Szechuan Chicken Recipe

From laloosh.com...apparently all the recipes I am finding are for Asian foods.


Healthy Szechuan Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1lb pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
Sauce
- 3 tbsp fat free chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:
To prepare Szechuan sauce: Whisk broth, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, coriander, black pepper and crushed red pepper in a small bowl.
To prepare chicken: Combine chicken, rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, cornstarch and garlic in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large skillet over high heat. Add oil into the pan, then add ginger and onion. Stirfry for about 30 seconds. Then add the chicken mixture. Cook until the chicken begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Continue stir-frying until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add broccoli, peanuts, and bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Now stir the Szechuan sauce into the pan and stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with scallions. Serve immediately.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1 cup
Each serving = 6 Points +

PER SERVING: 233 calories; 10g fat; 11g carbohydrates; 28g protein; 4g fiber

Asian Chicken and Vegetables with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Found this recipes on emily bites, a website that has lower calorie meals. Since I am trying to plan some healthier meals, I wanted to save this recipe to try later. As always, I will NOT be using scallions. Blech.

Asian Chicken and Vegetables with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
1 c fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
2 T peanut butter
2 t soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
1 T sriracha (Thai hot sauce – found by the other Asian products)
1 T sugar
12 scallions (green onions), cut into small pieces
12 oz bag of broccoli slaw (can usually be found in the produce section by the bagged salad)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 T of crushed or chopped peanuts (I pounded mine with a meat mallet)

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha and sugar. Stir together and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer. Keep simmering over low heat throughout the remaining steps.
2. Lightly mist a large sauté pan or skillet with cooking spray and add the broccoli slaw, scallions and ½ cup of the peanut sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a medium-high heat. Cook until the vegetables are tender and sauce is absorbed (5-8 minutes). Transfer vegetables to a separate dish and cover to keep warm. Set aside.
3. Mist the pan with cooking spray again and bring it back over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, the garlic and 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce and cook until chicken is cooked through.
4. Mound the vegetables evenly onto four plates and top with the chicken. Spoon the remaining peanut sauce over the top of each plate. Sprinkle crushed peanuts over the top and serve.

Yields 4 servings. WW P+: 7 per serving

Pork Chops Marsala

Here is a Cooking Light recipe that I want to try...

Pork Chops Marsala


Give your weeknight pork chops a makeover with the comforting flavors of Marsala sauce. Save time in the kitchen by purchasing pre-minced garlic and pre-chopped mushrooms.



Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1/2 cup sauce)


6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup minced shallots (about 2)
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup Marsala wine or dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pork from pan.

Add shallots, garlic, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Add remaining 2 tablespoons flour and thyme to pan, and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Combine chicken broth and Marsala, stirring until smooth. Gradually add broth mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Return pork to pan; cook 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.



CALORIES 242 (25% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 2.5g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 44mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.4g; SODIUM 299mg; PROTEIN 27g; FIBER 1.1g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Sister's chicken dish

This is untried (by me). Sister got it from the Pioneer Woman website, but it has since been removed (Kayotic, Dutch Girl Cooking, did it for her, maybe she told her to take it down! Website drama, dum, dum, DUM). She swears it is fabulous, I want to try it soon.

½ cup mayo
¼ cup parm
4 chicken breasts
2 sundried tomatoes
1 tsp Italian herbs
1 tsp basil
cayenne pepper



Mix together

2 Tbs breadcrumbs
garlic salt
1 Tbs Parm
½ tsp oregano

Mix that (topping)

Put chicken in oven dish (pound or slice in half and make more topping)

Spoon mayo mix on top then sprinkle crumb topping on top

Bake 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees (top is crispy)


Sister just cuts up as much sundried tomatoes as she wants (doesn’t use basil or cayenne)
Dollop, spread, uses seasoned bread crumb and mixes in parm (no seasoning)



UPDATE: I tried this tonight and LOVED it. I highly recommend it.

Low Country Boil

Okay peeps, we did this Friday night and it rocked. I made it using one of those turkey fryer cookers, the kind with the propane burner and a strainer insert thingy (like my technical term?). We had almost 20 people, so I doubled the recipe - which would have made the pot too full, so I put part of it in a stock pot in the house.

The best way to do this boil is to serve it outside. Just cover a table with a clean plastic tablecloth and just pour the food on top. Everyone just makes a plate or stands around the table, eating with their hands. Our guests opted to use plates, to enjoy the baked beans and bread we had too, but at the end of the meal, right before we packed the leftovers there were about eight people standing around the table eating shrimp.

Add some beer and some yummy dessert and you end up with a GREAT party! I highly recommend trying this with your friends (and that is saying a great deal, because I HATE shrimp).


Low Country Boil

2.5 pounds of red potatoes (halved or quartered)
1 package of smoked sausage (cut into slices)
6 ears of corn (cut in half)
3 lbs of shrimp (cleaned and deveined, raw, shells on still)
Zatarain's Crab Boil bag
Old Bay seasoning
Lemon (quartered) - optional


Fill a huge pot halfway full with water, cover and bring to a boil. Add the crab boil bag, potatoes and sausage and then add some Old Bay if you would like. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the corn and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the shrimp and lemon and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the shrimp is nice and pink. Remove the strainer and drain all of the water from the food. Pour food on to table, remove the boil bag.

Chicken Tikka Masala

My sister found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. LOVE it. We did change the amount of salt as the way it was written would be sure to give us cankles for days.

You can use more or less jalapenos to adjust the heat. Plus I don't like cilantro (hello, tastes like soap) so I leave that out. I usually just cook the chicken on a broiling pan in the oven instead of grilling, because I am lazy, and it always turns out great.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 tsp salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers

1 Tbs butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Tijuana Pie

I got this recipe from my Dad's wife, Lee. I omit the corn and olives because I hate corn "in" stuff and well, I hate olives in ANYTHING. I make this in a round crockpot.


Tijuana Pie

1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 pound (or more) of grated cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)
2 10 oz cans of red enchilada sauce
2 16 oz cans of chili seasoned beans
1 8 oz of corn (OPTIONAL)
1 6 oz of sliced black olives, drained (even more OPTIONAL)
9 corn tortillas

Brown beef, onion and garlic. Pour off excess fat. Season with salt and pepper. Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the crock pot, top with 1/4th the meat, then 1/2 a can of enchilada sauce and cheese. Add another tortilla, cover with 1/2 a can of beans, 1/4th a can of corn, a few olives and cheese. Repeat those layers three more times. Top with one more tortilla and top that with the last of the cheese.

Cover the crockpot and cook 5 - 7 hours on low.

Barbecue

Barbecue. Cue. BBQ. Bar B Q. I really don't care what you call it, but this is my recipe. Now I prefer Eastern North Carolina BBQ from a pig pickin' but since I don't have a cooker nor a good Eastern NC BBQ recipe, this is a good second.

Now my mother will claim that this is HER recipe. Hello, Becky, I doubled the brown sugar, so it is mine now. Bite me, Mama!

For the meat, I like to cook a 4 to 5 pound pork shoulder butt in the crock pot on low over night with about a cup of water and seasoned with greek seasoning. My mom cooks it in the pressure cooker but I am scared I'll lose an eye with one of those things. You just take the meat, remove all bone and fat, and then shred the rest with forks or your hands (I won't judge).


Barbecues

1 stick butter (or margarine if you're my mom)
1 onion chopped
3 Tbs vinegar
1 cup ketchup (yes ketchup, don't be a hater)
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce "gets thicker" (thank Becky for that). Add the meat and cook until warmed through.

Chicken Enchiladas

Okay, now these chicken enchiladas are killer. My sister originally got the recipe out of either a Better Homes and Gardens or Betty Crocker cookbook...or so she says. I have yet to find it in either myself. I have doubled the cheese of the original recipe (hello? who wouldn't?) and the original recipe used corn tortillas, but I prefer flour. If you like heat, try a can of diced jalapenos instead of the green chilis.


Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb chicken
3 Tbs butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbs flour
1 cup sour cream
1 can diced green chilis
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
8-10 small corn or flour tortillas (I prefer the flour)

Boil the chicken and then shred it. Place shredded chicken into a large bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 in casserole dish by spraying the inside with cooking spray.

Melt butter over medium-high heat, then add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. In a small bowl, stir the flour into the sour cream until well blended. Add the sour cream and flour to onion mixture and stir until well combined.

Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth and then add the green chilis. Cook until the mixture begins to boil and starts to get thicker. Remove from the heat and add 1 cup of the cheese. Then pour 1/2 of sauce over your chicken and mix together well. . Fill the tortillas with chicken mixture, and roll burrito style. Place them in the prepared dish seam side down (cram them in there if you have to). Pour the rest of the sauce over the filled tortillas and then cover with the remaining cup of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes (or until the cheese is melted).