Thai Peanut Noodles

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1–2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 ounces linguine noodles
1 bunch chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 limes cut into quarters

1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Shrimp or grilled, sliced chicken or steak (about 8-10 ounces)

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, peel and mince the ginger and garlic, slice green onions, chop cilantro, and prepare lime and nuts.

To prepare sauce, in a separate sauce pan, combine the broth, peanut butter, Sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the peanut butter melts and the ingredients are combined.  Cook on a very low simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.

When the noodles are done, drain well and return to pot. Immediately add the peanut sauce and toss to combine. Divide the noodles evenly among individual serving bowls then top with chopped green onions, cilantro, and peanuts. Squeeze a little lime juice over each serving and serve with an additional lime wedge if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe and image from Our Best Bites

Easy 15-Minute Sweet and Sour Chicken

SAUCE
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

CHICKEN
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt and pepper, to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if necessary
2 green onions, sliced into thin rounds, optional for garnishing
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional for garnishing

MAKE THE SAUCE

To a medium saucepan, add all ingredients except water and cornstarch, whisk to combine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

To a small bowl, add the water, cornstarch, and stir to combine.

Add the water and cornstarch mixture to saucepan, reduce heat to low, and allow sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes while you make the chicken; whisk intermittently.

MAKE THE CHICKEN 

To a large ziptop bag, add the chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper to taste, seal, and shake to coat chicken evenly.

To a large skillet, add 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken has cooked through. Stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking. If skillet seems dry while cooking, add an additional tablespoon or two of oil as necessary.

After chicken has cooked though, reduce heat to low, add the sauce, stir to coat evenly, and allow it to simmer for a minute or two.

Optionally garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Recipe and Image from Averiecooks.com

Beef and Broccoli

Don't let the long recipe deter you, this Beef & Broccoli is restaurant quality yummy!

Beef Marinade
1 pound flank steak cut *ACROSS the grain into 1/8" thin slices, then cut into 2” length pieces
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (I like La Choy brand)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand is good)
1 teaspoon Sriracha/hot Asian chili sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

Sauce
1 tablespoon Japanese rice wine (I use white grape juice)
2 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand is good)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Extra
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon minced ginger
peanut oil or vegetable oil
3 1/2 - 4 cups broccoli florets cut into bit size pieces
1/4 cup water
1-2 7oz. pkg's of refrigerated Yakisoba noodles (optional - I add the noodles because - kids!)
3 green onions, sliced (optional)

Instructions
1. Pour marinade ingredients directly into freezer bag and mix well. Add beef and massage in marinade. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 2-8 hours.

2. When ready to make Beef and Broccoli, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

3. In another small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon peanut oil. Set aside.

4. If using Yakisoba noodles, remove from package, discard seasoning packet, and place in colander. Rinse with hot water to soften and loosen up the noddles. Set aside.

5. Drain excess marinade off of beef (if there is any).

6. *Work in 2 batches if your beef cannot fit in one layer.* Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil/vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot and sizzling. Add beef to the skillet and break up any clumps; cook without stirring for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned and almost cooked through, about 1-2 minutes (it will cook more in the sauce). Don’t overcook or it won’t be as tender! Transfer beef to a large plate and cover.

7. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil/vegetable oil to the now-empty skillet; heat until very hot and sizzling. Add the broccoli and saute for 30 seconds. Add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

8. Push the broccoli to the sides of the skillet and add the garlic/ginger/oil to the center of the pan, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, about 15 to 20 seconds, then stir the mixture into the broccoli.

9. Return the beef to the skillet and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine then add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and beef is cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in optional Yakisoba noodles, if desired. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the green onions and serve. If not using noodles, serve over rice.

*Tip: to more easily thinly slice the meat, freeze for at least 30 minutes before cutting and use a very sharp knife. Cutting across the grain means to cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers or "grain" of the meat. This leads to more tender beef!

Slightly adapted from carlsbadcravings.com

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This recipe is a little time consuming. It takes a good 1/2 hour or more to prep the chicken and get it in the oven, then it has to bake for an hour. But that hour of baking time gives you plenty of time to make rice or chow mein. The final result is DELICIOUS, so it's well worth the time!

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

Sauce:
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken*.

Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet.

Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it's really important to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9 x 13 baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour half of the sauce over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Pour the remaining sauce in a small saucepan and cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve extra sauce on the side of the chicken. Serve chicken over rice or pair it with chow mein.

recipe slightly adapted from melskitchencafe.com 

*My kids saw the plateful of cornstarch-covered raw chicken and totally thought it was Turkish Delight! I literally stopped them from eating it just in time!

 vs.

Is It Raw Chicken or Turkish Delight?

Chow Mein

¼ 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)
⅔ c. chopped celery (chopped diagonally)
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
2 c. chopped cabbage
1-2 lb diced chicken, optional

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 chicken (if using), celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent (or until chicken is cooked through). 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.

recipe from favfamilyrecipes.com

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 head ice berg or butter lettuce

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground meat and cook until browned; drain excess fat. Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.

*Tip for separating lettuce leaves without tearing: Remove stem by first hitting it firmly against the counter top. It should break and come loose easily. Hold the head of lettuce upside-down under cold running water. Separate each leaf by running water under it and gently pulling it away with your fingers.

adapted from damndelicious.net

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 20oz. cans chunk pineapple: pour juice into pot & reserve pineapple
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp Worcestershire
2/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp. soy sauce
- Mix all above ingredients together & bring to a boil.

Mix the following together, then add to sauce:
1/2 cup vinegar
4 tsp corn starch
- Boil until thickened

Add pineapple chunks to uncooked chicken (3-4 breasts) in baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350° for 1/2 hour covered then 1/2 hour uncovered.

Fried Rice

4 cups cooked white rice (do NOT salt)
1/2 - 1 cup diced ham
3-4 sliced green onions
3 eggs, scrambled
Soy Sauce

Stir fry together. Add soy sauce to taste. Add salt if necessary to taste.