Lime Marinated Chicken Strips with Asian Dipping Sauce

Hey Ali-
Can you explain to me why my kids won't eat unless there's some fun name to the recipe i.e. oscar-the-grouch meatballs (spinich meatballs) or candy turkey (sweet sauce)?!  If I can't come up with some kiddie name for a recipe my other option is to make the food a game.  So tonight I am going with dipping sauce.  I don't know what it is about dipping sauce that gets kids so excited but I will do anything to get my kids to eat protein so dipping sauce is my strategy for tonight.  

Lime Marinated Chicken Strips with Asian Dipping Sauce

Marinade:
2 T lime juice
1 T olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic (I love the frozen garlic cubes)
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t salt

1. cut 1-1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts into strips and put in a ziploc with the marinade
2. refrigerate a few hours till you're ready to panko.

3. coat chicken into 1 C panko
4. cook chicken on medium/high heat in olive oil greased pan till browned (about 4 min per side)


PREP THE SAUCE (you can prep in advance without cornstarch and stick in fridge till ready to heat):
2 frozen ginger cubes
3 frozen garlic cubes
2 T ketchup
1 C water
1 T heaping of chicken consume
2 T teriyaki sauce OR low sodium soy sauce (don't want too much salt for kiddies)
1 T rice vinegar
1 T honey (do you also spray the spoon with oil first so the honey comes off easier? love that trick!)
1-1/2 T toasted sesame oil
2 T cornstarch mixed with 4 T water BEFORE ADDING TO POT!

add all ingredients to saucepan and simmer till thick and aromatic

serve chicken and sauce with steamed broccoli and/or pearled couscous

Spice Storage Organization

Ali, 

Moving is always rough especially figuring out how to set up your kitchen.  When we lived in Manhattan our kitchen was small and we needed to figure out a spice rack solution that didn't take up precious counter space.  I came up with the idea of a spice drawer and every move we've made since I have implemented the drawer into my kitchen storage plan.  This is what it looks like in our current house.

Basically, the idea is you label the tops of your containers with a black or silver sharpee depending on the cap color.  

Don't know why I am giving you tips for your new place- please don't leave me :-(

your vegi cant top my fruit crisp

Looks delic Ali but it can't hold a candle to my mango blueberry apple crisp.

inside:

2 apples, unpeeled and diced (are you an apple peeler Ali?  I am too lazy and like the added crunch)

2 mangos, peeled and diced (of course I peel the mango!)

1 bag frozen blueberries OR 2 pints fresh blueberries

1 T cornstarch

1 T sugar

mix it all up on the bottom of a 9x13 and then make the crumble which has NO margarine so I get some brownie points for that I'd say! (HAA get it, BROWNIE points)

crumble:

1/3 C smart balance oil

1/2 C flour
1/2 C brown sugar

1 C rolled oats

a pinch of ginger and a pinch of cinnamon

350 for 1 1/2 hours. serve room temp as a side or hot with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Baby Broccolli

Blanche these spring folic acid giants for a bit with some kosher salt for a healthy veggie.  There, I just beat my own post. Mollie, get cooking girl!

Hey blondie! Check out this fast and delectable side dish

These yummers tomatoes are awesome! A party in your mouth. Roast @ 425 until browned and slightly sticky. Szusz in food processor if that's your thang.

Chicken Oreganata

Ali- If you're looking for a recipe to prep in advance (night before) and stick in the oven a few hours before serving (next day) this is a whole dinner in a pan!  My mom's secret to chicken is you can never add too much garlic, so mince away!

Mollie's Chicken Oreganata 

3lbs baby gold potatoes, chopped

2 C chopped tomatoes of any kind- I used a mix

1 HUGE chopped onion - or 2 normal size onions

fresh oregano

garlic salt

pepper and sea salt

garlic cloves (optional) 

2 cut up chickens

paprika

1. Chop the vegis and put them on the bottom of a giant roaster pan.  

2. sprinkle on a healthy amount of pepper, sea salt, and lots of garlic salt

DONT BE SHY WITH THESE!!

3. cook covered at 400F for 20 minutes

4.  place cleaned chicken on top then coat with lots of pepper, garlic salt, garlic powder, more fresh oregano sprigs, and paprika

ITS READY FOR THE OVEN TOMORROW! 350 1 1/2 hrs covered

Oh am I excited for a Friday night feast.  MMMMMM.

So, what are YOU making?

Oh Really?

You're on, sistah!  Just because Mollie is one of the most epicly (it's a word now!) talented cooks out there, I will not go down lightly.  I crave competitive cooking as much as I crave a good lamb stew.  BTW my chicken soup smells divine... 
Sometimes I add fennel for a kick.

Ali and Mollie duke it out

Welcome to an open discussion between me, Mollie, and my bff, Ali.  We met in Pittsburgh but now Ali is moving halfway around the world!  In looking for a way to stay connected with one another we thought this blog would be a great forum to catch up through our favorite bonding activity: cooking.  Whenever one of us tells the other what we're cooking the other tries to one-up the first... let the games begin...