Grilled Chicken with Asian Slaw

Another good idea from SO. I think it came about because we had half a cabbage left in the fridge. The first half of it went to "Lazy Man's Cabbage Rolls" last week, which should be another post. In any case, this was easy to throw together and very delicious. Has that Asian flair from the 5 spice on the chicken, and the dressing is slightly spicy with fresh cilantro and ginger and a few of the "usual" flavours like rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and a bit of hot sauce. Round it out with some Edamame, peanuts, and some sprouts.

Grilled Chicken with Asian Slaw

Everything about this has a fresh taste - the grated carrot, the fresh cilantro, the sprouts. Kind of an Asian take on the Chicken Caesar in a way. I've never been a big lettuce fan, but this I could eat every week.

Next time: I would crank up the spice a bit. The sprouts give it some crunch, but maybe a sprinkle of those dried chow mein noodles would help.

Me: 9/10
SO: 9.5/10
SSO: n/a

CrunchyWhole Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

So I was sitting in line at the car wash and got the urge for peanut butter cookies. Yes, a bit random. But it was such a nice day after a really long spell of super cold weather, and the car really needed a wash. But back to the cookies. I think what got me on the idea was my trip to the grocery store before the car wash. Peanut butter was on sale, $2.99 for a 1kg jar, which is close to half price - which is why I got a smooth and a crunchy.  I'm the only one who likes crunchy in the family so had to get both. Incidentally, I almost got a jar of Skippy instead of the usual Kraft, because lately we've been listening to and singing that Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars song "Uptown Funk" featuring the best music lyrical passage for a long time:

Wait a minute
Fill my cup put some liquor in it
Take a sip, sign a check
Julio! Get the stretch!
Ride to Harlem, Hollywood, Jackson, Mississippi
If we show up, we gon’ show out
Smoother than a fresh jar of skippy

We laugh every time we hear it. But the Skippy wasn't half price, so no go.

Now, how to be inventive...let's try crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth, maybe whole wheat flour instead of regular, dark brown sugar, some oats, and maybe some freshly ground nutmeg. As a friend likes to say, "how bad could it be"?  Uttering that sentence is usually prelude to disaster, so we'll see what happens.  Here's what they look like going into the oven:

cookies about to go into the oven

...and....here's what they look like coming out of the oven:

Crunchy Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies

Next Time: would try to make them a bit chewier, so a big more brown sugar, maybe an extra egg, and a bit less fat (or a bit more flour instead)

Me: 9/10

SO: 10/10

SSO: 8/10

Yet another Hummus recipe

Not sure what possessed me to make hummus again. And then actually blog about it. If you check Instagram, Pinterest, or even Twitter these days, there abounds many recipes for hummus - many of which don't even contain chick peas. There is also many a substitute for the tahini, or just plain strange additions like peppers, peanut butter, beets, ginger, pretty much anything.

I like a more traditional hummus with actual garbanzo beans, tahini, and lemon juice. I do like experimenting though, so I added black beans, jalapenos, and chili flakes. I figure SSO won't eat this anyway so might as well spice it up a bit. So I guess I'm no different than all those others - time to get an Instagram account.  On a side note, I haven't bothered with that since a) it is a lot of work self-promoting yourself, and let's face it that's what you have to do - I mean why bother otherwise; and b) although I'm a decent photographer when it comes to my family or landscapes or whatever, I can't seem to take good food photos. I know the theory, just can't seem to put it into practice. This one is a bit better, but I've had some pretty horrid ones. Thing is, I break a lot of the "rules". I usually whip out my cell phone as it is easier, it is often at night so the lighting sucks, and I'm in a rush making supper so no time for setup let alone a tripod.

More or less traditional hummus, except with
black beans and hot peppers

This turned out a bit "nutty", think I was a bit heavy on the tahini. I would make it creamier next time as well. Not less chunky, but less thick. Maybe try for some bolder flavors. It still rocks on crackers though.

Next time: less tahini or more chick peas, maybe a bit of lemon rind or different spices

Me: 8/10
SO: 7/10
SSO: n/a

Peanut and Banana

I'm not sure how it is that I never thought of this before. I used to have peanut butter and banana sandwiches all the time, strangely. Near where I used to work was this sort of deli place in a food court. The cheapest thing on the menu was a peanut butter & banana sandwich. It was fresh bread, the peanut butter was thickly spread, and the bananas where layered in the middle. It came with a small soup, all for I think it was like $4.  Well it WAS the 90s.

Happy Breakfast - jam toast, peanut butter banana,
and a bit of watermelon.

Anyway, not long ago SSO's 6yo friend came for a sleepover.  The next morning, while trying to feed them some fruit, he insisted on having his banana cut in half and spreading peanut butter on it.  Brilliant! What a great way to eat bananas. I'm sure there are others out there like me, but I'm not the biggest banana fan. They are just hard to eat for some reason.  What a way to make it more palatable. While I was at it, I made the whole breakfast "happy".

Next Time: crunchy peanut butter?

Me: n/a
SO: n/a
SSO: 9/10

Toasted Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich

So what do you make when it is late, you are tired, and you don't feel like making anything?  Maybe Asian noodles with beef?  Well that's one thing, but there's no beef, or noodles.  I would have said a huge bowl of cereal or maybe pancakes (breakfast for dinner!), but SO said peanut butter & pickle.  OK.

Toasted Peanut Butter and Pickle

What's not to like about it? Crispy whole wheat bread, smooth natural peanut butter and slices of tart garlicky pickles. Enough said. However, as much as I love peanut butter (satay anyone?) and pickles (is there any better side for a Schwartz's smoked meat?), the combination just isn't my thing. The SSO and I had an old favourite - Vittles - which is a fried cheese/egg/bread crumbs thing. Will write about that another time.

Next Time:  nothing to change

Me: n/a
SO: 10/10 (!!)
SSO: n/a