Last nights dinner

I love trying new things to eat. I also love to try things that have some of the kids' favorite foods in them, but other things they may not normally eat. Last night I made Szechuan Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli. Oh em gee!!! It was fabulous!! You should know by now that I am a food network junkie, and will try just about anything from the magazine or the shows that I watch. This recipe happened to come from the Barefoot Contessa. Now, I must admit, I watch the show, but I have yet to see something that I say ' oh I have got to make that.' Well, she was making this dish and I looked at Chris and told him, I wanna try that one! So, I got online to www.foodnetwork.com and searched for it. I found it. Now, I must admit again, I saw the amount of ingredients and double thought making it, but figured, why not try it. I do have just about everything on there. It will just take some time putting the sauce together. Thankfully the sauce can be put together before had and put aside. Then everything else goes together so easily! After figuring out what attachment of my magic bullet to use, Chris and I got all the sauce mixed together. Then everything else, came together very nicely! We loved it. Ethan (Candy's husband) came over for dinner and he enjoyed it also. This will be a great dish for potlucks and if you are only serving adults, using a little more 'spice' to it. If you find the recipe on the website, you will notice I changed it just a little bit, because here in Moses lake, you can't find some of the specialty ingredients. But it all worked out great.

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets and stems discarded
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup good soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 cup sesame oil 
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 5 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Rub the tops with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the broccoli florets for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately immerse in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain and set aside.
Place the garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, tomato paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, honey, sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne pepper in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Add a splash of olive oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with the sauce. Add the scallions, peppers, chicken and broccoli and toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

You won't regret trying this recipe. It is wonderful, and like I said, the kids liked it and actually ate it. But what kid doesn't like peanut butter, chicken, or noodles? I even have one that likes broccoli, and another one that loves his peppers. So, it worked out all that much better. Chris went back for seconds on this dish and Ethan loves spice, so he went back for more spices.