Pad Se Eew

If it's one thing I almost always overlook when trying to plan my weekly menus, it's Asian food. I'm not exactly sure why, as they come together fairly easily and are delicious. Oh, maybe it's due to half the recipes needing "this" added at just the right moment, or "that" needing to be cooked only mere seconds before it's too far gone. It kind of stresses me out.

But then I end up eating the dishes and remember that yes, it is so totally worth it to make it at home. Especially when the only other close option is greasy Americanized Chinese food that is way overpriced. Or delivery pizza that arrives barely lukewarm. Don't even get me started on that.

I'm not sure how I even came across this recipe, as I've never heard of Pad Se Eew before. Just one of those lucky times when a great recipe just randomly pops up while perusing a site, I guess. So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this probably isn't overly authentic, but honestly, I don't really care. It was definitely tasty and hit the spot.

Pad Se Eew

Adapted from: Allrecipes.com

6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
16 ounces frozen cut broccoli
1 (15 ounce) can baby corn
1 pound dried flat rice noodles
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the soy sauce, sugar, and Sriracha. Simmer until the sugar dissolves into the sauce, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Boil noodles for 3-4 minutes or as according to package instructions. Drain.

In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic and chicken to the pan, cooking until chicken is no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the broccoli and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the baby corn, and continue cooking until broccoli is heated through. Add the noodles to the skillet, and pour the sauce over top. Continue to cook and stir until the sauce begins to thicken.

Make a small space on the side of your pan, and add the egg. Scramble the egg, making sure it is cooked thoroughly, then stir it in with the rest of the mixture.

Serve topped with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.

Serves: 4

One of the other great things about this recipe is, outside the rice noodles, you most likely already have all the other ingredients in your pantry. Okay, except the chicken, that would be kind of gross. I love it when I am able to make an Asian dish without having to run all over the place looking for hard to find ingredients.

Both Adam and I really enjoyed this dish, although I made my noodles right when I first started (instead while I was cooking the chicken/veggies) so they ended up being kind of clumpy and hard to separate by the time I wanted to use them. Lesson learned.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 427g
Amount per serving
Calories 714	Calories from fat 88
% Daily Value
Total Fat 9.8g	15%
Saturated Fat 2.1g	10%
Cholesterol 79mg	26%
Sodium 1670mg	70%
Total Carbs 129.5g	43%
Fiber 7.5g	30%
Sugars 12.7g
Protein 24.0g
Vitamin A 7%	Vitamin C 76%
Calcium 7%	Iron 15%

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

While the majority of food popping up in my reader as of late has been very Easter oriented, I am headed in the other direction.

Quick. Simple.

Mexican.

-ish.

Okay, I don't even know if that's "the other direction", but whatevs. Doesn't matter.

What does matter, is that this is totally a weekday dinner. Nothing fancy to see here. It might not be fancy, but it totally gets the job done. Satisfying. Filling. Easy enough to get you in and out of the kitchen in 20 minutes or less and back to that comfy couch to zone out the rest of the night.

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

Adapted from: my Cooking Light, January 2012

1 cup shredded cooked boneless skinless chicken breast
1/3 cup medium salsa
1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 1/2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In a medium bowl, toss together chicken, salsa, beans, corn, and jalapenos. Spread 4 of the tortillas out on a work surface. Divide chicken mixture evenly between tortillas, spreading to cover. Sprinkle each quesadilla with 1/4 of the cheese. Top with remaining quesadillas.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Spray pan with cooking spray, then add one quesadilla to the pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer quesadilla to a plate and repeat with remaining 3 quesadillas.

Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 quesadilla to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until golden. Remove from pan, and repeat with remaining quesadillas.

Serves: 4

For a quick and easy dinner, this was pretty tasty. I'm not going to lie here, it might not have been the downright tastiest quesadillas ever, but for the simplicity, I'd definitely make these again.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 133g
Amount per serving
Calories 281	Calories from fat 109
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.1g	19%
Saturated Fat 6.3g	31%
Cholesterol 56mg	19%
Sodium 362mg	15%
Total Carbs 21.7g	7%
Fiber 3.7g	15%
Sugars 1.6g
Protein 21.4g
Vitamin A 6%	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 25%	Iron 9%

Spicy Thai Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets to American children is like peanut butter to jelly. Or chocolate. Even if the parents are completely pro non-hormone, non-fried, do-not-dare-feed-that-McDonald's-to-my-child, I'm sure the child has had, in some form or fashion, a chicken nugget. And they.love.them.

Admission: I still get chicken nuggets whenever we go to Chick-Fil-A. I pink puffy heart them.

There's a reason children people love them so much -- they're portable, easy to eat, and the good ones are seasoned well, juicy, and flavorful. But the buck doesn't have to stop there when it come to chicken nuggets. Clearly people have figured this out when it comes to chicken wings, and let's face it, boneless chicken wings is just a grown-up name for large chicken nuggets.

So there's absolutely no reason we can't bring home a little bit of that flavor to a healthier, non-fried version. Chicken nuggets for adults don't have to be plain Jane breadcrumb-crusted pieces of chicken any more.

Spicy Thai Chicken Nuggets

Inspired by: The Realistic Nutritionist

3 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup mild sweet Asian chili sauce (such as Maggi)
1 tablespoon garlic chili paste (sambal oelek)
1/2 cup panko
1/4 cup lightly salted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Slice chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. (I was able to get 7 pieces from a 4 ounce breast.) In a small bowl, whisk together the chili sauce and the garlic chili paste. Place the chicken breast pieces in a large ziploc bag. Pour the sauce over the chicken, seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray; set aside. Remove chicken from the fridge; set aside.

Place the panko in a wide, shallow bowl or plate. Place the peanuts into the bowl of a food processor, and grind until very fine. Mix ground peanuts and dried basil with the panko, tossing to combine. Roll each piece of chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, completely coating, then place in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken, making sure the pieces do not touch in the baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Serves: 3 (7 nuggets per serving)

Originally I added 1 teaspoon of basil to the recipe, but I felt it's flavor was a little on the strong side, so I have adjusted the recipe above to reflect a lower amount. But feel free to add more if you love it! I also think next go around I'll add more sambal oelek as the spice didn't come through in quite the way I was hoping. Or maybe I'll toss some red pepper flakes in the panko.

And trust me that they'll be a next go around. Adam wasn't even completely done going through 14 nuggets before telling me I HAD to make these again. Soon. Sounds good to me, especially since they take all of 10 minutes total of prep time.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 191g
Amount per serving
Calories 467	Calories from fat 126
% Daily Value
Total Fat 14.0g	22%
Saturated Fat 3.2g	16%
Cholesterol 101mg	34%
Sodium 1019mg	42%
Total Carbs 46.3g	15%
Fiber 1.5g	6%
Sugars 17.3g
Protein 37.6g
Vitamin A 2%	Vitamin C 3%
Calcium 6%	Iron 15%

Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate "feel better" soup. (Unless you're my husband and want vegetable soup in that scenario, but he's just weird.) I totally grew up on the Campbell's version of the soup, but you really can't beat it when it's homemade. (Um, of course, you can add three times as many noodles!)

Usually though, when I'm not sick, I tend to steer away from the comforts of the Chicken Noodle Soup. Not that I don't enjoy it, but, it has it's time and place -- when I'm sick. However, this version of Chicken Noodle Soup is one I definitely embrace sick OR healthy.

Sick version: up the amount of Sriracha and red curry paste and you will be guaranteed to clear out those sinuses. Even if you can't taste it.

Healthy version: keep "as is" and enjoy a nice spicy Asian flavored soup.

See, that's just a win-win for me.

Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from: RavieNomNoms

3 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
8 ounces cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup snow peas, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger
3 ounces uncooked rice flour noodles
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the first 9 ingredients (through ginger). Bring to a simmer for at least 5 minutes, then keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions; drain. Transfer 1/4 cup noodles into each soup bowl.

Remove ginger from broth mixture. Add lime juice and stir. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each bowl. Sprinkle with a tablespoon each of cilantro and green onions.

Serves: 4

Not only is this super tasty, but it's also a breeze to throw together. Simply heat the ingredients in a large pot and away you go. Kind of sounds like the canned Chicken Noodle Soup. But tastier.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 400g
Amount per serving
Calories 195	Calories from fat 22
% Daily Value
Total Fat 2.4g	4%
Saturated Fat 0.7g	4%
Cholesterol 44mg	15%
Sodium 648mg	27%
Total Carbs 22.6g	8%
Fiber 2.1g	8%
Sugars 1.8g
Protein 19.5g
Vitamin A 53%	Vitamin C 22%
Calcium 4%	Iron 10%

Pollo con Mojo de Ajo

Don't be afraid. It just sounds fancy. It's not. Promise.

It's simple and quick and oh yeah, it's Garlic Chicken.

Not all-up-in-your-face Garlic Chicken, but a nice muted but not quite subtle Garlic Chicken. A very simple profile of flavors which all come together nicely and really make a basic piece of chicken shine.

Which is a good thing. Blah chicken is just so, well, blah. Pair this with some Mexi Rice and you're golden.

Pollo con Mojo de Ajo

Adapted from: Cooking Light, January 2005

4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
4 lime wedges

Line a work surface with plastic wrap. Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer across it and cover with a second piece of plastic wrap. Pound chicken to a 1/2-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes on each side, or until done. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Melt the butter in the pan. Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute, taking care not to brown it. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Scrape the pan to loosen any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, until broth mixture has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice.

Serve chicken topped with 2 tablespoons sauce, sprinkled with cilantro, and a lime wedge.

Serves: 4

So, double score on working on two of my goals for the year -- take that #4 (serve more sides) and #5 (clean out my Google Reader starred items).

It's been so long since I've actually made a straight-chicken-no-frills dish. No, really, I can't remember the last time. I have to admit, it was kind of a nice change. Even the hubby, you know, the one who begged me forever ago to stop with all the chicken dishes, gave it two thumbs up.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 181g
Amount per serving
Calories 280	Calories from fat 132
% Daily Value
Total Fat 14.7g	23%
Saturated Fat 4.8g	24%
Cholesterol 109mg	36%
Sodium 351mg	15%
Total Carbs 2.3g	1%
Protein 33.3g
Vitamin A 3%	Vitamin C 8%
Calcium 3%	Iron 8%

Thai Chicken Pizza

I am spoiled when it comes to pizza. Last year, we would regularly trek over to a friend's house for pizza night -- but not just any pizza. Oh no.

Pierogie Pizza. Banana Pepper with Vodka Sauce Pizza. The Reuben Pizza. You get the idea. We aren't talking delivery here.

Needless to say, when I came across this recipe over on How Sweet It Is, I was sold. I love me some Thai food -- as long as it doesn't have coconut in it. Which may or may not be a large percentage of it. But that is neither here nor there.

Where was I?

Oh yes. Talking about how combining some classic Thai flavors on a pizza is a brilliant idea. Because it is. Trust. Perfect for breaking up the inevitable heavy winter food monotony.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Adapted from: How Sweet It Is

1 pound pizza dough
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon corn meal
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sweet Asian chili sauce
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces shredded cooked chicken
2/3 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Place pizza stone (or large baking sheet, or metal pizza pan) into a cold oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

If using refrigerated dough, let rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll dough out to a rough 1/4-inch thick circle. Sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal (this will keep the dough from sticking to the peel). Transfer dough to the peel.

Place 1/2 cup sweet Asian chili sauce onto the dough, spreading evenly across. Top with the mushrooms and shallots. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and shredded chicken. Add the Mozzarella cheese.

Open the preheat oven and slide the pizza from the peel to the pizza stone. Close the door and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheesy is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts, cilantro, and basil.

Serves: 8

While we don't have a fancy pizza stone, and I didn't make my own pizza dough (yay for Trader Joes!), this still turned out fabulous. Even though I may have slightly under-baked it. Let's just ignore that, shall we?

Because sweet + spicy = awesome. It's an equation you really can't argue with.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 128g
Amount per serving
Calories 427	Calories from fat 220
% Daily Value
Total Fat 24.5g	38%
Saturated Fat 6.3g	32%
Cholesterol 16mg	5%
Sodium 470mg	20%
Total Carbs 37.8g	13%
Fiber 3.1g	13%
Sugars 7.5g
Protein 21.2g
Vitamin A 5%	Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 9%	Iron 13%

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas

Adam and I have been going back and forth for years about the presence of "red sauce" on enchiladas. I'm not a fan. He is. I'll let you take a guess which way they're typically made.

(Er, well, actually they're not really made all that often if I'm being honest here.)

I can't quite put a finger on why exactly I'm not a fan of the red sauce. Too tomato-y? To liquid-y? Maybe because my mom never made them that way? All of the above?

When my friends started raving about a delicious enchilada dish they had just made, of course, I wanted the recipe. Completely forgetting that enchiladas usually come with a red sauce. Oops. Well, time to make a convert out of me.

I was skeptical at first, but after smelling the sauce simmering away on the stove I knew it was going to be fantastic. The depth of the flavor of the sauce is far more than I typically associate with red sauce -- it's definitely bolder and richer. And the filling? Just the right amount of creaminess mixed with just the right amount of crunch from the corn. And that spinach? What spinach? You don't notice it at all.

Chicken and Spinach Enchilada

Adapted from: Cuisine at Home

Enchilada Sauce:
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup onion, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Filling:
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 ounces fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 3/4 minced onion and 1 tablespoon minced garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the next 8 ingredients (through cayenne) and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 2 tablespoon canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup diced onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin to the pan. Cook until onion are soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the chicken, 1 cup Monterey Jack, corn, and cream cheese, stirring until combined. Simmer the mixture 4-5 minutes, then add the salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread sauce across the dish so the bottom is entirely coated. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling on each tortilla. Roll each tortilla up then place in baking dish, seam side down. Pour the remaining 1 cup sauce over the enchiladas, leaving the edges dry. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the tortillas lightly brown on the edges.

Serves: 8

Now I'm not going to tell you that this is a quick meal to throw together at the last minute. Hard? No. Just a little time consuming to prep the ingredients and pull everything together. Worth it? Absolutely. Yes, even the red sauce.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 245g
Amount per serving
Calories 323	Calories from fat 160
% Daily Value
Total Fat 17.8g	27%
Saturated Fat 6.7g	33%
Cholesterol 50mg	17%
Sodium 692mg	29%
Total Carbs 24.1g	8%
Fiber 5.0g	20%
Sugars 4.5g
Protein 19.6g
Vitamin A 73%	Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 29%	Iron 17%

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Ha. I bet you thought with my last slow cooker recipe that I was done with this whole crockpot business. Nope. I have one more for you, then I promise, I'm done. For a while anyways.

The slow cooker really shines when it comes to cooking meats "low and slow". Unfortunately, it can make for some fairly repetitive meals. Pulled pork seasoned with this, shredded chicken sprinkled with that. Again. And again. My goal in the hunt for slow cooker recipes was to find ones that weren't your everyday recipes. Sure, I had a few of those too, but was far more interested in things such as the Slow Cooker Lasagna.

You may roll your eyes and point out the fact that um, yeah, this recipe is essentially just seasoned shredded chicken -- and I would agree with you on that. But, the flavors in this dish are not your everyday flavors. At least in our household. Indian rarely makes it to our table, and we really have to be in the mood to eat it. Not only do a lot of Indian dishes call for coconut (which is a no-go from both of us), but the curry presence can tend to be very strong and pronounced at times. It's not that we don't like it, we just like it in small doses. This dish definitely settles those Indian cravings, and is super easy to throw together.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Adapted from: The Family Kitchen

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fresh or frozen
4 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup plain fat-free greek yogurt
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cashews

Cover a slow cooker with a liner. Combine first 8 ingredients (through chicken) in the slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Using two forks, shred or cut the chicken into chunks. Stir in the yogurt until fully combined, then stir in the spinach until it wilts. Serve over white rice.

Serves: 6

I think "easy" is another requirement for a good slow cooker recipe. If you have to brown a bunch of meat, or pre-cook/prep a bunch of other ingredients, all you're really saving is the waiting time to eat from the time you walk in the door -- basically about 30 minutes to an hour. On those recipes, I'm not 100% sure it's worth it. I like the kind that involves dumping the ingredients and going. Period. This recipe definitely falls into the latter category (although you do have to wait about 20 minutes or so for the rice...) . While it may be ridiculously easy to throw together, this is one of those recipes that needs those extra few hours of TLC to get those spice flavors really melded together. Definitely a keeper for those random times we crave Indian food.

Nutrition Facts - does not include rice
Serving Size 279g
Amount per serving
Calories 146	Calories from fat 29
% Daily Value
Total Fat 3.2g	5%
Saturated Fat 0.0g	0%
Cholesterol 32mg	11%
Sodium 286mg	12%
Total Carbs 13.8g	5%
Fiber 3.1g	12%
Sugars 7.3g
Protein 18.0g
Vitamin A 65%	Vitamin C 44%
Calcium 13%	Iron 13%