Tasty Tuesday - Southwest Chipotle Chicken

 We all have those days when a craving hits, and you have to find a way to satisfy it. Yesterday afternoon was one of those where I was craving something with a barbecue flavor but with lots of veggies added. We'd picked up fresh bell peppers and baby Portobello mushrooms at Costco and they were calling my name. So I grabbed some of our Costco chicken and all the veggies and sauce fixings I could find and came up with a sort of east meets west type of chicken that my Nature Guy raved about!

This dish has a nice smoky barbecue flavor due to the Chipotle chilies but isn't too sweet. If you don't have the sweet chili sauce try apricot or peach jam, but I think it really adds to the flavor. You can find it in most Asian food sections of your grocery store. So because I love you, I will share!

SOUTHWEST CHIPOTLE CHICKEN AND RICE
1 1/2 lbs, boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast, cubed
2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, sliced
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2- 4 chipotle chilies in adobo, diced
1/2 a fresh orange, peeled and diced
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 cup sweet chili dipping sauce, I used Mae Ploy
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. horseradish
1 t. salt or less depending on your taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, ginger and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add veggies and saute until veggies start to soften, sprinkling with salt to help the process. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook just until veggies are crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Serve over cooked rice. Yield, 4 - 6 servings. Bon appetite!


 

Foodie Friday - Spicy Ginger Pork with veggies

 Blogger won't let me start with a clever paragraph above so let's get going on this recipe. Marinade ingredients - 1 tablespoon each peach or blueberry jam, honey, soy sauce, Tiparos fish sauce, and seasoned rice vinegar.  2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, 4 cloves of garlic, crushed. 1" of fresh ginger, peeled and grated. Combine and place in a bowl. After you're done admiring the colorful vegetables.....

of which you will need 4 stalks of bok choy, 2 peeled and thinly sliced carrots, 1 medium onion, chopped, 4 green onions sliced, 8 oz cup of sliced mushrooms, 1 red bell pepper chopped......

 Take two beautiful thick pork chops  and thinly slice them. Add to marinade and coat.

 Heat a wok or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil or sesame, or canola oil, depending on your preference. I used peanut oil as I didn't have sesame oil. After oil starts to smoke scoop out and slightly drain pork and add to hot pan. Stir occasionally and cook meat until done and starting to carmelize. Scoop out and add 2 more tablespoons oil and then toss in the vegetables.

Cook until crisp tender and add back the meat. While the veggies are cooking take the leftover marinade and add 1/4 cup of water, 1 tablespoon each honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and corn starch and 2 tablespoons of the jam. Combine well and stir into pan with veggies and meat. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Whaalaa! Serve over rice or noodles. Yield 4-6 servings
Spicy Ginger Pork
Marinade
1 tablespoon each blueberry, or peach jam, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, seasoned rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 inch fresh peeled ginger, grated
the rest of the ingredients
1 lb. lean pork or two thick boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
4 bok choy stalks, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped,
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 8 oz. cup sliced mushrooms
2 peeled carrots, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
sauce
1 tablespoon each honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and corn starch, left over marinade, 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons jam
This recipe would also be great using chicken. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Kent says this is one of the better Asian style dinners I've fixed, he loved it! Here's to a great weekend! Enjoy!