Spicy Thai Chicken & Noodles

My original post ~ Oh Sesame! was just the noodles with grilled chicken on the side. Good, but missing something.
The next time I made the noodles (which I LOVE!) I thought it would taste even better with fresh cut lettuce.
So I went to make it and starting thinking that I also wanted chicken...
Voila the best dish EVER was created!

Spicy Thai Chicken & Noodles 

1 box Angel hair pasta
1-2 tbsp. crushed red pepper    (1 for yum, 2 for HOT)
1/4 C. Veg. Oil
1/2 C. Sesame Oil
6 tbsp. Honey
6 tbsp. Soy Sauce
(one cube of cilantro if you don't have fresh) 

4-6 Chicken Tenders - grilled

1 Head of Romaine Lettuce

To taste and to add right before serving green onions, cilantro, peanuts & toasted sesame seeds. 

Boil, cook & drain pasta.
Heat both oils & crushed red pepper. If using the cilantro mini cube add to oils and heat over med heat in a small pan.
Strain, reserve oil.
Add honey & soy sauce to oil reserve and whisk.
Toss noodles to coat - refrigerate several hours until chilled.
Top each serving with chopped green onions, cilantro peanuts & sesame seeds.

Cut lettuce and bed it on the bottom of however many plates (serves 2-4)

Top with noodles and toppings including cut up grilled chicken.

Honestly its heaven!

Saucy Apricot Chicken ~ Slow Cooker

Saucy Apricot Chicken

4-6 boneless skinless Chicken breast

1 (12oz-15oz) jar Apricot preserves

1 pkg or 1/4 C dry onion soup mix

Place all items in Crock pot (slow cooker)

cook on low 4 1/2 - 5 hours.

Serve with rice or on rolls.

I added 1 cup of small veggies to the rice and then topped it with some of the remaining sauce in the cooker, was amazing!

Improved H.E Laundry Soap

Powdered Laundry Soap

3 bars Fels Naptha - grate fine - scroll down for some great tips!
1 box (76 oz) Borax
1 box (55 oz) Washing Soda
2 C. Baking Soda
2 containers OxyClean (I of course use dye free ALL now also makes a Oxy soap which I adore!)
1-2 containers of Purex Fabric Softener Crystal (1 for large, 2 for small)

1 large container. I bought a 10 lb pet tub. This way it opens easily but has a better seal than most.

Mix all ingredients together and store in a cool dry place.

To use 2 Tbsp. per load. 1 Tbps for a small load.


To grate the Fels Naptha the easy way, cut the bar with a knife into smaller chunks and add to a food processor. Add a cup of washing soda, or borax or oxyclean and pulse until grated.
I only have a tiny processor so it took a bit to do all three bars.

Note: this makes almost 10 lbs of soap that is safe for any High Energy washer. (will work in regular as well)
The place I found this claimed that it lasts a family of four a full year and costs roughly 30.00.
I don't think it will last us a year. Instead I am banking on 6 months. However 6 months of laundry soap for 30.00 is still amazing!

*****UPDATE*****

4-11-14
I was down to my last 1 inch of soap so I went and made another full batch. Not only did it last 13 months in a house of 4 people (2 very dirty children) we still weren't all the way done!
I LOVED this soap!

Also I did the Fels Naptha differently this time and would highly recommend it. Using my processor I shredded all three blocks, then I poured it out into another bowl, added the large spinning blade, re-added the shredded and then chopped it up for a few minutes splitting the batch in half and using 1 cup of baking soda with each half. MUCH finer!

The price this time was closer to 35.00 dollars but for a great laundry soap that will last more than a year that is pennies per load! (we average 4-5 loads a week)

Weekly Menu

This is a first for me, so I hope you like it - I am starting from today. I will try to post it next time starting on Monday.

Weekly Menu

Thursday 
Nachos
This time I will be making a Family Nacho - using melted cheese and ground turkey. I will post an updated version of this recipe tomorrow.
Guacamole

Friday
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Saturday
Chicken Enchilada's 

Sunday
Oven Chili Cheese Dogs

Monday
Grilled Chicken Salad

Tuesday
Chicken and Black Bean Flauta's

Wednesday
Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday - Valentines Day
I had planned a special menu for this day, however my husband missed his birthday dinner out so we are doing Chinese take out from Kowloon Cafe.

Friday
Sausage and Bean Crockpot soup - will post recipe after

Saturday
Tuna Fish over Rice

Sunday
Left over night/ or more spaghetti and meatballs

Chicken & Black Bean Flautas

Chicken and Black Bean Flautas

6 10 inch flour tortilla's or 10 8 inch flour tortilla's
1/2 C. Chopped Onion
1 Clove garlic, minced or 1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp cooking oil
2 C. Shredded cooked chicken
1 C. Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C. Corn
1/2 C. Salsa
1/2 C. Shredded Mexican Cheese, blend
2 Tbls. Snipped fresh cilantro or oregano. (or one small cilantro cube)

Cooking oil for Baking.

Preheat oven to 350. Wrap for tortilla's in foil. Heat in oven 10 minutes. Mean while in large sauce pan cook onion, garlic and if using cilantro cube, until tender.
Stir in chicken, black beans, salsa, cheese and fresh cilantro if using.
For each Flauta spoon 1/2 C. filling.
Roll tightly and secure with wooden tooth picks.
Place Flauta's on a large baking sheet & brush with 1 tbsp. cooking oil.
Bake in a 350 oven for 30-40 min or until golden brown.

Serve and enjoy!

Really we made this last night and it is now in my favorite collection. Its that great!

BLT on English Muffin's

BLT

Turkey Bacon

Lettuce

Tomato

Cheese

Mayo

&

English Muffins

Cook or toast then assemble!

Oven Chili Cheese Dogs

Oven Chili Cheese Dogs

8 Hot dogs

8 Hot dog buns

1 can Chili Cheese

1/4 - 1/2 C. Diced Onion (to personal taste)

Cheddar Cheese

Mayonnaise

Mustard (I omitted) 

Sweet Relish (I omitted) 

Preheat oven to 350

Line the inside of the hot dog buns with mayo & relish. Evenly spread mustard. Fill with hot dogs and squish onto foil lined 13x9 baking pan.

Top hot dogs with chili, cheese and onion. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes.

This was amazing - its a new family favorite. As for the condiments, use what you like normally before covering with the chili and cheese. ;)

Crock Pot Mashed Potato's w/ Chops and Glaze

Crock Pot Mashed Potato's

5 Lbs Potato's (Seirra gold or red potato's) diced w/ peel
1 C. Water
1 C. Butter, Sliced
1 Tbsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/3 C. Milk, warmed

Add potato's, water, and butter to slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Do not remove extra water from the slow cooker. Mash.
Mash while adding milk to create creamy texture.
Keep warm on low serving until serving.

Keep lid on cooker and serve from cooker - after serving package up left overs.

Pork Chops

6-10 Pork Chops
1 bottle of Balsamic Glaze
1-2 tsp frying oil.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat pan, salt and pepper chops, lightly glaze the side that you will place onto the hot surface.
Cook Pork Chops grilling on both sides glazing each side once during cooking.
Once cooked through, plate and add decorative glazing, serve with warm mashed potato's.

Yummy!

Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled Chicken Salad
Makes two salads

1 1/2 C. Chicken (I used precooked southwest chicken strips)
1/2 C. Corn
1 tsp. Green Onion (sliced)
1 C. Black beans
1/4 C. Black Olives
1 head of lettuce

Take the chicken, corn and onion and grill lightly on high. Once grilled add onto the top of half a head of lettuce shredded. Use dressing of choice.
Optional shred cheese or add grape tomato's.

~~~

Also up coming in a week or so I will be posting a dye free Valentines Day Menu. So far it looks amazing, healthy, tasty, no added dyes. So stay tuned ;)

Teriyaki Chicken & Rice

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

2-3 Cups cooked white or brown rice
2 Cups cooked large veggies
4-8 pieces of chicken (4 breasts or 8 tenders)
1 bottle of Honey Teriyaki Sauce

Marinate the chicken while it defrosts, or if fresh marinate 15 minutes and then grill.
Grill on both sides until cooked all the way through, then turn up the heat and sear.
(professionals sear the meat first and then cook the center slowly, unless you fully understand how to do this correctly I wouldn't advise this)
serve cooked chicken over rice with the veggies on the side and add 1/4 - 1/3 cup sauce to each plate.

Voila, nice dinner in 20 minutes, cheap, easy and yummy!

Taco Salad

Taco Salad
Makes one Salad

1 head of Romaine lettuce cut
1/2 C. Black beans
1/4 C. Ground Beef pre-cooked
1/4 C. Shredded Cheese (personal favorite is colby jack)
1/8 C. Slice Olives
1 Tbsp. Sliced Green Onion
1 small handful of Cherry or Grape Tomatos
1/4 C. Spicy Ranch Dressing
Garnish with Corn Tortilla Chips

Line bottom and sides of bowl with chips, lay cut lettuce on top of the chips, then add the rest on top of the lettuce.
Eat and Enjoy.

To make it meatless - remove ground beef and add more beans and olives.
To go full vegan find a vegan friendly dressing and also remove the cheese.