Mains

Beef with Broccoli

My favorite thing to eat is Asian food and I have been craving it so greatly the past few days I went against my husbands will (he is not such a huge fan) and made Beef and Broccoli. This recipe was a hit, especially for you Thai/Asian food lovers. I added in some peanuts, because they're awesome, which souped it up that much more. The beef was delicious and I still had some frozen broccoli I stored from this past summers harvest, equaling fresh, organic, broccoli. That much better. Don't forget to add in the "optional" rice, which we definitely used. Enjoy my friends. This meal made my day!

Ingredients: 

Meat Marinade

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil)

1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips

Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. 

Remaining Ingredients:

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

4 tbsp brown sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp sherry

3 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil)

2 heads broccoli 

I added in the whole stalk, but you can use the crowns only.

Mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour, and sherry and set aside.

In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is almost cooked through, not completely done. Stir in the broccoli and add 1 tbsp of oil and remaining sauce mixture. Saute until broccoli is soft and meat has no more pink left. 

Adapted from: www.rainydaygal.com

Fried Chicken

I was so excited when I realized this recipe didn't call for any deep frying - although we all know that can taste mighty delicious - but was baked in the oven! It quickly became one of my favorite recipes and tastes just like KFC, but far better. Thank you Amy Lindstrom from Your Life Uncommon for sharing this hearty recipe! She nailed it right on - baked instead of fried and you don't have to deal with the seasoning on the skin, which we all pull off anyway! You can enjoy all the flavors this recipe has to offer without worry about it being unhealthy. Enjoy!

Place thawed chicken breast tenderloin strips in a bowl of milk. Let soak for 20-30 min.

Mix a gallon size ziploc or large bowl:

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Tablespoon Season All

3/4 tsp Pepper

1 cup Flour

2 tsp. Paprika

Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut 1/2 stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9 x 13 in pan. Melt butter in preheated oven.

Spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the pan, if needed, to make sure that there are no dry spots.

Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix. You can either shake the chicken in the bag, until coated, or dip each piece in the bowl until coated.

Place each piece of chicken in the pan.

Cook for 20 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

Chicken Curry

Dear stomach. Your craving has been satisfied! Oh, the warming smell of delicious Chicken Curry - fresh spices all mixed together. It's amazing what wonders are created and what food can turn into. Incredible. It was far too long a wait to finally have a taste of this perfect, 30 minute meal. Quick, easy, and simply satisfying. The smell always takes me back to my incredible adventures in South Africa and the wonderful meals we enjoyed.

Chicken Curry

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root

1/2 tsp white sugar

salt to taste

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar, and salt. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, tomate paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5 more minutes.

Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice.