Pad Thai Egg Roll Bowls

I have been trying to eat healthier this winter, from trying Keto, to trying low carb, to more  plant based. But lately I like just eating healthier with less fat and less carbs, no processed foods and not too much sugars and watching my portions.  I ran across this recipe here but I tweaked it just a bit. I found I like adding the Chile-garlic paste to the sauce and again to the turkey as it cooks to add more flavor rather than at the end for a topping. I also buy the Jenni-O ground turkey in the tube. It has a texture more like ground beef than staying separated like some ground turkey I have used before.
We loved this and I'll definitely make it again and again.

Pad Thai Egg Roll Bowl 

yield: 4 SERVINGS prep time: 10 MINUTES 

cook time: 15 MINUTES total time: 25 MINUTES

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 3 Tbs lime juice
• 2 1/2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 1/2 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste 
• 8 tsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Remaining Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 bunch (about 6) of green onions, chopped (whites only, save the chopped greens for the topping!)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chile-garlic paste
• 2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• black pepper
• 14-16 oz of bagged coleslaw mix 
• Toppings:
• chopped greens onions (the leftover green part from above)
• cilantro 
• Cashews, toasted (toast in 350 degree oven on a cookie sheet for aprox. 7 minutes.)
• lime wedges

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chile-paste and honey. Remove 2 Tbs and set aside. Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining sauce.
2. In a small pan, scramble your eggs over medium-low heat, then set aside and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
3. Spray a large saute pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat to medium heat. Cook the whites of the green onions until softened, then add the garlic and the ground turkey. Season the ground turkey with some black pepper, a teaspoon or 2 chile-garlic paste and add 2 Tbs of soy sauce to the pan. Break up the meat with your spatula as it browns.
4. Once the turkey is fully cooked, add the coleslaw mix and the 2 Tbs of sauce that you had set aside earlier (the portion without the cornstarch) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Add the remaining sauce (the portion with the cornstarch) and the eggs and cook until the coleslaw mix has just slightly wilted. I like to transfer it to a serving dish so it doesn't continue to cook.
5. Serve with lime wedges (I love that extra squeeze of lime at the end!), the greens of the green onions, cashews, and cilantro. 
6. Enjoy! 

Veggie Saute

I love a good stir fry kind of dish. I have been trying to eat healthier lately and love putting quinoa in with my rice ... I make 1 cup rice cooked according to package directions and 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package directions them stir them together before serving. Love the little pop quinoa gives each  bite. I watched a "good eats" episode one day and they were cooking with oils... one kind Alton Brown used was sesame oil! LOVE the stuff but a little goes a long way, so when he did this recipe on his show I had to give it a try. BUT I tweaked it just a titch and paired it with my asian meatball recipe (click here for the meatball recipe) and served over my rice and quinoa mixture. Delicious!

Veggie Saute
adapted from Alton Brown's Vegetable Saute recipe

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons sesame oil (found with the other asian foods on the asian aisle)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced ginger (love the stuff you can get already minced in a tube)
8 to 10 baby carrots,  julienned (or you can cheat and buy the already julienned carrots and use 3/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground Black pepper
2 cups sugar snap peas
half of a bag of Cabbage / cole slaw mix (I like the tri-colored kind, it had carrots and purple cabbage too)
2  or 3 green onions, chopped (both the white and green parts)
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar (found in the asian aisle)
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro (*or you can use the chopped in the tube if you like--see note below)

Directions:
Place the Sesame oil in a large skillet and heat on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger and julienned carrots and sauce for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper while they cook. Next add the sugar snap peas and cook for another minute. Next comes the cabbage / cole slaw mix and the green onions, continue to sauce for another minute or two.
Remove the skillet from the heat and drizzle the rice vinegar over the mixture. Toss to combine.
Now you can garnish with chopped Cilantro.
I served mine on a mixture of Rice and quinoa and topped with my hoisin meatballs and sauce.
Enjoy!

**If you are using the Cilantro in the tube, add with the cabbage and green onions so it gets mixed around with everything.

Hoisin Sauce Meatballs

Life has been really busy lately, my mom had an accident and hurt her ankle, just got done doctoring her, and then my husband had surgery, never a dull moment it seems. But I did have a little time to cook, and with it being a new year and trying to eat a little healthier this recipe was yummy. I love meatballs, you can do anything with them and hoisin sauce is one of my favorite asian sauces to cook with. You have to try these meatballs. You can serve them on their own, or in a lettuce wrap with julienned carrots and cucumber would be amazing. I had some salad mix leftover from my Chinese chicken salad (recipe here ) it was just the lettuce mix before adding the dressing. I served my meatballs on a helping of that drizzling with a little of the extra sauce along side a steamed veggie mix. Delicious!!! Enjoy!

Hoisin Sauce Meatballs
1 Pound ground beef
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
2 grated garlic cloves
2 sliced green onions
1 egg
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger

Preheat the oven to 425. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet with deep sides.
Mix all the above ingredients together in a large bowl to combine. Dump the mixture onto a piece of wax paper or parchment paper. With your hands form the meat mixture into a square about 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick. Cut into even squares with a knife; about the size of meatballs you desire. Then take one square of meat at a time and roll into a ball and place on your cookie sheet. This is my favorite way to make meatballs and it's really quick and the balls are more the same size. After your meatballs are all formed, place into your preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes (for golfball size meatballs, less if they are smaller).
While your meatballs are baking, combine the following in a large saucepan:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup hoisin sauce (found in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 Tablespoon Ketchup
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey

Whisk together and bring to a simmer; let simmer for 3 minutes. When meatballs are done baking, place in your sauce, tossing slightly to coat, let simmer another 2 to 4 minutes.
Serve as desired and Enjoy!!

Hawaiian Pork

Goodness! time flies when you're having fun.... and summer is a fun time. I have been eating alot of BBQ, pulled pork and ribs, and all that this summer. The other day I looked in my freezer and all I had was pork!!! Goodness when will chicken go on sale? So I decided to do something different. I had country style pork ribs in my freezer and rather than drown then in BBQ sauce I decided to make a stir fry. I just threw this and that together and this is what I came up with... it was really good for a change and a good way to use up some of my sugar snap peas from my garden and onions. I got the sauce recipe out of my stir fry cookbook, but I substituted lemon juice for the pineapple juice because I simply couldn't bear to open a can of pineapple for 1/4 cup of juice... unless you are going to put the pineapple in the stir fry... which is good too, but I just wanted vegetables. The lemon juice brighten the sauce and cut some of the sweetness I think. Enjoy!

Hawaiian Pork
2 small pkges. country style pork ribs (I had about 10 pieces)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (found in the oriental food section of most grocery stores)
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and Pepper, just a few dashes of each

Toss together the pork, hoisin sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in your crock pot  Cover and turn on high and let cook for 2-3 hours (I let mine cook while I was a church) This will be fork tender (mine fell apart). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then chop or slice into bite size pieces.

( Now is a good time to start cooking your rice according to package directions.)
Now chop your veggies:
1/2 red bell pepper, diced into bite size pieces
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced into bite size pieces
1 medium sweet onion, diced into bite size pieces (I use Walla Walla thanks to my Mother -in-law :)
2 cups or so sugar snap peas, ends removed
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
Olive oil for stir-frying
 Hot cooked rice for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil, when oil is hot, toss in the peppers and onion; cook  over medium high heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crunchy tender. Then toss in the peas and water chestnuts and cook again over medium high heat for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are just slightly tender and water chestnuts are hot.
Now toss in your cooked pork and the  sweet and sour sauce (see recipe below) and simmer until meat is warm and sauce has thickened.
Serve over hot cooked rice and Enjoy!! YUM!

**Next time I make this I will try with pineapple juice and pineapple chunks just to see if that's as good as it sounds. Feel free to substitute any vegetable that you like, it's always fun to experiment with stir fry recipes.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
In a small bowl stir together
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar,
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon juice (or pineapple juice)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Set aside and add when you add the meat to the stir fry.

My version of "Lo Mein"

I love 'Lo Mien" probably because I think it's less fattening than other chow miens. I have a tradition in my family that we always have a Chinese New year dinner with fortune cookies for dessert just for fun. But usually when we get take out or go to a Chinese restaurant, the food tastes good right at first but it's not that great left over, and I always feel a little sick? or bloated after eating it. The last couple of years I have opted to make our Chinese dinner, and I usually buy the fortune cookies, La Choy makes a good one. It's fun to see what fortune you get in them (this year mine said I would be in a new house by the end of the year.. hmmm perhaps with a bigger kitchen!)  I made this recipe for 'Lo Mien" to go  along with Sweet n' Sour Chicken (or I should call it Manderine Chicken) Mongolian Beef, and rice. We had fortune Cookies with Vanilla Ice cream for dessert. YUMMO!

My version of  "Lo Mien"
Ingredients:
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar (or 2 if you like it a little sweeter)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
ground black pepper, to taste

2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2/3 c. chopped celery (chopped diagonally)
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced diagonally
2 cups sugar snap peas
1 to 2 cups broccoli florets (Or you could use a bag of frozen stir fry veggies)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 or 2 packages Chuka Soba Chow Mien Stir-Fry Noodles (depending on how much you want, for my family of 3, I used 1 package)
Instructions
■In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.
■Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
■Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add celery, carrot and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent. Add Peas and Broccoli; saute an additional minute or two until veggies are tender crunchy. Add sesame oil to taste (go with 1/2 teaspoon at first, sesame oil is a little strong, but I LOVE the flavor in noodle stir fries) and toss veggies until veggies and sesame oil are combined.
■Toss Chuka Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
Enjoy!
**You could add some chopped Napa Cabbage if desired as well when sauteing the vegetables.

Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls

I went from craving Mexican food to craving something Asian.... while browsing on Pinterest I ran across a few recipes for dishes with steamed veggies and noodles. MMMM they looked good. I just got hooked to America's Taste Kitchen / Cooks Country, and while browsing that sight I ran across this recipe.... of course I tweaked it by adding more vegetables to it, and I grilled my chicken and then sliced it. But it was delicious and just what I was hungry for. YUM! I might add that it was pretty easy too! I think next time I make it I will add some steamed broccoli or a stir fry mix with broccoli in it just because I can! Enjoy!

Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (chunky peanut butter adds better flavor!)
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Water (hot)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves  (I used 3 large ones, use 4 if they are small)
Table salt
Ground black pepper
1 pound fresh Asian noodles or 12 ounces dried spaghetti (I used whole grain spaghetti--cooked 7 minutes or until al dente)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 scallions , sliced thin on diagonal (or 1/2 of a regular onion, diced, works well too)
1 medium carrot , grated (Use a food processor so the pieces are thicker, or julienne your carrot into thin strips)
1 stalk celery, sliced thin on the diagonal
4 or 5 fresh mushrooms, sliced thin

Instructions:
To make the sauce:
 Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in small bowl. In blender or food processor, puree remaining 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water 1 tablespoon at time until sauce has consistency of heavy cream, about 5 tablespoons; set blender jar or work bowl aside.

2. Bring 6 quarts water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element; heat broiler. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; Sprinkle the chicken with a little salt and pepper on both sides, then place the chicken breasts on top of the broiler pan and broil chicken until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken over and continue to broil until thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.  (you could grill your chicken on an outside grill, cooking over medium high heat for about 7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken)
 Transfer cooked chicken to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice your chicken in about 1/4 inch thick slices, cover and set aside.
Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boil noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. While your noodles cook, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. When hot add the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms to the pan, and saute for about 4 to 5 minutes until crunchy tender.
 Drain the noodles, then rinse with a little hot running tap water; drain again. In large bowl, toss noodles with sesame oil until evenly coated. Add  noodles to the skillet with the vegetables, then add the sliced chicken,  and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with portion of reserved sesame seeds, and serve. YUMMO!

Lemony Shrimp with Asparagus/Veggie Stir Fry

I've been trying to cook lighter lately, since it's been so hot, nothing very heavy sounds good. Tonight, I got out my Stir Fry Cookbook and found this recipe. If you don't like Shrimp you could easily substitute about a pound of fish, like orange roughy, or halibut fillets cut into 1/2 inch thick 1 by 3-inch strips. But I'm a shrimp person, so I used a 1 pound package of frozen raw shrimp. I served this with a side salad, who says you have to be boring when cooking lighter. I used cooked brown rice to serve my stir fry on, but use whatever kind of rice you have and like. ENJOY!

Lemony Shrimp with Asparagus/Veggie Stir Fry
1 pound frozen raw shrimp, thawed with tails removed
1 (1lb) package frozen aparagus stir fry veggies, I also used a cup or so of broccolli florets for more variety
 (you could use fresh veggies either, just cut up fresh asparagus and a mixture of 2 or 3 kinds of other veggies into bite size pieces, you want about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced (or a  slightly heaping teaspoonful already minced garlic in the jar)
2 Tablespoons chicken broth
2  Tablespoons Lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and Pepper to taste
2 or 3 Tablespoons Olive oil or salad oil to stir fry with
Hot cooked brown rice

Thaw your frozen shrimp and remove the tails. Get your rice cooking according to package directions, brown rice cooks a long time (about 45 minutes so plan accordingly if you use that) Most other rices cook 20 to 25 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons oil. Add thawed shrimp, and toss to coat. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
In a large skillet or wok, heat about 2 Tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add your shrimp and stir-fry over medium-high heat until curled and mostly pink. (about 2 or 3 minutes). Remove from skillet and set aside.

Pour remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into skillet, when oil begins to heat add the garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Then add your veggies and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir together your chicken broth, and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and the 1/4 teaspoon sugar (I added the sugar because I think it takes the edge off the lemon juice, if you don't want to add it you can leave it out)  Pour into skillet over your veggies and cover and cook, stirring frequently until veggies are tender-crisp to bite (2 to 3 more minutes). You can also sprinkle your veggies with a dash or two of salt.

When veggies are done, add your shrimp back into the skillet and stir until just heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with salt and pepper and a dash or two of soy sauce if desired.

Makes about 4 servings.

YUMMMMM......

Beef and Veggie Noodle Bowls

I love eating out a Chinese Restaurants, and I expecially love noodle bowls or lo mein with the noodles. I was browsing on some of my favorite  recipe sites that I love to get ideas from when I found this original recipe for Beef Noodle Salad Bowls at http://thepioneerwoman.com/ it looked YUMMO! and looked like just what I was craving.... but as I read through the recipe, it was served cold and like a salad but with not many veggies in it. I wanted something warm and for a main dish, so I tweaked it a bit, and served it hot.  I added sugar snap peas and asparagus along with some chopped onion to it as well. I tried to make the sauce/dressing like she did, but I substituted with what I had in my pantry and  I doubled the sugar and added a Tablespoon of hoisin sauce. You could still serve it cold if desired, but YUM, this was good and just what I was craving. Enjoy!

Beef and Veggie Noodle Bowls
Ingredients:
1 to 2 pounds Petite Sirloin Steak
Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
¾ cups Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 or 2 teaspoons sriracha hot chile sauce (use the lesser amount if You Can't Handle Heat!)

2 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced Finely (or a teaspoon of the already minced stuff)

2 teaspoons Minced Fresh Ginger (remember those tubes of already minced ginger you can get in the produce department! easy to use!)
2 to 4 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar (start w/ 2 TBsps. and adjust to your taste)
1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce (optional)
2 teaspoons lemon juice (this just makes it taste fresher)Optional
1 Tablespoon minced Cilantro (again, I used the pre-chopped  tube) :o)

1 package Chow Mein Stir Fry Noodles(the kind you boil not the crunchy chow mein noodles (or you can use Thin Spaghetti)

1/2 large onion, diced
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups (approx.) sugar snap peas, ends and strings removed
Optional garhishes: chopped green onions or sesame seeds

Preparation Instructions:

Season both sides of the sirloin steaks with Montreal steak seasoning. Grill on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan until medium rare. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, rice vinegar, hot chili sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar,  hoisin sauce, lemon juice and cilantro. Mix to combine, then taste and adjust flavors/seasonings to your taste. You can add more brown sugar if you like it just a bit sweeter, or more chili sauce for spicier sauce.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a medium skillet drizzle a little olive oil and heat over medium/high heat. When hot add the diced onions, saute for a couple of minutes, then add asparagus and sugar snap peas, and saute for a couple of minutes more or until veggies are crunchy tender.
Now slice the steak at an angle in thin slices and add along with the cooked noodles to your veggies in the skillet. Toss and cook over medium heat for a minute to heat the noodles through. Then add enough sauce to coat everything, (I think  I used about 3/4's of it. Save the rest for another stir fry or use as a salad dressing)
Garnish with sliced green onions or sesame seeds or a little more fresh cilantro.
You can serve this family style or serve in individual bowls, hence the name Beef and Veggie Noodle Bowls.
This also might be fun to try to eat  with chopsticks if you have them.

You’ll love this!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

 I had forgotten about this recipe... how did I do that? I LOVE sweet and sour Chicken! I got this original recipe from our Church Cookbook, it was submitted by Chris Kmetz, but I tweaked it a bit. The original recipe says to cut the chicken into pieces. I like to use really thin chicken breasts (usually the individually frozen chicken breasts are a little thinner than fresh) but you can butterfly them through the thickest part of the breast if it's not thin enough. I leave them whole, and cut into strips after breading and frying. Have you ever had the Mandarin chicken from the Hong Kong?? It's done that way, and I tried to copy that. I LOVE the stuff, and I think this was pretty close! I love Kris's Sweet and Sour sauce tho' I make it a lot and use it as a dip for egg rolls or pot stickers. YUM!  Also, I put pineapple chunks and diced green pepper over my chicken but that is optional, just the chicken and sauce is good on rice. I serve this with some stir fried vegetables on the side. Double YUMMO!!
Sweet and Sour Chicken
4 to 6  thin chicken breasts, (you want them about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick, I used 5)
Vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 eggs

1 green bell pepper, diced into about 1-inch pieces
1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained (drink the juice over ice! Yum)
Hot cooked rice (cooked according to package or see my note below)
Soy Sauce for garnish if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Butterfly the chicken breasts through the thickest part if they are thick. In a shallow pie plate, whisk the cornstarch onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper together with a fork. In another bowl or dish (big enough to dip your chicken in) whisk the eggs until lemon colored and slightly frothy.
In a large skillet, heat enought oil so it'a about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. When oil is hot, dip each chicken breasts into the corn starch, then dip into the beaten eggs,

 then carefully place in hot oil, and brown on each side. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. When brown, place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with paper towels.

While cooking chicken, make the sauce:
Whisk the following together in a medium size sauce pan:
3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

6 Tablespoons catsup
2 chicken boullion cubes
3/4 cup white vinegar
6 Tablespoons water
4 teaspoons soy sauce
After whisking together, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

When chicken breasts are browned, place on a cutting board and slice into just over 1/2 inch thick slices.

Place in a 13x9 casserole dish. (I just sliced then slid my knife under each breast and placed in my casserole dish, they almost looked like I didn't cut them) When all of the chicken breasts have been sliced and placed in casserole dish, sprinkle the diced bell pepper and pineapple over the top.

Then pour your sweet and sour sauce over the top of all this and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

While your chicken is in the oven is a good time to cook your rice, most long grain white rice (that isn't minute rice) takes about double the water to how ever much rice you are using

 ( I used Jasmine rice and cooked 2 cups uncooked rice in 4 1/2 cups water...Jasmine rice takes a bit more water) Bring the water to a boil, salt it slightly, then add rice, stir and cover and cook over medium/low heat for 20 minutes, remove from heat and let sit another 5 mintues. Should be perfect! Always check the package though, sometimes the directions are a little different.
When Sweet and Sour chicken is done, serve yourself some rice, then spoon on the chicken and garnish with soy sauce!! I like to serve with stir fried veggies on the side! Enjoy!!!!

Teriyaki Chicken

When I was in Salt Lake City this last weekend with my daughter, we ate at Thaifoons restaurant in the Gateway mall. I got the Chicken Terriyaki, it was delicious! It has asparagus and broccoli in it, and this week I had noticed Asparagus was on sale... so of course I had to try to come up with a recipe like I had eaten in Thaifoons... I hope I got the measurements right, when I experiment in the kitchen I throw a little of this and a little of that into whatever I'm cooking until it tastes right.... I think this was pretty close! YUM!!

TERIYAKI CHICKEN

1 1/2 - 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

Marinade:
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce (found by the Asian food in most grocery stores)
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger (I love the tubes you can get in the produce section at Walmart)

Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
4 Tablespoons brown sugar (maybe a little more if you like your Teriyaki sauce a little sweeter)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder (optional-I threw this in at the last minute, liked the way it smelled)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
Vegetable oil
1 bundle fresh asparagus, washed, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 cups broccoli florets, if frozen thaw for a minute or two in microwave, cut the bigger pieces to bitesize
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
Hot cooked rice (either white or brown, choose your preference, sometimes I use Jasmine rice too)

Whisk together the marinade mixture in a large bowl, (don't worry this mixture will be kind of thick) Add the cut chicken breast pieces to the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside. (I usually let this sit for about 15 to 20 minutes)

While chicken is in the marinade start cooking the rice, (escpecially if using brown rice, it takes a while to cook) Wash and cut the Asparagus, and thaw out the broccoli florets.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a Tablespoon or two or oil, add chicken and all of marinade and cook over med/high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until juices run clear and pieces are cooked through (cooking time varies depending on the size of the chicken pieces) In the middle of cooking chicken I cover with a lid for a couple of minutes, this helps the chicken cook all the way through.
While chicken is cooking, whisk together the ingredients for the Teriyaki Sauce in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, turn heat down a bit and cook and stir until thickened. Then remove from heat. Set aside.
When chicken is done, remove to a plate, and set aside. Add about a teaspoon of sesame oil, and a dash of regular cooking oil to hot skillet add asparagus and broccolli and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until crunchy tender.

Then add the chicken back to the skillet along with the Teriyaki sauce and the 1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds (notice I added my sesame seeds while cooking the veggies.... wait and add them with the sauce and chicken, they popped all over the place). Toss to combine, cook another minute or two to heat the chicken back up.

Serve over hot cookied rice. Enjoy!

Beef with Snow Peas

I LOVE stir-fries and I love snow peas, so I knew this recipe had to be good!  I found the original recipe here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/beef-with-snow-peas/. I didn't change it too much, except I just peel the strings off the peas instead of cutting the ends off (There is usually a little string at one end, grab and it should peel down the whole pea). I also added one more Tablespoon of Brown sugar which I posted below, and a teaspoon of minced garlic to the sauce. Yum!

Beef with Snow Peas
Ingredients:
1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain (I use petite Sirloin)
½ cup Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry (I used chicken broth since I didn't have this)
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger ( I usually have fresh ginger, but I didn't this time, I substituted about 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, still good but fresh is better)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper, (Ad as much as you like, depending on how hot you like it)
8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed or strings pulled
5 whole green onions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions:

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds.
Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.
Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute.

(You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.
Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.
Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle with more crushed red pepper over the top if desired.

Mongolian Beef

This is just about like P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef! Sarah, Andy and I love to eat there and this is Andy's favorite dish! I re-vamped this recipe a bit from the first time I posted it. I added some red chili pepper flakes and a little cornstarch to the sauce. Yummo!!

Mongolian Beef

1 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds flank steak (or I used petite sirloin)
1/4 to 1/2 cup cornstarch
4 large green onion tops, chopped in about 1 inch pieces (save the white parts for another dish)

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger)

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or more if you like more spice)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Hot cooked Brown or white rice (I like jasmine rice)
Slice the steak crosswise against the grain into 1/4 inch thick strips. (If you tilt the blade of your knife a little you can get a little wider but still thin slice.)
Lay strips of steak out on cookie sheet and lightly dust with cornstarch (I put cornstarch in a small sieve and sprinkle over the steak) turn over slices and lightly dust this side as well (here's a trick, lay another cookie sheet over the top and flip over, then dust the other side, takes less time!). Let sit for about 10 minutes to let the cornstarch stick to the beef.
While steak is resting, make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes , and cornstarch in a medium saucepan with a whisk. Then cook over medium/low heat by bringing to a boil, let cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens just a bit. Remove from heat.
While the beef is resting and the sauce is cooking heat the 1 cup vegetable oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat.(may have to use more oil if using a skillet, you want your beef to be mostly covered with oil). When the oil is hot, add the beef and saute for 2 minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. Stir it around so it cooks evenly. Use a slotted spoon and remove the beef from the oil and drain on a plate covered with a couple of paper towels. May have to cook beef in a couple of batches. Drain the oil from the wok or skillet. Put the pan back on the heat and add the beef back into the pan, simmer for 1 minute. Add the sauce, cook for 1 more minute while stirring. Next add all of the green onions, and cook for another minute.
Serve over hot rice!
Serves 4

Di's Sesame Chicken

You all know how I love to try out new recipes... well, I found this one on Allrecipes.com, and yes, I tweaked it a bit to my taste. It was yummo!! This is the recipe the way I made it....

Di's Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Sesame seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teasppoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken tenders
oil for cooking chicken
1/2 medium onion, sliced into thin wedges
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1/2 package frozen green beans
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (can use store bought, or make your own, see my recipe below)
2 Tablespoons honey (more if you like)
Hot cooked rice

In a large ziploc bag, combine flour, 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, black pepper, five-spice powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder,  ground ginger and salt. Shake bag to mix.
Heat a couple Tablespoons of oil in large skillet. Place a few pieces of chicken at a time into the bag of seasoned flour, and shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour, and place in skillet. Brown for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from skillet onto cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Continue this step until chicken is all cooked. Keep warm in oven.
Add another tablespoon of oil to skillet and add onion, red bell pepper and beans. Stir-fry a few minutes until onion is slightly browned and veggies are crunchy tender.
While veggies cook combine Teriyaki sauce, honey, and 2 more Tablespoons sesame seeds.
When veggies are done, remove from pan. Return chicken to skillet, reduce heat to medium low and pour Teriyaki mixture over the chicken. Toss to coat and cook just a minute to let sauce thicken. Return veggies to skillet with the chicken and toss again to coat and warm veggies.
Serve over hot cooked rice.   Enjoy!

Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 to 2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Whisk together in small bowl to combine.
 When making the above recipe I added 1 teaspoon cornstarch to help thicken just a little when cooking over chicken.

Twice Cooked Beef

This is a recipe that I have used over and over again. It's out of my Wok cookbook I bought when Jim and I decided to eat healthier back when he was in the Navy. You can use a pork roast as well if you'd rather. You can make it as spicy as you like by increasing the amount of crushed red pepper you use. Just a hint, I cook the roast in a crockpot first, for 4 to 5 hours. So plan ahead.

Twice Cooked Beef

1-  2 or 3 pound Beef roast (or pork)
Chinese 5 spice powder
Garlic powder
1/4 cup beef broth

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1 inch pieces
3 or 4 green onions, dice the white parts, slice the green part into 1 inch pieces.
4 teaspoons hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
Olive oil
Hot cooked white or brown rice

Sprinkle roast with chinese 5-spice and garlic powder, and a little salt and pepper. Place in crockpot with 1/4 cup beef broth, and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours until cooked through and tender. Remove from crockpot and let cool. (I freeze the broth for when I need broth in another recipe)
Make sauce by combining hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar and crushed red pepper together and set aside. (you could use 1 Tablespoon of the broth to thin this sauce a little)
When roast is cool enough to handle, slice and dice into 1/4 inch thick 1 inch square pieces. Set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in pan or wok, when hot, add green and red bell peppers, stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook a minute or two longer until crispy tender. Remove from pan.
Heat 1 more Tablespoon of oil in pan, then add garlic and ginger, stir and cook for a minute, then add the beef. Stir until beef is heated through, about a minute. Next  pour the sauce over it and stir until beef is coated well. Add the bell peppers and green onion back into the pan, and stir and cook a minute or two longer till veggies are heated through.
Serve over hot cooked rice with Soy Sauce on the side to garnish for individual taste.
Enjoy!!

I served this on a big serving platter, family style.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I had some filling leftover from my Eggrolls that I made over the weekend, and I decided to turn it into lettuce wraps!! Yum!!! I think I'll make my lettuce wraps with this from now on!! When I made my eggrolls I didn't have a can of bean sprouts like I thought, so I used water chestnuts that I sliced into slivers. This was Yummo in the lettuce wraps!

Di's Lettuce Wraps
1 pound chicken (I used chicken that I've chopped finely in my food processor)
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger if you don't have fresh on hand)
2 Cups Cabbage, finely chopped **hint- I've used about 3 cups of classic coleslaw mix for the cabbage and carrots, easier cuz it's already shredded)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup celery, sliced paper thin
1 can water chestnust, drained and sliced into slivers
3 Green onions, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Oyster sauce
3 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce (Oyster and Hoisin sauce are found in the asain section of most grocery stores)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Lettuce
Asain Toasted Sesame Salad Dressing

Brown chicken ,ginger and garlic over medium high heat until browned and chicken is cooked through. Add cabbage, carrots, celery, water chestnuts,and green onions: cook 2 minutes. Stir in oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, salt and pepper. Cook a few more minutes until flavors blend and veggies are crunchy tender.
To make lettuce cups slice the top off of a head of lettuce right through the middle of the head. Pull your lettuce cups off of the outside of this slice.
To assemble: add a spoonful or two into the lettuce cup, drizzle a little of the toasted sesame dressing on the top and enjoy!!
*If you like a spicy kick add a drop or two of sriracha hot chile sauce to your individual lettuce wrap.

Egg rolls

I love egg rolls!! Every new year's we make egg rolls, and fried rice to ring in the new year... and I've made them with my Young Women's girls. They love them too. This is the recipe that I found on the back of the Azumaya egg roll wrappers, and of course I tweaked it a little to  suit my taste. I also use the sweet and sour sauce recipe that follows for a great dipping sauce. The sweet and sour sauce also makes great sweet and sour chicken. Enjoy!

Egg Rolls
Makes about 20 egg rolls

1 Package Azumaya Large Square Egg Roll Wraps
1 pound lean ground beef, pork, or chicken (I used chicken that I've chopped finely in my food processor)
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger if you don't have fresh on hand)
2 Cups Cabbage, finely chopped **hint- I've used about 3 cups of classic coleslaw mix for the cabbage and carrots, easier cuz it's already shredded)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup celery, sliced paper thin
1 can Bean sprouts, drained
3 Green onions, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Oyster sauce
3 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce (Oyster and Hoisin sauce are found in the asain section of most grocery stores)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Mustard, ketchup or sweet & sour sauce for dipping

Preparation Method:
Brown meat ,ginger and garlic over medium high heat until browned and meat is cooked through. Add cabbage, carrots, celery, bean sprouts,and green onions: cook 2 minutes. Stir in oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, salt and pepper. Let mixture cool. Use 2 tablespoons filling for each egg roll. Follow folding directions on package of egg roll wrappers. To deep-fry: heat oil to 350 degrees, and deep-fry a few at a time, turning occasionally, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. (I usually deep fry mine but you can oven bake)
To oven-bake: brush each egg roll with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the egg rolls are crisp on the bottoms; about 7 minutes; turn and bake until crisp all over, about 5 minutes.
 Serve with mustard, ketchup, or sweet & sour sauce if desired.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
6 Tablespoon Catsup
2 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed(or 2 teaspoons granule chicken bouillon)
3/4 cup white vinegar
6 Tablespoons water (I usually dissolve my bouillon cubes in this if you get it really hot)
4 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce.

Mix all together in saucepan and bring to boil, cook  on a medium low heat until thickens. Makes a great dipping sauce for eggrolls or great sweet and sour chicken.

P.F. Chang's Dan-Dan Noodles

This is a recipe I got out of a new cookbook I ordered. Whenever we go to Salt Lake City we like to try new restaurants, we've eaten at P.F. Chang's a few times. Their food is yummy! But could be a bit expensive, so I love it when I can mimic restaurant food at home...I made this for dinner last night and it was way yummy. I tweaked it a bit..

P.F. Changs Dan-Dan Noodles

2 boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, cooked and minced (about 2 cups)
1- 6-ounce package chow mein noodles(they look kind of like ramen noodles-see pic of package below)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped green onions, (green part only)
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce ( you can find this in the asian cooking section of the grocery store)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Garnish:
1/2 cucumber, julienned
1 can bean sprouts, drained and rinsed

1-I chop up the chicken in my cuisinart chopper till it almost looks like ground chicken. Then heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a frying pan, add chicken and saute until chicken is done. I sprinkle on a little salt and pepper while it's cooking. Or you can cook the chicken breasts, whole,  in a little oil in skillet for 10 to 12 minutes, then cool and mince into little pieces with a sharp knife. Either way works.
2- Prepare noodles by bringing 8 to 10 cups water in a big pot to a boil, add the noodles and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, drain, place back in pot and toss  with a little splash of sesame oil if you have it, if not regular vegetable oil is okay.
3. Make sauce by heating 2 more Tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat in a saucepan or wok. Add garlic and green onion and saute for just a few seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar and chili-garlic sauce. Combine the cornstarch and the water together, then add to the sauce mixture. Simmer sauce for about 2 minutes or until it thickens.
4. When the sauce is thick, add the chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes.
5. Pile cooked noodles onto a serving plate (or place an individual serving on a plate) Spoon chicken and sauce over the top of the noodles, then garnish with julienned cucumber on one side and bean sprouts on the other.
Enjoy! Serves 4 people

**This is what the package of chow mein noodles looked like. Dont' get the crispy ones that come in a can.

Chicken and Vegetables in Thai Peanut Sauce

Tried this recipe out that I found on the Internet. Was pretty good, I tweaked it for my taste though!

Chicken and Vegetables in Thai Peanut Sauce

1 to 2 pounds chicken, cut into thin strips
vegetable or olive oil (to saute with)
2 Tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce (this stuff is way hot, so use less if you don't like things too spicy!) You can find this in the Chinese section of most grocery stores.
juice of 1 lime
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 to 4 shakes soy sauce
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 16 ounce package linguine noodles
** Peanut Sauce (see recipe below)
Chopped peanuts (for garnish)

The following are all to taste, add as much or little as you want (I did the ones listed below, then when I warmed up leftovers I steamed a package of stir fry veggies and added to the noodles, use what veggies you want)
-carrots, cut into thin strips
-broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
-green onion
-bean sprouts (I used canned and added at the end of cooking and heated through)

In a large bowl stir together the chicken, sriracha chili sauce,lime, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Then Saute in oil, in large skillet until chicken is done. While chicken is cooking , prepare the linguine (to al dente) and make the peanut sauce. After the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and keep warm in bowl. Re-oil the skillet, add vegetables and saute until tender crisp. Add the chicken and the bean sprouts to the skillet, stir to heat, then cover and reduce heat to keep warm. Drain noodles and toss with a little olive oil to keep from drying out.
Now there are 2 ways to serve this: 1- mix the sauce with the noodles and TOP with the veggies and chicken OR 2. you can add the noodles and sauce to the skillet with the Chicken and veggies and toss until everything is well coated. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Peanut Sauce:

1 cup chicken broth
6 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2-4 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce (2 teaspoons is more mild, 4 is hot, I used 2)
3 Tablespoons honey
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons fresh minced ginger
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until sauce becomes smooth and well blended. Sauce will thicken a bit as it cooks.

Asian Beef Stir-Fry

This is one of my favorite lighter recipes. It's out of our Eating for Life Book by Bill Phillips.

Asian Beef Stir-Fry
Peppered steak strips with oriental-style vegetables and noodles
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 portions spaghetti (about 8 oz uncooked) I use the whole grain spaghetti
4 portions lean steak (about 1 lb)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 head napa cabbage, shredded
½ cup lite soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

Prepare spaghetti according to its package directions; drain and set aside.
While the spaghetti is cooking, slice steak lengthwise into 2-inch strips. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
Lightly coat a large skillet or wok with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, stir-fry red pepper flakes and garlic for 1 minute.
Add the steak strips to the skillet, stir-fry just until no longer pink, approximately 2 minutes. Remove the steak from skillet and set aside.
Lightly recoat the skillet with cooking spray. Stir-fry onion and celery until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add cabbage and cook until crisp-tender, approximately 2 more minutes.
Return steak to the skillet. Add cooked spaghetti and lite soy sauce; mix gently and heat thoroughly.
Divide into 4 portions, serve and enjoy!