Restaurant Remake: Bang Bang Chicken & Shrimp from CCF

One of my favorite dishes to eat at The Cheesecake Factory is Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp. It's a curry-flavored dish with coconut and peanuts on top, plenty of veggies (zuchinni and peas) and your choice of chicken or shrimp or both. Give this a try and see what you think!

Bang Bang Chicken & Shrimp
Curry Sauce
2 teaspoons chili oil 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup onion
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace

2 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup chicken broth
3 cups coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 medium carrots, julienned

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 small zucchini, julienned

1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup frozen peas
Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
2 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon lime juice

Garnish
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
2 tablespoons peanuts

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, crumbled 2 green onions, julienned

Other
2 chicken breast fillets
1/4 cup cornstarch

16 large raw shrimp, shelled
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 cups cooked white rice

1. Start with preparing 4 cups of rice in your rice cooker. Toast your coconut in a 300-degree oven while you prepare the rest. Stir every 5 minutes, up to 20 minutes for golden coconut, depending on the heat of your oven. Let cool.
2. Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Coat the chicken and shrimp with corn starch. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the coated chicken to the pan and sauté it for a couple minutes, turning as it cooks. Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook the shrimp and chicken for a couple minutes, until it's done, then remove everything to a rack or towel to drain.
3. Curry sauce: Heat the chili oil in the same large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for about 30 seconds then add the chicken broth. Add the spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, black pepper, and turmeric) and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the coconut milk. Bring mixture back up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add the julienned carrots and zucchini, and the frozen peas. Simmer mixture for 10 minutes or until carrots become tender.
4. Peanut sauce: Combine peanut butter, water, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and chili oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until mixture begins to bubble, then cover the pan and remove it from the heat.
5. Serve with rice and curry, garnish with peanut sauce, peanuts, parsley, green onions and toasted coconut
Makes 4-6 servings.

Birthday Cake Favorite- A Princess Cake from Glaus Bakery

In high school, my friend, Missy, had a birthday just 1 day before mine. Our Junior year, she kindly invited me to have a joint party at her house. It was then I was introduced to her favorite birthday cake.. a white cake with raspberry filling, a cream frosting, covered with a layer of marzipan. Only a few bakeries in town even bother making this type of cake, sometimes called a "Princess Cake". The almond flavor of the marzipan and the raspberry filling combine to make magic in my mouth.

Schmidt's Bakery and Glaus Bakery

Since then, if I'm feeling extra special, I request this cake for my celebration. Hope you all enjoy the virtual piece I'm sharing with you. I'm picking one up this afternoon, so maybe you'll get a picture by tomorrow!

Happy Birthday!

Finding the right Brownie recipe

I've been testing out brownie recipes to help a couple of cute friends who are getting married in the next few weeks. One wanted a cake-like brownie that would go well with a scoop of ice cream. The other thought a rich, elegant brownie that could stand on its own would be the best. The winners? Stick with a box mix for the first kind and here's the recipe for the second- from A Pinch of Salt Lake, with a slight modification on the glaze, making a ganache instead. I also cook them in a jelly roll pan as they tend to be very rich and smaller bites are better.


Mint Brownies
Brownies
2 cups sugar
2 ½ cups sifted flour
1 cup butter, softened
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
¼ tsp baking powder
4-1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vanilla

Filling
4 Tbs butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs evaporated milk (half and half or cream work too)
½ tsp peppermint extract
Few drops of pink or green food coloring, if desired

Glaze
3 Tbs butter
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs until well blended; then add melted chocolate. Sift flour, measure out 2 1/2 cups and sift again with dry ingredients then add to creamed mixture along with vanilla. Spread in greased and floured jelly roll pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Do not over bake. Set aside and let cool.

Mix all frosting ingredients until creamy and spread on brownies. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Combine butter and chocolate chips in top of double boiler; add cream, vanilla and blend thoroughly. Pour gently over frosting and spread by tipping pan until all of the brownie mixture is covered with glaze. Refrigerate until set.

Salted Peanut Chews- Cookie Exchange

The PTA meeting tomorrow includes a cookie exchange. As I prepare the budget and reimbursement checks, my mind is already thinking of an easy "bar" cookie that will cut into 36 bites. Try these Salted Peanut Chews. I think the original recipe was a Pillsbury Bake Off winner, but this version doesn't include any Pillsbury products.

Salted Peanut Chews

Crust
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
2/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

3 cups miniature marshmallows

Topping
2/3 c corn syrup
1/4 c margarine or butter
1 package peanut butter chips (12 oz)
2 tsp vanilla

2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar. Add in egg yolks. Add remaining dry ingredients except marshmallows and mix on low speed until crumbly. Press firmly in bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Open oven and immediately sprinkle marshmallows over the top. Bake an additional 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows just begin to puff. Remove from oven and let cool while preparing topping.

In a large saucepan, over low heat, heat corn syrup, margarine, vanilla and peanut butter chips, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal and peanuts. Immediately spoon warm topping over marshmallows. Spread as needed. Note: Spooning equally is better than trying to spread so you don't mess up the marshmallows. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars. Makes 36 bars.

Mama's Wish List

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
New bedding, a clean office, cute outfit, pair of black shoes & healthy kids
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
cute, vertical-hanging calendar from a girlfriend
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
Always hoping the replica advent calendars will get finished this year (just like the one I had as a child).
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
Still remember the Millenium Falcon that my brother and I got
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
Ability to fly (daughter) and to be Ariel, Little Mermaid (son)
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Always love caramel popcorn
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Homemade peppermint bark for my neighbors
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
It's a Wonderful Life
9. Favorite holiday song?
O Holy Night, in french
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Decorating the tree/house for Christmas

Maclaren Recall-Should I Care?

So, I guess I should be worried, but I can hardly get alarmed. Maclaren is voluntarily recalling 1 MILLION strollers, sold between 1999 and today. Apparently, the hinge has caused finger amputations in 12 kids (that's .0012% rate of disaster). Yes, ABC News says the damage is "irreversable" but really.. I should stop using the stroller immediately?!

Yes, I'm going to live life on the edge. My 2004 Techno XT is still going to carry my 2-year old son up the hill as we walk his sister to school. She was the first user of the stroller. It took us through airports, around London, to the French Open and back and no fingers were lost. It's been to Sea World and through the sand in the Outer Banks and while there are a few squeaks and wiggles, this stroller should last us through at least one more child.

Sure, by tomorrow, you'll find me calling the 1-800 number ((877) 688-2326) some time between 8 and 5 Eastern. I'll ask for my free hinge kit. But before I do that, we're going to make our own observations on the mechanics of the hinge. After all it is a hinge, a place where things are supposed to bend.

If you see us walking up the hill, wave and say 'hi'. We're the rebellious ones on the road!

Baby Shower & Tomato Soup Bar

One of my dear friends from the Wasatch Advisor Days is having her first baby! Perfect excuse to gather some "alumni" and celebrate the new boy's arrival in Jan. With the temperatures dropping, I thought a warm, cozy soup bar would be an easy meal.

Here's the menu-

Tomato Soup Bar with variety of mix-ins
Wilted Mixed Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Vegetables & Dip
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Sugar Cookies

Try this at your next gathering- an easy way to do pot luck meal too

Tomato Soup
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cups onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs flour
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) crushed tomatoes
3 cubes Knorr's beef bullion
4 cups water
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1/2 tsp each: pepper, oregano, tarragon and cumin

Saute onion and garlic in butter and oil. Stir in flour and cook until golden brown, stirring constantly. Blend in tomato sauce and tomatoes, crumbled buillion cubes, water and seasonings. Simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors.

To Serve: Add your choice of condiments
ham, chicken, shrimp, cheeses, green red or yellow peppers, green chilies, beans (garbanzo, kidney, black), celery, cucumber, green peas, chopped olives, grated carrots, croutons, raisins, cilantro, whatever you can think up!

Makes about 10 servings of basic tomato soup. We just picked 10 of the toppings above and went with a Southwestern tasting theme.

Stay tuned for the Pumpkin Cake Roll recipe