Chow Mein Noodles

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 (5.6 oz) packages refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles (found in the produce section of the grocery store.. usually the 3 packages are sold together in one 17oz. pack)
• 2/3 c. chopped celery (chopped diagonally) **I actually just used Udon noodles that I had on hand, and it turned out great.**
• 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
• 2 c. chopped cabbage

Instructions

• In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.
• Remove Yaki Soba from packages and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent. Add cabbage and saute an additional minute or so.
• Toss Yaki 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.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

I'm always on the look out for fast weeknight meals.  This recipe is perfect for days that are crazy and I don't have much time in the kitchen.  The original recipe came from 365 Days of Slow Cooking, but I copied it from Six Sister's Stuff.  Both great food blogs.  Enjoy!

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders*

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews

Directions:
Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
If you want like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.

Recipe adapted from: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

*The original recipe said not to use chicken breasts, but I don't love chicken thighs, so I went ahead and used them and this dish turned out fine! So either kind of chicken will work great for this recipe.

Also, the red pepper flakes give this dish a little heat and a lot of flavor, so I highly recommend using them!

Sesame Edamame Rice

A great side dish for any Asian meal.

1 tsp. oil

1 cup cold sticky rice

1/3 cup edamame

1 scallion, chopped

1 T. soy sauce

2 tsp. sesame oil

Heat oil in walk over medium-high heat.  Crumble in cold rice and press down so the rice contacts the pan and begins to fry.  Continue frying for about five minutes, moving the rice around once a minute or so and then pressing down again.  Top with edamame and scallions.  Mix in soy sauce and sesame oil.  Enjoy!

Mongolian Chicken

A really simple and delicious Mongolian Chicken recipe.

2 boneless, chicken breasts

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

2-3 tsp. ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. water

Cut the chicken into thin slices (easiest to do when it's still slightly frozen).  Place in frying pan over low heat. 

While chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan combine oil ginger and garlic and cooke for 30-60 seconds.  Add soy sauce, water, and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.  Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry and then add to sauce.  Add sauce mixture to cooked chicken and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, until sauce is thick.  Serve and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

A recent favorite and crowd pleasure.

Recipe courtesy of browneyedbaker.com

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

image courtesy growneyedbaker.com

Cashew Chicken

I found this great new food blog called the Brown Eyed Baker.  There are some amazing recipes and this is definetly one of them.  A very quick and easy recipe with lots of flavor.  I added lots of extra veggies because I like it that way and everyone enjoyed it.

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or cooking wine, or omit)
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
3½ teaspoons cornstarch, divided
Coarse salt
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup unsalted cashews
2 green onions, white and green parts divided and thinly sliced

**I also added chopped zucchini, broccoli and carrots.  You could really add any veggie your family likes.

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the sherry, ginger, and 1½ teaspoons cornstarch; season with coarse salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the skillet and cook the remaining chicken (reduce the heat if the chicken is over-browning). Transfer to the covered plate.

4. In the same skillet, add the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the cashews, garlic, and green onion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Whisk the sauce again to combine and add to the skillet along with the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Serve over rice or noodles and top with the green onion greens.

Kung Pao Chicken, Lo Mein, and Egg Rolls

Recently we had a family dinner with lots of Chinese Food.  I've had requests for the recipes, so I thought it easiest to post them here.  There are many other asian/chinese recipes on this blog that are also equally good.  Here we go....

Kung Poa Chicken

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• 1 ounce hot chile paste
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts
• 4 ounces chopped peanuts

1. To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.
3. Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

**I actually doubled the sauce, because we are sauce people, and I would definetly recommend doing that because it really doesn't make much sauce.

Vegetable Lo Mein

• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large wok or saute pan. Stir fry mushrooms, carrots, peppers, onion and garlic until tender. Stir in bean sprouts and green onions; cook one minute. Mix cornstarch and chicken broth in a small bowl and add to stir fry. Stir in hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, cayenne pepper and curry powder. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
3. Add cooked spaghetti, and toss. Serve immediately.

**We didn't really love the hoisin sauce in this recipe (the anise spice in hoisin sauce tastes like black licorice).  So, if I made it again, I would definetly leave that out.

Egg Rolls

1 pound ground pork

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 quart peanut oil for frying

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons water

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 ounces shredded carrots

8 (7 inch square) egg roll wrappers

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

1. Season pork with ginger and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium skillet, stirring, until pork is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.
2. In another large skillet heat oil to about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) or medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour and water in a bowl until they form a paste. In a separate bowl combine the cabbage, carrots and reserved pork mixture. Mix all together.
3. Lay out one egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot and pork mixture on egg roll paper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the egg roll.
4. Place egg rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. Put on serving plate and top with sesame seeds if desired.

**We had a few leftover egg roll wrappers and I wanted something sweet the following night.  I mixed up some cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, and blueberries and put in the middle of the egg roll wrapper and fried it.  I sprinkled (really more like dredged) them with powdered sugar while they were still hot and they were delicious.  You should try that also :)

All recipes courtesy of allrecipes.com

Hot and Cold Sesame Noodles

This is a nice, easy Asian dish.  It would work well as a side with a grilled piece of chicken/pork/fish.  This is a Rachel Ray recipe that I saved from a long time ago.  Shawn didn't love the cabbage in it, but I thought it was good.  I also think it would be good loaded with vegetables, like diced cucumber, carrots, peppers, etc.  You could even put in some peanuts for a nice crunch.

ingredients

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 1/4 cup Tamari dark soy, eyeball it
• 1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, eyeball it
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce  ( I actually used 2 tsp. of sriracha hot sauce instead)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix, available in produce department
• 1 cup bean sprouts or pea shoots, any variety, available in produce department
• 3 scallions, chopped on an angle
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions

Cook pasta to al dente, with a bite to it, then cold shock it to stop the cooking process by running it under cold water in colander. Drain the pasta very well.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy, peanut butter, vinegar, oil, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Add noodles and veggies and toss to combine the noodles and coat them evenly with sauce. Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds throughout the salad and serve.

Lettuce Wraps

I know that there are lots of PF Change lettuce wrap copy cat recipes out there.  I have tried many of them, and while I have liked all of them, this one is the easiest with lots of good flavor.
10 whole lettuce leafs (iceberg or bib lettuce)
1 lb. ground chicken/turkey/beef (PF Changs uses ground chicken)
1 white onion, chopped
2 T. garlic minced
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
3 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (or you can make your own, recipe below)
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. chili paste (or 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes)  You can decrease this depending on your tastes
1 T. sesame oil

Homemade Hoisin
While I have Hoisin sauce in my fridge because we like cooking Asian Cuisine, most people don't.  So here is a substitute.
5 T. soy sauce
2 T. bean curd paste (Or you can substitute peanut butter because if you don't has Hoisin, you probably don't have bean curd paste :)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. honey
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce
(you can adjust the hot sauce and pepper to your taste.)

Cook the ground meet until brown with the white onion and garlic.  Add soy sauce, vinegar, Hoisin sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, water chestnuts and green onions.  Cook until green onions start to wilt and then serve.

Enjoy!

Thai Peanut Noodles

Whenever I ask my kids what they want for dinner, they always ask for the "spicy peanut noodles". Seriously, this is a favorite at our house and I know it is similar to a lot of recipes, but I thought I should post it anyway. This recipe comes from www. ourbestbites.com, which is a great food website.

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 T. cream peanut butter

1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite and 2 is hot-I usually do about 1 1/2 tsp.)

1 1/2 T. honey

2 T. soy sauce

1 1/2 T. fresh minced ginger

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small box of linguine noodles ( I also have just used regular spaghetti noodles)

chopped green onions, cilantro, green peppers, cucumber, edamame, carrots, and anything else that sounds good.

limes, cut into quarters

chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water until done. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey , soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in small pan over low heat. Wisk until smooth and then remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with peanut sauce and serve buffet style with all the chopped veggies, and peanuts. Squeeze lime juice over the top and eat!!

My kids love to be able to choose what goes on top. You can also make this more heavy by adding meat (chicken or shrimp would be great).

Sesame Chicken

Okay Jenn, I thought I would give Sesame Chicken a try. This is actually my sister Jamie's recipe (maybe she should post something..right Jam). Shawn and I thought it was good.

Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. toasted sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 tsp. grated ginger root

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. sugar

Chicken:

1/2 cup flour

2 T. sesame sees

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

cooking oil for frying

1 lb. skinless chicken thighs cut into small pieces (I used breasts)

Vegetables:

1 T. cooking oil

2 zucchini, cut into strips (I didn't have any zucchini and was so sad. This would have made a big difference)

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

6 green onions, cut into strips

(or you can just use a frozen bag or oriental veggies)

Directions:

Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

In large bowl combine flour, sesame sees, salt and cayenne. In a small bowl combine milk and egg. Add to dry ingredients and beat until smooth. In a wok heat 1/4 inch oil to 365 degrees. Dip chicken into coating and then add to oil. Fry until golden brown and cooked. Drain on paper towels. Cook all chicken and keep warm in oven.

Pour cooking oil for veggies in pan. Stir fry veggies for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in sauce and cook until thick and bubbly. Add chicken to mixture and stir. Serve with rice. ENJOY!

Mongolian Beef in a Crockpot!!

I got this recipe off http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/ and yes, it is good and even better that you cook it in the crockpot. We really liked the sauce!

--1 1/2 pounds flank steak
--3 cloves of garlic, minced
--4 sliced green onions--one is for garnish
--1 t dried minced onion (or 1/2 fresh onion, diced very small)
--1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce

--1/4 cup white wine
--1/4 cup cooking sherry

(but I didn't have either sherry or wine, so I just substituted 1/2 cup chicken broth and it tasted fine)
--1 T white wine vinegar

--1 t sesame oil
--1 t molasses
--1 t ginger
--1/4 t black pepper
--1 t red chili pepper flakes
--1/2 T peanut butter (if allergic, use black bean paste)
--3 T brown sugar
--1/4 cup cornstarch (to dredge meat--don't add to sauce mixture)

--slice your meat in thin strips and toss in a Ziploc bag with cornstarch.
--add all of the liquid and dried spices to your crockpot, and the peanut butter, and mix well. Add the garlic and three of the sliced green onions. If you are using fresh onion, add that now, too.
--put your meat on top, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Flank steak is thin and have very little fat, and will cook quickly. There isn't a lot of liquid in this dish, so if your crock tends to cook hot, please check it after 3 hours.

The meat is done when it is no longer pink and has reached desired tenderness. I cooked our meat in a 6qt oval Smart Pot and it was done after 4 hours on low.
Serve over steamed rice and and garnish with freshly sliced green onion.

Sesame Chicken

I'm going to try this Sesame Chicken recipe this week because I love sesame chicken. The only thing that I will do differently, is that I won't deep fry it. I'm going to prepare the chicken just like the way it's prepared in the Tiny Spicy Chicken that Jenn posted, but then I'll do the sesame sauce. Does that make sense?

If it looks like this and tastes like take-out, I'm going to be pretty happy. I'll let you know how it turns out.

It was okay, it wasn't fabulous like it was hyped up to be. The sauce was more red than the brown sauce of sesame chicken. It didn't really even taste like good sesame chicken. It was more like sweet and sour.

I'll keep searching for a good one.

Lettuce Wraps

Again, I found this on allrecipes, but I tweaked it to my taste. Here's the original. This is mine with my changes.

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves (I used iceberg because the other stuff looked gross)
1 pound lean ground pork
a little sesame oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce (at least 1 T. I probably used more)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (again, I think I used more)
Asian chile pepper sauce (I used the hot sauce Jenn used in the spicy chicken)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground pork in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, carrots and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Tiny Spicy Chicken

This recipe is a family favorite (even my brother Matt who is the pickiest eater in the world will eat it). It's almost like the real deal at a Chinese Restaurant!




3 lbs. chicken
2-4 eggs
cornstarch
garlic salt

Sauce:
2-3 tsp. chili sauce/sambal oelek (*see picture below*)
1 1 /2 cup sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tsp. soy sauce
3/4 cup chicken broth
6 T. brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
dash of salt

Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces and sprinkle with garlic salt and let it set for 30 minutes. Dip the chicken pieces into the eggs and then cornstarch. Brown chicken in oil, but don't cook all the way. Put in 9x13 pan. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Bake at 350 form 45-1 hour. Stir chicken at least twice while cooking. Serve with rice.


This is the sambal oelek, found in the Asian isle in most grocery stores. It my opinion, it is critical to creating a great sauce for this recipe. You can use as much or little as you like depending on how spicy you like it.