Cashew Chicken

    So I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I ate this two nights ago, therefore this is lightyears faster than my current rate of...zero blog posts. Now I am not one for spicy food, so I chose to cut the amount of red pepper flakes drastically, and left that for the end so Patrick could pile on as much as he wanted, but I stuck with the savory delicious mixture. So fear not, those that have sensitive tongues such as my own- when you cook your own meals, you hold all the spicy power in your hand!

Cashew Chicken 

It tastes really good when you mix the veggies with the rice and chicken. It's like a crazy yummy fried rice but not

1 pound of chicken breast,  cubed
2 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce ¼ cup oil
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it, a little goes a long way)* If you want to make it spicy
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp of jarred minced garlic)1/2 cup cashews, unsalted toasted sesame seeds lightly or unsalted cashews.
sauce: 4 tbsp soy sauce 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch 4 tsp sugar 2 tsp white vinegar

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce with chicken in medium sized bowl. . Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 4 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp vinegar. Set aside. Slice the green onions, and measure out the red pepper flakes and minced garlic. 

Drain chicken in strainer to get the marinade off as much a possible. Heat oil in a wok over high heat.  Add red pepper flakes to oil,stir a couple times. Add chicken all at once, let sit for a minute or two till golden,then turn chicken. Add garlic to chicken. Cook chicken till golden on all sides and cooked through. drain oil if there is still an excessive amount. Add cashews. Move wok off hot stove and immediately pour in sauce while constantly turning chicken over to cover everything in sauce. Sauce should thicken quite a bit, if you want it thicker put it back on medium heat for about 5-10 seconds, and stir, stir, stir. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and add sliced green onions. Serve over Rice. ENJOY!

-slightly adapted from Mammachelle

-Sweet Sarah

Pumpkin Protein Bars

    
   
       So, I totally have been not blogging for a couple months... I am horrible. Obviously, I've still been eating and luckily, I've still been taking pictures so that once I DO start blogging (as in right now), I at least will still be able to add on all the delicious things I've been eating.

My really good friend, who is a big workout fanatic, requested I start making healthier things since all I ever do is stuff all of my friends full of carbs, sugar, fats, rinse, repeat (get it? I think I'm so clever). Luckily for him, I knew of a really delicious and super nutritious protein bar recipe, thanks to another friend from work.


These bars take a little extra work, but they're super good and incredibly healthy, you'll be pleasantly surprised. These bars are from www.bodybuilding.com and there are several other delicious recipes and flavors they have; I LOVE the cinnamon ones but have not made them personally yet. On another yet relevant note, Jamie Eason is a crazy godlike creature that must be from another planet. That is all. Now here are the bars!

Pumpkin Protein Bars

Nutrition Facts:

Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein

Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein 

Ingredients:

½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (Ideal)*
1 - 4 oz. jar baby food applesauce
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground clove
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 - 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin
2 C oat flour
2 scoops vanilla whey protein
½ cup almond milk
½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

*You can use any sugar/sugar combination you want

     Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.
3. Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.
4. Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min.
5. Makes 24 squares.

From Jamie Eason at Bodybuilding.com

Smothered Chile Colorado Burritos

     Not to beat a dead horse, but I love anything Mexican or Tex-Mex as you can clearly see just browsing through my blog. This recipe calls for cooking the meat on low for 7-8 hours, but after sitting around for three hours on base with Patrick as he did all his deployment inprocessing, I didn't have time for such long cooking lengths. I cut the time in half and cooked it on high and I was afraid the meat would come out tough, but it was just fine. I'm sure it would have been a lot juicier and tender if I would have done it properly so I recommend just that!

      Smothered Chile Colorado Burritos

    1 1/2 lbs. stew meat

    1 (19 oz) can red enchilada sauce I use El Paso Mild brand

    2 beef bullion cubes

    refried beans either from a can or the recipe I provided you with

    5-7 burrito size tortillas

    1 cup shredded cheese more or less depend ending on personal preference

*I served mine topped with my favorite salsa and guacamole. 

 

Instructions

    Put beef pieces into crock pot. Top with crushed bouillon cubes and enchilada sauce. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is very tender.

    When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired.

    Make sure beans are warmed through. You can use canned refried beans or the recipe Nicki provides on her website here: Refried beans recipe

Smear about 2 heaping spoons worth of beans on to the center of each tortilla of each tortilla. Add about 1/2 cup of beef, give or take, and roll into a burrito.

    Place burritos into a greased 9x13 baking pan until it fills the pan. Pour some of extra sauce over the tops of the burritos to smother them. Place cheese on top.

    Broil until cheese becomes bubbly, approx. 2-4 minutes.

    This recipe makes about 5-7 burritos depending on how big you make them.

-Sweet Sarah 

 

Found at Chef in Training 

 

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

     Well, I did exactly what I said I would do; I made two Pumpkin recipes this week! a couple days ago I made Caramel and Pumpkin Blondies and used the leftover Pumpkin for these bad boys. If you were to read the ingredient list, you'd think these would be time consuming or take a lot of work but they really aren't as complicated as they look. These definitely pack a punch, and the choclate on top really pulls all the flavor together. I shouldn't say this on this page because I don't want to hurt these bars feelings, but if I had to pick, I'd say the caramel and Pumpkin Blondies were definitely my favorite, sorry bars! I'm pretty sure there is nothing normal or sane about the previous sentence... 

    Next, I will be making my favorite pumpkin bread recipe! Stay tuned, and be prepared for a plethora of pumpkin this fall and winter season :)

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars 

Snickerdoodle Layer

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

White Chocolate Drizzle

3 oz White chocolate (not necessary to measure, just just about 1/3 cup or so and if you need more then  use more!)

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly.  Spray the parchment paper as well.  The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later

To make snickerdoodle layer:

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be thick and cookiebatter-ish.)

To make pumpkin pie layer:

In a mixer bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) with a paddle attachment, mix together all ingredients until well combined.  Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.

Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the *center* of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely (about an hour). They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm, but are still equally as yummy.

After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it’s completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.

- Sweet Sarah 

Found at Caramel Potatoes

Caramel and Pumpkin Blondies

        It has happened. The first can of Pumpkin puree has been opened, and there's no going back now. It is officially fall (yes, any time before this was, in fact, not fall yet). The perks of being military overseas is that thousands of families all shop at the one same grocery store! yay! Even though its early in the game-as it it merely October-the commissary shelves are already completely wiped clean of canned pumpkin. Luckily I have a small stockpile from all the other years of living here and preparing for the commissary pumpkin apocalypse, which is what aided the creation of these desserts last night.
         Another fun fact about the commissary's pumpkin supply is that they do not stock regular sized cans. You know, the some odd 15 oz cans that EVERY SINGLE RECIPE EVER calls for. Instead they stock double sized cans, which either means you must save half the can (or more, even) OR double all of your recipes. Basically, probably within the next two days, be expecting at least one to two more pumpkin recipes to be featured on this blog. I already have my next two recipes picked out....

         You need to eat these. Whether you make them or not, make sure they end up in your mouth at one point or another that's what she said. sorry.  The caramel is absolutely perfect, the bars come out super moist and pretty, and everything is wonderful. Just the slightest hint of chocolate, perfectly gooey caramel that's neither too hard nor too runny.....

just.


perfect.


I had one as soon as I came home from work, and now hours later I just ate another one because typing this blog post was too much to handle without eating another one.

Caramel Pumpkin Blondies

FOR THE BLONDIES:

¾ cups Butter, Softened

1 cup Packed Brown Sugar

2 whole Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup Pumpkin Puree

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

½ teaspoons Nutmeg

1-¾ cup All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ teaspoons Salt

FOR THE FILLING:

½ cups Chopped Walnuts* I made mine without nuts

¼ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

14 ounces, weight Caramels, Unwrapped (1 Bag)

¼ cups Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, vanilla and pumpkin until combined. Slowly incorporate the remaining ‘blondies’ ingredients into the batter. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly to ensure a smooth batter. Spread about 2/3 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

For the filling: Sprinkle nuts* and chocolate chips over top of the batter.

Place caramels and cream into a heat-proof bowl. Microwave on high until caramel is smooth and completely melted, being sure to stir every 20 seconds. Stop as soon as it’s melted and smooth.

Pour melted caramel over chocolate and nuts*. Spread around evenly with a butter knife or spoon. Place dollops of the remaining batter over the top of the caramel layer. Spread those dollops out to try and get a smooth layer of batter over top. (It’s fine if some of the caramel layer is peeking through).

Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. (It might come out with a little caramel on it which is fine. You don’t want batter on the toothpick).

Cool completely before serving. Or be prepared to get a whole lot of oozing caramel if you serve it warm.

If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Can sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon for presentation purposes but also are just fine without :) 

-Sweet Sarah 

Found at Tasty Kitchen