Chicken Stir-Fry

...brought to you courtesy of late night house painting. This is a chicken version of a mushroom, pepper steak stir-fry recipe my sister gave to me. It's yummy and goes great with rice and plum wine!* Maybe next week I'll do something without chicken, hmm.

Hardware:
Chef's knife
Wooden cutting board
One wok or large skillet
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Small mixing bowl
Fork
1/2 Cup measurer
Tablespoon measurer
Teaspoon measurer

Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 Tbs. canola oil**
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. ginger root, minced
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1 Tbs. fresh ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 C. yellow onion, sliced
1 C. crimini, sliced
1/2 C. sherry cooking wine
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. corn starch
6 stalks green onion, chopped
1 tomato, quartered

Instructions:
Using your chef's knife and cutting board, mince the garlic and ginger. Heat your wok or skillet over a medium-flame. Once the pan is hot add the canola oil. Heat the oil for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger, saute with wooden spoon.

As the garlic and ginger saute, rub the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the chicken smooth side down in the skillet. As the chicken is grilling, slice your red pepper, green pepper and onion. After 5-7 minutes flip the chicken, use a spatula.

Let the chicken grill for 5-7 more minutes. While you wait, whisk together the sherry, vinegar and cornstarch. This should create a sauce, about the consistency of soup.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and let rest on cutting board. Add the peppers and onion to the pan. Let the vegetables grill for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms. Saute the vegetable mixture for about 5 minutes.

Gently pour in the sherry, vinegar and cornstarch mixture. Stir the vegetable, as the sauce thickens. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes letting the sauce thicken. Turn off the heat.

Toss in the green onions and tomato and stir. Slice the chicken breasts across the grain about 1 inch thick slices. Stir into the stir-fry, serve on top of rice and enjoy!

*As a side note, I want to try this recipe with peanuts and water chestnuts. (Sorry Andrew, no bok choy.) This recipe was the creation of a late night, a hungry tummy and whatever food was available in the fridge.

**Measurements are approximate. Please feel free to make any changes you think are necessary. And let me know about them all.

Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan is a simple chicken casserole dish. Because casserole is a Utah tradition it seems only appropriate to begin my recipe throw down with a nod to the culture I live in. Prepare to be amazed, this casserole is yummy, filling, cheap and easy to make. Let's begin...

Ingredients:
1 bag (16 oz) frozen broccoli florets
1 lb. chicken breast, thawed
Kosher Salt
1 Tbs. fresh ground black pepper, plus some for the chicken
1 Cup Mayonnaise (use real mayonnaise and skip the low-fat)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (use reduced sodium)
1 can Cream of Broccoli soup (use reduced sodium)
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 Cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 bag (16 oz) croutons
non-stick cooking spray

Hardware:
350 degree oven
2-quart sauce pan
Strainer
Skillet
Metal spatula
Rubber spatula
Medium sized mixing bowl
One cup
Tablespoon
Wooden cutting board
Chef's knife
9" x 13" casserole dish

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the frozen broccoli in a 2-quart sauce pan and cover it with hot water. This allows the broccoli to thaw as you prepare the other casserole layers.

Rub the chicken with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Both sides should be evenly spiced. On your stove top warm the skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken with the smooth side down on the heated skillet. This makes it brown more evenly and is easier for turning. Let the chicken cook on one side for 5-7 minutes.


While the chicken is sizzling, use your rubber spatula to mix together the mayonnaise, cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli, cheese, lemon juice, garlic powder and pepper in a medium sized mixing bowl. Continue folding and stirring until the mixture is well-blended.


Using the metal spatula flip the chicken. Continue to let the chicken grill for another 5-7 minutes. As with any protein the less you touch it the more tender it will be in the end. So let it grill away in peace.


Now spray your 9" x 13" casserole dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Next add the bag of croutons to the mayonnaise mixture. I like a little bit more crunch to my casserole so I add the croutons just before I put the casserole together. (For softer croutons add them to the mayonnaise mixture sooner.)

Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and place on a wooden cutting board. Using your chef's knife carefully slice the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Evenly spread the chicken across the bottom of your greased casserole dish.

Next strain the thawed broccoli. Evenly spread the broccoli over the chicken.

Now take your mayonnaise mixture and spread it on top of the broccoli and chicken. Use the remaining cup of sharp cheddar and sprinkle it evenly across the top of the Divan.

Let the casserole bake in your 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (at high altitude) until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are beginning to brown. Carefully remove the hot dish from the oven, serve alone or with your favorite sides and dig in. Yumminess is only a casserole away!