Easy Garlic Chicken

I am always cruising Pinterest looking for new recipes, I found this recipe,  and was excited to try it. My husband and I love garlic, so it was right up our alley.  It is very easy and very delicious.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
additional herbs and spices, as desired

(the above is for 4 breasts, I cut the ingredients in half to make just 2 breasts, although I left the amount of garlic the same)

Preheat oven to 450°F Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.

In small saute pan, saute garlic with the oil until tender.

Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Add additional herbs and spices as desired.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. .Place breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.

Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken.

Beef and Broccoli

One of our favorite dishes at Chinese Restaurants is Beef and Broccoli.  We love it, especially when it is well made, I admit we are picky.  I don't like my beef breaded and I don't like too much sauce.

We made this recipe and it was SOOO good, better than any I have ever eaten at a Restaurant.  To me the key is tons of Ginger, it really makes the difference.  I also added sliced sweet onion and some chopped carrots.

1/3 cup oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1/3 cup sherry
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

3/4 pound beef round steak, cut into 1/8-inch thick strips
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed
1 thin slice of fresh ginger root (I chopped an entire finger of Ginger after I peeled it)
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed (I did 4 Garlic cloves)
1 pound broccoli, cut into florets
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 onion sliced thinly

Directions

Whisk together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Place the steak pieces into a shallow bowl, pour the oyster sauce mixture over the meat, stir to coat well, and marinate for at least 30 minutes in refrigerator.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and stir in the ginger and garlic.

Stir in the broccoli, carrot and onion and toss and stir in the hot oil until bright green and almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the wok, and set aside.

Pour a little more oil into the wok, if needed, and stir and toss the beef with the marinade until the sauce forms a glaze on the beef, and the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Return the cooked vegetables to the wok, and stir until the meat and broccoli are heated through, about 3 minutes.