Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

via: http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2013/05/copycat-panera-asian-sesame-chicken-salad/

Found this recipe on Pinterest. And it is GOOD! Love the sauce on the chicken and love the dressing. You can play with the toppings and add lots of yummy things.

Ingredients

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 2 chicken breasts
chicken marinade
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Dressing
• 1/2 C rice vinegar
• 1/4 C sugar
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
Garnish
• chopped cilantro
• 1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/3 C sliced almonds
• wonton strips (I use chow mein noodles)
• Instructions

• Combine chicken marinade ingredients together and marinade chicken for 30 minutes.
• Grill chicken and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut into slices
Dressing
• Combine ingredients together and shake until combined
Salad
• Add together lettuce and spinach. Top with chicken, salad dressing and garnishes.

French Onion Au Jus

We needed a quick Au ju to go with our roast beef sandwiches. I was feeling French onion soup and made up this twist of both based on a better homes recipe. SO yummy! Pick out the onions and serve on the warm roast beef sandwich. SO SO good! 10/10! Would eat over and over! Serves 2-4

2 TBSP butter

1/2 onion sliced thin and cut in half

2 cups water

2 tsp. beef bouillon 

2 TBSP worchetershire sauce

Dash pepper

Melt buttet in a saucepan. Add onions and cook on medium-low heat until golden and soft. (About 8 minutes). Add water, bouillon, worchetershire and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes. Add pepper and bouillon to taste. 

Cream of Whatever (dry)

I LOVE homemade cream of whatever! But have found it difficult to do the whole freeze/ use in time thing going on with the wet stuff. This is a great option I found on pinterest via 1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com. You can play with any of the flavor/ spices and it is REALLY good! I'm thinking of subbing cornstarch for flour next time. :)

Cream of "something" soup recipe

1 cup non-fat dried milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup bouillon (if you have cubes you have to smash them up)
  You can use whatever kind you like (ie, beef, veggie)

4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced onions (I used the minced onions from Sam's Club)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme (I couldn't find the thyme so I used dried parsley instead)

1 teaspoon pepper

(For the equivalent of one can of condensed cream soup, mix 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water. Cook until thick)

Taco Seasoning

• 2 TBSP chilli powder 
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine/table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, optional.
• 
  
• 
  
• Combine all the seasonings together in a jar and shake until well mixed.
• Use 1 - 2 tablespoons seasoning mix for every pound of ground beef plus 1/2 - 2/3 cup water.
• You can tweak the seasoning to suit your own tastes. I went easy on the salt so you can salt and pepper to taste.

Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

Lighter Chicken Potpie

Ingredients

• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (12 to 14 ounces each) or leftover chicken
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, sliced 
• 2 stalks celery sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup frozen mixed veggies
• 2 red potatoes diced small
• 1/2 frozen peas
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
• 6 phyllo sheets (each 12 by 17 inches), thawed

Instructions

1. Cook chicken and cut up into small pieces or cut it and then cook it. Whatever floats your boat.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add carrots, onion, celery, potatoes and thyme; season with salt and pepper, and cook until crisp/ tender, add frozen veggies and cook 5-10 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.
3. Remove from heat; stir in chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
4. Stack phyllo on a work surface. Using a paring knife, cut out an 11-inch circle from the stack; discard trimmings. Stack 2 circles on work surface, and brush gently with 1 teaspoon oil; repeat with remaining circles and oil. Place phyllo stack over filling, and press down about 1/2 inch from the edge so phyllo fits inside rim of pie plate. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let potpie cool 15 minutes before serving.

Honey Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

A yummy sweet/ mildly spicy stir-fry. Easy. Add veggies as desired. Mix it up!

Via: Cooking Light

• 1 cup rice
• 1-2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
• 1 cup snap peas or snow peas
• 1-2 carrots chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced 
• 1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, unsalted 
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)

Preparation

1. 1. Cook rice.
2. 2. Combine chicken and next 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss to coat.
3. 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola and sesame oils. Add chicken mixture, and sauté for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Increase heat to high, and add broccoli and the next veggies (through red bell pepper). Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews.
4. 4. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to chicken mixture; toss to coat. Serve with rice.

http://img4-2.myrecipes.timeinc.net/i/recipes/ck/12/06/honey-cashew-chicken-rice-ck-l.jpg

Hawaiian Haystacks

Love to make homemade Haystack sauce. SO much better than the crud out of a can I live the full flavor of this recipe. Very good! 10/10

Hawaiian Haystacks: Chicken Sauce Reinvented

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS CHICKEN SAUCE 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks (or leftover cooked chicken, cubed)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic; finely minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2- 1 tsp. chicken bouillon 

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and raw chicken (if using leftover cooked chicken, don’t add it to the skillet now, you’ll add it later). Saute the onion and chicken, if using, until the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute – this helps get rid of the starchy, flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the salt and pepper. If you are using leftover cooked chicken, add it now. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5-8 minutes..
3. Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your toppings of choice, such as olives, tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, pinneapple, kool-whip, cashews and chow mein noodles.

Via: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/hawaiian-haystacks-chicken-sauce-reinvented/