quickly and even Baby Girl was taken care of with her cavatappi with butter and cheese and incredible grilled green beans that SP and I couldn't stop eating.

Despite that one service issue I'd still heartily recommend Bluecoast and can't wait to go back next summer.

Hot Caprese Dip

As soon as my friend Melissa made this dip for the recent Italian recipe swap I knew I had to find an excuse to make it before summer was over. Caprese is my favorite combination of flavors and I knew this dip would be incredibly good.


I'm not ashamed to admit that I ended up making this dip and eating it for lunch over Labor Day weekend. We had been out running errands and since we are on a restaurant hiatus right now we went home for lunch. I needed something quick to eat before putting Baby Girl down for a nap. The wholesale club sells fresh mozzarella so I had some in the fridge, along with ripe tomatoes and some pesto, which I subbed for the fresh basil.

This came together quickly and was delicious with the crusty Italian bread. My only complaint is the mozzarella gets so stringy I wouldn't serve this for company since it would be next to impossible to eat without making a huge mess. But it was just fine for me to scarf down all by myself.

Hot Caprese Dip
How Sweet It Is

10 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 tomatoes, seeded and juiced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn (or 2 tablespoons pesto)
Italian bread, sliced and toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in baking dish (make sure you get as much juice out of the tomatoes as you can!) and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with sliced Italian bread.

Note: If you use the pesto the result will be even more watery, so you might want to drain off the excess liquid before serving.

You can stick this under the broiler for a few minutes after it's done baking if you like.

Potato Salad

My mom invited us to a Labor Day cookout after we got back from vacation and asked me to bring potato salad. I didn't feel up to making my usual All-American Potato Salad, so I went online for inspiration and found this recipe for Potato Salad.


I left out the bacon, upped the vinegar for some extra tang and used the method I learned from the All-American Potato Salad to soak the warm potatoes in the vinegar so they absorb the flavor. It was absolutely delicious and easy to make. This one is definitely going in my rotation.

Potato Salad
Inspired by The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

2 1/2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed, skin-on, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 sprigs of thyme
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup pickle juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Place a vegetable steamer in a large pot. Fill with water just until it reaches the bottom of the steamer. Place the potatoes on top of the steamer and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily into them. Drain and put on a baking sheet in a single layer. Add the pickle juice and vinegar and toss to coat the potatoes. Put the baking sheet into the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.

In a medium size bowl mix the mayo, sour cream, mustards, hardboiled eggs, thyme, scallions, salt and pepper. You can even make this a day before to really let the flavors infuse.

Once the potatoes are cool, stir them into the mayo mixture and stir gently. Refrigerate until cold.

Menu - Week of September 4, 2011

I'm sorry for the lack of posts recently. We were on vacation last week and even though I cooked the week leading up to heading out of town, none of the meals were new recipes I could blog about. But I'm back and I have a great menu on tap for this week.

Sunday - We went to a cookout at my parent's house and I brought a modified version of this potato salad.

Monday - Honey-Mustard Salmon, roasted potatoes and roasted Parmesan asparagus (recipe swap)

Tuesday - Butter chicken, basmati rice and naan

Wednesday - Ravioli with Summer Vegetable Pesto Cream Sauce, garlic bread

Thursday - Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry, rice

Friday - Burgers, corn on the cob

Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam

I love a good burger so when I saw this recipe for Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam over at Cassie Craves I had to put it on the menu.


Unfortunately (sorry Cassie!) this one just didn't work for us. As much as I love caramelized onions and bacon, the flavors were too mellow when piled on top of the burger. I'm thinking it would be better to keep the bacon whole so it didn't get lost amongst the onions. I also felt like something was missing (and not just the cheese, which I forgot to put on the burgers we ate for dinner but remembered to add to the leftovers I ate the next day for lunch). I can't put my finger on what it was, though. It's a beautiful burger with great ingredients so I'll keep trying to make it perfect.

Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam
Slightly Modified from Cassie Craves

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 1/3 pounds ground beef chuck
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 slices American cheese
4 rolls, split and toasted
Dill pickle coins

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.

Add bacon to a large skillet and cook to desired crispness. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

While the onions are cooking, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties. Cook to desired doneness in a skillet or on the grill. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a cheese slice.

Place each patty on a roll bottom, then top with some of the onion and bacon jam, the ketchup-mayo sauce, pickles and a roll top.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Italian

The theme for this recipe swap was Italian. When you think of Italian food what comes to mind? Mountains of pasta? Rich, flavorful sauces? Mouthwatering meats? Crispy pizza? No matter what images you conjure up the chances are good that you'll find something that fits that vision in the recipes below. There are so many delicious pictures and recipes below I was practically drooling putting this roundup together. Enjoy!

Brianna took a trip back in time with her recipe for Thin-Crust Pizza:


Mary Ellen loves risotto so she was thrilled with her recipe for Chicken Cacciatore Risotto:


Moviegirl03 and her husband worked together on her recipe for Caprese Pizza:


Jaida made Chicken Caprese, which is one of my favorite recipes from Mary Ellen:


Caitlin enjoyed her slow-cooked Marinara Magnifica:


Katie had my recipe for Caprese Pasta, one of my favorite light summer pasta dishes:


Heather had never put tuna in a pasta salad but found she really enjoyed her recipe for Tuna Pasta Salad:


Krystal just got back from a trip to Italy and loved her recipe for Saffron Risotto with Pancetta, Tomato and Sausage:


I made a simple but delicious What I Had in the House Pasta:


Melissa made a quick summery Hot Caprese Dip:


Christine satisfied her husband's craving for something meaty with Mushroom Bolognese:


Jey loved her Chicken Parmesan Burgers:


Dawn was a little nervous about making Homemade Manicotti, but it turned out to be easier than she thought:


Tyler loves Italian food and her recipe for Baked Rigatoni with Spinach and Meatballs:


Italian food is one of Ellie's favorites and she enjoyed her recipe for Vegetable Lasagna with Red Sauce:


The Cookaholic Wife plans to make the Chicken and Orzo Frittata with a Mexican flair next time:


Melissa enjoyed her creamy, comforting Risotto:


Maryanna was excited to try something new - Braciole:


Melissa made a hearty Baked Ziti with Fire Roasted Tomatoes:


Lindsay had to adapt her recipe but still enjoyed the Pasta a la Vodka:

Recipe Swap - What I Had in the House Pasta

Want to see what other Italian recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Italian Recipe Swap Roundup

The theme for this recipe swap was Italian. I knew SP would be thrilled when I ended up with a recipe for What I Had in the House Pasta from Ellie. He's told me many times in the 10 years we've been together that he'd happily eat pasta and sauce for dinner once a week, minimum.


This was a great variation to the sauce SP usually makes, subbing shallots for the onions he uses. I subbed a large can of crushed tomatoes for the jarred marinara in the original recipe and served the ricotta on top for us to mix in as we ate, but left the recipe otherwise unchanged. It was a delicious, easy meal, especially since I made the sauce in the morning before work so all I had to do was cook the pasta when I got home.

What I Had in the House Pasta
Slightly Modified from The Wanna Be Cook

1 lb pasta
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup shallots, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan

Prepare pasta according to directions and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute under tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add crushed tomatoes. Mix well and simmer for 4 minutes.

Put pasta in bowls and top with sauce, a dollop of ricotta and grated Parmesan.

Sausage Biscuit Sandwiches

I used to make a hearty breakfast at least once on the weekend. Then Baby Girl was born and that went out the window. These days I'm lucky if I make breakfast once a month. But as soon as I saw these Sausage Biscuit Sandwiches over at Cassie Craves I knew I had to make them ASAP.


I have to admit, I was a little wary of the cream cheese and raspberry sauce on the sausage and egg sandwiches, but after the first bite I was hooked. I only wish I'd thought to cut the sausage patty in half so it was flatter and took up more of the biscuit surface area. I made breakfast potatoes to go alongside, but kept the portions small since we had a baby shower later that day. I could easily have eaten two sandwiches.

I knew SP wouldn't go for the jam and cream cheese so I made his with sausage, egg and cheese. Since the package of biscuits makes 8, I served us two sandwiches and froze the rest (all sausage, egg and cheese) with plans to defrost them for SP's breakfast during the week. I will absolutely be making these again and may even try to convince SP to try them with the jam and cream cheese.

Sausage Biscuit Sandwiches
Cassie Craves

1 package refrigerated buttery biscuits
1 package fresh breakfast sausage patties
Butter
8 eggs
Spreadable cream cheese
Raspberry jam or jelly

Bake biscuits as directed on package.

Meanwhile, fry sausage in a large skillet until cooked through. Remove to a paper towel to get rid of the excess grease. If your biscuits are large, slice the sausage patties in half lengthwise.

Wipe out the skillet you used to cook the sausage with a wad of paper towels. Add butter and cook eggs to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble sandwiches, spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese on top and bottom slice of each biscuit. Spread top slice of each biscuit with about a tablespoon of raspberry jam or jelly. Add egg and sausage patty to the bottom slice of each biscuit, then cover with the top slice of each biscuit.

Menu - Week of August 21, 2011

Sunday - Breakfast: Sausage Biscuit Sandwiches; Dinner: Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeno-Ranch Sauce

Monday - Date night

Tuesday - Caprese Pasta

Wednesday - Crispy chicken and Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries and Herbs

Thursday - Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam, chips

Friday - Takeout while we pack for VACATION!

Birds Eye Creamed Spinach - Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program

I've been a member of Foodbuzz for years but I only recently started applying for their Tastemaker program. I was finally selected to receive samples of Birds Eye frozen veggies and sides, including this one for creamed spinach:


As my mom will attest to, I am a creamed spinach lover from way back. I was one of those weird kids who loved spinach. And I still do, so I was excited to try this. I cooked it on the stovetop instead of in the microwave, but apparently you can cook this right in the bag. Score one for busy families.


Overall this was really good, but I thought it needed a little sprinkling of salt to make it great. I really enjoy Birds Eye veggies in general, although I have to admit the price compared to my store brand usually dissuades me from buying them unless they're on sale. Even so, I would definitely recommend this spinach and can't wait to try the other frozen sides I received. Thanks Foodbuzz and Birds Eye for the opportunity to try these products.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Summer Vegetables

Can you believe it's August already? Where did summer go? When trying to pick a theme for this week's recipe swap I decided I needed to highlight one of my favorite parts of summer - vegetables. There is nothing better than going to a farmers market in the summer and seeing the bounty of produce for sale.

Heather enjoyed a light recipe for Corn Chowder with Summer Vegetables:


Mary Ellen enjoyed her Summer Squash and White Bean Saute:


Ellie made her first bread recipe with Zucchini-Cranberry Bread:


The Cookaholic Wife was thrilled to get her recipe for Tomato Sauce since she had a bounty of tomatoes from her coworkers to use up:


Krystal isn't a big veggie lover but even she fell in love with her recipe for Sesame Green Beans:


Jaida made my recipe for Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes:


Melissa really enjoyed her Chilled Cucumber Soup:


Christine was able to use ingredients from her CSA share for her Baked Squash recipe:


I made Big Grandma's Stuffed Artichokes:


Melissa made Grilled Zucchini with Couscous, Spinach, and Cheese:


Jey made Grilled Garlic Vegetable Salad:


Moviegirl03 made a hearty Grilled Veggie Sandwich: