Spicy Garlic-Ginger Noodles

Okay people. I have now made this recipe 5 times. In a month. No I am not kidding. When recipes are this easy and this delicious they MUST be repeated. Multiple times.

I have made this recipe with regular spaghetti noodles, whole wheat spaghetti noodles, and special rice noodles that I bought from this cute little Asian market. It is fantastic every single way. If you are looking for the most nutrition - go with the whole wheat.

The measurements are a bit odd on this since the original recipe calls for 250 grams of spaghetti. I used 400 grams of rice noodles tonight and doubled everything else and it was perfect. If you double the recipe don't completely double the noodles and go to 500 grams. At most I would use... 12 ounces of spaghetti noodles.

If you do not like spicy things you can still make this dish. Don't use the sriracha at all. If you have no idea what that is it is available in every grocery store and looks like this:

It is HOT. I never double this when I double everything else and it is still quite a spicy dish. You can also cut back on the amount of jalapeno you use.

We love this dish. Even my 3 year old ate a whole bowl with a whole jalapeno and a tsp of sriracha in the dish! Yum. Yum. Yum!!!

This recipe and picture are courtesy of Poppytalk and can be found at this site here: http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-addiction-spicy-garlic-ginger.html

Spicy Garlic-Ginger Noodles
Adapted from Poppytalk

Makes 6 Servings
Nutritional Information per serving (calculated on MyFitnessPal.com): Calories 334, Carbs 57, Fat grams 8, Protein 10 (Based on using whole wheat noodles) 

400 grams (about 12 ounces) spaghetti (whole wheat or 100% buckwheat soba is fine)
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 large red pepper, sliced thinly (or use 2 carrots julienned, or 1 or 2 bulbs baby bok choy, sliced)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds and membrane if you want less heat)
4 tablespoons soy sauce (1/4 cup)
3 - 4 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce (optional but I have never left it out)
1 teaspoon sriracha
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoon sesame seeds + additional for serving

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add in noodles. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter and add in onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté over medium heat. Let this get soft but not browned. Add in the red pepper and jalapeno.

In a small dish, stir together the soy sauce, honey, hoisin, sriracha, and sesame oil together. Set aside.

Drain pasta when cooked to al dente, add to pan with the onion-pepper mixture and pour over the sauce. Toss well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. Garnish with additional sesame seeds.

Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken

This chicken was very flavorful and delicious; however, Jake and I both agreed that we would change some things the next time I made it: 1. The chicken did NOT end up sticky - it just doesn't have enough time or heat before the chicken would dry out too much. Next time we will dredge the chicken in flour before browning it to help with the stickiness. 2. It needed more substance: cooked veggies like green beans, onion, broccoli, and water chestnuts. We will definitely add these things next time we have this dish.

Like I said, overall this dish had a great flavor and was very tasty and good enough that we want to make it again. The recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found here. I have posted the original recipe below.

SWEET, STICKY AND SPICY CHICKEN
From Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and hot sauce in a small bowl.
2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Classic Repeat: General Tso's Chicken - New Picture!

It has been several months since I posted about this recipe and it is SUCH a favorite in our house that I had to share it again. Especially since I have a better picture for it now. Also, if you like baby asparagus it is on SALE right now! We got some for $1.99/lb at Smith's Food & Drug and it was DELICIOUS! Remember that this recipe is SOOOO much more flavorful with FRESH ingredients. In my opinion, fresh ginger is a MUST for this recipe.

GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN


1 Lb. chicken breasts (cut into 1" pieces)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. "lite" soy sauce
1/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 c. white distilled vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed (I just use refrigerated minced garlic)
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with 3 Tbsp. water
4 green onions, sliced

Dredge chicken in flour and fry in oil over medium heat (in a wok or a skillet) until golden brown and crispy. Drain excess oil. Sprinkle cayenne over the chicken and keep warm on low heat. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients (sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and ginger) and heat gently. When sauce is smooth and sugar has dissolved, SLOWLY add cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce has thickened to desired thickness. Pour sauce in the wok and stir to coat chicken. Stir in green onion and hot red pepper flakes (optional). Remove from heat and serve.

*I cut some of the chicken into small strips too for variety. I used regular soy sauce at just under ¼ cup.

*Disclaimer: This dish is extremely flavorful - tangy and spicy. If those aren't your style you may want to steer clear of this one. You can play with the heat of the dish with the hot pepper flakes but the cayenne pepper really helps to balance the VERY tangy flavor of the sauce so I wouldn't recommended reducing or eliminating it.

Cashew Chicken

We love Chinese food around here so when I saw how easy this recipe was on The Sister's Cafe it just had to be tried! And it turned out deliciously! It isn't tangy like the General Tso's or Sweet & Sour Chickens you would get, but it isn't supposed to be. We will definitely be making this one again.

CASHEW CHICKEN
sisterscafe.blogspot.com

2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 tsp sugar
4 Tb cornstarch, divided
½ tsp salt
¼ c. soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tb oil
2 c. hot chicken broth
2 tsp lemon juice
½ c. cashews
cooked rice

Combine sugar, 2 Tb cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Dredge chicken pieces in this mixture. Drain and save dredge; then stir fry chicken in hot oil in frying pan or wok until chicken is lightly brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and drain excess oil from the pan. Add remaining cornstarch and the dredge drained from the chicken. Blend well, then add chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Add lemon juice; add chicken pieces and reheat. Do not boil. Taste to correct seasonings. Add cashews. Serve over hot rice. Makes 4-5 servings. You can stir fry some vegetables and add them to the mixture at the end.

*COOKING NOTE! I stir fried fresh green beans, broccoli, red onion, and green peppers into ours. I added the broccoli first (to already warm oil) and then the green beans a while longer. Remember that you need to take into consideration how FIRM the veggies you are using are. For example, carrots will need to saute much longer than onions will. You want ALL of your veggies to be crisp-tender in the end so don't add them all at once!

*SHOPPING NOTE! You don't need to spend a fortune to add veggies to your dish. To feed a family you aren't going to need a pound of each veggie. A lot of them are sold in small pieces. I just bought a handful of fresh green beans, the smallest broccoli head I could find, and one green pepper. We buy red onions in bulk from Sam's Club because we use them alot and they are so much cheaper. I only used 1/2 of the green pepper and will get to use the other half for breakfast tomorrow. For all of my veggies I paid about.... $1.50 for this meal. Probably less.

*P.S. I understand it is called "Cashew Chicken" but if you don't want to spend the money on cashews I am sure it would still taste great without them. The cashews just add a satisfying crunch.

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

YUM YUM YUM YUM YUMMY!!!!! These were SOOO good! Once upon a time you could get lettuce wraps at Chile's Restaurants. Foolishly they have taken them off the menu. And I have been craving them ever since! When I saw this recipe on Delectable Dining I knew we had to try it out. And it definitely didn't disappoint!

One of the things I love most about this recipe (besides the fact that my husband loved it) was that it seems so versatile. If you WANT to do lettuce wraps they are delicious. But the filling is so flavorful and delicious that you could do so many different things: serve it over rice or noodles, in a tortilla, or honestly just by itself! YUMMY!

Another thing that makes this a fabulous recipe? It comes together in less than 30 minutes!!! Gotta love it baby! AND it is much better for you wrapped in lettuce leaves and so you feel refreshingly full at the end.

The biggest substitutions I made on this recipe were that I used a green pepper instead of a red pepper (because they didn't have red peppers at the store I went to) and we just used Iceburg Lettuce instead of the Boston Lettuce (again, because they didn't have it at the store I went to). The Iceburg lettuce was perfectly fine, however it is a bit hard to pull apart for your individual servings. If you can find Boston (or butter) lettuce - more power to you!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Delectable Dining and can be found here: http://delectabledining09.blogspot.com/2010/05/chicken-stir-fry-wraps.html

CHICKEN STIR FRY WRAPS

From Delectable Dining

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves; halved horizontally and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated, peeled fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on how much heat you prefer)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
12 to 16 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat.  Add half of the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout (about 2-4 minutes).  Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.  Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pan, along with the onion and the bell pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is tender and golden.  If the onion is browning too quickly, reduce the heat.

Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the pan.  Cook, stirring, until fragrant.  Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture.  Remove from the heat.  Add the chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat.  Serve in the lettuce cups.

Classic Repeat : General Tso's Chicken

I have been missing in action! I have still been cooking but without the internet it is really hard to blog! We had this again a few nights ago and it was SOOO good. I think it was better than I have ever made it before because I followed the "heat" directions to a T! Only use 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and a FEW red pepper flakes and it is perfect!

GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN

1 Lb. chicken breasts (cut into 1" pieces)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. "lite" soy sauce
1/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 c. white distilled vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with 3 Tbsp. water
4 green onions, sliced

Dredge chicken in flour and fry in oil over medium heat (in a wok or a skillet) until golden brown and crispy. Drain excess oil. Sprinkle cayenne over the chicken and keep warm on low heat. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients (sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and ginger) and heat gently. When sauce is smooth and sugar has dissolved, SLOWLY add cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce has thickened to desired thickness. Pour sauce in the wok and stir to coat chicken. Stir in green onion and hot red pepper flakes (optional). Remove from heat and serve

*I cut some of the chicken into small strips too for variety. I used regular soy sauce at just under ¼ cup, sprinkled minced garlic in, and used ½ tsp. ground ginger.

Korean Candy Chicken

This recipe was a huge hit with Jake! He spent the whole meal complimenting my culinary abilities and had two big helpings! It was so delicious and probably the easiest Asian meal I have ever made. I found this new blog (White Lotus Cooks) because of one of my already favorite sites (Mindika Moments). The picture and recipe are courtesy of White Lotus Cooks and can be found here.

Korean Candy Chicken
From http://www.whitelotuscooks.com/
serves 6

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 fillets)
2 eggs
2 cups flour

sweet candy sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
toasted sesame seeds

cooked rice
sliced scallions (optional)

In a pan, pour about two inches of oil and heat on medium heat till hot. Cut chicken on the diagonal into thick strips, about two inches wide. In a bowl, beat eggs. In another container, place flour.

Coat chicken strips in egg mixture first, then generously pat with flour, covering all sides. (I will often give it a couple of coatings) There should be a thick layer of batter on the chicken pieces.

When oil is hot, fry chicken pieces (about 3 minutes on each side) till golden brown. Remove chicken, and let rest on a paper towel to drain the oil.

To make candy sauce, place soy sauce and sugar in a bowl and mix together, about 30 seconds. The sugar will not completely dissolve, but the mixture should be thick, and not grainy. Add sesame seeds and mix to incorporate.

Dip chicken in sauce, covering all sides. Repeat, till all pieces are covered. Serve with rice, drizzle remain sauce over chicken. Garnish with sliced scallions.

Classic Repeat - General Tso's Chicken!

I love Chinese food and I love this meal! It is SOOOO good!

http://shaylaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/general-tsos-chicken.html

Moo Shu Noodles

Okay, this isn't one of my normal recipes because it calls for some unusual ingredients that you wouldn't just have on hand - BUT!!!!! This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it! The unusual ingredients are cheap and easy to get at the store and this is my new favorite way to eat pork. Plus it comes together so quickly - like half hour quickly! I am a sucker for Chinese food, I really am, but even my ginger picky husband gobbled this one down! It is super super super delicious and has earned a place in our FAVORITE recipes! Thanks so much to My Kitchen Cafe for another great recipe!

MOO SHU NOODLES
From My Kitchen Cafe

12-ounces fettuccine (I used 16 and it was just fine)
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
3 medium-sized boneless pork chops, thinly sliced (it is easier to slice thinly if pork chops are slightly frozen)
Ground black pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger (about a 2-inch piece), peeled and grated (Or 1 tsp. Ground ginger)
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated (Or 1 tsp. minced garlic)
1/2 pound mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 small head Napa or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (Available at your local Wal-mart)
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. When the water comes up to a bubble, add some salt and drop in the fettuccine. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and reserve.

Combine the hoisin and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat one tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble. When done, scrape them onto a plate and reserve. In the same skillet heat two tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes (don't overcook or pork will be tough!). Remove the meat from the pan onto the same plate as the eggs and keep warm.

Add the scallions, ginger and garlic to the pan, and cook until aromatic and the scallions are tender, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes.

Add the cabbage to the pan and stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes. When the cabbage is tender, add the reserved pork and scrambled eggs back to the pan along with the hoisin-soy mixture and the chicken broth. Stir-fry to fully heat through, about 1 minute, and then toss with the reserved cooked pasta. Cook to heat through and serve.

*NOTE: I added a small can of sliced water chestnuts to my Moo Shu Noodles and it added a very satisfying crunch!

General Tso's Chicken

WOW WOW WOW!!! Jake and I are huge fans of chinese food and General Tso's Chicken is Jake's favorite Chinese dish. The verdict? We both LOVED this chicken! There is nothing that I like more when it comes to food than well seasoned chicken and this was phenomenal. Forget paying $30+ for an overpriced Chinese restaurant dish. This recipe was BETTER than any General Tso's Chicken I have gotten anywhere and it was SO easy to make with ingredients I already had on hand! (Okay, so the green onions aren't USUALLY something I just keep stored in my refrigerator, but they were there this time!) Try it! You won't be disappointed!

GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN

1 Lb. chicken breasts (cut into 1" pieces)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. "lite" soy sauce
1/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 c. white distilled vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with 3 Tbsp. water
4 green onions, sliced

Dredge chicken in flour and fry in oil over medium heat (in a wok or a skillet) until golden brown and crispy. Drain excess oil. Sprinkle cayenne over the chicken and keep warm on low heat. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients (sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and ginger) and heat gently. When sauce is smooth and sugar has dissolved, SLOWLY add cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce has thickened to desired thickness. Pour sauce in the wok (or skillet) and stir to coat chicken. Stir in green onion and hot red pepper flakes (optional, but we LOVED the extra kick). Remove from heat and serve.

*NOTE: I cut some of the chicken into small strips for variety and they cooked beautifully. I also didn't have "lite" soy sauce so I used regular soy sauce at just under 1/4 cup. I don't like dealing with fresh ingredients either so I just sprinkled about 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp. of minced garlic in the sauce and used 1/2 tsp. ground ginger.