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Thursday and I am back to painting class.  Didn’t really have my act together, but made some progress.  I had planned a simple, I thought, meal to make that evening.  This recipe comes from new information from Eat Better, a WW new year handout.  It was OK.  I better step up my cooking a little, or I will need to quit this blog.  This recipe reminded me of 3 things.  I hate stringing sugar snap peas.  Not flavoring tofu is why most people hate it, and shredding carrots should be off my list of activities.  

As with all Chinese dishes and inspired dishes, all items must be ready to add the minute the wok reaches temperature.  The WW recipe listed below is for one person.  I kind of winged it and as far as vegetables were concerned added a lot.  I used a whole package of tofu, cubed.  I made Jim lots of rice.  If you have been following, know that I always make it the same way.  

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1/2 C red pepper, sliced (I used a whole one sliced) Zero WW Points

Carrots (I used 4) Zero WW Points

Snap Peas (I would use French green beans.  Still green, but no work) 

Zero WW Points 

Chestnuts (I used the whole can.) Zero WW Points 

Cubed Tofu (I used the whole package cubed) 4 WW Points

2 T chopped scallions (Jim bought shallots thinking he was buying scallions.  I cut up one and added chives.) Zero WW Points

1/8 t minced garlic, Zero WW Points 

Sprinkle with 1/2 T low-sodium soy sauce, Zero WW Points 

1 t sesame oil, 1 WW Point

Directions:

1. Plan on slicing and dicing for a while.  You can pile all the vegetables together as they are added all at the same time.  
2. Open the tofu and drain out the water.  Dice the block into cubes and place on multiple layers of paper towel.  (I sprinkled with Teriyaki sauce, but not enough.)
3. Serve over 1/2C rice, 3 WW Points  

The whole meal is 8 points with the 1/2 cup of rice.  It was definitely eatable but not very exciting.  We had a dusting of snow overnight and it shut Nashville down.  Planned a relaxing day anyway, so it didn’t bother me.  the driveway had to be cleared, but not deep enough for the snow blower.  This shut Nashville down.  Yes, i am writing Friday AM.  

I learned today that Cracker-barrel was offering a Whole Thanksgiving dinner for $100.  I think I payed more for mine and cooked for 3 days!  We were so sick of eating leftovers that last night we threw away some and the goodies went to Jo.  To break up the monotony, friends and I went to an Indian restaurant here in Nashville last night. I have some new old cookbooks.  My neighbor gives me some as she cleans out her house and a friend Morel, had recently lost her husband and found cookbook on the shelf. Morel does not cook, so she gave them to me.  One is a book called Noteworthy.  I bet it was a fund raiser for  a group that calls itself the Ravinia Festival.  it is in Highland Park, IL and was published in 1986.  Ravinia is the oldest Music Festival in the US.  Highland Park incorporated Ravinia which was a separate city and was named for the Ravines along lake Michigan. Look it up very interesting.  

I picked this recipe as I thought it was using up my jar of Chestnuts.  But once i woke up, it wanted water chestnuts.  Jim was at Publix so he picked those up also.  I accompanied this dish with rice.  It is an excellent recipe.  Rather loose in directions and I found that interesting.  The older cookbooks did not give you step by step directions.  I think Food TV is responsible for the change.  

Ingredients:

1/4 C vegetable oil, divided (I used 2 T total.)

1 bunch green onions, sliced diagonally 1/2” thick

3 ribs celery, sliced diagonally 1/2” thick

1/2 green pepper, slice

1/2 red pepper, sliced

1/2 C mushrooms

1 1/2 C diced, cooked turkey

1 1/2 C thinly sliced water chestnuts (I used 2-5 oz. cans, it was plenty)

2 T flour

1 t paprika

1 1/2 t curry powder 

1/4 t thyme

1 C chicken broth (I used my home made)

1/4 C drained pineapple tidbits ( I used fresh pineapple cut up)

Directions:

1. First I am going to make an amendment to the directions.  As with most Chinese cooking all ingredients must be prepared and at your fingertips ready to go when the wok is heated.  I had all the vegetables and fruit chopped, the broth measured and all the spices and flour mixed in a small bowl.  
2. In a wok heat 2 T oil.  Sauce onions, celery, and peppers until lightly brown.  (This will happen fast if you have your temperature high enough.  Surface temperature about 400 degrees.)
3. In a small skillet sauce mushrooms in 1 T oil.  (I did not do this.  I added the mushrooms as the vegetables were getting done.)
4. Stir in wanter chestnuts and turkey.  Stir, cover and steam briefly.  
5. Stir in the dry ingredients.  
6. Stir in the broth and pineapple. Stir, cover and steam briefly.
7. Serve on cooked rice or chow mien noodles.  

 

Jim really liked this dish.  It serves 4-5 people, but here it served 2.  It is billed in the book as colorful, low-calorie dish.  I look forward to using more recipes from this book.  

What a day.  Jim and I spent the entire day cleaning house and we still are not done.  I wanted to hire a cleaning team as the baseboards were really in terrible shape, but Jim said he would clean them.  We did not get done, but what is done looks great.  Then we went to dance club.  

I found this recipe in the Costco magazine and it tasted as spectacular as it looked in the magazine.  I don’t know about your grocery store, but mine never has ground chicken.  So when a recipe calls for ground chicken, I grind my own.  For any oriental meal use thighs instead of breasts.  I buy mine skinless and boneless at Costco.  I did not use the whole 5 C of lettuce as it looked like too much, but it wilts and I should have.  Although when I mentioned this at the table, I got a grumpy, it’s plenty.  He did like the chicken though.  

Ingredients:

1 T sesame oil

1# lean ground chicken

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 C hoisin sauce

2 T soy sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar

1 T freshly grated ginger

1 t Sriracha Sauce, or to taste

1 (8oz.)  can water chestnuts,  drained and diced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste 

5 C Wholesome Garden Organic Spring Mix

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned, crumbling chicken as it cooks.  Drain excess fat.
2. Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin, soy, vinegar, ginger and Sriracha.  Cook until onions are translucent about 1-2 minutes.  Add chestnuts and green onions, cooking 1-2 minutes more.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Seriously, 2 T soy sauce and you need salt?  Also if you like it hotter, just add more Sriracha.)
3. Line a platter or individual bowls with with the lettuce.  Spoon season chicken over the greens.  
4. Make 2-3 servings. 

The important part of this meal is have everything chopped and missed ahead of time.  As all the liquid ingredients are added at once, you could even combine them in a small bowl ahead of time also.  

 

This dish could also be served to company.  Great for a scorching, humid, summer day.