When I get stressed, I snack. My go-to vices are white cheddar popcorn, and anything that combines peanut butter and chocolate. When SOYJOY offered to send me some fruit and soy bars for their Perfectly Paired challenge, I jumped at the chance to try to build all-natural recipes for a Healthy Happy Hour.
SOYJOY bars are made from ingredients you can actually pronounce. Take a look at that banana SOYJOY label: soybeans, raisins, dried banana and pineapple, butter, sugar, corn starch, eggs, salt, and flavor. And they’re each only about 100 – 200 calories!
I decided to host my own Healthy Happy Hour, so that my friends and I could each try some healthier snacks. Here’s what I came up with!
SOYJOY granola: 1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt, 1/2 cup chopped strawberries, topped with 1 chopped Blueberry and 1 chopped Berry SOYJOY bar
SOYJOY berry crumble: 1 cup chopped strawberries topped with honey, cinnamon, and 2 chopped Strawberry SOYJOY bars, baked at 450 degrees for 15 minutes
The Elvis: 2 100-calorie dark chocolate bars, broken in half and topped with banana slices, 1 tsp. peanut butter, and 1/2 a Banana SOYJOY bar
And because it’s not a happy hour without a cocktail: I also combined the fresh-squeezed juice of one grapefruit with 2 oz tequila in a glass with a salted rim, for a variation on a Greyhound. Grapefruits are rich in vitamin C, and have many other health benefits!
Feeling inspired? Now one lucky Cooking Catastrophe reader can win a SOYJOY prize pack of their very own!
Enter to win a SOYJOY prize pack!
One lucky reader (within the continental US) will win:
A collection of SOYJOY bars
$25 to create a SOYJOY recipe
Appetizer plates
Inspirational cocktail napkins
Just leave your entry in the Rafflecopter widget below by Friday, May 30th, 11:00PM PST – we’ll then randomly select one winner!
Dining & travel consideration provided by Experience Kissimmee.
At the beginning of April, I took an unforgettable trip to Florida, marking my first time in the state. Whenever I visit a new place, I love sampling area dishes and local specialties. I feel I achieved this in spades when my group ate lunch at The Catfish Place, where I ordered the most Southern dish I could find on the menu:
Fried catfish and shrimp with hush puppies, fries, cheese grits, fried alligator, fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, and a tall glass of sweet tea. I wasn’t too keen on the grits, but I liked everything else, including the gator – which tastes like chicken, of course.
Another novel experience was Medieval Times, a “Dinner and a show” experience where you watch a joust while eating chicken with your hands – no cutlery allowed!
We got a little “Taste” of food history at Chocolate Kingdom, where we got a crash course on the origin of chocolate along with a tour of Chocolate Kingdom’s candy-making facility. I got a chance to dip a marshmallow in a vat of chocolate, which was fun!
Finally, I bought a couple of sticks of Gator Bob’s alligator jerky at Wild Florida for souvenirs. I got it as more of a novelty gift, Jai said it was actually some of the best jerky he’s ever had!
In addition to sending me chili sauces for review – more on that here – Lee Kum Kee also sent me some Ready Sauces to try, specifically Broccoli Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Orange Chicken. A photo of their Kung Pao Chicken is below.
I’m always looking for ways to save money by cooking at home, and these sauces were all delicious and easy to use: all I had to do was dice some easily-accessible ingredients and fry them up. I made a big batch of chicken and beef dishes on Sunday, and was enjoying home-cooked meals with rice and pasta all week long.
My favorite was the orange chicken, which I enhanced by adding the fresh-squeezed juice of 1 orange, along with garlic and ginger — you can see those big chunks of garlic and ginger in the photo above. Those ingredients really made the flavor of everything pop!
I also found myself really liking the Mongolian beef — it was a bit spicier than I expected, though not unpleasantly so. As you can see from the photo above, this is REALLY simple to make: just 3 ingredients!
To make my meals more nutritious, I had vegetable stir-fried rice as a side with most of these dishes. I’ll share the recipe for that below.
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 carrots, diced
5 scallions, diced
10 sprigs cilantro, leaves only
3 cloves garlic, diced
one 1″ cube of ginger, diced
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce
Black pepper, to taste
Olive or sesame oil, to taste
Steps:
Fry carrots, bell peppers, and onions in oil for 5 minutes, until the bell peppers start to soften slightly.
Add scallions, cilantro, garlic, and ginger. Fry for 2 minutes, until aromatic.
Slowly add the rice, a handful at a time, so that it doesn’t clump. Stir carefully with a wooden cooking spoon.
Add pepper, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Cook an additional 10 minutes, until the carrots soften and the flavors are thoroughly mixed.
Everything I tried from Lee Kum Kee was delicious. Combine their Ready Sauces with some protein and boil some noodles with frozen vegetables for a complete, hot weeknight meal you can make in less than 40 minutes!
Look for Lee Kum Kee Ready Sauces in a grocer near you, and be sure to check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube!
As I mentioned earlier on this blog, Annie Chun’s recently launched their “Next Noodlepreneur” contest, closing April 21st. Participants submit creative ways they’ve added to Annie Chun’s noodle bowls, and can win gift cards and prize packs to continue daydreaming up new meals and flavor combinations.
I decided I wanted to get in on the fun, so Annie Chun’s sent over some noodles for me to noodle on.
I received Korean Sweet Chili, Hot & Sour, and Pad Thai noodles. I love everything peanut-related, so I decided to make a totally porked out version of Pad Thai, with Annie Chun’s noodles as the base.
Ingredients:
Annie Chun’s Pad Thai noodles
1 cup ground pork, cooked with 1 tsp hoisin sauce and whatever vegetables you have on hand (I used chopped carrots and water chestnuts)
1 egg
1 tsp Sriracha
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1/2 lime, juiced
Steps:
Combine dry toppings from Annie Chun’s Pad Thai noodle bowl.with 1 cup hot water and noodles. Microwave 90 – 120 seconds, depending on your microwave.
Fry 1 egg sunny side up.
In a serving bowl, combine cooked pork, Sriracha, peanut butter, lime juice, and chopped peanuts and sauce from Annie Chun’s noodle bowl.
Drain cooked noodles, and add to serving bowl.
Add egg while yolk is still slightly runny. Stir to combine.
Here’s my finished Pad Thai. I ate this all within 10 minutes — while the combination of hoisin and tamarind took a few bites to get used to, on the whole, the flavors balanced nicely, and I consider it a success!
Easter is right around the corner, and with it, excuses to make lots of egg recipes. Having spent the past year in the South, my mouth waters at the prospect of indulging in delicious deviled eggs again!
Lee Kum Kee sent some of their chili sauces for review. As soon as I saw their Sriracha and Sriracha Mayo sauces, I knew I was going to have to try to make Sriracha deviled eggs!
Ingredients:
1 scallion (white part only)
Juice of 2 limes
Black pepper (to taste)
5 sprigs of cilantro (leaves only)
3 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Sriracha Mayo
Lee Kum Kee Sriracha (for garnish)
Steps:
Hardboil 6 eggs. Older eggs work better for deviled eggs!
Allow eggs to cool completely. I usually put them in a bowl full of ice, or just put them in the freezer for 10 minutes.
While the eggs are cooling, slice the cilantro leaves and white parts of 1 scallion fine.
Once the eggs have cooled, remove the shells, cut them in half, and scoop out the yolks into a separate bowl.
Whisk together the yolks, Sriracha Mayo, scallions, cilantro, pepper, and lime juice until completely blended and not lumpy – about 5 minutes.
Once the yolks are completely smooth, spoon them back into the halved eggs.
Garnish with additional Sriracha, scallions, or cilantro to taste. Put them on your favorite serving dish and enjoy.
Be sure to set some aside for yourself – these tend to go quickly!
Look for Lee Kum Kee Chili Sauces in a grocer near you, and be sure to check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube!
Annie Chun’s is known for its quick, healthy Asian-inspired meal options that are all-natural and use no preservatives. I’ve picked their noodle bowls up in the past when I wanted a quick, filling lunch while working away on new projects.
To celebrate March as Noodle Month, Annie Chun’s launched their “Next Noodlepreneur” contest — now extended for an additional two weeks! Participants submit creative ways they’ve added to Annie Chun’s noodle bowls, and can win gift cards and prize packs to continue daydreaming up new meals and flavor combinations.
If you’re a Disney fan, check out the widget above for a recipe printable you won’t want to miss: Walt Disney’s very own family chili recipe! Also included are contemporary recipes for yums like Pineapple Upside Down Cake & Butter Cake, created by food stylist Chris Oliver in honor of the movie Saving Mr. Banks.
Travel, accommodation, and most food provided by The Chicago Auto Show. Pizza provided by me. 😉
Earlier this month, I headed to the Windy City for the Chicago Auto Show. As tends to be the case when I travel, I sampled all kinds of interesting food during my trip!
When I arrived at the airport, I was met by a limo which took me to the hotel. It was stocked with beer and Tootsie Rolls – my kind of ride!
To welcome us to the auto show, Nissan hosted a reception the first evening that featured a variety of appetizers, taco bar, and a slider bar.
These were the first appetizers I tried when I arrived – yes, it’s a terrible photo, but I was too hungry to care. 😉 The dim, red lighting in the building made it so that I really couldn’t tell whether the little cone the waiter handed me was a mini chocolate ice cream, or a savory cone filled with Gyro meat. I shrugged my shoulders and said, “We’ll see” – and it was indeed beef and not ice cream. It was delicious, and also hilarious to not know whether I was about to taste meat or chocolate!
Another memorable part of the night was the fact that they had a beer van on hand!
After breakfast, I had a busy morning full of press conferences and displays to view at the Chicago Auto Show Media Preview, from the Toyota Test Track and Muppets SUV to the debut of Captain America’s car. This helped me work up my appetite for the Economic Club of Chicago Luncheon.
We were served a pretty cucumber salad, some chicken that I wasn’t crazy about, and dessert. No one seemed to like the hazelnut macaroons but me!
The Chrysler 200 Snack Break celebrated the 2015 Chrysler 200 by importing 200 snacks from Detroit. They offered goodies from Sanders Fine Chocolates including chocolate covered espresso beans that kept my energy up during the trip home and yummy chocolate fudge bumpy cake that was a big hit with everyone! I also brought home a bag of pistachios as a souvenir for Jai, and unfortunately I’m not sure who made those since we threw out the bag.
Later that day, several friends and I decided to get a cab to Giordano’s Pizza for dinner. I was excited to see another tiny piece of Chicago during a packed trip, and I couldn’t wait to have my first taste of real Chicago pizza!
I ordered a traditional deep dish Chicago-style pizza, and it was everything I could have hoped for! So, so, so good! The thick crust was truly a “Pizza pie” and smothered in so much cheese – heavenly! I was absolutely, positively stuffed after one slice, but I insisted on a to-go box even though I wasn’t sure if I’d have room to take it home. You know how much I hate wasting food!
I was sorry that I was so unbelievably stuffed from the pizza, because they had so many delicious-looking goodies on hand! As the evening went on, I eventually made room to try a Subaru lollipop:
Or to be more accurate, a gluten-free, caramel-coated chocolate lollipop with sea salt. I’ve never been too big on the idea of salt and chocolate, but this was so good that I had seconds even though I was still full from the pizza. I also had an RC Cola Chocolate Cupcake!
After a late night at the party, I got about an hour of sleep and then got ready for the WOMMA“Driving Engagement” Award Ceremony & Breakfast. The most memorable part of my breakfast was the fact that it ended up all over the floor! There were no tables, and trying to eat off your lap while listening to a speaker and taking notes/photos = awkward. The disaster actually occurred before the ceremony started, when I put my plate down on my chair, since there was no where else to put it, and left the room for a minute. The chair appeared to be a flat surface, but apparently after I turned my back, the plate slid right off and splattered all over the floor! Several other media cleaned it up and Louise fixed me another plate, so when I got back I had no idea what happened until they told me. I sure know how to make an impression!
We had a little more time to look around, and then it was time to head back home. Since Louise and I had flights leaving around the same time, we had time to get lunch in the airport. We decided on Chili’s, and I had a very memorable adventure in the middle of the meal. I asked the waitress where the restroom was, and she said something about it being around the corner, but I looked and couldn’t see anything. I had to ask a second time, and she pointed across the restaurant to the rest of the airport, where I spotted a men’s room sign. I made my way out of the restaurant and towards the sign, and I saw that the men’s and women’s rooms were divided by a revolving door. So, I walked through the door, used the ladies’ room, and then headed back for the door when I saw a security officer who said, “You can’t go back through there – you left the secure area. You have to go through security again.” What?! As it turned out, there was yet another restroom that was hidden around the opposite corner that the waitress was talking about, but since she was pointing at a different sign to a second bathroom on the other side, I didn’t realize there was more than one. And for whatever inexplicable reason, the airport thought it was a great idea to split up the restrooms so that the men’s room was inside the secure area, but the women’s room was not. As I discovered later, there was a sign on the very opposite side warning that you were about to leave the secure area, but since there wasn’t one near the revolving door I exited, I had zero idea. I was panicking about having to go through security again since the first line had been so long – will I miss my flight? What is Louise going to do, stuck inside the restaurant with my suitcase? All I can say is thank goodness I took my purse with me, or I wouldn’t have had my ID and boarding pass. Mercifully, the second time through security was way faster and I made it back over to the restaurant in maybe 20 minutes. My food had naturally arrived by then and was a bit on the cold side, but it was still pretty tasty. 😉
That day proved to be very adventurous all around, since I arrived back in Portland to a freak snowstorm that made the roads impassable. Since Jai couldn’t come to pick me up – as the storm continued, Portland ended up issuing an emergency warning advising everyone to stay home because it was so dangerous – my awesome soon-to-be-in-laws ended up braving the road in chains so that I could stay at their house until the snow melted. I ended up snowed in Portland from Friday night until Monday morning! It was crazy – the only clothes I had with me were thin business suits, so I ended up having to borrow clothes from my sister-in-law so I wouldn’t freeze. When the roads cleared enough on Monday morning that the busses started running again, I layered pajama pants with one of my suits so I wouldn’t be cold on the way home! 😉 But the funniest part? I did manage to take my Giordano’s leftovers with me, since my suitcase conveniently has a pizza-box size pocket. I ended up eating my delicious leftovers over the course of several days while I was snowed in the house. Pizza: The perfect sustenance for snowstorms! 😉
Product is being provided as a thank you for this post.
Super Bowl Sunday is coming up this week, and if you’re hosting a gathering, you’re probably looking for some good Game Day dishes to serve. Frank’s RedHot are celebrating 50 years since the first “Buffalo Wings” were created using Frank’s RedHot Sauce mixed with butter, and since nothing says “Football Food” like a plate of wings, they wanted to share some of their signature recipes with you!
Combine barbecue sauce, Frank’s RedHot Sauce, jam and sesame oil; set aside.
Deep fry* wings at 375°F (HIGH) for 10 min. or until cooked and crispy; drain.
Toss hot wings in jam mixture. Place on serving platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Makes 8 servings
*Alternate Cooking Directions: Bake 20 min. at 500°F until fully cooked and crispy, turning halfway; Broil 6-inches from heat 15 to 20 min., turning once; Grill over medium heat about 20 min., turning often.
1 (8 oz.) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
½ cup Blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
½ cup any flavor FRANK’S® REDHOT® Sauce
½ cup Crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans (12.5 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
Instructions
HEAT oven to 350ºF. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.
MIX in salad dressing, Frank’s RedHot sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.
BAKE 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or cut up vegetables.
Makes 4 cups dip
Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.
Tips: You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken.
Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 ½ hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Stir.
Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.
To celebrate Game Day, Frank’s RedHot is giving away a fun little prize pack to one Cooking Catastrophe reader which contains:
(3) Coupons for $1.00 off
(1) Frank’s RedHot Magnet
(1) Frank’s RedHot Blinking Hot Lips
(1)Frank’s RedHot Keychain
(1) Frank’s RedHot Drink Coozie
(1) Frank’s RedHot Tote
To enter, check out the Rafflecopter widget below, which also contains the full official rules. Giveaway is open to residents of the continental US aged 18+ and ends January 30th, 2014 at 11:00 PM PST – sorry, no P.O. Boxes.
Your mother probably warned you about playing with your food, but sometimes it can be a good thing – at least when Twinkies and prizes are involved! Now through January 5th, 2014, Hostess is challenging you to decorate your Twinkies to look like the little minions from Despicable Me. You can download their sheet of printable cut-outs and decorate your Twinkie like a paper doll, or come up with your own design using frosting or other creative materials. Why would I do this?, you ask? Well, besides using up all those Twinkies you stockpiled last year, you can also enter to win some pretty sweet prizes! Uploading a photo of your decked-out Twinkie will qualify you for daily Despicable Me 2 Blu-ray drawings as well as the grand prize of a home theater system complete with a 30-disc Blu-ray collection and a year’s supply of Hostess products. To enter, visit the Hostess Facebook page and click on the Twinkie Minion Makeover tab.
Do you play with your food?
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Ingredients:
