Mom Chef Craft: The Great "Mall 3 Combo Meal"

Super affordable make it at home "Mall" food!

Ok so I didn't what else to call it - but "mall food" is what came to mind!

My husband LOVES the combo plates at the food court, and it's often impossible for me to convince him one of the combo dishes should be a veggie. And I kid you not, some nights I swear he would do anything to go to the mall for dinner - classy I know. And somedays the mall is exactly what we need to let the little guy run around at the soft play (you know, those rainy or way too hot days that always seem to mean the highest of energy days for the kids?!)

But, going to the mall means I will most likely buy lots of things I do not need. I love shopping, and I love shopping for my son even more. So to try to stick to the budget, I ruled the mall out of the question.

This lead me to thinking... "Why not make some of his favorites at home?.. It can't be too hard!"

And so with the ingredients we had in the house, I decided to bring the mall to the kitchen. I even included a sample of the chicken on a toothpick. Sadly I did not dress up in a hat and apron to hand it out.

The 3 items on the menu were:

Brown Rice
Spicy Gren Beans
Teriyaki Chicken

And since its a feast to share, this post will have all three recipes for you to eat up!

Brown Rice
What You Need:
1 cup Brown Rice
2 cups water
1 tsp Soy Sauce

It's simple and we all have made rice. But add the ingredients to a sauce pan, bring to a voil, stir, cover, lower to light simmer and let cook 30 minutes. Turn off heat, stir, cover and let sit until it's time to eat!

I do like to stir and fluff my rice before serving. If you are afraid your rice is too wet or too sticky, pour it onto a baking sheet and spread it out to cool off and dry. This will help it keep a rice consistency versus a sticky goo one. We've all accidently made rice goo. It happens.

Spicy Green Beans
What You Need:
1 lb Fresh Green Beans
1 1/2 tbsp Cooking Oil (coconut or sunflower are my fav)
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder or 1 minced clove
Srircha Sauce

Heat oil over medium heat until hot. Toss in fresh green beans and saute 1-2 minute ,stirring often.(if using fresh garlic toss in now with the green beans). Add the soy sauce, garlic powder, and sriricha and toss until cooked - 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Super fast way to have amazing, crisp green beans the family will love! These make an excellent side dish anytime of the week - and yes, even my super picky husband said to me after CLEARING his plate "I thoroughly enjoyed my vegetables tonight" -WIN!

Sticky Teriyaki Chicken
What You Need:
1 1/2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup Teriyaki glaze/ sauce (not the runny "marinade" kind
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

To start, chop the chicken into 1 inch pices. Next, place the flour, garlic powder, and black pepper into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Place into a colander to shake off all excess flour.

Meanwhile, heat your cooking oil in a medium skillet. Add the floured chicken to the skillet and cook until brown and crispy - 15-20 minutes. By leaving the fat on the chicken you will see the pieces get sticky - which means ultimate flavor!