Thai Steak Salad

The fresh herbs and vegetables in this Thai inspired salad give it its vibrant flavor.  The dressing is delicious on both the salad and the steak making it a perfect combination... the cool crisp greens with the tender savory steak.  It is quick and easy to make, especially if you have an herb garden and a well-stocked Chinese pantry.  I serve it with short grain brown rice to balance out the flavors and textures for my kid's developing palettes.

1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh lime juice 

2 tablespoon brown sugar 

4 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoon fish sauce

4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

2 teaspoon Sriracha

4 cups thinly sliced nappa cabbage

1 cup julienne-cut carrots

2/3 cup fresh mint leaves

2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2/3 cup fresh basil leaves

Sprinkle steak evenly with pepper and salt. Grill or broil steak for 6 minutes each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill/broiler; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices

Combine juice and next 5 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Combine cabbage and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 2/3 C juice mixture to cabbage mixture; toss well. Toss steak in remaining 4 tablespoons juice mixture. Add steak to cabbage mixture; toss to combine.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Everybody loves chicken noodle soup. It's made of humble ingredients like carrots, onions, celery, and chicken, yet there is no other food more deserving of it's fame. It is also the ultimate comfort food. So when my little girl was feeling ill and in need of some comforting, I simmered up a pot of this delicious soup! When she felt better and returned to school, she had only one request.... that I pack some in a thermos for her school lunch!  I now make this with fresh ground whole wheat flour, made from hard white winter wheat.


Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup:

1 tsp canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, diced or pressed
1 1/2 cups of sliced carrots
3 stalks of celery, chopped
8 cups chicken stock (best if homemade but store bought will do- if using store broth, use low sodium)
2 tsp chicken base (bouillon paste) (if using store bought broth- use only 1 tsp and also add 1-2 cups of water if needed)
1 bay leaf
2 teaspons fresh thyme (or 1/2 tspt dried)
Salt and Pepper (no salt necessary if using store bought broth)
1 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken (you can easily get cooked chicken breast by boiling 2-3 breasts in the 8 cups of stock/broth first)

Saute onions in oil for 4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook for 45 seconds stirring constantly. Add broth and the remaineder of the ingredients. Cook over medium low heat for 1-2 hours.

Noodles:
2 Cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4-1/3 cup of milk.

Combine the flour, salt, egg and milk. Mix until it forms a sticky ball. Flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut noodles with a pizza cutter to desired length and width. Add the noodles a few at a time to the simmering soup. Be sure to keep them separated while adding them until they are cooked. They only take about 30 seconds to cook.

If you haven't made noodles before don't let it scare you. Anyone can do it and it really is a sinch. You just mix 4 ingredients together, roll it out, cut it into noodles, then add it to the soup.

Chicken Fricassee

This is an old-fashioned recipe perfect for a comfort food craving. The whole family will enjoy it and the chicken always comes out tender. This time, I substitued chicken tenderloins, and served it with some fresh-made mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli.

Bountiful Baskets Note: This recipe will use up some of that celery we've been getting!



Chicken Fricassee (adapted from Cooking Light)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinned chicken breast halves or12 tenderloins.
2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine (or substitute broth if desired)
2 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut carrot
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; toss well to coat. Remove chicken from bag; reserve flour mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, breast sides down; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in reserved flour mixture; cook 1 minute. Add broth and wine; bring to a boil. Add carrot. Return chicken to pan, breast sides up. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.