Basil Chicken

This is a simple CrockPot meal. Go away and come home to a hot delicious meal. No fuss, no muss. It's very flexible. Add more chicken as you need to, no need to add other extra ingredients. 

Chicken, I used two packages of boneless, skinless thighs from Costco, about 10 thighs
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 to 1 green pepper, sliced

Optional: Carrots, onions, mushrooms, other veggies you like

Serve over hot noodles or rice
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Evenly space chicken into bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with pepper and basil, massage into chicken. Spread can of soup directly onto the chicken, I use my hand. Don't cut yourself on the can. Arrange green pepper on top of chicken. Cover and cook 6-8 or more hours on low. This meal will wait for you if you're late. Not to worry. 


Chicken and carrots in crockpot. Herbs to massage into chicken.



Spread cream of celery soup over the top. Don't like that flavor? Use cream of chicken, or asparagus, or broccoli. :)



All pretty on top. Time to wash my hands. Needless to say, you ALWAYS wash your hands before you start to cook. Honestly, I must wash my hands a dozen times while I prepare meals. No tool is as versatile as your hands. Just keep them clean. Basic rules; never touch anything raw and then touch anything cooked. NEVER cross contaminate. Better to wash too often than not enough.



Spread a layer of green pepper over the top. Want pretty? Use half red and half green. Have you ever seen the purple peppers in the store? Nice if you are making a raw veggie platter. But they turn green when cooked. :( Cover and cook all day.



Just got home after a long day of school and soccer. Dinner is ready to eat.



Yum! All we need now is some hot bread to sop up the gravy. David got home and asked Jonathan "What's 4 Dinner?" I don't know he said, but it sure is YUMMY! LOL! So, David scoops out a huge bowl. "Yeah, this is great Mom. So, what is it?" Basil Chicken, Honey... Gotta love the kids!

Stir-Fry Pork with Red and Green Peppers

2 lb. pork loin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Teaspoon cornstarch
1 Teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
2 Teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoon Dry Sherry Wine
1 large green pepper
1 large red bell pepper
2-3 green onions, sliced, optional

1.5 cup uncooked rice or
Ramen Noodles ready to cook
(I made two packages of Ramen for three people. My hungry teenager asked for more. You might want to make one packet for each person if they have adult appetites.)

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Toss pork cubes with soy, cornstarch and red pepper. While that is marinading, thinly slice up your peppers and start your rice. If you are using Ramen noodles, you can wait till the last minute to cook them, just have the water hot and ready to go. 

When everything is ready to go and rice is done, cook pork. It will only take 10 minutes!

Heat oil in large frying pan or wok. Add pork. Stir-fry till done. Add peppers slices and sugar, stirring another few minutes until tender crisp. Add sherry, cook 30 seconds and serve over hot rice. 

Couldn't be simpler! And OH-SO tender! 

Enjoy! 
--Marie

I trim the excess fat off the pork loin before cubing it up.

Cut slices, then strips, then cubes.

The soy sauce, crushed red pepper and the cornstarch. Mix well.

Add pork cubes to marinade.

Bell peppers and green onions ready to go into the pan.

Just for kicks, I'm making potstickers on the side. These are Ling Ling brand, from Costco (freezer).

Steam with lid on until water is nearly gone, then remove lid to brown.

Potstickers are almost done, time to start the pork. Once the heat of the pan is easily felt by the back of your hand, the pan is ready. It may look like I'm touching this pan, but I am surely not. My fingers are about an inch above the surface of the hot pan, with oil.

Pour pork and liquids in all at once.

It should start cooking as soon as it hits the pan. Stir,stir, stir.

The potstickers need turning. About now, I'm wishing I had one more set of arms. 

But, I'm good. I can DO this! LOL!

The pork is about done, add the peppers, with sugar on top.

And the green onions.

The veggies in the pot just need to soften and cook to tender-crisp. Time to get those Ramen noodles into the boiling water. Once they are done, just drain and stir in a touch of cooking oil to keep them from becoming a gelatinous ball of wiggly goo. Do not add the flavoring packet.

Veggies are almost there, add the sherry. From here, it's about one minute to done. You don't want to overcook, just boil off the alcohol.

Done... Enjoy!

The Ramen Noodle is a nice change of pace from rice every once in a while.