2 recent wins inspired by Tik Tok

 It must be good when The Boy is grabbing from the table before we've sat down, right?

These were roasted carrots with a spicy sauce - cut the carrots into sticks, toss with olive oil, paprika, salt, onion and garlic powders, then toss again with parmesan cheese.  Lay them out on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.  I have a bottle of Franks Hot Honey Garlic sauce I've been waiting to open so I stirred that into some mayo and it was SO good on not only the carrots but also the broccoli and chicken we had that night.

Another night I made these chicken tenders

Season your chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powders, then dip in beaten egg and then into crushed cornflakes.  I baked them in the air fryer for about 8 minutes and drizzled them with a sweet-garlicky-soy sauce I mixed up.

Very delicious.

greek potatos and candied carrots

 Greek potatos are some of my very favorite kind of potato; all that lemony garlicky goodness.  Here's a super recipe we made recently.  The kids hated it, of course, but The Mister and I liked it thank god because it made a lot.

 

recipe - Greek style lemon roasted potatoes

Another good recent veggie recipe was this recipe for candied carrots - I wanted to do a roasted carrot dish  but ran out of steam and this seemed easy enough.  It isn't healthy, but it sure tastes good.

recipe - candied carrots  

Pork Wontons and Carrot Soup from Shutterbean

Shutterbean is one of my weekly reads. Gorgeous photography, adventures, yummy eats. 

What else do you need? 

I recently made her wontons, which were delicious. I had only small wrappers, so we made a ton. And then ate them all. 

Pork wontons

I also  less recently made her carrot coconut soup 3 times in 2  weeks.  Delicious.

Carrot coconut soup 

Sunday dinner - Chicken with Coconut Pineapple Sauce and Coconut Tea Cake

This was a GREAT Sunday dinner!  We tried 3 new recipes, and they were all hits.

First was Chicken with Coconut Pineapple Sauce.  This was a recipe saved from my recipe collection purge.  I've probably had this recipe at least 10 years.  No idea where it came from.

We served the chicken with salad, green beans and delicious roasted carrots 

from Gwyneth Paltrow's second cookbook.  The book is growing on me, 

but I don't like it nearly as much as I like her first.  

The carrots could change my mind though - so good.  

Dessert was Coconut Tea Cake from Dorie Greenspan, from her very good book, Baking. 

 I omitted the rum, and served with berries and whipped cream.  

It's good on its own, but so tasty with berries and cream. 

Chicken with Coconut Pineapple Sauce

source unknown with some changes from me

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 Tb flour

salt

2 Tb oil

Sauce:

2/3 cup coconut milk

6 Tb pineapple juice or orange juice

4 Tb soy sauce

2 Tb lemon juice

2 Tb brown sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, minced or grated

Preheat oven to 425'.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  I used a 9x13.

Stir flour and salt together.  Lightly coat the chicken with flour.  Shake to remove excess.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, and cook chicken until brown and nearly cooked through.

Place in one layer in your baking dish.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients.  

Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

Coconut Tea Cake recipe here, with bonus icing recipe.  I would try this bonus icing recipe.....

Carrot recipe here - although note that the website says the recipe 

is suitable for vegans which it is not, because of the honey.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Well! It's April 19 and it's snowing. That really sucks.

But you know what doesn't suck? Carrot Soup! Ever since I did C is for Carrot and Peabody left me a comment saying she wished I had made a soup I've been meaning to. But never did.

And then I found myself with 5 pounds of the most delicious carrots from Lund's Organic Farm. How could I not?





Carrot Ginger Soup

2 tb oil
1 leek, washed well, white and light green parts chopped
2 tb ginger
24 oz peeled carrots, cut into rounds
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup low or non fat milk

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot and cook the leeks until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and cook another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the carrots, stir well and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in the broth. Simmer the soup, covered for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Remove the soup from heat and puree. Stir in the milk and season with salt and pepper.

C is for...

C is for Carrot.
Who: The Carrot.
What: Root Vegetable, scientific name Daucus Carota, which has been traced in writings to the 3rd century. Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family which also includes Parsnips, Cumin and Dill.
When: Carrots can be planted in early spring, as soon as the soil is thawed.
Where: Anywhere! Carrots are one of the easiest vegetables to grow.
Why: Carrots are very rich in anti-oxidants, and are the best vegetable source of Vitamin A. They are full of Beta-Carotene which helps your vision. The nutrients in Carrots also promote Colon and Lung health.

Carrots can be purchased fresh, frozen and canned. Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked, and are actually better for you if eaten cooked. Carrots are commonly used in salads, stirfrys and stews.

Did you know? Baby or Mini Carrots sold in bags in the grocery store are not baby carrots at all. They are fully grown carrots that are either broken or deformed that have been peeled and formed in to a small carrot shape.


Carrot Patties

1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded potatos
1/4 of a red onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 egg, beaten
2-4 tb flour
salt
pepper
oil for frying

Squeeze as much moisture out of the potatos as you can, then mix the carrots, potatos, onion and garlic together. Add the egg, mix well, then add flour to bind. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tb of oil over medium heat. Drop the carrot mixture by large spoonfuls into the pan and press down slightly to flatten. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter and serve straight away.

Curried Carrots
It doesn't get much easier than this, but what a dish! Goes super with roasted chicken and potatos.

Slice some carrots into rounds. Steam until tender. Pour into a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together very soft or melted butter, honey and curry powder. Pour over the carrots and stir gently. If you have some parsley, chop it up and add it in.



Avert your eyes! It's NUDE MAN CARROT!

Previous Alphabet Posts:
A is for...
B is for...

Subs and stuff

I love to go down to Chinatown for subs. There is a little teeney shop in a strip mall with 2 tables in the doorway. The family that runs it is friendly and loud and one lady has a miraculous memory. Unfortunatly I won't have to go down there as much now that Scott and I are making our own version.Vietnamese Chicken Subs
This is just a list of ingrediants. Use as much or as little of each as you want.
Crusty bun
Mayo
Cooked Chicken, sliced
Mozzarella or other mild white cheese, sliced
Peanut Sauce
Cilantro
Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and minced
Cucumber slices
Carrot Salad

Spread mayonnaise (if using) on bun. Place chicken slices on one half of the bun and top with the cheese. Broil in your oven or toaster oven until bread is crisp and cheese is melted. Remove to a plate. Spread peanut sauce on the side of the bun with out the chicken, and top your sandwich with cilantro, jalapeno, cucumber and carrot salad.
Enjoy.

Carrot Salad
1 cup of shredded carrot
3 tb sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar or wine vinegar
pinch of hot pepper flakes
1 cup water

Place the carrot in a bowl, cover with water and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingrediants in a bowl or jar with a lid. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. When the carrots are done, drain and add to the jar. Let sit at least one hour.

In other news, I am making my own raspberry vinegar, so I can make my own raspberry vinegrette. I'll keep you posted.
Also, look what I got! I have looked all over Calgary for grits with no luck. I asked my boss to look in a specialty grocery store by his house for me. Without telling me, he called a friend that was coming to Canada for vacation, and asked him to bring me some. The 2 containers were sitting on my desk when I came to work this morning. I am kind of freaked out, because the pictures on the box were not what I was expecting grits to be, but then I didn't really know what to expect. Help! I need some suggestions/cooking tips. Tanna
can you or anyone out there help?