Jessica's Joyful Kitchen

* Need to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  Chicken Batter: 1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” pieces) 1 ½ tablespoons flour 1 ½ tablespoons corn starch 1 egg salt and pepper (to taste) 1 medium onion (sliced) Sauce: ½ cup chicken broth 8 oz can tomato sauce 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon garlic (minced) 1 tablespoon ginger (minced) 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon cornstarch fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish) I used basil Step 1: Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil in a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. In a bowl mix together flour, 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch, egg, salt and pepper. If batter is too thick add a tiny bit of water to thin it out. Dip chicken pieces into batter, coat well and sauté chicken pieces in batches in a hot wok, until golden brown. Keep warm until needed.  Step 2: Add a tiny bit of oil to your wok and stir fry slices onions for about 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, ...

3/4 pound spinach linguine or whole-wheat spaghetti 2 cups (about 9 ounces) broccoli florets 2 cups (about 6 ounces) snow peas, trimmed 2 cups (about 6 ounces) sugar snap peas, trimmed 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 scallion, cut into pieces 3/4 inch fresh ginger, finely grated 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 cup shelled unsalted peanuts Cook the pasta in a large pot of water according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. While the pasta is cooking put the broccoli in a steamer basket over a large pot of boiling water and steam it for 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and sugar snap peas and steam for 2 minutes more. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until they become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set them aside to cool. Make the sauce by pureeing the peanu...

• cooking spray • 3 cups old-fashioned oats • 1 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, etc • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup • 3/4 cup dried cranberries, raisins, coconut, etc 1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 2. In a medium bowl, combine the above ingredients; except fruit. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until granola is toasted. I baked mine for about 1 hour, but I like it nice and toasty so start checking it after 45 minutes. 3. Remove granola from oven; toss in fruit and season with additional salt. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack; let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Show

¾ cup (167 g) salted butter, softened ¾ cup (160–200 g) dark brown sugar, packed (use dark for richer flavor) ¼ cup (60 g) granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 tablespoon (15 ml) canola or neutral oil 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour 1½ tablespoons (12 g) cornstarch 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (or substitute ground ginger) 1½ cups (150 g) old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips ½ cup (90 g) butterscotch chips ⅓ cup (50 g) raisins ⅓ cup (45 g) chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup (167 g) salted butter with ¾ cup (dark brown sugar) and ¼ cup (granulated sugar) until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon of canola oil, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and we...

1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika  1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried thyme  1 bay leaf 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp tomato paste 12 oz beef kielbasa or ham, sliced  2 1/2 cups beef broth 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes  1 cup jasmine rice 1 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp Hot sauce, to taste Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in all ingredients, except rice, shrimp and hot sauce. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp and cook, covered, for 5 minutes more, or until shrimp is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with hot pepper sauce.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40–45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 6 Category:  Main Dish ⸻ Notes After Making Add  ⸻ Ingredients Egg Base 3 large eggs 1½ cups milk ½ cup baking mix Add-Ins About 1 cup add-ins of choice: Diced ham Sautéed onion Sautéed mushrooms Diced bell peppers Green onions 4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon Well-drained spinach Cheese ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese ⸻ Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch skillet, pie plate, or square baking dish. In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix with a small amount of the milk, stirring until smooth. Add the eggs and remaining milk. Beat for 2–3 minutes, or until well blended. Stir in the add-ins and shredded cheddar cheese. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. ⸻ Jessica’s Notes Best ser...

3 tablespoons EVOO, divided 1 small onion, very finely chopped 1 1/4 pounds ground beef 80/20 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Salt and ground black pepper 8 slices sandwich bread or challah 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, softened 3 to 4 tablespoons mango chutney, optional 3 to 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard 8 slices cheddar cheese 8 slices lettuce 8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp (jalapeno style) 8 slices tomato Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes. Remove to a large mixing bowl and wipe the pan clean. When the onions have cooled slightly, place the pan back over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. To the mixing bowl with the onions, add the sirloin, Worcestershire, some salt and pepper and mix thoroughly to combine.  Divide the meat into 4 portions and place between sep...