Thai Peanut Chicken

This was very good. I really love anything with peanut butter. It had just the right amount of kick to it also. Both my girls loved it and ate their broccoli! I loved the peanuts with it, and the crunchiness it gave the dish . Next time I might add a little bit of fresh cilantro. This is awesome!

Ingredients

* 2 cups uncooked white rice
* 4 cups water
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
* 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
* 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
* 3/4 cup chopped green onions
* 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
* 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Directions

1. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add chicken, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is golden on the outside, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium, and add green onion, broccoli, peanuts, and the peanut butter mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender, and chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice.

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

I'm so ready for spring and some warmer weather! Last week Julia was sick, it was cold outside, so I decided to make her some yummy soup!(Plus this soup is a great way to hide some veggies from Annabelle :)This soup is a copy cat recipe from PANERA. It's my favorite soup they serve and tastes amazing in a bread bowl.. which I might try to make for next time. This is also a shout out to my brother Mark, who worked at Panera.. he says this soup is awesome too!! Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
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PREPARATION:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Chipotle Barbacoa

BARBACOA BURRITOS***

Well, you know we are absolutely obsessed with CHIPOTLE. Brad found this recipe and it's awesome! It's actually on their fan page :) So, I actually liked it as much or better than the Cafe Rio pork. Of course PLEASE serve along side with the Cafe Rio dressing.. This is a must. We served it with tortillas, refried beans, rice, pico de gallo, and Cafe Rio dressing. It's a Chipotle worthy meal.


1/3 c apple cider vinegar
3 T lime juice
3-4 chipotle peppers; canned, no sauce
4 cloves garlic
4 t cumin; toast & grind whole seeds
2 t dried Mexican oregano
1 1/2 t ground black pepper
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t whole clove; toast & grind
2 T vegetable oil
4 lbs chuck roast
3/4 c chicken broth
3 bay leaves


1. Make adobo sauce by combining vinegar, lime juice, peppers, garlic,
cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and clove in a blender or food processor
and puree on high speed until smooth.

2. Trim the fat from the meat, and then slice the roast into 6 smaller
pieces. Sear all sides of the chunks of meat in 2 tablespoons of oil in a
large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until browned. Place in crock
pot on low. Add the adobo sauce to the meat, pour in the chicken broth and
add the bay leaves. Cook 6-8 hours, leaving the lid off the crockpot for
the last 1-2 hours.