Tag Archives: ginger

Hawaiian Chicken

Is everyone as happy as me that it’s spring? I was in Florida on vacation this past weekend and even though I took a few days off from my diet, I think I must have eaten pineapple nearly everyday. There is something about spring that makes me want to eat tons of fresh fruits and veggies as well as eat better! (Maybe it’s the impending bathing suit season?) When I came home, I went to the grocery store and nearly went crazy with all of the produce on sale for only $1! Mangos, nectarines, carrots, peppers, avocado, broccoli! It got me in the mood to stay in a “tropical” state of mind with my eating so I made Hawaiian Chicken and ate it with a homemade fruit salad of mangos, nectarines, cilantro and lime juice. Yum! The glaze for this chicken is super easy – soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger, and pineapple juice. The chicken marinates in the refrigerator for a few hours and is grilled. I’m sure this would be a million times better on an outdoor grill but I’m not complaining with how mine turned out. This especially tasted great with mango. I think I mmm-ed with every bite. This delicious chicken dish puts me right in the mood for springtime!

The ingredients:

Combine the ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic and ginger in a small bowl.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and pour remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add the chicken and chill for 4 hours.

Place chicken on a grill or grill pan coated with non-stick spray. Discard marinade. Using reserved marinade to baste the chicken as it cooks over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 minutes on each side or until completely cooked through.

Serve with fresh fruit and brown rice.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Chicken Pot Stickers

I don’t know about you but whenever I go to an event or a get-together and I see pot stickers, I lunge for them (if they are vegetarian or chicken, that is). When I think about the appetizers my friends most go for, pot stickers or any kind of Asian dumplings are usually the first to go. Making these Chicken Pot Stickers seem like a slam dunk to me.

A simple mixture of ground chicken, cooked cabbage, garlic, ginger, scallions, and sesame oil are wrapped up in wonton wrappers, browned slightly, and steamed until cooked to perfection. I don’t think I’ve ever bought a head of cabbage before and as I cooked this cabbage, I realized that the vegetables in the vegetables and rice I get from the food cart outside work is made with cabbage (I thought it was bok choy this whole time!). I now realize I’m a huge cabbage fan and will incorporate it into all of my stir-fry recipes from now on. But, I digress…these pot stickers are fragrant and gingery and I honestly can’t rave about these enough. They are the perfect little bite to dunk into salty soy sauce or any other of your favorite Asian dipping sauce. I dare you to stop at one. Or two. Or three. Seriously. They are that good.

The ingredients:

Shred or chop the cabbage and add it to a skillet with vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook the cabbage until slightly brown, adding the water a tablespoon at a time.

Move cabbage to a large bowl and allow to cool.

Add ground chicken, scallions, ginger, garlic, salt, sesame oil, and egg white to the cabbage and mix.

Spoon a tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the middle of a wonton. Using your fingers, moisten the edges of the wonton with water.

Bring 2 opposite corners of the wonton to the center and pinch to seal. Bring the other 2 corners to center and pinch all 4 edges together to seal. Place wontons on a baking sheet covered in cornstarch or parchment. Cover wontons with a wet papertowl to prevent them from drying out as you prepare the remaining pot stickers.

Place 1/2 of the wontons into a skillet coated with vegetable oil and cook until brown, about 3 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of water into the skillet and cover, allowing wontons to steam for 3 minutes.

Move steamed wontons to a plate and repeat procedure with remaining wontons. Serve with your favorite Asian dipping sauce.

Omissions: None

Additions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes

Want to make an impression on someone this weekend? Try these Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes. These cakes have cinnamon and ginger and are super chocolatey with a warm molten center that will impress anyone. I used regular cinnamon in these although the recipe calls for Saigon cinnamon (anyone know what that is?) and it tasted delicious. These bake quickly in the oven and should be eaten within a few hours of baking in order to keep the molten center. Just be careful that you don’t dig in too quickly or else the entire center might come flowing out. Don’t have Cabernet? No big deal. Use any red wine you might have on hand. These pair deliciously with wine (or milk!) so if you are planning on a low key New Year’s Eve and want to put a smile on your sweetie’s face, definitely consider these.