Spicy Soba Noodles

Easy weeknight dinners that can double as lunch are a great time saver.  The trick is to find something that actually tastes good the next day, and that can be a real challenge.  Most food looses its luster by day two.  But this spicy soba noodle salad breaks the mold. 

Fresh and feisty, by day two the seasonings in the sauce taste even better.  And, the ingredients hold their "snap" so there is no love lost overnight.  Admittedly, this is a bit spicy so if you want to tone down, cut the jalapeno in half. 

Ingredients
2 peppers, sliced thin
3 green onions, sliced into rounds
1/4 head of cabbage
1/2 pound of cooked chicken, shredded
1/4 cup of cilantro
1 wrapping of soba noodles (in the package there are three separate groups, use one! about 258 grams)
5 tablespoons of peanut butter
5 tablespoons of water
5 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of ginger
1/2 a jalapeno (with seeds)
1/4 cup of peanuts

Preparation
1.  Slice all the vegetables - peppers, onions, cilantro and cabbage.  Shred chicken.

2.  Cook soba noodles according to directions.  Drain and cool.

3.  Combine peanut butter through jalapeno in a blender to combine.  After well blended, add peanuts and quickly pulse for a chunky-like texture.

4.  In a large bowl, combine veggies and noodles.  Add in sauce to coat.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for a salad later!

Warm and Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

The weather is getting colder here in the DC area which means, it's time to hunker down with some comfort food.  Chicken and Dumplings meets the mail on this one! 

 

Here is a super easy recipe for delicious chicken and dumplings.  It only requires a few ingredients and is ready to serve in 45 minutes - perfect for a weeknight dinner.  Another plus - kids will love it (well, at least one of the two if you are like me!).

As you can see from the picture, this recipe is NOT trying to create chicken and dumplings soup - the chicken and dumplings will not be swimming in broth. It is more the consistency of a stew.  And, this recipe is adapted from this submission on Allrecipes.com (truth in lending). 

Ingredients

Base
3 stalks of celery
1/2 onion
1 can of cream of chicken
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 teaspoon of celery seed
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
 
Dumplings
1 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Preparation  

1.  Slice the three stalks of celery.

Good sized slices, not thin!

2.  Dice 1/2 onion.

This is not diced.  This is what the start is, but flip the onion flat side down when you cut, then dice

3.  Cube 2 chicken breasts and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I like bigger chunks of chicken

4.  Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a Dutch oven.  Turn the heat to medium high and add the chicken to saute.

Do not eat.

5.  When the chicken is half-way cooked, add the onion and celery to saute with the chicken.  Then add the teaspoon of celery seed.  Cook for 6-8 minutes.

Cook until onion is translucent.

6.  While the onions, celery and chicken are sauteing, get a second pot and add the cream of chicken, chicken stock and milk.   Bring to a simmer over medium heat to blend flavors.

7.  Add the liquid (chicken stock, cream of chicken and milk) to the Dutch oven with the chicken, onions and celery.  Bring to a simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

8.  Prepare your dumplings!  Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in one bowl.  Combine the milk and oil in another bowl.

 9.  Add the liquid (milk and oil) to the flour mixture.  Stir until all the flour is moistened and it begins to form a doughy ball.

 10.  After the chicken is done simmering (30 minutes), drop spoonfuls of the dough into the sauce.  Cover the pot with a lid and turn up the heat to medium-high so it is lightly boiling.  Cook for 12 -15 minutes.

Raw dough balls, ready for action!

11.  Remove the lid and your dumplings should now be cooked (doughy balls).  Ladle chicken and dumplings into bowls. Serve immediately!   

YUM!