Lettuce Wraps - AWESOME!

So, um....this dinner was amazing. A-MAZ-ING. A big thanks to April Orgill who pointed me to the recipe on allrecipes.com. This version has been modified to incorporate reviewers suggestions.

I won't be spending the money on PF Changs lettuce wraps again, I can make them at home!

3 Tbs Canola Oil
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger root
1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
1 can water chestnuts, diced
3/4 cup chopped mushrooms
4 Tbs rice vinegar
4 Tbs teriyaki sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
red pepper flakes to taste
1 1/2 C shredded carrots
1/2 C chopped green onion
1/3 C toasted and sliced almonds
12 leaves of iceberg lettuce.

Heat 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, water chestnuts, mushrooms and chicken and saute until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 2 Tbs oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes.. Add chicken mixture, carrot, green onion and almonds to the sauce, toss together.

To serve spoon 1/12 of the mixture on to the center of each lettuce leaf, roll up leaf around filling and serve.

* In the interest of full disclosure - I used leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken so I still sauteed it all in the oil, but only for like...three minutes
** also, I loved using my Bosch/food processor and used it to process the mushrooms and carrots on the smallest slicing option.

***Um, these seriously are really good. You should make them

**** My pictures are crappy because I use my iphone. I will make a concerted effort to take amazing pictures with my DSLR in the future.

***** The more adventurous cherry lovers among you may want to try the original recipe found here

MMMMMmmmmm.

Crockpot Week

My mom recently got a Crockpot cookbook in a book exchange at work. As I flipped through it I found dozens of recipes I wanted to try so I borrowed it and we had an entire week of only crockpot meals (with a few more planned for next week). Here's how our week went:

Day 1: "Best-Ever Roast"

This was not the best roast I'd ever had but it was a perfectly serviceable Sunday meal that yielded plenty of leftovers to take to my elderly neighbors.

1 beef chuck shoulder roast (3 to 5 pounds)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
4 to 5 medium potatoes, quartered
4 cups baby carrots

Place roast in crockpot. Combine mushroom soup and onion soup mix in a bowl then pour over roast. Cover; cook on low 4 hours.

Add potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook on low 2 hours.

Makes 6 to 8 servings



Day 2: Veggie Soup with Beef

This was probably the most flavorless thing I have ever made in my life. I followed the recipe exactly but clearly that is not the way to go. The addition of more garlic and tomato sauce, salt, pepper, etc. and less water would make a world of difference. But it's super easy so I'm including it in case anyone wants to try their hand at making this worth eating.

2 cans (15 oz each) mixed vegetables
1 pound beef stew meat
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
Water

Place all ingredients in crockpot. Add enough water to fill crockpot to within 1/2 inch of top*. Cover, cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

*I didn't add nearly this much water and it was still too much.


Day 3: Parmesan Potato Wedges

One of our favorites from this week. I just served these wedges with a simple salad and it was excellent. Next time I'd probably add some garlic salt.

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/8 inch pieces
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Layer potatoes, onion, oregano, salt, pepper and butter in crockpot. Cover; cook on high 4 hours. Transfer potatoes to a serving platter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.


Day 4: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dressing

This was really good though not exactly healthy. We enjoyed it.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and black pepper
4 slices swiss cheese
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken, celery or mushroom soup
3 cups packaged stuffing mix
1/2 cup butter, melted

Place chicken in crockpot. Season with salt and pepper.

Top each breast with cheese slice. Add broth and soup. Spring stuffing mix over top and pour butter over all*. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours.

*Knowing the fat content on this was already going to be astronomical I just left the butter out. It turned out just fine.


Day 5: Spicy Shredded Chicken


Ridiculously easy and something you all probably make already anyway. We used it in tacos.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 jar (16 oz) salsa

Place chicken in crockpot. Pour salsa over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is tender and no longer pink in the center. Shred chicken with 2 forks before serving.


Day 6: Asian Beef with Broccoli

I meant to make this as the recipe directed but I pretty much screwed up right and left. It was still really good though and we'll definitely have it again. We served it over rice.

1 1/2 pounds boneless chick steak, about 1 1/2 inches thick, sliced thin
1 can (10 1/2 oz) beef consomme*
1/2 cup oyster sauce**
2 tablespoons cornstarch***
1 bag (16 oz) fresh broccoli florets
Hot cooked rice
Sesame seeds

Place steak in crockpot. Pour consomme and oyster sauce over meat. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cooking liquid in a cup. Add to crockpot and stir well to combine. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until thickened.

Steam broccoli florets until tender crisp. Gently toss beef and broccoli together. Served over cooked rice and garnished with sesame seeds, if desired.

*I accidentally bought beef broth instead.
**I accidentally forgot to buy this and used soy sauce instead.
***I totally forgot the step with the cornstarch. It was a little watery but it was fine.

The BBC Salad - Baby Bok Choy

Okay, any of you who got bountiful baskets last Saturday....holy Moses, I got about five thousand pounds of baby bok choy. I have never had it and had no idea what to do with it. This was all complicated by the fact that I have had no internet for almost a whole week, gasp! And that rendered me totally non functional in the kitchen.

Using the tiny screen of my iphone I was able to find just one recipe for baby bok choy, it was this yummy salad. I didn't have some of the ingredients by my modifications were awesome. I'll post them at the bottom

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 bunches baby bok choy, cleaned and sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/8 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 (6 ounce) package chow mein noodles

Directions

1. In a glass jar with a lid, mix together olive oil, white vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. Close the lid, and shake until well mixed.
2. Combine the bok choy, green onions, almonds, and chow mein noodles in a salad bowl. Toss with dressing, and serve.

Okay, so here's the deal. I used rice vinegar instead of white (you should do that too!), and I had no green onions or chow mein noodles, so I substituted snap peas and diced red pepper to add the crunch, and it gave it a pretty color too.

Definitely a yummy salad. Which we will be eating every day until our ten thousand pounds of bok choy are gone.

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

Start to Finish: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 2- to 2-1/2-lb. deli-roasted chicken
1 15-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup lime juice (2 medium limes)
3 medium carrots, thinly-sliced diagonally (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Thai seasoning blend
1/4 tsp. salt
Thai seasoning blend (optional)
Fresh cilantro (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

(We served over rice)

Directions

1. Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Shred chicken. In large saucepan combine shredded chicken with coconut milk, water, lime juice, sliced carrots, soy sauce, the 2 teaspoons Thai seasoning and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 8-10 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender.

2. To serve, sprinkle bowls of soup with additional Thai seasoning (this is spicy - so do this at your own discretion) and cilantro. Pass lime wedges.

(Traditionally, you wouldn't do this, but we like to add rice to our coconut soup -- it makes it easier for the kids to eat and it helps fill you up too.)

This recipe is from Better Homes & Gardens. Fast, easy, tasty. We're trying to expand our kids palate, so this was good to try to introduce our kids to other foods. It's a keeper for us.

Asian Orange Chicken

I thought this was really good, it is a little sweet and a little spicy. The only change I would make to the recipe is at the end instead of adding the chicken to the sauce I would put the chicken in a bowl and pour the sauce over the top so that the breading wouldn't fall off. Definitely worth making and I will make it again for sure. Here is the link if you want to read the reviews
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=61024&servings=4

"Enjoy delicious citrus chicken marinated in lemon and orange juice with brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. It's terrific served with rice."
Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into
1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cherry Chicken lettuce wraps ****

I got this recipe from my sister in law, and we thought it was delicious, justin even ate it and he considers lettuce "rabbit food". The reviews say it tastes just like PF changs, but I have never actually had them there, but either way they were way good. I did not do the recipe like it says though, it was recommended that I make them according to the viewers reviews, I will post the link if you want to read all the suggestions, but here is the real recipe and I will put the notes after.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cherry-Chicken-Lettuce-Wraps/Detail.aspx


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken
breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon honey

1 pound dark sweet cherries, pitted and
halved
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup toasted and sliced almonds
12 leaves of lettuce
Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger and chicken and saute until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce and honey until mixed together. Add chicken mixture, cherries, carrot, green onion and almonds; toss together.
3. To Serve: Spoon 1/12 of the chicken/cherry mixture onto the center of each lettuce leaf; roll up leaf around filling and serve.


Changes:
Mix 3/4 cup shredded mushrooms and 1 can drained chopped water chestnuts with the chicken before cooking. Cook them all together. (After the chicken was cooked I chopped up the chicken/mushroom/water chestnut mixture pretty small cuz i guess that is how they do it at PF changs). Omit the cherries. Double the sauce ingredients (but omit the honey) and add 2 Tbs of soy sauce. Add 1/2 tsp garlic powder and some red pepper flakes (to taste)_ to sauce. Use the freshest, crunchiest inner lettuce cups for best flavor (some recommended bib lettuce, but we like the crunch of the iceberg lettuce. It was pretty easy to prepare too.. oh- one more thing, I didn't want to pay extra for toasted almonds so i just bought the regular sliced almonds and toasted them in a pan with sugar until the sugar melted on it.

Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup
from America's Test Kitchen

from the Episode: Staying in For Chinese Takeout

To make slicing the pork chop easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. We prefer the distinctive flavor of Chinese black vinegar; look for it in Asian supermarkets. If you can't find it, a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar approximates its flavor. This soup is very spicy. For a less spicy soup, omit the chili oil altogether or add only 1 teaspoon. Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

7 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained
4 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus an additional 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 boneless, center-cut, pork loin chop (1/2 inch thick, about 6 ounces), trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch by 1/8-inch matchsticks
3 tablespoons cold water, plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (Unlike me, you should actually pay attention to the "low-sodium" bit here. I didn't have any so I just used 6 chicken bouillon cubes and it turned out a little too salty. Not inedible, just a bit on the too salty side. Use low-sodium broth, or at least not bouillon cubes, or at a minimum, use fewer bouillon cubes.)
1 cup bamboo shoots (from one 5-ounce can), sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons black Chinese vinegar or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note above) (I like my soup more sour than this recipe turned out so I doubled the vinegar. In case it's relevant, I'll tell you I was using the red wine and balsamic since I haven't been to an asian market recently.)
2 teaspoons chili oil (see note above)
1 teaspoon ground white pepper (WHITE pepper really is important I think - black pepper just doesn't taste as asian)
3 medium scallions, sliced thin

See Illustrations Below: Getting the Wisped Egg Just Right

1. Place tofu in pie plate and set heavy plate on top. Weight with 2 heavy cans; let stand at least 15 minutes (tofu should release about 1/2 cup liquid). Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in medium bowl; toss pork with marinade and set aside for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 30 minutes).
2. Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water in small bowl and mix thoroughly; set aside, leaving spoon in bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with remaining 1 teaspoon water in small bowl; add egg and beat with fork until combined. Set aside.
3. Bring broth to boil in large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; add bamboo shoots and mushrooms and simmer until mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. While broth simmers, dice tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Add tofu and pork, including marinade, to soup, stirring to separate any pieces of pork that stick together. Continue to simmer until pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir cornstarch mixture to recombine. Add to soup and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens and turns translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, chili oil, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce; turn off heat.
5. Without stirring soup, use soupspoon to slowly drizzle very thin streams of egg mixture into pot in circular motion. Let soup sit 1 minute, then return saucepan to medium-high heat. Bring soup to gentle boil, then immediately remove from heat. Gently stir soup once to evenly distribute egg; ladle into bowls and top with scallions.

Per Serving:Cal 120; Fat 5 g; Sat fat 1 g; Chol 12 mg; Carb 12 g; Protein 8 g; Fiber 1 g; Sodium 1110 mg

Step-by-Step: Getting the Wisped Egg Just Right

1. Turn off heat so surface of soup is calm, then use spoon to drizzle egg onto surface in thin streams.
2. Let sit for 1 minute. Turn heat back on and stir gently to finish cooking egg and break into ribbons.

Chicken Pho - Vietnamese Noodle Soup

This is more traditional made with beef (and it's various parts considered inedible by me). But you can order chicken pho at a Vietnamese noodle house too. Traditionally you would actually serve the beef raw and thinly sliced and then pour boiling hot broth over it to cook it. This less daring technique seemed to work out fine. The recipe I found only talked about chicken, so I've only tried this with chicken but I bet it would work with beef too. The recipe orignially called for mushrooms in the soup and mint sprigs for garnish but I didn't include that since it's a bit unorthodox from my experience. I think doubled this recipe the first time so I could have leftovers but regretted it since the bean sprouts and other fresh stuff goes bad so fast and we couldn't eat it fast enough. But if you have a crowd to feed...

One note I have to add is that fresh spices seem like they really do matter on this one. Fancy cooks will tell you this is ALWAYS true, but I guess I'm too low-brow to notice most of the time. But I did notice with this recipe. Seems like each time I've made it as the spices got older, it was a little less good. Still good, mind you, just a little diminished.

Vietnamese Noodle Soup
(Chicken Pho)

4 ounces flat dried rice noodles (bahn pho) or linguine if desperate
3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
2 garlic cloves, peeled
6 basil sprigs (preferably Thai basil if you can find it)
6 sprigs fresh cilantro
4 cans (14.5 ounces each) low sodium chicken broth or 7 cups homemade chicken broth (I've done this with bouillon cubes too and it turned out fine. If you're concerned about it being too salty you could just skip a couple bouillon cubes.)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 lb) (although I thought breast was a bit dry and the wrong texture in this - thigh might be better, but I never have it around)

1. In large bowl, soak rice noodles in enough warm water to cover 20 minutes, or cook linguine as label directs. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, combine one-third of green onions and all of the garlic, basil and cilantro sprigs, chicken broth, coriander seeds, and cinnamon stick; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Strain through sieve set over bowl; discard solids. Return broth to saucepan.
3. Cut chicken breast halves on diagonal into thin strips. Stir chicken, drained noodles, and remaining green onions into broth; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken loses its pink color throughout, about 3 minutes.

Makes about 9 cups

In my opinion, the garnishes is where this dish really shines, so don't skip this last part. If you order this at a Vietnamese restaurant you will usually be offered the following items for garnish: raw bean sprouts, lime wedges, sliced fresh jalapenos, more fresh basil and cilantro sprigs, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha (aka rooster sauce). Add garnishes to taste. (I only steep the japaleno slices in my broth for flavor without actually eating them. Also, I think you usually pick the leaves off the basil and cilantro and only add the leaves to your soup.)

This is HEAVEN on a cold day. It's what I crave when I have a bad cold, not that namby pamby American chicken soup.

Asparagus Cashew Rice Pilaf

Another recipe from Jessica Krohn (sweetbrynnmarie.blogspot.com). We made this tonight and I thought it was de-lish. Very easy to prepare and very good to eat. Loved the cashews! I didn't change anything except I had to add some extra broth/water to make sure the rice didn't burn.

Asparagus Cashew Rice Pilaf

This was a complete dinner for us. I'm trying out more vegetarian recipes and this is a nice one because you've got your veggies, grains, and some extra protein from the cashews in one dish. Recipe from allrecipes.com. I made a couple of adjustments and will write out the recipe as I made it.

Ingredients:
1/8 c butter
2 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken (I used whole wheat)
1/2 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 c uncooked jasmine rice
1 1/4 c vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 c cashew halves

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium and stir in spaghetti, cooking until coated with the melted butter and lightly browned.
2) Stir onion and garlic into the saucepan, and cook about 2 minutes, until tender. Stir in jasmine rice, and cook about 5 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and cook 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
3) Steam asparagus until tender but firm.
4) Mix asparagus and cashew halves into the rice mixture and serve warm.

Vaguely Thai-Like Salad

I know that title doesn't sound so fabulous, but the recipe is actually very good. I just couldn't bring myself to actually title it "Thai Salad" like the newpaper clipping it came from did. It's yummy and the dressing is fabulous yet non-oily. I LOVE this for the summer months especially. You'll enjoy it as long as you don't expect authentic Thai fare.

1 lb beef steak (1/2 inch thick) OR 1 lb chicken (I usually use chicken even though beef would make it a smidgen more authentic)

Dressing:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice (or you know, more if you're me)
3 Tbsp brown sugar (I usually use less than this but M avoids sugar and I like things tart)
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed (depending on how strong you like your garlic flavor - I press)
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (this comes out fairly spicy, especially the first serving where all the chili flakes are floating on top - feel free to vary the type of chili and the quantity to taste)

These are the other suggested components of the salad. The recipe states quantities and I never pay attention to them, so I refuse to post them as I can't vouch for them:
lettuce
shredded carrot
thinly sliced green onions
cooked thin spaghetti, or better yet, I use cappellini
fresh cilantro

Cut up your meat and cook it (I usually just George my chicken). Let the meat cool. Same deal with the noodles. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well (that brown sugar has a pesky habit of sticking to the bottom). Assemble your salad and enjoy!

Asian Noodle Salad

I was just invited to join you all and your cooking adventures. Apparently my rice was a hot item:) I don't really cook much, so my recipe contribution may be limited, but I did want to share one of my most recent favorite salads EVER. (Yeah, I said EVER!) I got it from a friend, but really it came from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" website She has many other fantastic dishes, but I make this all the time and eat it for lunch for several days in a row.

Asian Noodle Salad

Makes: LOTS (feel free to leave out any part that your family doesn't like, and add in anything else that they do.)

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 packages linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled

1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage

1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage

1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin (if available)

1 small bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”)

3 sliced scallions

3 peeled, sliced cucumbers

1 bunch chopped cilantro -optional

1 can whole cashews -optional

Crunchy noodles -optional

DRESSING:

Juice of 1 lime

8 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped (or use red pepper flakes)

More chopped cilantro

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter.

*Dressing keeps up to three days before serving, WITHOUT cilantro.

I don't like the cilantro, so I leave it out of the whole salad. Then I just dress the salad as I eat it, that way the veggies don't get yucky over the course of a few days.

Yakisoba

Another Japanese favorite. Because that's how we roll. It's a super easy and very versatile one dish dinner.

Soba noodles*
Whatever veggies you want**
Whatever meat you want***


If you're starting out with raw meat, throw it in a wok with some olive oil and minced garlic or whatever you feel like. Cook until done.

Add vegetables and stir fry for a couple minutes. Remove noodles from package, run under warm water, and tease them apart with your fingers before throwing them in the wok as well. Add the water and seasoning included with the noodles****

If you're using cooked meat, stir fry the veggies, add the noodles and the seasoning, then add the meat at the end and cook just long enough to heat through.



*In my local grocery store, you can find soba noodles in the refrigerated "health food" section by the tofu and organic eggs and stuff. It kind of looks like reconstituted ramen noodles. They might be called soba or yakisoba noodles. Each package usually serves 2, and that's taking into account the fact that you're adding meat and veggies. If you're feeding more people, you're definitely going to need more noodles.

**We like cabbage, minced onion, broccoli florets, carrot, and snow peas. Throw in anything you have on hand and it'll taste great.

***We tend to have this the day after Korean BBQ chicken so we can use the leftovers. It makes the whole thing that much faster and easier.

****The seasoning they include with the noodles is fine, but if you can get your hands on some okonomi sauce instead, it's reeeaaally good. You can find okonomi sauce at most asian grocery stores.

Coconut Rice

Last night for enrichment we had a luau. I was supposed to bring this rice. Well, I burnt my rice, really bad. Once I got to enrichment, however, and tasted the other people's rice it was really yummy. So be sure you actually simmer on like low and try it out, may your success be better than mine.

Ashley Z's Thai Coconut Rice

1 Cup uncooked rice (basmati, jasmine or long grain)

1 14 oz can coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

1/4 cup coconut flakes

Cooking Directions:

-Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.

-Stir well to combine

-cook over medium-high hear, stirring until mixture comes to a low boil.

-Immediately reduce heat to low

-cover and cook for 18 minutes

-fluff with fork.

-cover and let sit for 5 minutes

-garnish rice with additional coconut

P.S. I didn't want to buy that turmeric spice because it was $5, and once I got there I realized that the spice made the rice really yellow, so I was kind of glad mine burned because it would have been fairly obvious that I skimped out on the turmeric; I am not sure if it added taste or just color. Anyway. Post a recipe because the blog is dying and it is so sad : (

Golden Curry

I am new to the whole Asian foods thing. Gretchen and Ralphie were going on and on about this box (okay maybe not on and on, but they mentioned it). This package can be found in the Asian section of the grocery store and is like two or three dollars.

I followed the recipe on the back of the box. Which was like some oil, some meat (I used chicken), carrots, bell pepper, cut up potatoes and some water (box says about two cups, Ralph said about five cups so I compromised and used four cups).

It was a fast meal and it grew on me as I was eating it. I didn't know what to expect because I had never had curry. I didn't really like it at first, but by the end I got up and got seconds, which I don't normally do. I also maybe would have liked it more on a cold winter night instead of on a hot Texas day where it was over a hundred degrees out.

So, it's worth getting the box and trying it out, especially if you like curry.

Glazed Pork Chops with Asian Flavors

I'd post about my chicken stir fry that I'm making but Ralphie already did. Embarrassing me thoroughly in the process, I might add. So instead I give you this from last night. I had some leftover pork chops in the freezer even though we don't usually eat them or particularly like them (long story). I went looking for a recipe to use them in and so of course I turned to America's Test Kitchen. I've never made a recipe of theirs I didn't like, so of course this gets at least 3 STARS.

And I quote:

If your chops are on the thinner side, check their internal temperature after the initial sear. If they are already at the 140-degree mark, remove them from the skillet and allow them to rest, tented with foil, for 5 minutes, then add the platter juices and glaze ingredients to the skillet and proceed with step 3. If your chops are closer to 1 inch thick, you may need to increase the simmering time in step 2.

Serves 4

1	teaspoon sesame seeds
Glaze
1/2	cup rice vinegar , plus an additional 2 teaspoons
1/3	cup light brown sugar
3	tablespoons orange juice (I didn't have any around so I used lemon juice)
2	tablespoons Dijon mustard (I didn't have any around and I dislike it so I used about half as much chili paste instead. I used Vietnamese rooster sauce, so the end result was pretty spicy. Vary this as you see fit.)
3	tablespoons mirin (I didn't have any of this so I used about a tablespoon extra rice vinegar and a 1/2 tablespoon extra soy sauce and forged ahead anyway. In retrospect I might skip the extra liquid altogether as the glaze took FOREVER to thicken and I suspect it was the extra liquid I added in place of the mirin.)
1	tablespoons soy sauce
1	teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (I was out of this too so I used 1/4 tsp dry ground ginger instead)
Chops
4	boneless, center-cut pork loin chops , 5 to 7 ounces each, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
	Table salt and ground black pepper
1	tablespoon vegetable oil
1	teaspoon toasted sesame oil

See Illustrations Below: Message in a Bubble

1. Toast sesame seeds in small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, set aside in small bowl. (I used pre-toasted sesame seeds I already had on hand for other recipes.) Combine all glaze ingredients except 2 teaspoons rice vinegar in medium bowl; mix thoroughly and set aside. Following illustrations below, trim chops and slash through fat and silver skin with sharp knife, making 2 cuts about 2 inches apart in each chop (do not cut into meat of chops). Pat chops dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add pork to skillet and cook until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer; transfer chops to plate and pour off any oil in skillet. (Check internal temperature of thinner chops; see note above.) Return chops to skillet, browned side up, and add glaze mixture; cook over medium heat until center of chops registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; transfer chops to clean platter, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

3. When chops have rested, add any accumulated juices to skillet and set over medium heat. Simmer, whisking constantly, until glaze is thick and color of dark caramel (heatproof spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 2 to 6 minutes. Add remaining rice vinegar and return chops to skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Transfer chops back to platter, browned side up, and spread remaining glaze over chops. Garnish chops with reserved sesame seeds and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Step-by-Step: Message in a Bubble

NOT YET: Pan surface has just a few small bubbles, and a spatula makes no trails.	JUST RIGHT: Increased bubbles, caramel color, and a spatula just starts to make trails.
TOO LONG: Many large bubbles, ultra-dark glaze, and plenty of exposed pan surface.

Step-by-Step: Prepping Boneless Pork Chops

1. Trim excess fat off each chop with a sharp knife.	2. Cut two slits about 2 inches apart through fat and connective tissue.

Chicken Stir Fry ****

Chicken Stir Fry

(This is actually Gretchen's recipe. Some one whom I love almost as much as the food she makes. This dish is healthy, light, and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. A great “Oh crap it’s 5:30 and I’m eating skittles because I’m hungry” kind of meal.)

2 chicken breasts, cubed
4 Tbs. soy sauce
sesame oil
2 Tbs. chili garlic sauce (vary depending on how spicy you like it- find it in Asian foods section of grocery store)
1 lb. package frozen stir fry vegetables
1 Tbs. brown sugar
garlic salt to taste
4 Tbs. corn starch

1. Cook chicken in large frying pan on high heat with 2 Tbs. soy sauce and a little sesame oil until almost dried out. Add chili garlic sauce and cook an additional 1 minutes.
2. Add frozen vegetables. Stir fry on high heat until vegetables are mostly thawed. As you stir fry, add brown sugar, remaining soy sauce, and garlic salt to taste.
3. Cook until vegetables reach desired level of doneness. Stir in lemon juice. While stirring, add corn starch mixed with a little water. Cook about 1-2 minutes, until sauce thickens. Serve over rice. Makes about 3-4 servings.

Gyoza

This always goes over well. It's one of my all time favorite foods. Everyone loved it at our dinner party on Friday and in my family we are required to bring it to all major family dinners. Whether or not it goes with the meal is irrelevant because we're required to bring it anyway. Also, you can sneak pretty much whatever vegetables you want in there and the meat isn't really required if you're looking for a vegetarian option. Three and a half stars.

1 package won ton wrappers
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups chopped cabbage
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 pound ground pork
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Heat sesame oil and soy sauce in a large skillet over medium high heat. Mix in cabbage, onion, garlic and carrot. Cook and stir until cabbage is limp. Mix in ground pork and egg. Cook until pork is evenly brown and egg is no longer runny. The filling can be a little bland, so salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, etc. to taste.

Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the cabbage and pork mixture in the center of each wrapper. Fold wrappers in half over filling, and seal edges with moistened fingers.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook gyoza approximately 1 minute per side, until lightly browned. Pour water into skillet and reduce heat. Cover and allow gyoza to steam until the water is gone.

Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar for dipping sauce. Serve with hot rice.

Serve with: sticky rice, Korean BBQ chicken, edamame

Chicken in coconut lime sauce ***

May 15 2008 - Chicken in a coconut lime sauce
Recipe from: www.everydayreading.blogspot.com

Sauce:

1 Can unsweetened coconut milk (found in the Asian section, by the soy sauce).
2 jalapeño chiles (or some jalapeño slices from a jar)
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

In a saucepan bring coconut milk to a gentle simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about half a cup.

Meanwhile, cook the jalapeños on grill until blackened.

In blender, mix coconut milk, lime juice, salt and jalapeños and blend until smooth.

Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through.

Serve over rice and sauce spooned over top.


Comments: I added a ton of fresh mushrooms (just throw them to grill with the chicken), I also add cilantro to the coconut milk mixture. I always forget, but I think the sauce should be doubled. Oh and I always add way more lime juice than what is called for. The timing on this one is always tricky for me. My chicken is always cold by the time the sauce and everything is ready. I will need to work on it.

Served with: Steamed green beans. I really wanted to have some citrus with it but I haven't been shopping in a few weeks (almost three-- go me!). So I think some sort of orange based salad or fruit bowl or something would go good, but I didn't have the stuff on hand.

Rating: Going on Janssen's thought that a standing ovation should only be given ten times in a lifetime--- based on four stars I would give this recipe (with said modifications) a three. It is very easy to make and very delicious. If I were careless with my four star ratings this would get one :).