Thai Chicken & Rice Bowls (Instant Pot)

 

Instant Pot Thai Chicken & Rice Bowl (4 servings)

 

2 T olive oil

4 chicken breasts (about 2lbs)

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

2 cups broth

1 T peanut butter

1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce

3 T soy sauce

1/2 T ginger, minced

1/2 T garlic, minced

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp Sriracha

 

For topping:

Cilantro

Shredded zucchini and/or cucumber

Shredded carrots

Bean sprouts

sesame seeds

chopped peanuts 

In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, thai chili sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, lime juice and Sriracha.  Select the saute setting on your instant pot and add the olive oil.  Sear the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes per side to seal in the juices.  You may need to do this in batches.  Once browned on each side, remove from the instant pot and place into a glass dish and pour the sauce over the top, mixing to combine.

 

Place the rice in the instant pot, add the chicken and sauce over the top of it, then pour over the broth and secure the lid.

 

 Select manual pressure setting (high) and set the timer to 12 minutes.  Do a natural release.  Shred the chicken with two forks then mix with the rice before serving.  

 

Garnish at the table with cilantro, shredded veggies, & peanuts.  Serve with extra soy sauce & Sriracha to taste.

 

 

Another Chicken Tortilla-ish Soup

One of my favorite things about winter is making soup and I make it on a regular basis.  I don't often use recipes but just start by sautéing some onion, celery, peppers, & carrot and adding broth, beans, other protein, and other vegetables.  However, I am a big fan of chicken tortilla soup, white chicken chili, and other variations.  

I wrote this one down the other day because I really liked how it turned out - very flavorful & high in protein.  I used a pretty spicy green salsa and the end result was a little spicy (which I like) but you can control the heat by which salsa & chiles you choose and add more spice at the table with hot sauce & jalapeños.

You could also probably dump this in a crockpot after sautéing the onion & bell pepper with good results. I thought the leftovers tasted even better than the first time we ate the soup.

Chicken Chile Verde Soup (serves 4)

1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans cannelleni beans, rinsed
1 cup jarred green salsa
1 4oz can green chiles
2-3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken

For serving: 
Crispy tortilla strips
chopped fresh cilantro
sliced jalapeños (fresh or jarred)
Sour cream

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and saute the onion & green bell pepper until soft.  Add the pepper, salt, garlic, and cumin and sauce for 1-2 minutes more.  Add the broth, 1 can of cannellini beans, salsa, green chiles and shredded chicken.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Mash up the second can of cannellini beans and add to the soup and heat through (this will thicken it).

Serve with tortilla strips, cilantro, jalapeños & sour cream

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Baked Chicken Parmesan (serves 4-6)

4-6 thin cut chicken breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 large egg whites
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
1-2 cups jarred marinara sauce
fresh basil, thinly sliced

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil or cooking spray. In a wide shallow bowl like a pie pan, combine both kinds of breadcrumbs. parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and black pepper.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites until foamy.   

Dip each piece of chicken in the egg whites, gently shake off any excess, and then coat with the breadcrumbs making sure it sticks to all sides.  Place on prepared baking sheet.  Lightly spray the top of the chicken with olive oil or cooking spray.  Bake until internal temperature reaches around 165.  The baking time will depend on the thickness of your chicken but mine took about 12-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with a few spoonfuls of the marinara sauce and a slice or two of the mozzarella cheese.  Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted - about 3-5 more minutes.

Sprinkle each slice with basil and serve with extra parmesan cheese and sauce.

Chicken Ginger Udon

Another birthday in our family - this beautiful girl turned 14 recently.  While Little is always down to try new food, I would probably classify Middle as the biggest foodie in our family.  She doesn't love big social gatherings with people she doesn't know, so sometimes she gives herself pep talk about the good food that will be there.  She usually has a running list of new foods to try or new restaurants to go to.  Recently, it's every kind of Asian / Asian fusion food and Hawaii is a great place for that.  There are all kinds of prepackaged ramens in the grocery store, many of which we don't even see in CA.  

She and Little ate a lot of spam musubi and sushi this summer and one night when the adults were going out to dinner, I offered to pick up a pizza for them.  She said "nah" and made the dinner above - teriyaki tofu, steamed bok chow and fancy drinks (Poppi soda in martini glasses).

When it was time to pick a birthday dinner, she wanted "some kind of soup - maybe soba - that's not fishy."  I read a few recipes online and ended up making this Chicken Udon.  It's light & healthy but tastes like comfort food.  We ate the whole pot and would have had seconds if there had been more.  I liked the pickled ginger on a soup so don't skip that part!  The cabbage seemed like a lot at first but honestly, I'd add more next time - it cooks down to almost nothing.  Also, taste your broth and make adjustments - it's hard to fix if you've made it too salty but I ended up adding  more soy & a little teriyaki right at the end.

Chicken Udon with Pickled Ginger (serves 4)

Canola oil
Sesame oil
1/2 head of Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage)
2 red thai chiles, thinly sliced (more for serving)
2 T ginger, peeled and diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced (more for serving)
2 cups bean sprouts
2 cans chicken broth
3 T rice wine vinegar
3 T soy sauce 
2 packages of refrigerated Udon noodles (7oz each)
1/2 package firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cup roasted chicken diced
pickled ginger
chopped cilantro
Sriracha

In a large pot, heat a thin layer of canola oil.  Add the shredded cabbage and saute for 4-5 minutes.  Add a drizzle of sesame oil and the ginger, garlic, and chiles.  Saute until fragrant 1-2 minutes.  Add the green onions, bean sprouts, chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and udon noodles.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the tofu and chicken and stir until it's all combined and the protein is warmed through.  Taste the broth and season with more soy sauce or rice wine vinegar if desired.

Serve in bowls with pickled ginger, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds on top.  I also like to serve with extra green onions, red chiles, hoisin and Sriracha for people to add at the table (last photo above).

Crunchwrap Supreme

Friends often tease me about my love of Taco Bell . . . we didn't eat a lot of fast food when I was growing up but when we did, it was often Taco Bell (like on the way to the beach).  I have passed on my love of Taco Bell to my kids and there are two main things they like:  Doritos Locos Tacos & Crunchwrap supremes.  When there is food in my Instagram feed, it's usually weird & crazy things like this giant Crunchwrap dupe.  One night it was just the girls and I at home for dinner and we decided to give it a try.  Let's just say it did not disappoint . . . delicious!  I haven't made it a second time, and it definitely goes in the "Instagram made me try it" category but just for fun, here are the photos and a loose recipe.

Giant Crunchwrap Supreme

Taco seasoned ground beef (browned)

Nacho cheese (yes, the gross stuff in a can)

shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes

sour cream

shredded cheese

Large flour tortillas (like the extra large burrito size)

Corn tostadas (like a big round tortilla chip)

Hot sauce or salsa for serving

Spread several large flour tortillas (the burrito size) overlapping on a sheet pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  In the middle, put a layer of ground beef.  Then, spread some nacho cheese over that.  Then, on top of that, lay your corn tostadas.

Spread the corn tostadas with sour cream, then sprinkle with lettuce and tomatoes, and then sprinkle some shredded cheese.

Fold the flour tortillas over the top of it all and spray with some cooking spray or olive oil.  Put it in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or so.  VERY CAREFULLY flip it and cook for 5-10 minutes more.  You can turn the broiler on if the outside isn't brown and crispy.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Careful - the filling will be hot.
 

Spring Break Recap

Spring break started with a wonderful Resurrection Sunday with family and the next day, Jenna left for a mission trip to Mexico with her school.  The rest of us had planned a fun trip to Sonoma with family but Little got sick and our plans fell through.  It felt a little Covid reminiscent to have plans cancelled and be stuck at home without much going on but we tried to make the best of it.

While our house was cleaned, I took my sick baby & her sister to the park to read for some vitamin D.

Middle's spring break wish was to go to Hot Pot and we tried Shabuya which did not disappoint!

We made a Easter themed "dessert board" one night . . . I don't think you need a recipe but feel free to use this as inspiration for making a fun seasonal board.

Once Little was feeling better, she wanted to bake.  We busted out her mini cupcake maker and tried a new recipe.  You can still see in this photo that she wasn't quite herself :(   I picked these recipes because they were simple enough for her to make herself and all the ingredients were things we had on hand.  The end result was really good so I wanted to include the recipes here on the blog.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
(makes 1 dozen)

For the cupcakes:

2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For best results with paper liners, double them up.

Using an electric mixer (we used a stand mixer), mix together the butter and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla.  Sprinkle in the baking powder and salt and stir.  Alternate adding the flour and milk and mix until combined - don't overman.

Divide the batter evenly in the cupcake liners and bake 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4-5 T lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.  Add about half the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well-combined.  Add the vanilla extract and 3-4 T of the lemon juice and the lemon zest and mix until combined.  Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.  Add additional lemon juice as needed until it seems like the right consistency & flavor.  Frost the cupcakes once they have cooled completely.

Salmon & Orzo

 

I've been into one pan / one pot meals lately and this is one that everyone really enjoys.  The last time I made it, the girls were looking for more and I should have added an extra salmon filet.

The key here is to make sure that you season the orzo part well so that it's not bland.

Also, keep an eye on it as it cooks . . . once, the orzo cooked really fast and once it cooked really slowly - I think it depends on the brand of orzo you're using.

Salmon & Orzo

(serves 4-6)

4 salmon filets, skin removed

3 T chopped fresh parsley

3 T melted butter

3 T olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp minced garlic

1 lemon, juiced

1 bundle asparagus, chopped

1 cup peas

1 lb orzo, uncooked

3.5 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 lemon, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a 9x13 baking pan, add the oil, melted butter, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic and lemon juice.  Use a fork to mix it all together.

Dip salmon filets in marinade, coat, and set aside.

To the same pan, add asparagus, orzo, and broth.  Cover with foil and cook in oven for 20 minutes.  At this point, the broth should be absorbed and the orzo should be al dente.  If there is a lot of liquid, cook it longer.

Remove from oven, add grated parmesan cheese, peas, and spinach and mix together until spinach wilts.  Place the salmon filets into the baking dish nestled in the orzo.  Top with lemon slices and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes depending on how done you like your salmon.