Spicy Peanut Chicken with Rice

I was supposed to have made this dish on Thursday, but a moldy bell pepper and a preschool ice cream social got in my way.  My plan was to take the kids with me to the store this afternoon to get another pepper, but I just didn't want to in the downpour.  It wasn't worth it for one ingredient.  I was ready to figure out another dinner option when Ben suggested making the dish without the bell pepper.  Although I prefer it with the pepper, it was still delicious.  I got the skillet really hot tonight and was worried that the garlic, ginger and chicken were going to burn.  Thankfully, they didn't, and the dish was better than ever! 

SPICY PEANUT CHICKEN

½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1/3 cup unsalted cocktail peanuts

1. Mix broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper.
2. Heat 12-inch skillet (or if you’re advanced, a wok) over high heat. Add oil, and stir-fry chicken, garlic, and gingerroot until chicken is done (about 3 minutes).
3. Add bell pepper to chicken and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
4. Add cornstarch mixture to chicken. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Stir in peanuts.
5. Serve over garlic rice. (see recipe below)

GARLIC RICE

Heat a little vegetable oil to your rice pan. Add a clove of minced garlic to the oil once it is heated. Add the rice to the pan and let it get a little opaque. Add chicken stock instead of water and bring to a boil. (Use the ratio of 1 part rice to 2 parts liquid.) Cover and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes.

Thursday, 1/20/2011

I made an Asian flavored dish of ground beef and green beans tonight. It includes fresh ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. On several occasions, I have made this dish without the correct amounts of beef and beans. The proportion of sauce to main ingredients is never quite right if the beef and beans are not what the recipe called for.  I followed the instructions tonight and it was perfect!  Katie enjoyed the ground beef in the sauce, but she was not interested in the beans. 

GROUND BEEF AND GREEN BEANS
from a cookbook called "Recipes I Have Known and Loved"

Sauce:
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cooled broth
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (we always used regular soy sauce)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Main ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 2-inch lengths
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (the original recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon...not enough!)
1/2 pound lean ground beef

Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Set the mixture aside.
2. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil for 30 seconds over high heat, and add the green beans. Stir-fry the green beans for about 4 minutes-the beans should be tender-crisp and lightly charred in spots. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon, and set them aside.
3. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan, cook them for 30 seconds, and then add the pepper flakes and beef, crumbling the meat with a spatula. Stir-fry the mixture just until the beef loses its pinkness. Drain off all the excess fat from the pan.
4. Stir the reserved sauce once more, and add it to the meat. Cook the mixture, stirring it, for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Fold in the reserved green beans, heat the mixture for 1 minute, and serve.

Thursday, 9/16/2010

Tonight I made Asian style ground beef and green beans.  The recipe was previously posted here.  Before I talk about making the dish, I have to share my frustration with trying to prep dinner with a 21-month-old in the house.  Katie just will not play by herself when I am doing something in the kitchen.  She constantly yells "up" at me.  I calmly explain, over and over again, that I am getting dinner ready and can't hold her at the same time.  She doesn't care.  "UP" she yells.  Well, today I was trying to get all of the ingredients measured out and chopped up so that I could quickly make dinner when Ben got home.  After yelling at me didn't work, Katie decided to try to put herself between me and the counter section I was cutting beans on.  Her little shoes really hurt my sandal feet when she steps on them.  I tried to reason with her.  I tried to explain how it hurts when she steps on my feet.  I moved her away.  I sent her on errands to get things from other parts of the house.  My efforts failed.  She interpreted my actions as a game.  So then, she did her best to step on my feet with purpose.  That was the last straw.  I told her she was going into a time-out in her high chair for a minute.  

After 30 seconds in her high chair, I looked over to see her yanking large amounts of hair out of her head.  This isn't the first time this has happened.  Last weekend she did it while we were driving home from taking a run on Alki.  We've read about it online, and we have concluded that she is doing it for attention.  Regardless of the reason, it makes me sick to my stomach.  I mean, every mom wants her little girl to have an adorable hairstyle.  I don't want to see her like this.  Yes, I could stop what I am doing and give her my full attention, but then dinner would never be ready.  I hope that she moves past this phase quickly!

OK, enough with sharing my frustrations--back to tonight's meal.  In the past, I have not used the proportions of beef and beans the recipe called for.  I usually go heavy on the beef and light on the beans.  As a result, there hasn't been enough sauce for the dish.  Tonight, I followed the recipe exactly and the meal turned out great!  It was actually my first time making the dish from start to finish myself.  I usually have Ben make it, because he can flip the beans in the skillet.  Well, tonight, for the first time, I flipped the beans myself!  Also, Ben took Katie upstairs while he changed his clothes after work.  That allowed me to cook uninterrupted for a while:) 

During dinner, Katie was an absolute angel for her daddy.  She giggled, made silly faces, and was a joy to be with.  She ate a little macaroni and cheese with peas in it.  I'm glad I got to see cute, smiley Katie and not the mean, foot stomping Katie before she went to bed:)  

Our internet service went down today and will hopefully be fixed tomorrow. It is amazing how many things we do daily rely on having an internet connection.  With little left to do, Ben and I decided to watch a movie, drink wine, and eat brownies to end our night.  It was a good night:)

Wednesday, 7/21/2010

Oh, yum! Tonight's dinner was soo good! I made Foil-Wrapped Ginger Chicken, roasted garlic and olive oil couscous, and grilled asparagus. The chicken makes the house smell wonderful. Ben walked in the door after work and said "mmmm...something smells good." I'll take that as a compliment:)

I had fun plating the meal tonight. I pressed the couscous into an egg ring on the plate and then carefully stacked the chicken on top. It felt like I was on Iron Chef:) Thanks to Ben for taking this great shot of the meal!

Thursday, 4/8/2010

Tonight I shared left over Foil-Wrapped Ginger Chicken, garlic rice, and spinach salad with Ben. He got home from his business trip to Huntsville, Alabama after midnight last night. It is a great meal to have left over. Still moist and great flavors.

Katie was not interested in having the mac & cheese & peas I gave her for dinner. Again with the dropping of food off the tray. We have decided to remove her from the high chair when she starts to drop food. After she was down, she would wonder off and then come back to beg for bites of our rice and chicken. So cute:)

I had a meeting at church and choir practice after dinner, so Ben was in charge of her for the evening. He tells me that she insisted on having cheese before she would go to bed. I guess there is always room for...cheese.

Wednesday, 4/7/2010

FOIL-WRAPPED GINGER CHICKEN

Prep & cook time: 1.5 hours, polus at least 1 hour of chilling time

Makes 4 servings

1 tbsp + 1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
One 1-in. piece ginger, peeled and cut into thinnest possible slivers
1 lb. boned, skinned chicken thigh meat, cut into bite-size pieces and strips
2 green onions, finely sliced
Ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger. Add chicken, toss to coat, cover, and chill for at least 1 hours and up to overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Lay out 8 pieces of aluminum foil, 6-8 in. long each. Put 1/8 of the marinated chicken in the middle of each. Top chicken with green onions and sprinkle with pepper. Fold 1 side of foil over the chicken to cover, fold opposite side of foild over first fold, and then fold in each end once to seal and create a little packet.

3. Lay packets on a foil or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet (packets will lead while cooking, and the marinade is difficult to clean up once it cooks onto a pan). Bake until chicken is cooked through and marinade is reduced and starting to carmelize in each packet, 45-60 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

I served mine with a simple spinach salad and white rice, flavored with chicken broth and minced garlic.

Garlic White Rice

1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat the vegetable oil in the bottom of a pan on medium. Add garlic until fragrant. Add rice; stir to combine with the garlic and oil. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to lowest setting and cover. Cook for 20 minutes...don't remove the lid.

I got this recipe from a magazine, but am not sure which one. The recipe said it would yield 8 servings. I don't know about you, but 2 oz of meat is not enough for me. I think 4 servings is more realistic. It also called for 1 tbsp of regular soy sauce and 1 tsp of dark soy sauce. I only had the regular kind so I just upped the amount I put in to cover for my lack of dark soy sauce. The dish tastes great without the dark variety...save yourself the trip to the store:)

I was thankful to share this meal with my good friend Sydney. She came over to watch Katie for me while I went to a meeting at church. What a treat for both of us!

Tuesday, 3/23/2010

SPICY PEANUT CHICKEN

½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1/3 cup unsalted cocktail peanuts

1. Mix broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper.
2. Heat 12-inch skillet (or if you’re advanced, a wok) over high heat. Add oil, and stir-fry chicken, garlic, and gingerroot until chicken is done (about 3 minutes).
3. Add bell pepper to chicken and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
4. Add cornstarch mixture to chicken. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Stir in peanuts.
5. Serve over white rice.

For years I made white rice by using 2 parts water, 1 part rice. And then I saw a recipe where you saute minced garlic in a little vegetable oil in your pot until fragrant, and then add the rice and let it get a little opaque. Add chicken stock instead of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. The result is much more flavorful rice that doesn't dry out as much.

Dessert- simply Nestle's toll house cookies. The only things I do differently is that I add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients, put in 2 1/2 cups of chocolate chips instead of just 2, and leave out the nuts. Also, I find that bringing the eggs and butter to room temperature makes the cookies bake more evenly.

This recipe was one Ben adapted from a cookbook years ago. Tonight we made it for my friend Elly. Elly and I are planning a bridal shower for our friend Lauren. Katie scarfed the rice and only had a little of the red pepper and chicken. She was far more interested in hollaring at us to pay attention to her. Now, the chocolate chip cookies were a different matter. She couldn't get enough! Back and forth to Ben and I for nibbles;)