Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

My three year old wont try anything, but I think some kids might like this because it involves dipping in peanut butter. I made these for a party once and everyone really liked them.

The recipe comes from Sept. 22nd Rachael Ray show.

Ingredients

1 pound chicken tenderloin strips (about 20 strips), or can use round steak cut in strips

1 1/4 Cups Teriyaki sauce

4 garlic cloves

2 to 3 teaspoons hot chili oil, to taste

1/2 Cup apple juice

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled

1-1 1/2 Cups peanut butter, chunky or smooth

Juice of 2 limes, zest of 1 reserved for sauce

1 Bunch scallions, thinly sliced

2 TBS. sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat a grill pan or a grill to medium-high. Soak Skewers in water, particularly if you are using an outdoor grill, so they don't flame up.

2. Place the chicken strips in a medium-large casserole dish and pour 1 Cup of the Teriyaki sauce, the crushed garlic and chili oil over them. Toss to combine and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator while you make the dipping sauce.

3. In a medium-size sauce pot, add the remaining 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce, apple juice, and the ginger. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and let it sit for about 2-3 minutes to incorporate the ginger flavor. Remove the ginger and reserve the liquid.

4. In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime zest and the hot Teriyaki/apple juice mixture until it resembles a dipping sauce consistency. Place the sauce in a serving bowl, and set it aside while you grill up the satays.

5. Remove the chicken strips from the refrigerator and skewer the stripes in and out as if you were treading straight up the meat. Grill the satays for about 1-2 minutes on each side, then give them a quick squeeze of fresh lime juice for a finish. Garnish the dipping sauce and meat with the scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

some random kids favorites

my kids love when i come home from costco and there is a large bag of lemons. they know the inevitable is coming, homemade lemonade........
i am always asked how i make this. i do have a rhythm but no real recipe. so i will give tips.
i use a 4 or 5 pound bag of the prettiest looking ones.
i cut the peel off, cut each end and then cut down. try to have only the lemon flesh showing. the peel and white flesh tend to make it a bitter flavor.
slice the remaining part of the lemon in slices. this also helps get the seeds out.
kid help - they love squeezing the tops and bottoms of the lemons into the container. also, they love to smash the lemons with a large spoon when they have been all cut up)

dump the slices in a large serving container with sugar, 3-4 cups and some ice. mash with a large spoon the lemons to get the juice started. let this set overnight in the fridge. in the morning add water and sugar to your liking. i also like to add frozen berries as ice cubes maybe 1/2 hour before serving. i also add cream of coconut or weeping strawberries (sliced strawberries with powdered sugar - let sit over night). it is a favorite, much love and labor involved also.

next up - school lunch rolls
let me preface this with saying these are the good school lunch reminder rolls that i grew up with, not my kids. school lunch is such a disappointment. they ban anything homemade and it so takes away from the nutrition. they have to have premade stuff which will inevitably have preservatives and unhealthy, unnatural additives. back on track here, this is how i make school lunch rolls.
start with the loaves frozen, it just works better. to thaw, i put in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. i then break apart and make little balls, placing in a greased pyrex. one loaf will get what you see in the picture, about 12 rolls. for flavor you can dip the tops of these in butter and then parmesan cheese or onion soup is also good.

turn your oven on warm for a few minutes. turn it off before you place the rolls in and place a bowl of hot water in a bowl below the pyrex. it should rise in about 2-3 hours.

cook on 350 for 15-17 minutes. my kids hate crust or hard on any part of a roll. these are soft and pillowy all around and the tops stay soft because of the butter. enjoy with a variety of toppings or with a large pot of soup.

roll em up kids......

so this next one came from years of eating chicken pillows, chicken roll ups and other variations. mostly influenced from my mom's recipe, this is one i came up with and we all heart it.

my kids love, love, love to help roll them up, dip them and most importantly, EAT THEM!

preheat oven to 350

3 chicken breasts cut into small pieces and sauteed. you could use a rotisserie chicken, frozen breasts or leftover chicken from a grill night.

1 tub of vegetable cream cheese

opt. cashews - my kids won't do nuts but if they don't mind, this gives an ultimate crunch and flavor

mix these 2 together. it might help if your chicken is warm or your cream cheese has been out at room temp for a few minutes.

2 packages of tube crescent rolls

1 cube of butter melted

2 cups of bread crumbs - season to your liking. i use salt, pepper, parm cheese, basil, parsley and oregano

take a spoonful of mixture and place in the center of the crescent roll. roll up sealing the sides. dip in the butter and then the bread crumbs.
this makes 16 and it usually works out perfect. bake for 20-25 minutes on 350. you can serve this with gravy or plain. i serve them with mashed potatoes (a fav at our house) and KoolAid on family night!

she loves brown gravy, you can use your favorite, traditionally it is served with chicken gravy. ENJOY!

Shredded Chicken Tacos

I love this recipe, because it is soooooooooo easy.

1 jar of thick and chunky red salsa (mild-hot, any brand your choice)

10 oz can of enchilada sauce (mild-hot, any brand your choice)

2-3 breasts of chicken (if you add more chicken add another jar of salsa, don't add more enchilada sauce). You can start with frozen chicken.

Throw all the above ingredients into a crock pot and cook on high 4-6 hours until chicken falls apart easily. About 30 minutes before you eat fry up some corn tortillas in medium high heat. We like the white corn ones. Just put some veggie oil in a pan fry one side, fold in half with crispy side in, then fry two outer sides. Let them cool on paper towel. These tortillas are much better than buying the ready made hard ones and they don't take long to do.

White corn tortillas

Veggie oil (or your preferred oil)

Shred chicken with fork and leave in sauce. Fill tacos with Chicken, and any of the following.

Torn or shredded lettuce (I find if I tear lettuce it does not go brown as quickly, or you can shred with a plastic or wooden knife. Metal will turn the lettuce brown).

1-2 chopped tomatoes

Sour cream

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

These are healthy and delicious, and you will have leftovers that can be frozen. Some times I make this a little fancier for guests and add more options for sides or fillers.

(optional sides or fillers)

Black beans- ( 1 can of black beans, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 TBS. salsa, lime juice, about 1/4 tsp cumin) Warm in sauce pan.

Saffron Rice-follow directions on package. We buy Mahatma.

family night anyone?

these 2 recipes were great at our house for a family night for 2 reasons, the first recipe is a great dumper. tons of stuff to dump into the bowl, enough that 2 young kids felt busy and helpful. older kids would be a great help chopping. the second recipe brings the best spirit of love into your home - period.

my onion trick-
Aunt Susan's Minestrone Soup

1 lb. sausage browned
2 onions chopped - the above picture is something a good friend, Mindy Georgi, told me to do when chopping onions, the bread absorbs the pain. opt. - i am obsessed with dried onions right now, i love that they sop up the flavor of everything you are cooking with, use 4-5 TB. if you go this route
3 carrots chopped
3 stalks of celery chopped
3 c. chopped cabbage - i use the bagged coleslaw to save time
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
simmer above in 5 cups of water until tender

add:
1 small can of beans, rinsed and drained (great northern or red kidney - or both)
1 can corn
1 can green beans

add:46 oz. tomato juice - on this you can see that i split this to half regular V8 and half V8 hot and spicy, you could just use tomato juice but this gives tons more flavor.

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

4 t. salt

4 TBSP. parsley

bring to a boil and simmer about 30 minutes

last 15 minutes, add a handful of cooked pasta. elbow or seashell work.
serve with Parmesan cheese.

side note- my aunt susan makes this soup every year on a fun fall picnic we do in the mountains a few minutes from our house. my aunties come with my grandma and we have an afternoon of hiking, eating and laughing. there is a long standing tradition of good everyday food on this side, it is where my passion to make ordinary everyday food the best it can be. we can have a family party of all salads and have a different salad from everyone with simple ingredients that tastes so good. so here's to the christensen women in my life!

this next recipe is great for family night because i truly think that when you make homemade bread there is a tangible spirit of love left in its wake. it is a time consuming process and is always appreciated by all who partake. this is from my friend Cara.

preheat oven to 150 or warm

5 1/2 cups warm water

2 TBSP yeast

2 TBSP salt - kosher or sea

2 TBSP dough enhancer - you can find this at a specialty store, it helps lighten the bread, i try to use less flour to keep it light. it is optional

2/3 c. olive oil, if you measure this first, the honey slides right out

2/3 c. creamy honey

12 c. flour - i use about 8-9 cups white and 3-4 cups wheat. i try to use the best flour, unbleached, not enriched, stone ground wheat. i love this wheat mountain from montana, they say it is better than organic

dissolve yeast in the water and add the rest of the ingredients to your kitchen aid, bosch or bowl and mix for 5-10 minutes or until a nice ball forms.

dough will be sticky, that helps to have lighter bread. i use 4 large bread pans, make sure you spray them.

also, to work with the dough, i spray the counter top with nonstick spray and divide dough into 4 parts with a knife.

turn oven off and put pans in oven for 20-40 minutes.

while pans are still in oven, preheat oven to 350 and cook for 30-35 minutes.

tip-remove your bread promptly from pans or they will sweat and turn the bottom soggy and wet.

this, is what you will get with homemade bread - a daughter that loves it and asks when you are making it again. she sees how much work and how good a hot slice from the oven is.....payment enough.

sidenote - i did bread just to say i did it a couple months back and i now make all of our bread. i want to become a bread master and i am on loaf 31. (becca is working on pie master, almost 100) i love that i am in control of the ingredients and the quality. there is so much goodness in this tradition. can i just say that i think of deanna every time i make this. she grinds her own wheat and i have fond memories of seeing my ebbert friends with toast or slices of her fresh homemade bread with fabulous toppings.