Thanks Organizing JunkieFirst Memorial Day in four years that we don't have to go to the Memorial Day Parade. We have no one in marching band anymore. Where will we be bright and early Monday morning? The Memorial Day parade. :) I hope whatever you do this Memorial Day weekend, you have a wonderful time and you're able to take a moment or two to think of those who gave their lives for our wonderful country and have made it possible for us to enjoy the freedom that we do.
Unrelated...do your kids eat hot dogs? Hamburgers? I envy you. None of my kids, yes, that's all four of them, eat hot dogs. Two of the four don't eat hamburgers and one of the two would probably prefer not to. I know they're healthier for it, but really! Once in a while it'd be really nice to just throw burgers on the grill and not worry about offering alternatives. [I do not believe in cooking two dinners and indeed never do that to accommodate my children's pickiness, but at the same time there's no way I'm going to insist on them eating something that's patently not healthy, like a big juicy cheeseburger.]
I never got to the sweet and sour chicken last week--when it was time to make it it just didn't sound good anymore, ditto the fajitas, so I combined them and made Pioneer Woman's grilled pineapple and chicken quesadillas instead. I tweaked them a bit, adding caramelized red onion and using cheddar instead of monteray jack because that's what I had. Also, I didn't bbq the chicken, instead I spread the sauce on the tortilla. Also, I sliced my pineapple into rings and brushed it with butter and brown sugar while it grilled. I loved these!!! They were very different than what I was expecting--similar to the BBQ cheddar chicken pizza roll ups I make, yet a bit different as well. I was surprised you don't really taste the pineapple, (I chopped mine up pretty fine), but it adds a certain *something* to the quesadilla. Best of all, I made everything on the grill, which as hot as it's been around here is a real bonus.
Friday (Play & my parents here): Grilled spice-rubbed chicken tacos with Brian Boitano's green salsa, Brian Boitano's grilled corn and bean salad, watermelon
Saturday lunch: ??
Saturday dinner (Rebekah's play):
Sunday lunch: s??
Sunday dinner: BBQ Ribs, potato wedges or skins, cole slaw
Monday lunch: Burgers on the grill (probably a garbanzo burger for Jacob), corn on the cob, watermelon
Monday dinner: Summertime Grilled "Panini", fruit
Tuesday: Lasagna-style baked ziti w/salad(for piano teacher), Bourbon Chicken, white rice, Suchuan green beans, rice krispie treats
Wednesday (Cub scout last pack meeting, dance, Jason here): Lasagna-style baked ziti (I leave the meat out, it's still awesome), salad, King Arthur Flour garlic knots
Thursday: Sweet & Sour Orange Grilled Chicken wings, fried rice*, pea pods
** I'm copying the fried rice here because the first time I went to the web site to link to it the site said it was no longer available. Yikes! It's back now, but I would hate to lose the recipe.
FRIED RICE WITH PEAS AND CHICKEN
Time: 30 minutes
3 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 bell pepper, stemmed, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup peas (defrost if frozen)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 to 4 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced scallion or cilantro.
1. Put 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or a large skillet, preferably nonstick, and turn heat to high. A minute later, add onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove to a bowl.
2. Drain peas if necessary and add them to skillet; cook, shaking pan, for about a minute, or until hot. Add them to bowl.
3. Put remaining oil in skillet, followed by garlic and ginger. About 15 seconds later, add rice, a bit at a time, breaking up clumps with your fingers and tossing it with oil. When all rice is added, make a well in the center and break eggs into it; scramble them a bit, then incorporate into rice.
4. Return vegetables to skillet and stir to integrate. Add mirin and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off heat, stir in scallion or cilantro, and serve.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Unrelated...do your kids eat hot dogs? Hamburgers? I envy you. None of my kids, yes, that's all four of them, eat hot dogs. Two of the four don't eat hamburgers and one of the two would probably prefer not to. I know they're healthier for it, but really! Once in a while it'd be really nice to just throw burgers on the grill and not worry about offering alternatives. [I do not believe in cooking two dinners and indeed never do that to accommodate my children's pickiness, but at the same time there's no way I'm going to insist on them eating something that's patently not healthy, like a big juicy cheeseburger.]
I never got to the sweet and sour chicken last week--when it was time to make it it just didn't sound good anymore, ditto the fajitas, so I combined them and made Pioneer Woman's grilled pineapple and chicken quesadillas instead. I tweaked them a bit, adding caramelized red onion and using cheddar instead of monteray jack because that's what I had. Also, I didn't bbq the chicken, instead I spread the sauce on the tortilla. Also, I sliced my pineapple into rings and brushed it with butter and brown sugar while it grilled. I loved these!!! They were very different than what I was expecting--similar to the BBQ cheddar chicken pizza roll ups I make, yet a bit different as well. I was surprised you don't really taste the pineapple, (I chopped mine up pretty fine), but it adds a certain *something* to the quesadilla. Best of all, I made everything on the grill, which as hot as it's been around here is a real bonus.
Friday (Play & my parents here): Grilled spice-rubbed chicken tacos with Brian Boitano's green salsa, Brian Boitano's grilled corn and bean salad, watermelon
Saturday lunch: ??
Saturday dinner (Rebekah's play):
Sunday lunch: s??
Sunday dinner: BBQ Ribs, potato wedges or skins, cole slaw
Monday lunch: Burgers on the grill (probably a garbanzo burger for Jacob), corn on the cob, watermelon
Monday dinner: Summertime Grilled "Panini", fruit
Tuesday: Lasagna-style baked ziti w/salad(for piano teacher), Bourbon Chicken, white rice, Suchuan green beans, rice krispie treats
Wednesday (Cub scout last pack meeting, dance, Jason here): Lasagna-style baked ziti (I leave the meat out, it's still awesome), salad, King Arthur Flour garlic knots
Thursday: Sweet & Sour Orange Grilled Chicken wings, fried rice*, pea pods
** I'm copying the fried rice here because the first time I went to the web site to link to it the site said it was no longer available. Yikes! It's back now, but I would hate to lose the recipe.
FRIED RICE WITH PEAS AND CHICKEN
Time: 30 minutes
3 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 bell pepper, stemmed, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup peas (defrost if frozen)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 to 4 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced scallion or cilantro.
1. Put 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or a large skillet, preferably nonstick, and turn heat to high. A minute later, add onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove to a bowl.
2. Drain peas if necessary and add them to skillet; cook, shaking pan, for about a minute, or until hot. Add them to bowl.
3. Put remaining oil in skillet, followed by garlic and ginger. About 15 seconds later, add rice, a bit at a time, breaking up clumps with your fingers and tossing it with oil. When all rice is added, make a well in the center and break eggs into it; scramble them a bit, then incorporate into rice.
4. Return vegetables to skillet and stir to integrate. Add mirin and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off heat, stir in scallion or cilantro, and serve.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
