Easy Chicken Stir-Fry

I love all types of Asian food, but I'm not very good at cooking it. It always turns out a little...funky. But this chicken stir-fry was sooooo simple, and it turned out delish!

The ingredients:

-Whole grain spaghetti--you can also use whole wheat linguini or any broad noodle
-2 chicken breasts, cubed
-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-1 red bell pepper, cut into long, thin strips
-1 green bell pepper, cut into long, thin strips
-1 red onion, cut into long, thin strips (I cut mine into rings then cut the rings in half)
-Olive oil
-Rice vinegar
-Soy sauce
-Hoison sauce
-Sesame seeds
I though I wanted some cabbage and carrot in this, but decided last minute not to add them in

Put the cubed chicken breasts in a small bowl and pour in 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons soy sauce. Let this sit while you cut up the veggies and garlic. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside.

Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat, then saute 1 clove of garlic until fragrant--about a minute or so.

Pour the chicken, along with the soy sauce and vinegar, into the skillet and cook.

Stir-fry until the chicken is golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the contents of the skillet into a small bowl, cover with foil, and set aside while you cook everything else.

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet, then add the bell peppers and stir-fry.

After cooking for 2 minutes, add the onion and remaining garlic. Continue stir-frying until veggies are al-dente--be careful you don't overcook them, or the dish could become soggy and slimy.

Stir in the chicken and juices, then add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon soy sauce and about 1/4 cup hoison sauce. You don't need a lot of the sauce--just enough to coat everything. Let cook for about a minute.

Add the noodles, then toss to mix everything up.

Sprinkle on some sesame seeds--I, of course, added a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes!--and serve!

I love, love, love this dish! It is easy to make and very yummy--and unlike normal Asian cuisine, I wasn't hungry 30 minutes later. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

After a long day of putting together Ikea furniture and deep cleaning the bathrooms, the last thing I wanted to do was slave over a hot stove! So we had spaghetti with meat sauce, crescent rolls, and canned green beans--and it was delicious!

The ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
Olive oil
1 lb ground chuck
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Red pepper flakes, to taste (I probably used 1 teaspoon or so)
1 can tomato puree
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Italian green beans
1 pat butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar (not pictured)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not pictured)

Put a pot on to boil and cook your pasta. Chop up your garlic, then saute in a little bit of olive oil for a minute or two over medium-high heat--until the garlic is fragrant.

Add your hamburger meat, and cook until browned, stirring frequently.

About midway through, add a few shakes of onion powder and a pinch of dried rosemary.

Drain off the fat, then add your tomato puree, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, pepper, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Mix everything together, then reduce your heat and let it simmer while everything else finishes--or at least 10 minutes--until the flavors meld together.

While that's simmering, drain your green beans, then put in a microwave-safe bowl with your butter, brown suger, and garlic powder. Zap in the microwave for two minutes, stir, then microwave for one more minute. This is the type of green beans I always ate as a child--great for a fussy child who hates greens!

Then just plate and serve!

The red pepper flakes give a good spice to the sauce--and it made enough for a big plate of pasta amd leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken with Creamy Asparagus Pene and a Spring Mix Salad

Our local grocery had chicken breasts on sale ( I bagged 4 packs!), so chicken's on the menu for tonight! I fixed lemon chicken with creamy asparagus pene and a side salad.

The ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
Lemon pepper
Salt
Olive oil
Whole wheat pene pasta
Heavy Cream
Butter (not pictured)
Cracked black pepper
Asparagus
Shredded Romano cheese
Salad fixins
You'll also need some saran wrap and a meat pounder or rolling pin.

Let's get started! Cook the pasta according to package directions, then pound your chicken to an even thickness. Sandwich a chicken breast between the saran wrap, then hit with your rolling pin until it's about 1/2 inch thick.

This is what the chicken should look like after you flatten it:

 Rub lemon pepper and salt into both sides of your chicken, then heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium-high.

 Once your olive oil is heated up, saute your chicken for about 4 minutes on each side. To keep the chicken moist, make sure the skillet is fully heated before you put the chicken in. The high heat sears the outside and keeps the chicken juicy.

While your chicken is cooking, combine 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/4 stick of butter in a small sauce pan and heat on medium until it's simmering.

Once it starts simmering, add about 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, and a handful of Romano cheese, then put on low heat.

Flip your chicken over and continue cooking until the internal temperature is 180 degrees. Once they're cooked, put them aside and let them rest.

Combine the sauce with the pene pasta and take off of the heat.

Chop up your asparagus then quickly fry in the skillet until it's al dente.

Combine your asparagus with your pasta, adding another 1/4 stick of butter.

Combine your salad fixins--I used a spring mix, an avocado, and some feta--then top with some garlic-olive oil dressing or my simple dill dressing. Then just plate and serve!

The lemon pepper in this makes it nice and light, and it was so yummy that there weren't any leftovers. Enjoy!