Monday, November 29, 2010

Turkey Sausage Lasagna


I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday.  Today I have a recipe that uses turkey, but don't worry, it's definitely not the Thanksgiving variety!

Are you planning a small dinner party during this holiday season?  If so, I highly recommend serving Turkey Sausage Lasagna.  It tastes great, the leftovers are delightful, and it can be assembled in advance so you have more time to mingle with your guests.  It's a win/win for everyone.  Bonus:  most people like lasagna.

This lasagna serves at least 6 adults.  I will not prepare this meal unless I have at least 4 people coming for dinner because E and I just don't need this much food.  I'm sure we could freeze it, but I don't think the fresh cheeses would retain their flavor and consistency after a trip to the deep freeze, so I recommend eating this dish fresh.

The superstars in this recipe are lean Italian turkey sausage, which provides all the flavor of Italian sausage with less grease, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella.  Fresh basil and mozzarella aren't cheap, especially in November, but they are worth it because they make this dish.  The mozzarella melts to a perfectly goey consistency and the basil adds a note of freshness that can't be replicated with dried herbs.  Trust me.

I've had many types of lasagna, but I find that the best ones have the right ratio of sauce to noodles and are moist in the center and crunchy around the edges.  I use no-boil lasagna (from Barilla) because it's so much easier than boiling noodles), I also have a strict system for layering that provides the best consistency, easiest removal from the pan, and ideal taste.  I start with a thin layer of meat sauce...

Top it with noodles...

Top the noodles with sliced fresh mozzarella...

Top the mozzarella with ricotta...


Top the ricotta with more meat sauce, then repeat until you reach the top of your pan.  I only end up with two layers.  The real secret?  The top layer needs to be meat sauce, not cheese or noodles.  It keeps everything moist.  You can sprinkle a little fresh parmesan on top of the last layer of meat sauce, but not too much... nobody likes burnt cheese. (Well, some people do, but it's not ideal.)

Lasagna can be time-consuming, but I've simplified this recipe to the point that I can get it in the oven within 35 minutes of starting the process.  If you're really ambitious you can mix the meat sauce the day before and just assemble everything cold before you bake it.  If you're really, really motivated you can assemble the entire lasagna up to 24 hours in advance and slide it into the oven one hour before company arrives.

Once you're tired of traditional Thanksgiving leftovers, give this recipe a try!

Turkey Sausage Lasagna
Inspired by Ina Garten, improved by Keeley

Ingredients
About one pound of Italian turkey sausage (I use Shady Brook Farms, 15 ounce package), removed from casing
About 30 ounces (4 cups) low fat ricotta cheese
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin (about 1/4 inch)
1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 egg
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (24 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup freshed basil, chopped

In a wide saute pan, heat oil over medium/low heat and saute onions for 5 minutes, or until translucent.  Crumble the sausage into the pan and increase heat to medium high.  Break up the sausage as it cooks.  Add in garlic and cook for one minute.

Once sausage is cooked, add in crushed tomatoes, fresh garlic, oregano, dried basil, black pepper, wine, and tomato paste.  Stir, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.  Let sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in fresh basil when sauce is done.

While the sauce cooks, mix together the ricotta, garlic powder, parmesan, and egg.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

When sauce is ready, assemble the lasagna.  Use a 9" by 13" pan that is at least 3" deep.  Start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom (about 25% of the prepared sauce), then add a layer of noodles, a layer of mozzarella, and a layer of the ricotta mixture.  Repeat using a half of the remaining sauce for the next layer.  End with a layer of tomato sauce.  Top with a handful of Parmesan.

Bake lasagna for about one hour, or until top is browning and edges are bubbling.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

You can absolutely assemble the lasagna up to 12 hours before baking, just keep it in the refrigerator.  That's why this is a perfect party dish!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

New Facebook Page

I finally created a Facebook page for My Life On A Plate!  If you use Facebook and you enjoy this blog, please click on the link on the right side of this page to "like" my new page. 

I'm always trying to make this blog better, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

My Favorite Cooking Day of the Year!


Sweet Potato Pie, the most popular recipe on this blog.  Yup, I'll be making some for Thanksgiving, as usual.
Thanksgiving always comes at the end of a very busy time at work for our household.  Both of us have jobs that are hectic during the fall and we welcome the peace and return to sanity in our professional lives between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We're always really happy and excited to spend a long weekend with friends and family eating all types of food that we only get to enjoy once a year.  When possible, I take off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so I can have a full day to fill the house with the smells of freshly baked goods.  On Thanksgiving morning we'll be making some dishes that are best served the same day (macaroni and cheese and yeast rolls), loading up the car, and enjoying dinner in Philly with the family.  This year will be the 10th Thanksgiving Day I've spent with my husband's family.  I still can't believe we've been together this long... we go way back!

I'm not in charge of the big meal for Thanksgiving, but if you are in need of some holiday cooking assistance, my favorite grocery store in the world is hosting their third annual Chefs On Call program for Thanksgiving.  You can reach a ShopRite chef at 1-800-SHOPRITE to get assistance with your holiday cooking drama.  Read more about it here.

On to the next major holiday...

Although I said I wasn't going to go "all out" for Christmas, we've already started decorating.  Last year we hosted Christmas at our home and while it was fun I was quite stressed and I wanted to be a bit more low key in 2010.  In spite of my reluctance to let things get "out of hand" (too many gifts, too many parties, etc.) we've decided to go ahead and put the decorations up before Thanksgiving.  We have a small home and the Christmas stuff looks much better decking our halls than it does stacked up in the basement.  Plus, it makes me smile.

The living room bookshelf... I picked up these holiday letter blocks and battery operated candles at Costco last month.

Our circa 1987 artificial Christmas tree.  This thing has traveled with our family from New Jersey to three houses in Delaware... decorations coming soon.
Happy Thanksgiving!  Do you have any special plans for this holiday?  Does anyone else bookmark tons of recipes and dream about menu planning?  How about those Black Friday sales?

I'm off do do my pre-Thanksgiving loop of Costco, Target, and ShopRite.  Yes, I've already hit up those stores at least two times this week, but there's always something last minute... you know how it is!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Stuffed French Toast with Cranberry Cream


It's Thanksgiving week!  I don't love cranberry sauce with my turkey, but I do love cranberries, so here's a way to use up any leftover cranberry sauce after the big holiday.  Or, of course, you can just buy yourself a can of whole berry cranberry sauce and go to town with this one.

E and I were on our weekly grocery date and we ended up at Costco where they were sampling a pre-made stuffed French toast.  We took one bite, looked at eachother and quickly walked away before we gave in to our weakness and ate all the samples.  I decided to try to make a version at home and I think my version is just as good, or even better than the one we sampled.

I used sourdough bread for my French toast.  You could absolutely use regular white bread or Italian bread, but I love the tang of sourdough.  It kinda matches the tang of cream cheese.  I picked up this loaf (which wasn't on sale, but was worth the full purchase price) of Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Soft Sourdough Bread at ShopRite. 


I love using sourdough bread for grilled cheese, too, but that's another story.

I made a filling of Neufchatel cheese (a.k.a. reduced fat cream cheese), powdered sugar, cranberry sauce, and orange zest.  I spread the filling onto the bread and made sandwiches...


I dipped each sandwich in an egg batter made with milk and lemon extract.  I didn't use cinnamon because I wanted a clean, fresh, fruity aroma and flavor.  While I grilled the French toast I made a quick compote of cranberry sauce and orange juice.  I simmered the compote and then poured it over the warm French toast.  It was heavenly.  Both sweet and tart at the same time.  Much better choice than maple syrup.


This breakfast was so rich that we each only ate one piece of stuffed French toast (sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with hot cranberry compote).  So rich, in fact, that we didn't even serve it with bacon.  All we needed was a fresh cup of coffee.  Heavenly.


Stuffed French Toast with Cranberry Cream
a Keeley original
Serves 4

For the French Toast
8 slices of sourdough sandwich bread (soft bread, I use Pepperidge Farm)
4 ounces (1/2 package) of neufchatel cheese, softened (a.k.a. reduced fat cream cheese, or just regular cream cheese)
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for topping
2 Tablespoons whole berry cranberry sauce
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Cranberry Compote
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
3 Tablespoons orange juice

French Toast
In a small/medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and orange zest (a hand mixer works well to get a creamy consistency).

Divide the cream cheese filling evenly among 4 slices of bread.  Spread to cover the bread (leaving about 1/2" border on all sides).  Top each of the 4 slices with a plain slice of bread to make four sandwiches.

In a shallow bowl, whip together the eggs, milk, and lemon extract.  (I use a pie pan.)  Dip each sandwich in the egg mixture.  Make sure to dip both sides and let it sit in the egg for about 15 seconds... any longer and it may get soggy.

Preheat a griddle pan (or nonstick skillet) to medium/high and spray with nonstick spray.  Grill the French toast for about 2 minutes per side, slice each piece on a diagonal and serve immediately with powdered sugar and cranberry compote.

Cranberry Compote
Combine cranberry sauce and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for 5 minutes or until simmering, stirring frequently.  Serve hot over French toast (or buttermilk pancakes or waffles..)

Friday, November 19, 2010

Basic Fried Rice


As much as I've been told that brown rice is a better choice for your health, I admit that I really like fried rice with my Chinese (and even Japanese) food.  Granted, during the work week I'll usually go with the healthy choice, but when I'm home on the weekends, all bets are off.  The fried rice just may be the best part of Chinese takeout.

Ever since I've been experimenting with stir fries like Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans, Thai-Style Fried Rice, and Lighter General Tso's Chicken I've been trying to step my game up on the Asian flavor profile.  Of course, I then realized that while I've been spending time experimenting with all kinds of sauces and condiments that I hadn't tried the most basic, non-authentic take-out food:  fried rice.

As the name states, this rice is really basic.  You could make it a full meal by stirring in some cooked shrimp or some (thawed and  heated) frozen peas and carrots.  This is the way I make the rice when I don't feel like digging in the freezer for anything else.  Typically I've just prepared some stir fry that includes a protein and a vegetable and I feel like using my wok one more time before I throw it in the sink where it will sit until the next morning


I always use my wok (which was less than $20 at Costco), but I suppose you could use any high-sided pan.  Of course, if you're going to get serious about this recipe you'll want to just commit to the wok.  The key to this recipe is constant, high heat and fast cooking.  You need to have everything chopped and ready to go because this is five minutes from start to finish.

Please use real butter for this recipe.  It really makes a difference in the flavor.  I use reduced sodium soy sauce and you should adjust the soy sauce to suit your taste. 

Basic Fried Rice
a Keeley original
serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as an entree (add some vegetables and protein to make it a real meal)

Ingredients
4 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 egg
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat a wok to medium/high and turn on the vent over your stove.  Add the butter to the hot wok and let it sizzle for 30 seconds, or until melted. 

Add the onions and stir fry until onions are lightly browned, about one minute.  Crack the egg into the skillet and scramble it for 30 seconds (until soft-cooked) with the onion. 

Increase heat to high and add rice.  Stir rice with onions in egg.  Pour in soy sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.  Once all ingredients are well mixed (rice will be light brown), let rice sit over high heat without stirring for one minute.  Reduce heat and stir rice.  Some of the rice will be browned.  Check for salt (add more soy sauce, if desired) and serve immediately.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Sticky Buns, Barefoot Contessa Style


I love Ina Garten.  When I get a chance to sit down and watch The Barefoot Contessa (preferably in high definition) on The Food Network I drool and watch in awe as she makes preparing the most beautiful food look so easy.  She just makes me want to have a party.


I also love breakfast breads, especially sticky buns, so I knew I had to try her recipe.  This recipe is from her Back to Basics book (which isn't her latest) and I found that it has similar flavors to my Easy Sticky Buns recipe.  Very, very similar, but the Ina's cute presentation of perfect little cinnamon rolls (formed in a muffin tin) may be a bit more impressive than my ring of pull apart sweet bread.  Also, this version is considerably sweeter. So sweet that it forms a crispy, candy-like coating on some areas.  The topping reminds me of toffee.  Very good, very sweet.  I definitely had to limit myself to two.


This was my first time working with frozen puff pastry.  My mother (who often shares meals with us) doesn't like puff pastry and I could care less about it, so I hadn't ventured into the world of flaky crusts.  The puff pastry was really easy to use and this sticky bun is great if you like a light, flaky pastry.  I found this delicious, but I thought it would be even better with a traditional, soft bread dough.  Just sayin'.

If you're a sticky bun connoisseur, give both my recipe and Ina's a try.  Feel free to leave out the raisins or the nuts.  I've done it with and without both.  I'm wondering which you'll find easier.  Mine requires planning and preparation the night before, but less labor in assembly.  Ina's comes together all at once, but doesn't have the soft, traditional bread dough I enjoy in a sticky bun.  Then again, can you really go wrong with a sticky bun?


Sticky Buns, Barefoot Contessa Style
slightly modified from Easy Sticky Buns
yield 12 sticky buns

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the nuts evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - the hot buns are like molten lava! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.  Some of the filling will stick to the muffin tins.  Just scoop it out carefully and put it back on top of the buns.  Serve warm.

Monday, November 15, 2010

White Bean and Chicken Chili


Cold weather is chili weather, so here's a variation on traditional chili.  This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis's latest book, Giada at Home and she's also featured this recipe on her Food Network show.  I picked up the book (at full retail price, ouch!) at the NYC Wine and Food Festival last month and this is the first recipe I've tried.  E and I really enjoyed it and we ate the leftovers for lunch over a few days. 

Although I will eat beef in chili, beef isn't my favorite food, so I was delighted to find a good recipe for chili that uses lean chicken and plenty of vegetables.  I modified Giada's recipe to suit the ingredients we had on hand.


White Bean and Chicken Chili
Slightly modified from Giada De Laurentiis's White Bean and Chicken Chili
 

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup half and half
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Directions
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in half and half.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving, OCD-Style

Ah, the holidays are upon us!  We have less than two weeks until Thanksgiving and just six weeks until Christmas.  Am I the only one who is both excited and stressed?

A coworker just shared this post on Back To San Diego with me.  If you ever thought your Thanksgiving was crazy, imagine being invited to dinner at this woman's home.  Yikes!

What are your Thanksgiving plans?  We'll be celebrating with my husband's side of the family and believe it or not this will be the tenth Thanksgiving that I've spent with them!  They really put out a nice spread and it's E's favorite holiday.

Have a great weekend!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Homecoming Blogger Get-Together


I graduated from college more than a few years ago, but this weekend was the first time I participated in any Homecoming activity.  I don't live too far from my alma matter, but I tend to get too caught up in life and its obligations to enjoy homecoming festivities.  I decided to attend an activity this year because three of my blogger friends are also graduates of the University of Delaware, so it was a great excuse for a blogger get-together.

We chose to meet up for Blue Hens on Main where we donned our complimentary alumni scarves and headed out for a late evening of junk food and drinks.  I remember Latoya from college, but Bernadette and Hillary were new friends (although we all read each other's blogs).

Latoya, Hillary, Bernadette, and me

We visited a few restaurants and bars, tried a few signature drinks, and ate some unhealthy junk food.  I stayed up way past my bedtime and we ended the evening with an alumni breakfast buffet on campus.

The Blue Hen Cocktail (blue curacao, coconut rum, pineapple juice) was the signature drink.
 
Nadette with a Blue Hen Martini

E was the only guy in the group, hope we didn't drive him crazy!
Some random dude asked if we were in a sorority because we all had matching scarves.  No, we're not in a sorority, we're just a group of alumni trying to relive our days of staying out late and walking the streets on campus!  I learned that I can't eat junk late at night or stay up past midnight anymore... I'm still tired!

The following day Nadette, Hillary, and Latoya came over to my house where we enjoyed some bacon macaroni and cheese (the best I've made, so I'll need to update that recipe). 

Zelda just wouldn't look at the camera!

Zelda and Milo loved Hillary... I'm sure her dogs will love knowing their mommy was hanging with other pups!

I had a fun weekend... now I just need to catch up on my sleep and get ready to have a productive week!  Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

P.S.
Wanna hear Nadette's take on our homecoming weekend?  Read about it here.  Latoya had a little something to say, too.  Check her out here.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Halloween Bark


Do you have any Halloween candy laying around the house?  We don't because somebody in this house is a junk food monster.  I had to purchase the candy just two days before Halloween and leave a stash in my office as backup because somebody loves candy a bit too much.  Ahem.

Well, let's say you do have candy left. Halloween Bark is a great way to use up those little odds and ends! 


What's a "bark"?  At Christmas there's peppermint bark (the variety at Williams-Sonoma is my mom's favorite), some people make almond bark... it's basically chocolate topped with nuts, more chocolate, or candy and then broken into pieces.  It's easy to make and it looks festive.

This was featured in the October 2010 issue of Bon Appetit.  Of course, I misplaced my October issue (maybe it's in the car?), but I kept seeing people making this all over the food blogisphere, so I had to try it, even if I am a bit late.

Since I misplaced my magazine I had to improvise with what I had so here's what I did:

I chopped up about two cups of assorted candy and some nuts.  Use whatever you like.  If you use candy that you don't like, you won't like your Halloween Bark. 


Melt 8 ounces of Bakers Semisweet Chocolate in the microwave.  Of course, you could use a much more expensive brand, but Bakers is easy to find and I had it in my pantry.  I chose semisweet chocolate because there's more than enough sugar in the other ingredients.  I felt that milk chocolate would be overkill.  But if milk or white chocolate is your thing, go for it.

I lined a baking sheet with wax paper then covered it with a big puddle of melted chocolate.  Mmmm...


At this point anything you pour on will stick, so just evenly spread out your candy.  You could even add pretty sprinkles.  (Think red and green for Christmas!)

Slide the entire pan into the fridge and let it chill for an hour.  After it hardens, break it into random pieces and you have Halloween Bark!


No baking and no drama.  Pretty easy, right?  This recipe makes about 10-12 decent sized pieces.  Even the candy monster at my house hasn't eaten it all yet.  It's pretty sweet.

Halloween Bark
adapted from the October 2010 issue of Bon Appetit 

One 8-ounce package of Baker's Semisweet Chocolate
2 cups of assorted candy and nuts, chopped

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Chop up the semisweet chocolate and put it in a microwave-safe bowl.  Cook it at 1 minute intervals (stirring after each minute) until chocolate is melted. 

Pour melted chocolate onto the wax paper.  Top with chopped candy and nuts.  Refrigerate for one hour.

Break Halloween Bark into pieces.  Store in the refrigerator.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

As I've mentioned before, I love Asian flavors.  I particularly enjoy stir fries because I can load them with healthy, fresh vegetables and they cook very quickly.  Over the past few years I've learned how to whip up a tasty (and probably healthier) stir fry dish over rice at home in less time than it takes for Chinese delivery.

A few years ago I bookmarked this recipe from Emeril Lagasse and forgot about it.  It resurfaced in my recipe file a while ago, I tried it, we loved it, and now it's our go-to recipe for stir fry.

This recipe is super simple if you have the proper ingredients on hand.  When I first tried this recipe in 2007 I had a difficult time finding Sriracha sauce, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and hoisin sauce at the grocery store.  I'm happy to say that these ingredients are now so common (at least in my area) that I can buy them at Target and Wal-Mart, as well as my regular grocery store (shout out to ShopRite!).

The Asian condiment lineup
The key to a successful stir fry is a hot wok and having all your ingredients lined up and ready to go.  When I first started making this recipe I didn't own a wok, but I ended up buying a non-stick wok at Costco (some people don't recommend non-stick, but it worked for my budget) for under $20.  You can make this in a broad skillet, but I think the wok is worth the investment, especially if you plan on making fried rice... which would be a very delicious future recipe post.

Have everything ready to go... this cooks quickly!
I like to do the prep (mixing sauces, trimming veggies, slicing raw meat) the night before (or whenever I have time) so I can just throw dinner together in 15 minutes when I get home from work.

Get creative with this one.  We've added broccoli, carrots, onions, pork, seafood... it's whatever you'd like it to be.  We seldom have leftovers because a wok can only cook about 2-4 servings at a time.  We're greedy.  We eat two servings each, but we don't feel bad about it because it has green beans and that's got to be healthy, right?

It smells great, too.
Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans
adapted from Emeril's Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
Reduced sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon Asian spice blend (sometimes called “Chinese 5-Spice”)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon lightly toasted white sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons roasted garlic-red pepper sauce (I use Sriracha)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a bowl, combine the chicken, 4 1/2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, and Asian spice blend. Toss to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, red pepper sauce, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken. Spread the chicken out over the bottom of the pan and let sear for one minute. Begin stirring constantly, cook until brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beans and stir-fry until wrinkled, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add sauce mixture. Stir to coat, and cook for 1 minute. Top with toasted sesame seeds. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, over white or basmati rice.
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