Friday, September 9, 2011

You win this round, peanut butter.

I know this picture doesn't look that appetizing. I took it with my phone while starving and not really willing to take the time to figure out how to make it look pretty.



I've made this recipe twice now since discovering it. I wasn't sure I'd like it at first because I used to think that peanut flavor belonged in nothing but dessert, but recently I've been craving it. I have found myself eating just peanut butter and nutella, spread on graham crackers.

You should try that, by the way, because it is delicious.

But the point is, I used to seriously judge my friends whenever they would eat peanut butter out of the jar, and I have many friends who do. And suddenly I find myself thinking 'huh, that isn't such a bad idea after all.' What's happening to me? Next thing you know I'll be not eating meat for days at a time without even trying.

...Oh, wait...

Anyway, enough rambling. Ignore my poor photography, and give this a try. I have changed the recipe slightly in that I added a marinade step, because I think it gives the chicken a lot more flavor. I also think that you should steam the peas before so they aren't SO crunchy, but that may be a personal preference. Some people like them super crunchy.

Recipe modified from The Cooking Photographer.
(Makes 5 servings, with 289 calories and $3.11 per serving)
  • 1 tablespoon light colored oil
  • 5 thin sliced chicken breasts
  • 2 cups snap peas
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
  • 2 green onions
  • pepper
    1. Cut thinly sliced chicken breasts into strips.
    2. Marinade chicken in chicken broth, Sriracha, brown sugar, fish sauce, some pepper and lime juice for at least three hours.
    3. Begin steaming snap peas.
    4. Heat up oil, and saute chicken.
    5. Add snap peas to skillet and cook for two to three minutes, then add marinade and peanut butter, and cook for about five minutes.
    6. Add chicken back to wok, and cook until marinade has boiled down.
    7. Plate, serve with rice and additional lime wedges.

    Today's lessons learned:
    • Steam snow peas. Or they stay crunchy.
    • When did peanut butter get so delicious?!
  • Friday, September 2, 2011

    Pitas appear to be beyond me.

    Aha, and ya'll thought I forgot about my mission to re-cook everything I ate in England, didn't you? The one I gave the ridiculously British-sounding name to? Well, I didn't forget at all!

    I'm just bad at cooking things in a timely manner, it seems.

    The original version of this dish came from the Jazz Cafe, and it was one of the things I was most looking forward to. And it turned out deliciously. Everything except the pita, which I attempted to make on my own. The bread tasted fine, but you know how pitas are supposed to have little pockets, for putting food inside...?

    Mine were just sad and flat. I didn't even take a picture of it, because it made me so sad.

    I did take a picture of the final product, though.



    So many colors! If I had not made whole-wheat pitas, then maybe there would have been even more, but I appear to be obsessed with whole-wheat. I think that's a good thing, it makes me feel healthier.

    These are really easy to make. Mixing together the tabbouleh and tzatziki can be day the day before, even, and the lamb patties only take minutes to throw together. It takes a while only to chop everything up by hand. I'm a horrendously slow food chopper, so it still took me about half an hour, but Mama Bird could have done it in probably 10. I guess that should be my next goal: improving my chopping skills...

    Recipe from All About You
    (Makes 8 servings, with 338 calories and $2.02 per serving)
    Lamb Patties
  • 18 ounces ground lamb
  • 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    1. Mix all ingredients but olive oil in bowl until well combined.
    2. Shape into eight patties.
    3. Place on tray and chill in fridge for at least 15 minutes.
    4. Heat oil, and fry over medium to high heat for 4 to 5 minutes each side.
    5. Drain on kitchen towel.
    6. Serve with tabbouleh, pita, and tzatziki sauce.

    Tabbouleh
  • 2 ounces couscous
  • 2 ounces fresh parsley
  • 1 ounce fresh mint
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
    1. Put dry couscous in bowl and pour in 1/2 cup of hot water.
    2. Stir, then cover and let sit until water is absorbed.
    3. Fluff with fork, and add remaining ingredients. Chill before serving.

    Tzatziki Sauce
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 green onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon mint
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
    1. Peel and dice cucumber.
    2. Combine all ingredients and stir well.
    3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.


    Today's lessons learned:
    • I chop things very slowly.
    • Pitas without pockets are a lot like naan.