Healthy Cooking on the Cheap: Ginger Honey Cashew Chicken, Coconut Curried Sweet Potato Soup, and Bacon and Cheese Muffins

Are you ready for Easter? Meals this week are especially quick and easy so you can spend time with your loved ones instead of slave away in the kitchen. Both the Bacon and Cheese Muffins and Curried Coconut Sweet Potato Soup can also be additions to the Easter table, and I assure you that the muffins will be a big hit with anyone, day or night. Enjoy family, friends, and food this week!

Ginger Honey Cashew Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. canola oil

2 tsp. fresh minced ginger

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp. honey

2 green onions, chopped

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (just a sprinkle)

1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted cashews

1. Lay the chicken breast strips in a pie pan or large plate. Sprinkle with cornstarch, salt, and ginger. Toss so all the strips are coated well and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.

2. While the chicken is in the fridge, whisk together the chicken broth, honey, green onions, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drop the chicken in and cook for about 8 minutes. When chicken is done, remove and place on a plate to keep warm.

4. Deglaze the pan with the sauce and whisk well to get up any little bits of chicken stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for a couple minutes and then add the chicken, as well as the cashews, back to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes so that the sauce can thicken and the chicken can warm back up if cool.

5. Serve over jasmine rice.

Coconut Curried Sweet Potato Soup

2 large sweet potatoes or garnet yams, pricked all over with a fork

1 cup light coconut milk

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. garam masala

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Chopped fresh cilantro for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Bake sweet potatoes for 45 minutes or until very tender. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. Blend together sweet potatoes (minus the skin) and all other ingredients. Reheat soup if necessary and serve with chopped cilantro on top.

Bacon and Cheese Muffins

Makes 9 muffins

3 slices bacon

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Fry bacon until crispy, then chop into small pieces. Set aside.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and melted butter. Add bacon bits and cheese to milk mixture, then add wet ingredients to dry.

4. Scoop batter into greased muffin tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until bottoms are golden.

5. Serve warm.