Asian Chicken Breasts
I recently made an Asian Pork Tenderloin for my husband's birthday. We all really enjoyed the dish so I thought I would try the marinade with chicken breasts. My husband grilled them to perfection while I boiled and reduced the marinade down to a rich and tasty sauce. It was a delicious dish and it paired nicely with fried rice (recipe to follow). We all really liked this meal - it was way better than takeout and much cheaper too.Asian Chicken:
- 2/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of dark sesame oil
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1-2 tsp hot chili sauce
- 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 green onions, sliced (divided)
- 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
- Olive oil cooking spray
Combine the first 7 ingredients (reserve a few sliced green onions for garnish) in a large zip lock bag, then add the chicken breasts. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
Grill the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Cut chicken into 1/4 inch thick slices and drizzle with sauce and the remaining green onions. Enjoy.
Kung Pao Chicken
I have always been intimidated by cooking Asian cuisine. I think it's hard for me because I like to cook my food low and slow while most Asian cooking is hot and fast. My friend Kyle recently had us over for dinner and she made Szechuan chicken. It was so good it made me want to try cooking Chinese food. I found several recipes for Kung Pao chicken on the Internet. I got the general recipe down and adapted it to work with the ingredients I had on hand. I was worried to use seasoned rice vinegar when most of the recipes called for rice wine vinegar but there was no need to worry because the sauce was extremely tasty. It was spicy and full of flavor while the chicken was tender and juicy. My husband and I really enjoyed this meal. Since the dish was really spicy, I took some of the chicken and cooked it with teriyaki sauce for the kids - they really liked it. I served the Kung Pao chicken over white rice and with steamed broccoli on the side. It was a fantastic meal that was quick and simple to cook. I am so excited to trying cooking another Asian recipe soon.Kung Pao Chicken:
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced into bite sized chunks
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (less if you don't want it really spicy)
- 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1-2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
- White rice, prepared per instructions
Prepare rice. Combine chicken and cornstarch in a bowl and toss until evenly coated. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in another bowl and set aside for later. Heat a large skillet or wok with sesame oil over medium high heat. Once the pan is smoking hot add the chicken and stir fry for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper and green onions (leaving a few for garnishing) to the pan and stir fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar mixture to the pan along with the cooked chicken and peanuts. Coat the chicken and peanuts with sauce and heat thoroughly. Serve over rice and top with remaining green onions. Enjoy.
Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cups of savoy cabbage, chopped
- 2 cups of shredded carrots
- 2 cups of bean sprouts
- 1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 cup water
- 14 egg roll wraps
- Sweet chili dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce (for dipping)
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cabbage, sprouts, carrots, chestnuts and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to wilt but still remain a little bit crisp. Mix the corn starch with the water and mix thoroughly. Add the corn starch mixture and soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.
Place two tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrap. Fold the bottom up over the filling. Next, fold the two sides over, making it look like an envelope, then roll it up like a burrito.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the rolled up egg rolls on a baking sheet. Once you have rolled them all, spray the top of each egg roll with cooking spray.
Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.
Asian Pork Tenderloin
My husband was wanting Asian food for his birthday dinner so I made this delicious pork tenderloin along with his favorite this Asian Noodle Salad and these Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls. It was a wonderful dinner filled with great flavors. This marinade is my new favorite - I can't wait to try it on chicken and flank steak. It had a bit of a kick with the hot chili sauce but not so hot that the kids couldn't eat it. The pork turned out very moist, tender and so tasty. My husband really loved it and so did the rest of us.
- 2/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of dark sesame oil
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1-2 tsp hot chili sauce
- 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 green onions, sliced (divided)
- 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
- Olive oil cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Remove pork from bag, reserving marinade. Add pork to pan, cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Place pan in oven, and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 155-160 degrees (medium) or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Cut pork into 1/4 inch thick slices and drizzle with sauce and the remaining green onions. Enjoy.
Korean Style Flank Steak
I loved the Korean style marinade I used for a pork tenderloin I made recently and I wanted to try a similar marinade with flank steak. The flavors were amazing! The garlic and the ginger really gave the marinade a zing. My husband and children really loved it and so did I. It's easy and delicious. - 1 1/2 lb of flank steak
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-2 tbsp ginger root, minced
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and marinate for at least 1 hour. Let the meat sit in the bag at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to cooking. Grill meat to the desired degree of doneness. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain. Enjoy.
Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts
I served this adapted Cooking Light recipe with the Korean-Style Pork Tenderloin and the Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Sweet Ginger Soy Dressing. It was a wonderful and healthy dinner that was full of great flavors and textures. My family enjoyed the entire meal but my husband and I especially loved this cucumber salad. It was spicy, tangy and crunchy. This was an excellent salad that I will be making a lot.- 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup of water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tbsp minced sweet yellow onion or red onion
- 1 tbsp chopped dry roasted peanuts
Peel the cucumber then cut in half lengthwise. Take a small spoon and scoop out all the seeds from the cucumber. Cut into bite size pieces and place in a colander, sprinkle with salt and toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place on several layers of paper towels (I used 2). Let stand for 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook until reduced to 1/3 cut (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reduction from heat; cool. Stir in onion. Combine cucumbers and vinegar deduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts. Enjoy.
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Sweet Ginger Soy Dressing
I adapted this recipe from one I found in The Best of Cooking Light cookbook. This salad has wonderful vegetables, textures and flavors. The dressing was subtle but delicious with the sweet and crunchy peas, carrots and red peppers. It paired nicely with the Korean-Style Pork Tenderloin and a tasty Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts. Both of my kids really enjoyed this salad, especially my son. - 1/2 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed
- 1/2 cup julienne cut carrots
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup julienned cut red pepper
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
- 2 tsp dark sesame oil
- 1 tbsp peeled fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
To prepare the dressing, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger; sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and salt; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.To prepare the salad, cook peas in boiling water 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine peas and remaining ingredients except sesame seeds. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy.
Korean-Style Pork Tenderloin
I recently checked out a wonderful cookbook called, The Best of Cooking Light from the library. I've made several recipes from the book and am very happy with the results. The dishes are not only tasty they are healthy too.- 1/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp dark sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
- Olive oil cooking spray
Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Cut pork into 1/4 inch thick slices and drizzle with sauce. Enjoy.
Chicken Pot Stickers
This is a fun and tasty recipe to make. I used leftover roasted chicken breast tonight but you can also use ground pork or ground chicken. I have always been intimidated by cooking Asian food but I have finally gotten this recipe down. It's fun to make and the kids have a lot of fun helping. My dipping sauce of choice is a sweet chili sauce but it's too spicy for the kids so I make a soy dipping sauce too. I usually serve with an Asian Noodle Salad and fresh steamed broccoli. It's a delicious and healthy meal that my kids really enjoy - especially my daughter.Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 cups of boiling water
- 2 cups napa cabbage, sliced finely
- 2 cups roasted chicken breast, diced
- 2 green onions, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Pot sticker wraps
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)
Boil the water and pour over the sliced cabbage to soften. Drain excess water from the cabbage and put into mixer. Add chicken, green onions, garlic, corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sea salt and pepper. Pulse mixer until thoroughly combined (it's not pretty but it tastes good). Taste and re-season if needed.
Spread out the pot sticker wraps and scoop a small teaspoon full of filling onto the center of each wrap. Wet the top of each pot sticker wrap with a baster brush dipped in water.
Fold the pot sticker to make a moon shape and pinch shut with 3 to 4 pleats along the side. Really make sure they are sealed, so the filling doesn't fall out.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan . Once hot, add 12 pot stickers and cook until the bottoms are golden brown. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover with a lid. Steam for 4 minutes. Repeat with the remainder of pot stickers. Remove from heat and serve with a dipping sauce (or two).
Asian Noodle Salad
I was craving a light but tasty side dish so I decided to try a cold Asian noodle salad. I really love the flavors and textures of this dish. The vegetables and peanuts gave it a nice crunch while the noodles were soft and chewy. This was a perfect salad for a hot day! The kids couldn't get enough and neither could my husband.Dressing:
- 1/2 cup of seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Let sit for at least 1 hour to let the flavors combine.
Salad:
- 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 handful of basil leaves, chopped
- 2 green onions, diced finely
- 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup of toasted peanuts
- 1/2 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions
Prepare all the vegetables, set aside. Once the spaghetti has cooked per instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Once the noodles are cool, add the vegetables and peanuts. Mix the dressing again thoroughly then add to the noodles and vegetables. Stir until well combined and serve. Enjoy.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe
On a side note:
I was given a Brillante Weblog award by The Food Monster. Thank you so much for the award, it means a lot to me. I also want to thank you for all your nice comments on my blog. I enjoy your blog a lot and I am always tempted by your food photos.
The rules for receiving the award are as follows:
- Post the logo on your blog.
- Add a link to the person who nominated you
- Nominate 5 other people for this award and add links to their blogs.
- Leave a message for the people you've nominated
I love a lot of blogs so I will just pick a few that I visit often:
- Jason Cooks because he comes up with tasty recipes and he is a fellow Portland Foodie.
- Culinarty by Lore because there are always great recipes and pictures to enjoy.
- Cheryl at Cooking, Dunkin Style because she is the best neighbor a girl could ask for and she has great recipes.
- Jan at Range Warfare because I love her blog, writing and recipes.
- Amy at Eggs on Sunday because her photography is vivid and amazing while her recipes always look fantastic.
