Asian Made Simple

Asian food is one of my favorite go-to's for week night cooking.  It's flavorful, comforting, and therapeutic since it requires a lot of chopping and handling.  After sampling a few of my friend's flavorful dishes at a recent Cooking Club, I'm never at a loss for a better-than-takeout meal.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Servings: 3

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt/pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Rinse the chicken, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper (1 good pinch of each).  Coat the chicken in cornstarch and then the egg.  Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken in two batches until browned (the chicken will not be fully cooked through).  Place the chicken in a greased 9x13 pryex.  In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce and pour evenly over the chicken.  Bake for one hour and turn every 15 minutes.  Serve with brown or white rice and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Allyson Becker from Lifeasalofthouse.blogspot.com

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
Servings: 2
12 oz sliced beef tenderloin (Whole Foods will do this for you)
1 tbsp soy bean oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp garlic
2 oz soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp rice wine
2 oz green onion sticks, 3" long

Heat the oil in a saute pan.  Add the beef and cook for 30-60 seconds or until cooked.  Beef should be slightly browned around the edges and gray throughout the rest of the surface.  Add the garlic and toss for about a minute.  Add the rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil.  Cook and reduce the sauce around the beef until all sauce has caramelized onto the beef (it should take around 5 minutes).  The pan should be dry before proceeding.  Add the green onion and toss into beef.  Serve with rice.

Recipe courtesy of Emily Hoffman from P.F. Changs

Martha's Cashew Chicken
Servings: 4

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
1 tbsp cornstarch
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil, such as safflower
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3/4 cup raw cashews (4 oz), toasted

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


PC: Tablefortwoblog.com, pfcb.com, Martha Stewart

Kabob Night

I grew up loving kabobs.  We used to make them year-round on our outdoor and indoor grill and to this day not a week goes by when I don't crave them.  When yesterday's craving set in, I made Chicken and Veggie Skewers with Homemade Tzatziki and Peanut Sauce from Bibby's Backyard BBQ and it was absolutely delightful.   The meal is hearty, delicious, and comforting and is perfect for a weeknight meal or else entertaining guests.  I served mine with whole wheat couscous and grilled pita on the side and my only regret is that I didn't make extra for leftovers.
  

Chicken and Veggie Skewers with Homemade Peanut and Tzatziki Sauce:

Serves 4:

Chicken Kabobs:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp oregano

salt/pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients, besides the chicken, in a large bowl.  Add the chicken and toss to coat. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours before grilling.

*If you're using wooden or bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before grilling.  When ready to grill, place on a pre-heated grill and cook for about 7-10 minutes per side until done. 

Veggie Kabobs:

1 cup chopped peppers

1 cup chopped red onion chunks

1 cup button mushrooms

1 cup zucchini chunks

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Thread veggies on skewers.  Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cook on a grill until all veggies are lightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.  Serve alongside chicken kabobs.

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 1/2 cups greek yogurt

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 heaping tsp minced garlic

1 tsp lemon

1 green onion, sliced thinly

1 tsp oregano

salt/pepper to taste

Feta-optional

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-8 hours before serving

Peanut Sauce:

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp garlic

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup-1/2 cup warm water

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl.  Add the water last to thin out the sauce.  You may not need all of it.  Serve at room temperature.

Serve with couscous and grilled pita

If you're like me and don't have access to an outdoor grill, be sure to invest in this Calphalon Nonstick Grill Pan.  I use it for everything!

Whole Foods, ILoveChickenWings.com, Foodnetwork.com, Cookingwithsugar.com, gettyimages.com, amazon

Best Ever Flank Steak!

I originally went to the store with a detailed menu planned out in my head (skirt steak tacos, honey chili corn on the cob, guacamole) and came home with something entirely different: flank steak... I guess I could have turned my tacos into fajitas but instead decided to try my friend Bibby's 'best ever flank steak' from my trusty bachelorette cookbook (there's nothing like girlfriends). 

Since flank steak (aka Bavette) is a significantly tough meat, you should really try to marinate overnight if you can.  I only marinated mine for 8 hours and it was still tender and delicious.  I served it with sweet potato wedges and a last minute spinach salad with ingredients I had on hand (raspberries, candied walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette). The meal was delicioso!

The recipes:

Best Ever Flank Steak

(serves 2-3)

16 oz flank steak

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tsp honey

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp lemon zest

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 oz sherry vinegar

pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tsp olive oil

salt/pepper

The night before: Score the meat and add all the ingredients to a ziploc bag.  Refrigerate overnight.

Next day: Preheat the broiler.  Broil on aluminum foil for approximately 4-6 minutes per side, turning once.  Allow meat to rest for 2-3 minutes to lock in the juices.  Carve and serve!

Sweet Potato Wedges

3 medium size sweet potatoes

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground coriander (great on all potatoes)

1/4 tsp hot chili flakes

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1 tsp dark brown sugar (enough to coat the potatoes)

1/4 tsp chili powder

Cut the pototoes lengthwise into wedges.  Toss on a baking sheet with other ingredients.  Bake at 400 for 40 minutes, turning the potatoes half way through.  Check for doneness around 35 minutes.

Spinach salad:

Toss spinach leaves, fresh raspberries, candied or plain walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette. 

Enjoy!

Bibby's Backyard BBQ!

I am so thrilled to share my best friend Bibby's most recent backyard bbq.  Her Summer menu is nutritious and delicious filled with heart-healthy Mediterranean flavors that will have you coming back for more.

Chicken and Veggie Skewers with Moroccan Couscous served with Homemade Peanut and Tzaziki Sauce

Bibby (who now goes by Elizabeth) is one of my oldest and dearest friends from Toledo, Ohio.  We not only grew up as neighbors but were often mistaken as twins and I'm forever grateful that she and her Mom introduced me to the wonderful world of gardening, flowers, and baking.  In fact, whenever I smell freshly baked bread, I am instantly transported to my childhood sleepovers at Bibby's where we would wake up every Saturday morning to the incredible smell of homemade bread and blackberry jam (from her garden).  I can honestly say that every child should experience this at least once in their life... and I can't wait to have my own garden to give my future kids and their friends the same experience!

Thanks for the memories Bib (Elizabeth)!

Chicken skewers:

Cut the chicken breasts into 1" pieces and marinate (for at least a few hours) in olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and oregano. Then thread the chicken onto skewers and grill until done. (5-10 minutes)

(To serve four people: 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp oregano + salt/pepper)

Bibby made two sauces: Tzaziki and Peanut sauce. For the tzaziki, she combined 1 1/2 cups greek yogurt, a small cucumber (peeled, seeded, and chopped), about 1 heaping tsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 green onion, 1 tsp oregano, salt, pepper, and feta.  (Refrigerate for 2-8 hours before serving). For the peanut sauce, she combined 1/2 cup reduced fat, chunky peanut butter, 1/2 cup water, about 1/2 tsp garlic, a tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 tsp ginger, and about 3 tablespoons soy sauce. She then microwaved the ingredients for about 25 seconds to melt the peanut butter and then whisked everything together. (Keep at room temperature and serve with kabobs)

Veggie skewers:

She used 1" pieces of zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, mushroom, and green pepper (tomatoes and other peppers would be good too.)  Bib's note: at most supermarkets they sell kabobs with mixed meat and veggies, but she prefers to keep them separate because the grilling times vary.

Moroccan Couscous salad: (recipe compliments of the Toledo Art Fare cook book.)

Ingredients: 2 cups quick-cooking couscous, 1/2 cup dried currants (she used white raisins), 1 1/2 cups boiling chicken stock, 2 medium zucchini, 6 medium green onions, 2 large shallots, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup safflower oil (I used vegetable oil), 1/3 cup pine nuts, 1 tsp salt, 2 small red bell peppers, chopped, 4-5 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin

Directions: Combine the couscous and currants in a heatproof bowl and mix well. Add the boiling stock and stir until mixed. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into halves; remove the seeds. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Process the green onions and shallots in a food processor until minced, add the zucchini. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Heat the oils in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove the pine nuts with a slotted spoon to a bowl, reserving the pan oil. Stir the zucchini mixture and salt into the oil. Increase the heat to high. Cook for 2 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently. Process the bell peppers in a food processor until finely chopped. Stir into the zucchini mixture. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the couscous mixture, lemon juice, and cumin and mix well. Cook for 1 minute or until heated through, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in the pine nuts. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature. May prepared up to 3 days in advance. To store, place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Serve the kabobs with the couscous and two sauces and you're ready to go! Bibby recommends pairing the meal with a cold, white wine.

Fish Tacos

Tacos seem to be all the rage lately in the food magazines and restaurants and I can see why they're so popular because they're so versatile, simple to prepare, and the options are endless! I'm more of a soft taco kind of girl and thanks to my friend Joe, I was able to put these tilapia tacos together in no time!

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa topped with Avocado:

Serves 2:

Fish:

1 lb of fresh tilapia (you only need around 14-16 oz)

2 small limes

1 tsp lime zest

2 tbsp olive oil

salt/pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

Mango Salsa (from my post Real Recipes by Real People)

1 Mango-peeled and diced

1/2 small diced red onion

half a lime

1/4 red pepper (diced)

1/2 cubanero pepper (diced) you can also use a small amount of jalapeno

salt/ground pepper

dash of sugar

dash of garlic powder

Other:

1 sliced avocado

Corn tortillas

Preparation:

Place the fish, lime juice, zest, olive oil, salt/pepper, cumin and paprika in a zip lock bag.  Marinate for about an hour in the refrigerator.  When ready to prepare, heat a grill pan (or frying pan) over medium high heat, and grill each side of the fish for about 3 minutes until done.  Flake and serve.

Mango salsa-mix together all the ingredients and add to each taco.  Top with avocado and enjoy!

P.S. I like to serve mine with Mexican corn on the cob.

Click here to learn how to prepare basic corn on the cob:

To make it Mexican, top each cob with 1/2 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of low fat mayonnaise, crumbled cotija cheese, and sprinkle with cayenne pepper (or paprika)

Chicken Parm

Last night after reading my friend's blog Stirring up a Dream, I decided to make my very own version of low fat Chicken Parmesan served over Whole Wheat Spaghetti.  The result was truly blog-worthy and will definitely become a weeknight staple.

Low Fat Chicken Parmesan Served Over Whole Wheat Spaghetti

This recipe serves 2 with leftovers for lunch the next day:

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thinly sliced)

3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, whisked together

1/2 cup cornflake crumbs

1/2 cup panko

salt/pepper

1 16 oz jar good quality marinara sauce (I think I used Bertolli and it was great)

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

*1/4 cup grated parmesan

*You can also add some low fat grated swiss cheese

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti

Clean the chicken, removing excess fat (I use a pair of meat scissors which makes the process extremely easy). You can keep the chicken as breasts or else cut them into smaller pieces (like 4-5" squares to cover the bottom of your baking dish). Season with salt pepper.  Have the egg mixture in a bowl ready to go as well as another bowl with the breadcrumbs/panko mixed together.  Dip the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture first, then the eggs (let the excess drip off), and back into the breadcrumbs. You can do this in advance and refrigerate the chicken breasts (covered in foil) until they're ready to be cooked.

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil along with half a tablespoon of butter.  When the butter melts, add the chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side (making sure not to burn the crust).  Flip the chicken and continue cooking until done (about another 3-4 minutes).

In a small glass baking dish (I used Purex), place a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom, and then the chicken breasts, and another layer of marinara and then the cheese.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until heated through. 

About 5 minutes into the baking, boil your pasta which takes 10-12 minutes to make. Reserve a quarter cup of cooking liquid.  Place the finished pasta into a bowl and season with salt/pepper and half the cooking liquid.  Serve on a plate topped with chicken parmesan with extra sauce.  Sprinkle more parmesan on top and enjoy!

Here's an image of last night's dinner (not as pretty as the Food Network's image above):

And if you don't own any pyrex dishes, be sure to invest in the following pieces.  The one in the front is the perfect tool for cooking for 1-3 people and the larger one in the back is a must have when it comes to entertaining. The one on the left is great but not as important (at least to me).

If you're extra ambitious, why don't you cook a few servings of chicken and freeze the leftovers for future use?  Just move the chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it (or else early that morning).  Then all you'll need to do is heat up some marinara and sprinkle with cheese.

PC: Food Network, Pyrex

Jamie's Week Night Secrets:

My best friend Jamie is truly a modern woman! She works hard by day (always looking gorgeous as she runs around the city in high heels and dresses to important meetings) and prepares a beautiful meal by night for her loving husband.  How she does it? I have no idea but she did share a few of her best recipes with me and they are amazing.

Like Jamie, the meals are classic with a modern twist and are always reliable. (What more could you ask for from a meal or friend?)

Lipton's Onion Soup Meatloaf (with or without the peppers): this beats any meatloaf recipe I've tried.  For those of you who turn up their nose to the sound of meatloaf, give it a try. If you like burgers (veggie, turkey, or beef burgers), you'll like meatloaf.  Also, a fun addition, cover the meatloaf with a bit of brown sugar-it'll caramelize on top and it's amazing.  You can also use ketchup.

Baked Fried Chicken: Jamie's trick: Marinate the chicken in fat free katalina dressing.  It makes the world of a difference.  Dip the chicken in bread crumbs and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (until done)

And don't forget about the old school side: Green Bean Casserole. (Be sure to use low fat cream of mushroom soup or low fat broccoli cheddar and skim milk).

Thanks for sharing your secrets Jame!!

Amazon, the kooks kitchen korner, fitlifeokc, Taste of Home,

SJ's Peppers

I have finally convinced my good friend Sara to share one of her weeknight meals with us from her Chicago kitchen:

Stuffed Red and Green Bell Peppers with Spanish Rice, Turkey Meat and Hot Sausage

How about them peppers?

 Sara is by far the most fun and vivacious person I know, so I am not surprised to find that her meal has a ton of flavor and color-just like her personality. Her meal is the perfect mix of vegetables, protein and carbs. 

Here is her recipe:
• 4-6 green or red bell peppers
• Salt
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 lb of lean ground turkey
• 1/2 lb of spicy sausage
• 1 package of Spanish rice
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh is best but canned will also be fine
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp of Cayenne pepper sauce
• 1 jar of organic tomato sauce.

1. Prepare Spanish Rice mixture and set aside-directions will be on side of box.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green (or red if red peppers) and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK. Drain, set aside to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown meat and drain. Add onions and garlic and cook (stirring often) for about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add rice mixture, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, oregano, cilantro and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp. Oil inside peppers, arrange cut side up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. then spoon over filling. Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes (or longer, depending on how big the peppers are that you are stuffing), until the internal temperature of the stuffed pepper is 150-160°F. Serves 4-6. I recommend serving on plate with a small salad.

I can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks Sar!!