Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

For the Marinade:
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup water
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup honey
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks


For the Sauce:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chili paste (can substitute a couple pinches of red pepper flakes)


For Coating & Frying:
3 egg whites
1½ cups cornstarch
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Sesame seeds, to garnish
Scallions, sliced, to garnish

Directions:

1. To make the marinade, whisk the chicken stock, water, soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch and sesame oil in a bowl. Of this mixture, place 6 tablespoons into a zip lock storage bag and add the chicken; seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Set aside the remaining marinade in the bowl.

2. While the chicken is chilling in the marinade, heat the 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté the garlic, ginger and chile paste until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add 2 cups of the reserved marinade to the skillet and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture has become a darker brown and thickened. Remove from the heat and cover.

3. To prepare the chicken for coating and frying, whisk the egg whites in a shallow dish until foamy; set aside. Combine the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, and remaining marinade in a second shallow dish; mix using a fork until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and from the marinade. Pat the marinated chicken dry with paper towels.

5. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees.

6. While the oil is heating, prepare the chicken for frying. Toss half the chicken into the foamy egg whites until well coated, then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer the coated chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

7. Fry half the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Transfer the cooked chicken onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Return the oil to 350 degrees. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

8. Warm the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Turn off the heat and add the fried chicken pieces. Toss to coat and serve, sprinkling with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1 pound large elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white Cheddar, shredded
4 ounces Romano, shredded
4 ounces Asiago, shredded
2 cups bread crumbs (suggested: panko (Japanese) available at most markets)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In large pot filled with water add 3 pinches of salt and the macaroni and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and let cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Sprinkle flour over butter and cook 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, whisking until a roux or paste forms. Add cold milk and whisk vigorously until dissolved. Cook sauce on medium-low heat until thick and bubbly. Add heavy cream, all cheeses, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Cook until cheeses are fully melted, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture and mix thoroughly. Place macaroni mixture in a 13 by 9 baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Top with fresh parsley and serve.

Easy Smoothies

Easy to make smoothies to beat summer heat;

1. Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

Recipe:

Half of one banana

1/2 cup smooth or crunchy low-fat peanut butter

1/2 cup of non-fat milk

6 ice cubes

1 tablespoon of chocolate whey protein powder

Place all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.

2. Mocha Smoothie

Recipe:

4 small ice cubes

1/2 cup of low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

1 shot of espresso

2 teaspoons of cocoa powder

Add ingredients to blender in this order, and then blend at a high speed until smooth.

3. Strawberry Orange Smoothie
A refreshing dairy-free smoothie                

Recipe:
150g (5 oz) fresh strawberries, hulled
225ml (8 fl oz) orange juice
10 cubes ice
1 tablespoon sugar

Add ingredients to blender in this order, and then blend at a high speed until smooth.

4. Watermelon Smoothie

Recipe:

6 cups of seedless watermelon, chopped

1 cup of lemon sherbet, non-fat milk, or low-fat vanilla yogurt

12 ice cubes

Put half the watermelon in the blender and blend until smooth, then add half of the ice and sherbet; blend until smooth. Repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Recipe:

1 cup of strawberries

1 banana

1/2 cup of low-fat yogurt or milk

5 ice cubes

1/2 of a sliced orange

Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.