Inspiration Station: Crockpot Creations in 4 Steps or Less

Between moving into a new place with far less kitchen space, and added pressures at work both for me and for Mr. Sillypants, I realized I needed to make a change with how I approached preparing our meals.  I used to take my sweet time preparing food, often doing things the hard way to yield an ideal result.  Cooking is a very enjoyable pastime for me, a soothing and creative outlet.  However, I really needed to simplify, so I started re-thinking several of our favorite meals (and some new ones) with three goals in mind:

1. Less prep time
2. Fewer dirty dishes
3. Yummy, healthy food 

I turned to my old, reliable, bon ami, the Crockpot.  Now I spend much less time in the kitchen with very little sacrifice in creativity and flavor.  I am very pleased with the results.  Plus, I am cooking healthier, as I use virtually no oil nor butter, since the Crockpot is naturally non-stick.

 A few things I enjoy about this new system:

• The Crockpot can be used as a prep pot.  I use the crock to mix ingredients in the recipe that usually require a separate mixing bowl.  Then I put the rest of the ingredients in.  For example, I mix all the sauce ingredients in the bottom of the Crockpot before putting meat in; then I just spoon the sauce over the meat, cover, and leave it alone.  The sauce runs to the bottom anyway during cooking time, and the meat settles into the sauce as it cooks down. 
• Low and high heat settings are used to my advantage.  I use the crock in stages to cook different parts of the meal that require different cooking times.  For example, diced onions can go in first, on high for an hour or so, to sauté them.  Then the other ingredients go in, changing the temperature to low.  I brown ground beef in the crock on high before I put the other ingredients in on low.  In the large Crockpot, I use the warm setting to slow-steam vegetables, like squash.  Additionally, quick-cooking ingredients, like peas (or any vegetable you don't want overcooked), can be tossed in at the end of a cooking cycle, right after the heat switch is turned off. 
• "All day" slowcooker is a misnomer.  I usually cook meals all night, so Mr. Sillypants and I can take good food to work the next day for lunch.  The only time the aroma has awoken me in the middle of the night was when I was slow-cooking a meal with too much garlic.
• Two or more Crockpots are extremely helpful.  I often use two Crockpots at the same time.  For example, the big one can be used for the main dish part of the meal, and the small one for a side dish, or two.  I have wrapped veggies such as carrots and green beans in foil, and steamed them on top of another veggie or main dish to keep them separated.
• The Crockpot doubles as a storage dish.  If you have a crockery insert that is separate from the heat source, you can simply put the whole thing in the fridge to store the leftovers and eat from it all week!  This saves me time and hassle.
• My rice cooker helps me with side dishes.  My rice cooker is part of the "countertop crew."  I mix things into rice to help create a more complete meal, like diced vegetables, lentils, black beans, tomatoes, and spices.  This reduces extra pots and pans.  When I'm not cooking rice, a pan of pasta on the stove isn't a big deal, as it's only one dirty dish.  Another easy side dish is a bag of frozen vegetables, steamed in the microwave.  The specially advertised "steamer bags" are unnecessary, as any bagged frozen vegetable heats well in the microwave for about four minutes when sliced with a few holes. 

Some of my favorite meals lately, in 4 steps or less:

1. Apricot Chicken
2. Asian Citrus Salmon
3. Baked Potatoes
4. Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches
5. Broccoli Beef
6. Butternut Squash Soup
7. Cauliflower Soup
8. Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
9. Chicken Cacciatore
10. Chicken Pot Pie
11. Chicken Primavera
12. Chili, Chili, and More Chili
13. Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing
14. Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
15. Curry Chicken
16. Eggplant Lasagne
17. Green Chile Chicken
18. Hot Sausage Dip
19. Lemony White Fish
20. Lentil and White Bean Soup
21. Minestrone Soup
22. Mushroom Chicken
23. Orange Chicken
24. Pepper Steak
25. Pot Roast (the good old standby)
26. Salmon Rosa
27. Salsa Chicken
28. Sausage and Kale Soup
29. Savory Chicken Chili
30. Shepherd's Pie
31. Sloppy Joes
32. Spaghetti Bolognese
33. Spinach and Artichoke Dip
34. String Bean Chicken
35. Stroganoff
36. Sweet and Sour Chicken
37. Teriyaki Chicken
38. Teriyaki Salmon
39. Tuscan Beef
40. White Enchilada Soup

More recent favorites: Cheesy Bean Dip, Ground Beef and Beans, Chicken Enchilada Lasagna, Beef Stroganoff Variation, Lasagna, Spaghetti Sauce.

You could make two months worth of meal calendars out of this list, if you cook something different 5 times a week!  Plus, most come together in 4 steps or less! 

One thing I have noticed: when I use my small Crockpot, it makes really juicy meals, especially when I use frozen chicken.  I don't always like the sauces thinned down so much, or the casseroles with a watery bottom, so I switched to the large Crockpot for certain things.  The large crock seems to cook on a higher heat, and also has a steam escape on the rim.  I've heard all Crockpots are a little different, so trying out different options until you are happy with the result is a good rule of thumb. 

A note on using frozen meat: A lot of recipe books counsel against using frozen meat in the Crockpot, warning that meat sitting at a certain temperature for too long (at room temperature, during thawing) may be unsafe to eat.  I have never once had a problem with any meat I ate that started out frozen in the Crockpot.  In fact, I prefer my chicken to start out frozen; otherwise, it would cook too quickly and dry out.

Thank you, Stephanie O'Dea, for a lot of inspiration.  It has made my life easier.

Fraggle Rock-A-Thon Feast

For a birthday recently, I planned a themed menu based on the 80s children's classic television show Fraggle Rock.  Each category featured five menu items, and the final birthday menu  was decided by popular vote by the guests about a week before the party.

The catch?  The decoded menu was not revealed until after the votes were in.  Here is what I came up with:

Appetizers

Geraldine and Doozer Sticks
Radish Bars
Mossmelon and Mushmelon
Holes to Who-Knows-Where
Beluvious Tails

Salads

Skunk Cabbage Salad
Joke Day Blob Salad
Tossed Trash Heap
Sprocket Salad
Sidebottom Salad

Entrees

Goodtime Goombah Soup
Peach and Pepper Potage
Bonkleberry Stew
Peas of Power Potpourri
Doomsday Gumbo

Side Dishes

Tree Creature Croquettes
Turnip Toast
Rock Buns with Gorg Greaseberry Butter
Crystal Cavern Stalactites
Grapes of Generosity

Drinks

Boredom Juice
Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water
Pebble Pox Punch
Last of the Lilycreatures Pondwater
Sweetwater

Desserts (i.e. The Birthday Cake)
Sweet, sweet, sweet little treats

Banana Tree Shirt Souflee
Muck and Goo with Cave Mushrooms
Golden Dragon Bites
Mudbunny Pie
Poison Cackler Crumble

Would you like some translation? Here is the whole menu, with explanation:

APPETIZERS

Geraldine and Doozer Sticks

Geraldine is a humongous radish that Junior Gorg raises from a tiny seed, who also happens to be his best friend. Doozers are small green creatures that make delicious constructions out of shiny, crystalline sticks made from radish dust. In keeping with this vegetable theme, Geraldine and Doozer Sticks turn out to be a Vegetable Tray, complete with radishes, carrot sticks, and celery sticks.

Radish Bars

Red Fraggle adores radish bars, and tries to capture a thief who seems to be stealing them while she sleeps. The props for Radish Bars in the episode "Red-Handed, Invisible Thief," look like a cross between a rice cake and a popcorn cake with red flecks...sort of like a cranberry granola bar. So as an appetizer or snack, Radish Bars are actually Quaker True Delights Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Granola Bars.

Mossmelon and Mushmelon

In "The Secret of Convincing John," we see a slice of mossmelon, which looks exactly like honeydew. We see a whole, unsliced mushmelon when Wembley picks one up during a trip to Mossy Cavern, which looks like a small cantaloupe. Fruit tray, coming right up!

Holes to Who-Knows-Where

One time, Gobo took all four of his best friends on an exploration trip, following his Uncle Matt's old map. It led them to the Hole to Who-Knows-Where, a cavernous location deep within Fraggle Rock. It ended up being a pretty dangerous journey, but turned out all right in the end!  The "hole" idea got me all excited about doughnut holes as a fun appetizer for the party.

Beluvious Tails

A beluvious is a Fraggle's tail, and Boober often takes it upon himself to "test" the healthy nature of his fellow friends' tails by playing practical jokes on them and scaring them. When frightened, a fraggle's tail flares up. I tried choosing a snack or appetizer that resembled a long tail, and my favorite long treat is Pepperidge Farm French Vanilla Pirouettes. You could also do Red Vines.

SALADS

Skunk Cabbage Salad

Skunk cabbage is a favorite vegetable of the Gorg's, but the Fraggles hate it. I love cabbage, and a great party dish is Chinese Chicken Salad.  It's wonderful for a crowd, and Mama Monkey makes it all the time for family get-togethers. 

Joke Day Blob Salad

On Joke Day, the Fraggles decorate the Great Hall, and get together to tell silly jokes and laugh a lot. One particular Joke Day, a great big reddish-pink-sticky-bouncy-blob thing rolls in and starts eating all the Doozers. He finally opens up his mouth to let the Doozers out when Boober starts telling knock-knock jokes! I tried to re-create the bouncy red glob idea in a salad. One that wasn't gross. So Joke Day Blob Salad is Red Jello Cubes with Whipped Cream.

Tossed Trash Heap

This one is a bit of a giveaway from its name. Marjorie the Trash Heap is a big heap of leaves, old vegetables, banana peels, and junk near the corner wall of the Gorg's garden. She is also an oracle, the source of all wisdom for the Fraggles. With all those leaves, I thought she looked like a tossed salad. Mine would be green, though. Not brown. And it definitely would not have banana peels in it. I'm thinking romaine lettuce, diced grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, and cucumbers in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Sprocket Salad

Sprocket is absolutely my favorite character. Maybe it's his pantomiming, or his persistence in convincing Doc that Fraggles really do exist. He's just awesome. He is the inventor's dog, and a sprocket is any kind of wheel gear. I wanted to incorporate some sort of wheel-looking element in a salad, so I decided to use wagon wheel pasta in a colorful pasta salad with tri-color bell peppers, mozzarella balls, tomatoes, spinach, and matchstick carrots in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Sidebottom Salad

Sidebottom is Boober Fraggle's other half that only shows up in his dreams...an alter-ego of sorts. Sidebottom (and Boober, too, since they are essentially the same person) is a green fraggle with bright red hair. Along the theme of red and green and salads, I decided to present Sidebottom Salad as Strawberry Spinach Salad with toasted almonds, topped with ranchero cheese, tossed in strawberry or raspberry vinaigrette.

ENTREES

Goodtime Goombah Soup

During a particularly long winter, Ma and Junior Gorg make their famous Goodtime Goombah Soup. The song goes, "A pinch of this, and a splash of that, with a touch of somethin' good."  I think that the closest food genre to seemingly unrelated ingredients being thrown together is Thai food. I mean, coconut, cilantro, and cashews? But it all tastes so good. Therefore, this soup would be Thai Curry Soup with Grilled Shrimp. Ma Gorg put in what looked like long string beans, so that would have to be included, as well.

Peach and Pepper Potage

Wembley eats this, his favorite dish, with his new friend, Mudwell, who happens to be a great cook. Indicientally, turnip toast (see Sides) is included. No other details are given as to the elements of this recipe. So I thought about the name, Peach and Pepper Potage...peach and pepper don't really seem to go together. Or do they? Sweet and savory are generally a great combination, with the right ingredients. So I replaced peaches with pineapple, kept the pepper (bell peppers), and decided on Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Bonkleberry Stew

Just the name of this dish makes you smile!  It's silly and creative.  When Sidebottom finally "gets out" of Boober one day, he takes the other four fraggle friends to the Gorg's garden. He hypnotizes Junior into thinking he's a fraggle, and makes him simmer some bonkelberry stew, which basically looks like large cranberries being tossed into boiling water. Unfortunately, Wembley is allergic to bonkleberries, and becomes deathly ill until his friends can revive him. I thought for a long time about a stew-like dish that would resemble a red soup with all red elements, some of them being round-ish like cranberries.  Red Chili is definitely a winner, especially with smoked chiles in adobo sauce, red bell peppers, and red chili beans!

Peas of Power Potpourri

The Gorgs have a legend: if a young Gorg prince plants the magical peas of power, they will grow overnight into a beautiful Gorg princess for the prince to marry. Junior falls for a trick when Wander McMooch, a sly, toad-like creature, sells him regular peas, claiming they are the fabled magic peas. All ends well, though, thanks to Mokey Fraggle. I really love peas, and in fact, I love every green vegetable. So Peas of Power Potpourri (potpourri meaning a "melange of elements") would be Green Stir Fry in Teriyaki Sauce. We're talking peas, asparagus, broccoli, green bell peppers, and zucchini. Also a good idea for next year's St. Patrick's Day.

Doomsday Gumbo 

Boober accidentally mixes the laundry soapwater with his rutabaga gumbo, which was supposed to be radish gumbo, but the fraggles were out of radishes. It turns into a volatile mixture that almost blows up Fraggle Rock. Boober mentions that the doomsday gumbo contains skunk cabbage (I do love regular cabbage) and greaseberries. I decided to theme a soup that contained the vegetables he mentioned, plus some variation. Cabbage, rutabagas, and kidney beans (greaseberries), as well as other vegetables go great in Minestrone Soup.

SIDE DISHES

Tree Creature Croquettes

Wembley finds an egg left by the Tree Creatures (a family of large pink birds in the Gorg's garden), and cares for it until it hatches. The needy baby bird who calls him "Mama" is another story, though. Tree Creature Croquettes are Deviled Eggs.

Turnip Toast

Wembley eats turnip toast with his friend Mudwell in the episode "Gone, but Not Forgotten." The prop in the show basically just looks like a dark brown chocolate Pop-Tart. For a side that pairs well with a savory entree, though, I decided on Whole Wheat Toast. This recipe for WHO Bread is exactly what I've been looking for. 

Rock Buns with Gorg Greaseberry Butter

Gorg greaseberry butter is a reddish-purple substance made out of a stinky, dark berry. Gobo used it to free Sprocket when he got stuck in the entrance to Fraggle Rock. I decided to choose a delectable red berry as a greaseberry substitute, and incorporate it into a bread. Rock buns are mentioned in the series, but never fully described, so I took the creative liberties upon myself: Raspberry Sweetrolls with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Crystal Cavern Stalactites

Gobo, Uncle Matt, and Wembley discover the Crystal Cavern together, where large, white, sparkling stalactites hang from every surface. I thought about a long, white, tasty side dish that could go along with almost any entree, and decided on Homemade Poppy Seed Breadsticks. This simple recipe is from my Mama Monkey and my Golden Grahams!

 

Grapes of Generosity

Gobo discovers a bunch of rare grapes that give any fraggle who eats them the desire to be generous. But when he decides to be selfish and doesn't share, he becomes weightless. Grapes of Generosity are Fresh Table Grapes. And should I ever bring them to a party, I will share them with the guests.  Maybe.  I love a fresh bunch of grapes.

 

DRINKS

Boredom Juice

Pa Gorg sprays a brownish pesticide into the entrance of Fraggle Rock called Boredom Juice. The fraggles fall into a coma-like stupor, repeating "boring, boring, boring," over an over again. Nothing can cure them except an uninfected fraggle singing a peppy song with a bowl on thier head. So...the brownish Boredom Juice pesticide is Simply Apple Juice. Of course, if it's served at a birthday party, you would have had to wear bowls on your heads while drinking it. Those would be great pictures.

Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water

Wembley discovers a "pookah pookah" sound in the walls of Fraggle Rock, and after digging toward it, opens up a fountain of strawberry-flavored fizzy water that the Fraggles adore.  They reward Wembley for making such an amazing discovery and name it Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water.  It's also apparently caffeinated, because none of them can get to sleep that night. I decided that a flavored fizzy water would represent the whoopie water well: Sprite with Grenadine. Mr. Sillypants loves Sprite.

Pepple Pox Punch

Pebble Pox for fraggles are like Chicken Pox for humans: little red dots that itch, paired with cold and flu symptoms. The image of little red dots made me think of little seeds, so...Strawberry Orange Smoothies. These could be a great item for a birthday breakfast, as well!

Last of the Lilycreatures Pondwater

Red Fraggle meets a huge sea monster in a distant pond she explores. The sea monster, who claims he is the Last of the Lilycreatures, doesn't want anyone else to know about him, but Red has a hard time keeping a secret. The pondwater idea made me think of something very simple, as well as blue. Cool Blue Gatorade was the result.

 

Sweetwater

On their way to the Hole to Who-Knows-Where, the Fraggle Five stop by a mossy little pond filled with pretty pink-colored water. Red claims it is the sweetest water in the world that fraggles have been savoring for centuries. Although everyone gets into an argument with Gobo over whether or not it's safe to drink, they end up enjoying the sweetwater in the end, which is, of course, Pink Lemonade. I was thinking of buying Simply Lemonade with Raspberry, but the Walmart pink lemonade is good, too.

DESSERTS

Banana Tree Shirt Souflee

Wembley owns two banana tree shirts, which he wears on alternating days. One time, when Boober forgot to do the laundry, Wembley exclaims, "This banana tree shirt is so dirty, the banana trees are starting to grow!" So for the Banana Tree Shirt Souflee, I was going to make a Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, using this recipe.

Muck and Goo with Cave Mushrooms

Uncle Matt sings the Muck and Goo song to Gobo when he's little, and apparently it's a popular tune, because Pa Gorg sang it to Junior when he was a baby. "Give me one and give me two, cover me with muck and goo. Give me three and give me four, cover me with guck and gore." It's a silly song, but kinda catchy. I had this image of something gooey, paired nicely with something that could be construed as "muck." So the result was Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate and Caramel Toppings. The muck is the ice cream, and the goo is the sauce. The cave mushrooms, you ask? Before they knew about radishes, fraggles ate mushrooms. I kind of think that Cream Puffs look like mushrooms! Little golden mushrooms growing on the muck and goo...how fitting. I can't decide between making homeade eclairs from Golden Graham's recipe, or buying the bite-sized cream puffs at Sam's Club in the frozen section. Incidentally, the doozer's ancient Cavern of Lost Dreams contains buildings made from old cave mushrooms.

Golden Dragon Bites

In the episode "Red's Blue Dragon," Red discovers the T. Matthew Fraggle Room, where an endless array of colorful tunnels transport a fraggle into "Outer Space." She accidentally discovers a magical land with a tree of golden apples, and, unfortunately, a smoke-blowing dragon who is as scared as she is! The golden apples inspired me to revive Mama Monkey's old recipe of Apple Dumplings.

Mudbunny Pie

Mudwell, the same creature who prepared Wembley his favorite foods, peach and pepper potage and turnip toast, is a rare Mudbunny. He's furry, all brown, with a tuft of hair sticking straight up on his head. He is a very kind fellow, but also very mysterious. He lives near a warm, bubbling mud puddle, so this inspired me to present this dish as Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

 

Poison Cackler Crumble

A poison cackler is a scary, evil-looking creature that resembles a giant red scorpion. The red color made me think of one of my favorite, newly-discovered desserts: Pavlova with Strawberries. The "crumble" part is described thus because the strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings are heaped on a crinkly meringue crust. It is so good!

 

So, are you excited to cook?

Inspiration Station: Asian Sauces

Sauce is important. It can turn ho-hum into yum-yum! We even learn in the movie "Ratatouille" that most French restaurants have their own saucier chef, who concentrates solely on unique and delectable sauces to shine as the palette-centered star of thier dishes.

Most good and easy Asian sauces start with a good soy sauce. All other ingredients build on that to create a unique flavor. People often wonder how a simple plate of protein, vegetables, and rice (or noodles, if you prefer) can be so darn good. I'll tell you...it's all in sauce. 

Most teriyaki sauces start with the building blocks of soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, brown sugar, and a thickener like corn starch.  I've seen garlic and sesame oil in teriyaki sauce, as well.  A fresh button of peeled and grated ginger root gives the sauce a little kick, but dry ginger from the spice cupboard works just fine, too.

Most sweet and sour sauces start with the building blocks of soy sauce, ketchup, pineapple juice, white vinegar, brown and white sugars, and cornstarch as a thickening agent.  The pineapple is the sweet, and the vinegar is the sour; you just can't make a sweet and sour sauce without those two ingredients.  I've seen chicken stock or buillon used, as well, in the sauce.

Most thai peanut sauces start with the building blocks of soy sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and water (No thickening agent necessary!  You actually need to thin it because of the peanut butter.).  I've seen whole or crushed peanuts added for texture, and cilantro for garnish and added flavor.  Many people enjoy sesame oil in this.

Most thai curry sauces start with the building blocks of soy sauce, coconut milk, tomato sauce, curry powder, lime juice, and sugar.  It's wonderful with cilantro on top, and I've seen it with cashews hiding inside for texture.  Some people like adding some spice with red pepper flakes, cinnamon, or diced red chilis in adobo sauce. 

The amazing thing about a good sauce is that it goes with everything. Picture these sauces with combinations of the following:

- Skillet chicken
- Braised beef
- Grilled shrimp
- Meatballs
- Pork
- Tofu
- Tilapia
- Salmon

By the way, I love teriyaki salmon with toasted walnuts!  Teriyaki sauce also goes well with beef, meatballs, and chicken.  Sweet and sour sauce over shrimp, meatballs, chicken, or pork would be wonderful.  I've had the curry sauce with chicken, tofu, and tilapia, and the peanut sauce pairs well with chicken, shrimp, pork, tofu, and tilapia.  Also try a butternut squash purée and mix it into the curry sauce...it thickens it and tastes great!

With any of these combinations, just add any sautéed or steamed vegetable, either on the side or mixed in the dish, and you have endless dinner possibilities.  Rice or noodles?  Yes, please!  The key is experimentation, because you just can't go wrong.

My Four Asian Sauce Stanbys

Teriyaki Sauce (Recommended with asparagus, broccoli or any multi-veggie stir fry, plus rice)
Sweet and Sour Sauce (Recommended with tri-color bell peppers and pineapple, plus rice)
Thai Peanut Sauce (Recommended with sauteed snap or snow peas and sliced carrotts, plus noodles)
Thai Curry Sauce (Recommended with tilapia and steamed butternut cinnamon squash, or red bell peppers and fresh green beans with matchstick carrots)

A Few Recipes to Get You Started

Cantonese Chicken
Zucchini Ramen Stir Fry
Yellow Curry Soup

Enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Salad

A favorite at parties and other get-togethers, this crowd-pleasing side dish is also popular with the kids because of the semi-crunchy Ramen noodles!

You will need:

1 bag pre-shredded cole slaw mix
1 package Ramen noodles, with seasoning packet
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Sesame seeds
Sliced almonds
Sugar
Lemon juice
Rice vinegar
Olive oil
S&P

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and toss well.  All garnishing and flavoring ingredients should be added to taste.

Teriyaki Sauce

This sauce is such a great go-to for any protein or ingredient combination!  It is perfect with salmon, chicken, or meatballs.  Asparagus, broccoli, or fresh green beans are also excellent with this sauce.

Just mix all ingredients in a bowl, then simmer in a saucepan until it thickens, stirring constantly.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 t ginger, or 1 button fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 small lemon, juiced
2 T brown sugar
1 T cornstarch

Try adding garlic or sesame oil to vary the flavor.  Sesame seeds add a tasty garnish.

Cantonese Chicken

Mr. Sillypants made a special phone call the other day from work just to thank me for making this dish.  The combination of fresh bell peppers, sweet pineapple, tender chicken, and a to-die-for sauce over fluffy rice calls for frequent repetition.  Plus, it's easy.

First, make skillet chicken.
Second, saute tri-color bell peppers and cubed onions with olive oil in a skillet.  You can also add chopped celery.
Third, make sweet and sour sauce.  Set pineapple aside.
Fourth, heat everything together, including the chunked pineapple.

Thai Peanut Sauce

By mixing all these ingredients in a bowl and heating them to simmer in a sauce pan while stirring, the sauce with thicken correctly as the peanut butter melts.  Add water as needed to thin it out. 

If adding chicken to the sauce, cook it halfway in a separate skillet, then finish the cooking process as it simmers  and becomes tender in the sauce. 

This sauce is excellent added to Thai noodles or even linguine (Seriously!), with sauteed vegetables: snap or sugar peas in their pods and diagonally-sliced carrots.  It would really taste great with fried or grilled tofu.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t garlic
1/4 cup water, approximately (up to 1/2 cup)

Try adding whole or crushed peanuts, cilantro, or sesame oil.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Pork, chicken, shrimp, meatballs, you name it: this sauce goes with everything!  It is great over rice.  Mixed with sauteed onions, bell peppers, and pineapple, I could eat this every day for a month!  I'm not joking.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then heat in a saucepan, stirring, until it thickens.

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup pineapple juice (reserve the pineapple to add later)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T white sugar
1 T corn starch

Yellow Curry Soup

My philosophy to any great dish is to find the basic flavor that you are going for, then build on that.  In the case of a good Thai soup, that flavor would be yellow curry. 

First, create a Thai curry sauce.
Second, thin it out with chicken stock.
Third, sautee appropriate vegetables and shrimp separately in a skillet.
Fourth, mix all ingredients and heat together.
Fifth, garnish with cilantro and cashews.

My suggestion for a few good soup vegetables: halved grape tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, fresh spinach, cubed onions, cubed potatoes, julienned carrots, and sliced red bell peppers.

Zucchini Ramen Stir Fry

I am not against some convenience foods.  They are helpful.  They cut prep time in the kitchen.  They create a good starting point on which to elaborate a meal idea.  Some convenience foods are also extremely inexpensive, which is a bonus!

In this recipe's case, Ramen Noodles are a lifesaver!  I would seriously much rather eat Ramen in this dish than buy expensive Thai noodles in the Asian section.  The Ramen has a great curly texture, and you can't beat that!

My main motivation for using Ramen noodles in this dish is because Mr. Sillipants used to eat nothing but Ramen, so I find ways to still incorporate it into more vegetable-based meals.

Comment Faire (How-to)

Four different pans of stuff end up in one skillet; toss, then serve. 

Skillet 1: Sautee sliced zucchini in olive oil with salt and pepper
Skillet 2: Sautee chicken breast and mushrooms in olive oil with Ramen chicken seasoning packets
Saucepan 1: Boil Ramen noodles for 3 minutes and drain
Saucepan 2: Simmer the perfect homemade teriyaki sauce to pour over it all

2 chicken breasts, cut in strips or chunks
2 small zucchinis, sliced
1 package sliced mushrooms
2 packages Ramen noodles with seasoning packets

Les Avis (Tips and Advice) 

- Cook the noodles until just done.  Soggy noodles are gross, plus these will receive extra moisture from the sauce and are subjected to extra heat when all ingredients are tossed together.  Just as they come apart with a fork during the boil, they are done.

- Sautee the skillet stuff on medium high heat.  Zucchini is best when it is browned a bit on both sides, but still firm, not soggy.  Mushrooms taste great when browned, too, and so does the chicken.  Don't overcook the chicken.  It tastes so good when it's still tender.  Keep the skillet stuff moving, flipping and tossing constantly.

- Toss everything together in one skillet until well-coated in sauce and mixed nicely.

This is a great make-ahead meal for work lunches!

Thai Curry Sauce

This sauce is really easy, but because of the unique ingredient combinations, it tastes very gourmet, and seems like it should be harder.

Just mix all ingredients in a bowl, then heat in a skillet until it simmers and thickens, stirring constantly.

Curry sauce would be great with white fish, scallops, tofu, shrimp, or chicken.  Because of its subtle and sweet flavors, it would pair well with winter vegetables such as steamed butternut squash and cauliflower, or even spring vegetables such as a combination of steamed fresh green beans, carrots, and red bell peppers.

1/3 cup soy sauce
8 oz can coconut milk
4 oz can tomato sauce
1 T yellow curry powder
1 lime, juiced
Salt and Pepper

Try adding ginger, cinnamon, cilantro, or cashews.  You might like it more spicy by adding a dash of red pepper flakes, or diced red chilis in adobo sauce (available in most Asian sections).

Crockpot Curry Chicken

1.  Place frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of a Crockpot.
2.  Add the following: diced Yukon gold potatoes, diced sweet potato (or butternut squash, if you are Mr. Sillypants), carrots, and onions.  For savory curry, add a can of diced tomatoes.  For sweet curry, add a diced tart apple.
3.  Add the spices: curry, ginger, cinnamon, bouillon, red pepper flakes, S&P.
4.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Add a bit of half & half or plain yogurt at the end and serve over rice.

Crockpot Broccoli Beef

1.  In a Crockpot, combine stew meat or stir fry steak, and broccoli florets.  Either can be fresh or frozen.
2.  Add sauce ingredients: soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch.  Sesame oil and lemon juice are also good.  Not too much cornstarch, or it will thicken into jelly...about 1 or 2 tablespoons.
3.  Cook 6-8 hours on low, and serve over rice.

Crockpot Asian Citrus Salmon

1.  Place frozen salmon fillets in the bottom of the Crockpot.
2.  Top with the following: soy sauce, ginger, bit of garlic, brown sugar, and orange slices.
3.  Cook 3 hours or so on low.  Fish cooks quickly, but all Crockpots are different.  Serve with rice and microwave steamed veggie.

Crockpot Apricot Chicken

1.  In a Crockpot, place 6 frozen chicken breasts over a sliced onion.
2.  Add sauce ingredients: jar of apricot preserves, any kind of vinegar, soy sauce, mustard powder, ginger powder, and red pepper flakes.
3.  Cook 6-8 hours on low.  Serve with rice and microwave steamed veggie.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

1.  In a Crockpot, combine sauce ingredients: orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, cornstarch, ginger, red pepper flakes, and S&P.  Depending on your slow cooker, you may need to add extra corn starch to thicken it.  Sesame oil is also a great ingredient to add. 
2. Place sliced onions and frozen chicken breasts in the crock, and mix everything up a bit.
3.  I also like to place slices of orange right on top of everything for the slow cooking process.  The rind infuses the chicken with a great flavor.
4.  Cook 6-8 hours on high, and serve over rice with a steamed microwave vegetable.

Crockpot Mushroom Chicken

1.  In Crockpot, combine sauce ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch.  Optional to add sliced onions.
2.  Add 4 frozen chicken breasts, sliced zucchini, and mushrooms.
3.  Cook on low for 8 hours, break up chicken, and serve over rice.

Crockpot String Bean Chicken

1.  Mix the Asian garlic sauce in bottom of Crockpot: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, black bean sauce, white sugar, garlic, and cornstarch. 
2.  Place sliced onion in sauce, then put four frozen chicken breasts over the onions
3.  Top with fresh mushrooms, and near the end of cooking, add frozen green beans or sliced red bell pepper.
4.  Cook 8 hours on low, and serve over rice.

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is very similar to Cantonese Chicken, with a few simple changes for it to work in the Crockpot.

1.  Make sweet and sour sauce in the bottom of the Crockpot.  You may want to add extra cornstarch to help it thicken better during the juicy slow-cooking process.
2.  Add four frozen chicken breasts, one cubed onion, and cook on low for 8 hours.
3.  Turn off the Crockpot, add cubed tri-color bell peppers and cubed pineapple to the top, recover, and allow vegetables to become tender.
4.  Break up chicken into smaller pieces, stir everything together, and serve over rice.

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken and Salmon

1.  Mix teriyaki sauce ingredients in the bottom of your crockpot.
2.  Put frozen chicken or salmon in bottom of crock.  Spoon sauce over meat, if desired.
3.  Cook chicken on low for 8 hours, and salmon on low for about 2.
4.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice with a frozen steamed bagged veggie.