2009 May — Cooking During Stolen Moments

Southwestern Rice Salad

May 27, 2009 By Kate 6 Comments

I have wanted a nice side dish for tacos and other Mexican-inspired dishes for a long time. Refried beans and Spanish rice are great, but I have yet to find a recipe that really compares to those side dishes that we can get at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. So we decided that those dishes would be best left for truly special treats when we go out.

So I decided to experiment and see what I could come up with. And since it’s warm out and our house was humid and hot all day, I was in the mood for a cold side dish. This turned out so delicious. It’s a great side dish for a Mexican meal, but I think it would also be great for a picnic or other summer evenet. I could even eat this happily as a main course.

Southwestern Rice Salad

1 1/2 c. fully cooked black beans (or 1 can black beans)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 5oz. can diced green chilies
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 t. salt
2 c. fully cooked brown or white rice

1. In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn and chilies.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and seasonings. Add to the bean and corn mixture and stir to combine.

3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors start to develop. Stir in the cooked rice and refrigerate until serving.

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Sesame-Garlic Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

May 26, 2009 By Kate 6 Comments

Stir fries are one of my favorite easy dishes. They come together so quickly and the options and variety are virtually limitless. Plus, in the summer time, I’ve found that they often taste just as good cold as they do hot. Sort of like a stir-fry salad. So since I’m already making the dish early in the day, stolen moments style, I have the option at dinner time to heat it up or serve it cold. And sometimes, a few of us will have it cold while the others will have it warm. This versatility definitely works for me.

Sesame & Garlic Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

1/2 c. tahini
1/3 c. tamari or soy sauce
1/4 c. sesame oil (other oils will work in a pinch)
2 T. rice wine or cider vinegar
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 T. olive oil or canola oil
1 bag frozen California Mix veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1 c. frozen peas
1 lb. cooked soba noodles, wheat spaghetti or plain spaghetti
2 T. toasted sesame seeds

1. In a small bowl, combine tahini, tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic and red pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth.

2. Salt and pepper chicken to taste. Cook in a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil. Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from skillet. Add the frozen vegetables and cook about 10 minutes.

3. While the veggies cook, dice or shred the chicken. Once the veggies are cooked, add the chicken back to the skillet. Then add the cooked noodles. Stir to combine.

4. Stir in the tahini sauce mix until everything is covered with sauce. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Serve cold or warm. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top of each serving just before eating.

*To toast sesame seeds, place in a small, dry skillet over low heat. Cook for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan often.

For more WFMW, visit We Are THAT Family.

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Lemon Bars w/ Lemon Glaze & Candied Lemon Peel

May 25, 2009 By Kate 17 Comments

This is my favorite lemon bar recipe ever. I’ve been making it for over 10 years now. I’ve tried several other recipes throughout that time, but I always come back to this one. It is easy, rich, creamy, buttery and delicious. The bars taste great as is, without any embellishments, but can be easily dressed up with glaze and candied peels. Best of all, the ingredients are ones I always have on hand.

This was actually the first time I garnished the bars with candied lemon peel. I’ve been wanting to tackle making candied citrus peels for a long time. It was such an easy process and I’m looking forward to doing it again and trying it with oranges too.

Lemon Bars w/ Lemon Glaze

2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
1 1/2 t. lemon zest
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1-2 T. lemon juice

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar and butter together on low speed until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 13×9 dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

2. While the crust bakes, mix together the lemon juice, lemon zest, 2 c. sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and salt until fully mixed and frothy.

3. Pour the lemon mixture over the hot crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until top is lightly browned.

4. For glaze: whisk together powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add lemon juice until desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled lemon bars.

For candied lemon peel, I peeled off all that was left on the lemon after the zest. I cut those peel slice into thin strips. Then, I placed them in a small pan, covered with water and boiled for 8 minutes. I drained that water off, add 1/2 c. sugar and 1/4 c. water. I brought that to a boil and simmered for 10 minutes. I removed the peels with a fork and rolled them in powdered sugar. Then I spread them on a plate until dried. So good! The kids and I had a few as a snack and I think I’ll make them again just for a sanck. So good!

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