lovin' some fake-out take-out - hot & sour soup

first of all - i love this woman's blog! she is part of my inspiration to start my own. she is adorable and has some great looking recipes. this is the first one i have tried, and i have to admit... at first i was skeptical that it would even taste similar - but it was SO good! now, i love me some hot & sour soup - the hubs... not so much. ;) so i made it for lunch today, and i am so glad i did! i am already craving it for dinner! it tastes similar to PF Changs. just a few notes: it calls for 1 cup of low sodium soy sauce - i ran out of the low sodium and regular at about 3/4 cup, but i substituted the last 1/4 cup with teriyaki sauce and it was still delicioso! :) also - i cut my chunks of chicken a bit too big... i would cut them really small next time. the last two changes were that i used a little less tofu, and i used a bit of sesame seed oil to fry the chicken to add flavor! ok, time to spill the beans! here is the recipe & link:

http://www.mylifeasamrs.com/2011/05/hot-and-sour-soup-fake-out-talk-out.html

This is how mine turned out :)

This is Tina's - she does wonderful food photography!

Hot & Sour Soup

Adapted from: Food.com

ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, sliced super thin (1/4-1/8 inch thick)
1 tsp canola or vegetable oil
2 pints of fresh shiitake mushrooms (roughly 3.5oz each) - cut into thin strips
1 quart low sodium chicken broth/stock
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2-2 tsp white pepper (i used 2)
1 small can (roughly 6 oz) bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
6 oz of firm/extra firm tofu, cubed into 1/2" cubes
3 oz white vinegar

directions:

In a saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Saute the chicken until cooked through. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 3 minutes.
Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Mix in soy sauce, white pepper, and bamboo shoots. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Mix together corn starch and water to make a slurry. Add the slurry into the boiling mixture until it thickens to desired consistency (may not need to use entire amount).
Add eggs, stirring until cooked through (only 30 seconds or so). Last, turn off heat and add the tofu along with the vinegar. Stir to combine and ladel into soup bowls.
Garnish with green onions and enjoy!

the best chicken in the world

ok so maybe you have seen the posts on pinterest for the "World's Best Chicken" - well i tried it the other night, and i have to say... it's delishent! :) however... i did it a little different. - i tried two chicken breasts in the oven and the hubs did two on the primo (grill) - the ones on the grill were to die for! the ones in the oven were good too, just not as good. i also put fresh rosemary on before grilling/baking. more flavor! ;) but here is the recipe & link: - you try and decide!

http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/11/worlds-best-chicken/

Picture from the website. I didn't have time!

The World’s Best Chicken
Serves 4

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, syrup, and vinegar. Place chicken breasts into 9×13 baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. - Pour mustard mixture over chicken. No need to marinate. I love that because I hate marinating/often forget to until it’s too late. - Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Season with rosemary. Prepare for people to ask you to make it again.