Stir Fry with a Twist

Tonights' Dinner was super yummy! :) YAY! I would highly recommend everyone trying this one.


Orange Sweet Potato & Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients -
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 large orange sweet potato
2 celery stalks chopped
2 carrots peeled and shaved
2 handfuls broccoli florets
4 oz water chestnuts (half can)
ground cumin
ground ginger
pepper salt
garlic powder
onion powder
1/3 cup pouring sauce (see recipe #3 - Lettuce Wraps here)
peanut sauce (see recipe #3 - Lettuce Wraps here)
1 cup jasmine rice
Oil Blend - olive oil with a few drops of sesame oil


Directions - 
Cook rice according to package. It takes about 45 minutes in a rice cooker... but its so easy cause you just throw the rice and water into the cooker and let it go. :) As the rice is cooking poke holes in the orange sweet potato and put in the microwave for ten minutes to steam. Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks and put into medium skillet. add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle cumin, ginger, garlic, onion, salt and pepper onto chicken a mix thoroughly. cook on medium until white all the way through and water is evaporated. Add pouring sauce into skillet and saute chicken in sauce. In another skillet or wok (if you have one), mix together celery, broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts and oil blend together and saute until veggies are slightly tender yet still have a crispness to them. As veggies, chicken & rice are finishing up, cut sweet potatoes into cubes. After chicken and veggies are done combine them with sweet potato in a large serving bowl. Top with almond slivers and serve with peanut sauce and jasmine rice. 


We all seemed to like this one.... relatively speaking. Cohen is a super picky eater as it is already and is very particular on how food looks and what type of textures the foods have. So, needless to say all the colors and textures and new ways of presenting foods is throwing him for a bit of a loop. He is trying and I am proud of him for it but he is 5 years old and is struggling with all of this. He knows that there are certain foods that he likes alot that he can no longer eat and that upsets him, which in turn breaks my heart. Today we had a melt down over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He said to me, "Mommy.... i can never have another pnut butter & jelly sandwich and it makes my heart hurt because that's what all the kindergartners are supposed to eat for lunch." Talk about making me want to cry. So.... guess what Mommy and Nana are doing tomorrow... that's right... were going to figure out how to make gluten free, dairy free, soy free bread so that my 5 year old can have a pb&j like every other kid in kindergarten. 


Coming up with the snack foods and normal kid foods I think is the thing that is going to be the hardest. I am currently freezing peaches and plums and am going to attempt to make homemade sorbet for him tomorrow so that he can have "ice cream" like everyone else. I am also going to learn how to make "ice cream" with coconut milk & cocoa powder. That should be interesting. 


Tallen & Ashten are the greatest eaters ever which is probably the biggest blessing in all of this. I haven't had any problems getting them to eat anything I have cooked. Last night when we made the potato tortilla I made a ton and figured I would have leftovers to make a scramble for breakfast, but between the two of them leftovers were non-existent. Tal weighs the same as Co and is 2 years younger and about 6 inches shorter... and the way Ash is going he is going to be as heavy as the two of them combined very soon. Ash has gained about 7 lbs in the last few months and is just continuing to pack it on. Don't get me wrong though, I am not complaining.... His weight has been an issue since birth and after the bout with MRSA, having to have the picc/vanco for 3 weeks, he has been completely healthy and growing like a weed. It is a HUGE blessing! God has been so good to restore his little body and make it whole and new. 


The challenges are only just beginning but I am trying to see the silver lining in all of this. I know that there are lessons to be learned and blessings to be had. Just can't wait to see what they are.