Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken

from Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts

1/2 boneless chicken breast

1/2 med. white onion 1/3 cup

1 bunch spring onions 1/4 cup

1/4 fresh green pepper

1/4 fresh red pepper

1/3 cup unsalted roast cashew nuts

5 deep-fried dried red hot chilies (see below) for decoration

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp cane sugar

ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp soy bean oil or vegetable oil

1/4 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 tbsp corn starch or corn flour

2 tsp deep fried dried garlic for garnish

Preparation

1. Cut the chicken into thin strips

2. To fry the dried red hot chilies, drop them in hot oil, let fry about 10 seconds, remove and drain.

3. Cut the white onion, green pepper, and red pepper into thin strips.

4. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the garlic and chicken and stir fry 1 minute.

5. Add the white onion, green pepper, red pepper and stir fry about 1 minute..

6, Add the cashew nuts, fried chilies and chicken stock. Stir fry another 20 seconds.

7. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Stir briefly. Add the cornstarch and spring onion and stir fry a little more.

8. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves and deep fried garlic.

Teriyaki Chicken

Always a big hit at our house, especially for guests. (Elizabeth - look, no dairy!)

1 c soy sauce
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 t minced garlic
chicken pieces for 6 - 8 people (tenders would be delicious)
2 - 3 T cornstarch
1 c chicken broth

Combine first four ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil. Partially cook the chicken, turning it so all the pieces get covered with sauce. Remove chicken to a 9x13 baking dish (or smaller if you're cooking for fewer).

Stir cornstarch into chicken broth and pour into sauce. Cook until mixture is thickened slightly. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover dish with foil (or use a casserole dish with a lid) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

We serve this over rice with pineapple and broccoli.

***NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of sauce, so you may want to cut it in half if you're serving fewer than five or six. I'd try it as-is once to see of it's too much sauce for you. Enjoy!

Fruit Crisp

5 cups sliced, peeled apples, pears, peaches, or apricots, or frozen unsweetened peach slices
2-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 c oats
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger
1/4 c butter
top with vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. For filling, thaw fruit, if frozen. Do not drain. Place chopped, peeled fruit in a 2-quart square baking dish. Stir in the granulated sugar.

2. For topping, in a medium bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over filling.

3. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes (40 - 45 minutes for thawed fruit) or until fruit is tender and topping is golden. Serve with ice cream for an even tastier treat. * I also saw a recipe that has you add a little bit of caramel sauce to the filling, and drizzled on top of the ice cream...sounds yummy.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

{makes 2 loaves}

2 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
3/4 C mini chocolate chips

Topping:
2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside.

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

Gently stir in the grated zucchini.

Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (that will help keep them evenly distributed.) If you only have regular chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, just give it a chop so it's the size of mini chocolate chips. Stir remaining flour mixture into batter and mix just until combined.

Add chocolate chips and stir to combine. Divide the batter between the two pans and sprinkle topping over each. Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. I checked mine after 45 minutes, and it was done...so keep an eye on it until you know how it does in your oven.

Let it cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans.

(I found this recipe at ourbestbites.com)

Patti's No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup milk (she uses carnation canned milk)

combine in a large pot and boil for 2 minutes

Then remove from heat and add:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix and immediately spoon onto wax paper.

Oatmeal Bars

** I love these bars. They are so good tasting and good for you. I give them to my kids for breakfast and I don't feel guilty**

1/3 Cup of baking mix ( Bisquick or pancake mix )
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 Cup milled flax seed or wheat germ ( or use both )
2 Cups Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Apple Sauce
1/3 Cup Honey
1 egg
1 cup of any combination of choc. chips, raisins, or butterscotch chips ( whatever your kids like)


Mix all ingredients together. Push down in a greased 9 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 2o min.
Sometimes I freeze the bars in individual servings to through in the kids lunches.

Sausage and Summer Squash

1/3 to 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz cooked polish sausage (halved lengthwise, sliced diagonally)
3 small summer squash and/or zucchini, quartered lengthwise
4 wedges Italian flat bread, split
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat broiler. In small bowl combine dressing and garlic. In extra-large skillet cook sausage and squash in 2 tablespoons of the dressing mixture for 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is heated through and squash is almost tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, place bread on broiler pan; brush with 1 tablespoon of the dressing mixture. Broil 3-4 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly toasted.

3. Serve sausage and squash with toasted bread. Drizzle remaining dressing; sprinkle green onions and Parmesan cheese on top.

* would make good kabobs