Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken

Sauce:

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 large cloves garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

Stir-fry:

1 pound chicken tender cut into cubes

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

4 cups chopped vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, celery, mushroom, snap peas

olive oil

12 cup medium yellow onion, chopped

Blend all ingredients for the sauce in a blender.  Heat the sauce in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add the cornstach and massage the chicken with your hands..

Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet on medium high heat.

Cook the onion and chicken until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry them together for 2 minutes.

Slowly add a few tablespoons of sauce while stirring the vegetables and chicken.

Continue to add the sauce a few tablespoons at a time, allowing about 15 seconds between each addition to allow sauce to slightly cook down.

Spoon the stir-fry over a bowl of hot rice.  Serve

Three-Cheese Chicken Breasts in tomato sauce

Three Cheese Chicken Breasts in tomato sauce

1/4 olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 14 ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1/3 dry white wine
2 bay leaves

8 ounces penne, freshly cooked
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/3 cup Asiago or Romano cheese, grated
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter 9x13 inch baking dish.  Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Add chicken to skillet; saute until outside is white, about 1 minute per side; transfer to plate.  Add onion, garlic and oregano to skillet and saute until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes.  Add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes with their juices, wine and bay leaves and cook until sauce thickens, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, about 8 minutes, discard bay leaves.

Line prepared dish with penne.  Arrange chicken over penne.  Spoon sauce over chicken, covering chicken and pasta completely.  Mix cheeses in small bowl.  Sprinkle cheeses over sauce.  Bake until chicken is just cooked through and sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

kosher salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

Chicken:

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, trimmed, halved horizontally, and pounded 1/2 inch thick

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded, about 1/2 cup

2 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated about 1/4 cup

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup torn fresh basil

Sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering.  Add garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, oregano, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomatoes and sugar; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.  Off heat, stir in basil and remaining 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and keep warm.

Chicken:

Sprinkle each side of each cutlet with 1/8 teaspoon salt and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Combine mozzarella and fontina in bowl; set aside.

Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler.  Whisk egg and flour together in shallow dish or pie plate until smooth.  Combine Parmesan, panko, garlic powder, oregano and pepper in second shallow dish or pie plate. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge cutlet in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off.  Coat all sides in Parmesan mixture, pressing gently so crumbs adhere.  Transfer cutlet to large plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.  

Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Carefully place 2 cutlets in skillet and cook without moving them until bottoms are crispy and deep golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  Transfer cutlets to paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.

Place cutlets on rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over cutlets, covering as much surface area as possible.  Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2-4 minutes.  Transfer chicken to serving platter and top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons sauce.  Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Make a crust:. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 45 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured work surface.  Put dough in pie plate.  Refrigerate 15 minutes.
Remove pie pan from refrigerator.  Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights.  Bake on rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes.  Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake 5 -10 minutes additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp.  Remove pie plate and baking sheet from oven.

Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs, plus 2 large yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can(15oz) pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl.  Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat 5-7 minutes.  Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of put, until thick and shiny, 10-15 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated.  Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer.  Rewhisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant read thermometer registers 175 degrees), 20 -35 minutes longer.  Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2-3 hours.

Good for you Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookes

Good for You Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup raw honey

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup ground flax

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In an electric mixer, combine coconut oil, peanut butter, and honey.  Add in eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for a few minutes.  In a separate bowl combine oats, coconut, flax, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Mix.  Slowly add in dry mixture to peanut butter mixture, mixing slowly.  stir in chocolate chips and almonds.

Drop by the spoonful onto parchment, and then smash down with a spoon.(these don't spread while baking)

Bake for 8 minutes.  

Cool before eating.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with white beans and Kale

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with white beans and Kale

4 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups or 1 can cooked and drained white beans
6 cups Kale, trimmed and sliced into ribbons.
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork.  Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Start he bean and greens about 15-20 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done.

In a wide, deep saucepan with a cover, heat the oil over low-moderate heat.  Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, rosemary sprig, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about a minute.  Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the kale, cover the pan, and cook stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the kale is soft.  Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, slice each sweet potato lengthwise and push on the ends to open up the middle.  Spoon the bean and greens into the center.

Cranberry Conserve

Cranberry Conserve

1 pound fresh cranberries

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 whole orange, seeds removed, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 cup peeled and chopped apple

1 cup peeled and chopped pear

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium heavy saucepan combine cranberries and water and cook until berries burst, about 10 minutes.  Add all other ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 25 minutes.  transfer to a nonreactive bowl or jar and refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 weeks. Conserve may also be frozen in plastic food storage bags for up to 1 year.