Full Bellies, Happy Kids

Monday, September 28, 2015

Panda Express Sweet Fire Chicken

If my family and I could eat at Panda Express every day, we probably would.

In a dream world of course, because in reality, there's just no way we could afford that, or my thighs could sustain it. But once in a while, it's good to indulge and if when the craving strikes, I can make it at home? Even better!!!

This recipe comes from one of the food blogs I most admire, Damn Delicious. She is fantastic and has some of the best recipes out there, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to make it for the family.

The results? Amazing!!!

My husband and children loved it, all had seconds, and my 12 year old boy even had thirds, he just couldn't get enough.

So here you go, a great copycat recipe for next time you crave Panda Express.

Panda Express Sweet Fire Chicken

Source: Damn Delicious

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced pineapple, fresh or canned
1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce, or more, to taste
2 green onions, thinly sliced
For the chicken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in flour again, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bell pepper and pineapple and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in chicken and Thai sweet chili sauce until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions.

Philly Steak and Cheese Burgers

Yes, Philly Steak and Cheese Burgers.

My family and I love a good ol' Philly Steak and Cheese but it's not something I make very often, and even though I can make a good one, it's never really as yummy as the one you get elsewhere. For us, it means Charley's Subs which we absolutely love.

On my last menu plan, I had put down oven burgers. I didn't have a set plan in mind, or recipe, I just had an idea that I wanted some sort of smothered bunless burgers.

I had peppers and onions on hands and thought I could use those, honestly at first I was thinking some sort of creamy sauce to cook them in but as I started assembling them I noticed that the ingredients I was using were very reminiscent of a a Philly Cheesesteak and so these burgers came about.

My husband and kids love them, I did too. I am sure you could slap these on a bun and have a typical burger but I kept them bunless, served up some simple white rice and mixed veggies. Yummy!!!

Philly Steak and Cheese Burgers

2 lbs ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
Mesquite Burger seasoning
Green pepper, sliced
Onions, sliced
Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese

Season the ground beef with the salt and pepper and mesquite burger seasoning. Divide into 8 equal parts and shape into patties.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and place the patties in the pan. Top each with sliced onion and green peppers. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until meat is cooked through.

Top each patty with a slice of provolone or mozzarella and pop back in the oven until melted.

Super simple but really tasty.

Weekly Meals in Review and Menu Plan

Hello everyone, and welcome to another week of meals in review and this time, my menu plan for this week as well.

I wasn't going to include the menu plan because at first I wanted to keep it strictly to meals in review, but then I decided that it would actually be a good idea to do so, that way I don't have to put up two posts.

For now at least, I'll give it a try and see how it goes, I may eventually do different posts, but we'll see.

MONDAY 21ST
Skillet Pork Chops and Potatoes

TUESDAY 22ND
Philly Steak and Cheese Burgers

WEDNESDAY 23RD
Crockpot Chicken Stew

THURSDAY 24TH
Homemade Spaghetti Bolognese

FRIDAY 25TH
Marketside Pizza (hubby and I had to run to Walmart before dinner and just picked up Supreme for dinner)

SATURDAY 26TH
Hubby and I had to run errands, and with everything going on with my grandmother being hospitalized he wanted to take me out of the house. He took me to Denny's for a late lunch and I had the Grand Slamwich was soooo good, but extremely filling.

SUNDAY 27TH
We had a super easy Sunday, no one really wanted big meals so we all decided to just do snacks and grazing all day long. Sandwiches, chips and dip, fruit, ice cream, it was one of those days.

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MONDAY 28TH

Copycat Panda Express Sweet Chili Fire Chicken and Chow Mein

TUESDAY 29TH

Lemon Basil Chicken and roast potato wedges

WEDNESDAY 30TH

Penne and Sausage Casserole

THURSDAY 1ST

Beef baked with Yogurt and Black pepper, Rice

FRIDAY 2ND

Pan Bagnat

SATURDAY 3RD

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

SUNDAY 4TH

Best Chili Ever, Homemade Rolls, rice

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Homemade Bagels

I love bagels, my husband loves bagels and my kids loveeeee bagels. Truth is, I can't seem to keep them in the house long enough and they're quite pricey at the store.

I've made pretzels before, and some of the process is the same for the bagels so I figured it couldn't be that hard to make.

I set out to find the right recipe, and the one I happened upon was this one from Natural Chow. It was simple to make and they turned out pretty good. I don't know if it's because it was the first time making them or not, but they weren't as smooth as I would have liked them so I'm going to continue looking for recipes until I find the perfect one for me.

Nonetheless I wanted to share this recipe with you because it is pretty easy to make and tastes good too.

Homemade Bagels

Source: Natural Chow

Dough:

1½ cups warm water (110° F)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Water Bath:

2 quarts (8 cups) water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon unbleached pure cane sugar

Instructions

Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the yeast and brown sugar. Let sit 2-3 minutes. Add in the flour and salt and mix on low speed until a cohesive dough has formed. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest for 1.5 hours.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and shape into smooth, round balls. Cover them with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water and brown sugar to a very gentle boil in a large pan (I use a wok).

Preheat your oven to 425° F. Use your pointer finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole until it is about 2 inches in diameter (the entire bagel will be about 4"-5" across).

Place each bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Transfer the bagels to the simmering water, four at a time. Increase the heat to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Simmer the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and simmer 1 minute more.

Using a skimmer or strainer, or the end of a wooden spoon, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, or until they're browned to your preference. To top with seeds, remove them from the oven after about 15 minutes, brush with water, and sprinkle with seeds. Return to the oven to finish baking.