Sweet and Sour Chicken With Green Beans

Ingredients:
1 c. white rice
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 1/4 lbs. chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced large
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved
5 green onions, thinly sliced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 T. chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Set aside.
In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over high. Add chicken, bell peppers, and green beans and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. add scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
Whisk soy sauce mixture, add to skillet, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff rice with a fork. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over rice and top with peanuts if desired.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 25 minutes.
447 calories per serving.

Verdict:
Yum. I thought it was a little strange that this recipe called for white vinegar instead of the traditional rice vinegar but I liked the way it turned out. We will definitely be eating this one again.

Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 T. cornstarch
salt and pepper
2 T. vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
8 green onions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1 inch pieces
2 T. rice vinegar
3 T. hoisin sauce
3/4 c. cashews

Directions:
In a med. bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with 3/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper.
Heat 1 T. oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining oil and chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the onions. Cook tossing often, until the chicken is browned about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Add the vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
Add the hoisin sauce and 1/4 c. water; cook, tossing until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the green parts of the onions and cashews. Serve immediately over white rice.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
My kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. Who knew that they loved cashews so much? Blake and I both really liked this too...and not just because of the cashews.

Chicken and Basil Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 T. cornstarch
coarse salt and pepper
6 t. vegetable oil
1 small onion, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
2 bell peppers, (red or green or mix) ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. water
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 c. fresh basil

Directions:
Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Toss chicken with cornstarch until completely coated; season generously with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat 2 t. oil over medium high heat. Cook half of the chicken, turning once, until browned on both sides but not completely cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 2 t. oil and remaining chicken; transfer to a plate.
Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel. Add remaining 2 t. oil, along with onion and bell peppers; cook over medium high heat, tossing often, until vegetables begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the water, vinegar, soy sauce and chicken; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in basil leaves. Serve over rice if desired.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
Blake has been on an Asian kick lately so I figured that I would try to find some recipes to curb his cravings. I was somewhat surprised at how flavorful this was even though it didn't have that many ingredients. I am sure that you could leave out the basil and it would taste just as good.

Asian Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1 T. fresh ginger, grated and peeled
1 garlic clove, cut into slivers
1/4 to 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 c. water
4 oz. soba noodles
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch strips
6 oz. snow peas, stem ends and strings removed, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 to 2 T. lime juice
2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:
In a large pot, bring chicken broth, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and the water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles, and reduce heat to a simmer; cook until noodles are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add chicken, bell pepper, and snow peas; cook until chicken is opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Add lime juice and scallions, and season with salt.
Serve by dividing noodles among four bowls, then ladle the soup mixture over each.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
When I got all ready to make this I was sure that I had soba noodles. Oops. I had somen noodles which cook a lot faster. So instead of using uncooked chicken I just used rotisserie chicken and added the ingredients accordingly. It worked out quite nice. I like the flavor of the soup and that it was light. I probably will try to see if I can find soba noodles and try it that way, at a later date, to see which one I like better.

Pork Satays With Cucumber Salad

For the satays:
1 jar hoisin sauce (8oz)
1/2 c. chili garlic sauce
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. Asian sesame oil
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed

For the cucumber salad:
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 c. cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/2 c. red onion, thinly sliced

For the satays:
Preheat grill to med-high.
Combine hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a large bowl.
Prepare pork, trimming it of fat and silverskin. Then cutting it into thirds lengthwise to make 12 strips, each 4-6" long. Toss the strips in the marinade. Let sit for a 10-15 minutes, then thread on skewers.
Arrange satays on the grill. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes. Flip satays, baste with marinade, then grill until cooked through, 3-4 more minutes.

For the cucumber salad:
Combine sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper flakes in a bowl. Add cucumber and onion; toss to combine. Chill until ready to serve. (Can be made up to 1 hour ahead.)

Makes 12 satays. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
These are a favorite at our house. I think they are so yummy. They do have a little kick to them but nothing that should scare you. When you BBQ them make sure that the edges are blackened slightly, it makes them.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup With Rice Stick Noodles

Ingredients:
2 t. olive oil
1 T. red chile pepper, minced plus sliced for garnish
2 t. garlic, minced
1 bunch bok choy, chopped, leaves and stems separated (1 1/2 c. each)
4 c. chicken broth, divided
1 can light coconut milk (14 oz)
2 t. curry powder
4 oz. wide rice stick noodles
10 oz. chicken breast, boneless skinless, thinly sliced, seasoned with salt and pepper.
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
2 T. lime juice
1/4 t. each kosher salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add 1 T. chile pepper, garlic, and bok choy stems; saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Stir in 1/2 c. broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in remaining 3 1/2 c. broth, coconut milk, and curry powder. Bring soup to a simmer.
Stir in noodles; cook until they're softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in bok choy leaves, chicken and cilantro; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Remove soup from heat; stir in lime juice. Season soup with salt and pepper; garnish with chile pepper slices.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 35-40 minutes.

Verdict:
This tasted light. I made rice to go with it and Blake put the soup on top of the rice. He said it reminded him of Hawaiian haystacks.

Crockpot Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For the chicken or turkey:
1 T. sesame oil
2 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 T. minced gingerroot
1/4 c. dry sherry
1/2 c. hoisin sauce
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. chili garlic sauce
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped (8oz)
2 T. rice vinegar
kosher salt to taste

For the wraps:
1/2 c. red bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. green onions, minced
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
12 Bibb small lettuce leaves

Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet. Add chicken; cook for 10 minutes, breaking up chunks. Add gingerroot; cook 2 minutes. Deglaze skillet with sherry, cooking until liquid is evaporated. Transfer mixture to a 2 1/2 to 3 qt. slow cooker.
Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce in a measuring cup with a pour spout; stir into meat mixture. Cover; cook on high heat setting for 2-3 hours or on low heat for 3-4 hours. Stir in water chestnuts, vinegar, and salt.
Combine red bell pepper, green onion, and sesame seeds for the garnish.
To serve, spoon 1/2 c. portions of the chicken mixture into each lettuce leaf; top with some of the garnish mixture.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 2-3 hours on high.

Verdict:
Not bad. I used turkey and more seasame oil than they called for but that is only because I like it. I took these as dinner for someone else too. We most likely will eat these again. They were just so easy.

Hot Asian Ribs with Cucumber Salad

For sauce:
1 jar hoisin sauce (8oz)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. chili garlic sauce
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. toasted sesame oil
2 T. garlic, minced
2 T. fresh ginger, minced

Heat; Season; Saute:
2 T. vegetable oil, divided
8 bone in country style pork ribs (about 3 1/2 lbs.)

Directions:
Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Heat 1 T. oil in a large saute pan over med-high; season ribs with salt and pepper. Saute 4 ribs until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and saute remaining oil and ribs.
Return ribs to the pan; add half of the sauce and bring to a simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, turning occasionally to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to low. Simmer an additional 15 minutes, turning often.
Serve with remaining sauce.

Makes 8 ribs. Total time 1 hour.

Verdict:
I think I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of meat on the bone. Blake on the other hand loves ribs. So you have to take one for the team on occasion. I think that these all around were praised. I liked the sauce and the meat. I think if I make these again I will probably try them with boneless pork chops or even a pork loin.

Soba Noodle Salad With Chicken

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 t. sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t. fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated
3/4 lb. cooked chicken, shredded
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 1/4 c. red cabbage, thinly sliced

Directions:
In a large pot of boiling water, cook soba according to package instructions. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger.
Drain soba, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer to a bowl with soy mixture and toss.
Add chicken, scallions, and cabbage and toss to combine.

Verdict:
Even though when I was cooking this I knew it was a cold salad, when I first took a bite it still caught me off guard. When I was over the initial shock I enjoyed this quite a bit. It is super easy, and yummy.

Pot Stickers With Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce

For the pot stickers:
8 oz. napa cabbage, finely shredded (about 3 cups)
1 T. kosher salt
8 oz. ground pork
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 t. soy sauce
2 t. dry sherry
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. sugar
2 T. sesame oil, divided
30 won ton wrappers

For the sauce:
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. water
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. sesame oil
1 T. green onion, thinly sliced

For the pot stickers:
Toss cabbage with 1 T. salt. Let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse cabbage and squeeze dry. Combine with pork, ginger, green onion, soy sauce, sherry, 1 t. salt and sugar in a bowl.
Make filling in to balls using 2 t. per ball. Place balls on baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Using won ton wrappers wet all sides of wrapper using water. Place ball in center and fold wrapper over ball to make a triangle. Push down on sides to seal. Fold up two sides and then remaining third side to completely enclose. Place filled dumplings on cookie sheet.
Heat 1 T. sesame oil in skillet. Place half of the dumplings in pan and fry for 3 minutes. Carefully add 1/4 c. water and cover pan, reduce heat to low, and steam for 6-7 minutes.
Uncover pan, raise heat to medium high and cook until bottoms are crisp, about 3 minutes. Repeat pan frying with remaining dumplings, adding 1 T. oil and another 1/4 c. water.

For the sauce:
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to bowl for dipping.

Makes 30 pot stickers. Total time 2 hours (with chilling time included)

Verdict:
I love that I made something that you normally think you can only get at restaurants. They tasted exactly what I thought they should taste like. Blake says he would like them with a little less ginger.

Asian Chicken Rolls With Plum Sauce

Sorry this is a little out of order.For the rolls:

1/3 c. green onions, chopped
6 T. cilantro, divided
1/2 t. ground ginger
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed, uncooked
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. chili garlic sauce
1 egg, separated
1/2 c. canned water chestnuts, chopped
1 sheet purchased puff pastry
1 tsp. each white and black sesame seeds

For the sauce:
1/2 c. plum jam
2 T. lime juice
2 T. water
1 T. ketchup
1/4 t. each salt and red pepper flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor mince green onions, 3 T. cilantro and ginger. Add chicken, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and egg white. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and fold in water chestnuts.
Roll pastry on floured work surface to 14-inch square then half lengthwise. Divide chicken mixture between portions of dough, spreading along the bottom edge of each piece of pastry.
Roll to enclose filling and transfer to baking sheet, seam side down.
Beat egg yolk and 1 T. water, brush onto logs, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes, let cool slightly, then slice each log into 1-inch pieces.
Simmer all sauce ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Let cool and then stir in remaining cilantro.

Makes 30 1-inch rolls. Total time 1 hour.

Verdict:
I enjoyed these quite a bit and the sauce that goes with them is yummy. They are fast to make. It is like take out at home. I made the mix in the morning and then put them together right before dinner time. I think I will cook them a little longer next time just to make them a little extra crispy. On a side note, I forgot to add water chestnuts. They were still good so if you don't like water chestnuts go without.

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

For salad:
1 1/4 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, thinly sliced crosswise
coarse salt
3 1/2 oz. Chinese rice noodles, broken in half
1 T. vegetable oil
2 carrots, sliced into ribbons, with vegetable peeler
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 c. fresh basil, torn
bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, fresh mint, sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

For the dressing:
4 green onion whites, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. lime juice
1/2 t. anchovy paste
1/2 t. red pepper flakes

Directions for dressing:
Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.

For the salad:
Marinate chicken using half of the dressing and place in a resealable plastic bag. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight.
Boil salted water in a medium size pot and cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a platter.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Working in batches cook chicken until cooked through.
Top noodles with chicken and other toppings. Drizzle with reserved dressing.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 50 minutes.

Verdict:
I am a fan of Asian noodle bowl meals. I like them. I didn't use anchovy paste in the dressing because I didn't have any but my dressing tasted good with out it. If you don't want the dressing to be too spicy then you can decrease the amount of red pepper flakes that you put in.

Asian Ragu With Rice Stick Noodles and Quick Pickled Cucumbers

For the ragu:
8 oz. dry rice-stick noodles or rice vermicelli
2 T. peanut oil
1 c. shallots, diced
2 T. garlic, minced
2 T. ginger root, minced
1-2 tsp. red curry paste, or chili garlic sauce
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 c. chicken broth
2 T. fish sauce, or soy sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
fresh basil and mint
chopped dry roasted peanuts

For the cucumbers:
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
kosher salt and red pepper flakes to taste
2 c. cucumbers, thinly sliced


For the ragu:

Cook rice sticks according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger to pan. Saute until shallots are translucent, 3-4 min.
Stir in curry paste until combined with shallot mixture.
Add ground beef to pan and cook until browned breaking up bigger pieces.
Whisk together broth, fish sauce, and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Stir into meat mixture. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 min. Serve ragu over cooked rice stick noodles.
Top with basil, mint and peanuts.

For the cucumbers:

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper flakes for the marinade. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add cucumbers to bowl . Toss and chill until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
First off I used red curry paste and soy sauce. I only used 1 tsp. of the curry paste because I didn't want it to be too spicy. I should have used less. It still was too spicy for my kids to eat or like. This was really good besides that. The cucumbers on the side took away some of the heat and added a nice fresh flavor. I will make this again...but I will only use 1/2 tsp. curry paste.

Tempura With Gingered Soy Sauce

For the tempura:

vegetable oil for frying

tempura coating (found dry in a box)

With tempura you can pick whatever you like so here are some ideas

cod, cut into pieces

shrimp

red onion, thinly sliced

peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

broccoli, cut into small florets

green beans

asparagus, cut into pieces

mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

For the sauce:

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 green onion, thinly sliced (green and white parts)

For the tempura:

Prepare batter according to package directions.

Heat oil.

Working in small batches coat vegetables and fish lightly in batter. Fry in oil until lightly browned on outside about 1-2 minutes for vegetables and 3-5 minutes for fish. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and place on napkins or drying rack. Serve immediately with sauce.

For the sauce:

Combine all ingredients and let stand at least 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Makes as much as you want. Total time varies.

Verdict:

I like tempura but don't make it very often because it involves frying and lets face it no one likes the way that makes the house smell. But I love when we do have it. It is yummy when it is hot and tolerable when it is warm. I definitely wouldn't eat it when it is cold. The sauce is a must.

Southeast Asian Pork Loin with Pad Thai Salad

For the marinade/dressing:

1/3 c. rice vinegar

1/4 c. ketchup

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce

1 Tbsp. minced ginger

1 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin roast (I used 3 pork chops)

For the pad thai salad:

8 oz. dry rice vermicelli (these are the asian rice noodles)

2 c. napa cabbage, shredded

(you can choose any of the following ingredients to put on your salad)

sugar snap peas

diced tomatoes

bean sprouts

sliced cucumber

sliced red or yellow bell pepper

grated carrot

sliced green onions

basil leaves

cilantro leaves

mint leaves

peanuts, chopped

For the pork:

Preheat grill.

Whisk together all ingredients for marinade in medium bowl reserving some in a separate bowl for salad dressing.

Place pork in marinade.

Grill pork until cooked through. Rotating every couple of minutes and basting while cooking. Slice pork and serve with pad thai salad.

For the salad:

Boil water in pot and cook vermicelli according to package directions. Serve with any ingredients that you choose with pork sliced on top and dressing.

Makes 6. Total time 45 min. (or less if using pork chops)

Verdict:

I did a couple things different. I used pork chops instead of a roast because I wanted it to cook faster and I had pork chops on hand. I also only used the noodles, cabbage, basil, cucumber, and bell pepper. This was good. I like asian food and I tend to like when you mix cabbage and noodles. The dressing is good and you definitely need it for the salad. If you have never used fish sauce before don't be afraid. You can't taste anything "fishy." It will smell fishy when you first mix it into the dressing but once it is mixed in you won't be able to tell that it was there. I also liked the basil mixed into the salad. I normally don't use basil. Not because I don't like it, because I do, but because it is expensive. But it was a welcome addition to this salad. Fresh and light. The kids ate their ingredients separately and Blake ate with out complaint.

Recipe and picture from Cuisine at Home grilling.