Author: stevesacooking

Kung Pao Chicken Noodles
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Kung Pao Chicken Noodles

A spicy noodle stir-fry with chicken and a homemade sesame sauce. This dish comes together in just 15 minutes and delivers all the flavors of your favorite takeout. I made this for the two of us. Thanks to allthenoodles.com for the inspiration this was based off their recipe

It was quick easy and pretty tasty and went ell with the scallion pancake as a side

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3 ounces fresh ramen noodles or noodle of your choice all work
  • Sauce
  • ⅔ cups soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame paste
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons chili paste – I went mild on spice
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger minced
  • Crushed peanuts
  • Scallion slice – most people tend to use mostly green but I love them so it all goes in
  • Optional a little cornstarch and water to thicken I prefer a thicker sauce

How

  • Heat a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken chunks with salt and pepper for about 4 minutes until browned.
  • Cook noodles according to directions
  • Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. I like to do before so the flavors combine, not sure if this is true or not but it does make cooking easier.
  • Add the noodles to the skillet with the chicken, then pour the sauce over the top. Stir everything together and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
  • Add cornstarch to thicken
  • Remove from heat, garnish with crushed peanuts and green onions, and serve immediately.
Linguine, Sauce and Asparagus
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Linguine, Sauce and Asparagus

Linguini is a long, flat, elliptical pasta that originated in the Liguria region of Italy. The name translates to “little tongues” in English. 

Ingredients: Durum wheat semolina, Water, and Eggs. 

Preparation: 

  • The pasta is made by kneading the semolina flour with water
  • The pasta is then extruded with bronze dies to create a rough surface area that captures sauces
  • The pasta is dried slowly at low temperatures
Easy Oven-Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe
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Easy Oven-Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe

This is quick and easy you could use bone in and skin on but I had the thighs without.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken (thighs boneless and skinless)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil

For the sauce (optional):

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Place 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. The most basic seasoning that this meat really needs is salt and pepper. At this point, if I’m not adding another sauce, I drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the meat too, to help it brown well in the oven.

If using the sauce, place 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to combine.

Place the chicken in a single layer in an 8- or 9-inch baking dish. No need to grease the dish, just lay the chicken inside.

Boneless, skinless thighs cook quickly. Roast until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F, about 20 minutes. If they are not ready, continue roasting and checking the temperature every 5 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. This will help it be more tender. Eat and enjoy!

Quick Orange Flavored Chicken
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Quick Orange Flavored Chicken

I’m a huge fan of the orange-flavored chicken at Trader Joe’s—it’s my go-to bachelor night meal when Lyn is out having dinner with the girls. The other day, I saw it in the store but passed it up, forgetting about her night out. So, I decided to check out a few recipes online and give it a shot myself. I have to say, it turned out pretty darn good!

Ingredients  

  • 1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup cornstarch or sub with potato starch
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil (if you’re Air Frying, sub with 2 tablespoon of oil)

Orange Chicken Sauce:

Note: I have to say when it comes to sauces etc. I usually go with full recipe amounts figure more sauce is better. This was the case since I only had 2 chicken thighs

  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice pulp strained (about 4-5 medium sized oranges)
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos (a lower sodium soy sauce substitution)
  • 1 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger powder or sub with freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch
  • ½ tsp red chili flakes optional if you prefer it spicy

Optional Garnish

  • ½ green onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 large chopped green or red bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp orange zest grated
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds toasted
  • Hand full of peanuts

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Mix well and set aside.
  • Dice chicken thighs into bite size pieces, about 1.5-inch pieces (about 6-8 pcs per thigh, depending on size). Do not pat chicken thighs dry, some moisture is needed so the starch can adhere to the chicken.
  • Transfer pieces of chicken into a large bowl, followed by cornstarch. Mix to coat each piece evenly with tongs. I let sit uncovered in frig for about 4 hours
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Carefully lower coated chicken into the oil and quickly spread apart. Allow the chicken pieces to sear and form a golden crust, about 4-6 minutes on each side and let them sit avoid stir-frying them. Flip chicken over and cook on the other side until golden brown. 
  • Remove and transfer fried chicken onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Pour out any excess oil from pan.
  • In the same pan set over medium high heat, pour sauce in. Stirring consistently until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Toss in fried chicken until pieces are coated in sauce. Garnish with orange zest, sesame seeds and green onions, peanuts, whatever.
  • Serve with rice now you know why I like extra sauce!

Lemon Pasta
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Lemon Pasta

I was looking for something quick and easy but different so I found this at Love and Lemon. I also borrowed their pictures.

This lemon pasta recipe is my take on Italian pasta al limone. It’s buttery, garlicky, and bright with citrus, and best of all, it’s super easy to make. You can whip it up in 20 minutes using under 10 ingredients. Even though this lemon pasta feels elegant, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner.

While many lemon pasta sauces call for heavy cream, I skip it here. Instead, butter, Parmesan, and starchy pasta cooking water create the pasta’s silky sauce. These simple ingredients let the fresh lemon flavor shine through.

Lemon Pasta Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon pasta recipe:

  • Pasta, of course! Spaghetti is my top pick. Another long pasta like linguine would work too.
  • Butter – It creates the sauce’s rich base. I call for extra-virgin olive oil in most of my recipes, but I actually prefer the butter here. It gives the sauce body and helps it coat the pasta.
  • Garlic – It adds savory flavor.
  • Parmesan cheese – It thickens the sauce and adds salty, umami flavor. Freshly grated pecorino is a great sub if you don’t have Parmesan on hand.
  • Lemon zest and juice – The star ingredients! The zest infuses the sauce with bright, citrusy flavor. The juice adds a tangy kick.
  • Fresh herbs – I love to garnish this dish with parsley or basil for a fresh, aromatic finishing touch.
  • And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

How to Make Lemon Pasta

This lemon spaghetti recipe is super simple to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente. In the final few minutes of cooking, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.

Next, make the sauce. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it foams. Reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest and minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning!

Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta from the pot to the skillet with the butter mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and toss until a light sauce coats the pasta. Then, add half the cheese and toss again. Finally, add the lemon juice and remaining cheese and toss until the sauce is smooth.

  • Tip: If the lemon sauce gets too thick or starts to clump, add more pasta water as needed to loosen it.

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice. Garnish with more lemon zest and fresh basil or parsley, and serve!

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Sesame Ground Chicken

I had a pound of ground chicken from Butcher Box wondering what to do for supper tonight. I found a great quick recipe which we will do again. I might add some green beans or frozen/fresh peas next time.

I only had a pound so the recipe below is half of their 2 pound published recipe.

https://www.mantitlement.com/sesame-ground-chicken/

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 pounds ground chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil to taste
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed in with sauce before adding to pan
  • Chopped scallions and sesame seeds for garnish ( they used black seasme I ony had white which I toasted)

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook a minute longer.
  2. Add the ground chicken to the skillet and cook while breaking up into small pieces until the chicken is cooked through. Drain any drippings from the skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  3. Mix the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and chicken broth together in a bowl. Pour over the ground chicken and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer while stirring. Simmer the chicken until the sauce is thickened, taste for seasonings and serve with scallions and sesame seeds.

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We went apple picking the other day with Sofie the other day and Lyn made a pie. Also got some Asian pears so good!

Pan-fried Chicken Cutlets
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Pan-fried Chicken Cutlets

I forget who but someone had chicken cutlets on sale so I bought a bundh and made some pan-fried chicken cutlets. these always remind me of my mother-in-law Rose who taught me a lot about Italian cooking. So I made a mound of these and froze another quick meal with some many options

TIP – I recently learned a trick when making cutlets. they are shaped like a triangle cut along these lines and then pound

Cutting a chicken breast in half crosswise

1. Halve the breast crosswise.Slicing the thicker half in half horizontally

2. Split the thick side horizontally.Pounding cutlets

3. Cover the cutlets with plastic wrap and gently pound until they’re all the same thickness.

Butternut Squash Alert!
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Butternut Squash Alert!

Finally the price has come down to 99 cents per lbs. and that is my signal to start making some of my favorite fall delights. I even saw it for 79 cents at Market Basket the other day. Anyway I made some Butternut and Apple Soup which takes a little effort but well worth it. This is one of those soups you take a taste and you say mmmm at least we did.

Also made some Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos which are great to freeze for a quick veggie meal

blackbean and butternutaquash buritto12


I had ordered a chuck roast from butcher box wo make something Lyn had found but it called for to many recipes so I just made a delicious pot roast. here is is.

Slight adaption of Art Smith’s recipe Simple Sunday Dinner

Ingredients

4 TBS olive oil

3-4 pound boneless beef pot roast (salt and pepper for seasoning meat)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large leek, white part only, coarsely chopped

3 medium carrots, cut in 1 inch pieces

3 celery ribs, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup hearty dry red wine

2 TBS tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

4 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried

2 bay leaves

3 TBS unsalted butter

3 TBS flour

1 lbs small potatoes or I used cubed butternut squash

Cooking Directions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325F.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Cook in the pot, turning on all sides, until browned. Transfer to plate.

3. Add remaining olive oil to the pot and heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and tomato paste. Cook until reduced in half, about 3 minutes. Return the meat to the pot and add the broth. Bring to a boil. Add thyme and rosemary. I would add flipping the roast at this time.

4. Cover and bake until the meat is fork tender about 2 – 2 1/2 hours. Add squash, cover and cook about 30 minutes longer until fork tender

5. Transfer the meat to a deep platter, then use slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and place on platter.

6. Mix the flour and butter in a small bowl to form a paste. Add to a saucepan and gradually whisk in 1 cup of the cooking liquid in. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Carve the meat and served with the vegetable, with the gravy passed on the side.

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Italian Seasoning

This is quick and easy and I usually just have a jar in pantry

▢1 tablespoon dried basil
▢1 tablespoon dried thyme
▢1 tablespoon dried rosemary
▢1 tablespoon dried marjoram
▢1 tablespoon dried parsley
▢2 tablespoons dried oregano
▢1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
▢1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional