Just a simple wish for you.
"I hope that 2017 if the best year yet!"
Happy New Year
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Mixed Cheese & Cracker, Crudite Platter with Fresh Dill Dip
Man oh man, the days are just flying by!
The end of the year is a few days away. I've barely recovered from Christmas! But I really love New Year's Eve.
For the last several years our tradition has been to go out for a nice romantic dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. The restaurant used to be an old house and each year we sit in the front windows and watch all the twinkle lights as we eat some wonderful food. It's typically raining which just adds to romantic ambiance of it all.
I'm sure that we will keep this tradition up this year as well. I've already heard that rain is in the forecast of course! However, I'm going to mix it up just a bit by having a Mixed Cheese & Cracker, Crudité Platter with Fresh Dill Dip before we leave.
Served with my Pear Sparklers this is the perfect little snack to have pre-dinner while sitting around the Christmas tree. We keep our tree up each year through the New Year just to enjoy it for an additional week.
MIXED CHEESE & CRACKER, CRUDITE PLATTER WITH FRESH DILL DIP
This platter mixture is easy to put together. Make the dip ahead (recipe below) and refrigerate it for a couple of hours to let the flavors blend. Cut up some crudité like carrots, celery, cucumbers or anything you have on hand such as broccoli florets or sliced bell peppers. Add some cheese and crackers to round it out and arrange it all on a platter to have guests help themselves.
It's simple and easy, yet it's a good way to have some quick appetizers. You can adjust the amount to feed a crowd or a few people for an intimate gathering. It's all up to you.
Enjoy!
Have a safe and happy New Year!
Fresh Dill Dip
makes 2 cups
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
In a small bowl mix all ingredients together until well combine. Refrigerate dip for at least 1 hour before serving so flavors will blend.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with fun, laughter, and LOTS of great food!
As I am completely beefed and turkeyed out, I thought I’d share something today that contains simple ingredients, totally non-Christmas related. Also, because I would like to take a little break in cooking, this dinner is all in one pan! On top of that, you can have this on the table in 16 minutes!
If you haven't noticed I love stir frys. They are simple to make, and they a quick to cook. I use the same formula every time. (cook the meat, remove from pan, cook the vegetables, add flavors/nuts, add back the meat, add the sauce...done!) Once you have this down you can make a gazillion variations of stir fry.
Most times I make my own sauce, but on days like today where I want to save even more time, I use a bottle stir fry sauce that I find works well as a base. I use this one here. This sauce along with a couple of flavor add-ins works perfectly with this stir fry combination of chicken and vegetables. I chose green beans and mushrooms, as both were on hand from our Christmas dinner. You can certainly change up the vegetables to fit what you have on hand. Bell peppers, carrots, celery, and zucchini, are all good ones to choose from.
So if you are trying to slow down after the holiday, do yourself a favor and forget the takeout. Make this wonderful stir fry at home tonight. It tastes 1000 times better than takeout, and you can control what goes in the food (mainly sodium ) and make this a healthy meal for your family.
Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry is a favorite in our house, and hopefully will be a favorite of yours too! Remember, another celebration weekend is around the corner. We'll be taking a look at some great New Year's Eve ideas in the next several days.
Enjoy!
Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry
As I am completely beefed and turkeyed out, I thought I’d share something today that contains simple ingredients, totally non-Christmas related. Also, because I would like to take a little break in cooking, this dinner is all in one pan! On top of that, you can have this on the table in 16 minutes!
CHICKEN, GREEN BEAN & MUSHROOM STIR FRY
If you haven't noticed I love stir frys. They are simple to make, and they a quick to cook. I use the same formula every time. (cook the meat, remove from pan, cook the vegetables, add flavors/nuts, add back the meat, add the sauce...done!) Once you have this down you can make a gazillion variations of stir fry.
Most times I make my own sauce, but on days like today where I want to save even more time, I use a bottle stir fry sauce that I find works well as a base. I use this one here. This sauce along with a couple of flavor add-ins works perfectly with this stir fry combination of chicken and vegetables. I chose green beans and mushrooms, as both were on hand from our Christmas dinner. You can certainly change up the vegetables to fit what you have on hand. Bell peppers, carrots, celery, and zucchini, are all good ones to choose from.
So if you are trying to slow down after the holiday, do yourself a favor and forget the takeout. Make this wonderful stir fry at home tonight. It tastes 1000 times better than takeout, and you can control what goes in the food (mainly sodium ) and make this a healthy meal for your family.
Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry is a favorite in our house, and hopefully will be a favorite of yours too! Remember, another celebration weekend is around the corner. We'll be taking a look at some great New Year's Eve ideas in the next several days.
Enjoy!
Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry
Serves: 4 servings
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
1/4 c cornstarch
2 Tbls canola oil
1 Tbls sesame oil
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
30 French green beans, cut in half
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1/4 c stir fry sauce
Heat the canola and sesame oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and cook on medium-high until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the pan, and turn the heat up to high.
Add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown. Add the green beans and allow to cook 2-3 minutes more. .Add the garlic and ginger and cook/stir for 30 seconds. Return the chicken and any juices back to the skillet. Add the stir fry sauce and toss to coat. Serve.
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