Chicken Satay Stir-Fry with Orange Scented Jasmine Rice

So darn good! (Thanks Rachael Ray)

3 3/4 cups water
2 oranges, zested
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons canola or safflower oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds chicken breast tenders, 2 packages, sliced on an angle into bite-size pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium yellow skinned onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, quartered and sliced
1 cup shredded carrots, store bought, or 2 medium carrots cut into matchsticks
6 scallions, cut on an angle into 2 inch pieces
1 cup snow peas, a couple of handfuls
Satay sauce:
4 rounded tablespoonfuls chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons dark soy, Tamari
3 tablespoons honey
1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 orange, juiced
Garnish:
2 ounces (1/4 cup) chopped peanuts or nut topping, available on the baking aisle
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Heat water with orange zest to boiling. Add rice, return to boil, stir. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook rice until tender, 18 minutes. Fluff with fork.
For stir-fry, heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken, garlic and onion, stir-fry 3 minutes. Add remaining veggies and stir-fry 5 minutes more. Heat all ingredients for sauce together in a small pot over low heat, stirring the sauce until all ingredients are combined. Transfer stir-fry to a large platter and pour sauce evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle the platter with chopped nuts, cilantro, and basil. Serve jasmine rice in a separate dish with an ice cream scoop to serve the rice with -- it makes perfect, pretty, round portions of rice on the dinner plates.

Thai Shrimp Curry with Chopped Lettuce and Basil-Lime Couscous

I made this last night and if you like Bombay House, this was every bit as good as one of their dishes. Although Rachael Ray continually states that she had no formal cooking training, I'm beginning to think she is one of the better chefs on that network. I have loved everything I have made of hers. If you like Thai food, try this. It's excellent

Thai Shrimp Curry with Chopped Lettuce and Basil-Lime Couscous
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007
See this recipe on air Wednesday May. 21 at 6:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: 30 Minute Meals

Episode: Thai Thai Again


2 tablespoons vegetable or other light oil, eyeball it
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
6 ounces, about 1/3 pound, shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1-inch ginger root, peeled and grated or finely chopped
4 scallions, chopped into 1-inch pieces, whites and greens
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons mild or hot red curry paste
2 roasted red peppers, sliced
1 cup "light" or unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce, 1/2 small head
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add shrimp and toss 2 minutes then add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper and cook 3 to 4 minutes more tossing constantly. Stir in curry paste, roasted red pepper and coconut milk and reduce heat to low. Simmer a few minutes then stir in peas to heat through.

In a sauce pot bring chicken stock, butter and the lime zest to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Turn off heat, cover pot and let stand. Add basil and the lime juice to the pot and fluff with a fork.
Serve couscous topped with a layer of chopped lettuce then a few ladles of red curry shrim.p. Garnish with chopped peanuts

Emily's Baby Shower Salad

This is one of my favorite salads. The dressing is so good. This actually comes from my good friend Liz and it is one of their family favorites. Thanks for sharing. I can never find sweet hungarian paprika, so the regular is just fine and really hard to tell the difference.

Emily’s Baby Shower Salad

Dressing:
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup honey
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon celery seed
dash of salt and pepper
3/4 cup oil

mix in blender

Salad:
16 oz bag of bow tie pasta (cook to package instructions)
1 package of summer salad mixture from Costco or 2 bags of mixed greens from your regular grocery store
1 cup grapes (cut in half)
1 bunch green onions (finely chopped)
1/2 cup toasted pinenuts
1/2cup grated asiago cheese

Mix salad ingredients together and pour dressing over it just before you are ready to eat

Add chicken if you want to use it as the main dish.

Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup

Rachel Ray
30 minute meals

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 packages chicken tenders, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1 tablespoon coriander, a palm full
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 5 to 6 sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
1 bag white corn tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper Jack or sharp white Cheddar
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 lime, juiced
4 scallions, chopped
Handful fresh cilantro leaves or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, begin to brown 4 minutes, add coriander, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, onions, bell pepper and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and stock, heat through.

While the soup is working, lightly crush some tortilla chips and divide among 4 bowls. You need a couple of handfuls per bowl. Top the chips with a little cheese. Toss the avocado with lime juice. Top the chips with ladles of soup. Garnish soup with avocado, scallions and cilantro or parsley.

Filet Minon over Lobster Boursin Mashed Potatoes with a merlot reduction

Show: Dinner: Impossible
Episode: Rush Dinner: Frat House Impossible
Woah, long title I know, but oh my goodness. I made this for Valentines night, and Billy said it was some of the best food he has ever tasted. I told him of course it is, it has about 2 sticks of buttery goodness tucked away! I now have a second favorite mashed potato recipe. If you need a romantic dinner idea for two, make this and you will be very happy.

For the Merlot reduction:
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon (1 to 2 cloves) chopped fresh garlic
2 finely diced shallots, or 1 white onion finely diced
Any meat trimmings you may have from the beef (see beef ingredient below)
1/2 (750-ml) bottle Merlot wine
1/2 pint (1 cup) strong beef stock or demi-glace
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

For the lobster mashed potatoes:
4 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
1 pound lobster meat
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (to saute lobster) plus 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), for the potatoes
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
3 ounces soft herbed cheese (recommended: Boursin)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

For the filet mignon:
6 (4-ounce) beef tenderloins (filet mignon)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 cup grapeseed oil

For the Merlot reduction:
Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan, and saute the garlic and shallots over a gentle heat until translucent. (If you have any trimmings of meat, you would add them at this time). Deglaze the pan with the wine, and add the beef stock and the thyme and rosemary. Allow this mixture to reduce. It could take 20 to 30 minutes (sometimes longer) at a rolling boil, uncovered. You want the liquid to evaporate to about 1/3 of what you started with (in order to intensify the flavor). Once you have reduced the liquid to the required volume, remove from the heat, strain through a chinois (a conical strainer) or some cheesecloth - so you can remove all the vegetables and herbs, and allow to rest in a warm place.

For the potatoes:
Boil the potatoes with the bay leaves until the potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are cooking, saute lobster meat in oil and butter until it is no longer translucent, and set aside. Drain the potatoes well and discard the bay leaves, then mash the potatoes. Using a beater, add in 1 stick of butter and salt and white pepper. Fold the lobster meat into the potatoes and set aside in a warm place.

For the filet mignon:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Season beef with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottomed, oven-safe saute pan, add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat on medium high heat on the stovetop. When the saute pan is hot, cook each side of the filets for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, leaving undisturbed for the first 2 minutes or so. Turn the filets and continue the searing process on the other side of the filets for another 2 to 3 minutes. Place the pan of steaks into the preheated oven. Allow the filets to cook a further 6 to 8 minutes in the oven (depending on the thickness of the steaks and the heat of your oven).

While the steaks are in the oven finish the potatoes by crumbling the Boursin cheese into the lobster mashed potatoes which you have been keeping warm and gently stirring it in to allow cheese to melt.

Remove the pan of steaks from oven and allow them to rest. (Remember to use an oven mitt; the handle of the pan will be hot!)

If necessary, briefly re-heat the Merlot sauce, then remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the whole stick of butter.

Plate a portion of mashed potatoes in the center of serving plate. Top with the filet mignon, spoon the Merlot sauce over and around and garnish with chopped chives.

Chicken Chilaquiles

I have a subsciption to Cooking Light and this recipe is by far my very favorite. I have made this over and over and it just gets more yummy. It's been referred to as a mexican lasagna. Serve it with home made salsa and sour cream with lime juice and cilantro. Try it, you will love it.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken, green onions, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk and next 3 ingredients (through chiles) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Pour 1/3 cup tomatillo mixture into bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 corn tortillas in dish, and top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layer with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture, ending with tortillas.

Pour remaining 1 1/2 cups tomatillo mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

mashed potatoes are one of my very favorite foods and I have tried so many recipes. This one is so incredibly good every time I have made them. It is an Alton Brown recipe. Just a couple things. One you can't be afraid of garlic. Put the whole amount he says to, trust me. Two, I try to cook more healthy, so I use the fat free half and half, and it tastes just the same.

3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
16 fluid ounces (2 cups) half-and-half
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 ounces grated Parmesan

Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream mixture, salt, and Parmesan; stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.

Chicken Piccata

chicken piccata
Bon Appétit | March 1998
Servings: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Additional all purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup drained capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Place chicken between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Using meat pounder or rolling pin, lightly pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Mix 1 tablespoon butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons flour in small bowl until smooth. Place additional flour in shallow baking dish. Dip chicken into flour to coat; shake off excess.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 heavy large skillets. Add 2 chicken breasts to each skillet and cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil to keep warm.

Bring wine, lemon juice and broth to boil in 1 skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture and boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in capers, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over