Chicken Ramen Bowl

Let me tell you, you guys are the absolute best. The BEST. When I posted on my blog's facebook page that I was coming back and about my struggles you were so supportive. It made my day! It also made me more accountable. Today was day 2 of me trying to cook more. As I was driving home from work (late... I have meetings on Tuesdays, got stuck at a broken train, detoured into stand-still traffic, you get the deal) I was so tempted to just throw a frozen pizza in the oven or grab takeout. Habits, particularly bad ones, are not easy to break. But... I didn't. And that my friends is a victory.

Evenings are hard for me. I get home with the kids around 4:30 (5:30 on Tuesdays) and my daughter is in bed by 6:30. That leaves me 1-2 hours to get both kids fed, bathed, etc. This time crunch has been one of the main reasons I've stopped cooking. By the time I unpack school bags, lunch boxes, art projects, and get the kids fed, I just am DONE. But I pushed through, and boy am I glad I did.

This was delicious. Better than I expected quite frankly. I didn't have many of the ingredients in the original recipe (that's what happens when you don't cook for a year!) so I made do with what I had and it was totally awesome. Best of all I got it on the table within 20 minutes. Woo hoo!

Source: Adapted from So Tasty So Yummy

Ingredients:
1/2 pound chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup broccoli
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
2 packets of ramen noodles (I used the soup and just tossed the seasoning packet)
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp garlic teriyaki sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Directions:
1- In a skillet heat the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until light brown and cooked through. Remove to a dish and cover.
2- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli for 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon (do NOT drain the water). Add the ramen to the water and boil for approximately 3 minutes.
3- Meanwhile, add the broccoli and peppers to the skillet. Sprinkle with corn starch and stir well. Add the broth, teriyaki sauce, and vinegar. Heat over medium heat.
4- Add the pasta and chicken back in to the sauce. Allow to heat and stir to coat the noodles.
5- Serve hot.

Crispy Asian Lemon Shrimp

Landon is a huge fan of two things in life: shrimp and Asian flavors. It's funny... the kid will NOT taste mac and cheese, refuses all pasta (except at daycare- apparently they make it better than me...), won't touch a grilled cheese sandwich... but housed a platter of spiced wontons in an Asian glaze, eats a whole pint of chicken and broccoli (hold the broccoli.. too green), etc. When I made this I had him in mind and of course it was a hit. I bought a two pound box of frozen breaded shrimp at Costco and I have enjoyed trying to make different sauces to make the shrimp more exciting. This one was a hit. It was subtle but flavorful. I used frozen green beans because it's all I had, but I highly suggest fresh. I think that would have helped. A meal we all eat= success!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 pound frozen breaded shrimp, cooked according to package directions
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp honey
2 tsp teriyaki sauce
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cups cooked green beans

Directions:
1- Cook shrimp according the package and set aside.
2- Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the oil and add the garlic, stirring well.
3- Add the remaining ingredients (except the green beans) to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the sauce comes together and comes to a low boil.
4- It will thicken quickly so add the shrimp to the glaze, allow to coat, then flip. Add the green beans and lightly stir the shrimp and green beans in the sauce. It will be very lightly sauced.
5- Top with sesame seeds, if desired.
6- Serve hot.

Grilled Asian Glazed Chicken

(I'm choosing to ignore the fact that this is my first post in almost two months! This has been my longest break from the blog... ever. I have also been barely cooking. Yikes! All I can say is that I am so happy to have my mojo back, as is my family!)

Interesting fact: Landon loooooves Asian food. Loves. Any Asian flavor is sure to be a hit with him. Italian food? Nah. Not interested. Asian? He's obsessed. This works well for me since I, too, enjoy Asian flavors. I had planned to make bang bang chicken skewers  for dinner one night but at the last minute changed my mind since those don't work for Landon and his food allergies. I'm so glad I did because this was a meal we all enjoyed! Landon ate a whole piece of chicken and finished the leftovers over the next day or so. With a kid who survives on air and yogurt smoothies it's always a joy to find a meal he will eat!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
3/4 pound chicken breasts

Marinade:
2 tbsp sweet Thai chili sauce
2 tsp teriyaki sauce
2 tsp honey

Glaze:
2 tbsp sweet Thai chili sauce
2 tsp teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp honey
Sesame seeds

Directions:
1- Combine the chicken with the ingredients in the marinade. Allow to sit for at least 3 hours, up to 24.
2- When ready, grill until chicken is cooked through (time varies based on thickness of chicken).
3- Combine glaze ingredients (except for sesame seeds) in a bowl. Once chicken is removed from the grill immediately brush glaze over the top. Top with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Basil Chicken Stir Fry

Once upon a time in a distant past Italian food was my go-to, hands down, no competition, favorite. Over the years Asian food has slid into first place. While I still love me some pizza and chicken francese, I'll take a good stir fry or Asian noodle dish any day of the week. I recently went to Boston alone and for the first time had the opportunity to go to any restaurant of my choice any night. Know what I did? I had Thai food each night! Different restaurants, but all Thai. What can I say...

I really love Thai basil chicken and decided to make my own attempt. I didn't have any Thai basil so I used regular basil. Not the same, but got the point across, and it was delicious! I love the combination of basil and teriyaki sauce.. it's just perfect. Paired with the sweet bell peppers and the red onion... yum. I kind of wish I was making this tonight!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken breasts, cut into pieces

1/2 tsp Asian seasoning

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup basil, torn

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, sliced thin

1/3 cup sliced red onion

1 cup broccoli

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp teriyaki sauce (or soy sauce)

1 tsp sriracha

Directions:

1- Toss the chicken with the Asian seasonings.

2- Heat the oil, basil, and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add the bell peppers, onion, and broccoli. Cook about 2-3 minutes.

3- Add the chicken and allow to brown, then flip. Allow to cook 5-6 minutes in total.

4- Add the vinegar, teriyaki sauce, and sriracha. Stir well. Allow to come to a low bubble, then serve over rice.

Thai Chicken Stir Fry

Once upon a time I used to have the luxury of cooking dinners at a slow pace, chopping each vegetable by hand, and carefully selecting my ingredients while watching whatever I wanted on TV. These days, I have a two year old clinging to my leg screaming, "I WANT TO HELP YOU CUT! I CAN USE A KNIFE!!!!!" while Daniel Tiger plays in the background. So... needless to say, things have changed. A bit. I wouldn't trade it for the world, but the world is definitely a different place than it once was! With that said, I've gotten creative and found some new shortcuts to make dinner easier. I've been using Green Giant's frozen teriyaki vegetable blend in stir fry recipes often and I really like it! If you haven't tried it, I suggest it.

This meal was excellent. I was reluctant to add the peanut butter in because Landon was awake during dinner time, but I'm glad I did. I simply removed his serving before stirring it in, that way we all got to enjoy it but John and I still got to enjoy the peanuty flavor. I love this and plan to make it often. It's so easy... and now I have a jar of chunky peanut butter to use up!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 pound chicken tenders, sliced
Salt/pepper
1 tsp Asian seasoning blend
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sweet red chili sauce
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp chunky peanut butter
1 package frozen Green Giant teriyaki vegetables, steamed according to box directions

Directions:
1- Toss the salt/pepper/and Asian seasonings over the chicken, stirring well.
2- Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the chicken, cooking until browned and almost cooked through.
3- In a small bowl combine the red chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, and peanut butter. Stir into the skillet.
4- Add the vegetables to the skillet (along with the sauce from the packet). Stir well.
5- Heat all together for about 1 minute. Serve with rice.

Chicken Yakisoba

I actually should call this "chicken yakisoba- sorta." You see, I recently decided to run to the grocery store on a Friday evening with Landon and didn't have my list with me so I shopped from memory. Well, after teaching all day, wrangling a 2 year old into the shopping cart (which has become an Olympic sport of wills... he wants to sit in the back, I want him in the front... you see where this is going), my memory was shot. I got home with some of the stuff I needed for this but not all. What can you do...

None the less, I have to say this was amazingly delicious. John and I are both huge fans of worcestershire sauce so whenever I see a recipe including it I am interested. I ended up leaving out the cabbage (one of they key ingredients, but I forgot it) and it was still amazing. I still have 4 packages of Ramen noodles in the house so I'm guessing I'll be making this again soon!

Source: Adapted from Babycenter

Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
(up to) 1 Tbsp sriracha
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 medium yellow onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 small crown broccoli
1 tsp ground ginger
1 large chicken breast
2 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
1-In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sriracha, and sugar. Use only 1/2 tsp of sriracha if you don’t want it spicy, use up to 1 Tbsp if you like it hot. Stir until the ketchup and sugar are dissolved. Set aside.
2- Prepare the meat and vegetables for stir frying. Slice the onion into thin strips. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
3- Begin boiling a medium pot full of water for the noodles. (Don’t add them yet.)
4- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken strips and cook until they are no longer pink (about five minutes). Once the chicken is cooked through, add all of the vegetables. Stir until cook (about 5-10 minutes).
5- Meanwhile, once the water boils, add the noodles and cook just until tender (2-3 minutes). Drain, return to the pot (with the heat turned off).
6- Pour the sauce into the skillet with the chicken and vegetables with the heat still on medium high. Add the noodles, stir to coat everything in the sauce, and heat through (just a few minutes).

Hibachi Shrimp

If I go out for hibachi once a year, it's a lot. I do enjoy it but it's just rarely on my radar. I should go more now because I know Landon would love the whole experience... maybe I'll add that to my to-do list! When I do go I always order hibachi chicken and shrimp. My absolute favorite part of the meal is the shrimp. I love how they are somewhat crisp on the outside from cooking over a high heat and caramelizing in the soy sauce. Yum.

When I was deciding what I wanted for dinner recently I knew I really needed to use up some shrimp I had in the freezer but wasn't in the mood for any of my usual meals. I decided to try my hand at hibachi  style shrimp and all I can say is yum... totally and completely delicious. This is the easiest meal, coming together in five minutes flat, but the flavor is remarkable. John and I were both huge fans of this! My only regret was making so little shrimp, I could have eaten a ton more!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 tsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-2 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:
1- Combine the butter, garlic salt, and onion powder. Mash it well until the seasonings are well incorporated.
2- Add the butter to a skillet. Turn the heat up to high.
3- Add the shrimp. Allow to turn pink, flipping, and allowing to cook another minute.
4- Add the soy sauce, stir. Allow to cook and crisp around the shrimp, stirring again at a minute. You do not want the sauce to be drippy, it's best if it's all absorbed/coating the shrimp.

Firecracker Chicken and Broccoli

When I stumbled upon this recipe a few weeks ago I almost thought it was a joke. HOW could there be a recipe so perfect for John and I? I mean Asian style food is my favorite, buffalo sauce is his favorite, and brown sugar makes life sweeter. As soon as I saw this I added it to our menu and decided we needed it in our lives ASAP. I'm pretty sure I made it within two day of discovering it and boy was it good! It was spicy but not too hot, the brown sugar did an effective job of cutting the heat.

I made the recipe exactly as written below but didn't find mine needed an hour to bake. It wasn't saucy enough to withstand an hour in the oven so once 30 minutes had passed and all the sauce was sticking the chicken I removed it and served it. This even reheated beautifully. A perfect meal in this house!

Source: Slightly adapted from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/2 c. cornstarch
2 eggs

For the Sauce:
1/3 c. buffalo sauce
1/2 c. light brown sugar
2 t. rice wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. salt

2 c. steamed broccoli florets

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350.

2- Dice chicken into 1" pieces.

3- Pour the cornstarch in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a separate shallow dish.
4- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip the chicken into the cornstarch and then in the eggs. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes or until just browned. Place in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish along with the broccoli florets.

5- In a bowl combine the buffalo sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt. Pour evenly over top of the chicken and broccoli and bake for 30 minutes-1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the sauce is completely coating the chicken.
6. Remove from oven and serve over top of rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Howdy! How was everyone's Christmas? This week has been CRAZY, hence no new recipes posted. I started off my break with a bad virus, which spread to John, and then we had Christmas and tons of family obligations. But I'm back, woo hoo!

I originally posted this recipe back in November of 2008 and have been enjoying it since then. However the picture was so bad that it really prevented me from sharing it with too many people. I decided it was time to give this post a little "facelift" with a new picture, new post, etc.

Sweet and sour chicken is a hit in our house, not just among the adults but with the littlest member of the Stephanie Cook's kitchen crew. Landon LOVES sweet and sour chicken and would eat it daily if I allowed him to. We discovered this with Trader Joe's frozen version when I put a piece on Landon's plate, expecting him to snub it, and instead watched him devour 5-6 big chunks of chicken. Anything that makes my little man eat is a hit. The only word of caution with this is that the sauce really does need to cook for an hour on the chicken. It doesn't start to really thicken up until the last 15 minutes, so don't get worried if after 40 minutes it still looks like chicken soup. It'll thicken and be totally delicious!

Source: Reposted from Stephanie Cooks from November 2008

Ingredients:
Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

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


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325.
1- Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. 
2- Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. 
3- Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken.
4- Bake for one hour at 325 degrees, uncovered. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. 

Lighter Orange Chicken Stir Fry

Growing up I was a horrible eater. I didn't eat any fruit or vegetables (except lettuce and corn) until I was like 20. Now I eat just about everything but it's still not natural- I still have to force myself. I'll find myself subconsciously picking veggies out of food even though I like them! Some habits are hard to kick I guess. With that said, I really make an effort to do better and eat better than where my instincts lead me. When it comes to Asian food I know there's good choices (leaner meat, stir fried with veggies, etc.) vs. bad choices (deep fried and covered in sweet sticky sauces) but I'm sure you know where I instinctually go. Yup- sesame chicken/general tsos, etc. I only do it once in a while but I love it! When a craving for orange chicken hit I decided to try to make it at home and make it healthier. This came out great! Will it replace the craving for traditional orange chicken? No... I mean it's totally different, but it did hit the spot and we were both really happy with this meal!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Sauce:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp ground ginger

Stir fry:
1/2 pound chicken, cut into chunks
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups assorted veggies (I used zucchini, bell peppers, and snap peas, but anything works)

Directions:
1- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2- In a separate bowl toss the chicken and cornstarch. Meanwhile, add the oil to a large skillet or wok and heat.
3- Dip the coated chicken in the egg and immediately transfer to the hot oil, repeating until all chicken is covered in egg and in the pan.
4- Allow to brown on each side, cooking until cooked through.
5- Remove the chicken and cover. Add the veggies to the skillet with 1-2 tbsp of the sauce mix. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes, until veggies are softening.
6- Pour in the remaining sauce and turn up the heat to high until the sauce begins to thicken/cook down. Add the chicken back into the skillet and  stir well.
7- Once the sauce is thicker and coating the chicken/veggies, serve over rice or toss with rice noodles.

Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

I can't tell you the last time I read a cookbook. Sure, I have some, but for the most part I cook from blogs, websites, or my own imagination. Since discovering food blogs many moons ago I realized that I just greatly prefer to see pictures of the recipe, hear someones opinion, and see how they modified an original recipe. Plus, once you find a blogger with similar taste to you you have a "cookbook" that's constantly updating, modifying, and increasing their collection of recipes. Some bloggers take such amazing pictures that I literally want to lick my screen (I don't... relax... don't get all skeeved out on me here). This is an example of a recipe where I saw the picture and instantly needed the meal in my life. Luckily for me the meal was absolutely delicious. Best of all since it cooks in the crockpot it's so incredibly easy! Try this soon, you'll be pleased. 

Source: Prevention RD

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup honey

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 onion, minced

2 1/2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:

1- In a small bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir well.

2- Place chicken in the crockpot. Pour the sauce over top. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

3- Remove chicken, but leave the sauce, either shred or cut into pieces.

4- Stir the cornstarch into the sauce and cook on high for 10 minutes. 

5- Add the chicken back into the sauce. Toss well. Top with sesame seeds.

Sweet and Sour Rice Noodles

I miss Asian food. Not as much as I missed Italian food when I was dairy free, but as you all know Asian is my second fave. I went to my food store the other day and looked through all of their pre-made sauces for ones that were soy free. Luckily I found a jar of sweet and sour sauce that was soy free so I happily grabbed it and headed home. I wasn't sure what I felt like making but I knew it needed to be quick. Enter this rice noodle dish. I love using rice noodles- I love the texture! When I made this there wasn't enough sauce, so I am going to double it for my directions below. Like any Asian dish it shouldn't be swimming in sauce, so add some, stir, and add more as needed.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
10 oz package rice noodles
6 ounces cooked chicken, diced
2 cups steamed sugar snap peas
6 tbsp sweet and sour sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated ginger

Directions:
1- Cook the noodles according to packaging directions.
2- In a small bowl combine the sweet and sour sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Stir well. Pour 1/2 of the sauce into the skillet and heat. Add the chicken, stirring frequently until hot. Add the noodles, stir fry over low heat until the sauce is absorbed.
3- Add the snap peas and more sauce, as desired, until evenly and lighted coated.

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Hi there my friends! I have BIG news. It seems that we may have finally (FINALLY!!!) gotten to the bottom of Landon's food allergy issues. It seems that he is allergic to just soy and not dairy. Did you hear me?! Cheese is reentering my life. Slowly... very slowly... but still, it's amazing. I've only introduced him to cooked dairy and very little at that, but so far he's ok. I can't even tell you how happy this makes me. However, he is highly allergic to soy and reacts to even the smallest trace of soy, so life is still interesting 'round these parts.

As you all know, I love my Asian food but for now that love is on hold. Really I can wait another 8 months for some Chinese and Thai food (I think...). I made these lettuce wraps prior to discovering his soy allergy and they were excellent. Every now and then I get sick of the same old meals and crave something different. This was definitely different for us! We both loved them and it was a nice healthy meal. Plus, best of all it came together in no time. The rice is optional, but I knew John wouldn't be too impressed with wrapping some veggies in another veggie if there wasn't a carb involved. I have to say I did like the rice mixed in to the wraps, so I'd make it if I were you!

Source: Heavily adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 pound chicken, diced small
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 tbsp Chinese barbecue sauce (you can buy a store bought one)
Iceberg lettuce
Rice (optional)

Directions:
1- In a large skillet or wok heat your oil. Add the mushrooms, chicken, and bell pepper. Stir, cooking over medium heat, for 5 minutes.
2- Add the garlic and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
3- Add the sauce and raise the heat until sauce is coating the mix.
4- Serve with lettuce leaves and rice, if desired.

Pasta with Peanut Lime Sauce

One of my all time favorite meals is peanut noodles with shredded chicken and veggies. I can't even count how many times I've made this. Due to my undying love for that meal I have never bothered to try any other peanut sauce pasta recipes because...well... I already found "the one" if you will. That was until I came across this recipe. I really was intrigued by the addition of lime in the sauce. I thought it would really brighten it up, and sure enough it did. I also really liked the use of crunchy peanut butter in this. The little peanut bits were a great surprise each time I got one! Does it replace my favorite peanut noodles? No... But I'd venture to say it's just as good!

Source: Slightly adapted from One Lovely Life

Ingredients:
3/4 pound linguine
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin, steamed
2 cups broccoli, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:
1- Cook linguine according to packaging directions.
2- Combine the sauce ingredients (peanut butter through lime juice) in a small sauce pot and heat until hot and all ingredients are combined.
3- Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add the sauce, mixing to combine.
4- Top with the vegetables. Serve hot.

Chinese Barbecue Sauce

One week prior to finding out about my son's dairy allergy I had rejoined Weight Watchers to get off the last baby pounds that don't seem to want to budge. After one week on the program I found out about the allergy and was completely overwhelmed- I was looking at every single ingredient I used for dairy and hidden dairy, plus calculating points. John, being the saint that he is, said I needed to stop "the WW" as he calls it for now and focus on the dairy. Sure enough this no-dairy diet is a somewhat effective method of weight loss haha! However, I had already paid for my three month membership so even though I'm not currently counting my points I am using their recipes and tracking my weight loss.

 I do have to say that Weight Watchers has a ton of excellent recipes online. I've tried many and been very pleased. My latest concoction was this barbecue sauce. It was really very good! I used it for a few things so far, namely a barbecue chicken pizza and served with grilled shrimp, and I intend to use it for a few other recipes this week. It keeps for up to two weeks stored in the fridge. It has a very interesting flavor from the Chinese 5 spice, which is new to me. Definitely give this a shot- it's so easy and light, you can't go wrong.

Source: Weight Watchers Online

Ingredients:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup diet Ginger Ale
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
1- Combine all of the ingredients in a small sauce pot. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer over low-medium for 5 minutes (or longer if you want it to thicken more).
2- Allow to cool 10 minutes before using. Allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge. Lasts for two weeks.

Light Sesame Chicken

I love sesame chicken. I love the traditional form- all deep fried and covered in a thick, sugary sauce. Ohhh yes- it's good. But it's also somewhat horrible. First off all I find they often use the less-than-stellar pieces of chicken to make sesame chicken since it's so battered and coated. Then there's the fact that the dish is probably more calories than what should be eaten in the course of a day. Combine those two and I don't even remember the last time I ordered sesame chicken- maybe 6 years ago?! It was before I lived with John, I know that.

Needless to say I was excited when I saw this recipe. I knew it wouldn't be a true replica of my lovely deep fried-sugar laden sesame chicken, but I figured it was healthier and would be tasty. Well, I was right. It was tasty and definitely healthier! The chicken was so tender, I really liked this method of using the cornstarch mix but cooking it with simply cooking spray. It gave it some texture but not a "fried" taste. It was also very lightly sauced so if you like your dishes more saucy I'd double or even triple the sauce, but it was perfect for us. I will be making this again for sure.

Source: Slightly adapted from Alida's Kitchen
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
4 cups steamed broccoli

Directions:
1- Combine the honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and garlic in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
2- In a bowl combine the egg whites, corn starch, and some salt and pepper.
3- Add the chicken, tossing until evenly coated.
4- Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the chicken and allow to brown on one side, flipping and allow to brown on the other. Add the sauce and cook until it begins to thicken and chicken is cooked through. Toss with broccoli. Serve with rice.

Honey Thai Chicken Stir Fry

I don't think I have made stir fry the same way twice... ever. I have so many random Asian condiments in my house that when I make a stir fry I always just toss a bit of this and bit of that until I end up with the flavors I'm looking for. I was in the mood for a sweeter sauce when I made this and knew honey would be a star ingredient. I still have a lot of sweet chili sauce left from when I made Thai chicken bites so I threw some of that in there too for a bit of depth of flavors. The end results? Tasty! The sauce was sweet but not sugary-sweet. It was subtle but complimented the meal nicely. Definitely give it a shot if you're looking for a new stir fry idea!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound chicken tenders or breasts, chopped into pieces
2 cups veggies (I used broccoli/carrots/cauliflower, but use what you like)
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:
1- Heat a large skillet or wok with the oil. Add the garlic.
2- Toss the veggies in the pan, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine your broth, honey, soy sauce, chili sauce. Stir well. Set aside.
3- Remove the veggies, add the chicken. Cook until almost cooked through. Return the veggies to the pan. Pour the sauce in. Allow to simmer together for about 5 minutes. If the sauce is still thin combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, mixing well. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan- the sauce will begin to thicken immediately. Stir well.
4- Top with the green onions. Serve hot.

Spicy Thai Noodles

So it's Black Friday. Do you consider that a holiday? John and I debated that this morning. I mean, it's not "officially" a holiday, but it certainly has taken on a culture of it's own! This year due to my status of being due in about 12 days I skipped out on the Black Friday insanity but I have to say I missed it. The only real plan we have for today is to go out for Thai food tonight which reminded me of this great recipe I still had to share with you guys. Lately I can't get enough of spicy food. When I saw this recipe for spicy Thai noodles I was excited- it sounded perfect. Like all Asian cooking it comes together quickly and leaves you with a delicious meal. I really liked the process of soaking the red pepper flakes in oil- it added some heat to the recipe without making it too hot (I also only did 1 tbsp of flakes- I think 2 would be very hot). John and I both enjoyed this- in fact John was even more into it than I was which was shocking since this had "Stephanie" written all over it!

Couple notes- I halved this and wished I hadn't- the leftovers would have been amazing. Also, it calls for 1/2 cup of oil which is a lot. I think if you make the whole thing you can use closer to 1/3 cup and it would work, so you can definitely adjust the oil.

Source: A Small Snippet

Ingredients:

1 box fettucini or linguine

1-2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup oil (vegetable or half vegetable half sesame)

6 tbsp honey

6 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup green onions

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

1/2 cup cilantro

3/4 cup crushed peanuts

Directions:

1- Cook pasta according to package, set aside.

2- Meanwhile, heat the oil with the red pepper flakes for about 5 minutes. Strain pepper flakes, reserving the oil.

3- Whisk the honey and soy sauce into the oil.

4- Toss in the pasta and coat well. 

5- At this point you can decide if you want this served hot or cold. If you want it cold, refrigerate until ready to serve, then toss in the remaining ingredients prior to serving. If hot, add in the carrots, onions, cilanto, and peanuts, stirring well. 

Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry

Every now and then a recipe comes around at just the right time. You know the kind- it fits what you're craving, you have all the ingredients, and it ends up tasting even better than you expected. This meal was exactly one of those! I had seen this recipe floating around but never really thought to make it. However that all changed the other day when I looked at the ingredients and saw the veggies were the exact same veggies I had left in my crisper. I had a few handfuls of green beans, some carrots, and half a pack of mushrooms. I couldn't believe it-it was the perfect recipe! Best of all it was so delicious. John and I both loved it. I always love Asian food but adding Sriracha to it takes it to the next level. It was subtly spicy and perfectly flavorful.

Source: Slightly adapted from So Tasty So Yummy

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

Marinade for chicken:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp Sriracha

Sauce:
1 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp water
1 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce

Stir Fry:
1/2 cup green beans, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tbsp cooking oil, divided
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic

Directions:
1- Toss ingredients for marinade in a bowl. Add chicken- allow to marinade 30 minutes or longer.
2- Once ready to cook, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3- In a wok or large skillet add 1 tbsp oil. Add the veggies, garlic, and ginger. Cook 3-5 minutes, until heated through. Remove from the skillet to a plate.
4- Add the other tbsp oil along with the chicken. Cook until cooked through. Add the sauce and turn up the heat, allowing the sauce to thicken. Once thick add the veggies back to the skillet. Serve with hot rice.

Jap Chae

Next to my beloved Italian food my second favorite cuisine is Asian. I can't even pick a specific type of Asian food that I love because truly I don't discriminate. This was the first Korean dish I ever tried and I have to say I was a huge fan. I have a fully stocked Asian section of my local grocery store but they didn't carry sweet potato noodles. I used regular angel hair, which I think is probably criminal if you're going for authentic flavors, but I have an Asian grocery store by my house I'm going to check out so I can make this again. I think my favorite aspect of Asian cooking, particularly in Asian noodle dishes, is how you use very little sauce (unlike Italian pasta dishes) but the flavor is so strong that it perfectly coats the food without needing to be sopping in it. This dish was spicy and flavorful. The leftovers were just as good, which is rare. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes that I've made recently and I can't wait to make it again.

Source: So Tasty, So Yummy

Ingredients:
12 ounces sweet potato noodles (or angel hair if you can't find it)

½ lb chicken, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce

1 clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, shredded
1 zucchini, slivered
½ onion, cut into slivers
6 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds


Directions:
1- Prepare pasta according to packaging directions and set aside.
2- Combine meat, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl, toss the meat to evenly coat. Let marinate while you prep all the vegetables.

3- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinating meat. Cook until meat is done, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add carrots, zucchini, red onion, shitake mushrooms, and green onions. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan and add to plate with meat.

4- Place 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce to pan. Stir to combine. Add noodles to pan. Stir to coat and heat through. Return meat and vegetables to pan, and toss to combine. Drizzle sesame oil over the contents of the pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.