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What are you having for dinner tonight? Let Simplicity Gourmet’s Katie’s Kitchen help: Ginger Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry with Orange Almond Basmati Rice – Yum!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – when the meat is on sale…load up! Meat is the most expensive thing in the grocery store…so, when it’s on sale, you need to take advantage while it’s hot!

A few weeks ago, one of our local organic grocers had USDA certified organic chicken breasts on sale for…are you ready…$.79 a lb – I about had a fit right there in the meat isle. So…going with my own golden grocery rule…I bought about 20 lbs of organic chicken breasts!

When I got home, I put all my groceries away and brought out my assembly line: quart freezer baggies, gallon freezer baggies, Fat Free Italian dressing, Teriyaki Ginger Marinade, BBQ Sauce, Raspberry Vinaigrette, Sea Salt, Pepper, Dried Garlic Grinder, and of course, Darn Good Seasoning. First, I counted how many chicken breasts on hand that I had: 30. WOW! I immediately took out five and sprinkled them with fresh cracked sea salt, black pepper, and dried garlic. I put each one of those into an individual quart baggie and then all of them into a gallon baggie – label. Then I proceeded to do the rest of them by fives as well in the same manner.

Now, I have five each of my favorite flavors all marinated and ready to go in my freezer. I can cook just one for myself or as many as I need to for guests and family…and I won’t be buying chicken for MONTHS!

Yesterday, I had a hankering for some Asian cuisine, so, as my eyes roved over the situation in the freezer, I spotted the bag labeled “Teriyaki Ginger” – bingo! A while a go, I had also bought a giant bag of fresh stir fry veggies: cabbage, carrots, snap peas, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and chopped garlic. I had put those in single serving baggies too. So, I grabbed a chicken breast, a bag of stir fry veggies, and I was off.

A lot of you know, I make a big batch of rice at the start of the week and just use it throughout the week with meals: Orange Almond Basmati Rice. The perfect rice in my opinion – and a wonderful addition to my Teriyaki Stir Fry!

So…I hope you enjoy adding this Asian flare to your menu this week – you will love it!

Happy Cooking!
Miss K

Ginger Teriyaki Chicken & Veggies
with Orange Almond Basmati Rice
(serves two)

UTENSILS: 2 qt saucepan, Small Skillet
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Basmati Rice, 1 Orange, 1 cup Chicken Broth, 1 Garlic Cloves (minced), 2 TBSP Almond Slivers, 2 Chicken Breasts, 2 cups of Stir Fry Veggies (your choice)
½ Cup Ginger Teriyaki Marinade (or your choice)

Marinate the chicken with the marinade over night. If it’s frozen with the marinade, like mine, allow to thaw for a few hours before cooking.

On medium heat, saute the dry rice and almond slivers until aromatic. Meanwhile, preheat the small skillet on medium heat.

When the rice is aromatic, add the chicken broth and garlic. Add fresh cracked sea salt and black pepper to taste. Zest the orange into the pan as well. Then, halve the orange and squeeze half of it over the rice. Stir and cover, whistle open.

When the skillet is heat, squeeze the other half of the orange into the skillet. Add the chicken and cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat.

When the whistle sounds on the rice, turn the valve to “C” for closed and turn the burner off. Allow to stand covered until the meal is finished cooking. **For long grain rice, turn the whistle to “V” for vent and turn the burner to low – allow to cook for 20 minutes on low and then turn off until the meal is finished cooking.***Yields 2, ½ Cup servings

When the whistle sounds on the chicken, uncover and flip the chicken. Add the vegetables to the top of the chicken and recover, whistle open. When the whistle sounds again, turn the valve to “C” for closed and turn the burner low. Allow to cook on low for another 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. **If using chicken cutlets, when the whistle sounds for the second time, close the valve and turn the burner off. Allow to stand for 10 minutes covered.

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Simplicity Gourmet’s Quick Tricks to get you through your hectic week….

I gotta admit…I haven’t had much zeal to cook for myself lately. I’ve been away from home a lot, so grocery shopping has been slim. When I am home, my recliner calls out to me like a siren…beckoning me to put down my spatula and fall comatose in its microfiber bliss. My little kitty’s pleas for attention and play time also call me away from the kitchen – he’s not used to me going and going and going and leaving him out of the mix…I’ve neglected our 10 minute daily cuddle time more than I care to admit! In short – I’m just wiped out!

I don’t have a husband or kids to contend with…no piano lessons, soccer practice, karate lessons or schmoozy dinners – just me. If I’m this tired and distracted…how are you feeling? What we do have in common? I’m watching my budget – I’m sure you are too. I’m also watching my weight – which I’m sure you are too. So…what to do for the down time-starved, penny pinching, calorie counter….

This past weekend, I had an epiphany – I should precook some things and have them ready to go so that my dinners are done in a matter of 10-12 minutes rather than 30. The cookware reheats food so that it tastes like you just made it. Just put it in the pan, set to whistle, turn the burner on, and it’s reheated when the pan whistles!

So…that’s what I did. On Sunday, I bought a pack of chicken breasts and 3 pcs of Tilapia. I got a couple of lemons and oranges, some rice, chicken broth, pre sliced mixed squash and onions, and some frozen broccoli. When I got home, I marinated the chicken breasts with some Darn Good, fresh cracked garlic and pepper, and about ½ cup of low sodium Dale’s Sauce in an ultra vac.

Meanwhile, I measured out 2 cups of Basmati Rice, 4 cups of Chicken Broth, added fresh cracked pepper, salt, & garlic into my 3 qt saucepan. Set the lid to whistle and the burner to medium. When it whistled, turned the whistle to “V” for vent and the burner to low.

Once the rice whistled, I preheated a small skillet on medium heat. When it was ready, I added the marinated chicken into the pan and turned the lid to whistle. When it whistled, I flipped the chicken, turned the knob to “C” for closed and turned the burner down to low.

Meanwhile, in my 1 ½ qt saucepan I began to saute the onions for about 5-7 minutes. I added the mixed squash and some pepper and garlic. Covered, whistle open, and cooked on medium until it whistled. Then, just closed the whistle, and turn the burner off and allowed it to stand until I was ready to store it.

With the fish, I squeezed fresh lemon onto each piece and seasoned both sides with Darn Good. I put all three pieces in an ultra vac for the week. When everything was cooked through, I added them into their own ultra vacs to keep for the week.

So…Monday night rolled around…and here’s where my plan was executed perfectly…

I got home, went straight to the fridge and pulled out my chicken, rice, and squash mixture. I got out my 1 ½ quart saucepan. I put about ¼ cup of chicken broth in the bottom. I measured out about ½ cup – ¾ cup of rice, added a chicken breast on top of that and 1/3 of my squash mixture next to that. Covered, whistle open, and cooked on medium heat. Played with the boy. Ten minutes later, the whistle sounded. I went in the kitchen turned it to “C” for closed and the burner off. I grabbed my plate and poured myself a big glass of iced water and served myself…in about 12-13 minutes total including prep and serve time.

The next night, I switched to a fish meal…

I pulled out the tilapia, rice, broccoli, and an orange. I got out my small skillet. I added about ¼ cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the pan. I zested ½ of the orange over the top of the rice. I added a piece of Tilapia on top of one side and about 1/3 of my broccoli on the other. I squeezed the zested half of the orange on top of that and sprinkled some Darn Good over the broccoli. Covered, whistle open, and cooked on medium heat. Played with the boy for 10 minutes. When the whistle sounded, I returned to the kitchen and closed the whistle and turned the burner off. I let it stand for 2-3 minutes to make sure the fish was done and then served myself. All in all…only about 15 minute…which was good for me!

I’ve just alternated that all week and I have felt a reprieve of having to fend for myself these past few days….ahh, deep breath and sigh. I’ll start mixing it up soon but I like the easy and steady pattern I have for right now.

What are your quick tricks to get you through your hectic weeks?

Happy Cooking,
Miss K

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Every once in a while, a brilliant accident happens. You know, the moment when you ran out of something and needed to finish a job, so you took a look around and grabbed the object you thought would best finish the task!

Today I received an email that reminds me of just that…a brilliant accident. I want to share with you that object and the many uses it has: coffee filters! They aren’t just for that morning pot of java.

1. Coffee filters make excellent microwave covers for bowls and dishes.
2. Coffee filters are lint free and are great for cleaning windows and mirrors…love
   them for this!
3. Place filters in between china to protect.
4. If you break the cork while opening a bottle of wine, use the coffee filter to
   filter the wine through while pouring.
5. Place a filter in a cast iron skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Ball up a lint-free filter to apply shoe polish.
7. They make great wrappers for tacos.
8. Place in the bottom of planter pots before you put your potting soil in to
   prevent soil from going through the drainage holes.
9. Place a few on a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers
   and fried chicken on them to soak out the grease.
10. This is my favorite…instead of using expensive waxing strips on your eyebrows
    or lip… use coffee filters!

Who would of thought a simple coffee filter, that cost less than a penny a piece, would have such a
bevy of uses for such a down right cheap price!

Do you have a favorite use for the noble coffee filter? Add one to the list.

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Family, friends, football, turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie are the beginnings of a great Thanksgiving. Can’t you smell the wonderful aromas? This holiday season, take some time to enjoy your family and guests. Create new memories that you and your guests can reflect back on. Don’t spend the entire day in your kitchen only to have that fantastic meal devoured in 20 minutes, leaving you with a gray blur of the day and how exhausted you are. Take time to reflect on the abundance in your life. Take time to enjoy your guests and get out of the kitchen. Here are a few fun suggestions:

Turn off the football and break out the home movies, have extended family and friends bring their’s and enjoy laughing and sharing.

Set out board game and make sure to include some of the old favorites: Monopoly, Clue, Yahtzee, Scrabble and Dominoes.

Have guests bring shoes or coats and donate them to such projects as “Souls for Souls” or “Charity Coats” for kids.

Ask guests to bring a few canned or boxed goods and donate them to your local food bank.

Have someone tell the Thanksgiving story or why we pull the wish bone or other harvest traditions from around the world. Make it fun and ask questions and those that answer right might be the ones to pull apart the wishbone or they are exempt from clearing the table or doing dishes or any other fun reward you can think of. This one could become the all time family favorite that creates memories for a long time to come!

Set out markers and colorful fall leaves you have cut from construction paper. Ask your guests to write what they are thankful for and then share them at the thanksgiving feast. A twist on this might be to have everyone write why they are thankful for their family. You then can take these colorful leaves and string them together to begin making a “gratitude garland.” You can add leaves to it each year and your garland will become a treasured part of your fall decorations.

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Well, Ladies, it’s that time of year again where we get ready for the Thanksgiving Feast, but what we are really planning is that Big Shopping Day called “BLACK FRIDAY”.  The one time a year where we, as women, boldly go where no man would want to go, shopping on Black Friday.  This is not an event for the weak at heart; it takes perseverance, patience, and sometimes blood, sweat, and tears.  So, for all you gals hitting the shopping scene on Black Friday, below is my Black Friday Survival Guide.  This will help you get thru it and be a survivor.  For my first timer’s, please make sure to strictly adhere to my list to make this as enjoyable as it can be for you.  Word of caution, once you become a B.F.S. (Black Friday Shopper), there is no turning back! Enjoy!

Black Friday Survival Guide

To Do: Wednesday

1. Make a list of the must-have products that you are shopping for this holiday season, including the names of the people for whom you are shopping.

To Do: Thursday

1. Eat a lot of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. This will not help your shopping, per se, but will make you feel happy and satisfied.
2. Go thru ads in the paper and compare to the list you created on Wednesday and add to your list what store had the best price for the item you want to purchase and what time they opened.  You will need to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the store opening if it is a popular gift you are wanting to buy.
3. Get a good night’s sleep the night before — thanks to all that food in your belly. it shouldn’t be too hard to fall asleep.

Helpful Hints:

• Leave the kids at home.
• Be caffeinated and full – don’t shop on low energy and an empty stomach.
• Pack snacks so that you don’t have to stop your marathon shopping day to grab food. A great idea would be to grab some brunch after shopping with your family or girlfriends.
• Bring along an MP-3 player or iPOD to help pass the time when you are waiting to pay for your finds.
• Don’t worry about the little stuff today, such as stocking stuffers, but rather focus on gifts that are bigger, harder to find, and more expensive.
• Take the time to look for that new winter coat or little black dress you need. Clothing sales are usually very good on Black Friday, because so many people are already in the stores looking for toys and gifts.
• If a product is not available, but the store offers a rain check, take it. Make sure that when you cash in your rain check you are getting the price that the product was listed at for that day.

Remember, there will be some people who are just down right nasty and testy out there, don’t be one of them.  If the occasion arises and you need to be aggressive, stand your ground, say it with a smile, and move on.  Don’t let bad attitudes ruin you experience as a B.F.S.

Have fun, Enjoy, and Behave!

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So…we’ve finally made it. Noon last Saturday was go time! Of course, we both had a whole slew of things on our minds that we wanted to partake in but we just weren’t really willing to risk any stomach issues to do it. But…there was one thing that we both just had to have…one thing that our love never waned from…can anyone guess what that would be? You’ve got it…Cheez-Its! J

Check out our veteran advice on how to break an extended fast today!

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Life is hectic! Therefore, I try to simplify my life as much as I can.  The only way that I know how to do this is with organization.  I realized one day how much time I can save everyday if I just became organized.  In my kitchen, everything has a home.  I use plastic drawer organizers and plastic totes to keep my cabinets and drawers tidy.  In my pantry, I put like items together (this helps with overspending at the supermarket as well).  I used to spend so much time searching for things.  Now, I can spend that extra time with my family.  Simplicity at its best is my steam mop.  I never realized what a task mopping was until I found this mop.  All I have to do is plug it in, add distilled water, and mop.  When I am finished I throw the detachable cloth in my washing machine and I’m finished.  The best thing is that I was able to eliminate my bucket and floor cleaner, therefore leaving me a little more space and a little less clutter.    

Get organized today and have more time to do the things that you really want to tomorrow.  Start organizing one room at a time.  Take fifteen minute breaks to organize a drawer or two and that daunting task becomes extremely manageable. Before you know it, it’s all over and your life is much less hectic!

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During the summer months, the heat gets the best of everything.  It gets hot outside, inside, and sometimes you just can’t escape it.  Unfortunately the heat can make smells worse than ever.  I am such a clean freak that smells just drive me crazy and sometimes our kitchen sinks just STINK! So, I am always looking for those effective cleaning tips to bring simplicity into my life.  So LADIES, here is a little secret of mine to help clean those stinky kitchen sinks:

Pour down several quarts of boiling water to flush out grease. Do double-duty by adding 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain; then sprinkle more baking soda in the sink to scrub clean.

The best part about this cleaning tip is the products you use are cheap and most everyone has them already on hand.  So, here’s to keeping the kitchen sink clean and to bringing that word I love “Simplicity” back into our lives!

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Sometimes I feel as though all I do is clean my kitchen; and I don’t really like to clean.  I have two kids, a dog, and of course my husband and I dirtying it up all day long and sometimes it just never stays clean long enough.  I have found a few ways I can cut down on the time it takes me to get my kitchen clean and presentable.  Simplicity is key here.  I do deep cleaning on specific days and otherwise i move quickly.  The first thing I do is give myself a time limit.  This is how long I can spend.  It makes me move faster.  Next, I unload my dishwasher as soon as it finishes the cleaning cycle so it will be ready for the next load of dishes going in.  I don’t know how I would function without my dishwasher.  I find that the area that has the ability of getting messy the fastest is the sink.  Every product I use in the kitchen is dishwasher safe.  That is a must in my house.  As I use dishes throughout the day, I load as I go.  This gives me less to do at the end of the night after dinner.  I also use a spay bottle of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water to mop my floor.  I spray the solution onto the floor and then mop it right up.  This way I don’t have to wring out my mop each step of the way; and I don’t have to wait as long for the floor to be dry.  I also love the pre-moistened kitchen wipes.  I hope these suggestions help you spend more time with those you love and less time cleaning a dirty kitchen.

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