Chicken Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry

I'm thinking that February is the new January.  Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure what happened to January.  I managed to get Christmas decorations put away.  I fed my family.  I washed dishes and did the laundry.  All the other things that I hoped to accomplish?  They're now on the February list.

I have a bunch of recipes I want to share with you, so we'll start with this one.  I've made this chicken broccoli mushroom stir fry twice in the past two weeks.  It's easy to make, and really tasty.   I originally saw it on Facebook - one of those videos that show you how to make a meal in 30 seconds.  Except it didn't really take 30 seconds.  More like 30 minutes, which is still pretty quick.

Cut up some chicken, dredge it in flour, and fry it up.



Mix up the sauce and stir fry the veggies.

Mix it all together... and done.

Serve over rice or noodles.  Prepare for everyone to tell you how good it is.

Chicken Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry

Ingredients

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ¾" pieces
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup all purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup honey
¼ cup soy sauce
½ tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated, or ½ tsp ginger powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp sesame oil

1¼ lb (6 cups) broccoli florets
1 small onion, sliced
¾ lb (12 oz) sliced mushrooms

Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

Toss chicken breast pieces in flour, salt, and pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a large pan.  Add chicken to pan and brown on all sides.

While chicken is cooking, combine sauce ingredients - broth, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil - in the same bowl that the leftover flour from the chicken is in.  Whisk it all together.  Set aside.

Remove cooked chicken from pan and set aside.  Add another tbsp of cooking oil to the pan and once it's hot, add the onion, broccoli and mushrooms.  Stir fry until the broccoli is crisp tender and the
mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.

Pour the sauce into the hot vegetables. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened then toss in chicken and cook another 30 seconds or until heated through.

Serve over rice or noodles, sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Enjoy!

Original recipe here

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Oven Roasted Broccoli

I may never steam broccoli again.  I've discovered that roasted broccoli tastes so much better.  

I've never been a big fan of boiled or steamed veggies.  I usually prefer them raw, with some sort of dressing or dip to smother them in.  Maybe I just don't prepare them properly, but bland, mushy vegetables aren't my favourite.

Roasted vegetables, on the other hand, are an amazing thing.  Better flavour, better texture.  Crisp and crunchy, yet still tender, without being soft.  A little bit spicy.  You need to try this.

Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper... all tossed with broccoli florets.

Spread out on a pan, and baked.

It's so simple that it barely needs a recipe.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Two bunches of broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

Combine oil and spices, toss with broccoli florets.  Bake in a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until florets are browned and stalks are fork tender.  Toss with parmesan cheese if desired.

Looking for more broccoli recipes?

 

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Friday, it's Friday!

Another week gone by.  Before you know it, June will be here.  Sweet summertime! 

I picked up a slew of books from the library, which I can't wait to dive into, but first I have to finish reading And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.

We've had a great week of weather which meant plenty of outdoor time... and, hooray, the CAST is OFF!

I found this great reading list to keep the kids reading over the summer.

If I ever get to plant a vegetable garden, I plan to grow garlic just so I can use garlic scapes.

It was interesting to read about the nine times the Canada Food Guide changed its mind.

I've added Istanbul to my travel wish list.  One day I will have the time and the means.

And I was busy in the kitchen this past week.   I made meat loaf for the first time in about a decade.  I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Italian Meatloaf, and it was so good that I should have doubled the recipe.  

Muffins loaded with apple chunks, and mango salsa that made fish lovers out of all of us.

   

Sweet potato hash with spinach and fried eggs.  This may be my new favourite way to enjoy eggs on the weekend.

And Broccoli Salad.  With cranberries, cheddar, and chia seeds.  Crazy good, crazy easy.

Broccoli Salad

2 bunches broccoli, chopped, approx 8 cups

1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1/4 cup sugar

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup shredded cheddar

1/8 cup chia seeds

Combine broccoli, salad dressing, sugar, onion, and dried cranberries.  Add cheddar and chia seeds, stir to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Sunflower seeds!  I forgot to add them this time, but often put them in... a 1/4 cup or so!**

Happy weekend!

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Stuffed Buns

I made these stuffed buns for the kids' lunches again, and it's time that I share this simple and oh-so yummy snack / lunch box treat with you.  The first time I made them I used leftover chicken and broccoli in the filling.

The next time I made them I used leftover ham and broccoli.

Both delicious.  These stuffed buns are almost as popular around here as my Pizza Buns, and I'm thinking about trying a stuffed pizza bun version...sort of like a pizza pocket...but with the same sweet, soft dinner roll dough that makes these stuffed buns so amazing. 

The bread maker is the star of the show.  It does most of the work.  But you can use your favourite dinner roll recipe if you don't have a bread maker.  The filling comes together quickly if you're using leftovers.  Some cooked meat and veggies, some cheese, and a bit of mayo to bind it all together.

Roll the dough out into flat rounds, scoop some filling onto each one, seal and bake.  Super simple.

Stuffed Buns

I batch of breadmaker dinner rolls

I 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked meat, such as chicken or ham
1 cup chopped cooked vegetable, such as broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, such as cheddar or mozzarella

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Bread Maker Dinner Roll Dough

Add to breadmaker in order listed:

8 oz warm milk

3 tbsp butter

3 cups flour

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp breadmaker yeast (or 2 tsp active dry yeast)

Set to dough cycle.  When cycle is complete, move dough to lightly floured surface and knead for one minute.  Divide into 16 equal portions.

Combine filling ingredients.

Roll each dough portion into a flat circle and scoop some filling into the centre of the circle.  Bring the edges together and seal, then place sealed side down in baking dish.  Allow to rise for one hour, then bake at 350°F for 15 min or until they are golden brown.

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Back to School, Busy Night Casseroles, and a Basic White Sauce

It’s September.  The kids are back to school and hockey is back on the calendar.  The weekend before school started I made the mistake of asking the kids to clean their rooms.  I ended up with eleven loads of laundry.  

Someone needs to kick my photo-a-day-arse because I've been missing plenty of photo opportunities despite the charming capture of Laundrygate.  I managed the obligatory back to school photos, four out of six anyway... although I find as the kids get older they get decidedly more scowly.  

I'm getting up earlier to pack lunches, and discovering that it's still dark... which strikes me as the most depressing thing about fall.

I know there's plenty to love about fall, but right now I'm in an end of summer funk.  

As hard as it is to let summer go, it’s time to welcome some structure and routine back into our lives.  A big part of that is dinnertime.  Something nourishing, and on the table shortly after everyone gets home from work and school, yet quick and easy enough for the nights when we’re heading right back out the door.  I’ll often throw together some kind of a casserole, combining meat, veggies, and grain or pasta… making it up as I go along.  Unfortunately, many casserole recipes call for some version of a creamed soup in a can.  I’ve used them in the past, and I’d be lying if I said I’d never use them again (our favourite tuna casserole depends on cream of mushroom soup), but I've come up with a slightly less convenient, healthier option which I have been using more and more often.

I'm sharing it with you, because I know I'm not the only casserole lover out there that wants to kick the canned soup addiction.  It's not exactly a recipe... more a basic framework that's easily modified based on what's in the fridge or cupboard.

It's a super simple, basic white sauce.  I started making this as a pasta topping when the cost of the fresh Alfredo sauce at the grocery store crept past the $10 mark for the two containers needed to feed eight of us.  A simple roux of butter and flour, some milk, seasonings and cheese will give you an amazing multi-purpose sauce.  

Use cream and Parmesan with a dash of nutmeg for a cheesy, creamy Alfredo.  Or Cheddar for homemade macaroni and cheese.   I recently discovered the shaved Parmesan at Costco and I am loving it... I could eat it right out of the container (okay, I DID eat some straight up), it’s that good.

Add generous amounts of basil and garlic, some cooked chicken, steamed broccoli, and cooked rice or quinoa for the casserole that comes in at a close second to our beloved tuna casserole.

This one’s also really good. Lean ground beef and onions scramble fried with Montreal Steak Spice, mix in the white sauce with some steamed green beans, and add a scalloped potato topping.  Or skip the potatoes and combine with pasta.  Delicious either way.

We do a seafood version too.  Sauteed scallops and shrimp are added to the sauce along with a bag of steamed mixed veggies and served over pasta.

The ingredient combinations are limitless, and easy to adapt to personal preferences.  Here's how I whip up an easy, multi-purpose white sauce:

Using your favourite whisk, mix up a basic roux with equal parts melted butter and flour until well combined.  This it not my favourite whisk, it's my second favourite.  My favourite whisk was nowhere to be seen and I later found it in the backyard.  I don't want to know why.  I'm glad my dishwasher has a sanitize setting.

Once the rue is bubbling and golden, slowing pour in milk, whisking constantly while it thickens.  Once you've achieved a nice smooth consistency, add some seasoning.  This is the batch that went into the quinoa, chicken, broccoli concoction so it's heavy on basil, with a dash of Worchestire sauce, some minced garlic and a dash of nutmeg.

And here's my beloved Parmesan.  Once you've seasoned your sauce you can add the cheese.  Your sauce will thicken as the cheese melts, so keep whisking and add milk as needed.  I find myself adding milk frequently throughout the entire process as it has a tendency to keep thickening even as it sits.

Basic White Sauce

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

dash salt

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in flour until smooth and well combined.  Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly.  Season, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.  That's it!

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