Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken (Bourbon Chicken)

Here is another crockpot meal I did during my 5-1 meal day. (This is where I make 5 meals at once and put them in gallon size zip lock bags and put in the freezer. When ready to cook I just take out and put right in the crock pot. Great for weekday meals!) I got this recipe from Table for Two blog.

My house smelt JUST like walking past the Chinese Restaurant that hands out samples on a toothpick in the mall's food court! That place always tempts me to eat there! And when I do, i always feel like crap after eating it. This tastes better and I know what's all in it!!

The only thing I will change about the recipe is next time I will use more chicken (It makes enough marinade). While I was cutting it up, the kids and I kept nibbling on it. So once we got it to the table for dinner there was barely enough for all of us, and definitely not enough for left overs! I served this over sticky rice and sauteed broccoli, green beans, carrots and water chestnuts. I will be making this again soon!

Here is the recipe off the blog. If you want to make this into a freezer meal, just put all the ingredients except the cornstarch and sesame seeds in a zip lock freezer bag and put in your freezer. On the day you want to make it, just take it right from freezer and place in your crockpot. (I cooked mine this way on the lowest setting for just under 5 hours.)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 5

Salt and pepper

1 cup of honey

1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Cornstarch

Sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the chicken thighs in the crockpot and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine well. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot.
3. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.
4. When done, remove chicken from pot and cut into chunks. Prior to putting the chicken back in the stockpot, combine some cornstarch in water and whisk it into the crockpot to thicken up the sauce a bit. Throw the chicken back in and stir around to recoat the chicken in the sauce.
5. Serve hot over a bed of white rice (optional) and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

Once Chicken is done, take out and cut into chunks

Thai Chicken and Pineapple Stirfry

I found this recipe off Skinny Taste.  Her recipe calls for Thai Kitchen Pineapple and Chili Dipping Sauce. My store didn't have this so I used Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce. (Mae Ploy also makes a really good Sweet Chili Sauce). I really liked this dish, it was really simple and flavorful and I really liked the way the cilantro tasted with it! It's a tad spicy, but my son ate it and seemed to enjoy it!

Here is the recipe I got right from the Skinny Taste Site (the only thing i changed was the sauce and I added the water chestnuts and shredded carrots. Next time I may try adding some chopped celery as well)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp Thai Kitchen fish sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp oil, divided
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 cups cubed assorted colors bell peppers (1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 red chili pepper, chopped (optional or to taste)- I didn't use this since kids were eating
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 jar sliced water chestnuts
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup Thai Kitchen Pineapple & Chili dipping sauce
• cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Directions:

Mix chicken and fish sauce in medium bowl. Add cornstarch; toss to evenly coat. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and
ginger; stir fry 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, shredded carrots, chili pepper if using, water chestnuts, and pineapple; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender-crisp. Add sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from skillet.

Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add chicken; stir fry 5 minutes or until cooked through. Return bell pepper mixture to skillet; stir fry until well blended. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve over rice.

Sesame Ginger Stir Fry

This was a last minute meal idea. I had some left over chicken from previous dinners this week that I had to cook up. I also had the water chestnuts, rice, carrots, onions, zucchini and squash on hand along with all the seasonings and the marinade. All I needed was broccoli! I just kind of made it up as I went along and my sister-in-law, daughter and I loved it! It was healthy, quick and easy and I REALLY loved this Lawry's marinade!!

You can change up this recipe according to what veggies you have on hand or what your family likes. You could even make it a vegetarian meal by omitting the chicken.

Ingredients:
* 4 T Lawry's Sesame Ginger Marinade (3T for marinading Chicken + 1T for stir frying veggies)
* 1 T Stir Fry Oil (you can also use olive oil, but i would saute some fresh minced garlic in it first)
* 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts- pounded thin
* 1 small zucchini- cut into half moons
* 1 small yellow squash- cut into half moons
* 3 green onions- cut into 2 inch pieces
* 1 cup broccoli florets (I steam these first and add last few minutes to stirfry)
* 1 small can of sliced water chesnuts
* small handful carrot chips (I took baby carrots and sliced them thin)
* 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
* 2 cups jasmine or calrose rice- made per instructions (I make mine in rice maker)
* soy sauce or tamari sauce to taste... I put mine on my rice before adding stirfry

1. Marinate Chicken for a whole day in 3T of Lawry's Sesame Ginger Marinade in a zip lock baggie in the fridge.

2. Heat up oil in sauce pan on medium-high heat. Add chicken with about 1T of the marinade (Discard rest of marinade) and cook till chicken is cooked through. Add water chestnuts and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Remove chicken to a platter and set aside.

3. Add all veggies + 1T of Sesame Ginger Marinade to pan and saute till fork tender. Season the veggies with the Chinese Five Spice and some salt and pepper.  (I like to put the broccoli in a bowl with 1T of water. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes until tender). Once other veggies are done, add broccoli to it. Stir together well.

3. Add chicken and water chestnuts back to the pan. Turn heat to low and cover for a few minutes.  Serve over rice with soy sauce to taste.

My ingredients  

Cooking up Chicken and water chestnuts. 

Add your veggies and 1T of the marinade and season veggies. Saute till fork tender but not mushy.

Add the chicken and water chestnuts back into the pan with the veggies

Serve over rice with a touch of soy sauce or tamari sauce. 

Miso Cod with Spicy Cucumbers

This recipe is again out of the "Cook This, Not That!" book by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding.  Here is the recipe straight from the book... "This dish is slightly more elegant (and considerably more nutritious) than the fishy fare you'll encounter at most chain restaurants, but it's just as easy to prepare. The salty-sweetness of the miso marinade pairs perfectly with the quick-pickled cucumbers for a dish that takes no more than 20 mins of actual cooking time, yet will elevate you to the status of the Iron Chef in the eyes of those you serve it to."

*1 cup white miso paste (found in certain stores in the refrigerated section)
*1/2 cup mirin (found in Asian isle- It's a sweet cooking rice wine)
*2 T Brown Sugar
*4 cod fillets (6 oz each) (you can also use sea bass, swordfish, or halibut)
*1 lg English cucumber, seeded and sliced into half moons
*1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
*1 T salt
*1 T sugar
*2 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Combine miso, mirin and brown sugar in bowl. Stir thoroughly to combine. Pour marinade over fish and marinate in fridge for up to 12 hours. (I did it for about 8)

2. Mix cucumber, vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper flakes in a bowl. Allow cucumbers to picke for at least 30 mins and up to 24 hours in fridge (I did 3 hours)

3. Preheat the broiler. Remove the cod from marinade and place on baking sheet. St baking sheet 6 inches below broiler and cook 8-10 mins, until fish is deeply caramelized and flakes with gentle pressure. Serve the cod with the cucumber.

**I also served this over sticky white rice and a side of steamed broccoli that I seasoned with lemon pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Tasty and healthy.  (One helping of the fish and cucumber is 260 calories, 1 g fat) I really liked it and so did my husband and daughter, although they wouldn't eat the cucumbers. The fish was salty, but also sweet and the combination between that and the spicy cucumbers was awesome!

The book compares this meal to P.F. Chang's Oolong Marinated Sea Bass. By making this dish, you save 322 calories and $17.73!

The Mirin and Miso I used for fish and the Rice vinegar for cucumbers...

Marinating fish

Marinating Cucumbers

This was served over rice with the side of steamed broccoli and some left over chayote squash from the night before.

I love the how caramelized the fish gets!

One of my favorite cookbooks. Full of great tips and recipes!

Asian influenced Butterfish, rice pilaf, and veggies

We love going to Roy's for date night. I am obsessed with their Butterfish. A while back I decided it can't be that hard to make at home so we've been making this dish on occasion. It's still pretty pricy (I think a pound of the fish is around $20 +)

This will serve 2 people:

*3/4-1lb of Butterfish (also known as Black Cod or Sable fish- I get it at Whole foods and it's sold there as
          Black Cod)
*1 1/2 cups yoshida's gourmet sauce
*additional 1/4 cup yoshida's gourmet sauce
*2 T soy sauce
*2 tsp fresh minced garlic
*1 tsp Chinese Five Spice (optional)
*1/2 cup sweet onion- chopped
*1 T EVOO
*1 bay leaf
*2 cups water
*1 cup sticky rice (i like calrose rice)
*1/4 cup chopped green onion
salt/pepper
*1 medium zucchini- julienne
*3 carrots- julienne  or 1/2 cup carrot chips
*1 or 2 bok chow

I marinate the fish for at least 4 hours in a zip lock with 1 1/2 cups yoshida's, the soy sauce, garlic and five spice.

RICE: I start my rice first. On a sauce pan I saute the onion in the EVOO with salt and pepper. Once sauteed, i add a bay leaf, the rice and water. Bring to a boil and simmer till rice is done. Fluff with fork and add hand full of the green onions just before serving. Sometimes i splash a LITTLE soy over top too.

FISH: I made a little pan out of tinfoil, folding up sides. I place fish on it with 1/4 of the marinade. I grill it skin up first. After about 5 minutes I flip it so skin is down. Grill till done. Fish will become very flaky. Skin should just come off (and most likely stick to tin foil)

VEGGIES: I use my mandoline to julienne my veggies. I make another pan from tin foil. I place the julienne carrot's and zucchini on it. (sometimes I add more chopped sweet and green onion to this too and garlic, salt and pepper.) I add the remaining 1/4 cup yoshida's. I place this on grill a few minutes before the fish since the carrots take a tad longer than the fish.  The bok chow I steam. I just place it in my steamer for about 5-10 mins and pour a little olive oil over top.

PRESENTATION: Put scoop of rice on each plate. Lay bok chow over that. Place fish so it leans against rice and bok chow. Place other veggies on side.  (Pictures below show this along with a bowl of lemon butter we use for an artichoke I made)

Great for date night in when you have small kids and they are in bed. I recommend with Cunundrum white wine or Asian beer:)

Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

I love Asian food, but most places use too much oil and fat in cooking. I wanted to make something at home that was healthy and good. I've made stir fry before using frozen stir fry veggies you can find at many grocery stores... I never really liked it. I googled a bunch of stir fry recipes on line and made up my own recipe using a bunch of other ones that looked good. This was a good first attempt and I really liked it.

• 4 (4 ounce) organic boneless skinless chicken breast halves- cut into strips or chunks
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch (+1 tsp for thicker sauce)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Szechuan Spicy Stir-Fry Sauce (for medium spice) (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tsp chinese five spice
• 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided (I used stir fry oil found near asian food)
• 1 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced celery (1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots- I used half bag of carrot chips found in salad section of grocery store
• 1 small sweet onion, large chop
• bunch of green onions, cut in 2 inch pieces
• 1 small orange or yellow pepper, large chop
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 can sliced water chesnuts
• 1 can bean sprouts
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 2 cups rice (i like Calrose rice made in rice cooker. Jasmine rice is also very good. Or any brown rice would be the healthier option)

Optional ingredients

*Can bamboo shoots

*can baby corn

*Hot sauce to add to your bowl- my fav is Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (rooster sauce)

1. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch and Chinese five spice and toss to coat. Combine 2 T of the soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder; add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir- fry all the veggies and the fresh garlic for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add water and bouillon. Return chicken to pan. In small bowl add the szechuan spice stir fry sauce, the remaining soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir and add to pan (you can also add another tsp of corn starch here if you prefer a thicker sauce. I did) Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
3. Serve over sticky rice and add extra hot sauce to taste. 

Chicken Mango Curry

Ok, this is one of MY favorite meals. My husband doesn't care for it... he'll eat it once, but won't take seconds or eat it as left overs. It makes a TON so i end up eating it for days... and I never get sick of it. I try to make it when I know friends will be over. Everyone really seems to like it except my picky husband and kids.

I got the recipe from a friend who had this dish at a Thai restaurant and loved it and ended up duplicating it. The key for this recipe is in the curry you buy. You need to get the Mae Ploy yellow curry paste! I had to drive 40 minutes to a local store to get it. I know you can get it on amazon or you can buy it on line at this site: http://grocerythai.com/ploy-yellow-curry-paste-ploy-p-492.html . I show pictures below... others just aren't the same. This seems like a fussy recipe, but it's really not at all. I use my dutch oven for this recipe. So does my friend. If you don't have one, i'm sure you could just do it over a large sauce pan... I've just never tried and cooking times may vary...

Thank you Marty and Lindsay for this amazing recipe!!

Ingredients:
*2-3T EVOO
*2 medium zucchini- cut in half moons
*1 yellow squash- cut in half moons
*1 onion- lg chop
*1/2 bag of carrot chips (optional... i add these but my friend doesn't)
*1 red bell pepper- chopped into 1 inch pieces
*2 bunches green onion- cut into 2 inch slices
*1-2 lg jalapeno's - finely chopped (two if you like spice like me. I also get a third to chop up and put on
          top raw for the extra heat and crunch)
*3-4 T (or to taste) Mae Ploy yellow curry paste
*1 can coconut milk
*1 can chicken broth (14 oz)
*1 large handful fresh basil- roll stacked leaves into cigar shape and slice thin (chiffonade)
*1 can bamboo shoots- drained
*1 can water chesnuts- drained
*3 T Thai fish sauce
*2 T Brown Sugar
*2 Cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
*3/4 rotisserie chicken- shredded into bite size chunks
*2 fresh mangos- peeled and sliced (or a large bag of frozed mango- defrosted)
*Sticky rice

1. In your large pot, put in the EVOO, zucchini, squash, onion, red bell pepper, green onion, carrots, jalapeno, and some salt and pepper. Saute until almost done- not mushy.  I show this above.
2. Add the curry and the coconut milk. Mix well. 

In the container is the bag of curry... this is what it looks like.

Putting the curry in

   3. Add chicken broth. Stir some more. Then add the basil, bamboo shoots, water chesnuts, thai fish sauce, brown sugar and tomotoes

This is after adding curry, coconut milk and broth

This is the fish sauce i use. Stays good in pantry for awhile.

Chiffonading the Basil

After adding all the above.

    4. When all is heated through, add the chicken and the mango.

    5. Serve in large Bowls over rice

** I like to add fresh jalapeno and lime to the top as I'm eating it. It's pretty healthy and it's restaurant quality! Enjoy!!

***To save time, I always cut all the veggies either the night before after kids are in bed, or during the day when I can find time. Put them in zip lock baggy or tupperware in fridge until ready to start cooking. I also always shred the chicken before hand and put in fridge. The only prep work i do while cooking is cutting the mango if I buy it fresh and cutting the basil.

This is the Dutch Oven I have... I LOVE it. Not only does it cook evenly and you can use it both on the stove top and in the oven, but the clean up is my favorite part. No need to soak these for days and scrub as hard as you can... this comes clean by just running water over it... no joke! I want his whole line! (The lasagna pan in on my wish list :) )


Here is another good one that is a little easier on the budget.