Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water*

2 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 tsp peeled and minced fresh garlic (2 cloves)

2 tsp cornstarch

Sesame seeds and chopped green onions, for serving (optional)

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add in chicken and let brown on bottom about 3 – 4 minutes then flip and continue to cook until center registers about 160 degrees, about 3 minutes longer.
• While chicken is cooking, in a small mixing bowl (or liquid measuring cup) whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cornstarch.
• Stir the sauce in with the cooked chicken and continue to cook and toss until sauce has thickened, about 30 – 60 seconds longer. 
• Serve warm garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

I’ve had a hankering for some RCT’s over the past couple of weeks. But not just the standard, something more than standard RCT’s.

After reviewing the back of the box and several online recipes, I kind of decided to wing it and used this and they came out spectacularly, this is something that I’ll definitely do again and it’s quick and perfect for something to bring for a get together.

Without further ado, Cocoa Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Treats:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 pound of mini marshmallows
• 10 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies

Butter up a 9 x 13 cake pan to make ready for the coated rice.

In a pot big enough for 10 cups of Rice Krispies, melt the butter, then add the peanut butter and melt that, then add marshmallows and until all is incorporated, then add the rice 2 cups at a time until covered evenly and thoroughly.

Add to the cake pan and smooth out, let cool completely, cut, serve, and enjoy.

I figured I’d get this classic into the book because this is a go to for a relatively healthy lunch or snack.
We start with three cans of 5oz tuna in spring water. Now that’s the full weight, drained is 4oz and since we drain it, let’s be honest and call it a quarter pounder of tuna.

Here’s the recipe:

• 3 x 4oz drained tuna
• 3 x hard boiled eggs diced
• ~ 4oz bread & butter pickles diced
• 8 tbs mayonnaise

I personally drain the tuna in a strainer. Notice the 3 to 1 ratio of tuna to pickles. Fold all the ingredients together trying not to mash anything. Chill well and serve on bread, crackers, forks or whatever floats your boat.

I’m not a breakfast person. I’ve nothing against it and under the right circumstances it can be nice. I love the Rise & Shine platter at the Brookside Cafe just up the road. But mostly I completely skip the most important meal of the day.

In my quest for better eating, that’s not the best way to start the day. It has to be quick, easy and not filling enough to put me back to bed. The answer is… you got it, cold oats.

While I can tolerate hot oatmeal, the texture is just bad to me, something about it feels reconstituted and not in a good way if one exists.

Cold oats still feel whole enough that they don’t remind me of something mama bird feeds the chicks. The brown sugar is the right sweet and you can’t go wrong with blueberry’s.

Cold Oats a la Aron

• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of whole milk
• 20g frozen blueberry’s
• 1/2 cup oats

Add milk and sugar to a jar, shake vigorously to dissolve sugar in milk. Add in blueberry’s and oats and shake and let sit overnight to 4 days or up until the milk is out of date I would think.

This is the rib rub recipe that I deviate greatly from when I’m getting ready to cook up some ribs.

8 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

This is one of those things I ran across on Facebook but never thought much about it until I thought about it when I was at the store in the baking aisle looking at the sweetened condensed milk and remember it.

We used this recipe from this site and it’s spot on. Super easy to do and it comes out amazing. I did brand name and store brand. The one thing that I really want to figure out how to do is salt it.

I did try to add salt and butter but it doesn’t really heat up well, not in the microwave anyways.

So if you want the whole story, you can find it here where I got the recipe. It’s long and drawn out but let me answer the ‘why do this?’ and then we’ll do the short version of the recipe.

Why Ghee? Well, it has a unique nutty taste and a high smoke point so it is great for covering roasted potatoes for seasoning, it is super in mashed potatoes and can be used to grease up a cast iron for whatever you need to cook.

The recipe: Super simple, take a pound of butter, melt it at a slow boil until all the solids have browned and separated out, then filter through a paper towel. Here’s what it will look like:

In the vein of healthier eating, apples are kind of a holy grail. Relatively inexpensive, they last forever in the fridge, super tasty and are rumored to keep doctors away. But once cut the clock is running at a screaming pace. And while the browning doesn’t impact the taste, presentation is everything.

I ran across this site researching the issue and seems they researched and tested the issue so all I had to do was try their recommendation to see if it addressed the need and super happy to say it’s amazing. This opens up apple slices and fruit dip as a dish that can be brought to picnics and gatherings. Here’s the best for my reference:

Apple Treatment Method: Salt Water

For this method, I followed these instructions for the best way to keep apple slices from browning and dissolved 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per cup of room-temperature tap water, soaked the apples in the solution for five minutes, and then rinsed them in a colander under running tap water.

Just like the honey-treated apples, these slices didn’t get a hint of browning after 12 hours at room temperature, and did not taste at all like salt. Along with the honey-treated apples, I stored the salt-treated apples in the fridge overnight, and the bagged slices were still perfectly crisp and intact. (The plated slices had shriveled a bit, just like the honey apples.) This is my personal favorite method for preventing apple browning, and the one I’ll be using in the future.

BCS is one of my favorite comfort foods, it’s not really the soup you have with a grilled cheese sandwich but pair it with a club or BLT and it’s heavenly. The best commercial that I’ve found is Jason’s deli and I’ve been trying to figure out how to make it since I first tried it. Stealing this from here, and my first attempt omitted the carrots and the pepper (used white) needs to be 1/2 instead of 3/4 but certainly do what you do with it, this is a great base!

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 1 small or medium sweet yellow onion diced small
• 1 clove garlic peeled and minced finely
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock chicken stock may be substituted
• 2 cups half-and-half*
• 2 to 3 cups broccoli florets diced into bite-size pieces + 1 cups stems, optional (I used 3 cups florets and 1 cup stems
• 2 large carrots trimmed, peeled, and sliced into very thin rounds, about 1/16th-inch
• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika optional and to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder optional and to taste
• pinch cayenne pepper optional and to taste (doesn’t make soup spicy and serves to enhance flavor)
• 8 ounces grated high quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese with a small amount reserved for garnishing

Instructions 

• In a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter, the diced onion, and sauté   over medium heat until the onion is translucent and barely browned, about 4 minutes. Stir intermittently.
• Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and set pan aside.
• In a large heavy-bottom pot (I use this Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 6-3/4-Quart Oval French (Dutch) Oven) add 4 tablespoons butter, flour, and cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened. You are making a roux and it’s very important the mixture is thick or soup will never thicken properly later.
• Slowly add the vegetable stock, whisking constantly.
• Slowly add the half-and-half, whisking constantly.
• Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
• While mixture is simmering, chop the broccoli and carrots. After simmering 15 to 20 minutes, add the broccoli, carrots, and the onion and garlic you previously set aside.
• Add the salt, pepper, optional paprika, optional dry mustard powder, and optional cayenne. If you don’t have these seasonings on hand, it’s okay, but they do add subtle depth of flavor. Stir to combine.
• Allow soup to simmer over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
• While soup simmers, grate the cheese. It’s important to use a high-quality cheese (not the cheapest thing you can find) because the flavor of the soup depends on it. Do not use pre-grated cheese in ziptop bags because that cheese is resistant to melting and won’t incorporate well. After simmering about 20 to 25 minutes, add most of the cheese, reserving a small amount for garnishing bowls. Stir in the cheese until melted and incorporated fully, less than 1 minute.
• Transfer soup to bowls, garnish with reserved cheese, and serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight for 5 to 7 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the microwave. I find the soup is less likely to ‘break’ or separate when reheated in the micro rather than on the stovetop, but do what you think is best. I don’t recommend freezing the soup because I feel like the cheese and half-and-half will not do well upon thawing and soup could break, but I haven’t actually tried freezing it.