Roasted Peanut Potatoes

When I saw this recipe on Tastespotting, I was really excited to try it out!!! I'm always on the hunt for new side dishes, and this seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

These potatoes were so easy to make, and were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The flavors all work great together. They are really a great side dish, and they look pretty too! Additionally, they paired perfectly with Thai Turkey Burgers! Definitely a winning recipe!

The original recipe called for par boiling the potatoes first, but I thought that would be quite unnecessary. Why dirty another pot?! So I simply tossed them with the sauce and then roasted them for about 45 minutes and they came out perfect!

Ingredients
Adapted from Dutch Girl Cooking

1 pound potatoes (I used about 5 small/medium potatoes)
3 tbsp peanut butter
5 tbsp chicken broth (I didn't measure, but I know I used less then this!)
1/8 tsp ground ginger (I used freshly minced ginger...about a tbsp. worth)
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 small chili pepper (I omitted)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil
1/8 tsp sesame oil (I added this)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and peel potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2" pieces. Place in large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until everything is combined and a nice think sauce forms. Pour over potatoes and toss to coat completely.

In a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, add potatoes and bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Additionally, toss potatoes 2 or 3 times during the course of cook time.

Thai Turkey Burgers

It's that time of the year where the grill is finally uncovered, cleaned up and brought to its proper place. The days are longer, the sun is brighter and the men are ready to start grilling. That's why I thought these Thai Turkey Burgers as seen on Cara's Cravings would be a perfect meal for my husband to grill up for dinner.

They were quick to come together and had all of the great Thai flavors that my husband and I love so very much. All of the flavors worked perfectly together which resulted in a very flavorful burger. I topped the burger with a Cilantro Lime Aioli which lent itself perfectly to the flavors of the burger. Honestly, this is one of the best burgers I've personally had; I absolutely loved it. But while my husband said he liked it, he didn't think that it could compete with an old fashioned beef and cheese burger. Oh, men. But he did say I could make it again which is lucky for him because I am going to make it again!!!

Overall, a great burger and fantastic departure from the traditional "beef and cheese" burger. Packed with flavor, this burger was definitely a winner in my book!


Ingredients
Adapted from Cara's Cravings
Originally from A Good Appetite

1 package ground turkey
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 large scallion, minced
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp red curry paste (I added this)
2 tbsp peanut butter (I used reduced fat)
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger (I used a small piece of freshly grated ginger)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I added this)
1 small bunch cilantro, minced (I added this)
Juice of 1/4 to 1/2 a lime (I added this)


Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and form into patties. Grill burgers until they are done in the center. Or you can heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve with Cilantro Lime Aioli on fresh hamburger buns.

Chicken Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce

I bought a jar of curry paste at the Grocery store and swore I would do something with it, because I had never eaten it before. It sat in my cabinet for about a month or two, until I came across Good Things Catered's Chicken Satay which sounded really good, but turns out it was really great! My husband and I just loved it because it was just so different from what we normally eat. And I finally got to eat curry (which was very good)! This was a meal for my husband and I so I didn't put it on skewers and I cooked it in a baking dish. I also used "my" recipe for Thai Peanut sauce and drizzled it over the chicken pieces.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Good Things Catered

3 large chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise 1 - 1 1/2 inch wide
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp canola oil (omitted, because I didn't have any)
1 Tbsp sesame oil (omitted, because I didn't have any)
Instead, I used: 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp curry powder (I used paste)
1/8 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
2 green onions, white and light green portions sliced

Directions:
-In large bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, lime, curry, brown sugar, cilantro and green onion and and stir to combine.
-Add chicken pieces and toss to cover completely.
-Cover bowl and place in fridge for 1-2 hours.
-Remove chicken from fridge, line baking sheet with foil, top with cooling rack, and turn broiler on low. (I arranged the chicken pieces in a well greased 13x9 baking dish and poured the leftover marinade over the chicken)
-Weave chicken strips through bamboo skewers and place on cooling rack-topped baking sheet. (did not do)
-Place in middle of oven and broil until tops begin to brown slightly, about 5-7 minutes. (I broiled for 15 minutes)
-Remove from oven, flip chicken over and place back in to cook.
-Broil on low until cooked through, about 5 more minutes. (I broiled another 15 minutes)
-Remove, let cool for 3 minutes, and serve with Thai peanut sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce

This is "my" recipe for peanut sauce. It's the same sauce in my "spicy peanut penne" and it's just so very good!

Ingredients:
Adapted from "More Healthy Homestyle Cooking" by Evelyn Tribole

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

3-5 fresh chives

1/2 cup Creamy reduced fat peanut butter

1 tsp Cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground Ginger

juice of 1 Lime

2/3 Cup skim milk
1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl add Peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, juice of 1 lime, cilantro and chives. Set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Put over medium-low heat and let thicken (continue to whisk every so often), about 5 minutes. When thickened, pour over peanut butter mixture and whisk together until smooth.

I poured over my chicken but it would also be great as a dipping sauce.

Spicy Peanut Penne aka "Thai Pasta"

adapted from "More Healthy Homestyle Cooking" by Evelyn Tribole

This meal is a staple in our house. For a while, we ate it once a week. I found it in one of my favorite cookbooks, "More Healthy Homestyle Cooking" by Evelyn Tribole. I got it on sale at Barnes and Noble and I have made so many great things from it! It's like a collection of all my favorite meals...but healthy(er)!

I've made a lot of changes to this recipe...for one it's not exactly spicy because I don't like spicy food. My husband will add some ground red pepper to his meal after I take mine! :) I also omitted and added ingredients and changed some measurements...so I'll post "my" take on this great meal!

Ingredients

1 box of Penne Pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cooking Spray

1 small-medium onion (can be omitted...I use this because my husband loves onions)

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

3-5 fresh chives

1/4-1/2 cup Creamy reduced fat peanut butter

1 tsp Cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground Ginger

1 Lime

2/3 Cup skim milk

1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Bring large pot of water to a boil seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil. Cook Penne Pasta aprox 12-13 minutes, then drain. While pasta is cooking, cut up chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to a medium-large frying pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and cook through. Halfway through cooking, add onions to the chicken and let cook so they are translucent and just start to carmelize. Remove from heat.

In a medium mixing bowl add Peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, juice of 1 lime, cilantro and chives. Set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Put over medium-low heat and let thicken, about 5 minutes. When thickened, pour over peanut butter mixture and whisk together until smooth.

Pour cooked and drained penne back into an empty large bowl or pot (I use the same one I used to cook the pasta in), add chicken and then add peanut sauce. Mix well. Serve with a salad or bread.