This is one of those salads that is all about the combination of flavors.  And it all starts with the amazing and complex flavors in my peanut dressing, which incidentally is easy to make and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.   It is not too sweet, not too salty, not even too peanut buttery if you are hesitant about trying it.  It is rather thick, and I don’t like to add too much oil for fear of the ingredients breaking down too much.  But I find once I toss it with my veggies and lettuce the moisture in them evens out the thickness nicely. This is a very green salad between the cucumbers, green onions, and cilantro so the carrots and radishes help brighten it up.  You could also add tomatoes as long as I don’t have to eat them.  I like to use a mandolin for most of the veggies, which gives a consistent texture and helps all the ingredients blend together (mind your fingers though).  Now you can really use any chicken you’d like for this dish, or leave out the chicken all together for a vegetarian/vegan meal.  Bonus, you can also take all these ingredients roll them up in a wrap and enjoy some tasty food on the road.

Now the amount of ingredients you need will depend on the portion size and number of people you’re cooking for, the dressing recipe however makes enough for about 3 to 4 salads give or take.  The dressing can also last at least a week in the fridge, which makes it great for lunches for the week. In fact as I write this I am eating it for lunch at my desk.

What you need:

For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter (just plain old peanut butter works best, we’re a skippy family)

1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

1 tablespoon Honey

1 1/2 teaspoons Water

1 1/2 teaspoons Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Sugar

3/4 teaspoon Salt

Sriracha (aka Rooster Sauce, aka Cock Sauce)

1 tablespoon Canola or Vegetable Oil

For the Salad:

Cucumbers

Shredded Carrots

Radishes

Green Onions

Cilantro

Crispy Noodles

Lime

For Chicken:

Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast, Tin Cuts

Sesame Seeds

Salt/Pepper

1 tablespoon Oil

a dash of Sesame Oil

Start with the dressing.  Add the peanut butter, vinegar, water, honey, and soy sauce and start whisking.  It won’t be all smooth and pretty just yet so be patient.

Add the sugar, salt, and Sriracha (I add just a good squeeze, it provides a nice kick without being hot but add as much or as little as you feel you need to).  Keep whisking away and add the tablespoon of oil.  Now if it isn’t the consistency you want, add more but slowly and remember don’t add too much. Once it is smooth and silky, and the consistency you want stick it in the fridge till you’re done.

Prep your veggies.

In a pan heat a tablespoon of oil and sesame oil.  Take your chicken and pat it dry.  Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle both sides generously with sesame seeds. Once oil is hot place chicken in pan and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked all the way through.

Vola!  Wait that’s not Thai.  Build your salad and top with crispy noodles for crunch and top it all off with a squeeze of lime, because everything is better with lime.

I have been a bit stressed lately so it is no wonder I had a bad dream.  I am smack dab in the middle of buying my first place!  I am buying my own condo and moving out of my parent’s house for the first time.  It is stressful.  I had no idea how much paperwork and drama would be involved.  How unpredictable things would be.  It is like a tight rope walk, you are going along good and then the bank is like “WHAT IS THIS $600 DEPOSIT?” And you’re like “who cares it was a deposit! That means more money!” (true story)

The good news is I will soon have my own kitchen!  A kitchen, that isn’t huge but actually has a ton of cabinets and counter space.  It is also a kitchen that needs some updating, the people who owned the place took good care of it but never really did any improvements since they bought the place in ‘79. Considering I wasn’t born yet, you could say I want to do some work to it.  The appliances are old and the cabinets are in good shape but could use some refinishing, and maybe someday I will be able to afford to redo the counters to some extent.  First step will be appliances and which is the other thing: They have to be electric! I’ve never cooked with electric, I am a little scared.  But I used to be afraid of the oven so if I can overcome that, I can overcome the switch from gas to electric.

But now for the food…

So my Coconut Shrimp with Mango Lime Sauce is one of THOSE recipes.  You know one of THOSE recipes that you see on TV or in a cook book and think YUM I want to make that, only to find out you can’t actually buy half the ingredients at your local store.  Yeah thanks a lot Food Network, we can’t all run down stairs to Chelsea Market any time we feel like it.  In this case I started to improvise and substitute until I claimed this recipe as my own.  With the jumbo shrimp it is all about coconut, slightly sweet with a wonderful batter that puffs up into crispy soft deliciousness.  Then there is the sauce…. Let me tell you it is really all about the sauce.  This sauce was an improvisation but I think really it was sent to me from heaven.  It is sweet and syrupy with mango, tangy lime, fresh ginger, and a bit of heat.

What You Need:

For the Shrimp

8 to 10 Jumbo Shrimp (This recipe makes lots of batter and sauce so you can get away with more if you have more people, 3 to 4 shrimp per person is a good rule)

Vegetable or Canola Oil, enough to completely submerge shrimp while frying

1 Egg

2 to 3 tablespoons Fresh Grated Ginger

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1 cup Coconut Milk

Salt/Pepper

For the Sauce

1 ½ cup Mango Jam

¼ cup Coconut Milk

Pinch of Sugar

Juice of 2 Limes, zest of 1

¼ to ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, depending on how hot you want it

¼  teaspoon ground Ginger

Pinch of Salt and Red Pepper Flakes

Chopped Cilantro leaves, as needed

Let’s talk about improvising.  The recipe is really meant to be made with unsweetened coconut, which I couldn’t find.  Apparently my local store now sells it, but you can make this with sweetened coconut.  Fresh ginger always beats out the pre-grated stuff in the can, but fresh ginger is easily wasted.  I usually only buy it fresh if I know I am going to use it in multiple dishes.  This uses a good amount of ginger, so it is a good time to go fresh.  The Mango Jam might take some hunting, I use Smuckers and it has little chunks of mango in it which works really well.

***Hint Hint: I use Cilantro a lot.  But I’ve been burned many times by not rinsing my Cilantro well before using it.  There is nothing worse than innocently eating away and suddenly biting down on sand, it is gag worthy.  Trust me on this one and rinse.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the mango jam.  Add coconut milk, cayenne pepper, ginger, sugar, lime juice, a few red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt.  Stir and continue cooking until everything is warm and well combined.  It may look a bit cloudy at first but keep stirring, you may let it bubble up a bit, then turn off the heat and stir until you see glassy beautiful sauce.  Stir in some cilantro and zest before serving.

In a heavy bottom pot, heat enough oil to completely submerge shrimp.  Heat to 325 degrees.  When frying keep your eye on the temperature, when you add the shrimp it will go down a bit so you may have to adjust a few times.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together coconut milk, egg, grated ginger, and flour to form a thick batter. Have another plate with the shredded coconut ready to go.

Salt and Pepper the shrimp, dip in batter, then roll them thoroughly in coconut shreds.

Drop them in batches into the oil and fry until exterior is golden brown and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Transfer them to platter lined with paper towels and put someplace warm while you work on the next batch.

The key to frying is organization and keeping an eye on that temperature.  Also being careful, and probably not wearing a tank top like me.

This chicken has flavor on the outside, flavor in the inside, some salty crisp prosciutto, and lots and lots of gooey mozzarella cheese.  Serve it with some spaghetti and your favorite tomato based sauce and you’ve got a chicken dish a lot more tasty and special than anything you’d get at a chain Italian restaurant.

What You Need:

4 boneless/skinless thin cut chicken breast
Basil
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
Mozzarella Cheese (fresh)
4 slices Prosciutto (double if desired)
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Butter
1 1/2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup White Wine (or chicken broth)
Pam

Preheat Oven to 350.

Pulse pine nuts, Parmesan, and a handful of basil leaves in a food processor.  Combine with plain bread crumbs and a teaspoon of dried oregano.

Place two to three basil leaves on chicken breast.  Then place a slice of prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. I take the large ball of fresh mozzarella and slice it in thick rounds.  Fold chicken over and secure with toothpicks.  (This takes practice and patience)

Place flour and egg in  separate shallow bowls.  Dip chicken in flour, egg, then bread crumb mixture.

In a large skillet, brown chicken on all sides in butter and oil.  (Make sure your pan is nice and hot when the chicken goes in or it won’t brown and the crust might get soggy and fall off).  Transfer to an 8 inch baking pan coated in Pam.  Add white wine to skillet, stir to loosen brown bits and pour over chicken.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This potato salad is a bit different.  First of all I use red potatoes, which hold their shape a bit better and you can leave the skin on which makes prep a cinch.  I also use some dill, which makes this really stand out.  This recipe makes enough for  a crowd, but you can always cut it down.  If you can boil water and wield a knife, you can do this.

What You Need:

4 Pounds of Potatoes

5 Hard Boiled Eggs

2.5 Cups of Mayonnaise

4 Green Onion, finely chopped

4 Stalks of Celery, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Dried Dill

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Paprika

Pepper to Taste

Prepare hard boiled eggs ahead of time.

Boil potatoes until knife slides easily into them.  Cool and dry well.  Cut into quarters or bite sized pieces.  If still warm in center allow to completely cool

Mix in mayonnaise, chopped eggs and other ingredients.  Add more mayonnaise if it seems to dry to you.  Let sit in refrigerator at least an hour before serving.

Now the only problem is finding a big enough bowl.

What You Need

1/4 cup soy sauce
4 Tea. fish sauce
4 Tea. Sugar
1 Table. Vegetable Oil
1 Shallot
2 Table. Minced Ginger
2 Garlic Cloves, smashed
1 small Jalapeno
1 pound Chicken (or meat of choice)
1 package shiitake mushrooms
1 small can Water Chestnuts
salt/pepper
Large head of lettuce
Garnish with Cilantro, shredded Carrots, Green onion, Lime

Chop shallot, jalapeno, mushrooms, water chestnuts (get these nice and dry) finely.

Combine soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar in small bowl. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

I use boneless/skinless chicken breast which I mince up in the food processor, this works really good if you have frozen chicken that is almost completely thawed but not all the way.  Mince it then let it finish thawing before hand.

Heat oil in wok or large skillet till hot. Add ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and shallot. Keep moving for 30 seconds. (it might spit so watch it)

Add Chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Break up in pan. Once fairly cooked add about half the sauce. Add mushrooms and keep stirring about a minute or two. Add water chestnuts.

Stir until everything is well mixed, add remaining sauce. Combine well and let cook about two minutes.

Serve in lettuce and garnish as desired.

This dish is not hard.  If anything it is more prep work than actually difficult cooking.  And my secret to eating a lettuce wrap without ending up wearing your lettuce wrap, don’t over fill your lettuce.

Now for you egg salad purists this is going to be a little weird. You’re probably already thinking: why is the yolk soft?! Trust me here. That soft yolk makes all the difference. It also means less needed mayonnaise which means less calories, which any girl can get behind. Also it makes sense right? Which do you prefer the dry tasteless power of a hard boiled yolk? Or the creamy richness of a runny yolk mixing with the deliciousness of hollandaise sauce on your benedict? Think carefully.

The other great thing about this is if you cannot do it exactly,  you will still end up with a really yummy sandwich.

Here is what you need:

2 medium to large eggs

baby greens

really good bread (preferably sourdough)

Olive Oil

Red Pepper Pesto or tapenade from a jar (if desired and available)

Mayonnaise

Salt/Pepper

Chives (Don’t need but really elevates the flavor)

Lemon Wedge (I highly recommend)

So the hardest part of about this recipe is getting the eggs boiled correctly.  So far this way has worked best for me:  take two eggs at room temperature (important), cover them in water and start a boiling, when water is at boiling point let them boil for 3 1/2 minutes, take out immediately and run under cool water to stop cooking process (that is the dangerous part especially when you bare hand it like me), stick in fridge till completely cool.

Take a pan and get it really hot.  Drizzle your bread with a little olive oil and place in pan until nice and toasted on both sides, I like it to get a little char just at the edges.

Top the slice of bread with the thinnest layer of the red pepper pesto.   This just adds a little extra wow factor.

Top with some baby greens (Notice this is missing from the picture, which is because I obviously got hungry and missed a step in my anticipation to get the photo taken).  It adds a nice green element to the sandwich but can make the egg a bit unruly and messy.

Take your cool eggs and mix them up with just enough mayo to bind them (I like to leave my egg pieces a little large), add a little salt/pepper.

Top your bread and greens with the egg mixture then sprinkle on some trimmed or diced chives.

Add squeeze of lemon juice and knife and fork your way to egg salad heaven.

Not only do I have some tasty combinations here, I also have two simple little recipes for salad toppers.

First of all one of the easiest ways to make salad a bit more appealing is adding a little crunch.  How about some croutons?  Once again, I don’t like store bought croutons.  They all have to have some flavor, garlic or cheese and as you’re eating them you’re thinking what in this is natural and why is it bright yellow?  That doesn’t make sense to me because croutons are really easy to make.  Really really easy.

What You Need:

Bread, any kind of bread you want (though I wouldn’t recommend Wonder bread because it is too soft).

Oil (olive works best)

Salt and Pepper (both optional)

Cut up the bread in small cubes.

Toss in oil with a pinch of salt and generous amounts of pepper.

Bake at  350-degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp.

From there the possibilities are endless.  You could add some herbs, garlic, parmesan….  The process is very similar to how I make tortilla strips (another good salad topper).

Now let’s use these croutons.

Many of us order Caesar salad out but how often do we have it at home?  Salad doesn’t really require a recipe, putting together a real good one is as easy as buying good ingredients.  Some fresh Parmesan that you can shred, some romaine lettuce, some grilled chicken (I’ve got a recipe for that coming soon), a good quality Caesar dressing (I like Girard’s which is available in most stores), add those croutons and some pepper.  That sounds like a good dinner to me.

In this picture the bread I used was a sourdough with olives in it.

Want something even easier…  I can do that.

This is an odd combination but trust me on this one.  Once again it really depends on good ingredients:  lettuce of your choice, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, and a good balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I really like Fresh&Easy’s freshly prepared dressing in the produce section).

The candied walnuts are super easy.

What you need:

A Handful of walnuts

A Handful of brown sugar

Half a tablespoon of margarine

Heat a pan and add the walnuts, add the margarine, and add the sugar.

Keep stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved into a caramel like consistency.

Make sure the nuts are all well coated and pour out onto wax paper to cool.  (store in fridge)

The process takes mere minutes.  You can make enough to last for more than one salad and have lunch for a few days.  Easy!

In the picture you might notice I like to toss my lettuce with the dressing.  And what’s that on the side…  One of my new favorite things to do is take some really good bread, drizzle with olive oil, then toast both sides in a hot pan.  Really good with just about anything.  Did I say, “two for one,” I think I might have given you more than that.

So no more complaining about boring salad alright.

The most important thing with this soup is condiments.  You need lots of extras to build this soup the way you like it.  So make sure you keep extra lime wedges on hand, cilantro, Queso Fresco or Queso Quesadilla cheese, tortilla strips, and if you want avocado.  I usually leave off the avocado and serve guacamole and chips on the side.   What makes this soup so easy is the fact that half the cooking is done for you.  Rather than cooking an entire chicken I short cut and buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  I usually buy the day of.  Bring it home and let it come to about room temperature.  Cool enough to work with.  Then I shred the entire thing and either make the soup or put it in the fridge until I am ready.  Just make sure it is a plain chicken with just salt and pepper, you don’t want any extra flavors getting in there.

What you need:

1 red onion

2 garlic cloves

1 can Stewed Tomatoes

1 Teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder

6 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Rotisserie Chicken, Shredded

2 cups Frozen Corn

1 Tablespoon oil

Salt and Pepper

Puree the onion, garlic, and tomatoes

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in soup pot, add in the puree with a good pinch of salt and some pepper, and fry for approx 6 minutes—keep stirring it will spit everywhere.

Add Ancho powder and cumin.

Add Chicken Broth.

Add Corn.

At high heat bring to boil.

Once you have a good boil going reduce the Heat and Add Chicken.

Add a splash of lime juice and some zest if desired.

Let simmer for 15 Minutes.

And you are ready.

Of course I wouldn’t let you top my soup with any tortilla strips.  Those are just as easy.

Cut up corn tortillas.  Toss in vegetable oil, keep it light you just want it evenly coated. Place on a baking sheet and salt.  Bake in oven at 350-degrees for15 minutes or until crisp.

I plan to have some restaurant reviews soon but in the mean time here is a little treat for you.

This herb and olive flatbread started as a recipe I found online.  It used herbs de provenance and sun dried tomatoes.  But I don’t like sun dried tomatoes and fresh herbs are always better than any herb mix.  So I threw out half the ingredients  and put in my own. This goes great as a side instead of the old standby garlic bread, but it can also be served as an appetizer.

What You Need:

1 (13.8-oz.) can Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust

4 ½ teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

8 Kalamata Olives, chopped

1/3 cup chèvre (goat) cheese, softened and room temperature

2 eggs

Black Pepper

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 13×9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll dough; place in sprayed pan. Starting at center, press out dough with hands. With fingers, make indentations over surface of dough. Brush with 3 teaspoons of the oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the rosemary; top with olives.

In medium bowl, combine cheese, eggs, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary; mix well with wire whisk. Pour over evenly; carefully spread.

Bake at 400°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle with pepper. If necessary, loosen sides of bread from pan. Cut into squares. Arrange on serving platter and enjoy.

Back up Martha, not all of us are crafty people who have a holster for our glue gun but hear me out.  Making your own gifts might seem juvenile and rather cheap.  So don’t think of it that way.  Think of made gifts as thoughtful and special; they take time, creativity, and effort.  If I don’t care I will just go down to bath and body works and buy whatever smelly lotion has the best sounding name.   Do I think you smell?  Probably not if I am still your friend.  Do I know anything about you at all? Chances aren’t good if that’s the gift I am giving you.  Now if you ask for smelly lotion or I know you like the cucumber melon scent, then that’s a different story.  Shopping now days takes no effort, with a few clicks of my mouse I can complete most of my shopping and then wait for the gifts to show up at my door.  I can get most of it done months before Christmas is even here.  But if I make you something I have to give up some of my precious time, I probably have to get off my ass and do something, I have to think about what I am doing.  You are suddenly much more important than internet TV.

At the same time making something for someone doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming.  Making food or baking cookies can be one of the fastest, easiest ways to send some holiday cheer.  Also the great thing about giving food is they can’t return it and once they eat it, they don’t have to worry about finding a place for it, storing it, keeping it dust free.  As someone who knows what it is like to get a crap load of stuff you have no place to keep, let me tell you how great this kind of gift can be.

So here is an easy recipe that you can share with your loved ones that will make you their new favorite person.

I recently made a batch of this for my office.  They descended upon these little chocolate covered coconut balls like… well it wasn’t pretty.  These are a really easy, really yummy candy to take to parties or wrap up as a gift.  Most people think cookies or loaves of gingerbread or banana nut bread, so candy is an unexpected treat.  They taste a lot like Mounds… and the Hershey assassins are probably after me for giving away all their secrets. .

This little candy also has a very secret ingredient.  A very strange secret ingredient.  So strange that even though I’ve been making this candy with my family for 25 years now, I still have a hard time believing this recipe.  And the secret ingredient is… Instant Mashed Potatoes!  Don’t be scared.  The Mashed potatoes just acts as a binder, you use a little tiny bit. You won’t taste it… trust me.

What You Need:

4 cups Shredded Coconut (equals one 14ounce package or two 7ounce bags)

4 cups Powdered Sugar (equals one 16ounce package)

2/3 cup cooked Instant Mashed Potatoes

1 pound packaged of Chocolate Candiquick (or any candy making chocolate)

Make instant mashed potatoes on stove top.  Use the 2 or 3 serving amount of box and then after the potatoes are finished measure out the 2/3 cup.  Heat the water and butter and then add flakes.  NO NOT add the salt or milk.

Mix the coconut, powdered sugar, and mashed potatoes as soon as they are done.  Mix well, should be sticky.  Put in freezer for a few minutes while you melt the chocolate.

Melt your chocolate slowly or it will burn.  Microwave the chocolate (start with half the package) for two minutes.  Stir well, if it needs more time heat it at 20-30 second intervals and keep checking and stirring.

Get coconut mixture.  Roll into balls then roll in chocolate.  (be prepared to get really messy).  Set on baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.  Once you get a full sheet put in fridge for a few minutes to help set.  (You do not need to keep the finished product in the fridge)

If the chocolate gets to cool or you start to run out, return coconut to freezer and heat more chocolate.  Remember 20-30 second intervals.

Now what to do if your particular loved one is watching their weight or sick of cookies, candy, and chocolate… oy… You can’t please everyone; may I suggest Honeysuckle Anti Bacterial Hand Gel?