Sesame Peanut Soba Noodles

I love Runner's World magazine for keeping me up to date with running news and trends, but they don't usually wow me with their recipes. No hard feelings. It's not like I read the magazine expecting food blog inspiration. Their April issue recipe, however, caught my attention. Recently I've been thinking I need to experiment with more Asian flavors. I spent four years of my life in Japan, and have not blogged a single Japanese inspired recipe! My poor wok had been hiding in a dark corner of my kitchen, waiting to be used. Luckily Runner's World provided me with this "you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry" sesame peanut sauce recipe. This sauce, along with soba noodles and stir-fried mixed vegetables has become a staple in the Lowry household. Depending on our mood we add chicken, or keep it vegetarian. Besides the versatility, what I love most about this dish is it takes twenty minutes tops to prepare. My personal record is fifteen minutes. Sesame Peanut Soba Noodles definitely do not look, or taste like they were thrown together in fifteen minutes. 

Directions:
Sesame Peanut Sauce-
6 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1-2 tablespoon unsweetened peanut butter
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced

Everything Else-
10 ounces soba noodles
2-3 cups fresh mixed vegetables (I use the Trader Joe's Asian stir-fry mix of bok choy, snap peas, peppers, broccoli, water chestnuts)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts, optional
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, optional
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped, optional

Directions:

Boil three quarts of water in a large pot.

In a large, shallow bowl, whisk the tamari, sesame oil, peanut butter, vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.

Then, using a wok, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add vegetables and cook until tender, yet still firm. About 5 minutes.

Add noodles to the boiling water and stir. Cook until tender (5 minutes). Drain in a colander; run warm water over the noodles until the water runs clear. (If the noodles aren't washed, they'll be starchy and sticky.) Drain thoroughly again. Add sauce to the vegetables in the wok and toss to coat evenly. Add chicken and noodles; toss again. Garnish with sesame seeds, peanuts, and/or cilantro.

Blue Corn Enchiladas

Brent and I always schedule time for the Blue Mesa Grill when we are in Dallas. I look forward to the Adobe Pie, Goat Cheese Enchiladas and the Blue Margaritas. Brent always orders Blue Corn Enchiladas. Blue corn tortillas are way more fun than plain corn tortillas, so when I found them at Trader Joe's I challenged myself to recreating Blue Mesa's signature dish. I adapted Marcela Valladolid's Chicken Enchilada recipe by using blue corn tortillas, and roasting chicken breast with my taco seasoning blend. I also stacked the tortillas instead of rolling them, and serve the dish in mini cast iron skillets. Although the homemade salsa verde was delicious, and we enjoyed having a taste of Texas in California, I won't fool you into thinking these taste like the original recipe. The Blue Mesa does something magical to their food. Magic that I will experience in less than two week!

Ingredients:
9 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1/2 medium white onion
1 serrano chile
1 yellow chile (guero)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6-8 (6-inch) blue corn tortillas (available at Trader Joe's)
2 chicken breasts, roasted and sprinkled with taco seasoning
1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the tomatillos, onion, serrano, yellow chile and 3/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and boil until the tomatillos turn olive-green color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos, onion and chiles to a blender. Add the garlic and cilantro and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

                              
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until golden but still pliable, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Put the tortillas on a work surface. Divide the shredded chicken evenly among the tortillas and roll up each like a cigar. Spread 1/3 cup sauce in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the enchiladas, seam-side down, in one layer snugly inside the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. You might also consider stacking your enchiladas and making personal dishes in mini cast iron dishes. In this case stack 3-4 tortillas per portion, and add chicken to each layer. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese.

Sprinkle the cheese all over. Bake until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Panko Crusted Chicken

Food blogging is an expensive hobby. Although cooking at home is cheaper than eating out, and I tend to post budget friendly dishes, my experimenting often requieres a variety of ingredients that increase my grocery bill. At least once a week I give my wallet a bit of relief by preparing chicken and salad. It usually falls on a Monday night after a weekend of indulgence. Chicken and salad night used to feel like the boring night off cooking until I learned how to prepare it right. With this dish I still get the satisfaction of preparing a blogable meal without the cost of a bunch of fancy ingredients. Yes, you could add parmigiano reggiano and fresh parsley to the panko to really take the dish up a notch, but just having chicken, a few pantry items, and whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, and you're good to go!

Ingredients:
1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and pounded
Salt and pepper
Flour
1 container egg beaters (Or you can use two eggs. I like using egg beaters because they aren't as drippy)
1 cup Panko crumbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for shallow frying

Directions:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in a little flour, then coat in egg beaters and then in breadcrumbs mixed with enough cayenne pepper to make you happy.

Heat a shallow layer of oil, about 1/8-inch thick, in large skillet over medium to medium- high heat. Place cooling rack over sheet tray in oven preheated to 200˚F to keep chicken warm until you serve.

Fry chicken in batches to avoid crowding pan. Cook chicken 5 minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through.

Serve over salad, with roasted vegetables, or even in a sandwich.

Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas

Brent and I have a new roommate! Marta has been living with us in Playa del Rey over the past few weeks while she pursues her career in the fashion industry here in Los Angeles. It's been fun having my baby sister around to accompany us as we explore the city. We've had fun with family yoga nights, biking on the beach, walking around Santa Monica and best of all having a good laugh over dinner after stressful days at work. Last week Marta suggested preparing tostadas for dinner. I cook all kinds of complicated Mexican dishes but have never prepared simple, healthy and delicious tostadas. I've been missing out! I've added this dish to my list of great weeknight dishes. It can also easily be adapted by using shredded rotisserie chicken, and pre-toasted tortillas for even quicker cooking time.

Ingredients:

6-8 tortillas

1 can refried black beans 

1 pound chicken tenders

1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning

 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges 

1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce 

1 cup chunky salsa

Sliced tomatoes 

2 tablespoons olive oil


Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange tortillas (we used large whole wheat tortillas) on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until crispy, 6-8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, add olive oil to a skillet. Heat to medium. Add chicken tender, and cook until brown on both sides and no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Remove from heat, and shred into small pieces.

Cook the beans in a small pot on the stove until hot throughout. 

To prepare the tostada, spread tostadas with beans, then top with avocado slices, chicken, lettuce and salsa and enjoy immediately.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

I love the cranberry walnut combination. This week I have made cranberry walnut granola with yogurt and blackberries, salad with cranberry, walnut and Gorgonzola, and in the mornings I top my cereal with cranberries and walnuts. I then had a craving for chicken salad, so I threw in more cranberries and walnuts. I went all out with my chicken salad by brining the chicken breast to make sure it was nice and moist. Next time I might use a little less mayonnaise. I was really in the mood for a creamy deli-style chicken salad, but it probably was not the best decision health wise. Brent and I enjoyed this chicken salad both in a wrap, and on its own. It has a great variation of textures and flavors, and has become a Lowry lunch favorite.

Ingredients:
4 cups cubed roasted chicken (between 1.5 and 2 pounds)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup celery, diced
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix well.

Adapted (barely) from Smitten Kitchen.