Thayer in the Kitchen

1 tablespoon oil 2 - 4 cups sweet pepper strips, onion slices, or a combination of the two 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks (I used chicken thighs) 1 cup halved walnuts, whole cashews, or other nuts 3-4 tablespoons hoisin sauce Note:  I might add 1 hot pepper to the mix Heat oil in a large skillet on high heat for one minute.  Add the veggies in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown.  Stir and cook another minute or two. Add the chicken and stir once or twice.  Cook until the bottom begins to brown.  Cook and stir until the chicken is cooked through.  Lower heat to medium.  Stir in the nuts and the hoisin sauce.  Add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of water.  Cook, stirring until it is bubbly and glazes all the chicken and veggies.  Serve with rice (preferably brown). Adapted from The Minimalist Cooks at Home by Mark Bittman

1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce 1 tablespoon minced ginger (or 1/2 tablespoon Penzey's dry minced ginger) 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons brown sugar salt (if needed) 1 box (about 8-12 oz.) whole-grain linguine, or whatever you have available 2 large carrots, julienned 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced 1 red or yellow pepper, thinly sliced into strips (if you are a big pepper fan you can use one of each) 3 green onions, sliced 1/4 - 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped 1/4 - 1/3 cup peanuts, chopped 1# cooked shrimp My husband was kind enough to peel and devein the shrimp.  I sauteed the shrimp very quickly in a little oil in a pan and then let it cool. Whisk together the dressing ingredients: peanut butter, tamari, vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Add the dressing to the vegetables, pasta, and shrimp and mix well.  Try to ...

In my previous post I mentioned the cookbook, Fresh Food Nation.   This is a another recipe that I tried and liked.  It called for preserved lemons which I just happened to have in my refrigerator.  I think you could substitute a little grated lemon peel.  6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 8 oz. mild fresh chilies, such as Anaheim, banana or Poblano peppers, cored, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise. You could also add jalapeno for a bit more heat or just use sweet peppers if you prefer.  1-2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons turmeric 1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron (not essential) Kosher salt to taste 1 medium chopped 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons preserved lemon, chopped 1/2 cup stuffed green olives 1 1/2-2# potatoes cut into chunks, only peel if necessary.  You can use less potatoes if you prefer. In a large deep skillet, lightly brown the chicken in the olive oil...

This morning I made breakfast before I went to work which is very unusual for me. I rarely give myself enough time. I made an omelet using the baby bok choy from our CSA box. I only got 2 so I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. Start with a large frying pan. Heat a little olive oil. Stir fry the following: 2 small red onions, chopped (yellow would be fine too) 2 mini red or yellow peppers, seeded 1 large clove garlic, chopped 2 small head of baby bok choy stir fry the stems first and add the chopped leaves at the end a little toasted sesame oil Add 5 eggs, beaten and let set before stirring so that you can fold in half a few chopped fresh herbs if available (not essential) salt and pepper to taste I served the omelet with some of the fruit cocktail scones that I made last night and hot coffee. For supper I made Broccoli, Walnut and Bulgur Salad . I doubled the recipe and it was too much, but I wanted to use at least 2 cups of broccoli. It turns out it w...

We went to the Monona farmers' market this morning and bought milk from Blue Marble Dairy our favorite milk people. We also got some of the last of the corn on the cob. Great breakfast today. I made a Fritatta with onions, peppers, Italian sausage, eggs, etc. Frittata (adapted from a Penzey's catalogue recipe) 1/2 lb. Italian sausage 2 lbs. potatoes 1 red, yellow, and green pepper or whatever you have available 1 onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic olive oil 6 eggs 3 TB milk 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. oregano 1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice (I used some jalapeno cheddar & goat cheese) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch slices--no need to peel if they're organic. Steam or boil for 10 minutes or until tender. Dice the peppers. Brown the sliced sausage pieces and add peppers, onions & garlic. Saute until the onions are slightly brown and start to caramelize. Beat the eggs wi...