Sweet and Sour Chicken

By Paul Briand

This is another recipe offering posted on a bulletin board at my health club.

It comes via Food.com.

It requires medium prep, but cooks up fast and flavorful, particularly with the sauce that combines honey, ginger, chili-garlic sauce, soy sauce and orange juice.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 teaspoons peanut oil

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pint small, sweet mixed peppers, quartered, or 2 mixed bell peppers, cut into 1-inch strips

6 scallions, whites cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and thinly sliced vertically into thin strips

8 ounces snow peas, trimmed

Serving suggestion, cooked brown rice

Chopped peanuts for sprinkling, optional

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, ginger soy sauce, orange juice and cornstarch, set aside;

2. Meanwhile, coat the chicken with 2 teaspoons oil and heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat;

3. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes;

4. Transfer the partially-cooked chicken to a plate. Reserve the pan;

5. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan; add the peppers, scallion whites, and snow peas;

6. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes;

7. Stir in the reserved chicken; whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan;

8. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is tender, 1 to 2 minutes;

9. Serve over rice and sprinkle with the scallion greens and peanuts, if using.

For recipe card click here.

Grilled Pizza

By Paul Briand

This comes from my daughter, Elizabeth, who describes this Grilled Pizza as “our new favorite Sunday dinner.”

Here’s how she describes how to do it:

“We buy the dough from the store, put tin foil with a little olive oil on the grill, put the dough on, flip it, then put whatever toppings you want.

“Crunchy and delicious.’

Porco In A Blanket

By Paul Briand

Porco is Italian for pig … as in sweet Italian sausage … as in pigs in a blanket. Got it?

You know pigs in a blanket -- those tasty little hot dogs wrapped in baked dough, then dipped in mustard. So good and so not good for you.

This variation on that theme takes Italian sausage links and wraps them in either your favorite wrap or burrito. You can fill it with peppers and onions (much like you’d have at the ballpark) and you can even add the mustard.

Ingredients

1 package of sweet (or hot) Italian sausage (usually 4 - 5 a pack)

Wraps or burritos (for as many sausages as you cook)

Green bell pepper, sliced

Vidalia onion, sliced

Two cloves onion, crushed

Olive oil

Package of shredded Mozarella cheese

Directions

1. On a grill heated to medium, cook the sausage, turning regularly, until done, about 15 to 20 minutes;

2. Meanwhile, in a medium hot pan heat three teaspoons of the oil and saute the vegetables until they are translucent;

3. Spread a layer of cheese on a wrap and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds;

4. Layer the wrap with a sausage, some of the vegetable mixture, and any condiments, such as mustard, if desired;

5. Roll the wrap, tucking in the edges, and serve.

For recipe card click here.