Kathy's Thai Chicken Recipe

Thai Chicken Recipe

Who needs take-out, when you can make it at home?  Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of ordering from my favorite Thai restaurant, especially on a weekend night, but this recipe was so easy, I had to give it a try!  Thank you, Kathy from Seattle, for sending us this delicious quick cooking recipe!  My kids asked for seconds!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (or slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided 
• 1 cup sliced onion 
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herb No-Salt Seasoning  (could substitute Garlic Seasoning)
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) pepper
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) fresh ginger (scraped with a Microplane)
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons Tbsp) Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) fresh lime juice 
• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooked rice 
• 4 lime wedges 

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions. Keep warm.  Combine fish sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with Garlic 'n Herb No-salt Seasoning, pepper, and Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute.

Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until done. Stir in coconut milk, Sriracha, sugar, the cornstarch/fish sauce mixture, and lime juice; cook 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated.  Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro. Serve chicken mixture over rice with lime wedges.  Enjoy!

Cooking Tip: How To Make Compound Herbed Butter

If you've never made compound herbed butter, then you're missing out!  It's so very simple, yet a fancy finish to any dish.   It's especially fun to serve around the holidays, and let's talk about a blank canvas!  The possibilities are endless as to what can go into butter...herbs, cheese, fruit, mustard, spices, jams, fruit, bacon (ahhh bacon...sorry, started day dreaming), etc.

Why should these lovely gems be a necessity in your refrigerator?  Because I said so!  A dollop of flavored butter could be used to  grace steaks, fish (any meat really), biscuits/bread, pasta, corn on the cob, and potatoes.  

Simply mix your favorite ingredients into room temperature butter.  

I usually divide the butter into small bowls and make a batch of different flavors.  This time, I combined butter with Lem 'n Rapsberry Marmalade (left), then Champagne mustard and Blackberry Preserves (middle), and finally Champagne Mustard and Garlic 'n Herb Seasoning (right).

The last time I made herbed butter, I used my favorite seasoning blends...Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro (left), Select Grilling Rub & Spice Seasoning (middle), Lemon Dill (right).

Place butter on parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll into logs.  Or, you could place butter into pretty containers and give as lovely homemade gifts for your favorite cook.   Enjoy!

Cooking Tip: How To Make Lemon Raspberry, Blackberry Champagne, and Champagne Garlic Compound Butter

Food for Thought...Inspirational Cooking Quotes

Well, the kiddos are back to school, and it's a dreary rainy day here in Pennsylvania.  I was going through our memories this summer and thought...ahh, what a lovely summer!  I was sad at first to see the kiddos go back, but I handed them back to our school district so they could gain all kinds of knowledge and wisdom;)  I guess I'm not used to the quiet.

Then I found this picture in my cache of summer photos and thought today would be a great day to share inspirational quotes.

Here are a few of my favorites...

“Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” 
― Julia Child

"Cookery is not chemistry.  It is an art.  It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements"

__ Marcel Boulestin

"Remember, your guests aren't coming to rate your cooking.  They are coming to spend time with you".

__ Anonymous

"Learn how to cook...try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!"

__ Julia Child

"The key to eating a black and white cookie, Elaine, is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate. And yet, still, somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie. All our problems would be solved."
__Jerry Seinfeld, in "The Dinner Party"  (I just thought this was funny...)

Lemon Dill Dip Recipe

This is one of my favorite dip recipes!  It's light, it's refreshing, and our Cherchies® lemon dill spice makes this dip irresistibly good.  Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill Seasoning is our original and still most popular seasoning (Did I mention it comes in two sizes?).  Obviously it is fabulous in a dip, but It's also great on chicken, fish, eggs, and vegetables. 

Combining equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream enhances the flavors of the spices in this dip, and I would definitely NOT leave out the mayonnaise.  (Actually, you could substitute the sour cream with greek yogurt and use light mayo for a lighter version).  I would recommend making this dip a day ahead, as the flavors tend to intensify over time!  We also have a no-salt lemon dill seasoning!  Try our other seasoning blends in lieu of the Lem 'n Dill for an array of tasty dips.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup sour cream (you can substitute fat-free Greek yogurt

• 1-2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill Seasoning (Try our other spices and seasoning blends in lieu of the Lem 'n Dill)

Preparation

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Chill dip for at least two hours (can be made a day ahead).  

For a fun twist on veggies and dip, try arranging the veggies in shot glasses with the dip at the bottom. Vloia...instant cute individual appetizers!  I made these cuties for my parent's recent surprise 50th Anniversary party. They were a huge hit! 

Maybe your kids would even eat their veggies presented this way;)  (Mine did!) 

For a Halloween flair, cut up orange peppers to look like Jack o Lanterns, cutting a wide mouth to allow the dip to ooze out.  Spooky!  Enjoy!

Lemon Dill Dip Recipe