Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sweet & Sour Chicken
Source: adapted from; http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/07/sweet-and-sour-chicken-updated.html

Ingredients:

Chicken:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

Salt and pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

 

Sauce:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 cup ketchup

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a bowl. Put chicken in the bowl of the cornstarch and coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden but not all the way cooked through. Place in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish.

 

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

 

Serves: 4-6

Nutrition: 436-655 calories

 

  

Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the recipe instructions; pour the other half in a small saucepan and cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

Ingredients

Bird Egg Nests

Bird Egg Nests

Ingredients:

Almond Bark - I used 9 squares
2 Tbsp peanut butter
12 ounce bag of Chow Mein Noodles
Reece's Peanut Butter Eggs


Directions:

Melt Almond Bark, in 30 second intervals. Once smooth and creamy, add peanut butter and stir in. Then add Chow Mein Noodles and mix well. Drop by spoonful to form nests. Add 1-3 peanut butter eggs on top.

Store in airtight container.


Serves: 36

Nutrition: 146-166 calories (depending on 1 or 3 eggs)

Spicy Bacon Chicken Bowtie Pasta

Remember the Amazing Spicy Chicken Farfelle? It is amazing...but loaded with butter and cream. My main complaint was that I never have cream on hand. Then I decided to "lighten" it up a bit, so here goes!

Spicy Bacon Chicken Bowtie Pasta

Ingredients:
12 oz Farfalle Pasta
1 c. skim milk
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) (still frozen is fine)
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Pepper
1/4 c. butter
1/2 lb bacon, crumpled*
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (not grated)
12 ounce Lawry's Lime Mesquite Marinade

*I found already cooked and crumbled bacon at the grocery store that worked perfect!

Directions:

Place frozen chicken in crock pot with bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred. Set this aside.

Boil the pasta. While pasta is boiling, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter, adding garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cooked, drained pasta with sauce, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Serves: 8

Freezer:
Cook as normal, freeze. When pulling from the freezer, allow to thaw and then heat in microwave until warm.

Calories: 485

"Hint of Cream Cheese" Frosting

Yum, new favorite. As my 5 year old said today, "this isn't good mom... it's Super Good!"

"Hint of Cream Cheese" Frosting

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 c (one stick) butter, room temperature (softened)
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar.

Store in the refrigerator in airtight container, best within 3-5 days, Freeze up to a month.

I have left frosted cupcakes out on the counter all day and still ate them with no ill side effects!

Ices approximately 12 cupcakes or muffins when piped high, or 24 with a knife.