Baked Orange Chicken

When the craving hits for your favorite fast-food Chinese dish, you’ll be ready.

Photography by: The Eclectic Kitchen

Every once in a while, when I’ve had a stressful day, a night out (like when does that happen?), or its that time of the month, I get a craving for greasy Chinese take-out. Being 15 months postpartum, I’m trying to make healthier choices and it would be nice if I didn’t have to sacrifice flavor while I’m at it! This easy weeknight meal is the ultimate comfort food and is super simple to put together. My friend The Eclectic Kitchen and I wanted to make something fast and yummy that our families would love! The chicken can be made ahead and frozen along with the sauce, so all you need to do it reheat it for a quick last minute meal! I hope you love this one as much as we do!

Baked Orange Chicken

Recipe by: Skylar Edberg in collaboration with The Eclectic Kitchen

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

For the Chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour, or gluten free AP

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 3 cups whole wheat or gluten free panko breadcrumbs

  
  For the Sauce:

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon avocado oil or vegetable oil

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

• ¼ cup gluten-free hoisin sauce

• 2 tablespoons honey, agave syrup or maple syrup

• ½  cup orange marmalade

• 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

• ½ cup fresh orange juice

• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari

  METHOD

  For the Chicken:
  Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with non-stick cooking spray.
  Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  Add the flour to a gallon size ziploc bag followed by the seasoned chicken. Shake the bag until the chicken is evenly coated.
  Add the eggs to a shallow dish or pie plate. Add the breadcrumbs to a second shallow dish or pie plate. Carefully remove each piece of chicken from the bag, shake off any excess flour, and dip it into the eggs first then the breadcrumbs. Repeat this process with all chicken pieces.

Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and bake the for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown and fully cooked. While the chicken bakes, prepare the sauce.

For the Sauce:
Preheat a small saucepan over medium low heat.
Add the sesame oil, avocado oil, garlic, ginger, plum sauce/hoisin sauce, honey or sweetener of choice, marmalade, orange zest, orange juice and soy sauce and simmer for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced. The mixture should become thick and coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and carefully toss to combine. Serve immediately over rice with a side of veggies!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Pop Tarts

Don't miss out on the deliciousness of pop tarts just because you can't have gluten!

Photograph by TheEclecticKitchen

Who doesn’t remember coming home from school and eating pop-tarts directly out of the box for snack? I used to love the strawberry flavor, but always wished it would have more filling AND icing! Because my friend Crystal of The Eclectic Kitchen has a gluten intolerance. I decided to create a recipe that is not only delicious, but easy! I chose a boxed gluten free pie mix to make things simple and even used the lid of a mason jar to create mini pop tarts for the littles! I hope you enjoy one of my favorite nostalgic snacks!

Gluten Free Pop-Tarts

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 package gluten free pie crust mix

• 1 cup cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

• 1 large egg yolk

• 10 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 1 jar strawberry preserves

• 2 tablespoons water for sealing pastry

Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1-2 tablespoons whole or 2% milk (Almond milk would be fine)

• Rainbow Sprinkles

• Crushed dehydrated strawberries (optional but awesome)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Crust:

1. In food processor add your gluten-free pie mix, and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the egg yolk and water and pulse until crumbly dough forms. Dump the dough onto a clean surface dusted with gluten free flour or cornstarch and knead until dough comes together. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disc and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

2. Once chilled, roll the dough into a ¼ inch thick rectangle on a floured work surface.

3. Cut the dough into 12 equal rectangles using a cookie cutter or stencil. You can also use the ring seal of a mason jar instead to make 12 equal circles.

4. Place 6 rectangles evenly across the prepared baking sheet and add about 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam to the center of each pop-tart. Spread the jam evenly along the center of the rectangle making sure to leave about ¼ inch border around the sides. Using your finger, lightly coat the edges of each rectangle with a thin layer of water.

5. Place the remaining 6 rectangles on top of each pop-tart and gently press the with a fork to seal.

6. Make about 9 vent holes on each pop tart and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.

7. Allow the pop tarts to cool completely before icing.

Icing

1. In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

2. Spread icing onto cooled pop-tarts and decorate with sprinkles and crush strawberries before the icing sets.

3. Store finished pop-tarts in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature.

Chimichurri steak

The Best Conidiment you never cooked.

photography by: The Eclectic Kitchen

When The Eclectic Kitchen and I were curating for our blogs, we both agreed that a great Chimichurri recipe was a must. Chimichurri is a South American staple and is considered the “BBQ sauce” of Argentina. This blend of herbs and spices, reaches far beyond a marinade. Chimichurri can be used as a sauce to top grilled steak, as I’ve used it here, and can also compliment eggs, fish and chicken.

As a mom, I set out on a journey to develop my son’s palate. I think most of us are afraid to introduce spice and flavor to our kids, but I’ve found that the less of a “big deal” I make about feeding him flavorful foods, the more he actually eats! We are so afraid to create picky palates, yet we don’t feed them exotic flavors to develop their individual tastes! I encourage you to try this recipe and drizzle it over one of their favorite foods! I think you might even surprise yourself!

photography by: The Eclectic Kitchen

Chimichurri Steak

Beetroot Hummus

You’ll never need to buy hummus again! This sweet and salty hummus is the perfect protein PACKED dip for veggies, chicken or avocado toast.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE ECLECTIC KITCHEN

Spring has officially sprung over here Los Angeles and The eclectic kitchen and I took full advantage of the beautiful colors and blooms as inspiration for this beetroot hummus avocado toast. One of the great perks of having my own blog is that I get to play and have fun with food rather than always being limited by what my clients needs are. Have fun we sure did while shooting this “Barbie toast” as I like to call it.

This creamy hummus truly has it all. It looks like you slaved away soaking and mashing chickpeas, when in fact, the beans are canned, the beets are already roasted and all you have to do is blitz everything in a food processor. You and your kids will love dipping veggies, crackers and chicken nuggets into this protein packed snack!

Beetroot Hummus

Recipe by: Skylar Edberg in collaboration with The Eclectic Kitchen

Yield: 3 cups

Prep time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed

• 2 cups cooked beets, roughly chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 6 tablespoons tahini

• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Pinenuts, fresh herbs and lemon zest for garnish

METHOD

Place the chickpeas In a medium saucepan and cover with water about 1 inch above the beans. Bring the chickpeas to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, until chickpeas begin to fall apart, about 20 minutes. Carefully Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid and drain.

In a food processor pulse together the warm chickpeas, beets, garlic, tahini lemon juice and salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until desired consistency is achieved.

Serve the hummus spread over a piece of rustic bread and top with avocado, flaked sea salt and fresh herbs or serve as a dip with pita chips and veggies! This dip is very versatile and keeps in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Pink Pickled Onions

These easy,beautiful and zesty pink onion ribbons are the perfect addition to your next family meal!

Photography by The Eclectic Kitchen

One of my favorite tacos in Los Angeles is from Pink Taco. They are known for their signature “pink onions” and because I can’t quite make it out to the Sunset Strip with a one year old, I had to bring the pink taco onions to my kitchen! These are not only SUPER simple, but they keep in your refrigerator for weeks (If they last that long)! They look super fancy like you put in all this effort, but they are one of the easiest sides ever. I hope you enjoy this vibrant condiment as much as The Eclectic Kitchen and I do!

PINK PICKLED ONIONS

Recipe by: Skylar Edberg in collaboration with The Eclectic Kitchen

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: overnight

Cook time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small red onions, very thinly sliced

• 1 cup hot water

• 1 cup white wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoons granulated cane sugar, raw preferably

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• ½  teaspoon dried thyme leaves

METHOD

Place the onion slices in a large mason jar, use two if necessary. In a separate bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, vinegar, sugar, salt and dried thyme leaves until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the onions, tightly seal the lid to the jar/jars and allow the onions to pickle in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.

“Cheesy” Cashew Alfredo

It’s Cheesy, yet it’s vegan.it’s creamy, yet there’s no dairy. You’ll never Alfredo the same.

When I first started writing this recipe I was going to write it as a chicken Alfredo recipe, but then I realized how versatile the insanely cream sauce could be! I wanted something both my little one and my hubby could enjoy without having to make separate meals!

The only thinking ahead you need to do for this recipe is making sure the cashews have enough time to soak. Either soak them in boiling water for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge for 8. If you have the time and patience, the longer soak does make an extra creamy sauce!

The second thing you will need is a high powered blender. Once you dump all of the ingredients in, the blender does the rest of the work. Something like a Vitamix or Blendtech would work best. If your blender is not a high speed blender (most are) blend the ingredients until smooth and simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes. The idea is If you blend the sauce long enough, the heat from the blender actually cooks the sauce for you!

I hope you enjoy this decadent yet squeaky clean recipe that the entire family will love!

“Cheesy” Cashew Alfredo

Recipe by: Skylar Edberg in collaboration with The Eclectic Kitchen

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: overnight

Cook time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight in the refrigerator or in boiling water for 2 hours

• 1 cup cashew milk or unsweetened almond milk

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 2 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• ¼  cup finely diced yellow onion

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Add soaked cashews, nut milk, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, onion, nutritional yeast, salt and oregano to a high powered blender on full speed for about 3 minutes until completely smooth and steaming. (If your blender is not a high speed blender, most are, blend the ingredients until smooth and simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes)

Serve sauce warm with pasta topped with chicken or parmesan cheese and parsley.

Miso Glazed Salmon with Garlic Bok Choy

This easy prep-ahead weeknight meal has minimal ingredients with maximum flavor.

Cooking salmon doesn’t need to be boring, dry or difficult! Most recipes tell you that salmon can’t marinate for longer than 20 minutes due to the acidity in the marinade, but this miso marinade actually gets better the longer it sits! This means, you can throw the marinade and the salmon into the fridge in the morning and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes! I call this an “Omega-Mom” Moment!

This sweet and salty salmon will have the teriyaki flavor profile that your kids crave, but a sophistication that will leave YOU feeling satisfied too!

The main ingredient in the marinade is miso paste. It can be found at any grocery store other than Trader Joes (boooooo). It’s refrigerated and usually hangs out next to the tofu and veggie cheeses. Miso paste has a long shelf life. You can mix it into soups, condiments like mayo, and even toss it with pasta for an amazing umami flavor.

I hope you experiment with it and enjoy this delicious salmon as much as I do!

Miso Glazed Salmon with Garlic Bok Choy

Recipe by: Skylar Edberg in collaboration with The Eclectic Kitchen

Yield: 2 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 30 min+ for marinating

Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Salmon:

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tablespoon miso paste

• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

• 2, 8-ounce salmon fillets, skin on

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  For the Boy Choy:

• 1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• Scallions for garnish

METHOD

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, miso paste and ginger until well combined.

Add salmon to a gallon size ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Preheat a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with vegetable oil. Sear the salmon skin side down for about 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and finish by broiling for 2-3 minutes until crispy and golden.

Make sure to reserve any leftover marinade.

Pour remaining reserved marinade into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy, oil and garlic and saute for about 4 minutes until the bok choy is wilted and cooked through.

Serve salmon over rice,with garlic bok choy and drizzle with reduced sauce. Garnish with sliced scallions.

Refrigerator Quick Pickles

Refrigerator quick pickles are a fast, easy and healthier way to make pickles at home in less than 24 hours.

Pickles! You either love em’ or you hate em’. I am personally team pickle all the way! There is something SO refreshing about sitting down with a turkey sandwich and crunching into a crispy, tangy and slightly sweet pickle!

Pickling for me always looked intimidating and seemed like something hipsters in Silverlake were making in on a co-op where they raised their own chickens and made kimchi in the backyard in clay pots. Not that that doesn’t sound amazing, but as your average toddler mom, I don’t have the time or energy to wait on fermented pickles. I never thought I could make pickles untilI discovered the quick pickle!

Guys…This is So easy and the brine just keeps on brining! You can make a big batch of these and use the brine a second or 3rd time. All you have to do is add more Persian cucumbers! You can also use this brine for carrots and onion if your heart tells you its right. If you love pickles, you will love these crunchy little delights!

Refrigerator Quick Pickles

Recipe by: Skylar Edberg in collaboration with The Eclectic Kitchen

Yield: 2 quart size jars

Prep time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 garlic cloves, diced

• 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

• 1 pound of persian cucumbers, cut into spears

• 8 sprigs fresh dill

• 1 ½  cups white vinegar

• 3 cups water

• 1 ½  tablespoons granulated cane sugar

• 1 Tablespoon kosher or himalayan sea salt

• 4 clean mason jars with lids

  METHOD

• Divide the garlic, peppercorns and coriander seeds evenly into the bottom of each mason jar. Evenly distribute the cucumber spears and dill  into each jar.

• In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar and salt until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers and secure lid to each jar. Allow pickles to brine in the liquid for at least 12 hours and up to 2 weeks.