Stir Frying 101 - Sweet and Sour Chicken

I had the opportunity to attend a Stir-Frying Technique Class at the Williams-Sonoma store recently.  This class was very informative as all their classes are, and the chef, Monique, is very skilled, and a great teacher.  

Here we are all watching her cook!

She made several different dishes; Pork with Snap Peas and Soba Noodles, Chicken with Ginger Garlic sauce (one of their bottled stir fry sauces, which was yummy!) and Skirt Steak with Oranges in a Sichuan Sauce. 

All were delicious!

About stir-frying:
A sizzling stir-fry is a simple yet satisfying entree for relaxed dinner parties and quick weeknight suppers. Stir frying is an Asian cooking technique of rapidly frying small pieces of food in oil over high heat.  This is done usually in a wok but a deep cast-iron fry pan or heavy saute pan is a good substitute.  Almost any vegetable or meat can be stir fried as long as it is cut into small pieces.

This was such great fun I couldn't wait to whip up some stir fry for dinner.  You know, this would be a great Valentine's Dinner!

Here's my take on Sweet and Sour Chicken.

You will need light soy sauce, white vinegar, cornstarch, Splenda, chicken breasts, canola oil, mixed vegetables, garlic, ginger, peanuts, and cooked brown rice.

If using fresh vegetables, cut in to small bit size pieces or thing julienne strips.  I used frozen cause I already had a bag, but fresh is just wonderful.

To make the stir fry sauce mix the soy sauce, vinegar, splenda and 1 T. cornstarch in a small bowl.  Set this aside for later. 



Cut your chicken in to 1 - 1 1/2" pieces.

Put cornstarch in a dish and add chicken.  Stir to coat.  This gives the chicken a nice coating when cooked. (My Aunt Charlotte taught me this technique years ago and I've prepared my chicken this way ever since!)



Add oil to a wok and heat over high heat.  Add chicken and cook stirring constantly until golden brown.  About 4-5 minutes.

Remove chicken from the pan.  Add remaining 1T. of oil, and heat up.  Add cut vegetables.

Add ginger and garlic.  Heat until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add chicken to wok.  Add your stir fry sauce.  Stir until coated and heated through.

Looks pretty good huh?

Stir in peanuts, and your done!  Serve over a bed of nice fluffy brown rice.

This was sooo delicious!  Happy Eating!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

¼ c. light soy sauce

¼ c. White vinegar

¼ c. Spenda

1 T. cornstarch

½ 1b boneless skinless chicken breasts

¼ c. cornstarch

2 T. canola oil

1 pound of mixed vegetables fresh or frozen (mushrooms, yellow squash, onion, bell pepper, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, snap peas, carrots)

1 T. garlic, minced

1 T. Ginger, minced

1/4 c. peanuts

Brown Rice, cooked

Directions:

For your stir fry sauce mix the soy sauce, vinegar, splenda and 1 T. cornstarch in a small bowl.  Set aside. 

Cut chicken breasts in to 1 – 1 ½ “ pieces.  Put ¼ c. cornstarch in to a dish and add chicken, turning to coat.

If using fresh vegetables, cut in to bite size pieces or julienne strips to assist with quick cooking.

Heat  1 T. of canola oil in a wok on high heat.  Add chicken stirring constantly until brown on all sides.  About  4-5 minutes.

Remove chicken to a bowl.  Add 1 T. canola oil to the wok and heat up.  Add all the mixed vegetables to the wok.  Stir fry until crisp tender.  About 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic and ginger to the vegetables.  Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add chicken back and add the stir fry sauce.  Stir to coat and heat through.

Add peanuts, stir once more, and serve over brown rice.

Valentine's Day Cornmeal Cookies

MGG has a little bit of a sweet tooth...okay, okay...a bit more than a little bit!  So I try and make him something every once in a while to satisfy that craving.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up what better time to indulge that sweet tooth with some delectable cookies?

This is a lower carb variation of a cookie by Martha Stewart.  The cornmeal in the cookie adds texture, and a bit more grain so it's comes out wonderfully soft and delicious!

I've substituted most of the sugar for Splenda, however you can put the sugar back in (cup for cup) if you want the full carb version.

MGG is gonna LOVE these!

Here's how they go...

You will need, flour, yellow cornmeal, salt, butter, Splenda (or sugar), eggs, vanilla, confectioners sugar, and food coloring (pink or red).

First, in a medium bowl mix your flour, cornmeal, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl combine your butter and Splenda and cream with a mixer until smooth.  Add your vanilla and the egg and mix until blended. 

Add the flour mixture gradually, mixing as you go until all incorporated.

Get in there with your hands and mold the mixture in to a dough. (Don't you love playing with your food?!)

Pinch enough dough to make 1 - 1 1/2" balls.  Roll in more Splenda (about 1/4 cup or extra Splenda is used) and place on a non-stick cookie sheet.

With the bottom of a glass flatten down the cookies on the sheet.

Take a 1" heart cookie cutter and make an impression in the center of the cookies.  Don't cut all the way through!

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 10 min. until golden brown.

Place cooked cookies on a wire rack to completely cool.

Mix confectioner's sugar, water, vanilla, and food coloring in a small bowl to create an icing.

Using a spoon, fill the heart cut-out portion of the cookie with icing.

Aren't these cute!!!!

Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Cornmeal Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food : Heart-Glazed Cornmeal Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Splenda

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup Splenda for coating cookies

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 drops red or pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a medium bowl mix together flour, cornmeal, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowls cream butter and 1/2 cup Splenda until creamy.  Add in egg and 1 1/4 tsp vanilla and mix until combined.

Gradually add the flour using the mixer to incorporate all ingredients together. Using your hands pull the dough together in to a ball.

Pull enough dough off to make 1” balls.  Roll in 1/4 cup of splenda and place on a non-stick cookie sheet. 

Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass.  Take a 1” heart shaped cookie cutter and make an impression in the center of the cookie.  Be careful not to cut all the way through the dough.    

Bake until they have golden edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Let cookies cool on wire rack.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and 1 3/4 tsp cold water. Add 1 - 2 drops of food coloring. Glaze cookies and let cool.

Mom’s Famous Pot Roast

Here's a short recipe for Mom's pot roast.   She made this meal all my life and it is still a family favorite!  Such comfort food.  You know how every family has that dish that says "home", well this is that dish! 

I have very happy memories of making and eating this dish.  You can certainly change up the vegetables as you like, anything goes as this is a basic recipe.  Hope you enjoy it as much as my family always has!

Mom’s Famous Pot Roast

Ingredients:

3 lb Chuck Roast

2 T. Canola Oil

1/3 c. Flour

Salt and pepper

3 T. Kitchen Bouquet

1 Medium Onion, cut in to large chunks

4 Carrots, sliced in half and cut in to thirds

5-6 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut in to halves or quarters

Directions:

Salt and pepper roast.  Dredge in flour.  In a hot large skillet heat oil.  Place seasoned and floured roast in skillet and cook each side 2-3 minutes, until brown.  Turn it on its sides to brown that as well.

Place browned roast in a dutch oven or roasting pan.  Add water to the pan so that it comes up to about half the height of the roast.  Add onion along the side of the roast.

Cover and cook in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 1 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, peel carrots and potatoes.  Cut in pieces.  Add to around the roast getting the vegetables down in the broth.  Continue to cook about 1 hour, or until meet is very tender. 

Serve with pan gravy.  You can also add flour or make a slurry, which is cornstarch stirred into a small amount of cold water, then whisked into the simmering sauce, to thicken the gravy if desired.