Stir Fry Recipe

Stir-Fry!!

So I am still waiting for the repair man to come and resurrect my oven!  I truly don't mind but my kids are all of a sudden asking to make brownies!  They never ask ... must be the power of knowing they cannot make them!  So out comes my wok tonight.  Last night was the grill's turn as I grilled some marinated turkey breast that was great and I had some leftover (not a huge amount) but I threw that in a butternut squash organic soup that I had and some frozen veggies and had myself a very satisfying bowl of soup on this rainy day!  Ok...I digress ... the stir fry is so easy and it's really hard to mess up so I will try to give you a recipe.  I generally don't follow stir fry recipes - I just use what I have on hand to make it what it is.

Use any kind of veggies you want!  Just remember to cook the denser, harder veggies first (carrots, peppers, etc) and the lighter ones after these (broccoli, corn, snap peas, etc).

Use any kind of meat you have (of course you don't need meat to do a stir fry) especially if you have some leftover chicken from last night's meal, turkey, steak, shrimp, scallops (I never do scallops but I assume you can do them if they are small).

So here's a recipe to try out - tweak as necessary!

Stir Fry
Serves 4

3 Tablespoons of Oil: choice of coconut oil, sesame oil, olive oil (I use a combination)
1 lb of boneless chicken breasts or other meat

1/2 cup soy sauce
fresh ginger minced - about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon
chicken broth
OR
A marinade with an asian flair (no msg please)

1/2 cup or more of chopped carrots
1/2 cup or more of chopped peppers
1/2 cup or more broccoli crowns with some stem
1/2 cup or more red pepper chopped
1/2 cup or more of snow peas
1/2 onion chopped
minced garlic to your liking (anywhere from 1 to 4 cloves)
chopped raw peanuts for garnish
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

First make a sauce that you will put aside until the last step:  1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup soy sauce, grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon corn starch.  Beat with wire whisk until smooth.

Marinate your chicken at least 20 mins.  Cut into bite sized pieces.  Heat your wok to medium high.  Add the oils to the wok and let heat up.  Add your chicken to the wok and stir.  Cook until the meat is slightly browned but completely cooked through.  Remove from pan.

Add your vegetable to the wok in the order of hardness or sized pieces.  Stir fry until done to your liking.  Add chicken pieces back into wok along with the sesame sauce.  Stir until well blended and the sauce has thickened.  Garnish with peanuts and cilantro if desired.  Serve over rice.

PS ... I made this tonight with the following:
2 carrots,
1 small head of broccoli
some chopped and destemmed kale
frozen corn
frozen sweet peas

I marinated with a Soy Vay sauce from T Joe's ...so easy.

And although I thought no one noticed the kale, Sophie just told me she loved the kale!  She loved this stir-fry because I didn't use onions.  Although I love onions and garlic, not everyone does and you know what?  It was dang good!  

Stay tuned for my suggested condiment tray that addresses all kinds of tastes when you have fussy eaters!!

And yes, that book is still in the works!  Can't wait to share it with you very soon :)

Post Game/Practice Food Ideas

Hey Busy Super Moms!
Ever wonder what those little (ok now some of them are getting bigger than us) thoroughbreds should eat after a practice or game? You know how they always want to hit the the ice cream truck in the Spring/Summer or maybe your house freezer now that it's cold? I know it happens here every night!

We all have heard about pre-game foods but many people aren't aware how important those after event meals/snacks are. So why does it matter what they eat after the game, practice, meet, etc? It's over, they're done right? Give 'em the ice cream it's not a big deal!

True, I'll be honest, they do get ice cream here some nights. What is important is that they replenish somehow. Research done on muscle repair shows that we are able to refuel those muscles more quickly when it's done in the first 30 minutes after working out. The increased blood flow brings more nutrients to the muscle cells to make glycogen. Muscles need to store glycogen for energy. So ultimately you want to feed your athlete some carbohydrate rich foods with a bit of protein. Although no research is found for children, a ratio of 1 part protein to 4 parts carbohydrate is best for adults.

The benefits to post game eating is that they can come back stronger the next day. You know those tournaments that are all weekend? Swim meets that are three days? Eating to refuel their bodies is one strategy to keep them going.

Stay tuned for more young athlete strategies in my upcoming book:
"Winning the Game: The Busy Mom's Manual for Refueling her Athletic Family in Six Easy Steps."

What to do with the PANINI/GRILL?

Hey Foodie Friends!
Just wanted to pass along another easy quick dinner idea ... and no it's not a crock pot/slow cooker recipe!! It's made with a panini maker/griddler. My poor double oven is still hibernating ... still waiting for the repair man to appear with the needed part so I'm using all my gadgets that can cook!
This is just an easy idea for your weekend lunch or casual dinner that tasted fantastic! I tried it two different ways this weekend: on whole wheat tortilla and on leftover crusty brick oven bread. Trader Joe is making a fantastic "Misto alla Griglia" or marinated eggplant and zuccini - frozen. I simply defrosted the veggies in the microwave and placed them onto the bread of the day (flat wheat tortillas or the crusty italian), added a few pinches of feta cheese and grilled them with my Cuisinart Griddler. This is a great tool to have and it does so many things ... but in a pinch it is great to have to use up leftover meat and veggies. Another reason it is great for us busy moms is that it is user friendly for our young chefs! Yes, I trust them to use it to start creating some interesting meals! I of course end up cleaning it - but we are getting there! You can certainly use whatever you have in your refrigerator like grilled chicken, leftover spinach from a salad, cooked veggies that might work in the wrap, kale, swiss chard, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, etc. Get the idea? I like to spray the grill with some olive oil or use a bit of Earth's Balance on the exterior of the bread for one of my kids who loves crusty sandwiches!

If you ever thought about buying one of these little grills for your kitchen I would highly recommend it!
Enjoy!
Krista

Lemon Chicken with Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Hey Everyone!

Hope you had a great holiday season with lots of good food and drinks! Ok, maybe we've all had too much of that good stuff! Anyway I didn't forget about this blog ... just a little side tracked the last three weeks!

I love this blog because it helps me to try new recipes that maybe I wouldn't have tried! As of right now there are 4 hours and 11 minutes left in my dinner for tonight. Yep, another crock pot/slow cooker dinner! I am forced to use the crock pot tonight as it's way too cold to stand over the grill, the cook top of my stove is tired as my double oven died on me Christmas Eve! LESSON TO ALL: NEVER HIT THE SELF CLEAN BUTTON THE DAY BEFORE A HOLIDAY! Why I chose to clean the oven the day before I hosted Christmas is beyond me! I was going to get it dirty anyway! Sometimes we are perfectionists and ha ha now I have learned it just doesn't matter if your oven is dirty! Hopefully by Friday it will be back to working order ... anywhooo my schedule has been twisted for the last few weeks, add a horrible stomach virus for my daughter on New Year Eve and now my husband home from work with a bug and I'm so looking forward to getting back on track! Sometimes we kind of fall out of our comfort zones ... and that's ok. We learn to deal with whatever has happened and grow from it. Whether it be a hurricane in September, a blizzard in October, a lost job, commuting a zillion miles, crazy busy schedules, health issues, flooding several times a year or other challenging situations, we can always expand from them.

Ok, no more soap box for me ... waiting for my dinner:

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Serves 4

4 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into wedges)
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 1/2 pounds bone in chicken, skin removed (breasts, legs, thighs)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium lemon, sliced and seeded

Scatter potatoes in the crock pot and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Place the chicken on top of potatoes.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring it to a simmer. Pour the mixture over the chicken and potatoes.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 hours. Tuck the lemon slices around the chicken pieces and cook for 1 hour more, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot with some colorful veggies like steamed carrots, green beans or broccoli.

Recipe courtesy of "The Italian Slow Cooker" by Michele Scicolone

The funny looking lemon I am holding above ... I couldn't resist picking it up! At Eataly in NYC ... they have some beautiful fruits and veggies! This is called "The Buddha's Hand" variety! So cool!

Be Well,
Krista

Slow Down...

I cannot believe I'm looking at the date 12/15 right now. Wow this month has flown by for me and probably everyone based on the mood and energy I'm feeling out there in shopper land! Rushing in the grocery store, running around in the mall, bolting through Target ... don't forget the card for the mailman! I'm certainly not one of those people who are done and have their table set for Christmas which is ten days away! And if you are done - good for you. But for the rest of us, life is a bit busier than usual these days.

I really wish we could slow down this month. Instead of scheduling in all the parties, the dinners, and the shopping this season I just wish we could relax and actually appreciate this time of year. It is hard work for me to keep going at this speed when the Earth is doing the Winter Solstice thingee. Am I the only one who has trouble getting up when it's so dark out? Maybe I was a bear in a past life that likes to hibernate as the days get colder and nights get longer.

Anyway my reason for writing this post was what happened to me yesterday when my girlfriends and I went into NYC for a day of fun. We did the tree, St. Patrick's Cathedral (see picture), lunch at Eataly and some shopping. A great day of friends and enjoying the city in this holiday season. As we were heading to our bus in Port Authority (yes we were rushing as we fit in as much as we could before heading home to get our kids from school) I turned my head around to look at a sign while walking ... (keep in mind walking through the streets of NYC with my vision loss is quite a challenge but I'm thrilled to be there navigating around with my friends) I bumped into a man who blatantly yelled at me, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!!!" Huh? Really? He just kept scrambling along on his way with a giant cloud following him down the corridor. Yuck. Maybe that doesn't sound terrible but he was just miserable. And I almost yelled out to him ... "*#@... you dumb ..... " But what is the point? He was just a troubled young man who I felt sorry for. If you are that unhappy I feel bad for you even if you just took my happy buzz away for a few minutes.

So it made me think of this: everybody needs to slow down with this crazy frenetic pace we are keeping right now. Just chill. It will get done. Write it all out if that helps or better yet if you're a post-it note freak like me start writing all those jobs you need to get done and post them on the wall. As you finish each one take it down and put it on the desk, counter, car dashboard, etc. Collect them and look at them at the end of the day. You will feel proud and a bit relieved that maybe you're not as behind as you think.

Ok ... now if I can just make time to wrap one present!
Be Well and Don't Forget to Breathe Deeply!
Krista

Sicilian-Style Orange Chicken

I told you I'd share the recipe from tonight if it was successful. So here it is for you to try out in yours ... I was so happy to have it all done before we all split in separate directions - one kid to swim and one to her basketball game. A 5:30 pm gift!

Sicilian-Style Orange Chicken

Serves 6
3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken legs, thighs, and breasts (I like to take the skin off for better visual)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup of orange juice
2 teaspoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon of grated orange zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and arrange in a single layer in the crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, garlic and oregano. Add 3/4 cup of orange juice. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Cover and keep warm. Pour the chicken juices into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice and the cornstarch until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring until smooth and thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the orange zest. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

FYI: I didn't have the bone in chicken so I used boneless chicken breasts. They were wonderful as well but tomorrow when I food shop I will add it to my list. I served the chicken with roasted potatoes and carrots and the family did love it. Don't you love it when you introduce a new recipe and you see empty plates? A very happy moments for us busy moms! And that picture of fresh parsley up there? Still growing in my garden! :)

(recipe courtesy of "The Italian Slow Cooker")

Dinner in the Crockpot on this Rainy Tuesday!

I am testing out this new recipe that I will share with you all after reviews come in! I will say it smells great on this dreary Tuesday! I am gearing up for the after school activity!

Between the busy sports, the Christmas season that is upon us (I am really surprised when I see the date on my phone!) and the book I have started writing (more on that later) I am feeling a bit overwhelmed! But it is what it is and I have decided to embrace it all as "good stuff!" I guess that is one good thing about getting older! It will all get done and if it doesn't, it wasn't meant to be in my opinion.

Update on my first annual check up with the brain surgeon: all is stable. The remaining tumor is not growing at this point! That is good news. He did say that these meningioma tumors are beasts! They continue to grow as we get older if there is a remaining tumor that is unable to be removed. So there are options available for those of us with this situation and I'm checking into one next month. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is actually surgery without opening you up. About 200 tiny beams of radiation are delivered to the site of abnormality without much effect on the surrounding brain tissue. This would pretty much turn the abnormal cells into dead scar tissue. Pretty cool? If you know anyone who has had experiences with this please let me know. There is no rush for me to decide on this treatment however I always love hearing from people who have experience with it.

Last week was my checkup at NYU and Bryan and I had a great time enjoying New York. We decided to transform my anxiety about seeing my doctor into a 2 night get away! Certainly a mini-vacation when the news is good!

This picture is my angel on my shoulder! I have always loved these angels since I was a kid in Rockefeller Center!

Be Well,
Krista