This one almost didn't make it as a blog post, because it's really pretty simple. But since I've been slacking the last couple of months (or longer), it felt like I should write it up anyway. And since I'd taken the pictures as I went, I figured I might as well use them. Because who can't use a simple yet tasty (and fairly elegant looking if you're serving company) side dish?
A few days ago, I got some bacon out of the freezer to defrost so I could make soup the next day, but when I went to put it in the refrigerator I discovered I'd taken a package of imitation crab out of the freezer the night before and never used it.
I had no earthly idea why I pulled the crab. None whatsoever. Couldn't even find any notes or a bookmark or anything that might offer up a clue as to what I was thinking.
I ran with it.
Do you ever make something, and when it's done you just stand there grinning like a fool from ear to ear, so proud of yourself you can hardly speak? That's what happened with this year's Christmas Day dessert. And it wasn't even that hard! I did go out and buy a set of custard cups (I've somehow managed to live this long without owning any, but it was time), but I should have bought two. Just wasn't thinking, really.
Anyway, I should say right off that this is not an original recipe of mine. However, I sadly cannot credit which cookbook it came from because I entered it into my files before I started making a note of where things came from. It was some sort of diabetic cookbook, but that's about all I've got. I have re-written the directions and changed a couple of things, though.
I'm not entirely sure when I started doing it, but every year at Christmas I end up making a truly ridiculous number of various and sundry baked treats. There are some that always make the cut, and then there are the always-rotating varieties. This year I ended up with six kinds of cookies, one kind of truffles, one kind of bread, two kinds of spiced nuts, and of course my Grandma Brown's Gingerbread.
I got lucky this year and had the whole week off work. Usually I have to try to schedule my baking between long shifts, but this time I could spread it out over several days with my only time constraint being it had to be completed some time between when I got home from work Sunday night and I went back Friday evening. Total win!
Every once in a while I run across a recipe of mine from a hundred years ago, and I wonder why exactly it is I've not made it in so long. This one, for instance, I first put together in something like 2001 or maybe 2002. Long before I had a Facebook page, a blog, or even a digital camera.
I was making a bunch of my Grandma Brown's Gingerbread already, so I just made an extra batch. Not that this needed an entire 9x13 pan of gingerbread. I had to eat the rest. Plus, I didn't have to use an entire pint of whipping cream, so I had some warm with fresh vanilla-cinnamon whipped cream. It was amazing!
Once again, I found myself with some fresh vegetables I'd forgotten I owned that needed to be used or they were going to go bad. Since I was already making Pork Marsala for dinner, I thought I'd add some colour and texture variety to the plate with them, but being me I went just a bit further than normal. What I ended up with was a really tasty side dish that will definitely happen again, with these and/or other vegetables.
Well, would you look at this! I not only had time to cook, I had time to create a new recipe *and* remembered to take pictures of the process so I could write a blog post! And then for the cherry on top, I have time to actually write the blog post! It's a November miracle, folks... Work is usually so crazy busy this time of year I'm lucky if I'm grabbing some Pop Tarts or a banana if I'm not getting fed while I'm there.
So. I decided to call this one Sweet n' Hot Chicken Stir-Fry. I was originally going for a sweet & sour kind of deal, but then I segued into more hot than sour, so there you have it. As always, I skipped the rice to save on carbs (but you'll see later I ruined that by doing potatoes), but you should feel free to serve it over rice or pasta or whatever if you'd rather.
