Product Review: When It's Too Hot To Cook (Much)

It's been a few months now since I have been making that daily commute back to the city for work. It's been great getting back into the swing of things, and I am really enjoying being part of a big company again. I don't miss the teeny tiny three person office environment one bit. I'm very lucky to be working where I do. The company is very focused on maintaining a happy environment for the employees and we have loads of social activities like barbecues, contests, community volunteering opportunities and so much more. The company brings food trucks onto the campus every week so we don't have to go far for lunch and have a rotating lineup of options. 

Just this past week the company announced they would be hosting a weekly farmers market on the campus. I was so excited to hear this! That has been the one thing I did miss about my previous job- having access to our small ton farmers market, and even participating as a vendor. Now I don't have to worry about missing out on garden fresh vegetables that I can't or don't grow at home. I can stroll over to the market before getting in my car and heading home.

In my office we do a weekly lunch sign-up for fun. Every Wednesday one or two people volunteer to bring lunch for our team. There are twelve of us, so it's not a HUGE endeavor or a full scale catering event by any means, but just a fun way to be social and try some new foods. During the most recent Wednesday lunch one of my coworkers brought in a salad- Asian flavors with crunchy veggies and crispy wonton strips. Really really good. Reminded me of an old church cookbook recipe I used to make using bagged coleslaw mix and uncooked crushed ramen noodles, but it wasn't exactly the same. She shared her secret "recipe"- it IS a bagged salad, a complete salad kit she picked up at the grocery store, and it was so delicious I thought it would be great to use as a starting point for summer meal in one salads on these hot hot hot no-cooking days!

The Dole Chopped Salad Kit is such a great idea. I chose the Asian Sesame variety, the same as the one my coworker brought to lunch. Everything you need is in this one bag- the salad greens including kale, shredded carrots, sliced almonds, those crunchy wonton strips and Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette.
  

I am dressing mine up with some fresh additions. Chopped scallions, because I happen to have them on hand, and some julienned baby bok choy are going in the bowl. 

Baby bok choy is has a crisp crunch and great flavor

Because I am serving this salad for dinner I thought it would be nice to get a source of protein in there as well, so I am pan-grilling some shrimp, which have been seasoned with Feiny's Chesapeake Bay Rub, and quickly seared in a wok. They literally cook in a minute or two so I am in and out of the kitchen super fast and they are delicious and perfect with the Asian flavors in the salad. 

The shrimp were juicy and delicious with just a hint
of caramelization from the hot skillet or wok

Dinner prep went super fast. I bought shrimp with the peels intact so I had to take a few minutes to peel them and pull off the tails before tossing with the Chesapeake Bay Rub and that was the most difficult part of "cooking." I wish I had grabbed a cucumber because that would have been a great addition to this salad, so would water chestnuts! It took just seconds to toss the veggies in a large bowl with the dressing and extras, plate up a serving and top with some of the shrimp. Done!

Yes, that IS an autograph on the package- because I am a
dork like that. Actually, Adam hand-packages his rubs and
sends them out as ordered so you always get a freshly
mixed batch. 

You can find this salad kit at just about any large grocery store. Of course I picked it up shopping in the city after work, it's not available out here in our teeny grocery store. You definitely want to get yourself some Chesapeake Bay Rub too- get that by clicking HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Fast Food- Thirty Minute Chicken and Noodles

Let's face it, some days all we want is a fast dinner we don't have to fuss with. For some, that means call the pizza man, for others, drive-thru or a deli meal. When you live in the country you often don't have those options. Fast food becomes junk in a box or junk from the freezer. It doesn't HAVE TO be that though. With a little planning when shopping, and a mindfully stocked pantry you CAN get a home cooked meal on the table in thirty minutes or less.

So what is in a mindfully stocked pantry? The basics. Chicken and beef stock. Noodles, pasta and a grain like rice or quinoa. Vegetables. You all know I'm a home canner so I have loads of veggies in the cupboard as well as homemade stocks, but if you don't can, just stock up on a few things your family likes. Some basic seasonings like garlic, onions, a few spices, chicken and beef soup bases. Every kitchen should have a thickening agent- flour or cornstarch, as well as baking basics like brown and white sugar and yeast. Keep a couple packages of easy to cook meats in the freezer/fridge and you're all set!

Faced with starvation this evening, no desire to cook a big dinner, and the closest pizza man an hour away it was up to me to make magic happen in the kitchen with a package of chicken breasts. So..... here is the result of five minutes of assessing the situation and making sure I had what I needed.

Thirty Minute Chicken and Noodles

You will need-

• 1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts (mine had 3, I'm guessing roughly a pound)
• 1 one-pound package wide egg noodles
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• cooking oil
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 tablespoons chicken soup base (or 4 cups chicken stock/broth)
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper

Put a pot of salted water on to boil. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes. Season with salt and pepper. In a large measuring cup place the flour. Add about 1/4 of water- just enough to mix it with a fork until smooth. Add the chicken soup base and water to make 4 cups. Set aside.

Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a skillet. I used my new ceramic skillet and it was awesome!! Add half the chicken and saute until browned nicely and cooked through. Remove to a bowl and keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Add the noodles to the water when it's come to a full rolling boil. Most noodles take 7-9 minutes. Drain and set aside.

After all chicken is cooked, remove from skillet. Add a tablespoon of oil if needed and add the scallions and garlic; reduce heat and cook several minutes until garlic is softened but not browned. Switch to a whisk, stir the water/flour mixture again and add to skillet all at once. Return to higher heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened like a gravy. Return the chicken to the pot. Add the noodles. Sprinkle with thyme, mix and serve!

Wasn't that easy? It was super easy and fast, as delicious as something cooked all day and perfect for a cool autumn night. I recommend keeping low salt soup bases on hand because they CAN be pretty salty sometimes, but this was just right. Some buttered green beans and dinner was on the table in the Little Lake House- I kid you not- 24 minutes. Yes, I timed it!In fact, it all came together so quickly, I didn't have time to take many pictures.  Anyone can have 2 pans going at the same time- so give up the garbage food and make your own fast food!