Hi ladies, Spring into the season with a delicious recipe and some fun foods too!
Spring Stir-Fry
(serves 4)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut on the diagonal into 1/8 inch thick slices
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons grated and peeled fresh ginger
- 1 pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 3-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
1. In nonstick 12 – inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, garlic, and 1 ½ tablespoons ginger, and cook 2-3 minutes, until chicken loses its pink color throughout, stirring constantly. Transfer chicken to bowl.
2. To same skillet, add asparagus, salt, pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook 3 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and cook 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet; add green onions and remaining ginger and cook 1 minute. Serve with lime wedges.
*Tip – To trim asparagus, bend the stalk; it will break off at the spot where it becomes too tough to eat.
Creamy Caramel Fondue
serves 6-8
- 1 (14-ounce) package caramels
- 2/3 cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine the caramels, the half-and-half and the butter in a 1-quart microwave safe measuring cup or bowl. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 ½ minutes to soften the candy; check the mixture after the first 2 minutes, and after that, at 30-second intervals. Remove the mixture from the microwave, then add the vanilla extract and stir until smooth. If you prefer preparing the sauce on the stovetop, heat the caramels, half-and-half and butter together in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water until the candy melts. Stir until the mixture is smooth, the remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into a fondue pot and set the flame to keep it warm.
Suggested Dippers:
- Apple Wedges
- Pear or peach wedges
- Orange Sections
- Pound cake cubes
- Banana bread cubes
- Marshmallows
Pot cleaning tip – Once caramel hardens, cleaning the pot can be difficult. Here’s a trick: add enough water to cover the candy residue, then bring it to a boil. Before the water cools, stir it to melt the candy and pour it out.
Chocolate Marshmallow Fondue
Serves 4-6
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 (6-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup marshmallow cream
- Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until it just starts to simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the chocolate chips and let them stand for 1 minute to soften. Then stir until they’re melted and the mixture is well blended. Stir in the marshmallow cream. Then whisk the sauce until smooth. Pour it into a fondue pot and set the flame to keep it warm.
Suggested Dippers:
- Hulled Strawberries
- Banana Slices
- Apple wedges
- Fresh pineapple chunks
- Graham crackers
- Pretzels
- Vanilla wafers
