Chicken and Edamame Stir-fry

Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes (would have been faster had I thawed those edamame before), Cook Time: 15 minutes

1/2 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp canola oil
10 oz frozen shelled edamame, thawed (2 cups)
1 tsp ginger root, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 oz Rice Noodles (optional)

1. If serving with rice noodles, start a pot of water boiling. Place noodles in water, remove from heat, cover and let sit while preparing dinner.

2. Combine the broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl until
smooth; set aside.

3. Heat a nonstick wok or a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil, swirl to coat the pan, then add the edamame. Stir-fry until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the edamame to a plate.

4. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the wok, swirl to coat the pan, then add the ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chicken; stir-fry until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens and the chicken is just cooked through, 1–2 minutes. Stir in the edamame and heat through, about 1 minute.

Yields 1 cup per serving. Served with rice noodles.

Results: Do you love edamame beans? Do you dream of a dish that is so full of edamame that you can't possibly taste anything else? Do visions of edamame appear while you are driving your car at night? THEN THIS IS THE RECIPE FOR YOU! Holy edamame, that was a lot of freaking edamame beans. I thought this dish was BORING. The kids wouldn't even try it, and surprisingly, Chris loved it. Go figure.

Crock Pot Pho

This recipe came from Two Pink Hippos

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time 4-6 hours

6 cups beef broth or stock (I only had 4 cups, so I added 2 cups water)
2 inch chunk of ginger, peeled
3/4 tsp anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 sliced green onions
1 lb thin sliced beef (I used pre-packaged sliced meat and only used 3/4lb)
4 oz rice noodles
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Suggested Toppings: per bowl
1/4 lime wedge
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4-1/2 tsp of red chili sauce
cilantro, garnish to taste
bean sprouts, garnish to taste

1. Add all the beef broth into the crockpot. Then add the meat, green onion, ginger, fish sauce, cinnamon, anise, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6.

2. Add the rice noodles to the pot. Push them under the liquid to cook thoroughly, about 15 minutes.

3. Serve immediately in bowls and garnish with bean sprouts, squirt of lime wedge and cilantro. Add hoisin sauce and red chili sauce for additional flavor.

Results: No one liked this except me! I thought the flavors were fantastic. The boys wouldn't even try it, and Chris "just didn't like it." Too bad, suckers...I'll probably make this one again.