Thai Red Beef Curry

This is a re-post from Emily. Thanks Ems! We made this and it was awesome!
Warning: very spicy dish!

It is super hot but the flavor is sooo good! This is one of my favorite dishes.
**If you like lots of curry sauce to put over your rice, consider doubling the sauce part of the recipe.

2 potatoes (sliced or cubed)

1 large sirloin steak- sliced thin

1 packet "A Taste of Thai" red curry paste

1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/2 cup raw peanuts

salt to taste

Stir together full packet of curry paste, fish sauce, and half the can of coconut milk in a saucepan on medium heat. (Use less curry paste if you don't like it too spicy).

Stir in potatoes and steak and let it cook in the curry mixture (let it kind of simmer until steak is cooked through). Slowly stir in the rest of the coconut milk as needed. Potatoes should be soft but not mushy.

Add peanuts and salt then let cook a few more minutes.

Serve over rice. We usually drink milk with this to balance out the spiciness!

Potstickers

I love potstickers, but have never attempted to make them until now. I found this recipe online on the Food Network Site and made a few adjustments of my own. They turned out fantastic!
My husband wasn't sure if he would like them or not and almost turned his nose up at them completely.. but then he tried one.. then another.. then he was hooked. He said that they are his new favorite appetizer. He liked them so much, we are actually making them again tomorrow!

1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 c. finely chopped cabbage
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
35 to 40 small wonton wrappers
Water, for sealing wontons
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/3 cups chicken stock, divided
Yoshida's Sauce (for dipping)

Preheat oven to 200-degrees.

Combine the first 12 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl (pork through cayenne). Set
aside.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with
a damp cloth. Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded
teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper (yes, the pork mixture is uncooked.. it will cook completely through the thin wrapper, I promise) . Fold over, seal edges, and
shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Heat a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once hot. Add 8 to 10
potstickers at a time to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, without touching. Once the 2
minutes are up, gently add 1/3 cup chicken stock to the pan, turn the heat down to low,
cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove wontons to a heatproof platter and place in
the warm oven. Clean the pan in between batches by pouring in water and allowing the pan
to deglaze. Repeat until all the wontons are cooked. Serve immediately with Yoshida's sauce for dipping.

Shrimp Tempura Roll

Made these the other night.. they turned out awesome! The hardest part of this recipe was rolling up the tempura shrimp before it was all eaten (mostly by me.. but still).

1 lb shrimp
Tempura breading (just the kind already prepared in the package)
oil
sushi rice, prepared (click here)
Avocado, pitted, peeled, sliced
cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 pkg. dried Nori (seaweed)
Mr. Yoshida's sauce (or soy sauce)

Prepare tempura shrimp according to package directions. Roll up tempura shrimp, avocado and cucumber just like you would a California Roll (click here). Slice and serve with Mr. Yoshida's sauce (MMMmmmmMMmmm).

Crab & Cream Cheese Wontons

These are so tasty... a great appetizer for parties! Amber always makes them for Devin's Super Bowl Party each year. LOVE THEM! We make these all the time for get-togethers and they are always a favorite!

1/2 pkg wonton wrappers (you can find these in any grocery store near the produce)
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 c. fresh crabmeat (optional)
1 egg white, whipped
oil for frying

Put about 1 heaping tsp. of cream cheese in the middle of each wonton wrapper (if you are using crabmeat, mix the crab and cream cheese together before adding to the wonton wrapper). Brush egg white (or you can just use water) around the edge of the wrapper and fold over to seal (if you are confused on how to fold it, look on the back of the wonton wrapper package.. it will show you step by step how to do it). Fry in oil until golden brown. That's it! Serve with sweet and sour sauce combined with chili paste (or if you are a wimp and don't like it spicy, just serve with sweet and sour sauce).

Chicken Egg Rolls

These are the best homemade egg rolls I have ever had. My friend Heidi and I combined our individual egg roll recipes the other day to create these. They are so easy, once you try these you won't ever go back to buying those frozen egg rolls ever again!

1 chicken breast, chopped into tiny pieces
1/4 c. Yoshida's sauce
2 eggs beaten
vegetable oil
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 c. shredded cabbage
2 carrots, shredded
1 c. fresh bean sprouts
1/4 c. water
black pepper to taste (we like it peppery so we usually use quite a bit of pepper)
egg roll wrappers
vegetable oil for frying
sweet and sour sauce (optional)
hot mustard (optional)

Cook chicken in Yoshida's sauce until cooked through. When cooked, remove from pan and chop into even smaller pieces. Pour beaten egg into a large, lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Cook flat and thin, flipping only once, until done. Remove from skillet, cool, and chop finely. In the same skillet, add chopped green onions and stir for about 30 seconds. Add cabbage, carrot and sprouts. Pour water over the cabbage mixture in the skillet. Stir often, until cabbage mixture becomes soft. If it becomes too dry, add more water. Add chicken and egg to mixture. Put about 2 Tbsp. of mixture onto each egg roll wrapper and roll up according to package directions. Place egg rolls into heated oil (about 375 degrees) and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. Serve with hot mustard and/or sweet and sour sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Noodles with Chicken

Mary Ann made this for us once and I had to get the recipe, it has the best flavor. We make it all the time now. You can make it with chicken or shrimp, both are really good!

2-3 chicken breasts cut into chunks and cooked (I like to cook it with some peanut sauce tossed in to give the chicken some added flavor)

1 lb noodles, fully cooked and drained (any kind you prefer)

In a small sauce pan brown 4 tsp minced garlic in some olive oil then add:

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. white vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. sesame seeds

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
2 c. steamed broccoli (optional)

Toss the chicken, noodles, and sauce together in a large fry pan or wok on medium heat. Let it all simmer together for about five minutes so the noodles absorb some of the sauce. Toss in steamed broccoli (optional). Serve hot.

Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein

I got this basic recipe from Cooking Light. We really like this Lo Mein.. but we like it best (I know this is going to sound really weird, but trust me on this one) with chopped fried egg over the top. I didn't take a picture with the egg on it because I didn't want to weird people out.. but you should definitely give it a try. If you don't want to try it with egg the same night, do it over the leftovers the next day (it's really good on the leftovers).

1 pkg. spaghetti, cooked to al dente
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 c. onion, sliced thin
1 Lb. flank steak, cut into strips
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. chili paste
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
*eggs (optional--see note below)
Cook pasta according to package directions (don't add salt), drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat.

While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients (minus the egg if you are going to use egg on the top); cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

**If you do it with egg: For each serving fry one egg until the yolk in the middle is no longer runny. Make it to your preferred doneness. Chop up the egg on a cutting board and serve over top the lo mein.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Cool Cucumber Salad

Beau made this for me for Mother's Day and it was so incredibly good!! 

Chicken Satay

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. curry powder

2 chicken breasts cut into long strips

2 Tbsp. peanut oil

Mix the spices together and set aside.  Toss the chicken in the peanut oil then stir in the spices.

Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Thread onto skewers and grill.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic

1/2 tsp. oil

1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce

1/4 cup water

chopped peanuts to taste

In a small saucepan mix together the ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and cook 1 to 2 minutes to thicken.  Set aside and bring to room temperature. 

Cool Cucumber Salad

1 cucumber sliced and seeded

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

6 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

(you can also add onion if you really want)

Mix everything but the cucumber, then add the cucumber in.  Refrigerate and serve.

Cashew Chicken

This is a great cashew chicken recipe I got from good ole Martha Stewart :) Make sure you get a good hoisin sauce, it will make all the difference.

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
1 T. cornstarch
salt and pepper
2 T. canola or vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves
8 green onions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces
2 T. rice vinegar
3 T. hoisin sauce
3/4 cup cashews (click HERE to buy some great cashews online)
White rice, for serving (optional)

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch until the chicken is coated; season with 3/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil and chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. cook, tossing often, until the chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Add the vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce and the 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens and cashews. Serve immediately over white rice, if desired.

Orange Chicken

I found this awesome recipe from blogchef.net. We made it the other night and LOVED it! Thank you Mr. Blogchef :) If you haven't seen his blog yet... you should definitely check it out. His Asian-style recipes all look so good!

Chicken:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons FRESH orange juice
¼ cup FRESH lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar (I actually added a little more brown sugar... )
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (we added more... again, we like it HOT)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 cup water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.

Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.

Our Version of Noodles & Co.'s Thai Peanut Saute

This is my personal version of the "Indonesian Peanut Saute" from Noodles & Co. It turned out just like it! It got my hubby's stamp of approval. In fact, he said "this is my favorite Thai noodle dish I have ever had.. even better than Noodles & Co."
(This makes quite a bit, probably easily feeds 4-6.)

1-2 Lbs. chicken, cut into thin strips
vegetable oil (to saute)
2 Tbsp Sriracha chili sauce (we just found this at our local grocery store. Click here.)
juice of 1 lime
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
3-4 shakes soy sauce
salt & pepper (to taste)
16 oz. (1 pkg.) linguine noodles
**peanut sauce (see below)
peanuts
2-3 limes, sliced

The following are all to taste, add as much or little as you want (If you do lots of veggies, I would recommend making extra sauce)
-shoestring carrots (I just used the packaged kind)
-broccoli florets, chopped
-green onion
-peanuts (chopped)
-bean sprouts

In a large skillet, saute chicken in oil, Sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt & pepper. While chicken is cooking, prepare the linguine (to al dente) and make the peanut sauce. After the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and wrap in foil to keep warm. Re-oil the skillet, add vegetables and saute (except for the bean sprouts, add those a few minutes before serving so they are still nice and crunchy and don't get overcooked). Add the chicken and bean sprouts to the skillet, cover, and reduce heat. Drain noodles and toss with a little olive oil (to keep the noodles from drying out and sticking together). Now there are 2 ways you can finish the dish: 1. mix the sauce with the noodles and TOP with veggies & chicken (this is what we did) OR 2. you can add the noodles and sauce to the skillet with the vegetables and toss until everything is well coated with sauce. Garnish with peanuts and limes.


**SAUCE: (I found this good peanut sauce from "Our Best Bites":)

1 c. chicken broth
6 Tbsp. (heaping) creamy peanut butter
2-4 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (on Best Bites, they said that 2 tsp. is mild and 4 is hot... we used about 4 TABLEspoons.. and for us, that was about right.)
3 Tbsp. honey
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sauce becomes smooth and well blended.

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California Rolls

I could eat California Rolls all day long. They are one of my favorite snacks ever, but they are so stinkin' expensive to buy here! They are much cheaper to make PLUS you can make a LOT more than what they give you at the store. First of all, you will need some bamboo sushi mats. You can get these for about $1 at any Asian Market.

Sushi Rice (click HERE)
Nori (dry roasted seaweed), about 5-6 sheets
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into long strips
2-3 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
Imitation crab meat (easiest if it is in the sticks, but the crab pieces work too)
sesame seeds

Lay the bamboo sushi rolling mat on a cutting board with bamboo strips going horizontally from you. Cover the bamboo with plastic wrap. Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat, shiny side down. Spread sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the sushi rice. Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top. Place cucumber, avocado and crab lengthwise on the seaweed. Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi. Press firmly the bamboo mat with hands, then remove the rolled sushi. With a VERY sharp knife, cut the sushi roll into pieces.

I found this video online that will SHOW how to do it better than I can describe it... Click HERE for the video (This guy makes it look so easy, I am definitely not anywhere near as graceful as he is.)

Now that you know how to roll the sushi, try it with different stuff in the middle. The little tiny rolls that are in the picture are just cucumber and avocado rolls (which are very good too!) Next time I am going to try it with fried shrimp and avocado with a spicy sauce drizzled over the top (a variation of a "Godzilla Roll" I had at a restaurant here)!


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SPAM Musubi

K, I know what you are thinking right now... you are thinking "What the heck is Musubi"? Am I right? The only people who might know what this is are those of you visiting this site from Hawaii. You know exactly what this is.

For those of you who have never lived Hawaii... allow me to enlighten you for a moment. When I lived in Hawaii I had SPAM all the time. I had it for breakfast with eggs and rice. I had it for dinner with noodles and rice. And for lunch... I had it just like this.. as Musubi. You can buy Spam Musubi in Hawaii at any grocery store or gas station (I would always get it at the Chevron by our house or on campus). Sometimes you can find it with some fried egg between the SPAM and rice... this way is VERY good too and makes for a good, quick breakfast. Either way, It's a great way to get your protien and carbs without using a plate or getting your hands dirty. Plus, it's tasty! VERY tasty! And cheap! This would ALWAYS hit the spot when I needed a quick lunch or snack.

I know you are skeptical, I was too... until I tried it. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of SPAM, this is worth a try (I was totally grossed out by SPAM until I lived in Hawaii)! I made it for some of my family members last week and they all were pleasantly surprised about how good it was. Don't knock it til you try it!

First of all, you will need to make (or buy) a Musubi mold. I didn't want to fork out $10-$15 bucks to have one sent to me from Hawaii so I made my own... you will need to get a mini SPAM can (you will need SPAM anyway to make the Musubi-- if you use the full size can, cut it down to about half the original height), clean it out well with soap and water, CAREFULLY cut off the bottom with a utility knife or an exact-o knife, then cover the sharp edges with electrical tape or duct tape (make sure the tape you use it NON-lead based). Here is the one that I made.. nothing fancy but it gets the job done!


Now here is how you make it:

1 can SPAM (regular size, or 2 mini)
1/4 c. oyster sauce
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. sugar
Nori (roasted seaweed used for sushi), cut into halves or thirds (I cut it into thirds to make it go further)
5-6 cups cooked sushi rice (WITHOUT the vinegar mixture added) --Click HERE for the Sushi Rice Recipe

Slice the SPAM into about 8-10 slices (depending on how thick you like it) and put in a Ziploc bag. Mix together oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar until sugar is dissolved and add to the bag with the SPAM. Marinate for about 15 minutes. Drain off marinade and fry SPAM on each side over medium heat until slightly crispy or until desired doneness. (Some people like to glaze the SPAM with the marinade/sauce AFTER frying.. either way tastes great!) Place a strip of nori on a cutting board or clean surface (shiny side down). Place your Musubi mold across the middle of the nori (so if you folded up the sides of the nori, it would wrap around the middle of the can... like how it shows in the picture).

Add rice to the mold, pressing down firmly and evenly, so there is about 1-1 1/2 inches of rice (if the rice starts to stick to the mold too much, dip it in water. You will notice you will have to dip your fingers in water quite a bit because the rice is so sticky. I usually just keep a bowl of water right next to where I am working.) Next, remove the mold from the rice. Now you will have a nice little block of rice right on the nori. Add some of the cooked spam to the top. Wrap up one side of the nori and stick it to the top of the SPAM, then wrap up the other side. Just like you are wrapping a nice little package. Use a little water on your finger to seal if needed. Serve warm. Some like it dipped in soy sauce, some like it with ketchup... some like it as is. You will just have to try it all the different ways and decide for yourself which way you like it best.

***If you are making a lot and saving it. Wrap individually in some plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. When you are ready to eat it, unwrap and place in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
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Sushi Rice

I love the taste of sushi rice. There are so many fun things that you can make with sushi rice including California Rolls (Click HERE) or even SPAM Musubi (Click HERE). If you know how to make good sushi rice, the possibilities are endless!

3 c. sushi rice (It should say "sushi rice" right on the bag. Calrose rice works ok if you can't find sushi rice.)
3 c. water
1/4 c. Japanese rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand, pour off and repeat 2-3 times or until the water is clear. Rinse a few more times. After the rice is rinsed, let the rice drain in a colander or strainer for 1 hour. After the rice has drained, put the rice in the rice cooker with the 3 cups of water, cover, and start.

If you don't have a rice cooker place rice and water in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest, covered, for 15 additional minutes.

While rice is cooking, prepare the vinegar mixture. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat mixture just until the sugar dissolves (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Now back to the rice.. When the rice is done cooking, gently spread out the rice over a cookie sheet. Evenly distribute the cooled vinegar mixture over the rice. Gently turn rice over from time to time with rice paddle or wooden spatula so that rice cools evenly. To speed things up, fan the rice each time you turn it over. When rice has cooled to room temperature, it is ready to use for sushi rolls!

If you want to wait a little bit before making your sushi or while you are making the rolls, you can keep the rice at the right temperature by placing it in a large bowl and covering with a damp kitchen towel.

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Coconut-Peanut Curry

Yummmmmmmmm. We love curry. This is somewhere between a Thai curry and an Indian curry. Deeee-lish!

3 tsp chili oil
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. ginger, minced
1 c. chicken broth (add more as you go along to thin out if needed)
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3/4 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. curry powder
4 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 c. frozen peas
2 cans coconut milk (about 4 cups)
1 Lb. chicken
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 c. cooked jasmine rice
1/4 c. "House of Tsang" peanut sauce
unsalted peanuts
chopped green onions

In a large skillet, add chili oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion, garlic and ginger and saute for about 45 seconds. Add chicken broth, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Simmer for a few minutes, then add coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes (or until thickened a little bit). While curry sauce is simmering, cut the chicken into small pieces and coat with cornstarch. In a medium skillet, heat oil and saute chicken until cooked through. When fully cooked, remove and drain on paper towels. When curry sauce has simmered, add carrots, potato, peas and cooked chicken. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until veggies become tender. When serving, plate the rice and drizzle some of the peanut sauce over the top. Serve curry sauce around the rice or to the side. Garnish with peanuts and green onion.

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Beef and Snow Peas

If you haven't noticed, we have been trying to make some healthier dishes lately... I noticed that most of the posts on this blog aren't very "figure friendly" so I am mixing it up by throwing in a few healthier ones! I got this recipe from Echo a few years ago. It is definitly a favorite! Just because it is healthy doesn't mean it lacks flavor... in fact it's quite the opposite! (Jared ate it and liked it, so you know it must be good!)

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1/8 inch strips
1 tsp cornstarch
2 cups fresh snow peas
4 tsp canola oil, divided

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, broth, and garlic. Reserve 1/4 cup. Place beef in a resealable plastic bag. Add remaining soy sauce mixture; seal and mix. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Place cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir in reserved soy sauce mixture until smooth; set aside.
In a nonstick skillet, stir-fry snow peas in 2 tsp hot oil for 3-4 minutes or until snow peas are crisp-tender and bright green. Remove and keep warm. Drain and discard marinade from beef. In same skillet, stir-fry beef in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Combine with snowpeas. Serve with rice (serve with brown rice if you want to be really healthy!)

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Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

I love love love beef teriyaki! It was one of my FAVORITE meals to eat when I lived in Hawaii. I seriously can't get enough of this stuff.

1 can pineapple chunks with juice (15 oz.)
1 c. soy sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 Lb. beef sirloin, cut in 1 inch cubes

Mix together all ingredients, excluding beef. Set aside about 1/2 c. of the sauce, cover and refrigerate. Add beef to remaining sauce and marinate, covered and refrigerated overnight (better yet, seal the marinade and beef in a large Ziploc bag and place in a bowl, then place in the fridge-- either way works). Thread beef onto skewers. Discard leftover marinade. Broil or grill about 8-10 minutes, turning once, until beef is cooked. Place beef in a large bowl, pour remaining sauce over the cooked beef and stir until well covered. Serve with rice (or grilled fresh pineapple).

Egg Drop Soup

This tastes just like the egg drop soup at our local Chinese restaurant. It is ridiculously easy to make and it's the perfect addition to any Chinese dish!

4 c. chicken broth
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 eggs

Reserve about 1/2 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and green onion into the saucepan, and bring to a boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth, then slowly stir into broth.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs together using a fork. Pour egg a little at a time SLOWLY into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook quickly. Serve immediately.

Kung Pao Chicken

This Kung Pao chicken is so good! Feel free so add shredded carrot, celery, baby corn, or even zucchini for a little extra flavor. YUM!

1 lb. chicken, cut into chunks
1/4 c. chicken broth
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
6 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
4 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
3 heaping Tbsp. hot chile paste
3 tsp. distilled white vinegar
6 tsp brown sugar
5 green onions, chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 can water chestnuts
1-2 handfuls peanuts
water

In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. chicken broth, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Add chicken pieces to mixture. Toss to coat. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining broth, soy sauce, oil and cornstarch/water mixture. Add chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a large skillet, heat sauce slowly.

Remove chicken from marinade and saute in a medium skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. Add sauteed chicken to sauce and let simmer together until sauce thickens. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of water at a time until sauce reaches desired thickness.

Two-Minute Thai Noodles

Ok, it really takes three minutes, but "Two-minute Thai Noodles" has a nicer ring to it. This was a staple for Jared when he was in college. He got the idea from his old roommate, Andrew. It's a quick fix if you are in the mood for Thai food, but don't have the time or ingredients. I'm sure it would be good with some shredded carrot, peanuts, or green onions (but then it might be more like four-minute Thai noodles).

1 pkg. Ramen Noodles (Chicken flavored)
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (or to taste)
4-8 Tbsp "Tapatio" Hot Sauce (or to taste)

Follow recipe on Ramen Noodles, BUT add the chicken seasoning before adding the noodles. (you can even add it right when you put the water in the pot... this makes for a lighter chicken flavor). When noodles are cooked, drain all but about 1/4 to 1/8 of the broth. Add peanut butter and Tapatio, mix in well and serve.