October 2011

I am a sucker for Asian inspired food. We love all kinds of dishes whether they are Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese or Japanese in origin. Most entrees include a good amount of fresh vegetables and there are so many different sauces that taste so good – unfortunately many include soy sauce which is not gluten free. By preparing your own versions of your favorite Asian dishes at home you can control exactly what goes in.

I made this for dinner the other night and I am already craving it again! It turned out really well and, like any recipe, can easily be adapted to your tastes or to include the ingredients you have on hand. We ate it served over brown rice, but you could serve it over rice noodles instead (just cook according to the package instructions). I will add a picture as soon as I remember to take one next time!

Easy Chicken Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts or tenders, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup carrots, shredded
2 cups Trader Joe’s Stir Fry Vegetable blend (includes cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, snow peas, carrots and celery)
6 green onions, sliced diagonally (reserve a handful for garnish)
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped (garnish)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (garnish)

Sauce:

4 rounded Tbsp of chunky peanut butter
3 Tbsp Tamari
3 Tbsp honey
1 inch of ginger root, peeled and minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy!)
1/2 orange, juiced

Directions:

Combine sauce ingredients in small saucepan on low heat. Heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, cook chicken in 2 batches allowing the chicken to brown before stirring. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken once no longer pink – be careful not to overcook. To the same skillet, add 1 Tbsp oil. Saute garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant then add the remaining ingredients and stir fry until crisp tender. At this time, the sauce should be heated through. Combine the chicken and veggies in a serving bowl, pour the sauce over the top and garnish with chopped peanuts, cilantro and green onions. Serve alongside cooked brown jasmine rice.

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Ever feel like you are constantly having to help your child focus on finishing his or her meal? Feel like a nag saying, “please take another bite” “only 3 more bites, please” “eat your dinner, or else!” or something along those lines…

One thing I have noticed with kids is that they love games. I am saying this out loud to myself again as a reminder that everyday tasks don’t always have to be so boring and serious. I need to lighten up sometimes…please tell me I am not the only one! This “game” works every time* with our 3 year old daughter, and is educational to boot!

Okay, are you ready? This is it…simply say a letter of the alphabet each time your little one takes a bite and say words out loud that start with that letter. Simple? Super. Yet somehow, my daughter thinks this is so great! We vary it sometimes – for example, seeing if we can get to a certain letter or through the alphabet or going backwards through the alphabet. Of course we always include family members names or favorite things as we go through the corresponding letters like “d” is for “daddy” and “i” is for “ice cream”. So the next time you feel like you are having to pull teeth, take a deep breath and engage your kids in a fun, family-friendly alphabet game.

*Annabelle is generally a really good eater and often with sit and eat an entire meal from start to finish without prompting. For the occasions when she is distracted or tired or whatever, this works for us – think it might work for you?

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Thai Chicken Salad

October 22, 2011

I came up with this recipe after trying something similar at our local health food store’s deli. It is delicious! Thai Chicken Salad serves 4 Ingredients: 2 cups green cabbage, shredded 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1/3 cup carrots, shredded 2 green onions, sliced 1/3 cup peanuts, chopped 1 cup cooked […]

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Food Allergy or Food Intolerance and Possible Symptoms

October 9, 2011

So what is a food allergy or a food intolerance? And why would you care? I found Dr. Sears’ explanation easy to understand and especially liked his point that, “people don’t really care about definitions, they just know that certain foods bother them (or their child) more than other foods.” I picked up a copy […]

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A New Journey: Life with Food Allergies

October 7, 2011

I grew up eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) complete with Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Top Ramen, and white bread (without the crust!). I really never knew much different until I met my husband, Brett. At the time we met, he was eating the SAD – however, he grew up eating whole, unprocessed foods void […]

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