What I’m Making v7
November 23, 2009
I had some leftover beer in my fridge from when my dad was last here and I wanted to use it up. I don’t drink beer, so instead I made Beer Cheese bread! This turned out SO well I can’t wait to have leftover beer again to make it.
Recipe from Allrecipes.com
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Basic Beer-Cheese Bread
This savory quick bread pairs well with soup or chili and is ideal for an open house or casual get-together.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
What I’m Making V6
August 27, 2009
Since I recently posted the orange chicken recipe I LOVE, I thought I would also share with you my super-easy chicken and broccoli recipe. I swear it won’t be all chicken all the time around here from now on. LOL
Chicken and Broccoli
Cut chicken into strips, put olive oil and a little water in a pan. Cook chicken on medium until done. Drain. Whisk together brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce & ginger. Add sauce and broccoli to chicken and stir until broccoli is tender.
Serve with rice.
What I’m Making v5
August 23, 2009
Kindra from Meal Planning 101 recently asked me to share my orange chicken recipe and, as this is one of my FAVORITE things to make, I was more than happy to oblige! (Definitely check out her link….she has one of the best food /meal plan blogs out there in my opinion! Real food for real people and budgets and minimal packaged/preservatives. Definitely my kind of cooking!)
Orange Chicken
Chicken;
2 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil
Sauce:
1 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
cornstarch to thicken if desired
*I like a LOT of extra sauce so this makes quite a bit. You may need to play with the proportions/add more chicken for your own taste.
*I use fresh orange and lemon juice. It really adds to the fresh flavor I think.
- Throw chicken pieces, cornstarch, salt and pepper into a large ziplock bag and shake, shake, shake until coated.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until done.
- Remove chicken from skillet and wipe out (or use saucepan if your skillet isn’t deep enough). Add ingredients for sauce except for the cornstarch and bring to a slight boil. Add cornstarch to thicken if you like a thicker sauce (I always do this…it makes it feel more decadent and restaurant-like to me). Add chicken pieces into sauce and heat through, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onion if desired.
What I’m Making v4
August 10, 2009
Tried some new recipes this weekend. I made my famous granola that is always a hit at work, but made it with almonds, coconut and M&Ms this time, which worked out fabulously.
Tonight I tried out a new cashew chicken recipe, which was another success. I’ve totally ruined take-out Chinese food for myself now. My orange chicken, fried rice and now cashew chicken are just SO much better.
I love new recipes, so if you have any favs, please share them!
What I’m Making v3
July 31, 2009
I’m not sure I know what days I’m making what yet, but here is what is on the menu for the Kai household (which is just me, but let me pretend I’m not a lonely spinster ok?!)
Breakfasts: Antique Mommy’s Cobbler and Monkey Bread or what I call Monkey Bread, but the recipe calls it holiday bread and cold brewed coffee that is my new obsession
Lunches and Dinners: Italian Pasta Salad with veggies, Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage and home made pizza hot pockets that are currently taking over my freezer.
What I’m Making #2
July 29, 2009
Tonight I made Mojito Rubbed Grilled Chicken. Seriously people, make this. It’s easy and VERY tasty. I got the recipe from last month or the month before’s Good Housekeeping Magazine
Mojito Rubbed Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
* 4 medium (1 1/2 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
* 2 limes
* 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
* 1/4 cup(s) loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
* Salt and pepper
Directions
1. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium, or preheat large ridged grill pan on medium.
2. Meanwhile, with meat mallet, pound chicken (placed between 2 sheets plastic wrap) to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
3. From 1 lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. Cut remaining lime into 4 wedges; set aside. In small bowl, combine oil, lime peel, and juice.
4. Stir mint into lime mixture and pat onto both sides of chicken. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to season both sides. Place chicken on hot grill rack and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned on both sides and no longer pink throughout, turning over once. Serve chicken with lime wedges.
What I’m Making
June 23, 2009
5 years ago I couldn’t cook a single thing. I was known for setting my kitchen on fire and burning and/or dropping my dinner on a weekly (if not nightly) basis. Gradually, I took an interest in cooking and eating organic and now, it’s almost an obsession. I make all my own bread, rolls and pizza dough from scratch. I make my own pasta sauce. I shop organically and meal plan. What a difference a 1/2 a decade makes!
Tonight’s attempt: Granola! I didn’t make mine into bars, and used craisins instead of raisins, but that’s the beauty of granola, you can use what you got!
Emeril’s Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8- or 9- inch square baking pan and line with parchment. Lightly grease the parchment and set aside.
Place the oats and almonds on a large baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F.
While the oats are toasting, combine honey and butter in a small saucepan and heat until butter is melted and honey is hot.
When oats come out of the oven, transfer to a large bowl and add hot honey, dates, raisins, brown sugar, salt, and almond extract and stir to thoroughly combine. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan.
Cut a piece of wax paper and place on top of the granola mixture. Using your hands, press the granola mixture very firmly into the pan. Remove wax paper and discard.
Bake the granola for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Remove from the pan by pulling up on the edges of the parchment. Using a sharp knife, cut into 10 (or desired number) even bars.
Wrap in plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Yield: 10 to 20 servings, depending on the size of the bars
