Kung Pao Chicken

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How has this week flown by so quickly? It seems that now that cooler weather has arrived, and the days are getting shorter…there just aren’t enough hours in the day. On the day I made this dish, I was pooped (a preschooler and an infant have a tendency to do that to you). I was severely tempted to bag it, and call in take-out. But, I garnered the strength to make dinner. So glad I did!

Easy? Check. Quick? Check. And, delicious to boot! I love cooking Chinese take-out dishes at home. They come together pretty quickly, are (usually) relatively healthy, and pack a punch of flavor. This Kung Pao chicken definitely held up it’s end of the bargain. It’s not a dish I ordinarily order from the local Chinese joint, so I don’t have any base comparison, but everyone really enjoyed it. I changed a couple things around from Nikki’s recipe. I diddn’t have peanuts on hand, so I used cashews. Also, I added some Sriracha sauce instead of hot pepper flakes simply for the fact that I’m currently infatuated with the stuff. I think it added an extra depth of color to the stir-fry, which is always nice with simple dishes like this.  I had a couple of cans of water chestnuts lurking in the pantry, so I tossed some of those into the mix as well. A new favorite to add to the menu rotation for sure!

Kung Pao Chicken

1lb boneless-skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1 (8 oz) can water chesnuts, drained
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup dry roasted cashews

Combine chicken and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss to coat. Heat oil in wok (or large deep-dish skillet) over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from wok.

Add green onions, garlic, Sriracha, water chesnuts, and ginger to the wok and stir fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant.

Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and add the sauce to the wok.

Return chicken to the wok and coat with sauce. Stir in roasted cashews. Heat thoroughly. Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over white rice.

Source: adapted from Pennies On A Platter

Chipotle Bean Burritos

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We’re usually not vegetarian meal people. I hate to say that, because I’d like for us to be more often. I have a few dishes that are meatless that go on the menu, usually about twice a month or so, that I don’t hear griping about. When I told my husband I was putting bean burritos on the menu for last week, I was greeted with a bit of hostility. I’ve got a great chicken recipe for burritos that we love (need to share it!), not to mention all the other awesome filling possibilities for burritos (barbacoa, carnitas, etc.). He wasn’t a happy camper at the thought of beans being the primary filling for a burrito. They’re always an “add in”, and never the star!

Let me tell you, they were so good! I loved them more than my chicken  burritos that I’ve been making for years. The beans are so flavorful and spicy. You can of course add less chipotle, or more, depending on your tastes. Ours was moderately spicy, but Andrew had no problem chowing down. The sour cream certainly helps to quell the spiciness. You could also substitute greek yogurt to shave some calories. I think the extra tang would be great! It fed the three of us for dinner one evening, and then I had leftovers for lunch the next day. Going to make up another batch of the bean filling this week to have in the fridge for lunches for Andrew and I . Make these, you won’t be sorry!

Chipotle Bean Burritos

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 teaspoons minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons fresh salsa
6 12-inch flour tortillas, warmed in microwave for 10-15 seconds
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepperjack, monterey jack, or a mixture)
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
6 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
6 tablespoons sour cream

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic, chile powder, chipotle chile, cumin, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the beans and broth, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in salsa, and mash lightly with a slotted spoon or fork.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top each serving with about 2 1/2 Tablespoons shredded cheese, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon green onion, and 1 tablespoon sour cream.  Roll tightly and serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from Cooking Light

Rustic Roasted Tomato Salsa

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Isn’t it amazing that salsa is the #1 condiment in the United States? We love salsa in our house. Whether it’s a chunky pico de gallo, or a smoky salsa verde – we have yet to meet one we diddn’t like. This recipe is no exception. When I came across it on my friend Josie’s site, I knew it was going to be a winner. First of all, it’s Rick Bayless. The man moved to Mexico for 6 years to better learn the cuisine. He knows his salsa, folks.

I also loved the addition of fire-roasted tomatoes as the base. I like using good quality canned tomatoes for the restaurant style salsas that I’ve made in the past, so I knew the flavor could only be amplified by using the fire-roasted variety. The store only had fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic on shopping day, so I adjusted my recipe by reducing the amount of fresh garlic in the recipe by a couple of cloves. My changes are reflected below. The tomatoes lended a smokey sweetness, and the cilantro and lime juice just made it so bright and fresh. Made a nice sized batch that stored in the refrigerator wonderfully for a few days!

Rustic Roasted Tomato Salsa

2 fresh jalapeno peppers
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic, in juice
1/2 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Salt and Pepper

Heat a small skillet over medium heat, and dry roast the peppers and garlic, until soft and blotchy in spots.  The peppers will take about 10 minutes, and the garlic will take about fifteen.

Meanwhile, rinse the onion in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water.  Shake to dry, and set aside.

Stem and peel the jalapenos, and scrape out the seeds and membranes (or leave them if you want the salsa extra spicy)!  Peel the garlic, and transfer it to a food processor, along with the jalapenos.  Pulse until they are finely chopped, then add the tomatoes (with their juice), and pulse a few more times to make the salsa as smooth or as coarse as you want.  Pour the mixture into a medium bowl, and add the onion, cilantro, and lime juice.  Stir to combine, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate, or serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from Mexican Everyday

Pork Chops with Vinegar Peppers

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It’s no secret that I have a penchant for anything Italian. However, there are only so many lasagnas and risottos one can eat before they yearn for something new to try. The idea for this recipe sparked years ago, when I spotted a recipe for pork chops with vinegar peppers in The Sopranos Family Cookbook. However, the recipe called for spicy pickled peppers, which diddn’t really appeal to me . I thought bell peppers would bring more flavor to the “party”, as well as look more attractive.

I’ve always been a huge fan of balsamic pan sauces when it came to any pan-seared meat, so decided on that for  my deglazing agent to get all those yummy bits from the bottom of the pan. Plus, balsamic vinegar is pretty mild on the acidity scale. That’s just what I was looking for to pair with pork, which is on the milder side.

I used boneless pork chops this time around, because it was all that was available to me at the store last week. I usually like to get a thin cut bone-in chop if I can, because I  think they have better flavor and retain more moisture. But, the boneless was great. Just make sure you don’t overcook them, as they can dry out so quickly! Alternatively, I’m sure the dish would be wonderful with chicken breasts or thighs.

Pork Chops with Vinegar Peppers

Ingredients:

6 pork chops (bone-in or boneless, 1 inch thick)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
fresh ground pepper

Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Heat over high heat until shimmering. Add half of the pork chops. Cook for 3 minutes, or until nice and golden on both sides. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add remaining chops, and repeat process, remove to the plate when cooked.

To the now empty pan, add the sliced pepper. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are beginning to soften. Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar, and scape the bottom of the pan vigorously with a wooden spoon to loosen up fond. Let vinegar reduce until it coats the peppers and is almost syrupy in consistency.

Plate pork chops, and top with the vinegar peppers.