Sauteed Chicken with Soy Sauce & Lemon, Sauteed New Potatoes with Rosemary and a GIVEAWAY

As I mentioned once before in a previous post I was on a quest to get some new cookbooks over the holidays, especially those written by my foodie friends. Table for Two by Warren Caterson was the second book I received and I couldn't wait to try out some of his recipes. His book features over 235 recipes made with fresh, readily available ingredients and is a great cookbook for young couples, empty nesters and everyone in between that are looking for recipes geared towards serving two people. I really wish I had this when I was single and living on my own. I would always make meals then either have a ton of food left over or I had continuous guests! 

I've been craving Asian flavors lately so I decided to make this Sauteed Chicken with Soy Sauce and Lemon. The recipe was easy to follow and I was able to adapt it slightly to increase the portion sizes to feed my family of four using the same ingredients. My family and I LOVED the flavor combination of the soy and lemon in this dish and I served this with steamed rice and a vegetable to complete our meal. 

Sauteed Chicken with Soy Sauce and Lemon(Copycat)

Adapted from Table for Two by Warren Caterson

12 Chicken Thighs, bone-in, skin removed

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 Lemon, zest and juice

1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1/2 c. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

1/2 tbsp. Sugar

1 c. White Wine (I used a Chardonnay)

Directions: 

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven, then add in the chicken and allow to brown on both sides; approximately 10 minutes in total. You may have to do this in two batches so as not to overcrowd the pot. 

2. Remove the chicken and set aside. 

3. Add in the garlic, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper and saute for 1 minute; then add in the soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar and wine. 

4. Return the chicken to the pot, reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. 

5. Remove chicken to a serving plate and spoon sauce over chicken. Serves 6. 

*Nutritional Information per Chicken Thigh: Calories 146, Carbs 3g, Fat 6.9g, Protein 14.2g, Fiber 0g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

The next dish I tried out of the book were these Sauteed New Potatoes with Rosemary. I just love this flavor combination, but I had never cooked them on top of the stove before. They were delicious and the butter gave the potatoes a crispy coating. 

Sauteed New Potatoes with Rosemary (Copycat)

Adapted from Table for Two by Warren Caterson

6 Medium Red Potatoes, skins washed and cubed

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. Butter

1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

Kosher Salt, to taste

Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add the potatoes to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until tender; approximately 10-15 minutes. Drain. 

2. Heat oil in a large, nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat; then add the potatoes and saute until brown; approximately 15-20 minutes. 

3. Add the rosemary and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 178, Carbs 34.4g, Fat 3.3g, Protein 4.1g, Fiber 3.7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

And now for the Giveaway!!! 

Warren has graciously offered to give one of my readers a copy of his book, Table for Two, and there are several ways to enter through Rafflecopter below. The more points you accumulate, the more chances you have to win the book. The winner will be selected on Friday, March 1, 2013 and notified by email where they will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. 

Good luck!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Asian Marinated Pork Spareribs

Well, we survived the first few days of back to school with only a few little glitches and are in full swing with school-sports mode here at the Farias household. I actually made today's recipe about two weeks ago as my kids were dying (well not literally of course) for ribs. I hadn't made them in a while (May to be exact) and since the end of summer was nearing, it only seemed fitting to make them again. I didn't want the traditional kind with bbq sauces, so I made this soy sauce based marinade instead. These were delicious and sticky and gooey...all of the things a sparerib should be and the family LOVED them! 

Asian Marinated Pork Spareribs
2 Full Racks Pork Spareribs
Prepared Asian Marinade

Directions:
1. Cut racks in half forming four racks. 
2. Place them in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. 
4. Remove ribs and brush with the prepared marinade. 
5. Either grill the ribs until they are browned or bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 
Serves 4-6. 

Asian Marinade
3/4 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Ketchup (I use Heinz)
1 tbsp. Stone Ground Mustard
1/2 c. Honey
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 c. Scallions, chopped

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan, mix well, then bring to a boil. 
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until sauce has thickened. 
3. Let cool.

Enjoy! 

Soy Sauce Roasted Green Beans

I do like to have themes when I make dinner, or at least similar flavors, so when I made those Lemon-Ginger Grilled Pork Chops, I also made these Soy Sauce Roasted Green Beans. These were so flavorful and went great with our meal. 

Soy Sauce Roasted Green Beans
1 lb. Green Beans (I used fresh and trimmed the edges, approx. 3 cups)
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Canola Oil
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper


Rinse green beans and add them to a bowl. Add in the garlic, soy sauce, oil and pepper and mix well. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes (depending on how crispy you like them). Serves 4.


*Nutritional Information: Calories 93.6, Carbs 6.6g, Fat 7.1g, Protein 2g, Fiber 2.8g

Enjoy!

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Sparkpeople and may not be 100% accurate.

Lemon-Ginger Grilled Pork Chops

Happy Monday~I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! This past Friday I attended a Food Blogger conference called TECHMunch and had a great day learning some tips from some of the industry's best, as well as meeting some of my favorite food and lifestyle bloggers. All in all it was an informative day filled with lots of laughs and good food. Who could ask for anything more? 

On another note, I was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol but not high enough to be put on medication, which I'm happy about. But, I do have to start watching what I eat,  exercise more frequently, and find foods that help lower cholesterol like Ginger. Here are some health benefits of Ginger I found on eHow.com

1. Look for whole ginger root that is light brown and knobby in appearance.


2. Store the ginger wrapped in a paper towel and sealed in a plastic bag. Keep this bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.

3. Peel fresh ginger before you use it. Instead of peeling the whole root, only peel the portion that you cut off to use.


4. Look for recipes that call for ginger (like this Lemon-Grilled Pork Chops I have listed below!)
5. Add ginger to a variety of foods to lower your cholesterol. Use ginger that is grated, minced or chopped in homemade ice cream, soups, salads, marinades and vegetable dishes.


6. 
Take ginger root juice to treat high cholesterol. Insert ginger into your juicer or add the juice to a vegetable-juice cocktail.



Tips & Warnings
1. Do not confuse ginger, or ginger root, with ginseng, a plant that grows above ground.
2. Despite the benefits of ginger, it can have unpleasant side effects, such as bloating, heartburn, burping, gas and nausea. 

3. Ginger that isn't chewed or broken down properly can block the intestines.

4. Avoid using ginger as the sole treatment for high cholesterol. Ginger should be used as a supplement to other treatments, such as exercise and diet.

5. It may be tempting to freeze ginger to keep it from going bad, but freezing it will result in lost flavor.

I made these pork chops last week and didn't even realize the benefits of ginger lowering my cholesterol until now, so I was pleasantly surprised. These were deliciously light and citrusy and were a huge hit for dinner.

Lemon-Ginger Grilled Pork Chops
4 (4-6oz.) Pork Chops, boneless, center cut
1 Lemon, juice only
1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
1 tsp. Honey
2 tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
2 tbsp. Canola Oil

In a bowl, add the lemon juice, ginger, honey, soy sauce, sesame and canola oils and whisk together. Trim any fat from your pork chops and add them to a resealable plastic bag along with the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove the bag from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling to bring the meat to room temperature so the meat cooks evenly. Cook until proper internal temperature. Serves 4. 

Enjoy!

Shared at Thursday's Treasures on 5/24/12

Ginger Soy Marinated Strip Steaks

Ginger. Another item I've had many times before but never cooked with it until now. It adds a great depth of flavor to marinades, salads and prepared meals. Fresh ginger has a very thin, light brown skin that must be removed before using. Simply cut off as much as you think you will need from the root, then peel off the skin using a thin teaspoon or knife. Fresh ginger will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer. I marinated these steaks that we received from Omaha Steaks last week and let the flavors combine for about 4 hours before grilling them.  These steaks were juicy and tender and since they were so large (at least for us), I only used three of them and still had some left over to top salads with afterwards. 

Ginger Soy Marinated Strip Steaks
3-4 Strip Steaks, fat trimmed

Ginger Soy Marinade
1/2 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 c. Honey
1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
1/4 c. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper


Whisk all ingredients together until well blended. Add the marinade and steaks to a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Remove steaks, discard the marinade and grill until desired doneness. 


Don't forget! If you haven't done so already, there is still time to enter the Giveaway. Entries close at midnight on Tuesday, January 17th. 

Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry with Egg Drop Soup

I don't eat it often, but every once in a while I crave Chinese food. However, I don't like to eat it out (though some of the best Chinese restaurants can be found 45 minutes from where I live on Mott St. in NYC). So every once in a while, I throw together a basic stir fry. It's not hard, but you have to be good at multitasking because you don't want your vegetables to get too soft. You should have seen what my kitchen looked like after making this one! It's recipes like this that make me miss a big industrial sized kitchen (and the dishwashers that used to do all the cleaning up too! :) I actually use the same soy sauce mixture as when I make the Asian Chicken Wings and Fried Rice (which I made to go w/ this also). I like the flavor and it's so simple to make, so why mess with a good thing ? There are certain ingredients that I MUST use when making this. According to my youngest, it's not a stir fry without the "crunchies" a.k.a. water chestnuts and little baby corn. I actually like them myself so not a big deal but to her it's the difference whether or not she will eat it. You can also add any vegetables you like to this and if you have some fresh broccoli, just blanche it first so that it softens a bit before adding it in with the rest of the vegetables. 

Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry
10 Chicken Tenderloins, uncooked, cut into 1" pieces
1-10oz. Box Frozen Broccoli Florets, defrosted and drained
2 Scallions, sliced
6 White Mushrooms, sliced
2 Stalks Celery, washed and sliced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1-8oz. Can Sliced Water Chestnuts
1-14oz. Can Baby Corn
2 Tbsp. Stir Fry Oil or Canola Oil (whichever you have will work fine)


Soy Sauce Mixture:
3/4 c. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
3 tbsp. Honey

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tbsp. Heinz Ketchup

1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. 

Cornstarch and Water Mixture:

2 tbsp. Cornstarch

1 tbsp. Cold Water

Mix together until cornstarch dissolves. 

In a large, non-stick saute pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and cook chicken until it has cooked through. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tbsp. oil and add the broccoli, scallions, mushrooms, celery, garlic, water chestnuts and baby corn. Saute for 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften then add the soy sauce mixture. Let simmer for 5 minutes then thicken with cornstarch and water mixture. Serves 4-6. 


Next, what's Chinese food without Egg Drop Soup? Well at least it's not in this house. Though when we do eat it out, we all like to mix the Egg Drop and Wonton Soup together but I was a little too busy this day to figure out how to make the wontons. It's a really quick soup to put together and can be ready in about 15 minutes.

Egg Drop Soup

4 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

2 c. Water

3 Eggs, lightly beaten

2 Scallions, sliced

¼ tsp. Ground Ginger

¼ tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tbsp. Soy Sauce

¼ c. Cornstarch

¼ c. Cold Water

Kosher Salt, to taste

Ground White Pepper, to taste

Bring broth and water to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add scallions, ginger, garlic powder, and soy sauce. In a separate cup, mix cornstarch with cold water. Pour gradually into broth mixture until it is slightly thickened. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs and stir in a figure eight until the egg is cooked. Makes 6 cups. 


Enjoy!