Delicious Stir Fry

Tonight we didn't want to spend a long time on the evening meal. The guys had to go back out to work and frankly it was hot in the kitchen. The weather and well, us too, demanded a stir fry.

Side note: I love working in the kitchen with my girls! We clean, chop, stir, check on and basically work in symphony (think crowded, klutzy symphony) together. It is such a blessing to be able to pass on knowledge and learn from them.

Ok, so take some chicken breast and cut into strips and cook in a skillet. Remove to a bowl and add about 1/2 cup of water to the skillet. Add veggies, any kind. Cabbage, onion, broccoli, red pepper, and so on. Don't over cook, you want to retain the color and texture. I don't care for mush... yet anyway, I still have my teeth!

Prepare noodles or rice.

You can buy or make a sauce. Everyone has their favorite. Tonight Hannah made ours from low sodium soy, toasted sesame oil, red pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar and sugar. Much lighter than the commercial sauces.

DELICIOUS!!!

Cost: 3.00 to 4.00 per person

Easy Bread (per Hannah)

This bread is crusty, chewy and amazing!!! Only 4 ingredients!

Crusty White Bread
From Artisian Bread in 5 Minutes a Day via The Ivory Hut


3 cups of lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


Grab a very large mixing bowl, or a large container that you can cover. In it, mix the water, yeast, and salt. You don’t have to heat up the water to a precise optimal temperature for the yeast. I’ve even used just regular tap water, and it’s worked well for me. Just let that sit together for a while (you don’t have to wait for the yeast to dissolve completely), then dump the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon. You don’t need to knead this, and you’re not looking to make it come together into a dough ball. You just want everything mixed well, with no streaks of flour left, and you’re done.


Leave it in your container, covered (but not airtight, or it’ll pop), for a few hours. When it has risen and then deflated a bit, your dough is done. It’s ready to be used or stored in the refrigerator.

To bake the bread, just grab a chunk of dough, about the size of a grapefruit. Dust your hands with flour to help prevent sticking, and gently pull the sides of the dough toward the bottom, rotating the dough, until you get a roundish shape with a smooth surface. It should only take you about a minute or less to do this. The dough won’t be entirely in the bottom, where it may look bunched up, but don’t worry about it.


Put it on a cutting board that’s been dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking, and let it rest for at least 40 minutes. No need to cover it. If the dough has been refrigerated, it helps to let it rest a little more, until it’s no longer chilled.


Twenty minutes before you are ready to bake, put a cast iron skillet (or a pizza stone) in the middle rack of your oven, and put a broiler pan (I used a cookie sheet) in the bottom rack. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Dust some flour on the top of your loaf, and slash the top, about 1/4-inch deep.

After twenty minutes of preheating, it’s time to bake. (You can put the bread in after 20 minutes, even if your oven hasn’t reached 450 degrees yet.) Slide the loaf onto the baking stone, and then quickly pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler pan. Then quickly shut the oven door to keep the steam inside.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until you get a nice brown crust. Remove and let cool completely, if you can wait that long.

Easy Dinner

Tonight I decided to just roast two chickens for dinner. I also fixed seasoned rice, green beans and clover-leaf rolls. Easy and delicious!

The key to good roasted chicken is to dry the skin before adding any spices. I added cracked pepper, salt and thyme. Then cook it at 400 to 425 for an hour or so. The chicken will be tender, juicy and have a crispy skin.

These rolls are a breeze to make. Go here for the recipe. Trust me, you will love these rolls!




Even better: 2.50 per person!!!

Another Good Inexpensive Recipe

Tortilla Soup
Adapted from simply recipes

6 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup (I used more like a whole cup))
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium jalapeño chile, seeded (leave a few seeds for spice), veins removed, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken ( just use a whole chicken!)
1 ripe medium avocado
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz) (or other mild, melting cheese)
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don't have a lot of moisture in them. Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.

Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.

To serve, peel and pit the avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4 or more

This is just delicious!! Add or subtract what you would like. I add corn and/or black beans. It is just good.

The Kitchen Battle and A Good Dish

I am a cook, Hannah is a baker. We sometimes clash in the kitchen. She has to have everything measured precisely, which I realize is important in baking. In cooking... not so much. I throw things in according to my preference. She gets all bent out of shape when we are cooking dinner and I am not following the recipe exactly. I say, GROW UP!! hehe

So, last night we were making White Chicken Enchiladas. Oh my, they are amazing. Add some homemade guacamole on top and you will sing the Hallelujah chorus!

This dish requires at least two skillets to fry the tortillas, you can mix the chicken mixture and put in a bowl, then make your cheese sauce. It is worth it though.

I kept Hannah busy frying the flour tortillas while I made the sauce and chicken mixture. Sneaky me!! That way she doesn't question my every culinary move, which is terribly presumptuous on her part if you ask me. Young whippersnapper!

Here is the recipe:

• 2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken (I cook a whole bird)
  
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth
  
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 8 to 10 flour Tortillas
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• 2 tsp. diced jalapenos or more (I like more!)
  
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2-½ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften. Place tortillas on a cloth to drain. (use cloth, not paper, resuse!)

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and put in bowl. (reuse this skillet to make cheese sauce below)

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute. Stir in some more jalapenos.(the more the merrier!) Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Add salt and pepper as needed. (stop right here and dip a chip in this stuff, it is amazing)

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture in tortillas one at a time. Add some shredded cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*Don't forget to make the guacamole, you will not be disappointed!!