Crock pottin'

It has been some busy weeks for my family so I haven't been able to enjoy my blog lately.  But I am back in full swing!

I must share what I did last week!  The below recipes asked for basic ingredients that do not go on sale much, so I was still able to keep the grocery bill low.

I found an amazing crock pot dish on pinterest (my addiction), Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken.  I made this one night for friends,  then chicken stir fry with the reserved sauce from the night before, and since the family wasn't tired of chicken or oriental food, I made an amazing salad with all of the left over ingredients.

As noted above, my tip this week is to make the sauce required for the crock pot dish and save half for the stir fry night.

MENU:

Night 1 - Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken served with 10 minute jasmine rice and steamed broccoli   (This one cooks in 3-4 hours, recommend to make on a Sunday or day when someone at home can start the crock pot a couple hours before dinner)

Night 2 - Chicken stir fry with fresh peppers and left over broccoli served with oriental noodles.  You can use angle hair pasta if you don't want to buy special pasta.

Night 3 - Left over shredded chicken salad.

RECIPES/TIPS:
 Night 1- Click here for the online recipe from Chef in Training web page.  This recipe is a double recipe.  I followed the sauce recipe as suggested, however reserved 1 cup for the next night for the stir fry. I used 3 chicken breasts and that was more than enough for 4 adults. If you wish for your sauce to be a little more sweeter, I recommend to add a little peanut butter. Save the left over chicken for night 3.

Night 2- Chicken stir fry! Quick 25 minute meal.  Recommend to use 2-3 thin chicken breasts.
How to make:
Slice up fresh chicken breasts, 1 small yellow onion, 1 red and green bell pepper and broccoli if you have it.

Over medium-high heat, saute your onions in 1 Tbs. of olive oil.  After translucent, add the chicken. At this point, start boiling the water for your pasta!  Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, then add the peppers and broccoli.  Let cook for 5 more minutes, then add the 1 cup of reserved sauce and let cook for 5 more minutes.

I added my buckwheat noddles to the saute pan after they were cooked.  Please note, if you use buckwheat noddles they only take about 5 minutes to cook so gauge your timing appropriately.



Night 3- Left over salad creation!

So the picture does not do it justice.  With the 2 cups of left over chicken from the crock pot, I added all of the veggies I had in my refrigerator;  chopped up romaine, cabbage, apple, broccoli (still extra from the night priors), carrot slices, and cucumber.  You get the jist!  Add what ever you want and make it your own.  I used some yogurt based ranch and it was delish!

For the kid, he got fish sticks! still working trying to get him to like   salad...one day.


GROCERY LIST:

• 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. of chicken breasts.  Normally 3 chicken breasts is a pound and a half. 
• 1 small bulb of garlic
• 2 small yellow onion
• Large head of leaf lettuce 
• Shredded carrots (or 1 large for the salad)
• 2-3 small heads of broccoli
• Cucumber (to be diced up for salad)
• 1 fuji apple
• Yogurt ranch dressing (in the produce department)
• Small jar of honey
• Low sodium soy sauce
• Ketchup
• Canola oil or olive oil (sauce recipe calls for canola, I use olive oil for EVERYTHING)
• Small container of corn starch
• 10 minute jasmine rice
• Whole wheat angle hair pasta or buckwheat soba noodles
• White or black sesame seeds, red pepper flakes (optional)