I'm Not Pointing Any Fingers . . .

. . . but sometimes I identify with the lazy chef mentality. Food can be delicious and satisfying but I don't always feel like making dinner, let alone making it from scratch. I'm not pointing any fingers but maybe someone else reading this can relate. That is why I was thrilled to find that my friend Rachel and her awesome sisters had started a recipe blog entitled 'Forced to Cook'. Each sister has been blessed with and developed many talents, but enjoying the cooking process is not one of them. But now they are married and supporting their little families and hard working husbands requires a little culinary effort.

So far my favorite recipe has been Chicken Tamale Casserole. We have made it 3-4 times already. So so good. I recently passed along a few of my favorite recipes that I would consider minimal effort, maximum results. I got them from my sisters-in-law, so you know they're good.

Anyway, next time you are making up a dinner menu before you go to the grocery store or just at ends of what to make for dinner, check it out. It has become one of my most visited recipe blogs.

My New Favorite Recipe

Ginger-Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Soy-Sesame Noodle

Well the picture that I took didn't look as delicious as the one from Rachel Ray's website so I am not using my picture. BUT I think that this is the best thing I have ever made! So give it a try (don't be scared off by the fresh ginger or sesame oil - it is worth it).

Here are the ingredients:
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (eyeball it)
3/4 pound chicken cutlets, cut into very thin strips
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
A couple generous handfuls of shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (I leave these out)
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 small head or 1/2 large head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper (1/3 palmful)
1/3 cup Tamari (dark soy sauce - with the international foods)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Preparation
Bring water to a boil and salt it. Cook the spaghetti to al dente.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil over high heat until the oil ripples. Add the chicken and stir fry until golden, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, scallions and cabbage and stir fry for 2-3 minutes more. Season the stir fry with salt and lots of black pepper and turn off heat.
Place the Tamari (eyeball it) and sesame oil in a bowl and add the hot pasta to the dish. Toss to coat, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place pasta in shallow bowl and top with stir fry.