Nooschi's Grandma's Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms

I know I've mentioned this recipe before but it truly deserves a post all it's own and I finally got around to taking a picture so there you have it! This recipe is yummy, healthy and a welcomed alternative to the dismal Chinese restaurants in my neighbourhood. Served with wonton soup or potstickers, rice and stir-fried veggies - you've got a meal that's 10 000 times better than take-out (and way healthier too). A few instructions: a) Make sure to cut the ginger in teeny-tiny matchsticks as fresh ginger has a very strong taste and you wouldn't want a big bite (I wouldn't anyway). b) Dried shiitake mushrooms impart a particular flavour. Though I'm sure this recipe would be good with plain mushrooms, the dried shiitake make the dish.

Please be sure to check Nooschi's original recipe here. Nooschi is a food blogger extraordinaire! Also from O-town, she often showcases local restaurants but also restaurants abroad (she often travels to Australia, New Zealand and the United States) as well as interviews and delectable recipes. Not to mention her beautiful photography!

Nooschi's Grandma's Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms
by Nooschi

3 chicken thighs
8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms
3 1/2 teaspoons of corn starch
4 teaspoons of oyster sauce
1 teaspoons of soy sauce
3-4 tablespoons ginger, cut into matchsticks
2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon of sesame oil

Prep ingredients: I buy pre-sliced shiitake mushrooms and follow box instructions to rehydrate - soak in boiling water for 20 minutes. Wring water out of mushrooms (but keep the juices to make soup). Remove the excess fat from the chicken thighs, and cut in small pieces.

In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces, corn starch, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Mix well. Add in olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and continue mixing until the oil is evenly distributed. Finally, add in the shiitake mushrooms and ginger, and mix gently. As per Nooschi, adding the mushrooms and ginger at the end will ensure that the two will not absorb too much oil.

Place the chicken mixture in a dish that is about 9 inches in diameter and 1 inch high (I use a foil pie plate). Place the plate in a Chinese steaming basket, and steam for 20 minutes. Right before serving, add 1/8 teaspoon of sesame oil to the chicken, mix well and serve.

Yield: 2 portions

Orange-Scented Quinoa with Chicken, Cranberries and Parsley

Inspired by a recipe I found in an old issue of Clean Eating Magazine (great magazine by the way; check them out here). I had most of the ingredients on hand (I omitted pecans to keep it lower in points and I added orange zest) and I thought it would be perfect for my lunches at work because it's so filling and it can be eaten hot or cold. One batch gave me 3 large servings. Will make again!



1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 chicken breast, diced
zest of 1 orange (optional)

In a saucepan, bring broth and salt to a boil. Add orange juice and quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, about 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork before adding other ingredients.

While quinoa cooks, soak cranberries in 1 cup hot water until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove cranberries from water and squeeze away excess liquid. Discard soaking water.

Combine quinoa, cranberries, parsley, chicken and orange zest.

Makes 3 - 4 servings.

Comforting Lemon Chicken Soup

If you're looking for a comforting chicken soup recipe, look no further! In this recipe, the popular chicken and rice combo is complemented with lemon zest and juice. Pefect when you're feeling under the weather, on a cold day or just because! Enjoy!



1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed (or finely minced)
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can fat free low-sodium cream of chicken soup
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2/3 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oil in large stock pot. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, broth and black pepper; bring to a boil.

Stir in rice and reduce heat. Cover and simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Remove from heat and stir in parsley just before serving.

Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime

In the past year and a half I have lost 55 lbs. Unfortunately, 20 have found their way back to me! Lol! Determined not to go down that road again (plus I still have quite a bit of weight to lose), I've renewed my commitment to Weight Watchers!

Yesterday was Day 1 and I kicked off with a recipe from a fantastic blog: Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes. Seriously, Gina is amazing! She comes up with tons of delicious low point recipes; her blog is a treasure trove of inspiration. I have a bunch of her recipes queued for this week's menu: Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes, Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops, Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice, Peruvian Roasted Chicken with Aji Verde... Yum! Whoever said being on a diet makes you feel deprived obviously didn't check out these recipes!

But back to yesterday's recipe. I made Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime. According to Gina it's inspired by a Paula Deen recipe. (I love Paula but I never thought I'd find something healthy in her cookbook! Proves me wrong!) The chicken was incredibly easy to throw together (espcially since I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs) and the end result was delicious, tangy and fresh! And I had tons of pan juices to pour over the accompanying rice and steamed broccoli (fantastic with steamed broccoli). This recipe will no doubt become a regular!



8 small chicken thighs, skin removed (I used boneless, skinless)
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lime, squeezed, and lime zest
3/4 tsp pepper
salt
dried parsley

Preheat oven to 400°. Rinse the chicken and remove the skin and all fat. Pat dry; place in a large bowl and season generously with salt. In a small bowl combine Dijon, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, garlic and pepper. Mix well. Pour over chicken, tossing well to coat.

Spray a large baking pan with a little Pam to prevent sticking. Place chicken to fit in a single layer. Top the chicken with dried parsley. Bake until cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. Finish the chicken under the broiler until it is golden brown. Serve chicken with the pan juices drizzled over the top.

4.25 points for 2 thighs

Green Onion Chicken / Summer Rolls

You might remember my mention of a lunch party a few weeks back? My friend, N., had brought all the fixings to make our own summer rolls... Everything was delish, especially the grilled chicken. She sent me her recipe a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to try it for myself.

Tuesday night I set the chicken to marinate, yesterday my hubby grilled it - easy as pie. Oh my goodness, it is THE most tender and flavorful grilled chicken EVER!!! Already I can't wait to make this chicken again. Next time, I'm thinking of using whole legs and basting with BBQ sauce as it's grilling... YUM!!!

Along with the chicken, we filled yesterday's rolls with mushrooms, lettuce, green onions and carrots. I had leftover peanut dipping sauce from my lunch party - voilà! A light, tasty summer dinner.



N.'s Green Onion Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/8 cup canola oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
4 green onions, chopped

Other ingredients for Summer Rolls

27 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Siracha (hot sauce)
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

8 leaves iceberg or boston lettuce
4 green onions, chopped
2 large carrots, grated

8 rice papers
warm water

Combine canola oil, sugar, salt and green onions in large air-tight container. Add chicken thighs making sure to coat each piece with marinade. Pop in refrigerator for 24 hours hours.

IMPORTANT, CHICKEN NEEDS 24 HOURS TO MARINATE!

The next night, grill chicken until cooked through. The BBQ is an important element to this recipe! I'm sure it would be okay in the oven, but the BBQ pushes it over the edge.

If you're making summer rolls, let cool. While cooling, mix mushrooms, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, hot sauce and ginger (garlic would be good too). Sauté in very hot pan until fully cooked and no liquid remains. If you're making summer rolls, let cool.

Once everything is cooled, set up your assembly line: rice paper, lettuce, mushrooms, green onions, carrots, chicken. This is where it gets tricky - you need to be speedy! Quickly dip the rice paper on both side in lukewarm water. Don't let it soak! It will continue to soften as you pile on the other ingredients and as you roll. Once the rice paper is wet, lay on it on the counter and quickly top with desired filling and roll. First fold left and right edges, then bottom and roll towards the top keeping the roll as tight as possible. Repeat until you run out of ingredients. Best enjoyed right away as the rice paper will dry out rather quickly. If you must wait, I recommend to cover with wet paper towel. Serve with peanut dipping sauce.

Yield: 8 rolls.

Pad Thai

My Pad Thai used to be hit and miss - sometimes good, sometimes too sweet, sometimes too starchy, sometimes too clumpy. Last time I made it was especially disastrous and I vowed to find a recipe for consistently good Pad Thai.

After a quick internet search today, I found several positive reviews for Pim's Pad Thai for beginners. And let me tell you - Pim ROCKS!!! I learned so much from her tutorial - my pan wasn't hot enough, I wasn't using enough oil, I was overloading my pan, I wasn't using enough sauce, I was adding too many peanuts... Anyhoo, that's ancient history.

I followed her recipe and the result was outstanding!!! As good if not better than anything I've had in a Thai restaurant. My search for the perfect Pad Thai is over.

Here's my quick take on Pim's recipe but really, you should go read her post - extremely informative!



3 - 4 tablespoons canola oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
1 eggs
1/2 cup pad thai sauce (I had about 1/4 cup store-bought thai sauce and I combined about 1/8 cup of fish sauce, 1/8 cup of Worcestershire sauce and 3 tablespoons brown sugar - mix well and voilà!)
1 large handful (about 2 cups) rice noodles, softened in hot water for 30 minutes
2 or 3 tablespoons peanuts, chopped
1 cup beansprouts
2 or 3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Start with a smoking hot pan (I set it on high). Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of canola oil. Add chicken and stir vigorously so it doesn't burn. Careful not to get splattered with hot oil! Once chicken is half cooked, break in egg. Let cook undisturbed for 10 seconds then scramble lightly with chicken. Add 1/3 of the pad thai sauce and keep cooking and stirring for 30 seconds. Add rice noodles and remaining sauce. Keep cooking and stirring until noodles are soft (approximately 1 or 2 minutes). Add peanuts, bean sprouts, green onions and cilantro. Stir, serve and enjoy! :)

Yield: 2 portions

Spaghetti Bolognese

My spaghetti sauce usually has little meat and lots of chunky vegetables but I decided to shake things up today. Stephen loves Spaghetti Bolognese so I thought I'd spoil him a bit. I tried to give it a "healthy spin" with lots of camouflaged veggies and extra lean ground turkey instead of beef. End result - tasty! Especially love the red wine base! :)



2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups carrots, grated
1.5 cups celery, minced
2 large onions, minced
2 lbs ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups red wine
2 cans tomatoes, diced
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, heat olive oil over medium/high heat. Sauté carrots, celery and onions 2 or 3 minutes. Make a well and add ground turkey. Sauté until cooked through. Add garlic, sauté approximately one minute. Mix in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, cook 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in red wine, canned tomatoes and milk. Salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours.

Serve with spaghetti and garlic bread.

Yield: Lots!!! (About two large ice cream containers' worth.)

Panang Curry Chicken Soup

I love Panang curry so when I came across this recipe at The Apartment Kitchen I knew I had to try it asap! It was delicious - warm, comforting, spicy. My favorite element was the cool, creamy avocado slices versus the spiciness of the broth... Yum!!! This one is sure to become a regular!



Inspired by The Apartment Kitchen

1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can coconut milk (I used light)
5 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp red curry paste
zest and juice of one lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2 scallions, very thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup chicken, very thinly sliced

Garnish:
scallions, thinly sliced
avocado, thinly sliced

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, cilantro, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Add the red curry, lime zest, and juice.

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients (except garnish) and cook until chicken is fully cooked and veggies are cooked but still slightly crisp, about 6 minutes. Add to the broth. Simmer until the mixture has reached desired flavor.

Ladle the soup into large bowls and garnish as desired.

Turkey Meatballs and Homemade Egg Noodles

Filling turkey meatballs in a flavorful sour cream sauce served over homemade egg noodles – comfort food at its best! I served with parmesan roasted asparagus.



The Pasta



2.5 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients. Knead until smooth (about 5 minutes). Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out to desired thickness (I was feeling fairly lazy so I didn't bother rolling it out very thin - I'll say I was going for the "rustic look") and cut. I used one of these nifty contraptions:



Cook in boiling salted water until al dente, about 3 minutes.

Drain and enjoy!

The Meatballs

Inspired by Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook.

1.5 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup oat bran
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
Spices to taste (parsley, basil, oregano)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Using a tablespoon, make meatballs and set aside.

The Sour Cream Sauce

1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp butter
2 cups beef broth
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Mix flour, salt and dry mustard; set aside. Melt butter in pan; add dry ingredients and stir. Add broth; stir until thickened. Add sour cream and parsley

The Sum of All Parts

Add meatballs to sauce. Cover and simmer over medium/low heat for 30 minutes.