Chicken and Red Pepper Stir Fry

Have done several auditions, and several coming up, I close my show this weekend and my mom and Harmony are visiting this weekend!!! I am too busy for words. But as much as I bitch and stress about it. I like it. Let's be honest. I like my job, I like having a show, I like keeping busy. But I don't have time for most things. For example I haven't had time to properly write this down. I've had this recipe for a while now. It's simple, easy, and I honestly thought  I didn't like stir-fry but this was so good!

Ingredients

-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

-1 sweet red pepper

-1 orange

-2 tablespoons chicken stock or 2 tablespoons water

-1 tablespoon soy sauce

-1 teaspoon granulated sugar

-1 teaspoon cornstarch

-½ teaspoon sesame oil

-red pepper flakes or cayenne

-1 dash hot pepper sauce

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 teaspoons minced gingerroot

1 garlic clove , minced

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into thin 2 inch (5 cm) long strips; set aside; cut red pepper into strips; set aside; using vegetable peeler remove thin orange rind and cut into julienne strips; set aside.

2. Squeeze orange and reserve 1/4 cup (50 ml) juice in small bowl; stir in chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, pepper flakes and hot pepper sauce; set aside.

3. In wok or large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over high heat; stir fry chicken until no longer pink inside, 3 or 4 minutes; remove 
chicken and set aside

4. Heat remaining oil in the wok or pan; stir fry gingerroot and garlic for 10 seconds;

5. Add orange rind and red pepper, stir fry for 1 minute or until tender crisp; stir in soy sauce mixture; cook, stirring, until thickened.

6. Return chicken to wok and stir until heated through.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-and-red-pepper-stir-fry-114287#ixzz1neCvIHDn

Notes: 

- This was really good! I used Lettuce to wrap it up. It was like a Stir-fry Taco. 

- Next time I wanna try this with a few more things. Maybe broccoli or carrots. Maybe fish instead of chicken. 

Enjoy! 

Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower and Leeks

In this edition of "How to make weird things into familiar things" I'm going to be using Cauliflower and Leeks. I made a Cauliflower Soup awhile back ago that I couldn't really stand. What a waste. But I still really like cauliflower. So I decided to try out a Mac and Cheese recipe. I found this one that looked too good to be true! And I had everything except the leeks! 


PS- while I'm typing this there is the cutest dog I've ever seen that looks exactly like my dog when she was a puppy sitting outside. I wanna go pet it, but I know someone will steal my computer. Oh my god, I want a dog!! 


K, the recipe: 


Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower and Leeks
from dc-fortheloveof.blogspot.com


Ingredients: 

- 500g macaroni
- 1 cup of aged cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 leeks chopped
- 1 head of cauliflower chopped
- 4 cups of milk
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1/3 cup of flour
- 1/4 cup of chives chopped
- 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- salt and pepper


Directions: 

1. Toss the chopped cauliflower with salt, pepper and canola oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes until tender. Allow to cool and chop into finer bite sized pieces. 

2. Saute the chopped leeks in a heavy bottom pot until soft. Add the butter and flour and cook together for 10-15 minutes over low heat to cook out the raw flour flavor.

3. Warm the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add it slowly to the pot and combine with the leek, butter and flour. Cook the sauce over medium head until fully thickened. Add the shredded cheese and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat
4. Cook the macaroni in salted boiling water until soft. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Combine the sauce with the pasta, roasted cauliflower and reserved pasta water

5. Top with panko bread crumbs and cook under the broiler until the top is golden brown. Garnish with chives

Notes:

- I threw some tofu in for protein, and good measure. 

- Be careful with the leeks. I totally burned mine. Still good though! 

Beet Muffins

So the Quad has almost 10,000 views on our video, Guy Problems! Yesssss!!! Quad takeover the world is happening!!!! 


In the meantime, I had a bunch of leftover beets this week and no idea what to do with them. (Nice segue, no? JK). And I'm realizing that if you have a fruit or veg that you have no idea what to do with you should make something utterly familiar with it. Hence why there are so many muffin/quiche/pasta recipes on here. What's Swiss Chard? I don't know, but let's cover it and cream cheese and it eat it! (Swiss Chard Lasanga)


Any way, I knew Beet Muffins were the way to go. They are bright red, moist like all good baked goods should be, and healthy for you! Hurray! 


Whole Wheat Blueberry Beet Muffins
from allrecipes.com

• Ingredients: 
• -2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• -1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• -1 tablespoon baking powder
• -2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• -2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• -1 teaspoon salt
• - 1 cup canola oil
• -2 cups applesauce
• -1 cup white sugar
• -2 eggs
• -1/2 cup water
• -1 cup fresh blueberries
• -1 cup shredded peeled beets

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups.
2. Mix the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the canola oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, and water. Pour the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Gently fold in the blueberries and shredded beats. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes:

-Grating beets looks like you've killed someone. It's funny and I wanted to say so.

- I picked this recipe for the oats, cos I have some in the cupboard, and then I forgot about them! Boo! But next time I'll remember! These could have used the texture.

- Of course, next time I'll be using nibs. 

Enjoy! 

CSA Pizza

I'm sitting at work, during my lunch break, eating something utterly delicious. And yet all I can think about is the pizza I made last week when the weather was nice (ps- it's back to it's regular rainy, doom-and-gloom. Along with the rain has come my allergies and post-nasal drip.)

Last week was tech week and opening of A Chorus Line so I needed to make something simple and large that I could eat for about a week. And I had a bunch of food from my CSA (which I'm starting to adore. Nothing is better than a box of food on my doorstep). So even though I claim to not like pizza in general, I realized that a pizza was the best way to solve my problems. I'm calling it CSA pizza because all the toppings were  from my CSA.

CSA Pizza
by Melissa S

Ingredients:
- pizza dough (I bought a Pilsbury one. So sue me)
- tomato sauce (I used a homemade one I had in the fridge)
- avocado (I had a Bacon Avocado. Delish, and nuttier than a Hass.)
- red bell pepper
- garlic chicken (I did a slow cooked chicken, but use whatever you want)
- mozzerella cheese

Instructions:
1- Roll out the pizza dough and follow the instructions on the package (once again, so sue me.)
2- Layer the tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers, cheese, and whatever else you want to your heart's content! 
3- Cook in oven for about 25 minutes.
4- Enjoy!

Notes:
- I'm forgetting a veggie, I know I am. But use whatever you want. I was just intrigued by the idea of avocados on my pizza.
- Make your own dough. I personally don't own a rolling pin, so making dough was a bit out of the question. I don't even have a wine bottle to DIY a rolling pin.

Enjoy!

Parsnip Muffins

Holy Crap, the weather in Seattle is gorgeous!!! I almost can't deal with it! It hasn't rained in almost a week, and it's bizarre. Of course, for five of those days I was inside a building, either working or rehearsing. Very much like how today, on my day off, I'm sitting inside, writing this and cooking a pizza. I've also done laundry, made some cards promoting my show, and rehearsed for an upcoming audition. Hurray for productivity!! 


Now for the muffins. I've been wanting to make Parsnip Muffins since I saw them on Alton Brown in high school. I'm not using his recipe, because it's just too much. Food Network recipes are always more work than they should be. But I got parsnips in my CSA and I decided it was time! So here they are, Parsnip Muffins for your enjoyment! 


Funny story: I don't know what parsnips taste like. Even after I made these muffins. All I know is that these are delicious! 


Parsnip Muffins 
from cakestudent.com

Ingredients: 

         1/4 cup sliced almonds

         2 cups all-purpose flour

         1 tsp baking powder

         3/4 tsp baking soda

         1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

         1/2 tsp kosher salt

         3 whole eggs

         3/4 cup plain yogurt

         1/4 cup vegetable oil

         1 cup sugar

         2 heaping cups of grated parsnip (1 very large parsnip)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Toast the almonds (on a baking sheet or pie dish) in the oven while preheating (about 10 minutes).
2. Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt) in a mixing bowl and stir well.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, yogurt, oil) and sugar.
4. Stir the flour mixture and the parsnips into the large wet ingredient bowl until combined, but do not over stir. Once combined, scoop the mixture by 1/3 cup into a greased muffin tin. Sprinkle your almonds on top.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.
6. Cool on a cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container or freeze in individual ziploc baggies.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Notes: 

- I didn't use any sort of nuts. However, I did add dried cherries. Next time, I'm adding cocoa nibs! 

- I used one cup Whole Wheat Flour, and one cup All-purpose. I think this made the muffins a little dry. But they were healthier! 

- Next time, I'm going to add some powdered ginger for zing. These can be a little bland.

Enjoy!