cartoon by marc johns.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Sesame Noodles

This recipe is delicious, and honestly tastes even better the next day when the sauce soaks even more into the noodles.  It is a light dish with a delicate flavor, but it is very satisfying.  I serve it as a side dish, but if you add some more veggies and maybe some grilled chicken breast, it could easily be a main dish.  I used skinny angel hair pasta - any skinny pasta works with this dish - but if you find rice noodles in your grocery store, it really tastes good with those.  The amounts of each ingredient I use for the sauce is definitely changeable - when I make this I think the ratio changes every time.  Just taste the sauce before you put it on your noodles, and adjust it to your personal taste.


1 box angel hair noodles (or similar thin noodles or rice noodles)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium soy sauce.)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
4 tablespoon canola oil
4 green onions, thinly sliced
sesame seeds (optional)

1.  Cook the noodles.
2.  While the noodles are cooking, whisk all the ingredients except the green onions and (optional) sesame seeds together to form the sauce.  Taste and adjust to your liking.  

3.  While the pasta is till warm, pour the sauce over the noodles and mix to coat.

Pouring the Sauce.
4.  Sprinkle the pasta with the sliced green onions.  Serves 4-5 as an entree and 6-10 as a side dish.  Enjoy!  (How easy was that?)

Final product.
Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Garlic Lime Chicken

Love the color.
I am always looking for flavorful, easy, and healthy ways to cook chicken breasts.  I love chicken and I was excited to discover how delicious this simple recipe is.  This chicken is flavorful enough to eat alone, but it would also be good on a salad or in a pasta.  This spice rub is full of flavor and with some heat, but it is not spicy.  (If you are worried about it being spicy, eliminate the cayenne pepper).


3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

4 boneless skinless chicken breast fillets

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice

1.  Mix the all spices (in the first chunk of ingredients, above) in a small bowl.

Spice Mix.
2.  Coat the chicken with the spices.  Make sure to well cover the chicken and rub the spices a little bit into the meat.

Spice-Rubbed Chicken.
3.  Melt the butter and olive oil in a saute pan (that will fit all the chicken) over medium heat.

Melting butter.
4.  Once the butter is melted, add the chicken breasts to the pan.  Saute the chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side.

Side 1.
Side 2.
5.  Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of garlic powder on the chicken.  Pour the three tablespoons of lime juice on the chicken.  When you do this, there will be a loud hiss and some steam, but don't worry.

Garlic powder sprinkled.
Lime Juice Poured.
6.  Continue to cook the chicken for about five more minutes.  Tilt the pan and scoop up the sauce and pour it over the chicken a couple of times.

Sauce scooped and poured.
7.  Let chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting, to allow the juices to settle in the chicken. Serves 4.  Enjoy!

The Final Product.
Tonight, I ate my chicken with the some sesame noodles and sugar snap peas.  Delicious!

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.