Starting Over

Dearest Friends who follow this blog:

I am sorry that I have not posted anything in a while. I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease and, therefore, can no longer tolerate wheat. Add in to that equation the fact that I have developed lactose intolerance (due to the Celiac) and am allergic to raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, intolerant to sugar, and oils.... yeah... basically I am having trouble finding things that I can eat.

So what now? Now we start over. I am on the search for things that I can eat and it is a very slow process. I will post as soon as I can, but until then... wish me luck!

Love, Shayla

Moo Shu Noodles

Okay, this isn't one of my normal recipes because it calls for some unusual ingredients that you wouldn't just have on hand - BUT!!!!! This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it! The unusual ingredients are cheap and easy to get at the store and this is my new favorite way to eat pork. Plus it comes together so quickly - like half hour quickly! I am a sucker for Chinese food, I really am, but even my ginger picky husband gobbled this one down! It is super super super delicious and has earned a place in our FAVORITE recipes! Thanks so much to My Kitchen Cafe for another great recipe!

MOO SHU NOODLES
From My Kitchen Cafe

12-ounces fettuccine (I used 16 and it was just fine)
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
3 medium-sized boneless pork chops, thinly sliced (it is easier to slice thinly if pork chops are slightly frozen)
Ground black pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger (about a 2-inch piece), peeled and grated (Or 1 tsp. Ground ginger)
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated (Or 1 tsp. minced garlic)
1/2 pound mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 small head Napa or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (Available at your local Wal-mart)
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. When the water comes up to a bubble, add some salt and drop in the fettuccine. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and reserve.

Combine the hoisin and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat one tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble. When done, scrape them onto a plate and reserve. In the same skillet heat two tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes (don't overcook or pork will be tough!). Remove the meat from the pan onto the same plate as the eggs and keep warm.

Add the scallions, ginger and garlic to the pan, and cook until aromatic and the scallions are tender, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes.

Add the cabbage to the pan and stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes. When the cabbage is tender, add the reserved pork and scrambled eggs back to the pan along with the hoisin-soy mixture and the chicken broth. Stir-fry to fully heat through, about 1 minute, and then toss with the reserved cooked pasta. Cook to heat through and serve.

*NOTE: I added a small can of sliced water chestnuts to my Moo Shu Noodles and it added a very satisfying crunch!

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

My husband and best girlfriend Ashley loved this although it wasn't quite my "cup of tea." It was a hit though and was gobbled up very quickly. It was pretty easy so it is worth giving a try. Maybe next time I will use less garlic...

CROCKPOT LEMON CHICKEN

1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/4 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons lemon juice (I would use fresh if possible)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups sour cream (12 oz.)
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced

Combine the oregano, seasoned salt and pepper rub over chicken. Place in a 3-qt slow cooker. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Stir in lemon juice and garlic. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. (I don't know which universe you would cook this for 4 hours, but mine only took 2 hours before it was done!)

Remove chicken and keep warm. Stir in sour cream and parsley; cover and cook for 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve chicken with sauce and rice if desired. *I cut up the chicken and mixed it with rigatoni noodles.

Taco Chicken Fingers

I know, it sounds weird. And I know that the ingredient list is unusual. BUT! These really were good! They were delightful little chicken poppers in the end that we dipped in sour cream and salsa. My husband and I loved them and they are SUPER easy to make with so few ingredients! I got this recipe from Three on Food - listed at the side in my list of blogs!

TACO CHICKEN FINGERS
From Three on Food

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbs. milk
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
3 Tbs. mild taco seasoning
garnish: salsa, sour cream, guacamole

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each chicken breast into 1/2 inch strips. In a large shallow bowl, whisk mayonnaise and milk until blended and smooth. Place tortilla chips in a resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, crush chips into fine crumbs. In another large shallow bowl, toss crushed tortilla chips with taco seasoning; mix well. Toss chicken strips first in mayonnaise mixture, then in crushed tortilla chips. Place on prepared baking sheet - do not overlap. Bake until just browned and chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Serves: 8-10

Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! They are some of my very favorites! I have been really craving them lately and decided to put them together! I found this recipe on one of my favorite sites: My Kitchen Cafe. Make them! They are DELICIOUS!

CLASSIC OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
From My Kitchen Café

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 3/4 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add Baking soda, powder, and salt and mix. Add flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield: about 3 dozen.

*Note: These were better for me when I cooked them 8-9 minutes. Remember! They continue to cook as long as they are on the hot cookie sheet!

Chicken with Lemon Sauce

I found this recipe on Delectable Dining and thought it looked so simple with such basic ingredients that I had to try it! It was definitely a different flavor than anything I have ever made but we really enjoyed it! The lemon taste is not too strong and it has an almost "sophisticated" taste to it. We will be adding this one to our list of favorites! The picture is courtesy of Delectable Dining and original recipe can be found here.

CHICKEN WITH LEMON SAUCE
from Delectable Dining

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided
2 eggs
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour, Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Dip chicken into eggs and coat with flour mixture. In a large skillet, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons butter and oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour, salt and pepper; stir in broth until smooth. Add apple juice to the skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Stir broth mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in lemon juice; cook for 1 minute. Add parsley and remaining butter; cook and stir until butter is melted. Serve over chicken with noodles.

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

What a fabulous Family Night treat! SOOOO easy to make with ingredients you mostly already have around the house! I got this recipe in the Deseret News and it is really fabulous! It is RICH so 1 "cake" can definitely go for two people! If I had whipped cream I definitely would've toped this with it, or served it with vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A MUG
From Deseret News

4 Tbsp. plain flour (NOT self-rising)
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. baking cocoa
¼ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. oil
Dash of vanilla

Empty dry ingredients into a microwaveable mug. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in milk and oil. Mix again. Add chocolate chips and vanilla and mix again. Cook in microwave for 2 ½ - 3 minutes. Allow to cool. Eat from mug or tip out on plate and slice.

*NOTE: After you add the egg it is quite difficult to mix! Stick with it until mixture looks like a regular wet cake batter. You can do it!