Fruit with a Twist

 

This was wonderful. It tasted completely different from what you were expecting (but then again, maybe I didn't know what to expect), but it was so good.

Plum-Fennel Salad with Honey-Ginger Dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger, divided
Pinch of kosher salt
3 large red plums, cut into thin wedges
1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Olive oil, toasted sesame seeds, and fennel fronds (for serving)

Directions:

Whisk orange juice, vinegar, honey, 1 tsp. ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. Add plums and fennel to dressing; toss to coat.

Cover and chill 30 minutes to allow fennel to soften and flavors to meld.

Toss remaining 1/2 tsp. ginger into fruit salad. Serve drizzled with oil and topped with sesame seeds and fennel fronds.

Recipe notes: Slightly underripe plums? Add a touch more honey.

Source: Bon Appetit. You can find it here.

Notes: Again, this was really great. The different flavors together worked surprisingly well.

Serve Over Rice

 

 

 

Here are a handful of great recipes to serve over rice. They will really hit the spot. Be sure to check out my notes for the two chicken recipes that aren't made in the slow cooker. I loved the sauce recipes for these, but I didn't really love the chicken preparation method. I much prefer this recipe for the chicken preparation. So, my advice would be to prepare the chicken this way and then add the different kinds of sauces offered in the other recipes.

Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 1/2 cup water. Heat soy sauce mixture in a medium saucepan until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flank steak and cornstarch.

Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add beef and fry until browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.

Add beef and soy sauce mixture to the saucepan over medium heat and cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in green onions.

Serve immediately.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here.

Notes: This will get gobbled up fast. You have been warned.

Asian Honey Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into buttermilk, then dredge in flour again, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in cornstarch mixture until sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in cornstarch mixture until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Serve chicken immediately, drizzled with honey glaze.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from Oh Sweet Basil, which you can find here.

Notes: Again, I preferred this preparation for the chicken. So, prepare the chicken this way and then add the sauce from this recipe to mix up the flavors.

Lighter General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups crushed corn flakes

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.

Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in crushed corn flakes, pressing to coat.

Place onto prepared baking sheet and coat with nonstick spray. Place into oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 13-15 minutes.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine chicken broth, hoisin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from these two sources here and here.

Notes: For me, the corn flakes didn't stay crunchy and this was really a time consuming chicken preparation method. So, I prefer this chicken method of preparation and then add this sauce to mix up the flavor.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, and red pepper.

Season with chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken thighs into a slow cooker. Add honey mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker and shred the chicken before returning to the pot with the juices. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from this recipe.

Notes: This was super easy and easy on a crazy weekday is always a good thing.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, diced
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons garam masala (I used 3 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon curry powder (I used 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, tomato paste, flour, garam masala, curry powder, chili powder, and ginger powder until well combined and slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place chicken in slow cooker. Add sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.

Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from this recipe.

Notes: Ahhhh, slow cooker, I truly do love you. You make my life so much easier.

Since I Can't Take My Boys

 

My oldest son is allergic to tree nuts, so we can't take him out for Chinese food because of the possibility of cross contamination (since most Chinese restaurants make Cashew Chicken or Honey Walnut Shrimp). Before we realized that this was just too much of a risk to take, my son developed a love of fried rice and Chinese chicken. So, I have been hunting down recipes that I can make at home to satisfy that craving (for all of us!).

I just made this, and it is fantastic. I can't wait to try more of (and eventually all of) the Asian inspired recipes on Chung-Ah's site!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 teaspoon of bottled minced garlic)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

To make the sauce, whisk together sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a large bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cornstarch and gently toss to combine. Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.

Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Top with sweet and sour sauce. Place into oven and bake until the sauce has thickened, about 55 minutes, turning over every 15 minutes to evenly coat the chicken.

Serve immediately.

Source: You can find it here. It was inspired by this recipe which is slightly different.


Notes: Holy cow, this was so good! I can't believe how much it tasted like something you would get in a Chinese restaurant. I chose this recipe simply based on the ingredients I had on hand (it was a last minute decision to make this). However, now I can't wait to try other recipes on this site!

Another Chinese Chicken Recipe

This one sounds a lot like the very last recipe that we posted (Lemon Chicken), but it is totally different in flavor. I loved this! I'm thinking that Chinese chicken over rice is one of my new go-to dinner staples.

Sweet, Sticky, and Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I opted to use 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes instead)
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch strips (and dredged in 1/4 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper, see notes)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and hot sauce in a small bowl.

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by kate. You can find it here.

Notes: I doubled the sauce. You know me. I like things saucy. I also took a note from the last recipe (Lemon Chicken) and decided to coat the chicken in flour to give it a nice browned and breaded texture (as well as to help thicken the sauce).

The Type of Ingredient You Get Handed to You on Chopped

 

I love to watch the T.V. show that's on the Food Network called "Chopped."  It's fascinating to see chefs handed something that's outside of the box.  This recipe has just that type of ingredient and it worked better than I could have imagined.

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into chunks

1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

Coarse salt

2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan (preferred brand: House of Tsang)

1 tablespoon (a splash) white or rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth or stock

8 ounces (1 cup) prepared lemon curd

1/4 cup hot water

1 lemon, zested

2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions:

Coat the chunked chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt.  Heat a large skilled or a wok-shaped nonstick pan over high heat.  Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pan and return pan to heat.  Reduce heat to medium.

Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up any drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through. Remove the pan from heat, add the scallion or chives and zest, and toss chicken pieces well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce. Serve other rice.

Rachel Ray's cooks notes: Wok oil infused with ginger and garlic is usually available on the International Foods aisle in many markets. Lemon curd is sweet lemon spread available in most markets. It is on the jam/jelly isle.

Source: Rachel Ray, found on Food Network. You can find the recipe here.   

Notes: I made it too! This was posted by my mom, but I tried it too (both of us made it independently of the other, without the others' knowledge). I just HAD to try this. I mean, it sounded so intriguing! Could this really taste like Chinese lemon chicken with so few ingredients, and while using such an interesting ingredient like lemon curd? Well, do you know what? It totally works. I loved this. It was so tasty!

Oh, and I didn't find lemon curd on my jam and jelly aisle. For my grocery store, it was on the baking aisle by the pie filling.

Slow Cooker: Curry

 

I'm always a fan of slow cooker dinners because they make my evenings so much easier. However, I'm even more a fan of slow cooker dinners that are unique and don't taste like every other slow cooker meal you've ever had. Here is one of those recipes.

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
2 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
16 thin slices peeled fresh ginger (about 1ounce)
2 tablespoons curry powder, perferably Madras
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt
2 packages frozen green peas (10 ounces each)
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup toasted cashews (optional, for serving) (I skipped these because of my son's allergies)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional, for serving)

Directions:

In a 5-quart slow cooker, toss chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coriander, and cumin to coat. Season with 2 teaspoons salt. Cover, cook on high setting until chicken is fork-tender, about 4 hours (do not uncover while cooking).

Stir in coconut milk and peas; cover, cook until peas are heated through, about 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl; shred with fork. Return to pot; toss with sauce.

To serve, garnish with 1/2 cup toasted cashews, if desired, and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.

Source: Martha Stewart, Everyday Food, December 2004. You can find it here.

Notes: The only thing I added was a little sugar to taste (a couple of teaspoonfuls) because I like my curry a little on the sweet side. This was really tasty and so very easy. Good stuff!

In a Class by Itself

We served the following recipe on our holiday appetizer night. I loved it...but I don't think I would serve it as an appetizer in the future (though, cut into bite-sized pieces, you totally can). It is a chicken tenders recipe, but this isn't your every day, average chicken tenders recipe either. I would definitely serve this as a main dish. Maybe with some veggies, rice, or couscous. However you serve it though, it is tasty stuff!

Lemon Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, stir together paprika, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken pieces. Dip pieces in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning once.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, lemon juice, and curry powder, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Drizzle lemon sauce over chicken, return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by J. Roderick. You can find it here.

Notes: I loved this. It was so different than I expected. The curry/lemon combination gives it such an exotic flavor. I think in the future, I would do this as either very large chicken tenders/strips/chicken tenderloin, or I would just bread entire chicken breasts (or butterflied chicken breasts) and serve it over rice. You could even make extra sauce to serve over the rice. Good stuff.

Easy Cooking During the Holiday Season

There is often so much baking and labor intensive cooking during the holidays that a really easy meal is very welcome! This is just that kind of meal.

Curry Chicken over Rice

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder (see notes below)
Brown or white cooked rice
Chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with butter, honey, mustard, salt, and curry powder.

Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken with two forks.

Serve over rice. Top with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Source: I got this recipe from a gal named Jenna Ellis in my ward.

Notes: I used 1/4 cup of butter instead of a 1/2 cup because I felt like I had already consumed enough butter over the holiday season! In the future, I might even add a little more curry. I would say to start with 1 teaspoon curry powder and then to add it to your taste after you have shredded the chicken. This was so good and such an easy meal to make during the holiday season. The other thing I loved about it was that it was so different from what you usually eat during the holidays. It was a welcome change of pace!

Meatballs: Part 3

 

Next stop on our journey...meatballs with an Asian influence.

We really liked these meatballs. I would suggest adding a little soy sauce or teriyaki sauce to the rice for some extra flavor.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice

Ingredients:

Coarse salt
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 carrot, shredded
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey or ground pork
3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 teaspoons fish sauce (or you could use soy sauce or teriyaki sauce)
4 teaspoons hot-pepper sauce (preferably Sriracha)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice, stir, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and top with carrot. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then stir in carrot and fluff rice with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, scallion whites, cilantro, fish sauce (or soy or teriyaki sauce), hot-pepper sauce, sugar, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Gently mix to combine and form into 12 meatballs.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. In batches, brown meatballs on all sides, 10 minutes total (add up to 1 teaspoon oil as needed). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 10 minutes. Serve meatballs with rice, scallion greens, and lime wedges.

Source: Everyday Food, November 2010. You can find it here.

Notes: I had to improvise a little when I made these. My cilantro, unbeknownst to me, had gone bad in my fridge, so I had to use dried cilantro. It definitely would have been better with the fresh cilantro. I also forgot to top the rice with the green parts of the scallions. Oh, and I completely forgot about using limes. All of those things would have made these meatballs even better...which is saying something because these meatballs were awesome.

I used teriyaki sauce in place of the fish sauce. I had fish sauce on hand, but my boys are allergic to everything and I figured it would be just my luck that they would end up being allergic to fish too and happen to have an allergic reaction while eating meatballs that night. I know that is ridiculous. I know I need to just get them each another appointment with the allergist to check on their status. At any rate, that is the call I made. The meatballs were great with teriyaki sauce. We tossed the rice in additional teriyaki sauce as well.

Oh, and just so you know, the Sriracha gives the meatballs a pinkish color. Don't worry, they are fully cooked!

I also baked the meatballs in the oven for 20 minutes. I just wasn't in the mood to get a pan dirty for the meatball browning process. It was one of those nights, I guess!

A Great Discovery

This dinner was such a nice change of pace. The rice is so simple, and yet it was so flavorful. I never thought of adding these flavors to rice before. It was really yummy.

Teriyaki Chicken with Rice Salad

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
1 smashed garlic clove
4 cups cooled cooked rice
1 cup sliced cucumber
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, honey, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and garlic; bring to a boil and reduce by half.

Toss together rice and cucumber; dress with 5 tablespoons rice vinegar and sesame oil; season. Grill chicken, brushing with soy glaze and turning often.

Serve chicken with rice salad.

Source: Everyday Food, July/August 2013. You can find it here.

Notes: I doubled the sauce, and I broiled the chicken rather than grilling it. I would maybe triple the sauce in the future and use some for dipping. This was really good. As I mentioned, I loved the rice salad. It was just a nice change from our normal weeknight dinners. Yummy stuff!

Food Moods

 

I was craving some kind of Asian chicken and noodle combination. I don't know, it just sounded good. So, I did a search to see what I could find. This recipe sounded easy, so I thought I would give it a go. We all really liked it! I hope you will too.

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise

Spicy Asian Dressing (recipe below)

Coarse salt

3 1/2 ounces Chinese rice noodles, broken in half if long

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup fresh basil, torn

Bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, fresh mint leaves, red-pepper flakes, and sliced scallion greens, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Place chicken and half of dressing in a resealable plastic bag (reserve remaining dressing). Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a platter.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken (do not crowd skillet) until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to platter on top of noodles. 

Top with carrots, cucumber, and basil. Drizzle with reserved dressing, and sprinkle with garnishes, if desired.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. You can find it here.

Notes: The Spicy Asian Dressing uses anchovy paste which gives it a very subtle fish taste. If you don't like this flavor, reduce the amount of anchovy paste or omit it entirely. The flavor will still be great.

I would suggest serving the noodles in individual portions on each plate and topping it first with the carrots and cucumbers, then the chicken, and then any toppings you choose to use, if any. It just looks prettier that way!

Spicy Asian Dressing

Ingredients:

4 thinly sliced scallion whites

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 minced canned anchovy)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

In medium bowl, mix together all ingredients.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food. You can find it here.

Notes: Really flavorful. As mentioned above, if you don't like the hint of fish flavor, reduce or omit the anchovy paste.