Posts by Rachel Schultz

BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

September 20, 2022

If there is one ingredient to splurge and buy that will make the big difference in your at home asian cooking tasting restaurant quality, I would recommend sesame oil. It is not expensive and is available at most typical grocery stores. It really changes the flavor. If you do not have that and still want to make these, I would instead recommend butter. We all know lettuce wraps are good if you are going without grains or gluten for something, but that leaves the problem that I am always thinking of and you are always thinking of. What about getting full?

This batch of chicken lettuce wraps addresses this very question, friends. A big huge skillet of the this chicken filling for the wraps is – filling.  I serve it with some of the scallion and coconut rice that is in this recipe, substituting the canola oil for butter. People were very into this whole thing!

BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
Serves six souls

1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces water chestnuts, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Lettuce leaves, perhaps bibb, boston, or butter lettuce
1 bundle green onions, sliced in one inch pieces
Sesame seeds
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cucumber, diced
4 radishes, sliced
A double batch of this coconut and scallion rice (optional)

In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground chicken in 1 tablespoons of sesame oil for 6 minutes. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, water chestnuts, and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.

Pour sauce over chicken. Serve in lettuce leaves and top with green onion, sesame seeds, carrot, cilantro, cucumber, and radishes. I like to serve with this rice too.

BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces water chestnuts, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, minced
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Lettuce leaves, perhaps bibb, boston, or butter lettuce
  • 1 bundle green onions, sliced in one inch pieces
  • Sesame seeds
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves
  • ½ cucumber, diced
  • 4 radishes, sliced
  • A double batch of this coconut and scallion rice (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground chicken in 1 tablespoons of sesame oil for 6 minutes. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, water chestnuts, and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.
  3. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve in lettuce leaves and top with green onion, sesame seeds, carrot, cilantro, cucumber, and radishes. I like to serve with this rice too.

 

If there is one ingredient to splurge and buy that will make the big difference in your at home asian cooking tasting restaurant quality, I would recommend sesame oil. It is not expensive and is available at most typical grocery stores. It really changes the flavor. If you do not have that and still want to make these,

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A HUMBLY REVOLUTIONARY WAY TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE

September 9, 2022

I discovered this one pot, homemade macaroni and cheese that I added some stuff to. What makes it noteworthy? The aforementioned one pot, the lack of needing to make a roux, that is has the thicker, desirable consistency of oven baked macaroni while being made on the stovetop in much less time, and finally, it does not even require butter, but I do toss some in for taste.

It yields the hearty, baked mac texture I love it so much more than the thin, liquid-y type of mac and cheese.

In short, the pasta is cooked in the milk! And, there is a surprise addition of mustard powder and nutmeg to elevate it.

A HUMBLY REVOLUTIONARY WAY TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE
Serves eight souls

1 pound pasta
3 cups water
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter (optional)
12 ounces cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup green peas (optional)
1/2 red onion, minced (optional)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
Black pepper (optional)
Parmesan, grated (optional)

Bring pasta and water to simmer in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Once simmering, add milk and return to simmer.

Once simmering again, move heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add butter, cheddar, mustard powder, salt, and nutmeg to skillet. Stir until cheese is melted. Stop here if you’re that kind of person. Top with green peas, red onion, parsley, black pepper, and parmesan if you’re that kind of person.

A HUMBLY REVOLUTIONARY WAY TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 pound pasta
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter (optional)
  • 12 ounces cheddar, grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¾ cup green peas (optional)
  • ½ red onion, minced (optional)
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped (optional)
  • Black pepper (optional)
  • Parmesan, grated (optional)
Instructions
  1. Bring pasta and water to simmer in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Once simmering, add milk and return to simmer.
  2. Once simmering again, move heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add butter, cheddar, mustard powder, salt, and nutmeg to skillet. Stir until cheese is melted. Stop here if you're that kind of person. Top with green peas, red onion, parsley, black pepper, and parmesan if you're that kind of person.

Adapted from Todd and Diane.

I discovered this one pot, homemade macaroni and cheese that I added some stuff to. What makes it noteworthy? The aforementioned one pot, the lack of needing to make a roux, that is has the thicker, desirable consistency of oven baked macaroni while being made on the stovetop in much less time,

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THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EARLY AUTUMN (APPLES!) CHILDREN’S BOOKS

September 4, 2022

Welcome, welcome AND I’M EXCITED. Many hours, over years, have gone into the creation of a new series, of which this post is the first. I love managing our home library, but also I think one of the most central, beautiful, and important parts of being a librarian is the preserving and passing on of information. So I know I’m getting a tad grand here at the start, but I love curating book collections (and I don’t discriminate against “lower” art mediums so movies too) that are beautiful or good in some way to share with others. And I am highly selective!

I love maintaining and collecting a home library and I like passing on lists and curations to my friends and readers. In general what I look for in children’s literature (and all art forms) is a piece that somehow captures some of whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of any virtue, praiseworthy – meditate on these things. (That list is from Philippians 4.)

Autumn has three distinct phases to me. First is September, which is all about apples and back to school. October is peak, pure, bright, classic autumn. And then November is Thanksgiving, along with the more overcast, moody autumn, which I love. ALL THREE ARE INCREDIBLE. For organization, this post is children’s books for early autumn (September and back to school) only.

Books that come out into the house annually for a season are going to be powerful for family culture so I want to find good ones. I consider this work to be refining a child’s palette. I am helping shape an appetite for what is good, as defined by God.

  1. Applesauce Day by Lisa J. Amstrutz
  2. How to Grow an Apple Pie by Beth Charles
  3. The Apple Seed by Tamar Cohen
  4. Autumn is for Apple Pie by Wendy Dunham
  5. Apples by Gail Gibbons
  6. The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
  7. How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
  8. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
  9. Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

All of these on amazon (at time of posting) would be $112 to get the whole slate. If you wanted just a few, I’d say the shortlist of the very, very best are Autumn is for Apple Pie, Applesauce Day, and How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World – in that order. But, all of these are strong and over a long time I have sifted MANY ugly or poor ones, even just within the early autumn niche!

If it’s helpful, I put all these as amazon links, so you can source them easily there! If from this list you know of one I’ve missed that sounds like I’d like please tell me!

This post is a part of my very selective curations series of books and movies.

Welcome, welcome AND I’M EXCITED. Many hours, over years, have gone into the creation of a new series, of which this post is the first. I love managing our home library, but also I think one of the most central, beautiful, and important parts of being a librarian is the preserving and passing on of information.

READ MORE

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