Sun Dried Tomato Dip

This recipe is based off Ina Garten's recipe for Caramelized Onion Dip. I had a bunch of sun-dried tomatoes from Costco from making two recipes for the recipe swap:  Spicy Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta and Chicken with Artichokes and Feta.  I was having my girl friends over for wine and appetizers, this was just perfect.  And as an added bonus, I got to use the fresh basil from my plant on my stoop.  It has really taken to the Houston heat and I cannot keep up with the amount of leaves it has been producing.

Sun Dried Tomato Dip

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Stir in the basil. Add salt and pepper; taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

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Sticky Chicken Noodle Salad

One of my most favorite dishes is Bun, Vietnamese vermicelli. I love the lettuce, cucumber and herbs tossed with the vermicelli. I drown mine in peanut sauce instead of the traditional fish sauce. When I saw this recipe on JBean Cuisine, I was intrigued. It was part of the chicken recipe swap I did a few weeks back and I put it on my list to make for the following week. This dish did not disappoint. I did make a couple of changes, adding soy sauce to enhance the flavor of the delicious sauce.

Sticky Chicken Noodle Salad

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon cooking oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup chicken stock
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/3 pack of Thai rice noodles, cooked and cooled
½ cucumber, diced
½ head of romaine lettuce, sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons mint, minced

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil and heat for a minute.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to sauté pan and cook, flipping half way through. Cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove cooked chicken from pan and set aside.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for one minute. Stir in tomato paste and chicken stock. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to pick up all the yummy bits. Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and honey to the pan and bring to a boil for 3 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.

Return the cooked chicken to pan. Continue to cook over medium heat, for an additional 10 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked and covered in the balsamic sauce. Season to taste. Toss the noodles with the chicken and sauce. Divide between two bowls and top with cucumber, lettuce, cilantro and mint.

Adapted from JBean Cuisine

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Five Spice Pork Wraps

I thought these were delicious. I saw them on Blissfully Delicious.  C was not as impressed.  He kept cracking PF Changs jokes.  Funny thing is, he likes the chicken lettuce wraps at PF Changs a lot.  He said he didn't like them with pork.  I really did, but I think I might try the chicken version soon.  They make for a really nice and light summer meal.  And since it is already hitting the 90s in Houston, any recipe where I don't use the oven is good for me.

Five Spice Pork Wraps

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound pork
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ yellow onion, diced
½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce, plus more for serving
¾ cup chicken broth
Butter lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, thinly sliced green onions and cilantro leaves for serving

In a small bowl, combine the Chinese five spice, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture evenly on the pork. Combine the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour into the bottom of a crock pot. Add the pork and cook on low for 10-12 hrs or high for 5-6 hrs. When the crock pot is done cooking, using tongs and a fork, pull the pork apart into large chunks. Serve with lettuce leaves, steamed rice, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, Hoisin sauce and chili sauce.

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