Thai Sticky Chicken Strips {SO YUMMY}

 Did you have a super fun Super Bowl party?

Ours was wild and crazy, as usual!

I made a few yummy things:

My favorite was these Thai Sticky Chicken Strips!!

Myyyyyy gooooodness.  

(Recipe below!!)

 

 And here's my Super Bowl outfit:

(Which was also my New Year's Eve outfit.)

(And will be my Groundhog Day outfit this evening.)

Here's the recipe!

Thai Sticky Chicken Strips

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips

All-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

salt/pepper

3/4 cup almonds

3/4 cup cashews

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Canola oil

Sauce:

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce*

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

juice of half a lime

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

Cut chicken into strips, season with salt & pepper.

Mix eggs & milk together, season with salt/pepper.  Put flour in separate bowl.  In blender or food processor, add almonds, cashews, and bread crumbs.  Pulse until coarsely ground; put in large bowl.

Heat about one-two inches of canola oil in a frying pan (preferably cast-iron), medium-high.

  Dredge chicken strips in flour, then egg mixture, then in almond mixture.

Place a few strips at a time in hot oil, fry until golden brown on each side.

For the sauce, mix everything together in a sauce pan, heating to a slight boil.

Keep warm, until chicken is done.

Then use the sauce for dipping, or better yet, pour over all the strips and let the

deliciousness soak in!

It's so yummy!!

*Here's the sweet chili sauce I used.  I tell you this because I couldn't find it at my regular grocery store, but Walmart had it.  

**Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats.

ENJOY!!!!

Baked Potato Soup

 If you must know, my frustrations regarding all things internet and computer, and the like,

are running deep.  Real deep.

All I can say is, the cyber and technology world is dead to  me.

That's all.

But, I press on.

 For my people, I press on, and promise not to be distracted by pesky things like,

new blog headers, new photo editing, and new ANYTHING.

What I DO have for you is this.

A lovely and delicious Baked Potato Soup recipe!

No, you won't find a printable format...because, that seems impossible in my little world.

But if you'd like to copy & paste it to an email or document, 

I'll betcha you can beat this apparent curse I have with such things!

 

My apologies for not having a detailed photo gallery of the making of this soup.

I have no time for such details!

 BAKED POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

18-20 potatoes

4-6 (or more!) strips of bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

32 oz. chicken stock

2 cups milk and/or cream

salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste

shredded cheddar cheese

chives

 

 

The first thing I did, early in the day, was bake about 20 potatoes.

Now, this recipe makes about 12 hearty servings of soup, so if you don't need that much,

you know the drill, cut it in half.

 375 degrees for about 1 hour, 15 minutes.

The advantage of baking the potatoes are many.

1. You can do it in advance.

2.  You can save a potato or two, or however many, for other uses.

(Potato salad, twice baked potatoes, fried potatoes, let your imagination run wild.)

3. They're so super easy to peel vs. raw potatoes!

And how we do love easy.

Once your potatoes are baked and cooled,

in a large heavy bottom pot, fry 4-6 (or 12) strips of bacon.  Crispy-crisp!

Remove bacon, and set aside...but keep the grease in the pot!

Add a couple tablespoons of butter.

Butter is love.

So is bacon grease.

Dice a small onion, two stalks of celery, three carrots, and two cloves of garlic.

Throw it all into your medium-hot pot.

Throw in some salt, pepper, and a dash or two of cayenne pepper. 

Let that mixture of deliciousness saute for about ten minutes.

Then add 1/4 cup flour, mix and cook for a few minutes.

Add 32 oz. of good chicken stalk.  

Stir and bring to a slight boil.

While that's happening,

get yourself busy roughly cutting up those (peeled) potatoes!

Then add them to the pot, BUT RESERVE THREE diced potatoes.

I'll tell you why soon.

Heat all of that thoroughly, then take a hand blender and blend it all smooth!

(Or CAREFULLY pour into a regular blender.)

Or I suppose you could just mash it all up with a potato masher.

Add the remaining diced potato.

See, this gives you both a smooth potato texture, AND some potato chunks.

It's the best of both worlds.

Lastly, add in approximately two cups of half & half.

Or all milk.  Or all cream.

Whatever suits your fancy.

Keep stirring and warm all the way through.

Give it a taste and adjust the salt/pepper accordingly.

Top with cheddar cheese, bacon crumbles, and chives.

Serve with a warm crusty banquette.

And live happily ever after. 

 

OH, and adding some croutons on top...OUTSTANDING.

Make a big batch this weekend and eat the leftovers for lunch next week!

Enjoy!

 

Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Challah Knots

Well, hello, Strangers!

I've been scratching my head a lot lately wondering what in the world I would

post here to break my apparent silence.

I've started no less than half a dozen posts in recent days, but none seemed quite right.

Life here is relatively boring (albeit never without drama and whatnot)!

But today I had a breakthrough and decided that there's nothing like a 

scrumptious recipe to get back on the blogging stage!

As you know, I bake a lot.  Like, A LOT.

Practically. Every. Single. Day.

And I really love to twist recipes into my own and make them something new and unique.

Today was one of those days!

I made Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Challah Knots.

Challah, pronounced  [khah-luh, hah].

Actually, I'm not sure why they have the K in there because you really don't hear that so much.

And I'll bet if a Jewish person were to chime in here, they'd phonetically 

tell us exactly how to say it.  Please do!

But it has sort of a scratchy CKH sound in the beginning.

Oh, no matter.

It just bugs me to pieces when people pronounce things wrong.

Like, gyro, for example.

Never mind.

ANYWAY.

Long story short, I've been doing a lot of experimentation with Challah knots lately.

And today I made these beauties!

 

 Challah Bread is made with a lot of egg yolks, 

which makes this dough an especially beautiful and golden dough.

Maybe you can't see it so much here, because my photography is dreadfully pitiful,

but trust me.  Of all the MANY doughs I make, this one makes me

especially happy.  Because after it rises, it is the most beautifully golden and smooth of all doughs!

These pictures don't go into great detail, but above shows after the dough has risen for 45+ minutes.

And below shows it being divided into 16 pieces.

It was my intent to mix all the extra goodies in after the first rise.

But, as always, I forgot.

So I did it individually.  Which was really just fine because I did half of them with cheddar & jalapenos.

Plus, doing them individually ensures that each roll gets just the right amount of deliciousness!

I pressed each piece out just a bit and added some jarred roasted red peppers and feta cheese.

(Listen up!  If you use jarred red peppers, they need to be diced and blotted thoroughly

with a paper towel, so that most of the moisture is out.)

Also add a generous amount of Feta cheese.

Then sort of roll it over and pinch the ends.

It's very forgiving and it doesn't have to be perfect!

 

Then I just rolled it into a rope.

(Please note, the following pictures are of Cheddar Jalapeno rolls, just in case it looks different to you!)

Then you twist it into a pretzel-knot-kind-of-thing.

Just do it how you want.  It's hard to explain how I do it.  Make it unique.  It doesn't matter!

 Preheat oven to 350.

 Place them on a baking sheet (eight per sheet) on parchment paper.

Let rise for about 30 minutes.

Brush with egg wash and lightly top with Italian seasoning.

 Bake for around 14-16 minutes.

And I'm telling you this.

If you eat them straight out of the oven, just as soon as your little fingers can handle them,

you'll for forever changed and satisfied!

Here's the recipe in-full:

(Sorry it's not printable.  I'm a very lazy and non-technical blogger.)

(Copy and paste!)

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

Mix together and let set for about ten minutes

Add in  1/4 cup Olive Oil

4 egg yolks

Mix together dry ingredients:

 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour (high quality flour! King Arthur, preferably!)

1 1/4 tsp. salt

Add dry ingredients to wet.

Mix with dough hook for 6 minutes.

Let rise for 45+ minutes.

Divide into 16 parts.

Press each part and add ingredients (Feta cheese, peppers, cheddar cheese, etc.)

((Whatever your little heart desires!!))

Pinch edges together.

Roll into a rope.

Twist into a fancy twisty thing!

Put 8 pieces at a time on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Cover with plastic wrap & a towel.

Let rise for 30 minutes.

All the while, let oven heat up to 350!

Brush rolls with one mixed egg.

Sprinkle with Italian seasoning (or whatever suits your taste! Salt, garlic, whatever!)

Bake for about 14-16 minutes, until golden brown.

(Watch carefully....ovens vary!)

Enjoy fresh out of the oven, or seal for later.

They freeze and reheat wonderfully!

You'll love them, I promise!!!!!

**For those of you who live locally, these are certainly on my menu of 

For Sale items!  Let me know if you are interested!

I also have:

Cheddar Jalapeno

Garlic Parmesan

Plain! 

And another thing I promise (to you, my loyal bloggy friends...I will be back, SOON!!!)

  

Egg-Spinach-Jack Breakfast Sandwich {Yummy!}

I may have mentioned to you once or twice...or 52 times, how much I love breakfast.  LOVE!  

And I'm constantly whipping up new concoctions to make it yummier and healthier.  This is my latest:

Egg-Spinach-Jack Breakfast Sandwich!

Here's my quick tutorial.


Heap a pile of fresh spinach on a cutting board.

And chop-chop!  (Thanks to Lucy for her great photography!  She captured nicely the beauty of my bony fingers, don't you think?)

Throw all that into a pan with some coconut oil (and I also added some bacon grease because that's awesome.)  Also add a little salt!

It cooks down really quickly.

Then add some whisked eggs (there are three here...one for me, one for Isaiah, and one for Lucy who chose to have hers over rice.)  See, it's so versatile!  Add a little more salt.

Toast some English muffins and top one side with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.

Add your egg mixture AND some hot sauce.  The hot sauce is a MUST!  It gives just the right amount of zing and zang you'll need for a successful day, I promise!

Delicious!

If your kids don't like seeing green stuff in their food, send them to Auntie Lori's house!  I'll cure them of that right quick.  Such nonsense isn't tolerated here!

Isaiah loooooves this sandwich so much!  He's very zingy and zangy, that's for sure.

Have a delightful day, my friends!  And be sure to start it with a yummy breakfast.  (Or come to my house and I'll make you something!)

Cinnamon-Sugar Muffins {and/or chocolate chip!}

I love to make muffins to stick away in the freezer for quick and easy breakfasts!  

One of my very favorite muffins is Cinnamon-Sugar.  Mmmmm!

(Is it just me, or do I do a lot of breakfast recipes?  I guess it's clear that it's my favorite meal of the day.)

I also make these every week to sell in our church coffee bar.  They're a hit!

And they're super easy.  You can also make whatever kind you want, just start with a plain recipe (below)...and the world of muffin possibilities is a wide-open highway!

 Mix up plain muffin batter.

Spray paper muffin papers with nonstick spray and add a heaping scoop of batter.

THEN,  add about one teaspoon of cinnamon-sugar to the tops of each muffin.

Then, take a fancy cinnamon-sugar mixing stick (aka, chop stick!) and swirl each muffin around, just a bit. This incorporates the cinnamon sugar, but also keeps most of it on top, which makes for a nice sugary crunchy top!

 Bake them...then enjoy their deliciousness!


And, AND....

about half-way through my plain batter, I add mini-chocolate chips and make the rest of the batch into Chocolate Chip muffins!  All in all, I end up with about 28 muffins with this recipe (half cinnamon-sugar, half chocolate chip).  Wowie!

But listen, you could also make blueberry.  Or whatever your little muffin heart desires!


Here's whatcha do:

Recipe Recap:

Plain Muffin Recipe:
(Makes approximately 28 muffins)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups milk

Optional toppings/additions:
Cinnamon-sugar
Mini chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups for entire batch, 3/4 cup for half)
Other flavored chips, berries, coconut, whatever!


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.  Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat together butter, coconut oil, and sugars until smooth.

Add eggs and vanilla, combining well, scraping sides as you go.

Add flour and milk, alternatively, starting and ending with flour mixture.

Fill greased cupcake pan (with paper cups) about 3/4 full.  Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Place muffins on cooling rack.   And ENJOY! 


Whip up a big batch this weekend for a special treat.  AND to freeze for later in the week!

Happy muffin baking, friends!


***My friend Vicky asked me a really great question about the flavor of coconut oil!  Go read it in the comment section AND my answer.  Coconut oil is fantastic to cook/bake with...just gotta buy what's right for what you're making.

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Happy Tuesday, friends!

I have been up since around 1:30 am, which is ridiculous and stupid.  It's now ten-till five and I'm thinking that at this point I'll just stay up a little longer to get breakfast started for my older crew, then crawl back into bed in hopes of getting a little shut-eye until my little crew wakes up.

Here's one of the yummies I'm serving up for all my people this morning:

What a tasty, healthy, and quick breakfast (or snack) this is!



Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries
1 cup unsweetened vanilla-flavored almond milk
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons maple syrup and/or raw honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

Blend together all the above ingredients in blender until strawberries are fully pureed.  Pour into a bowl.

Then stir in:

1/4 cup chia seeds

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, give it another stir, then top with toasted almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup.

ENJOY!




 

(Recipe adapted from Food Network.)

How to Make Perfect Scones

Good Saturday afternoon to you, my sweet friends!  I hope your weekend is off to a relaxing start.

I don't know about you, but I sure do think that scones are pretty much the most delicious and scrumptious companion to a cup of tea (or coffee, of course) that was ever invented, ever.  I don't have a huge sweet tooth, so scones are really so perfect for me!  Just a little sweetness, sort of like my demeanor these peri-menopausal days...just a little bit sweet.

Anyway, I make them all the time to sell.  Everyone just loves them!  I mostly sell them unbaked and frozen, making them super easy for recipients to pop in their own oven and enjoy them the way God intended.  Hot and fresh as can be!  

And here's my recipe!

Here's what you'll need: 

flour (all-purpose and wheat)

baking powder

salt

sugar

2 eggs

butter

1/2 & 1/2

vanilla extract

chocolate chips

 (Pictures show a double recipe, making four scone rounds.)

Mix together two eggs, 2/3 cup half & half, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.  Set aside.



In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup whole-grain flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon baking powder.  Add one stick of cold unsalted butter, cubed. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until butter is pea-size.

 Add egg mixture and 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the flour mixture.

Mix it in a stand mixer, just until blended.  You don't want to overmix!  I often have some flour left at the bottom of my mixing bowl, just incorporate it in in the next step.

Put the dough onto a floured flat surface w/ parchment paper underneath.  If there is flour left in your dough mixture, just gently knead it back into the dough, without overworking it.  Divide dough in half and press into two circles, about 6 inches each.

Then (and this is an important step!), put the circles (with parchment paper underneath) onto a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes.  This gives the gluten a chance to relax (seriously, gluten has been so overwhelmed lately. Ha!) and for the butter to get cold and wonderful again.

Preheat your oven to 425.

After your oven is heated to 425 and your scones have been in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, take them out and cut the circles into wedges, and separate.

Bake for 17-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Then, put some coffee on and enjoy the heck out of them!  They are so yummy.  Crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside.  Perfection!

Recipe Recap:


Scones!

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-grain flour (or use all-purpose)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup half & half
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips (or dried fruit!)

1.  Mix together two eggs, 2/3 cup half & half, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.  Set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup whole-grain flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon baking powder.  Add one stick of cold unsalted butter, cubed. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until butter is pea-size.

3.  Add egg mixture and 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the flour mixture.

4.  Mix it in a stand mixer, just until blended.  You don't want to overmix!  I often have some flour left at the bottom of my mixing bowl, just incorporate it in in the next step.

5.  Put the dough onto a floured flat surface w/ parchment paper underneath.  If there is flour left in your dough mixture, just gently knead it back into the dough, without overworking it.  Divide dough in half and press into two circles, about 6 inches each.

Then (and this is an important step!), put the circles in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes.  This gives the gluten a chance to relax (seriously, gluten has been so overwhelmed lately! Ha!) and for the butter to get cold and wonderful again.

Preheat your oven to 425.

6.  After your oven is heated to 425 and your scones have been in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, take them out and cut the circles into wedges.

Bake for 17-20 minutes, until golden brown.

ENJOY!





Also....
You'll want to double the recipe like I did, and stick the unbaked leftovers in your freezer.  You'll be soooo glad you did when you need a quick, homemade breakfast treat on a busy morning!




(Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.)