Cashew Chicken

OK, time to post a few more recipes. It's been awhile, I know :)

This recipe for cashew chicken is really terrific. It tastes just like it came from your favorite Chinese take-out restaurant--only better! It's comes together fairly quickly and I'm sure is a healthier version too. The only change I would make next time, would be to add some red or orange bell pepper for color and more crunch. Other than that, it is really spot on!


If you are going to serve a small side salad with this (like your local Chinese place might), it's usually just romaine lettuce and some shredded carrots with a soy-ginger dressing. This Trader Joe's Goddess dressing is perfect for such a salad. My son and I are slightly OBSESSED with this dressing....it is that good!



Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or cooking wine, or leave out)
2 tsp. minced, peeled, fresh ginger
3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
coarse salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2/3 cup unsalted cashews, toasted
2 green onions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss chicken with sherry, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch; season with salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set sauce aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a covered plate. Add 1 teaspoon oil to skillet and cook remaining chicken (reduce heat if chicken is over-browning). Transfer to plate.

To same skillet, add 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, cashews, and green onion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Whisk sauce and add to skillet along with chicken. Cook until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Top with green onion greens and serve with rice or noodles.

Source: The Bitten Word, originally from Everyday Food (September 2009)

Shrimp Fried Rice

Shrimp fried rice has always been one of my favorite Chinese take-out items. That is why I bookmarked this recipe a while back. This week I found myself with some leftover plain white rice one night and I knew it was time to give it a try.

How did it compare to my local take-out place? While it didn't taste exactly like their shrimp fried rice (less greasy- which is a good thing) it did taste very good (and fresh!). I will definitely be using this recipe again!


If you have some extra time, why don't you try to make these homemade fortune cookies too!

Ingredients:

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onions, minced (I was out of green onions and used white onions instead)
4 cups leftover rice (DO NOT USE FRESHLY COOKED RICE!)
¾ cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
1 tbsp. soy sauce
Few drops sesame oil

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, salt, pepper and cornstarch, and toss well to coat the shrimp. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. When a drop of water immediately sizzles and evaporates, the pan is hot enough to add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Swirl to coat the pan well.

Add the shrimp to the hot pan and quickly spread them out so that they are in a single layer, and all touching the pan surface. (You may need to do this in two batches to ensure even cooking.) Let them cook untouched for 30 seconds, then flip over (tongs work well for this) and let cook for 30 more seconds, so that the shrimp are about 80% cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat on the pan to medium. Add the eggs to the pan and stir quickly, to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through but still slightly runny in the middle, remove from the pan to the same plate as the shrimp.

Use paper towels to wipe the pan clean and return the pan to high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling to coat. Once the oil is very hot, add the green onions to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and mix well to combine with the green onions. Spread the rice out evenly over the pan and let cook without stirring, until you hear the rice grains sizzle, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss the rice a bit with your spatula, and again spread it out over the cooking surface.

Drizzle the soy sauce all over the rice, and toss again. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked shrimp and eggs, and the sesame oil to the pan. Toss to combine all the ingredients well with the rice. Let everything heat back up again until the rice grains are sizzling again. Add additional soy sauce to taste, if needed. Serve.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats , originally from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen via Simply Recipes

Fortune Cookies

I've been wanting to make fortune cookies for some time now. So, when I had chicken and vegetable stir-fry on the menu this week, I decided it was time to find a recipe and give it a try.

I looked through Tastespotting and found this recipe from Martha Stewart on several blogs. I also read over everyone's tips for making these, which was very, very helpful. The biggest tip is to only make 2 at a time (yes, it will take a while to make a complete batch). You will only have seconds with each cookie to shape, so making the entire batch all at once wouldn't work.

I wrote up cute little sayings that my son could read. Next time, I'll also include some with just a small picture for my daughter because she doesn't read yet.



The cookies continue to cool in the muffin pan which helps them keep their shape.


We loved how these cookies tasted...way better (fresher) than anything from your local take out place. However, my cookies never got completely crisp :( The center stayed a little soft. I don't think it's anything I did wrong, because I later read that others have had the same issue. I think I'll try this recipe next time. Overall, I considered these a success. We all loved them!



Ingredients
Makes about 15 cookies (this is 1/2 of the original recipe)

2.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1.5 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and sugar, and beat on medium speed, about 30 seconds. Add flour and salt, and beat until combined. Add butter, heavy cream, and almond extract, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
Pour 1 tablespoon of batter onto half of the baking sheet, and spread with the back of a spoon into a thin 3.5-inch circle; repeat on the other half of the sheet.

Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (7-8 minutes).

Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, or mug. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I had this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe saved for a while and ended up making it last Friday. I was craving Chinese food but didn't really want to order take-out, so I decided to give this a shot.

The first thing I loved about this dish, is that it all of the ingredients are pantry staples (ketchup,soy sauce,vinegar). So, I didn't have to make a special trip to the store which is great. Secondly, this tastes FANTASTIC! Just like it came from our local Chinese restaurant, only better!

The one negative thing about this recipe, is that it is not exactly figure friendly thanks to all the sugar. So, if you are watching your weight, pay attention to your serving size and pair it with healthy sides like brown rice and steamed veggies. Definitely give this recipe a try though, you won't be disappointed.

My son and I loved this dinner. My daughter loved the chopsticks!


Ingredients

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

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

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

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced – about 6-8 minutes.

Source: My Kitchen Cafe