Try It Tuesday - Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad

Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad...

We just love Thai food. And now that Jackson is 3 years old he can have peanut butter. This has opened an entire new group of recipes up for us to try. It seems he is not allergic to peanut butter, which is good since I consider peanut butter to be a food group onto itself!

This salad has a bit of kick to it, some sweet and spicy, plus several different textures that crunch. It's Pad Thai without the noodles! This does call for several items that you may not have just stocked in your pantry.

Ingredients and Directions:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup sweet chili sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup lite canned coconut milk

4 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced

2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

2 tsps ginger, grated

2 limes, juiced

1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

The sippy cup in the background is an optional ingredient!

Ready to cook

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then place in the baking dish.

Combine chili sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce and lime juice in a saucepan, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil, the reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and pour half of the sauce over the chicken, turning chicken to coat completely. Set remaining sauce aside to dress the salad with.

Bake chicken for 25-30 minutes, or until it is cooked through.

Salad

1 small napa cabbage, chopped

1/2 small red cabbage, chopped

6 green onions, sliced

1 large cucumber, peeled, sliced and quartered

2/3 cup chopped or sliced carrots

2/3 cup edamame

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 cup chopped peanuts

While chicken is cooking, combine all salad ingredients, except for peanuts, in a large bowl and toss. When chicken has finished cooking, let cool for a few minutes then either shred or cut into chunks. Serve salad, top with chicken, top with peanuts, then top with dressing.

Salad with some crunch and some bite...try something new and healthy! Why not. its Tuesday!

Sharron

Try It Tuesday...Salmon with Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Salmon with Black Bean & Corn Salsa...

As usual I am attempting to sneak some fish into Jackson's life. He is a really good eater but I am always afraid that the true toddler in him will rear its ugly head during meal time. This salsa is super good and can really be paired with almost anything or be eaten alone on a chip...that's what Luke is looking for in a meal!

Ingredients:
1 pound of Salmon Fillet
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 lime, juiced - I usually use the whole lime
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Place salmon in prepared baking dish.  In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and lime juice; pour over salmon.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until flaky.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix black beans, corn, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Notice the dinosaur that helped me prepare this tasty dish!

Serve salmon with black bean mixture spooned on top. I served this over rice.

Dinosaur approved!

Super easy, quick, healthy, and yummy...its Tuesday, try something new!
Enjoy!
Sharron

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Daylight Savings Time a Terrible Idea...

Who is the idiot scientific genius who thought of time change? Time travel good; time change evil. Daylight savings time sounds like a wonderful idea especially if your toddler goes to bed ONLY when it's "dark outside". And when your baby is finally on a really great sleeping schedule, hey let's move the clocks forward. This daylight savings guy is currently my enemy. And honestly I'm not sure that I am acknowledging the time change.
I'm certain that I didn't care or even remotely notice time change in my 20's. Likely I welcomed the "fall back" as a weekend with one extra hour for drinking or sleeping. And "spring forward" meant one less hour of work. But as a sleep deprived parent tiptoeing around the house trying no to spill my wine when I trip over a matchbox car when the inmates are sleeping, I notice every minute that passes that I don't have to say something like, "Take my phone out of your nose" or "Please don't head butt the cat again."
Luke of course schedules himself to be on call the weekend of the time change...he says it was just coincidental, but I have video footage of him laughing all the way to the hospital. I will get him back, don't worry. So Saturday night we get the terrorists in their cells and we have a few minutes of adult conversation...you know, "Blah, blah, blah...my wine glass is nearly empty...Blah, blah, blah, let's discuss Jackson's poop" We realize that we better get into bed because 11:00 is really 12:00. Let's just say that how I pictured the morning going and how it really worked out was quite different, it's like my mind was dreaming of a TV family.
5:55 am, Jackson needs to pee. 6 am Blake needs to eat. I get up to go to the bathroom; kick wake Luke to respond to either one of the screaming kids. Here's where the morning really goes off track...
I come back into our bedroom, expecting to find a large empty bed to which I would get into the middle of and finish my dream about "silence and wine"...Snap out of it...Blues Clues is blaring (Steve not Joe, I don't like that Joe guy, he creeps me out) Luke is a feeding a very awake Blake, and Jackson and Rocket are sprawled out on my side of the bed. There's just about enough room for my prebaby body to get into the bed. I guess we're up!
Luke quickly gets dressed, runs downstairs, makes a pot of coffee for me as if it were some sort of peace offering and "Has to get to work". I was mentally slashing his tires. It was still dark outside but the shenanigans were underway. I spend the next 3-5 hours playing and entertaining the boys...but I look at the clock and its only 8:30?! How is this even possible. I make breakfast, Jackson ordered oatmeal and bacon. Which he decided he would like to eat without pants on..."fine!" Blake is of course a complete train wreck. He can't decide if he wants me to hold him constantly (not an easy undertaking since he weighs a feathery 30 lbs) or run around screaming, crying and eating cat food. The morning continued on in a similar fashion. I tried to put Blake down for a nap, no dice...Just as he passing into a peaceful slumber, Jackson started yelling for me.
Let's just go outside. Sidewalk chalk, bubbles, bike riding, it was a beautiful day. Our new single, neighbor came out around 11, he was heading to Starbucks..."take me with you!", I cried. He looked at me like I was out of my mind. Later I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror - not good- no wonder he skidded out of the driveway.
Luke made it home by 1 or so, actually I have no idea what time it was then or now. You see half of the clocks have the right time and the other have the wrong time and then there is the occasional clock that was never reset last time...who cares! He comes home just in time for naps. He has the audacity to fall asleep with Blake, "I was tired Sharron."
Somewhere around 8:30 pm, on some clock in the house, I blacked out!
Daylight savings time...not a good idea.

I hope your time change experience has been less memorable and a smoother transition...

Sharron

Try it Tuesday - Taco Tuesday

Taco Tuesday...well actually Taco Salad Tuesday...

healthy, fast, easy...and kid friendly

This is a super fast and easy dinner that I have made several times. Jackson and Luke like to have Taco Tuesdays so I like to try to switch up different taco recipes. This one happens to be an old standby. The ingredients can easily be switched out for other items of your choice. This recipe does not require any measuring and very little cooking.

Ingredients:
1 (1-2 pounds) package of ground meat - I use ground turkey but you can use chicken, buffalo, pork, or beef
1 package taco seasoning - I use McCormick's Low Sodium Taco Seasoning
1 can black beans, drained - I sometimes use pinto beans
1 can corn, drained
2 tomatoes - diced
2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 package shredded Mexican cheese - or whatever type of cheese you have in your fridge

Other items you might want to include:  Jalapeños and sour cream

Directions:
Cook meat according to taco seasoning directions.
Meanwhile, mix the above ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon salad onto plate and top with taco meat...enjoy!

This is my plate and I like to go "cheese less"

Give this a try and start your own tradition of Taco Tuesdays!...
Sharron