Tag: honey

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

Sarah

So, almost immediately after pinning this awesome looking recipe for Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken, Tina commented on my pin with her rave reviews. I knew it looked good, but hearing how fabulous it was made it even more appealing. But what about this recipe made it so wonderful, when I hadn’t even tasted it?

Was it the combination of garlic and ginger? Honey and soy sauce? Toasted sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes? Or [gasp] even the ketchup and canola oil and onion?

I’m not sure. Does it even really matter, though? I’m not sure it does.

Simple ingredients come together to make something fantastic in this Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken. And the best part is that it only takes four hours to cook in the crock pot. [Side note: I despise calling a crock pot a “slow cooker.” It sounds so… ugh… to me. Hence the name change.]

Ben loves anything Asian-inspired, so you can be sure that this was a huge hit in our house. The flavors are just the right amount of sweetness and kick, but feel free to add more spice if that’s your thing. This is a must make, so if you’ve been thinking about it… go for it! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken [adapted from Six Sisters’ Stuff and Foodie with Family]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • black pepper
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • hot cooked rice, for serving
  • steamed broccoli, for serving
  • sesame seeds, for serving

Directions:

Season chicken thighs with black pepper and lay in bottom of crock pot.

In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, canola oil, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour mixture over chicken thighs and flip chicken to coat. Cook on low for 4 hours, then remove chicken to a plate.

In a second bowl, combine cornstarch with water until dissolved. Then pour into liquid in crock pot, return chicken, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until thick.

Break up chicken with two forks, then serve over hot cooked rice with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then enjoy.

Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls
Breads, Recipes

SRC: Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls

Sarah

December already?!? Where has 2011 gone? The good news is that another month brings another session of The Secret Recipe Club. If you missed it in November, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. It’s a fun way to find new blogs and be stretched to try new recipes, cooking styles, etc. Then, everyone posts about their assigned blog on the same day. It’s so fun–if you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining.

For December, I was assigned Jen’s blog–Beantown Baker. Jen is an engineer by day, and a baker/chef extraordinaire by night! I was so tempted by many recipes on her blog including Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies, a family recipe for Rice and Beans, and Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars. I’ve definitely bookmarked more than a few recipes to try in the future. And although I don’t yet have my very own kitchen to customize [yay renting… sigh…], I loved/coveted reading about the kitchen renovation she and her husband did in their Boston home. It’s absolutely gorgeous! I would love to cook there. Basically, if you haven’t gotten the drift, Jen and her blog are pretty awesome. Her Ohio roots don’t hurt matters any. 🙂 This Indiana girl loved her six years in Ohio and always appreciates meeting Ohioans. But getting on with it…

Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls: soft, tender dinner rolls... simply wonderful!

Out of all the recipes on Beantown Baker, I decided to try my hand at Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls. I was looking for some bread to take to Thanksgiving in OHIO with Ben’s family, and since Jen served them last year, it was obviously meant to be that I should too. These rolls were a huge hit. They were denser than most other rolls I make, which, admittedly is not many, but they were still quite soft, tender, and chewy. These rolls were a little fancy and sweet from the honey, making them the perfect accompaniment to our holiday spread. I highly recommend them for yours as well!

Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls

  • Servings: 12 or 16
  • Print

from Beantown Baker

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 cup warm water [105°-115° F]
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 4 cups bread flour
  • cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

Add yeast and warm water to the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, blend until combined then add honey, oil, salt, and egg. Mix well. Add 3 cups of flour, mixing on low until the dough comes together. With the mixer still running on low, add the last cup of flour and mix until combined.

Switch to the dough hook and run on low for about 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Meanwhile, lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray. When dough is ready, form into a ball and place in bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm area [my kitchen was warm enough the day I made these, but sometimes I place in a sink full of warm water to help matters along] until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.

Turn out dough onto a floured countertop and knead for about 30 seconds. Cover again and let rest for 10 minutes. Punch dough down and divide into 2 equal portions, and continue dividing until you have 12 or 16 equal pieces, depending on how big you want them.

Grease a baking dish with cooking spray, then roll each piece into a ball and arrange evenly. Cover and let rise again for about 20 minutes [my rise time was a little longer due to an unfortunately timed errand and it was just fine].

While the rolls are doing their last rise, preheat oven to 400 degrees [well, not if you aren’t at home… fires are no good. Duh.] Then mix together melted butter and honey and brush on each roll.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Click on over to check out other posts from today’s reveal of the SRC. Have a great day!


Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

KC’s Dilled Carrots

Sarah

I am so excited to be participating today in the Healthy Holidays series, hosted by Carly at Createlive. I love going to Carly’s blog for her great photography, creative ideas, and amazing recipes, so when I saw this series, I knew I wanted to join in.

Today, I’ll be sharing one of my favorite vegetable side dishes of all time: KC’s Dilled Carrots. Normally, I’m not a fan of cooked vegetables [at my house, we eat a. lot. of salads, cut up raw veggies, etc. instead], but I make an exception for this one. I think one of the reasons I’m not a fan of cooked vegetables is because they are either a) mushy [I like the CRUNCH!], b) slathered in a lot of other ingredients that change the flavor from fresh and light to heavy, or c) all of the above. My mom got this recipe from a family friend, whose initials happen to be KC, after eating at their house one year over spring break about four and a half years ago, and it has made an appearance on our table many times since then.

Dilled Carrots... an easy & healthy holiday dish sure to please!

Oftentimes, cooked carrots are served with buttery, sugary, bacon-y glaze that is, of course, delicious, but also high in fat and calories. For a vegetable dish, this is problematic. KC’s Dilled Carrots solves the problem by significantly cutting down on the butter and sugar, adding a ton of flavor with a generous amount of dill, and incorporating just a bit of creaminess via sour cream or yogurt for a rich taste with more of the good stuff and less of the bad. Note, this of course translates to more pie, stuffing, or whatever is your cup of tea. I mean, in the name of health you could just cook up some carrots and call it a day–but wouldn’t you rather add a bit of pizzazz in a healthier way? I know I do. Enjoy, and be sure to check out the rest of the series here. It will be continuing for the next three weeks so there’s still time to contribute if you want!

Dilled Carrots... an easy & healthy holiday dish sure to please!

KC's Dilled Carrots

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 pounds carrots, cut in coins or julienned
  • 2 teaspoons dill
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and stir to coat, sauteing and constantly stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir together dill, chicken stock, and honey in a measuring cup. Pour over carrots and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 4-7 minutes, until carrots are just barely tender. Remove from heat. Take carrots from the pan with a slotted spoon and place into a serving dish. Return skillet to the stove and cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes, reducing liquid until syrupy. Stir in sour cream or yogurt, pour over carrots, stir together, and serve.

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

 

Breads, Recipes

SRC: Honey Whole Wheat English? Muffins

Sarah

Happy Monday!

I’m especially excited about today because it’s my first time participating in The Secret Recipe Club. I first heard about The Secret Recipe Club from Lindsay’s blog and I was instantly hooked on the idea. The premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. It’s a fun way to find new blogs and be stretched to try new recipes, cooking styles, etc. Then, everyone posts about their assigned blog on the same day.

For November, I was assigned Anne’s blog–Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy. The premise of her blog is simple and straightforward, and I quote directly from her homepage:

* QUICK – because who has time for anything more?
* EASY – because I’m no gourmet.
* CHEAP – because who has money for anything more?
* HEALTHY – because you are what you eat.

Sounds good to me! After checking out many of the amazing looking recipes and tasty treats that Anne regularly posts [frequently part of fun series like Better than the Box or Twelve Treats of Christmas], I decided to tackle a food that I love but have never been daring enough to make on my own: English Muffins. Or, to be more specific: Honey Whole Wheat English? Muffins. The question mark after the “English” is indicative of the fact that there isn’t complete certainty over the geographic heritage of these doughy, crisp breakfast treats. Nevertheless, I can say with complete certainty that these are delicious. Unlike some whole wheat breads, these are not at all dense, but just the right balance of doughy and substantive. I love the touch of sweetness that the honey adds too.

english muffins from scratch

So when grading by Anne’s four point scale, I must say that these English muffins are definitely quick [thanks to my dear pal Mr. Breadmaker], easy [can you say everyday ingredients + minimal appliances/tools?], cheap [again: read, everyday ingredients + minimal appliances/tools… just like any ‘ole bread] and healthy [I can pronounce everything… no mystery ingredients or fillers here]. These will definitely be making more appearances on our breakfast table in the future. Thanks, Anne!

english muffins from scratch
with some delicious pumpkin butter!

Honey Whole Wheat English Muffins [from Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons yeast [I used breadmaker yeast]
  • cornmeal

Directions:

Place all the ingredients [minus the cornmeal] in the pan of your breadmaker in the order shown above, or as correlates to your breadmaker’s instructions. For mine, it is liquids and salt, dry ingredients, and then make a well for the yeast. Basically, the game plan is to just keep your yeast from mixing with the liquids too soon. Set for the “dough” cycle and when it’s ready, remove dough and place on countertop or work surface that has been covered with cornmeal. Covered! Press into a large rectangle, about 1/2-1 inch thick, then use a glass or biscuit cutter to cut out large circles of dough. Place on cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rise for 30-60 minutes. Cook the muffins on an ungreased griddle set over low-medium heat for about 8-9 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Split with a fork and serve with butter and jam. Or as we did for dinner, eggs, bacon, Cheddar, and avocado. Store in an airtight container.

Note:

I recommend making sure your griddle is piping hot before you start cooking them. Also, if your kitchen is on the cold side, allow to rise longer than 30 minutes for best results.

Check out more of today’s recipes below!

Time: 45 minutes active [plus the time your breadmaker takes and an additional 30 minutes rising time].

Yield: 12-14 muffins.



Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken

Sarah

Even though Ben and I can get herbs every week from our CSA, I bought several plants at the farmer’s market early this spring to grow on our porch. Some have failed–like our cilantro and most recently, our basil, but others have thrived and are now officially out of control… such as our mint plants. Yes, plants, plural. We have a regular mint and a chocolate mint plant, neither of which I really know what to do with except use for Honey-Lime Fruit Salad and to flavor water. So when I found this simple Honey Mint Glazed Chicken, I was super excited. It sounded so refreshing and flavorful that I just had to try it. And it did not disappoint.

I used this sweet glaze to amplify already flavorful chicken thighs, but feel free to use any cut you’d like. The original called for a whole chicken, cut into parts, so anything would work. The only change I would make is patting some of the oil off the chicken before cooking on an indoor grill, as marinating in olive oil causes a lot of splattering. This is definitely a winner of a chicken dinner that will make an appearance on our table again and again. If this isn’t a reason to buy your own mint plant next summer, then I don’t know what is.

Reader Question ~ What else should I make with fresh mint? I’ve got to use it before winter comes along!

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken [from Simply Recipes]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup white vinegar
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Directions:

Mix together vinegar and oil in a medium bowl, then add chicken and allow to marinate for 30-60 minutes. Next, stir together honey, mint, and a little water to create a good basting consistency. Set aside.

When chicken is almost finished marinating, preheat grill to medium-high heat. I used a George Foreman, but any grill should work. Remove chicken from marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook for two minutes on each side, then baste with the honey mint glaze and cook for another two to three minutes per side. Chicken is done when juices run clear when cut and internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Time: 90 minutes [30 minutes active].