thai-ish honey peanut chicken

can something be "thai-ish"? because i believe this is. probably not the most authentic thai recipe, but it calls for ingredients that you most likely have around the kitchen... so who can complain about that? also, it's delicious and super easy: win-win! this recipe is adapted (barely) from thepioneerwoman.com. when i make this, i throw in whatever veggies i have lying around, and if you want to go vegetarian, i think this would be great with firm tofu. something else i love about this recipe: you can marinade the chicken anywhere between half an hour to 6 hours ahead of time. don't you love when a recipe is flexible? and thai-ish?

thai-ish honey peanut chicken
1 lb. chicken, in 1" chunks
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. honey
1 T. lime juice
1 minced garlic clove
2 T. peanut butter (smooth? chunky? natural? yes to all!)
1/2 t. curry powder
1 t. sriracha sauce (spicy chinese sauce - in most grocers in the asian section)
1/2 t. flour to thicken sauce (optional)
any chopped veggies you'd like

mix all ingredients except flour and veggies and marinade from 1/2 to 6 hours. cook chicken in sauce over medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until done. reduce heat and add veggies and flour (if desired). serve with rice.

hot fuuuuuudge

oh my land. heavens to betsy. for pete's sake. you will say all of these things when you try this hot fudge recipe shared with me by dear katherine (whose mom has passed on some amazing cooking skills to her daugther!). this is simple to make, but drizzle it over even plain vanilla ice cream and your guests will be impressed. also, unless you're serving 10 or 12 people, cut this recipe in half.

hot fudge
4 oz. (4 cubes) unsweetened bakers chocolate
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. cream

melt bakers chocolate and butter in a pot over medium heat, stirring often. once melted add cocoa, sugar & vanilla and stir. mix in cream and stir until smooth. serve warm. (will keep well in refrigerator)

shredded bbq chicken sandwiches

on today's episode of "cooking with beer" we will be making delicious pulled chicken sandwiches. these are an adaptation of a rachael ray recipe, but with a few changes. first and foremost, i refuse to call something that i cooked with a can of beer a name so diminutive as "sammies", as she calls sandwiches. i made some other changes, but feel free to mess with this one - you can omit tabasco if you're a heat-wimp, omit the liquid smoke if you don't want to buy it (hey, it's cool), or crank up any other ingredient to your taste. they're forgiving sandwiches (but not so forgiving as to allow insulting nicknames)... just don't wear a white shirt when you eat them.

shredded bbq chicken sandwiches
1 c. chicken broth
1 bottle or can of beer (go cheap!)
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 T. olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 med. onion, chopped
2 T. worcestershire sauce
1 T. tabasco
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. black pepper
3 T. brown sugar
4 T. tomato paste
1 t. paprika
sliced pickles & burger buns to serve

bring liquids to a simmer in a medium pot and add meat. gently poach chicken for about 10 minutes, turning at 5 minutes. reserve the beer liquid in a bowl, remove chicken, slice and shred using two forks. use the same medium pot to sauté the garlic & onion in the oil for about 5 minutes (or until onions are tender). add chicken, about 1/2 c. beer liquid, and the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer 5-10 minutes. use extra beer liquid as needed. top with pickles in a bun.

coconut noodles

here's a great dish kristin pointed out to me from "everyday food" magazine - my favorite food magazine, by the way. this is a delicious, soupy, fresh noodle dish with great thai flavors. i served this with chicken satay - yum!

coconut noodles adapted from everyday food
1 package (16 oz.) dry rice noodles
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (about one can)
1 c. cilantro
1/2 c. basil
4 garlic cloves
1 T. sugar
2 T. lime juice
2" ginger, peeled & cut into 1/8" rounds
1 jalapeño, halved, stems & seeds removed (more, if desired)
1 T. fish sauce (optional)

cook noodles, rinse with cool water - set aside. bring milk & broth to gentle simmer over medium-low. process cilantro, basil, ginger, garlic & jalapeño until coarsely chopped - about 5 seconds. add cilantro mix, fish sauce, sugar to broth; simmer 6 minutes. add lime juice, dish up noodle in bowls and ladle coconut milk sauce over noodles. enjoy!

chicken tagine with lemons and olives

tagine is a moroccan slow-cooked stew full of complex, interesting and unique flavors. lemon and olives and... cinnamon? yessirree, and it totally works. this tagine recipe comes from dear kristin again... isn't she somethin'? super delicious and healthy, this recipe is awesome served over couscous. nummers!

chicken tagine with lemons & olives
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (~1.5 lbs.)
2 boneless/skinless chicken thigh quarters (~1 lb.)
1 t. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 T. each chopped cilantro & parsley
3/4 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. pitted whole green olives (i substitute kalmata)
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1 1/2 t. grated lemon rind
1/4 c. lemon juice

sprinkle chicken with s&p. heat oil in large pot over high heat. add chicken, cook 3 minutes each side. remove chicken from pot. add onion & garlic to pot, cook 30 sec., stirring constantly. add chicken, broth, olives, cinnamon & ginger and bring to boil. cover, reduce heat & simmer for 45 minutes, turning chicken over every 15 minutes. add rind, juice, cilantro and parsley, cook for 30 seconds, stirring. serve with sauce spooned over chicken.

taco soup

this soup has a lot going for it. where do i start? first, it is so very easy. second, it's souper (ha... oh, i'm embarrassed) easy to make for large groups. third, it's my favorite meal to bring to others - it's very mobile. that's because you can cook the meat (flexible on which meat you use, another plus) ahead of time, bring it and your cans as passengers in your car, and mix everything together when you arrive at your lucky friend's home. let's hear it for taco soup! actually, let's just hear the recipe.

taco soup
1 lb. ground beef, turkey, or 2 chicken breasts
1/4 c. chopped onions
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes & liquid*
1 (15 oz.) can corn & liquid*
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans & liquid
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce*
1 packet taco seasoning*
water, to thin

in large pot, brown meat & onions; drain liquid. all ingredients: boil, reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes stirring occasionally. add water to thin to your preference. garnish with shredded cheddar, sour cream and corn chips.
*i use low-sodium options of these ingredients & i've never needed to add salt.
to freeze: pour cooled soup into gallon-sized ziptop bag and lay flat on cookie sheet or 9x13" pan in freezer. once frozen solid, remove pan & stack soups however you please!

heya paella!

paella is a one-pot spanish rice dish whose name sounds like it should be yelled at parties. and it will be, after using this recipe. "paella!"
unfortunately, a basic ingredient in paella is saffron, the world's most expensive spice. but have no fear! this recipe replaces it with tumeric, which gives it a saffrony-yellow hue and a smokey taste. the other good news is that you can make this using only one pot, and everyone likes washing fewer dishes, right? one tip on this one: cut up and prepare everything ahead of time since you'll be adding ingredients pretty quickly.

easy paella (adapted from everyday food)
2 T olive oil
3/4 lb. peeled de-veined shrimp
1 (12 oz.) pkg. chicken sausage, sliced to half inch rounds
1 small onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 c. long-grain rice
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. tumeric
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 cans low sodium chicken broth
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
s&p

heat 1T. olive oil in pan at med-hi heat. cook shrimp until just pink ~ 4-5 minutes. transfer to plate.

add remaining oil and sausage; cook over med-hi heat until beginning to brown ~ 2 minutes. add onion, stir frequently ~ 3-4 minutes. add garlic & rice, stir until rice is translucent ~ 1-2 minutes. stir in paprika, tumeric, tomatoes, and broth, stir and season with s&p. bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. cover and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed almost all liquid ~ 20-25 minutes. stir in peas, cook 1 minute, stir in shrimp and serve.