Chicken & Broccoli

Source- Lauren's Kitchen

I love making homemade takeout.  Especially when it is something that I haven't gotten when we go out.  Trying something new is always nice. 



Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup water, plus
• 2 tablespoon water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into thin 3-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• hot cooked rice

Preparation

• In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth. 
• Add chicken and toss. 
• In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry chicken in 1 tablespoon oil until chicken reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm. 
• Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes. If necessary, deglaze with about 1/4 cup chicken broth.
• Return chicken to pan. 
• Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan. 
• Cook and stir for 2 minutes. 
• Serve over rice.

 Review & Changes- This recipe was really good.  I love making a sauce with my own ingredients instead of just buying a ready-made one from the store.  Nothing needs to be changed.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Source- Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced small
• 1 bell pepper, diced small 
• 3 ounces chicken, diced small
• 2 cups cooked white rice, day old is best
• Soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup cashew nuts
• 1/4- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks- diced small

 
Preparation

• Pour the oil in a nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat.
• Add the onion and peppers, stirring well to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the diced chicken. Stir regularly, until cooked.
• Remove the chicken/veggie mixture to a dish.
• Add the rice to the skillet. Allow to heat. Do not stir.
• After about 3 minutes, stir, and allow to sit again for about 3 minutes.
• Add the soy sauce to taste (use less, you can always add more, you want it to coat but not soak the rice). 
• Add the garlic powder. Stir well.
• Add in the cashews and the pineapple. 
• Return the chicken/veggies to the pan. 
• Stir well and allow to heat together for about 4-5 minutes.
• Serve hot.

Review & Changes-  This was really good.  Simple ingredients that go well together.  Not much else to say.  Definitely would make this again.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

Source- Lauren's Kitchen

I like trying to expand my comfort zone.  Using ground turkey is one way that I have done so.  When I can mix it with ingredients that I know I'll enjoy like scallions and garlic I'm willing to try something new. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup panko crumbs
• 1-1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro  (omitted)
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Dipping Sauce

• 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 chopped fresh scallion

Preparation
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 1/4 cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
For the dipping sauce mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.
Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce.
Serve meatballs with remaining sauce. Chances are you won't use all the dipping sauce.

Review & Changes-   I was not that impressed with this recipe.  The meatballs were good, especially being made with turkey.  But the sauce was not something I liked, and so plain meatballs wasn't that great.  Can't see myself making this recipe again. 

Asian Chicken Pizza

Source- Lauren's Kitchen

Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• 5 ounces of chicken, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (less or more depending on how hot you want it)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tbsp. honey
• 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar OR apple cider vinegar  (used cider vinegar)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• 2 tbsp. sliced green onion

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 450.
  
• Combine the red pepper flakes, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and vinegar. Stir well, set aside.
  
• In a small skillet cook the chicken. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  
• Pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Heat over medium heat until it thickens and becomes syrup like, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, toss well.
  
• Form the dough. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, rubbing to coat the dough.
  
• Top with the chicken/glaze mixture. Make sure it's evenly coating the dough.
  
• Top with the cheese and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
  
• Bake 10-12 minutes. Top with green onion. Serve hot.

 Review & Changes-  I really wanted to like this recipe.  It had so much potential.  But while cooking the sauce I tasted it before mixing the chicken in, and it was really bitter due to the cider vinegar.  I ended up adding more honey and even a bunch of brown sugar before I was satisfied that the sauce wouldn't completely ruin the pizza. 

The overall taste was OK.  I just wasn't that impressed and can't see myself making this recipe again. 

Ginger Spicy Chicken

Source- Campbell's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 can (about 20 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 medium green peppers or red pepper, cut into strips (about 3 cups)
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 4 cups hot cooked rice, cooked without salt
• Fresh parsley for garnish (omitted)

Preparation

• Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. 
• Stir the cornstarch, sugar, ginger, soy, picante sauce and reserved pineapple juice in a small bowl until it's smooth. Set the mixture aside.
• Spray a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. 
• Add the peppers and stir-fry until they're tender-crisp. Set them aside.
• Remove the pan from the heat. 
• Spray it with cooking spray and increase the heat to medium-high. 
• Add the chicken in 2 batches and cook until it's well browned and cooked through, stirring often. Set the chicken aside.
• Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the skillet. 
• Cook until the mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. 
• Stir the pineapple in the skillet. 
• Return the chicken and the peppers to the skillet and heat through. 
• Serve over the rice. Garnish with the parsley.

Review & Changes-This had amazing flavor.  You may be skeptical considering you're adding picante sauce which is like salsa to an Asian dish, but it just works.  Leftovers did not last long in our house!!  Make this!

Honey Crunch Chicken

Source- Bella's Bistro

We've really got into Asian foods at our house.  We've done plenty of stir-frys, but I like branching out into a little bit different stuff.  Everything gets cooked together so it isn't that different, but the chicken is dredged in cornstarch giving it a light breading and crunchy texture. 

Ingredients

• 1lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
• 2 Egg whites (used 2 whole eggs)
• 1/3C. Cornstarch (or flour – for dredging)
• 1C. Broccoli florets
• 1/2 Red pepper, thinly sliced (used 1 small whole green pepper)
• 3/4C. Sugar snap peas 
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3T. Olive oil
• 1T. Soy sauce
• 1/4C. Honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• Rice, for serving

Preparation

• Prepare and slice all veggies – feel free to add whatever you would like. 
• In 2 separate bowls, add the egg whites (lightly beaten) and the cornstarch or flour. (The cornstarch will yield a “crispier” chicken). 
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. 
• Add veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened. 
• Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. 
• Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.
• Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the same skillet (or you can use a different one, I just use the same to make it easier) over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil. 
• Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch. 
• Add to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip. 
• Continue with remaining chicken pieces, and do so in batches if needed.
• Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. 
• Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. 
• Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. 
• Serve with rice.

Review & Changes- This was pretty good.  Different from the normal stir frys I make.  The honey gave this a hint of sweetness, but wasn't overwhelming.  I really liked the variety of vegetables.  Dredging and cooking the chicken was the most time consuming, but luckily my husband was home and was willing to play assistant for me. 

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

Source- Stephanie Cooks

I've made a few different stir-frys, and I love trying new ones.  This recipe seemed so much easier than our standby that I knew I had to try it.  Even if I was a bit skeptical about only using 2 ingredients to make the sauce. 

I guess I was in such a hurry to eat this that I forgot to take a picture.  Trust me, it looks like every other stir fry out there.  ;)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 3 cups chopped mixed fresh vegetables (used 1lb frozen stir fry vegetables)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Catalina Dressing (I used light)
• 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Preparation

• Cook and stir chicken in hot oil in large skillet on high heat 3 min.
• Add vegetables and garlic; cook and stir 5 to 6 min. or until chicken is lightly browned.  (Mine needed to cook a bit longer since I used frozen vegetables.)
• Stir in remaining ingredients; cook an additional 2 min. or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
• Serve over rice

Review and Changes-  Holy awesome batman!!  What an easy stir-fry!!  I was skeptical about using the Catalina dressing for an Asian stir-fry, but it is exactly right.  Will definitely make this again.  You could easily use pork or beef, and change up the vegetable.  Seriously, if you have an Asian craving this easily fills that craving!!

Meatball with Peppers and Pineapples

Source-The Pioneer Woman

Some recipes just look really good.  Of course The Pioneer Woman maximizes this by taking photos of every step, and then making the final product look first class.  This recipe had so many of the right notes.  Meatballs, which H loves.  Peppers which we both love.  And pineapple, which I love.  Can't go wrong!

Ingredients

• 1-¼ pound Ground Beef
• ½ whole Onion, Diced Very Finely
• 1 whole Egg
• ½ cups Panko Bread Crumbs (or Regular Breadcrumbs)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper, More To Taste
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• Canola Oil, For Frying
• 2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Seeded And Diced Roughly
• 1-½ cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks
• 2 cups Beef Stock Or Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• ½ cups Sherry Or White Wine Vinegar
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• Salt To Taste
• Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste
• Extra Beef Stock If Needed

Preparation

• Combine ground beef, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and crushed red pepper. 
• Mix with hands until combined. 
• Roll meat mixture into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze on the pan for 15 minutes to firm.
• Mix together beef stock, soy sauce, sherry (or vinegar), sugar, and cornstarch.
• Heat canola oil over medium-high heat. 
• Roll meatballs in flour, then fry in two batches until nice and brown, about two minutes per batch. 
• Remove meatballs and set aside on a separate plate.
• Pour off oil from pan and return pan to medium high heat. 
• When pan is hot, throw in the chopped green peppers and cook for one minute. 
• Add pineapple to pan and cook for one minute, stirring gently. 
• Pour in stock/soy sauce mixture, then add meatballs. 
• Stir gently to combine and allow to cook and bubble for a few minutes, or until sauce is thickened. 
• Add salt and crushed red peppers to taste. (Hint: this dish is yummy if it’s a little spicy.)
• Serve over cooked brown or white rice.

Next Time- This recipe was OK.  The meatballs were excellent.  My problem was the flavor the white wine vinegar gave was overwhelming.  I've never cooked with it before so I didn't know this could happen.  My H really liked the flavor.  I'd say next time I'd cut down the amount, or even omit it.  If I leave it out I'd cut down on the sugar. 

Asian Orzo

Source-Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

I have come to love Mary Ellen's recipes.  I have never been steered wrong when I try something she has posted.  I knew I wanted to make the Chinese BBQ Pork Chops that I got from her website, and I went in search of a side dish to serve with them.  Lucky me my search found the side dish on her blog!

Ingredients

• 1 c dry orzo pasta
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Preparation

• Heat olive oil in a small pot
• Add onion, saute 3-4 minutes or until soft.
• Add orzo, toss to coat/toast for 1 minute
• Mix the broth with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Add the broth mixture to the pot, stir, bring to a simmer then lower heat and cover.
• Cook on low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes or until done. The broth should just be absorbed as the pasta finishes cooking.
• Stir to fluff and serve.

Next Time- This was easy to make, and had good flavor.  But it was just missing something.  I'm not a chef, so I don't know what it was missing.  I just know it needed something more.  Someone have an idea?

Stir Fried Cashew Pork

Source- Above an Italian Restaurant

I love cooking Asian recipes at home.  I've tried some really diverse stuff, more than what I've tried at restaurants.  This recipe didn't fail.  It comes together really quick, and has great flavor. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 pork tenderloin (3/4 - 1 lb.), cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 cup snow pea pods (used frozen sugar snap peas)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger (used 3/4tsp ground ginger)
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped

Preparation

• Combine hoisin sauce, water, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
• In a large non-stick skillet, heat about 2 tsp. of oil over medium-high heat until just smoking.
• Add half of the pork and cook until no longer pink (about 2 minutes); transfer to a plate.
• Repeat with another 2 tsp. of oil and remaining pork.
• Add remaining oil to skillet and heat until shimmering.
• Cook peas until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
• Add garlic and ginger, and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
• Add the sauce, cashews, and pork to the pan and cook until thickened, about 1 minute.
• Serve over rice.

Next Time- This could use a couple small changes.  The heat from the red pepper flakes was a little much, so I'd cut the amount to 1/4 tsp.  I also think adding some green onions would taste good. Nothing major, just small stuff.  This is a great recipe.

Spicy Szechuan Beef

Source: One Dish Meals Cookbook

This dish ends up being a fail. While it was edible and not completely horrible, I consider it a fail because I won't be willing to eat the leftovers, and I certainly don't plan on making this meal again. The problem was simply the Szechuan sauce. Pure heat, and that was using half of the amount the recipe called for.

As always, changes are in bold.

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked instant rice
• 2 cups water
• 3/4 extra-lean ground beef (used a full pound)
• 1 1lb pkg frozen broccoli florets, carrots and water chestnuts (the only mix I could find had cauliflower and no water chestnuts)
  
• 4oz fresh snow pea pods, trimmed (used frozen)
• 1/2 cup purchased Szechuan spicy stir-fry sauce (used about 1/4 cup)
• 3 Tb dry roasted salted peanuts

Preparation

• Cook rice in water as directed on package.
• In large skillet or wok, brown ground beef over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked.
• Remove from skillet; drain on paper towels.
• In same skillet, combine frozen vegetables, pea pods, and stir-fry sauce; mix well.
• Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 7-10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
• Return beef to skillet; mix well.
• Cook until thoroughly heated.
• Stir in peanuts.
• Serve over rice.

Next Time- As I said there won't be a next time. The only thing that would make this meal re-doable is a different sauce. The spicy Szechuan sauce didn't give much flavor, just heat.

Crockpot Asian Beef and Noodles

Source: Lauren's Kitchen

I thought this recipe looked good. I was intrigued that it used ramen noodles, without the spice packet. Plus it could cook all day with little fuss from me.

Ooops, forgot to take a picture. But Lauren's blog has a pretty decent picture.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Preparation

• Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  
• Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat.
  
• In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, water, and red pepper.
  
• Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.
• Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours (I recommend low, it will help to break the meat down more).
• At the end of cooking time, discard spice packets from ramen noodles.
  
• Stir noodles and green onions into meat mixture.
  
• Cover and let stand 10 minutes more.
  
• Stir before serving. This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

Next Time- Honestly, I never tried this. I made it, and it didn't sound appetizing when it was done, so I just had it ready for when H got home from work. He says it was great, and has really liked the leftovers. Maybe when my appetite is less finicky I'll try again.

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken and Rice Stir-Fry

Source: One Dish Meals Cookbook

Do you love Sweet-and-Sour Chicken? I know I do. I especially love the sauce, it's great for dipping egg rolls. When I saw this recipe in the cookbook, I knew H and I would love it. It didn't disappoint.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. precut chicken breast strips for stir-frying
• 1 (1lb) pkg frozen broccoli florets, carrots and water chestnuts, thawed and drained
• 1 8oz can pineapple chunks in unsweetened juice, undrained (used 20 oz. can)
• water
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant white rice
• 3/4 cup purchased sweet-and-sour sauce

Preparation

• Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Heat over medium-high until hot.
• Add chicken: cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Stir in vegetables.
• Cover: cook 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are hot and chicken is no longer pink.
• Meanwhile, drain pineapple liquid into 2-cup measuring cup; add water to make 1 1/2 cups.
• Add pineapple liquid mixture and pineapple to skillet. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in rice; return to a boil.
• Reduce heat ot low; cover and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and liquid is absorbed.
• Stir in sweet-and-sour sauce.

Next Time- This was great. I especially enjoyed all the pineapple. Definitely am happy I used the larger can. This was really sweet, so perhaps a teaspoon or so of red pepper flakes would give it a bit of a contrast.

Sweet and Hot Pork and Pineapple Stir-fry

Source: One Dish Meals

Yet another recipe from the lovely One Dish Meals Cookbook. There certainly are some good recipes in that book. H and I have found that we love stir-frys, and really enjoy when pineapple is included. So when I saw this recipe I added it to the weekly menu.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 T brown sugar (doubled)
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (doubled)
• 1/2 tsp ginger (doubled)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (doubled)
• 1/2 cup water (doubled)
• 3 T soy sauce (doubled)
• 1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained, reserving 2 T liquid (doubled liquid, and added 8 oz. can of pineapple)
• 3/4 lb. boneless lean pork, trimmed of fat, cut into think bite-sized strips (had nearly 2 lbs of meat)
• 1 16oz pkg coleslaw blend (accidentally bought 8oz. bag)

Preparation

• Cook rice in 1 1/2 cups water as directed on package, omitting margarine and salt.
• In a small bowl, combine 3 T brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup water, soy sauce and pineapple liquid. Mix well.
• Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add drained pineapple chunks; sprinkle with remaining 1 T brown sugar.
• Cook 5 minutes, turning chunks occasionally.
• Remove skillet from heat, and remove pineapple from skillet. Set aside.
• Spray skillet again with cooking spray. Add pork and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
• Add coleslaw blend. Cook and stir 3 to 6 minutes until pork is no longer pink and cabbage is tender.
• Add pineapple and cornstarch mixture to skillet. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until pork is glazed and sauce is slightly thickened.
• Serve over rice.

Next Time- Definitely wish I had bought the correct size bag of coleslaw blend. Otherwise this dish really lived up to the title "hot" pork. That really was the only dominate flavor, that my tongue was on fire. So perhaps between cutting down a bit on the red pepper flakes and having a better portion of coleslaw this recipe will be better. Loved that there was plenty of sauce.

Bourbon Chicken

Source: May '08 Nest Cookbook

Another great find from my May Nestie Cookbook. An awesome recipe from Bella, who has her own food blog. I made this just before leaving for a weekend, so that H wouldn't starve. LOL! So I got like 2 bites before we had to leave. The bites I got were awesome!! Very good Chinese!!!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (used 2 large breasts, just over a lb.)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed (used garlic powder)
• 1/4 tsp ginger (used ground ginger)
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 C apple juice
• 1/3 C light brown sugar
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 T cider vinegar
• 1/2 C water
• 1/3 C soy sauce
• 1 T corn starch

Preparation

• Heat oil in large skillet.
• Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
• Remove chicken and set aside.
• Add remaining ingredients (mixing corn starch with water before adding to skillet), heating over medium heat until well mixed and dissolved.
• Return chicken and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Serve over hot rice and Enjoy.

Next Time- The flavor for this was awesome. The correct amount of chicken would be better. The flavor was a bit hot, so cutting down slightly on the red pepper flakes would be better.

Chicken Fried Rice

Source: Bella's Bistro

I got this recipe from a fellow May Nestie. Some of her stuff is "out there" for H and I, but this recipe was right up our alley.

Ingredients

• 4C Cold prepared rice, loosened/crumbled (used brown rice)
• 4T Olive Oil
• 1Lb. Chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 Small White Onion
• 2C Veggies of your Choice (used a frozen stir fry veggie medley)
• 1t Sriracha Sauce (omitted)
• 3-4T Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3/4t Garlic Powder
• 2 Eggs, beaten (used 3)
• 3 Scallions, trimmed and chopped

Preparation

• In a hot non-stick wok, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Over medium-high heat, add onions and veggies and saute until softened.
• Add chicken and cook until mostly done (will still be a little pink the middle). This way, you don’t overcook the chicken.
• Add Siracha sauce to season veggies.
• Add crumbled rice and drizzle with remaining oil and soy sauce. Add garlic powder.
• Stir rice until even in color and all rice has soy sauce on it.
• Stir occasionally, while allowing rice to warm up.
• Make a well in the middle of your wok and pour in beaten eggs, scrambling the eggs while incorporating more and more rice.
• Add chopped green onions. Continue to heat rice until egg is fully cooked.
• Season with salt & pepper as desired.

Next Time- This turned out kinda blah. So after speaking to Bella, we agreed that it is most likely a combination of omitting the Sriracha Sauce and using brown rice. So I'm not writing this recipe off, I'll just have to stick closer to the original recipe.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

I love chinese food. Found another simple recipe from kraftfoods.com. That site is so great!

This recipe turned out so awesome! Definitely will be making it again. H was really impressed too.

No picture, I was too eager to eat and completely forget to take one. :(

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb. (3/4 of 16-oz. pkg.) frozen prepared meatballs (used what I had left, I know it was more, but not sure how much more)
• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen stir-fry vegetables (sliced green, red and yellow peppers and white onions)
• 1/4 cup apricot jam (doubled)
• 1/4 cup KRAFT CATALINA Dressing (doubled)
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce (doubled)
• 80z. can of pineapple chunks, with juice (great idea to add!)
  

Preparation

• Combine all ingredients in large skillet; cover.
• Cook on medium-high heat 10 min. or until meatballs and vegetables are heated through, stirring occasionally.
• Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta, if desired.

Next Time- This recipe is pretty good as is. I might want to add more pineapple next time. 8oz was good, but you can't go wrong with more!

Orange Chicken Rice Bowl

My first fail. Well it isn't my fail, just the recipe didn't turn out the way I had hoped. I got it from the Kraft Magazine I get in the mail, but it is also on their site. I thought the sauce would be enough, but it was pretty bland, not a lot of flavor. I'm pretty sad, because it is such a simple recipe. Oh well.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1/4 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (couldn't find, so used Ken's Lite Asian Sesame with Ginger and Soy)
  
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
• 3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
• 1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts (used dry roasted instead)

Preparation

• Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.
• Add chicken; stir-fry 5 to 7 min. or until cooked through.
• Stir in dressing and juice. Bring to boil.
• Add vegetables; cook 5 to 7 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
• Serve over rice.
• Sprinkle with nuts.

Next Time- I doubt I'll make this again. Unless someone has some great ideas of how to make the sauce better, I'm just not a fan.

Chicken Stir-Fry

This has become a favorite of H and I. I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com, and it's by Emeril. Usually his recipes involve a lot of ingredients that I don't use. While I make a few substitutions, for the most part we use this recipe as is.

Bold items are changes I made, and Italics are steps I skipped.

Ingredients

• 1 (7-ounce) package mung bean (cellophane) noodles (omitted)
  
• 1/4 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry sherry, optional (omitted)
  
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons sliced on the bias green onions, plus more for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced gingerroot (1/2 tsp ground ginger)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Note-the red pepper flakes give it quite a kick, if you don't like heat you may want to reduce the amount.)
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips (used 1 1/2 lbs)
  
• 1 (14-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables (broccoli florets, julienne red peppers, sugar snap peas and water chestnuts), about 3 cups, thawed (used 16oz bag)
  

Preparation

• While assembling the other ingredients, soak the noodles in hot water to soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• To make the sauce, in a bowl, whisk together the chicken broth with the cornstarch. Add the soy, hoisin, sugar, and sherry, if using, whisk, and set aside.
• Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and when hot and nearly smoking, add the green onions, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 seconds.
  
• Add the chicken and stir-fry until turning opaque and nearly cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
  
• Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 1 minute.
  
• Add the sauce, stir and toss, cooking until the chicken is all the way cooked through and the sauce is thick, about 2 minutes.
  
• Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan. Add the noodles, toss, and cook to warm through, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Transfer the stir-fry to a platter and garnish with additional green onions. Arrange the noodles on the side and serve immediately.
• Serve over rice. Used the remaining chicken broth to make the rice. Add water to broth to reach the required amount of water.
  

Next Time- I've made this recipe enough, that I'm happy with the way we make it.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

OMG! This is so good. H said that it was better than what you can get at a restaurant since theirs is fried. I got this recipe from Molly's blog. I was supposed to make it last week, but forgot to buy rice and white vinegar. So it got added to this week's menu.

Ingredients
Chicken:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (used 20 oz. pkg of tenders)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce: (doubled and saved half to use for dipping)

• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preparation

• Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
• Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg.
• Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through.
• Place in a single layer in a baking dish.
• Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken.
• Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes.
• If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Next time- wouldn't change a darn thing!!