Easy Asian Lettuce Wraps

On a cool, windy spring day (make that, week) like this,

I always want something light and springy 

(think beach-body ready)

but something equally comforting when the wind is howling like it is...

Something for when you are torn between
curling up on the couch or hitting the 'dread' mill.  

These Asian Lettuce Wraps are the answer!

And, you guessed it...

next time I make them,

I will make more because the leftovers were just as tasty.  

Not only are they delicious,

they were also sooo fast,

so you will have time for the couch and the gym 

because you won't be in the kitchen for hours!  

Started by browning up 2# of ground chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil,
topped with 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger,
salt and pepper, to taste.

While that was browning,
I chopped up 2-3 Green Onions and tossed them in.

Then added 1 cup of chopped cashews,
for a little browning and flavor actions.

For the sauce,
I didn't even feel the need to mix it up separately.

Just added 1/2 cup of Hoisin Sauce. 

Hoisin is a thick and pungent sauce typical of Chinese cooking.  
It has a strong fermented soy and vinegar aroma. 
So, it goes a long way in a dish! 

1/4 cup of soy sauce and
1 tbsp of Sriracha (my boys all added more!)

Stir it all up and this is what you get...

A pan full of great flavors and textures!

I loved the smell of the ginger,
but the Hoisin is what brought the kids in from the yard.

Each leaf of butter lettuce was filled with a couple spoonfuls of the meat.

Could have easily been paired with some rice for a carb or
shredded carrots for more texture and veg.

We were all hungry and fighting for more! 

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2# of ground chicken (pork, turkey, beef would all work great!)

1 tablespoon of olive oil, 

1 tbsp of minced garlic

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

salt and pepper - to taste

3 green onions - chopped

1 cup of chopped cashews

1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp Sriracha - more if desired

Additional Options:

Cooked Rice 

Shredded Carrots

Directions:

• Brown meat in pan with olive oil over medium heat, add garlic, ginger, salt & pepper. 
• Chop onions and cashews while meat is cooking. Add to pan. 
• Add sauces, stir well and serve in butter lettuce leaves. 

Lori's Chicken Enchiladas and Handwritten Recipes

Today I have the honor and privilege of sharing with you

a handwritten family recipe.

Nope, not from my family, 

although I am thankful to have a box full of recipe cards from my 

bridal shower, 

the personality behind each of those cards speaks volumes,

even as I read them in silence. 

This recipe is the boys' mom's recipe,

and I'm honored to have been given a copy of the handwritten version. 

I never knew Lori, 

but I know the emotions that I feel when I see the hand-writing of someone I love, 

especially who is no longer with us…

my grandma, for example. 

So, when I come across Lori's hand-writing, 

I am sure to point it out to the boys so that they can see and remember 

the unique beauty of their mom,

even if just through her eloquent hand-writing. 

Perhaps it is a good reminder to us, 

in this day of text messages, emails and emoticons,

to take the time to treasure 

what our individual God-given hand-writing says about each of us

and, at the very least, 

take a snapshot of it to conjure up all of those memories 

in something oh-so simple, 

that has been all but taken for granted in this day and age. 

In this spirit of tradition,

I made very few adaptations to this recipe,

other than to omit black olives,

I am NOT a fan.

Feel free to use them…

I'm surprised that Jerry didn't call me out on that, actually.  

Just start with 3 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized cubes and cooked up

in 2 tbsp of olive oil along with 1 tbsp of minced garlic and some season salt.

While the chicken was plugging along, 

2 cup of chicken broth and 1 tbsp of corn starch 

were whisked up over high heat, to get the base of the sauce started. 

**Remember that corn starch is cold-water soluble, 

so be sure to add it to the broth before it is heated.**

It starts out cloudy, or opaque as in the picture above.

And then becomes translucent, or clear-ish, 

as the starch begins to gelatinize.  

Next 1/2 cup of sour cream and 2 tbsp of mayo were added.

Finally, 1 - 4 oz can of green chilies and 1 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese

were incorporated to finish off the sauce. 

(This is where you can add some black olives, should you desire!)

The chicken was removed from the pan and 

1 cup of the cheese sauce is added to complete the filling. 

The enchiladas were made by filling

small flour tortillas with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. 

Roll them up and place them into the pan

before topping with the rest of the cheese sauce. 

Top them with another cup of shredded cheese, 

then pop into the oven at 375 F for 30 minutes. 

This made about 6 servings of 2 enchiladas each. 

Next time I will make more!

(You think I would have learned that by now!)

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 30 minutes

Serves : 6

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts - cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of minced garlic

Seasoning salt - to taste

2 cup of chicken broth

1 tbsp of corn starch 

1/2 cup of sour cream

2 tbsp of mayo 

1 - 4 oz can of green chilies

2 cups of shredded monterey jack cheese - divided

1 package of small flour tortillas

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Cook chicken over medium heat in olive oil along with minced garlic. Sprinkle with salt. 
• Whisk up corn starch into chicken broth and bring to a boil. 
• Add sour cream, mayo, chilies and 1 cup of cheese, stir until smooth. 
• Pour 1 cup of cheese mixture over cooked chicken bites. 
• Fill tortillas with about 1/2 cup of chicken, adjust accordingly. 
• Place into pan, top with sauce and shredded cheese. 
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Serve with beans and rice for authentic Mexican meal. 

Sesame Chicken and Broccoli

The first week of spring weather is here and

Mother Nature, 

if you are listening…

we're good with it, 

so these warmer sunny days can be here to stay. 

No more yanking us around with cold days, 

I'd like to pack up my boots and snow pants and leave them hidden until next winter.

K, thanks! 

With this beautiful weather, 

it can be hard to reel the kids in for dinner, 

but not if you serve up this

Sesame Chicken and Broccoli…

the aroma literally brought them in from the great outdoors

and I couldn't shake them, 

so I let them help me in the kitchen. 

That is another story in itself…

best part about kids helping in the kitchen is that 

soon they will be cooking for me!  

At least that is what I keep telling myself!

For a family size (but no leftovers - because it is THAT good) meal,

started with 3 eggs and 3 tbsp of corn starch

whisked together in a bowl large enough to 

add the chicken to for coating. 

I love this recipe! 

I love starting with eggs and corn starch…

I just know that a great texture will result from those two ingredients! 

Next, cut up 

2.5# of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

and add them to the egg batter.

If you haven't tried them yet, 

these boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the way to go! 

Not only to they have great flavor and texture, 

but they are also about half the price of chicken breasts.  

So, 2.5# of boneless skinless chicken is costing me just over $7

compared with nearly $15 for breast meat.  

When the pan with a couple tablespoons of your preferred vegetable oil 

was sufficiently pre-heated, 

pour the chicken, egg and starch mixture right into the pan. 

Here is where some patience will come into play. 

Don't over-stir!

You have to give the chicken and batter, if you will, enough time to brown up a bit,

in order to achieve that ideal, light, crispy texture. 

Here you can see the browning that is underway. 

While the chicken was cooking, 

my helpers were getting the other fixings prepared. 

Landon chopped up some broccoli,

which can be added to the pan towards the end to avoid mushy-broccoli syndrome. 

Ryker was measuring out the ingredients for the sesame sauce, 

which really makes the meal! 

He added 3 tbsp soy sauce,

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (my favorite!)

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 inch of freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp corn starch

It took both of them to grate the fresh ginger…

but, at least they weren't fighting! 

The broccoli was added and tossed a bit!

The sauce was whipped together…

It starts out pretty thin, 

but once added to the pan, 

the corn starch would do its thing

and next thing you know you have a nice, thick, sweet, nutty sauce over all of the delicious-ness.

(Sorry Jerry, I know you hate that word!)

Pour it in, 

stir it up 

and let is start to bubble just a little bit! 

Serve over rice and top with some scallions. 

I was REALLY disappointed that there weren't any leftovers! 

I'm already trying to come up with a time when I can make this again and 

manage to get some more for myself! 

RECIPE:

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

3 eggs

4 tbsp of corn starch - divided

2.5# of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Broccoli

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 inch of freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:

• Whisk together eggs and starch. 
• Cut chicken into bite-sizes chunks, add to egg, toss to coat. 
• Preheat oil over medium high heat, add chicken and egg mixture. 
• Stir occasionally, until no more pink remains. 
• Measure and combine soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, corn starch and sesame seeds. Mix well. 
• Add broccoli to pan and pour sauce over. 
• Allow to heat for about 5 minutes before serving over rice. 

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup in a Slow Cooker

Here we are at the heart of winter…

would love just a bit more snow to be able to get out and enjoy the outdoors,

but if I can't give you that or a warm beach vacation somewhere,

at least I can provide some meal ideas 

which is slow-cooker-easy and oh-soooo-good! 

The inspiration for this soup was found on 

Creme de la Crumb

and of course, I changed things up as I went.  

This was made in a slow cooker, 

(because I love to throw everything in one pot in the morning

and feel like I've slaved over it all day)

but could certainly be converted to stove top

by cooking the chicken, 

adding the veggies and simmering to your heart's content.

It certainly doesn't look very pretty getting started, 

but in this vessel you will find

2 chicken breasts

2 cups of chicken broth (I always tend toward thicker soups)

1 can of enchilada sauce

2 cans of black beans (no need to drain for a dish like this)

1 can of green chilies

1 can of diced tomatoes. 

When I got home from work, after 8 hours on low and 

added 16 oz of thawed frozen corn,

it looked something like this. 

Took the chicken breasts out for shredding.

That's a lot of shredded chicken from just 2 breasts. 

While shredding the chicken,

8 oz of low fat cream cheese was added

for the beloved creaminess it brings!

By the time the chicken was returned to the soup,

the cream cheese was melting away. 

And, within minutes, 

the soup was rip-roaring, ready to go! 

Served with some diced avocado and a dash of chili powder,

this soup was gone in no time! 

Wish I would have made a double batch!

**Famous last words!**

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 10 minutes at the beginning and 10 minutes at the end

Cook Time: 8-10 hours on low, 4-6 hours on high

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 cups of chicken broth 

1 can of enchilada sauce

2 cans of black beans

1 can of green chilies

1 can of diced tomatoes

16 oz of thawed frozen corn

8 oz of low fat cream cheese

*Garnish

Diced avocado 

Chili powder

Directions:

• Place chicken, broth, sauce, beans, chilies and tomatoes into pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. 
• Remove chicken breasts and shred. 
• Add corn and cream cheese, stir to melt and incorporate. 
• Return chicken to soup and combine well. 
• Serve with avocado. 

Chicken Broccoli and Quinoa Bake

Well, hello there. 

Today I'd like to share with you a fabulous

One-Dish-Wonder…

They are most certainly my favorite! 

I mean, really,

does it get any better than having

Protein  (Chicken), Veggie (Broccoli), Carbs (Quinoa)

and

(wait for it)

FLAVOR 

all is one dish!?!?!

This whole quinoa-thing is around to stay in my house. 

My kids prefer it over rice and

I would gladly serve it more…

but there is a price point on it, 

(which is a small price to pay for a carb with protein and fiber!)

so I limit it to about once a week. 

This was so easy…

dump it all into a dish

and bake! 

Gotta love the no-brainer dinners! 

This is what 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of chicken broth look like in a dish. 

Next, 2 cups of broccoli florets were added. 

(This made for some mushy broccoli, 

if you prefer your broccoli to have a little more texture, 

add it later!)

About 3# of chicken breasts

(which, did you know are less expensive than tenders!)

were cut into tenders and sprinkled with 

poultry seasoning and seasoning salt, 

to your liking. 

Ready to be popped into a 400 F oven. 

After 30-40 minutes, 

I have to admit that I was mesmerized by watching the quinoa cook…

this dish was ready to go! 

There is, of course, the optional cup of shredded mozzarella. 

And, if you wanted crunchier broccoli, 

that could be added at this time instead of at the beginning. 

It may alter the overall nutrition of this dish, 

but it helps to buy me a little more leeway with my next healthy endeavor, 

so I oblige. 

Pop it back in until the cheese melts

or put it under the broiler for some browning…

which I love! 

This dish it out and serve it up! 

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of chicken broth 

2 cups of broccoli florets

3# of chicken breasts - cut into strips

Poultry Seasoning - to taste

Seasoning Salt - to taste 

1 cup of shredded mozzarella

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 F. 
• Start with 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of quinoa in the baking dish. 
• Broccoli can be added now, if well done is the preference, other wise it can be added later. 
• Layer chicken on top and season. 
• Bake for 30-40 minutes until quinoa is translucent with an apparent spiral or germ present. 
• Top with broccoli, now, for more texture along with shredded cheese, if desired. Bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Hummus Chicken Soup

Here we are, in the midst of winter…

trying our best to enjoy the season,

which can be tough without snow on the ground.

I'd give anything to get out skiing, sledding, skating or snow shoeing this weekend, 

but there just isn't enough white stuff on the ground around here. 

Thankfully, 

we were able to travel north last weekend to enjoy

the fabulous outdoors on about a foot and a half of ice…

drilling holes and hoping for fish to bite. 

On these winter days,

nothing hits the spot like a Grilled Cheese 

(click on the link for the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich)

and a hearty bowl of soup. 

Today I want to share with you a fabulous twist on 

traditional tomato soup….

Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Hummus Chicken Soup

which is good enough to eat on it's own…

or perfect for dipping a toasted cheese sandwich. 

Starting with some sautéed chicken…

although, 

slow cooker chicken is my favorite. 

like I did here! 

So tender, juicy and done when you need it. 

Next, 1 cup of quinoa is cooked in 2 cups of water (or broth).

And, if you haven't tried quinoa yet…

what are you waiting for?!?

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a huge hit in my house, 

even my kids prefer it over rice

and it is a superfood packed with both protein and fiber!  

One 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers is drained and added to the blender

along with 2 cups of chicken broth and

1/3 cup of hummus. 

Once blended, add it to a sauce pan over medium heat,

 as a future home for the rest of the ingredients. 

About 1 cup of cooked, chopped chicken

was added to the pan. 

And then the quinoa, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. 

The longer it sits, the more moisture the quinoa absorbs, 

so feel free to add more broth according to your preference. 

We like our soups thick around here! 

Serve it up with your favorite grilled cheese

and you might just start to appreciate winter a little more! 

RECIPE:

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked, chopped chicken

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of water (or broth)

12 oz jar of roasted red peppers

2 cups of chicken broth

1/3 cup of hummus

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

• Cook quinoa according to instructions. 
• Drain jar of roasted red peppers, add to blender along with broth and hummus. Puree. 
• Pour puree from blender into sauce pan. Add quinoa and chicken, salt and garlic. 
• Simmer until heated thoroughly. 
• Serve as meal or with your favorite Grilled Cheese.