Jennifer's Kung Pao Chicken

This was a quick and easy recipe. I pretty much had all the ingredients already at home which is awesome! However, I did need to buy some peanuts. I thought about putting in almonds (my favorite nut) instead but when I asked Judy what she thought, she gave it a thumbs down. So, I went to the market to buy them but forgot all about it when I actually got there. So, I ended up buying a bunch of other things but no peanuts. Of course, I realized this AFTER I got home! Thus, my Kung Pao Chicken has no peanuts in it. =( However, it was still yummy and tasted great with my previously frozen couscous - my lunch today. Next time, I think I'd add a red bell pepper or something. Yes, Judy, I know.... we discussed this as well, but of course, I totally forgot about buying that as well...

Jennifer's Enchiladas

I got all of my ingredients (ones I didn't already have at home) from Trader Joe's, which is awesome because then I didn't need to make numerous stops. A change I made was not adding in the chicken broth. I thought that might take away from the flavor. Oh, and I used a Mexican blend cheese since I'm not a big fan of just cheddar and omitted the olives because again - not a big fan. They turned out great! The only thing I'd change for next time is to season the meat a bit more and maybe add another can of chiles for more spiciness. My mom was here to help with the assembly which was very helpful. My mom, sister, and Andrew all enjoyed it. It was my sister's first time eating enchiladas, but she said it was good. Andrew ate 5 or 6 then took some home so he obviously liked it. Oh, as a trial I make one enchilada without frying it in oil beforehand. It did break a bit more than the others but still tasted fine. Thanks PW!

Kathleen's Foil Baked Fish

I never understood why people say that they like fish, just not fishy fish. I'm sorry, but what does that mean exactly? I guess I don't understand because I do like fish. So I liked this recipe. I used halibut and no orange zest. I used 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of smart balance. Publix didn't have any cilantro when I went so I didn't use that. But even if they did have it and I'd bought it, I probably would have forgotten to add it in anyway. I used 2 scant teaspoons of the chiles in adobo because I'm a spice wimp. And I baked the fish for 16 minutes because I figured it'd keep cooking in the packets once they were out of the oven, and I didn't know how to check them without opening a packet and releasing the steamy goodness. Overall, I really liked the fish. And the corn and beans were yummy too. My advice would be to be sure to use that baking sheet - one of my packets leaked and I don't even want to imagine the stinky mess it would have left on the bottom of my oven without it!

Lisa's Solo Enchiladas

As you can see, this is just lonely me making the enchiladas. If you girls can please photoshop me into all your enchilada photos from Florida please. (judy, notice the cute apron! don't mind the semi-murf in my fat ass)

I pretty much followed the recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I absolutely love her step by step photos. It really clarifes ALOT for me since I am such a doo-doo head in the kitchen. I did notice, however, that the summarized written directions are slightly different from her photo directions. I threw in the cilantro at the beginning of the sauce instead of at the end. Not sure if that makes a difference though. Anyhow, like I said, I'm a doo-doo head in the kitchen, so PW didn't say to stir the sauce occassionally while it simmered or after it simmered. So I didn't. While I poured the sauce over all the tortillas (last step), I realized that the flour was still stuck to the bottom of the pot. It didn't really get stirred into the sauce. Ooops.

But the enchiladas still turned out really good. I actually made 20 enchiladas... I still had some of the meat (I used turkey) leftover that I just stuffed the meat into the side of the pan and in open spaces and stuck it into the oven like that. Two pans of enchiladas. Can I saw Yum Awesome? Or is that trademarked???

Although very good, it took about two hours from start to end. I'm not sure the enchiladas are worth the clean-up though. There was seriously sauce everywhere-on the stovetop, in the sink, on the counter. But I'm very happy with the result, being my first time ever to make enchiladas. More simple than I thought it would be. Good choice!

On a gross note, I had a band-aid on my finger from a paper cut. I'm pretty sure the band-aid went into the trash before I started cooking, but can't be sure. I hope it's not lost in the enchiladas while I was wrapping them. That would be gross.

Judy's Black Bean and Couscous Salad

This was a great dish for lunch!! I bought the couscous from the self-serve barrel at Sprouts and was eyeballing how much one cup was and ended up with about 1 1/4 cups of couscous and used it all. I used one can of black beans and instead, used 2 cups of corn. I actually brought some for my "work parents" to try out and we all agreed over lunch that it was good, but it definitely needed more dressing. It lacked flavor and it might have been because I didn't compensate enough dressing for the amount of cous cous I used. So next time I will make more dressing! I will definitely make it again! And of course, I forgot to take a picture, but it looks just like everyone else's!

Judy's Enchiladas

Oh mylanta! These are really good (and some of you probably need mylanta after eating them). Although, I had some when I was in Florida, I wanted to make it again to share with the Mister because I knew he would like it too! I followed the ingredients and recipe exactly but used one pound of ground beef instead of one and a half which ended up being the perfect amount for ten tortillas. I had somewhat of a tortilla mishap when three of them were already torn before I opened the package and I made holes in another two when I was picking them up with the tongs. I just patched them up with the torn off pieces :) My enchiladas tasted different than Kathleen's probably because we used different brands for the red sauce and chicken broth. I also didn't use all the sauce, but the enchiladas still tasted deeeelish! I would definitely cook these again!!

Kathleen (and Jennifer and Judy)'s Enchiladas

This week I was fortunate enough to have two members of BSC at my house in Florida to help make the Pioneer Woman's enchiladas. The process was not the easiest, but it was definitely easier and more fun with the girls there! Our enchiladas were freaking awesome. The only changes we made were no olives (barf) and no green onions (because I forgot to buy them, oops!). The picture looks like crap because I couldn't cut them like a normal person. But we served them with sour cream and they tasted freaking fantastic. And my love for PW continues to grow. Thanks Jennifer and Judy for making these with me and Lisa, make sure you make these, they are muy delicioso!

Judy's Kung Pao Chicken

I modified this recipe for 3 pounds of chicken rather than 1 pound of chicken because I had 3 guys to feed and myself :) Instead of using boneless skinless chicken breast, I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. I followed the ingredients exactly as the recipe stated but I added one more because I wanted to add a vegetable/green item (because I went on a weekend trip where I had no vegetables at all, I was craving some veggies!) Initially, I was thinking if adding green bell peppers, but when I was talking to the Mister about it, he told me at the Panda Express they use zucchini for their kung pao chicken. Zucchini is my favorite squash, so it was a great choice for an addition to the dish. The verdict--- very good! The Mister, the guys, and I all thought it was good. One said it was just like the restaurant. I will definitely cook it again. And it was one of the only recipes where I had all the ingredients at my house!

Lisa's Kung Pao Chicken

I followed the recipe steps exactly but the ingredients I changed a bit. I substituted minced garlic for powder garlic, salted peanuts for dry roasted, and I used the frozen packaged chicken instead of "fresh chicken"...not that chicken can be all that fresh if it's not freshly killed chicken...(like the chicken from my mom's backyard!) Roger bought the chicken when he went to Ralph's because it was on sale. He's a sucker for a sale and I guess I'm a bit of snob now that I have a Costco card and buy my Foster Farms chicken in bulk. So now I'm stuck with cooking that frozen chicken until it's gone!

Surprisingly, the chicken wasn't all that bad. It was tender and moist. I don't know if it was tender because of the coating of cornstarch or because it was the frozen chicken...but it was tender nonetheless.

The Kung Pao Chicken was actually pretty good. It was easy to cook with minimal ingredients. I'd cook it again and next time, with the non frozen chicken!

Total Cost of Meal: Hard to calculate because many of the ingredients I already had...so probably around $5

Lisa's Black Bean and Couscous Salad

So I just finished making the salad...I pretty much followed the recipe word for word (which is a rarity) except I used canned corn instead of frozen. I chopped about 6 green onions and it looked like it would overpower the salad, that I ended up only using a little more than half of what I chopped up. After reading Kathleen's post, I decided to only use 1 can of black beans also. I like black beans, but don't love. Good change, Kathleen! I was surprised with the amount of couscous...for some reason, I thought there would be more. But I am pleasantly surprised... It's a nice balance of grain and veggies. I think next time, I would add a bit more of the lime...I only bought two limes and I think I would add just one more to get more of a citrus taste to it.

Overall, good side dish. I never would have made this if not for BSC, so thank you! A great, healthy dish, especially for potlucks!

Total Cost of Meal: about $8

Kathleen's Kung Pao Chicken

I made this last week and it tasted great! I used a heavy hand on the peanuts (probably a little more than 1/2 cup) because I love peanuts and a light hand on the red pepper flakes (more like 1/4 teaspoon) because I'm a big chicken. And it came out just right for me. I've never coated anything in cornstarch and/or fried anything in sesame oil before so I am not sure which caused this, but watch out because it splatters A LOT and it's LOUD!! Maybe the loudness made the splattering seem more violent, but it was definitely enough to take note of. Also, this was the first time I've ever used rice vinegar and I almost had a meltdown at the store because I didn't know if I was supposed to get regular rice vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar. A quick look at the ingredients list told me that the "seasoning" was just sugar and salt. So I decided to get the plain rice vinegar since the recipe already had sugar and salt in it. But when I got home and unpacked my groceries, I realized that I'd picked up the seasoned one after all. Gooooo me! The chicken tasted good though. And that's all that matters, right?

Jennifer's Black Bean and Couscous Salad

Yum! I love all the colors and taste! Like Kathleen, I used Trader Joe's whole wheat couscous. The only other change I made is using lemon instead of lime (I forgot to buy a lime at the market but had lemons at home.). I did make the mistake of not drying the cilantro completely, so the salad did come out a bit soggy. However, it was still tasty. Best of all, the recipe was quick and easy to make!

Kathleen's Black Bean and Couscous Salad

I was skeptical about this salad at first, but it is good you guys! The only changes I made to this recipe were that I used whole wheat couscous (from Trader Joe's), 1 can of black beans (I love black beans, but not that much), and only 5 green onions (my bunch came with 6 and I saved one for next week's recipe). Some reviewers said to make a double batch of dressing but I made a single batch and it tasted just fine. It has an interesting mix of textures and I love anything "southwesterny." But beware, it makes a ton! That 8-10 servings bit is no joke!

April Recipes

Sorry for the delay ladies! Here are the recipes for April, in order of submission. Have at it!

Black Bean and Couscous Salad - April 4-10

from allrecipes.com

1 cup uncooked couscous

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

8 green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained

salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn, and beans and toss to coat.

Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8-10.

Chosen by Jennifer

Kung Pao Chicken - April 11-17

from BlogChef.net

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch pieces)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons green onions (chopped)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Combine chicken and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss to coat. Heat sesame oil in wok over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from wok.

Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and powdered ginger to the wok and stir fry for 15 seconds.

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and then add the sauce to the wok.

Return the chicken to the wok and coat with sauce. Stir in roasted peanuts. Heat thoroughly. Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over white rice.

Chosen by Lisa.

Simple, Perfect Enchiladas! - April 18-24

from the Pioneer Woman

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 can (28 oz) enchilada or red sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

For the meat:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 whole medium onion, finely diced

2 cans (4 oz) diced green chiles

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the tortillas:

10 (to 14) whole corn tortillas

1/2 cups canola oil

To assemble:

3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped black olives

1 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Step 1 - The Sauce

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step 2 - The Meat

Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chiles and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step 3 - Tortillas

Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp - about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step 4 - Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1/2 cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Serves 6.

Chosen by Judy.

Foil-Baked Fish with Black Beans and Corn - April 25 - May 1

from The Best Simple Recipe page 171

4 skinless white fish fillets (6 to 8 oz each), 1 inch thick

salt and pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo

1/4 teaspoon grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 orange

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups corn kernels

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Using fork, beat butter, 1 teaspoon chipotle, orange zest, half of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl until combined. Spread butter mixture over tops of fillets.

Combine beans, corn, 2 tablespoons cilantro, orange juice, remaining chipotle, remaining garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Lay four 14-inch lengths of foil on counter. Divide bean mixture evenly over lower half of each piece of foil, then top with fish. Fold foil over fish, folding edges to seal.

Arrange packets in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake until fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully open packets and sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve.

Serves 4.

Chosen by Kathleen