Friday, January 13, 2012

Quicken, Favourite Movies,

qk-box-hb-130-155Yesterday morning I received an offer from Amazon.com for a new version – Quicken Deluxe 2012 – at a pretty reasonable price - to download. Apparently the new versions are separated into Canadian or US because, I am told, these days the programmes contain so many forms it would be impossible to carry all of them for both countries. I bought Quicken Cash but that didn’t contain all the stuff I have been using for years so I ended up with Quicken Home and Business which was quite a bit more expensive and more than I had intended to spend, however, my version was getting a tad ancient.

Not having much to do and very little on TV, we decided to watch The King and IThe King and I with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. This is one of my favourite movies although I howl all the way through it much to Matt’s amusement. I especially cry at the final scene when the king dies. I always loved Yul Brynner as an actor and another movie of his that I love is Anastasia with Ingrid Bergman. I have always loved the story of Anastasia and like to think that maybe she really did survive the assassination of her family. Even if she had, she would not be with us any more as it was so very long ago now.

The Canadian news, at the moment, is full of reports on the killings of three daughters and a former wife by Mohammad Shafia and his current wife. There seems to be more and more of these kinds of killings and, I don’t care how much honour they consider is involved, in Canada that’s murder, plain and simple, and they should get the most extreme penalty we can give them. If you want to live that way and do that kind of thing, please return to your own country.

I love Chinese and Chinese style food so when I saw this one, I couldn’t resist it either. Peanuts actually make me think Thai, but this is Sichuan style.

Sichuan Chicken with Peanuts

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com
The piquant Sichuan Sauce (which doubles easily) works well with almost any stir-fry but particularly enhances dishes with meat, fish and poultry. When stir-frying chicken, always spread the pieces in the wok and let them cook undisturbed for 1 minute before stirring. This allows the chicken to sear and prevents sticking. To smash the ginger, use the side of a cleaver or chef’s knife.

Servings: 4sichuan_style_chicken_with_peanuts

Make ahead Tip:Prepare Sichuan Sauce (Step 1); cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Recipe Ingredients:
Sichuan Sauce
  1. 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth
  2. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  3. 2 teaspoons black rice vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
  4. 1 teaspoon sugar
  5. 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
  6. 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  7. 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
  8. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
Chicken
  1. 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, or thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  2. 1 teaspoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
  3. 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
  4. 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  5. 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  6. 1 tablespoon canola oil
  7. 2 1/2-inch-thick slices ginger, smashed
  8. 2 cups sugar snap peas, (8 ounces)
  9. 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
  10. 1 scallion, minced
Recipe Steps:
  1. To prepare Sichuan sauce: Whisk broth, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and crushed red pepper to taste in a small bowl.
  2. To prepare chicken: Combine chicken, rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, cornstarch and garlic in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly.
  3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl oil into the pan, add ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Carefully add the chicken mixture, spreading it out. Cook until the chicken begins to brown, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, stir-fry for 30 seconds. Spread the chicken out again and cook for 30 seconds. Continue stir-frying until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Add snap peas and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir the Sichuan Sauce, swirl it into the pan and stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a platter (discard the ginger) and sprinkle with peanuts and scallions. Serve immediately.
Recipe Nutrition:
Per serving: 273 calories; 12 g fat ( 2 g sat , 6 g mono ); 66 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 3 g fiber; 177 mg sodium; 427 mg potassium.

Have a great day
Jo

3 comments:

  1. I really do need to get Quicken. I need to have everything in one place, especially as I have a ranch, raise hay and Great Danes.

    I'm with you, murder is murder and I don't give a flying hoot what your culture or honor system is, in North America, it's murder.

    Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

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  2. Great work and great ideas to learn about some delicious recipes

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  3. I can highly recommend Quicken Sia, especially the Home and Business version as you have hay and dogs to consider. I have been using it for years and really like it. My first husband wanted a Great Dane as you don't have to bend down to pat them LOL.

    I try to provide good recipes all the time.

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