Hawaiian Chicken

After spending a few years The South, we just moved back to the Midwest.

In the middle of winter. 

Brrr!!!

Have you ever been to the Midwest in the middle of winter?!?  The wind blows, the snow piles up, and the temperatures hover around zero degrees.

In our little corner of The South, winter lasted about a month, and IF the temps dropped into the teens, people would hardly leave their houses.  Here in the Midwest, people solider on, no matter what the temp is outside.  It will take me some time to re-acclimate myself.

In the meantime, I made this Hawaiian Chicken to remind me that there are warm times ahead.  The combination of the savory teriyaki and the mandarin oranges & fresh pineapple makes it a perfect winter's-day-comfort-food, while at the same time being light enough to be enjoyed in the middle of summer.

A big thanks goes to my friend, Rebecca, for sharing this recipe with me.

Hawaiian Chicken
(Source: Rebecca Greenwood)

2 1/2 lbs. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (We like SoyVay Veri Veri Teriyaki--or some other low-sodium teriyaki sauce)
1/4 cup soy sauce (We use low-sodium, otherwise it's too salty)
1 package onion soup mix
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks or tidbits
1-2 11 oz. can(s) mandarin oranges
1 fresh pineapple, cut into bite sized pieces, divided

Heat oil in wok over medium high heat.
Add chicken and let simmer till mostly cooked, about 7 minutes.
Add sauces, soup mix, canned pineapple with juice, and 1/4 of fresh pineapple pieces.
Mix together well..
Cover wok loosely, turn down heat to medium and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is glazed.
Serve over rice and top with remaining pineapple and mandarin oranges.

Soft & Chewy Ginger Snaps

Like Whitney said, our lives have been a bit hectic over the past few months.  I am ashamed to admit that for a while there, I think we only ate food that:

a) Came from a restaurant, or

b)Came from the frozen foods section and simply had to be put in the oven

Thankfully, we are finished with that stage and I'm ready to spend some time in the kitchen again.

A friend gave me the recipe for these cookies several years ago and they deserve their time in the baking-spotlight.  After a cold afternoon spent playing in the snow, the cinnamon-molasses scent of these cookies instantly warms you before you even take the first bite.  Perfect cookies for all winter long.

Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps

Source: Sara Seifert

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream together butter, brown sugar, egg, molasses, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and flour.  Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mix until combined.  Form dough into 1" balls.  Roll each ball in white sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet, bake for 7-9 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet immediately and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

My sister and I have been a little busy lately: 3 moves, selling houses, a family reunion, and the holidays. We still have one move and one house to sell, but hopefully the crazy busy months are behind us. After months of frozen pizzas, fast foods, and box meals, we are back and ready for some real food. 

This recipe is one that our family makes at Thanksgiving nearly every year. A friend of mine brought it over to a barbecue with the delightful addition of sunflower seeds. Be sure to cut the broccoli and cauliflower into manageable bite-sized pieces.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:
3 heads of broccoli, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup. mayonnaise
2 TBS sugar
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. finely diced red onion
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup Jack shredded jack cheese
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled or sliced thin

Directions:
Combine broccoli and cauliflower in a large bowl. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and red onion. Dressing may be made ahead and refrigerated. 
Immediately before serving, combine broccoli and cauliflower and mayonnaise dressing. Stir in sunflower seeds, cheese, and bacon.