Meals to go

Case #1
Ever go to a dinner party or gathering and dig in to the appetizers? Then you get to the meal and well you wish you had more appetizers instead? Well why can't the appetizers be a meal by itself. Cold cut up vegetables with ranch dressing or your favorite dip and tortilla chips. For healthier chips try multi grain. For my son who doesn't like vegetables and has food allergies he was happy with a plateful of fishsticks. :)

Case #2

Look in the fridge there is little bit left of this vegetable and some of that and some left over chicken. Looking at each one individually it's not enough for the whole family. Put them together and have a meal. Looks and tastes just as good as something you would order.

Chicken Stirfry

1-1/2 cups cooked diced chicken (Leftover chicken or the invidiually wrapped frozen chicken comes in handy here.)

carrots

green string beans

1-2 celery stalks

1 onion

1-2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup diced red pepper

2 Tablespoons oil

handful of spinach

The sauce: In a bowl mix 1/4 cup light soy sauce 1/4 ground ginger. Set aside.

In a pan put bean, carrots and 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook on high heat about 5 minutes till water bubbles. When the beans and carrots look not quite done drain the water. Stir in celery, onion, garlic, pepper and oil. Cook covered for 3-4 minutes till vegetables are tender (or slightly crunchy if you like) Stir in the the chicken, spinach and sauce. Cook for about 2-3 minutes just enough for the spinach to wilt and warm up the chicken and sauce.

Serve over rice or rice noodle.

Note: This is a great way of using up left over chicken. The vegetable can be whatever is in your fridge or what your family enjoys. I sometimes substitute the chicken for extra firm tofu.

Case #3

Tortellini Soup #1

Tortellini Soup #2

This soup is made with tortellini, diced tomatoes, garlic sauteed in oil, chicken broth (or half packet of chicken bouillion). One has a handful of spinach, the other does not. Lovely color and eye appealing. Yet both have no flavor. The second one has a little more but the first forget it's there just for looks. I have made this many times before and there has always been plenty of flavor. Not this time. I blame the tortellini.