Ginger Chicken

*Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ginger Chicken

Martha Stewart's original recipe

1 three-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick
matchsticks (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup sliced scallions

1. Soak ginger in cold water 10 minutes; drain.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat; brown chicken in two batches, 6
to 8 minutes. Set aside.

3. In same skillet over medium heat, cook ginger, onion, and garlic,
stirring until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add soy sauce, vinegar, and
sugar; cook over high heat until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken; stir
to warm. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.

Serve over Chinese noodles or steamed rice.

*Jayne's Notes: Warning to all you faint-of-heart at the sight of ginger. As you see from above, this has a lot of it. Soaking the ginger and then browning it with the onions does lower the intensity. I like authentic flavor packed Chinese food but if you want to give this recipe a try just decrease the amount. The recipe is worth trying so don't be scared off! My kiddos eat this happily with no complaints. Tonight I added about a quarter cup grated carrots. I liked the color the carrots added and it tasted good as well. Also, I'm always trying to sneak extra veggies into my kids' food and this worked just dandy! This dish is all meat so be sure to serve a veggie on the side. Tonight we served this on steamed rice with steamed cabbage on the side. Yum!

Apple Crumb Pie

Apple Crumb Pie

Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie (I used our cookie crust recipe)
6 c. chopped, peeled, tart apples
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. sour cream
4 t. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. flour
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
Topping:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cold butter

Make crust (don’t bake). In large bowl combine all ingredients, except topping and put in crust. For topping, combine flour and sugar in bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until filling is bubbly and apples are tender. Cool on wire rack.

*Jayne's Notes: This recipe is courtesy of Dan's sister Rebecca. I enjoyed this recipe especially because of the crumb topping. Apple pies to me are normally too doughy with a dough crust on top and bottom so I enjoyed this change.

Pecan Pie

(*Photo courtesty of PW)

I have never been a pecan pie girl; I prefer berry pies. I'm not sure if my dislike stems from not liking nuts as a child or because I don't think this pie looks particularly pretty. Either way, this has always been a pie I steer clear of...until this past Thanksgiving. We made this pecan pie recipe and I really enjoyed it!! Yum, yum, yum!!

PW’s Pecan Pie
1 unbaked pie crust
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup melted butter (regular, salted)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping cup chopped pecans
Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl. Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour syrup mixture over the top. Bake pie at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, being careful not to burn pecans and crust.
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

Peanut Butter Ritz Treats

We're always looking for little treats to bribe our kiddos to eat their dinner. My girls are actually really good eaters but sometimes when you want them to eat their bell peppers you have to give a little encouragement. The other night we tried this fun treat. It was easy to make and tasty.

Instructions: (quoting Pioneer Woman...and this is her photo too!)
Spread peanut butter on the crackers, top each cracker with a marshmallow, and pop them in the oven under the broiler. How brown/black you want your marshmallows will determine how close to the cooking element you put the cookie sheet and how long you bake them.

Once they are cooked to your desired yummyness, just pop these gooey treats into your mouth and enjoy!
(P.S. I'm a sucker for melted PB so I enjoyed these as well!)


Ritz+pb+'shmellows = yummy for my tummy

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole

Here is another family favorite we've discovered thanks to pickypalate. I'm not a huge casserole person but I think the addition of bell peppers to this recipe makes it look prettier and adds more flavor compared to the average rice casserole dish. Check out the other recipes on her site...I do!! She has some terrific recipes that are easy and ingredient friendly. (Her photos are also top notch!) Thanks Jenny at Picky Palate!!

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
½ lb diced ham
2 Cups cooked shredded chicken breast
4 Tablespoons butter
¼ Cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
14 oz can chicken broth
3 Cups cooked rice of choice (I used white long grain)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Cup shredded mozzarella or swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat oil into a large 5 qt rimmed skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ham and chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Melt butter then stir in flour, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined. Stir in cooked rice then transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cover the dish with foil the last 10 minutes for oozing cheese.

6-8 servings

Pumpkin Pie Milk Shakes

Here is a fun recipe for all of your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie leftovers!

Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes
an original recipe by rachelle, pictures are courtesy of yourhomebasedmom who also loved this yummy treat

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 large slice pumpkin pie, chopped and frozen (freezing is optional for bigger chunks. also yum just mixed room temp.)

whipped cream and nutmeg, for serving

combine ice cream, milk and sugar in blender. mix. add in pumpkin pie, pulse to blend. put blender in the freezer for a half hour. when ready to serve, stir and scoop with a big spoon into mugs. serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.