Tasty Dish!

I love to try new recipes and have such fun searching the web for them. I found this on My Gourmet Connection - a food blog. It was easy to make and everyone loved it!




Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Asparagus
Ingredients ~
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (Asian hot sauce)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (see recipe notes)
5 to 6 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
12 ounces thin Chinese egg noodles (or thin spaghetti)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation ~
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles. Cook according to package directions, or until tender. Drain, rinse with lukewarm water and set aside.

While the noodles cook, place the chicken in a bowl and add the sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Toss to coat thoroughly and set aside for 10 minutes.

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sriracha in a measuring cup and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat and add the chicken. Stir fry for 1-1/2 minutes, then add the asparagus. Continue cooking for about 3 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is tender. Stir in the the soy sauce mixture, then add the cooked noodles, scallions and sesame seeds. Toss with tongs to combine and divide between 4 serving plates. Top with cilantro and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Happy Easter

Ron and i just returned from a trip to Ixtapa a few days before Easter. Needless to say I was not fully prepared for Easter this year.
We had a nice day, we went to church and then over to my parents house for lunch and the egg hunt.

Steps of Hope Walk

A few weeks we participated in the Steps of Hope Walk for the Autism Society of MN. We have been members for several years and they provide wonderful services for Autistic children and their families. Tyler has been part of the Eagles Group and attended several overnight camps in the summer.
This year our family raised $270 for the walk. That is significantly down from the past when we have raised over $500! But every dollar counts and we appreciate it!

Glazed Chicken with Dried Fruit and Parsnips

I made this last night for dinner - it was amazing. Of course I found the recipe on foodnetwork. Everyone liked it and they even ate the parsnips! I did make one modification and that was I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs.



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium shallots
4 medium-large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 medium skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pitted prunes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the shallots and parsnips and cook until golden, shaking the pan, 2 minutes.

Whisk the apricot preserves, mustard, ginger and cumin in a bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; toss with the apricot glaze.

Scatter the dried fruit in the skillet. Place the chicken, skin-side up, on top. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until heated through, 6 minutes. Uncover and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Push the chicken to the side of the skillet, then stir the vinegar

into the pan juices (add up to 2 tablespoons water if the sauce is too thick). Serve from the skillet.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!! Here are my special Valentines - I love them so:

Slow Cooker Ginger-Soy Short Ribs Green Rice with Lime

I made this a few weeks ago. I got the recipe from Food Network - it is one of Robin Miller's dishes.
It was easy to make and pretty tasty. It does need maybe a little extra flavor added to it. Not sure what that would be or would you marinate the short ribs? The rice was very tasty and a great accompaniment to the short ribs.

4 carrots, chopped
2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped
3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, fat trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1/3 cup sherry
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups instant brown rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos
1 teaspoon lime zest
Directions
Heat a large Dutch oven and arrange carrots and leeks on the bottom. Season ribs all over with salt and pepper and place over vegetables. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, sherry, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Pour mixture over ribs. Cover and braise for 3 to 4 hours. This can also be done in a slow cooker - just cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Cook rice according to package directions.

While still hot, stir in cilantro, scallions, jalapenos, and lime zest. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve half of the rice with the ribs (and carrots and leeks) and reserve extra rice for another meal.

Coins For Haiti

Mira came home about a week ago from school with a piece of paper stating her school is going to raise money for Haiti. A group of students came up with the idea to collect coins every day and bring them to school. Each day had a specific coin to bring: Mon = pennies, Tues= nickels, Wed =dimes, Thurs = quarters and Friday= anything. you wanted to bring.
Mira went to her room got her huge piggy bank and dumped it out. Each day she would gather her coins and put them in an envelope to give to school the following day. She was so excited to partake in such a good cause.
Wednesday night she started to collect her quarters. I told her to put them in fours and then we can figure out how many she has. She came running over to me and said mom look the line of quarters is sooo long. I had her count them and she had $34 in quarters. I was amazed that she had that many quarters in her piggy bank but even more amazed that she did not even think twice donate all the quarters to HAITI.
I was so proud of her all week gathering her coins and giving most of the money in piggy bank to Haiti. Her school raised over $1250!



The salon that I manage Details is hosting a Charity Service Jam on Feb 21 from 12pm - 5Pm. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Healing Haiti ( a local organization). We will be offering all services that day from cuts, color, skin and nails. Book your appointment today at 651-251-8700. Our website is www.detailsmn.com.