Tasty Thai: Satay Chicken & Leftovers: LettuceWraps

I am a peanut butter fiend- preferably if it is encased in chocolate and sitting in a little itty bitty paper wrapper; so imagine my delight in learning that it delightful as a sauce. A staple in Thai food, Satay sauce is a sweet/ savory sauce that usually acompanies chicken. It was the first and only food that I tried at a Thai restaurant. I like to be adventurous, but when it comes to new cuisines, I'm often a bit shy. We had a mixer for work at a Thai restaurant (TukTuk- in Natomas- I highly recommend this upscale and delicious establishment) and decided to try Thai food for the first time. I had Pad Thai with a side of Peanut Sauce. Now everything I order at a Thai restaurant must accompany that sauce. (I've only tried two dishes; Pad Se You and Curry, and just stick to the Pad Se You- with Peanut Sauce!) Jason loves Thai- the hotter, the better; I on the other hand- not so much for the spicy food! Well, I've experiemented (I think that this should be called Kitchen Experiements with Carol!) and found a pretty good version that doesn't include ingredients you may not have in your kitchen (ethnic cuisines often call for exotic ingredients that we don't often keep around!). As with everything I try to make, it's quick and I try to make it as healthy as possible. Last night I decided to make this; and as a pleasant surprise, planned leftovers for lunch as a completely different dish was awesome!

• (1) Serving of Rice (see previous posts on the Rice Cooker Plus)- 15 minutes in the microwave, and a few minutes to stand and "fluff"


• 4- Frozen Chicken Breasts- boneless, skinless- brush with a little oil and toss on the BBQ grill while preparing the sauce and side(s)- I used about 12 little cutlets instead of larger pieces


• Shredded Cabbage, shredded radishes


• Sweet Pepper Strips (red, orange & yellow)- saute with a little olive oil and reduced sodium soy sauce until tender.


• Fresh Mint or Fresh Basil- chiffonade (stack leaves and roll, then snip into smaller pieces with shears or knife)

SATAY SAUCE:

• 5 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter- I prefer creamy, but you could use chunky
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• Ginger root- 1 inch fresh, peeled and pressed, or 1 tbsp. Gourmet Garden minced
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lime, zest first, and then juice
• onion powder to taste

Mix all ingredients together with a wire whisk; you might need to microwave the p/b a few seconds to melt, and then stir well.

If using chicken breasts, dice and toss with satay sauce (reserve some for dipping!) in a skillet to heat through. Plate rice and top with chicken and veggie sides, and garnish with fresh mint and serve.

FOR LEFTOVERS- LETTUCE WRAPS~

Finely dice chicken and peppers. Toss with rice and additional satay sauce. I also added a handful of pineapple and chopped peanuts.

Re-heat in microwave until warmed through and serve with several large lettuce leaves (bibb or romaine). A quick egg-drop soup is a nice accompaniment.

The lettuce wraps were very tasty- almost better than dinner as all of the flavors really blended together well.

Eat Your Veggies: Sacramento Area Farmers Markets

In my quest to save money and eat healthy, I have found that I love to go to the farmer's markets. I love to make this part of my lazy Sunday morning rituals, but that doesn't always happen. The produce and fruit often change from week to week and is of course seasonal, and sometimes the deals aren't always the best. But, it's great to support local farmers and you'll find a large selection of organic without the increased prices. My favorite finds are: Fresh basil for $1 to $2- and it's a huge bunch; the fresh lavendar and of course if you arrive within the last 30 minutes before closing, there are usually deals to be had! I usually go with $20 (don't forget something to carry all of your finds in!) and can load up on fresh fruits and veggies for the week. Below is a list of Farmer's Markets from Tahoe to Pleasanton and in between, it's listed by day of the week and then in alpha order by city (with greater Sacto ones in green) If your area isn't listed here a google search will net you results in your area:


TUESDAY

• Kings Beach- Hwy. 28 at Bear Street- 9:00am – 1:00pm (June - Aug)
• Roseville- Harding Blvd. at Douglas Blvd- :30am – 12:30pm (June- Oct)
• Sacramento- El Camino & Watt in front Office Depot- 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (May-Nov)
• Sacramento- 9th & p.m. St-Roosevelt Park- 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (May-Oct)
• Truckee- Truckee River Regional Park- 10500 Brockway Road- 8:00am – 1:00pm (June- Sept)
• Woodland- E. Gibson Rd. & East Sts-County Fair Mall- 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m., (May-Oct)

WEDNESDAY

• Auburn- Dewitt Center 1st Street between A & B Avenues- 10:30am – 1:30pm (June - Dec)
• Chico- North Valley Plaza Mall- 8 a.m.-noon (Jun-Sep)
• Colfax- Depot Freight Parking Lot- 4:00pm – 7:00pm (May 28th thru October 8th)
• Davis- Central Park-4th & C Sts- 4:30-8:30 p.m. (Apr-Sep)
• Foresthill- Main Street- 4:00pm – 7:00pm- (mid June- mid Aug only)
• Marysville- 2nd & D St- 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Jun-Sep)
• Pleasanton- Main and W. Angela- 6 to 9 p.m. (1st Wednesday of month, May-Sept
• Sacramento- Cesar Chavez Park - 10th & J- 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (May- Nov)
• Vallejo- Georgia and Sonoma- 4 to 8 p.m. (June-Sept.)

THURSDAY

• Benicia- First St. between B and D- 4 to 8 p.m. (April-Oct.)
• Chico- Broadway & Third- 6 p.m.-9 p.m. (Apr-Sep)
• Concord- Todo Santos Park- 4 to 8 p.m. (May-Oct.)
• Dixon- 105 East C St.- 4 p.m.-8 p.m., (Apr-Nov
• Granite Bay- Corner of Douglas Blvd. andAuburn-Folsom Road- 9:00am – 1:00pm (May 15th thru December 18th)
• Fairfield Texas at Government Center- 4 to 8 p.m. (May-Oct.)
• Sacramento- Downtown Plaza- 10 a.m.-2 p.m., (May-Oct.)
• Sacramento- Florin Mall in front of Sears- 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
• Tahoe City - T/C Commons Beach Road and North Lake Blvd.- 8:00am – 1:00pm (June - Oct.)

FRIDAY

• Lincoln- At Lincoln Market Place - Corner of McBean Park Dr. (Hwy. 193) and A Street- 8:00am-12:00noon
• Sacramento- Cal Expo-Ethan & Exposition- 7 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Suisun- Harbor Plaza-Main & Solano- 5 p.m.-9 p.m.,
• Vallejo- 975 Serreno Dr .10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

SATURDAY

• Auburn- Corner of Auburn Folsom Road and Lincoln Way- 8:00am – 12:00noon
• Chico- 2nd & Wall- 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m
• Citrus Heights- Sunrise Mall behind Sears-8 a.m.-noon
• Davis- Central Park-4th & C Sts- 8 a.m.-noon
• Homewood Mountain- Ski Resort- 5145 Westlake Blvd on Hwy. 89- 8:00am – 1:00pm
• Paradise- Municipal Auditorium parking lot- 8 a.m.-noon
• Sacramento- Watt & El Camino, next to Macys- 8 a.m.-noon
• Sacramento- 3262 Marysville Blvd- 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Vacaville- Main St & Dobbins- 8 a.m.-noon
• Woodland- E. Gibson Rd. & East Sts.-County Fair Mall- 9 a.m.-noon
• Vacaville- Main St and Dobbins9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (May-Nov)
• Vallejo- Georgia and Marin9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Yuba City- Center & Plumas Sts- 8 a.m.-noon

SUNDAY

• Rocklin- Stanford Ranch Rd at Park Drive-8:00am – 12noon
• Lake of the Pines- 10556 Combie Road, Auburn- 8am – 12noon
• Chico-Manzanita & East Sts- 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Sacramento- 8th & W. under Hwy 80- 8 a.m.-noon- THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE!

The Best Ever Chicken Fried Rice

I am infatuated with the Fried Rice that they serve at Japanese Hibachi Steak houses (you know, like Benihanna or Kobe?)- I used to be a strictly-steamed-white-rice-kind-of-girl until my step-mom told me that I wouldn't regret trying the fried rice. And the wise woman that she is, she was right! ( : Ever since then, Jason and I order the fried rice, and end up taking the rest of the meal home! Last week I was craving that rice and instead of driving 20 minutes to the restaurant and spending $50 for just the rice and other stuff I really didn't want, I challenged myself to create a comparable recipe and it was pretty darn close! So, I'm now sharing with you.

This is also a good recipe to use left overs in your refrigerator- makes preparation faster as well! I happened to use left over pork ribs as the protein in this, but feel free to substitute chicken, beef or shrimp! Just to note, I am a "pinch-here & pinch-there" cook, I hardly measure when cooking (just baking!), so the measurements aren't exact and neither should yours! The beauty of cooking is that you can experiment- and don't be afraid to!

Note: all meat and veggies should be finely diced!
For speedy preparation, I would recommend using: The Food Chopper and Rice Cooker Plus.

• (1) Serving of White Rice- I used regular long grain, but you could use any type you want- the rice should be cooked in broth to add flavor without fat or calories.

Never use instant rice again!

Use the Rice Cooker Plus for the inexpensive rice you can buy at any discount store and save money!

I make one serving which is (2) parts liquid (broth) to (1) part white rice.

This item is also great for speedy preparation of single artichokes, steaming veggies or

my favorite 10-minute microwave cake.

• 1 cup of pre-cooked chicken/ pork/ beef/ shrimp- or not and go vegetarian!
• 1-1/4 c. of veggies- I used broccoli, carrots, celery and corn- use what ever you have on hand- either fresh or frozen- canned will do in a pinch also
• 3-4 pressed garlic cloves- suit to taste-
• 2 Tbsp. of butter- the hibachi houses use TONS of garlic butter, and I am minimizing the butter to save on fat and calories
• 1 Tbsp. of Sesame oil- a little goes a long way
• 1/3 c. of reduced sodium soy sauce
• Onion powder- you can use fresh onions instead, but I'm not a fan, so this is a good substitute
• Salt and Pepper
• Sesame Seeds
• Dash or two of Worchester Sauce
• Dash of Olive oil or Garlic blend canola oil to stir fry veggies
• Dash of Ginger- I like to used the Gourmet Garden tubes of fresh herbs that can be found in the produce aisle
• 3 eggs

In a large non-stick frying pan or Wok, add a dash of oil and pressed garlic and saute for about 1 minute over medium heat. Add chopped veggies and saute until al dente, then add pre-cooked meat to heat through. Melt butter in microwave and mix together with onion powder, salt & pepper, ginger, soy sauce, worchester sauce and then pour over rice and mix. Once well mixed, add rice to pan and stir. Crack eggs into dish and beat with fork. Once rice is completely heated through, move to one side and pour in eggs. Quickly scramble and then mix with rice. Add sesame seeds just prior to removing from stove. Serve as a light entree or as a side dish with take-out Chinese! YUMMY.

Really- How Hard Can Dinner Really Be?

Well, if you hate to cook- it's worse than going to the dentist. If you don't know how to cook, it can be plain scary (and you don't want to have to deal with all that smoke anyways)! For others, it might be lack of inspiration, lack of time or simply hating to answer that dreaded question when you walk in the door at 5:58 p.m. (after a day of endless meetings, dealing with incompetent people and the 45 minute traffic jam on the way home!) and your dear, dear husband asks, "So, What's for Dinner?" After halting that knee jerk reaction to slip off your Manolo peep-toe and heave it at him, or telling him to dial the local pizza parlor; come visit me! My new blog is coming to the rescue!

I'm not a chef (I am 'pampered' though!) by any means, and I tend to stay away from exotic ingredients; but I do love to cook. I think that preparing dinner can be a great way to release stress after a long day (or it can be the last thing on your mind), a wonderful creative outlet, or that dinner can be as simple as a Hot Pocket and a bowl of cereal (that's what Jason was inspired to cook me last night for dinner!). We must eat to live, but it should be enjoyable after all; and no man can survive on MickeyD's and deli sandwiches forever. My goal is to provide a resource for the uninspired, the haters, the newbies to enjoy their kitchen time and to do so with as little effort and money (yes, we are all budget conscious these days!) as possible. Thanks for coming on this journey with me- and if you have an amazing find, please do let me know. Happy Cooking!