Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce or More Food on A Stick.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is
Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce.

     As usual with the snack series I want to preface this by stating that this is a snack recipe. For some reason lately it seems as though I'm not happy unless I'm shoving a stick through my food. I'm not sure if this is my nature or if the pool that I'm getting these recipes from is a little shallow but lately I've been writing a lot about skewered food. It may be because it is the original form of cooking, it may be because it's easy and portable food, or it may be because I think that there are too many skewers in the world and I feel a need to use them up as quickly as possible one recipe at a time. At any rate I decided last week to recruit some help in my one man war on skewers by taking forty of them to a get together. I have to say if your friends have seen most of the tricks in your snack bag wait until you pull out the food on a stick trick.
     Chicken skewers with spicy peanut dipping sauce combines two different approaches to reach the same end result. I'm going to break these down into their parts, the first being the chicken which is Indian and the second being the sauce which is Oriental. The chicken skewers are similar to the Grilled Tandoori Chicken and Red Onion Skewers with Couscous that we cooked on the grill a few months ago; the chicken is marinaded in a yogurt and curry powder mixture and then skewered before cooking. The difference here is that we will cook these in the oven instead of grilling them. As we've seen previously this is an Indian style of cooking, the spicy peanut dipping sauce has a distinctly Oriental flavor and will pop up again in a different form when I get around to posting the Szechwan Pork recipe.
This sauce is basically reduced fat creamy peanut butter that is thinned out with red wine vinegar and soy sauce and given a kick with chili oil and sesame oil.
Since chili oil has a tendency to be very potent I urge you to try the sauce before you serve it and if you want to make it spicier add 1 to 2 drops at a time until it reaches a hotness that you are happy with. Once you've made the peanut sauce you should refrigerate any unused portions for later use.
     I feel that although I've written about skewers I haven't adequately explained how I like to use them. To better illustrate what I am talking about I have included a picture below. On the left are two metal skewers, I like to use these on the grill. They are metal which means they won't burn over an open flame, they are flat and have a twist so the food flop around while you are turning them, they have a ring at the handle end that aids when you are turning the food, and they are re-usable.
The skewer in the middle is made of bamboo wood, this is the kind of skewer I like to use in the oven or when I'm making skewers to serve many people. The main reason that I like these for the oven is that they are shorter and will fit. Another thing I like about them is they are cheap and disposable which is great when making multiple servings. The reasons that I like this type of wooden skewer is that they are flat like the metal skewers which keeps the food from flopping around and they are stronger than the thin dowel type of wooden skewers. Also they have an aesthetic that the dowel skewers don't have. The skewers on the right are the thin wooden dowel type that I don't like to use. These are very flimsy, prone to splintering, and are round which allows the food to flop around. I find the best use for these is lighting the fireplace. With all wooden skewers make sure you soak them in water for 30 minutes before you use them. If you use them on the grill or you find that the ends are burning, wrap the ends in aluminum foil.

     Now that we've covered chicken skewers with spicy peanut dipping sauce and the attributes of different skewer types let's take a look at today's recipe.

                Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce.

Prep time   20 Min.     Cook time 16 Min.     Serves   8

Ingredients

9 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1-1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup reduced fat peanut butter, smooth variety

1/4 cup hot water

1-1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon chili oil

Instructions

Place the chicken between pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness. Cut the breasts lengthwise, on the diagonal into 16 (1-inch wide) strips. Combine the chicken, yogurt, curry powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or up to several hours.

Meanwhile soak 16 wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

to make the dipping sauce, whisk together the peanut butter, hot water, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and chili oil in a small bowl until blended and smooth. Taste the sauce and season with additional chili oil if desired. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl; cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400f. Spray a rectangular baking pan with cooking spray.

Thread 1 chicken strip onto each skewer in a snake-like fashion. Arrange the skewers in the baking pan. Cook in the oven for 8 minutes, turn the skewers over and cook for 8 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Pile the skewers on a plate and serve the sauce alongside.

This recipe yields 2 skewers per serving.


     This is a great snack for any get together and should go over well with your friends and family. If you make this snack, check back here and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out.
     We've been going through the snack series for many months and have covered some interesting and diverse foods. My goal with the snack series has been to equip you with delicious low-fat snacks that you can serve when you are entertaining guests or take to get togethers; to that end I think I have succeeded. Now, as we head into the holidays I hope that you put these recipes to good use. This has been a long running series and I think it is time to let it run down and make room for more main course dinners. I plan to post one more snack recipe on the last Tuesday of December and I may post a snack recipe or two after that if I think they are exceptional but I feel it's time to move on to something new. I hope that you've found this series helpful.


     Next week - Roasted Brisket or Something New (to me).

Provencal Beef Stew or The Better of The Two.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is
Provencal Beef Stew.

     Over the last couple of months I've found some recipes that are either variations of the same thing or different recipes that are similar. An example of this is the BBQ Pork Sandwiches that I posted two weeks ago; when I found that recipe I also found a recipe that was the same with the exception that it omitted the homemade slaw. The reason that I posted the one I did is because I think that the slaw added something that made it a better recipe. Another example is Boeuf Bourguignon and Provencal Beef Stew; these are two different recipes that have similar traits.
The two times that I made boeuf bourguignon it didn't turn out quite the way I expected it to and I felt disappointed that I had put so much work into something so bland. On the other hand I have made Provencal beef stew a couple of times and so far I have been very happy with it. This leads me to a decision, should I write about boeuf bourguignon or provencal beef stew? I think we know the answer.
     Provencal Beef Stew is a french dish that comes from the Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azure region. It originated as something considered a "peasant" food in an area that is good for grazing animals but is not suited for growing large crops.
The area is mountainous and the nutrient poor soil is best suited to growing root vegetables. Part of what I like about this stew is that it started with a humble beginning and an attitude of making something delicious out of simple ingredients.
     So let's jump into today's recipe.

                                      Provencal Beef Stew

Prep time   20 Min.     Cook time   425 Min.     Serves   6

Ingredients

16 ounces lean beef round, cut into 1-inch cubes (London broil)

1 spray cooking spray

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, sliced

15 ounces canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed, divided

1-1/2 cups beef broth, divided

14-1/2 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, or 2 whole sprigs for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Place beef in a crock pot

Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to crock pot; add carrots.

Place half of beans in crock pot; place remaining beans in a blender. Add 1/2 cup of broth to blender and puree; spoon mixture into crock pot. Add remaining broth, tomatoes, oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper to crock pot.

Cover crock pot and cook on high setting for 6 to 7 hours. Garnish with fresh thyme before serving

This recipe yields about 1-1/4 cups per serving.


     This is a delicious dinner that will satisfy every member of your family.
Serve it with a salad and French bread and you will have a complete meal.
If you try this dinner leave a comment and let me know how it turned out.


     Next week - Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce or More Food on a Stick.

Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Bean Salad or A New Series.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is
Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Bean Salad.

     Over the last couple of months I've been thinking about starting a new series, the idea came to me while thinking about how I had written about many main course recipes but I haven't covered very many salad or side dishes. The conclusion that I came to is that I should do a series that I am going to call the "Salad and Sides Series". My plan is to post a salad or side dish recipe on the second Tuesday of each month in the slot recently vacated by the grilling series.
     My first entry in this new series is Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Bean Salad. This is a different salad than most of us are used to in that it is a cooked salad that features kale instead of lettuce or spinach. Kale is a form of cabbage with green or purple leaves in which the central leaves do not form a head. It belongs to the genus Brassica oleracea which contains a wide array of vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussel sprouts. Kale leaves tend to be stiff and contain a thick spine; in order to be made edible the spine has to be removed and the leaves have to be cooked to soften them.
     Another component of this salad is Cannellini beans. These beans are related to kidney, great northern, navy and green beans. You should be able to find them in cans in the bean section of your local store, if you can't find them you can substitute kidney or great northern beans.
     Beyond the flavor and uniqueness of this salad one thing that I like about it is that it can be served as a salad, it can be served over pasta as a side dish or it can be served in larger portions as a main course.
     Let's take a look at this recipe.


                     Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Bean Salad

Prep time   10 Min.     Cook time   32 Min.     Serves   4

Ingredients

3 slices uncooked reduced-fat bacon

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup onions, diced

1 pound uncooked kale, stemmed, roughly chopped

1 cup canned chicken broth

15 ounces cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Set a large, heavy pot over medium heat; add bacon and cook to desired crispness. Remove bacon from pot and set aside; leave bacon drippings in pot.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes to bacon drippings; cook, stirring, until garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion; cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add kale; cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to wilt, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add beans; simmer uncovered until liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in salt, vinegar and sugar; sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve immediately.

This recipe yield about 1-1/4 cups of salad per serving.


     Although it's more involved than the normal ready-to-use bagged salad I believe that there are occasions when it is definitely worth the extra effort. Since this salad only requires three pieces of bacon I try to make it in a week that I also plan to make BLT sandwiches. If you try this salad, leave a comment here and let me know how it turned out.


     Next week - Provencal Beef Stew or The Better of The Two.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Homemade Slaw or Football Fare.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Homemade Slaw.

 

     At this point we are deep into football season. Here in Ohio the big game is The Ohio State Buckeyes followed closely by the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. My favorite part of football is the social aspect; people with a common interest getting together to watch a game, drink a couple of beverages, and eat some food (and yell at the t.v.). The food component of this ritual is the one area that presents the most diversity; it can range from the basic potato chips and pretzels to full blown buffets. Over the last couple of years I have gotten into the routine of ordering pizza, wings, and bread sticks from the local pizza place, with my diet I have had to fundamentally rethink my football fare. With my new approach to food I wanted to find something that could be a snack or could be expanded to a more substantial meal. While looking through recipes online I found part of the solution in BBQ pork sandwiches. I like this because beyond the taste and ease of preparation it can be served along side other snacks or you can add something like sweet potato fries to make it a meal. I also like that you can make it at home, put the BBQ pork in a crock pot, and take it to your friend's party.
     This is not a pulled pork recipe but rather the idea is to use 1/4 inch thick slices of pork tenderloin and to further slice them into pieces that are roughly 2 inches by 1 inch by 1/4 inch thick. It may be hard to see but the sandwich in the picture above has five pieces of bbq'd pork stacked in three layers. Another thing you will notice in the picture and the recipe to follow is that the homemade slaw is piled on the pork in the sandwich. This is the way this sandwich is meant to be made; I suggest that you try it this way and if you don't like it you can put the slaw on the side next time.
     So let's take a look at today's recipe.


                BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Homemade Slaw

Prep time   20 Min.     Cook time   25 Min.     Serves   4

Ingredients

1 spray, cooking spray

1 pound lean pork tenderloin, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

15 ounce canned tomato sauce

1-1/2 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 reduced-calorie hamburger buns

3 tablespoons reduced-calorie mayonnaise

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (sub. white wine vinegar if you don't have it)

2 cups packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)

3 tablespoons scallions, sliced

Instructions

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add pork slices in a single layer and season with salt and pepper; brown 2 minutes per side. Do not crowd; cook in batches if necessary. Remove pork and set aside. Add onion and garlic to skillet; saut'e over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to skillet; stir and simmer 1 minute. Add pork to skillet and spoon sauce over pork; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk mayonnaise, water, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Add coleslaw mix and scallions; toss to mix and coat.

Divide pork into 4 portions, place 1 portion of pork on the bottom half of each bun and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of barbeque sauce; top with 1/2 cup of coleslaw and cover with top half of bun.

This recipe yields one sandwich per serving.


     These are great sandwiches that works well with football games or any gathering where you want to serve something quick and easy. These sandwiches will also boost the wow factor at the next tailgate party. As always, if you try this dinner, leave a comment here and let me know how it worked out.


     Next week - Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Bean Salad or A New Series.