Thai Inspired Peanut Chicken

I would consider this an entry level Thai recipe.  My husband and I are by no means Thai experts, but we love all the herbs and flavors in this recipe.  We add Sriracha at the very end so that it's not spicy for my toddler, but enjoyable for us.

Ingredients:

1 can (13.66) lite coconut milk
3/4 C peanut butter
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp ground ginger
4 small garlic cloves (or two large)
4 Tbsp soy sauce
3/4 C cilantro leaves
2 limes
3 chicken breasts
1 bag of frozen stir fry vegetables
2 cups shelled and salted peanuts
Hot sauce to taste

Directions:

Cook and cube your chicken breasts.  I like to bake mine with a little salt and pepper at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

In a large pan melt the 3/4 C peanut butter into the whole can of lite coconut milk.  Add 4 Tbsp of soy sauce and turn heat to low.  Chop the green onions and mince the garlic.  Add to the pan. 

Let the sauce reduce gently while you chop your chicken.  Once sauce has reduced for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally, please add the chicken and vegetables.  Heat through.

Once the vegetables have warmed up, turn off the heat.  Stir in the chopped cilantro leaves and the juice of two limes.

Then divide into two quart containers and put 1 C of salted peanuts into a sandwich bag.

Freeze together until ready to add to your weekly meal plan.  Please allow two days for the sauce to thaw in the fridge before eating.  When you are ready to eat, then heat the sauce through on the stove and serve over rice.  Garnish with peanuts and hot sauce to taste.  Here is the finished product with nuts...

 and with hot sauce...

It was so delicious.  Between the peanut butter, the ginger, the cilantro and the lime it is just a playground of flavors.  My husband loved this meal!  With a little hot sauce he was in heaven.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did!
Keeza aka Keeza

Hawaiian Chicken Foil Packets

This is my second foil chicken packet recipe.  What can I say?  It's quick to assemble and really flexible in cooking preparation.  You can grill, bake or even roast in the coals after a campfire.  You don't have to heat up your kitchen during the hot summer months.  If it pours rain you could even cook the foil packets in your crock pot on low for 4 hours.  I assembled this meal in 30 minutes.  That includes set up, making the sauce, assembly, clean up and some picture taking.  You could probably make it faster than me if you don't stop to take photos! 

Ingredients:

4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables
20 oz can pineapple chunks in it's own juice
1/4 C teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Heavy duty aluminum foil

Directions:

In a large sauté pan pour the juice from the pineapple chunks.  Add the 1/4 C teriyaki sauce, 1/2 tsp ginger powder and 1 Tbsp brown sugar. 

Simmer over medium heat stirring occasionally with a whisk until the sauce gets dark brown and syrupy. 

Meanwhile set up an assembly station for your foil packets.  Lay down 4 sheets of 12-16 inches of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Place a frozen boneless skinless chicken breast in the center of each foil sheet.

Then open the bag of frozen stir fry vegetables and place 1/4 of the vegetables on each chicken breast.

Now top each foil sheet with 1/4 of the pineapple chunks.

When your sauce is reduced spoon it evenly over each chicken and vegetable portion. 

Now lift up the sides of the foil and fold over in the middle.  Fold in the sides and press to seal.  If you need to please wrap in a second sheet of foil to prevent leaks. 

Place two Hawaiian Chicken foil packets in to a gallon zippered bag and label.  Repeat with the other two packet and place in the freezer.

When you are ready to meal plan, please thaw the foil packets on the fridge or cooler for 2 days before cooking.  Then grill at medium heat for 10 minutes on each side (20 minutes total).  You can bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Or put in the hot coals after a campfire for 30 minutes. 

Then carefully peel open your foil packet and pour out onto a plate and enjoy!  Only one sauté pan to clean during assembly and no pots and pans to clean on cooking day!  We ate ours with some rice that I whipped up in my rice steamer.

Enjoy!
Christie aka Keeza

Dill Chicken and Vegetables in Foil Packets

As I write this post it is the middle of the summer.  It's the season for grilling and camping.  These foil packets are easy to assemble and easy to clean up.  If it's raining or chilly you can bake them in your oven.   If you are camping you can put them in the coals around the fire.  We usually grill them at home.  You can make a bunch in advance and then just take out how many you need and thaw them in the fridge or cooler. 

These easiest to make with individually frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts.  I bought a bag of 12 chicken breasts for $11.  That's 92 cents a piece. 

Ingredients:

4 frozen chicken breasts
4-8 ft of heavy duty aluminum foil
1 bag California style frozen vegetable mix
1/2 onion
4 sprigs of fresh dill
4 Tbsp margarine or butter
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
non stick spray

Directions:

Tear off a sheet of heavy duty foil and lay it on the counter.  Spray the center with non stick cooking spray.

Place one frozen chicken breast in the center of the foil.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.

Slice the onion and place 1/4 of the onion slices on the chicken breast.  Top with 1/4 of the frozen California blend vegetables.

Chop the dill fronds until they look like a fresh pile of grass clippings.  =)  It smells amazing!

Now place 1 Tbsp of margarine or butter on top of the veggies and sprinkle with 1 heaping tsp of freshly chopped dill.  If you cannot find fresh dill you can also use dried...but it gives great flavor when used fresh.

Now carefully pull up the sides and roll down to form a seal.  Then fold the sides over and press together.  You don't want any of the buttery goodness leaking out while cooking!

If you need to you can wrap this first packet in an additional sheet of heavy duty foil to prevent leaks. Now repeat this sequence again with the other 3 chicken breasts.  Place two foil packets into a gallon zippered bag and label.  Then place the remaining two into a gallon zipper bag and label.

Put in the freezer until you are ready to meal plan.  Then thaw in the fridge or cooler for two days before cooking.  

Grill the chicken in the foil for 10 minutes on each side.  (total of 20 minutes). 

If you are camping you can nestle the foil packets down in the hot coals for 30 minutes. 

In the oven place the foil packets on the center rack and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Then open the foil carefully and pour out onto a plate.  Enjoy!
Christie aka Keeza

Veggie Tray Soup

Well we are moved into our new home.  My husband and I are so happy that we were able to sell our two bedroom home and find a beautiful three bedroom home in the neighborhood we wanted.  Now that we are mostly unpacked and had one casual backyard party I am back to my favorite hobby!  Freezer Cooking!  I can't tell you how much Subway sandwiches we have eaten in the last four months.  We absolutely love Subway, but we both miss having home cooked meals around the table.

 

 

So here is one that I have been meaning to try for years.  After our Independence Day party we had lots of food leftover.  But after many days of burgers, pasta salad, taco salad and potato chips we still had a lot of veggies left over from our veggie tray.  I don't want them to go to waste so I whipped up a veggie tray soup.  It has the consistency of a bisque.  It has a ton of flavor and not too many calories. 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 cup carrot sticks

1/2 cup celery sticks

2 C broccoli florets

2 C cauliflower

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

32 oz fat free, low sodium chicken broth

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese

4 Tbsp margarine

4 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp all purpose seasoning

1 Tbsp fresh or dried parsley

 

Directions:

 

In a large saucepan melt the 4 Tbsp margarine.  Set up a large cutting board and chop the veggies and add them to the pan in this order...onion, celery, carrot, garlic.  Sauté until the root vegetables start to get tender.

 

 

Add 4 Tbsp flour and stir well.  Once you can no longer see bright white flour slowly stir in the chicken broth.  This is how it looked half way through adding the chicken broth.

 

Drain the can of diced tomatoes and add to the pan.  Lastly chop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized pieces and add to the pan. 

 

 

 Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 5-6 minutes.  You just want to take the crunch off the broccoli and cauliflower without turning them into mush.

Shred the 8 oz of sharp cheddar and slowly stir into the soup.  Add pepper and all purpose seasoning and fresh or dried parsley to taste.  I did not need to add any salt because the cheddar is quite salty.

I make two quarts of soup.  Yum!

It's creamy and hearty...I can't wait to have some for dinner.  Feel free to throw in some leftover grilled chicken or steak from your summer parties.  It turns a dried out tray of vegetables into something moist and delicious. 

 

Give it a try with your party leftovers and let me know how it turns out.

Enjoy!

Christie aka Keeza







Thankyou for you Patience

I want to thank you all for checking out my recipes and giving great feedback.  My husband and I are in the process of selling our house and buying a bigger one.  We have maxed out our current space and need a little elbow room.  In anticipation of the big move we ate up the meals in our freezer and unplugged it.  Soon I hope to be settled into our new kitchen and will start trialing some new recipes. 

Lately we have been grilling a lot.  Chicken legs, pork steaks, hamburgers and turkey sausage.  I am trying not to buy in bulk (which is so hard when bulk is a better deal) so we have less to move.   I also have been stopping at Subway once a week and they now know me by name! 

I can't wait to get back to my freezer cooking and show you my new spacious kitchen.  It needs a little updating, but I can't wait to get in there!  Wish us luck with this stressful process. 

Christie aka Keeza

Philly Cheese Steaks from the Crockpot

Thank you for your patience as I try out some new recipes.  This one was an instant hit so I made it again and took some pictures so you can enjoy it too!  My husband wants these sandwiches in the regular rotation.  I make these before and after a 12 hour shift with a 45 minute commute.  That's how easy they are!!!

Ingredients:

3 lb brisket or beef roast
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 C beef broth
1 Lg onion sliced
1 Lg bell pepper sliced
16 Tbsp steak sauce
8 ciabatta rolls
8 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

Place the brisket or roast into a large crock pot.  Pour the beef broth over top of the roast and sprinkle with dry onion soup mix directly from the envelope.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or more.  I have a timer on mine.  I choose 8 hours on low and then it switches over to keep warm until we are ready to eat.

About 30-60 minutes before dinner shred the meat with two forks and add the sliced onions and peppers.  Cover and cook on low to steam the veggies.

Now you are ready to assemble all your sandwiches. Slice the rolls and open the cheese to set up an assembling station.

First spread 2 Tbsp of steak sauce on one ciabatta roll.  Our favorite is A1 thick and hearty.

Add a generous helping of shredded beef and sliced onions and peppers to the other half of the roll.

Now top the beef mixture with a slice of provolone.



Here is the finished sandwich.

They are soooooo tasty.  Your house will smell amazing all day.  I assemble all the sandwiches and wrap the ones we aren't going to eat for dinner in aluminum foil. 

I put the wrapped sandwiches in a gallon zipper bag and put the date on the bag.

Now you can freeze theses sandwiches for months.  When ready to eat please thaw in the fridge for 2 days.  Then bake in the foil wrappers at 350 degrees for one hour.  If you want to have a picnic in the park you can bake them at home and place the foil wrapped sandwiches in a basket.   They will still be piping hot when you get to the park. 

I hope you enjoy these sandwiches as much as we do.  They are just mouthwatering!  They are so easy to make you can put it together in ten minutes in the morning before work and assemble them in fifteen minutes after you get home. 

Enjoy!
Christie aka Keeza

Chicken Taco Casserole

When I started dating my husband, I shared a casserole with him at his house.  His mother often sent him home with casseroles and cookies and I was so happy to learn that he liked casseroles as much as I did.  After James and I got married I asked my mother in law for her recipe for chicken fajita casserole and I made it.  I must say, it was pretty good.  But I can't leave any recipe alone.  I change every recipe I read to make it suit my personal taste.  The original recipe had no vegetables other than the canned chilies, so I added lots of fresh salsa.  The original also called for canned chicken.  I was astonished to discover that chicken even came in a can!  Did you know this?  Canned chicken?  Like tuna?  Needless to say I used her recipe to inspire this recipe and I changed the name to one that more suits the ingredients.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts cooked and cubed           4.27
24 oz chunky salsa medium                        5.22
7oz can chopped green chilies                      .88
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (not pictured)             .25
2 cans reduced fat cream of chicken soup   2.50
8 oz light sour cream                                     .99
2 packages taco seasoning                             .92
12 ten inch tortillas (corn or flour)              3.72
8 oz block of sharp cheddar                         2.14
8 oz block of pepper jack cheese                 2.28

Directions:

 

Pour the salsa and green chilies into a colander and stir well to get rid of any extra liquid.  This will keep your dish from getting soggy.

In a large mixing bowl combine the chopped chicken, drained salsa & chilies, 2 cans of reduced fat cream of chicken soup, 8 oz light sour cream, 2 packages taco seasoning and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves.  Stir well.

Shred the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses onto a large plate.  Take out 12 tortillas and slice them in half.  Now you are ready to assemble.

Place three 8x8" pans side by side and spread a small scoop of chicken mixture in the bottom.  This will prevent the tortillas from sticking.

Place two halves of tortilla in each pan with the strait side out and the curved side to the middle. 

Now layer two more halves over top so all the edges are covered. 

Now spread a large scoop of chicken mixture in each pan.

Sprinkle each pan with about 1/6 of the cheeses.

Repeat the layers one more time.  Tortillas, chicken then cheese.  Label 3 pieces of foil and cover each pan. 

Place one pan in the fridge for tonight and two pans in the freezer for later.  Please thaw in the fridge for two days before baking.  When you are prepared, bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. 

My husband likes his with pickled jalapenos.  I like mine with a scoop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.  This would also be good with a can of black beans added to the filling.  I was able to make 3 pans of chicken taco casserole for $7.72 each. 

Enjoy!
Christie aka Keeza