Sweet and Sour Chicken

I am not one of those people who says, "You find the best recipes in church cookbooks!". But this is a good one: I don't know anyone who doesn't like it. I've changed and adapted it a bit over the years, but the basic idea is the same. If you like your sweet and sour chicken more saucy, just double the sauce ingredients.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into one-inch chunks
1 cup cornstarch
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. seasoned salt
1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks, 1/4 c. juice reserved for sauce
Vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten

Sauce

3 T. ketchup
2 1/2 t. soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Pour enough vegetable oil into a frying pan to coat the bottom and heat to medium. Combine cornstarch, garlic salt, and seasoned salt on a plate. Dip chicken pieces into beaten egg and then into cornstarch mixture. In single layers, pan fry until golden brown in oil.  Place chicken and pineapple in a rectangular baking dish.

In a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, and turn heat to low. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour sauce over chicken and pineapple.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Stir and continue baking for 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Korean BBQ Beef (Bulgogi)

I first had bulgogi in Chicago's Koreatown with my college roommate. The tender, flavorful beef, grilled tableside and accompanied by panchan (side dishes) and rice and lettuce for wrapping, was delicious and memorable. I've made it a few times recently on the grill, and I love it, in spite of the messy production it is to eat it.

If you have a Korean grocery store near you (like Super HMart), you can buy bulgogi beef. Otherwise, use sirloin or flank steak (my choice). Slice the steak thinly - no more than 1/4 inch thick. Cut it against the grain and marinate it overnight or all day if possible. It will cook in a few minutes on the grill.

Serve the meat with steamed white rice, red or green leaf lettuce, and hot sauce (chili-garlic sauce like Sriracha).

Bulgogi

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Quickly grill beef on hot grill until slightly charred and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad

Pioneer Woman is famous for down-home recipes that use meat, butter, and cheese plentifully. But this recipe is from her "Cowgirl Food" section, meaning that her husband Marlboro Man and the other ranch hands wouldn't touch it. I love it! Chock full of vegetables, the flavorful, Asian-inspired salad is delicious. And it has cashews!

You can mix and match the vegetables - leave out what you don't like and add more of what you do. The original recipe called for bean sprouts, but I left those out due to food safety issues and general dislike. Other than that, I made it as is. I cooked the pasta and chopped the vegetables the day before, but I kept the dressing separate from the salad until I was ready to serve it.

Asian Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. package linguine, cooked, rinsed, and cooled (can add a little oil to keep them from sticking)
½ head sliced napa cabbage, or more to taste
½ head sliced purple cabbage, or more to taste
½ bags baby spinach, or more to taste
1 whole red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 whole yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 whole orange bell pepper, sliced thin
chopped cilantro, up to 1 bunch, to taste
3 whole scallions, sliced
3 whole cucumbers peeled and sliced
1 can (about 10 oz.) whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet (watch so they don't burn!)
_____
FOR THE DRESSING:

1 whole lime, juiced
8 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 whole jalapenos, chopped (remove seeds and ribs unless you want dressing to be spicy)
chopped cilantro to top salad (optional)

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl or platter. Whisk dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, then toss with salad. Top with cilantro if desired.

Szechuan Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

This recipe is from Chopsticks, Cleaver, and Wok, a great Chinese cookbok I almost forgot I had. I bought it when I was 20 at Pier One - back when Pier One sold clothes!

The one downside to this incredibly flavorful and healthy recipe is you need to have a number of Asian ingredients. I like to cook Asian food, so I had all the ingredients - they are all things you can find in an ordinary grocery store. But they last forever in the refrigerator, so don't be afraid to buy them if you don't already have them.

Szechuan Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about one pound)

12 oz. frozen sugar snap peas (can also use 25 fresh snow peas or a stalk of fresh broccoli, chopped)

2 T. peanut or vegetable oil

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. chicken stock

2 t. cornstarch, mixed well with 1 T. cold water

2 green onions, sliced

Seasoning:

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

1/2 t. soy sauce

1 t. oyster sauce

2 t. white wine (or mirin, or dry sherry, or dry vermouth)

2 t. cornstarch

Sauce

1 t. chili paste with garlic, like Sriracha (more if you like heat)
1 1/2 t. hoisin sauce
1 t. sugar
2 1/2 t. rice vinegar
1 t. soy sauce
1 t. oyster sauce
2 t. sesame oil

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Place in bowl. Add seasoning ingredients to chicken and mix well.

2. Prepare sugar snap peas according to package directions and drain.

3. Combine sauce ingredients and mix well.

4. Heat wok and add 1/2 T oil. Add sugar snap peas and stir fry for 1 minute over high heat, adding salt and sugar. Remove from wok and set aside.

5. Heat wok and add 1 1/2 T. oil. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes.

6. Add chicken stock and bring quickly to a boil. Cover and cook for 2 minutes over high heat.

7. Add sauce mixture and stir well.

8. Add sugar snap peas and green onions. Mix well.

9. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook for 30 seconds. Serve over rice.

Fried Rice

I love to make fried rice with leftovers. In fact, it pretty much has to be made with leftovers, because you need to start with cold rice. If you use hot, fresh rice, the oil won't coat each individual grain - big clumps of it will soak it up and you'll have to use a lot more.

I like fried rice with brown or white rice, but in this case we had white leftover. We also had extra chicken from roast chicken and about 3-4 oz. of leftover steak. I used edamame and carrots for vegetables, but I like broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, mushrooms, and peas as well. This recipe is adapted from Recipezaar.

Fried Rice

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
1-2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 drops of soy sauce

3 drops of sesame oil (optional)
1 T. chopped fresh ginger or 1 t. dried ginger

2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 ounces cooked chicken, beef, or pork, chopped
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
4 cups cold cooked rice, grains separated (preferably medium grain)
4 green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons light soy sauce (add more if you like)

1 t. sesame oil (optional)

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes; remove from wok.

Allow wok to cool slightly.

Mix egg with 3 drops of soy and 3 drops of sesame oil; set aside.
Add 1/2 tbsp oil to wok, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture and stir-fry until dry. Remove egg from wok and chop into small pieces.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add ginger and garlic to work; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add selected meat to wok, along with carrots, edamame, and cooked onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add rice and green onions, tossing to mix well; stir-fry for 3 minutes.

Add 4 tbsp of light soy sauce and chopped egg to rice mixture and fold in; stir-fry for 1 minute more; serve.

Servings: 4

Calories: 498

Pork and Peanut Dumplings

I made these delectable dumplings for my sister once, and she really liked them. When I made them for her, I was doing it from memory, so I'm sure I left a few things out. They're on the menu for this week, so it's a good time to post them.

The first time I made them was before Jack was born. I was cooking lots of freezer meals for us to have after the baby was born, and these were great. It was easy to take out just the number we needed and cook them - no need to thaw. They taste good dipped in soy sauce mixed with a bit of hot sauce and green onion, but just soy sauce is good, too.

Oh, and they're from Cooking Light, so they are quite healthy!

Pork and Peanut Dumplings

1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 cup diced mushrooms (can omit)
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
30 (3-inch) gyoza/wonton skins

Cook pork, gingerroot, diced mushrooms, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return pork mixture to skillet.

Combine chicken broth and cornstarch; stir well. Add to skillet; cook over medium heat 30 seconds or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, peanuts, green onions, soy sauce, and sugar.

Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to keep them from drying out), spoon about 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water.

Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumplings, seam sides up, on a baking sheet; cover loosely with a towel to keep from drying out.

To cook, heat a tablespoon of oil in a saute pan. Place dumplings 1/2 inch apart in pan, and cook until bottoms are golden brown. Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover with a pan cover or aluminum foil, and steam for 3-5 minutes, turning down heat to medium-low. Uncover and cook until water has evaporated.

Yield: 30 appetizers (serving size: 1 dumpling)

CALORIES 41 (29% from fat); FAT 1.3g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.5g; SODIUM 71mg; PROTEIN 2.5g; FIBER 0.2g

Spicy Orange Beef

This recipe is from a surprisingly good cookbook, Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight. The cookbook attempts to recreate take out/restaurant food on a calorie budget. This is one of our favorites: it's delicious, lovely on the plate, and healthy. You can be a little more generous with the vegetables.

I'm not sure if she'd find it too spicy, but if not, it's a great meal served with brown rice for my sister, the Extreme Weight Loss Champion of the World! You can read about Kristen's amazing journey at http://www.phatband.blogspot.com/

Spicy Orange Beef with Vegetables

3/4 pound beef top round, trimmed of fat, cut into thin strips cut against the grain
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce Sriracha is the brand to look for
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 pound green beans, halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into thin strips
1 carrot, cut into matchstick-thin strips

Combine beef, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and orange rind in medium bowl. Toss well to coat and set aside.

Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, broth, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar and chili-garlic sauce in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat nonstick wok over medium-high heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons oil. Add beef. Stir-fry until cooked, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Swirl 2 teaspoons oil and add ginger. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add vegetables, cook 2-3 minutes, until crisp-tender.

Add broth mixture, cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute.
Add beef and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

Serving: 1 cup Calories: 227