I pulled out my cookbooks the other day, when I was working on my menu plan.

So often we forget that we have a myriad of delicious recipes at our fingertips, and it's easy to get stuck in a rut and basically make the same thing over and over.

But at times we get a little tired and want something new, so I made up my whole menu plan using newish recipes to us and so far, everyone has enjoyed it.

This one is going on our favorites list, it tastes amazing and it's not too complicated to make.  Besides, if you can get Asian food at home without having to order take-out, why not?

I adapted the recipe slightly to suit our needs, but I'll tell you below where and what I did.


1/2 (16-ounce) package wonton wrappers
2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed
3/4 cup sesame seeds, divided (I didn't use sesame seeds in this recipe)
1 cup vegetable oil, divided
/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup dark sesame oil, divided
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
10 to 12 small green onions, sliced
1 (10-ounce) package mixed salad greens (I served mine with Basmati Rice instead)
1 bok choy, shredded(I used some coleslaw mix, just eyeballed it)

*I also added in half a small onion, sliced thinly


Cut wonton wrappers into 1/2-inch strips, and cut pork into 3- x 1-inch strips; set aside. Toast 1/2 cup sesame seeds in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from skillet.

Pour 1/2 cup vegetable oil into skillet; heat to 375°. Fry wonton strips in batches until golden. Drain on paper towels; set aside. Drain skillet.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup sesame seeds, flour, salt, and pepper in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add pork. Seal and shake to coat.

Pour 2 tablespoons sesame oil into skillet; place over medium heat. Fry half of pork in hot oil, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes or until golden. Remove and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil and pork.  Add in the onion and coleslaw mix at this point, cook until onion is tender.

Process toasted sesame seeds, remaining 1/2 cup vegetable oil, soy sauce, and vinegar in a blender 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Combine pork and green onions; drizzle with soy sauce mixture, tossing gently.

Combine mixed greens and bok choy; top with pork mixture and fried wonton strips.(I topped the pork mixture with the fried wonton strips, and then served it along with the rice)

Serve immediately.

I absolutely love dumplings, but as always, with some dishes, I'm a bit intimidated by the thought of making them myself, and so I steer clear.

Well last week while making the new menu plan, I decided that I needed to conquer this fear.  Actually it seems that lately I've been conquering quite a few cooking fears, here and there.  It's a good thing, and I'm really determined to stop being so scared of trying new dishes and to just jump right in and go for it.  What's the worse that could happen?  I have to remake it again?

I actually found this recipe on Tasty.  If you don't know what Tasty is, you have to get on the ball, you can find them all over Facebook, Internet, Youtube and so on.

This was super simple to make, and the only real change I will be putting in effect next time I make these, is that I found the dough a bit too thick and I didn't put quite near enough filling because once it's cooked it tends to shrink. I also need to practice the art of pleating and folding a dumpling, which I am terrible at.

Other than that, they were delicious, with a very big Capital D.





4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups warm water
2 cups red cabbage
2 cups green onions, sliced
cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons ginger, minced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound ground pork
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt


¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


PREPARATION

1. Combine the flour, salt, and warm water and mix until well combined.
2. Roll out dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth.

3. Separate the dough into 4 equal parts.
4. Roll out the piece into a thin log and divide into 6 or 8 pieces depend on the size of dumplings you want.


5. Lightly flour the divided piece of dough and roll out piece to a thin circle roughly 4-inches in diameter.
6. Keep the dumpling wrappers separated with parchment paper, and repeat with remaining dough.


7. Combine cabbage, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil and mix until well incorporated. Add pork, salt and pepper. 
8. To assembly dumplings, add roughly 1 heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of a dumpling wrapper.


9. With your finger lightly coat 1 half of the outside of the wrapper with water.
10. Seal the dumplings using your preferred method.
11. With pleating, start from one side and pleat the half of the dumpling closest to you, keeping the other half still.

12. Heat oil on medium high in a pan and add a few dumplings, cooking them in batches.
13. Once the bottom of the dumplings start to brown, add in a splash of water and cover with a lid.
14. Steam for roughly 5 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked and water has evaporated.

Enjoy!

I just gave you the recipe for the Sweet Fire Chicken, but I didn't give you the recipe for the perfect side dish, which is of course, the Panda Express Chow Mein.

Also from Damn Delicious, and also a copycat recipe, and ALSO delicious.

But I'm not going to say anything else, other than, make yourself some chow mein, like nowwww.

I used purple cabbage because it's what I had on hand, but other than that followed the recipe exactly and it was phenomenal.



1/4 cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 (5.6-ounce) packages refrigerated Yaki-Soba, seasoning sauce packets discarded*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
2 cups shredded cabbage



In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger and white pepper; set aside.
In a large pot of boiling water, add Yaki-Soba until loosened, about 1-2 minutes; drain well.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and celery, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cabbage until heated through, about 1 minute.
Stir in Yaki-Soba and soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Serve immediately.

If my family and I could eat at Panda Express every day, we probably would.

In a dream world of course, because in reality, there's just no way we could afford that, or my thighs could sustain it.  But once in a while, it's good to indulge and if when the craving strikes, I can make it at home?  Even better!!!

This recipe comes from one of the food blogs I most admire, Damn Delicious.  She is fantastic and has some of the best recipes out there, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to make it for the family.

The results?  Amazing!!!

My husband and children loved it, all had seconds, and my 12 year old boy even had thirds, he just couldn't get enough.

So here you go, a great copycat recipe for next time you crave Panda Express.




1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced pineapple, fresh or canned
1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce, or more, to taste
2 green onions, thinly sliced
For the chicken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten


Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in flour again, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bell pepper and pineapple and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in chicken and Thai sweet chili sauce until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions.

I think it's the one item I most request at Chinese places.  Love the chicken, spicy, peanut combo.

Making it at home is very easy and tastes just as good.  Only thing I changed is that I didn't add the red peppers because my youngest can't stand them.  But aside from that, Yum!



8 whole chicken wings (about 1-1/2 pounds) *I used boneless thighs*
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup peanuts
Hot cooked rice


Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard wing tip section. Set the wings aside. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, soy sauce, lemon juice and pepper flakes until blended; set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook chicken wings, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, turning occasionally.

Add red pepper and onion; cook, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir cornstarch mixture; gradually add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with rice.

Yield: 4 servings.

We love Chinese food, love love love it.

I'm slowly getting a  stash of these favorites that I can make at home.  This one I hadn't tried yet but had the recipe sitting around for a long time, and getting a big craving for some Chinese food yesterday I thought it was the perfect time to make it.

It's so good, tastes just like the Bourbon Chicken you get at Chinese take outs.



2 pounds boneless chicken breasts; cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil; (1-2)
1 garlic clove; crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch


Combine garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, water, soy sauce and cornstarch in a big bowl.


Add chicken to the bowl and give it a good stir to coat. Scoop chicken out onto a skillet to which you've added the olive oil.

Cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken.


Add mixture from the bowl, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Serve over hot rice.

*sigh* I could eat these every.single.day. without getting sick of them.



And if you're thinking that they are difficult to make or require a lot of ingredients, I will tell you that you only need 3 ingredients to get these noodles on the table. But the flavor?

Mmmm the flavor.

So here's how I make mine.



Sesame Noodles

1 lb thin spaghetti noodles,cooked, drained & rinsed.
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup sugar
Green onions, sliced for garnish (optional)

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, drain, rinse and pour back into the pot.

In a mason jar, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil and the sugar.



Give it a good shake then pour over the noodles.

Using tongs, toss together well until they are coated. You can serve them like this, or you can do what I do, which is toss them into a hot skillet and give them a quick fry.



SO good!

I love Chinese food, I mean if I could get away with eating it every single day, I would.

I'll also tell you that when out at the mall I usually gravitate towards Panda Express, and if there's none, then I'll hit up whichever Asian food there is.



It used to intimidate me.  Not the food, but the thought of cooking it myself at home, and honestly you'll never hear me say that I've mastered the art of Asian cooking because I don't believe that you can ever completely replicate it at home, but you can come pretty close.

I've made a few Beef and Broccoli recipes before but this is one I came across last year and bookmarked it to try.  It's from the blog Wives with Knives LOL   I love that name :)

I adapted it to our taste.  My kids do NOT like ginger at all, so out went the ginger and in came the garlic in it's place.



Garlic Beef and Broccoli…May, 1980, Gourmet Magazine


1-1/2 pound flank steak cut into thin, cross grain strips
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix together all ingredients except sliced beef.  Add beef and marinate for at least one hour. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Cut 1 pound broccoli into flowerettes. Cook in boiling water for four minutes or until barely tender. Drain well and rinse with cold water.

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar



In a small dish combine:
2 tablespoons slivered green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic


In a very hot wok stir fry the beef in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in several batches until pink. Set aside.  Wipe out wok with paper towels.



Heat wok until very hot, add 2 tablespoons oil.  Fry onion and garlic for 30 seconds.  



Stir in broth mixture, beef and broccoli.  Cook several minutes until thickened.

I love Chinese food, love love love it.

Thing is, it's not always cheap or convenient for me to go out and find some, so I try to make it at home, and though a lot of these dishes are good, I still don't think you can ever quite replicate it.

This is a super easy and simple recipe but my family loves it :)

Another recipe from the old cookbooks I have laying around.

Chinese Chicken with Vegetables

1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 green bell peppers, cut into strips
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced

Combine brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger in a medium bowl; mix well. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce and water. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry for 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add peppers, carrots and green onions; stir-fry until crisp, about 2 minutes.



Add brown sugar mixture to skillet; stir. Cover; reduce heat. Cook, basting occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. Spoon chicken and vegetables onto a serving platter.

Really quick and easy to make, and if you're craving Chinese food it sure beats going out to the restaurant and paying money for it :)

This one comes from Blogchef.

Shrimp Lo Mein

Ingredients:
2lbs raw medium shrimp (peeled and deveined, with tails removed)
½ cup soy sauce
8 teaspoons cornstarch
½ tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
4 teaspoons sesame oil (divided)
2 cups carrots (shredded)
2 cups cabbage (sliced thin)
1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
7 green onions (sliced)
12 ounces linguini (cooked and drained)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl combine shrimp, soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, and garlic. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes. Heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a wok over high heat. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon reserving marinade. Add to the wok and stir fry until the shrimp are pink (2-3 minutes). Remove from the wok and set aside.

Step 2: Add another teaspoon of sesame oil to the skillet and add carrots. Stir try for 1 minute. Remove from the wok. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and add cabbage and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and the reserve marinade to the wok. Add the cooked shrimp and vegetables to the wok. Cook until the sauce has thickened (about 1 minute).
Step 3: Mix the shrimp and sauce mixture with the cooked linguini and mix in green onions.
(Makes 6 Servings)

One of my favorite ethnic foods has to be Chinese.  Hands down.  But it's also one of the cuisines that most intimidates me in the kitchen and I don't know why, because when it comes down to it, it's not that hard to make.  Some dishes are time consuming, yes, but not difficult.

Over the years I've set aside my fear and have just dove right into Chinese cooking.  I will never come near to the original, that's a given but some dishes are pretty close and it just motivates me to keep trying new recipes.

General Tso's Chicken.  One of my faves when we have Chinese which surprisingly is really not that often at all, I mean it can go months and months without having any.

When I saw this recipe on one of my Cook's Illustrated, I just knew I had to give it a go.  Turned out really well and got big thumbs up from the family :)

General Tso's Chicken

Marinade:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Coating & frying:
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups vegetable oil
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced on a bias for garnish

Prep the chicken breasts by cutting them into 1 inch pieces.

To make the marinade & sauce, whisk the hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a bowl. Of this mixture, place 6 tablespoons into a zip lock storage bag and add the chicken; seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Set aside the remaining marinade in the bowl.



While the chicken is chilling in the marinade, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add 2 cups of the hoisin marinade to the skillet and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture is dark brown and thickened. Remove from heat, cover and keep the sauce warm.



To prepare the chicken coating and frying, whisk the egg whites in a shallow dish until foamy; set aside. Combine the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, and remaining hoisin marinade in a second shallow dish; mix until it resembles coarse meal.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and from the marinade. Pat the marinated chicken dry with paper towels. Toss half the chicken into the foamy egg whites until well coated, then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mmixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer the coated chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.



Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees. Fry half the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking.



Transfer the cooked chicken onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Return the oil to 350 degrees before frying again. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Warm the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Place the sauce in a large bowl and add the fried chicken pieces. Toss to coat and serve.

I've been craving Chinese food and for some reason the Chinese restaurant on base is not open, so I figured I may as well make it myself.

It takes a little bit of prep time and it's not one of those super quick dishes to prepare, but it's worth it. I usually make it on the weekends when the hubby is home so he can go off and play with the kids and I can take my time fixing dinner.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 7 to 8 ounces each

Marinade:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small piece (less than 1 teaspoon) cornstarch

Sauce:
1/4 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons water

Other:
1/2 pound dry wonton noodles
2 medium ribs celery
1 pound bok choy or broccoli
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms ( I used a small can)
1 red bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1 green onion (scallion, spring onion)
Vegetable oil for frying and stir-frying, as needed
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds ( I didn't use the sesame seeds)


Cut the chicken into thin strips. Add the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes.


The following 3 steps can be completed while the chicken is marinating:

To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl dissolve the 1 tablespoon cornstarch with the 4 tablespoons water. Whisk the water or chicken broth with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper and cornstarch and water mixture and set aside.

Soften the noodles by placing them in boiling salted water. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process and drain thoroughly.

Wash all the vegetables as needed. Cut the celery and the bok choy into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal. If substituting broccoli for bok choy, peel the stalks until no more strings come out, and slice thinly on the diagonal. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and slice. Cut the red bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and chut into chunks. Peel and chop the onion. Dice the green onion.


Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the noodles. Fry in batches until golden. Remove the noodles from the pan.


Heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onion and the meat. Let the meat brown briefly, then stir-fry until the redness is gone and the meat is nearly cooked through. Remove the cooked meat and onion from the pan. (TO SAVE TIME, I DIDN'T ADD THE ONIONS HERE, I JUST ADDED THEM IN WITH THE REST OF THE VEGGIES)


Cook the rest of the vegetables separately, except for the green onion, seasoning each with a bit of salt while stir-frying if desired. When cooking the bok choy or broccoli, add 1/4 cup of water and cover while cooking. Remove each of the vegetables from the pan when finished stir-frying. Add more oil as needed.


Give the sauce a quick restir. Add all the ingredients back into the wok, making a "well" in the middle if the wok for the sauce. Add the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken. Mix everything together.


Stir in the green onions. Pour the cooked vegetable and sauce mixture on top of the noodles. Garnish the chow mein with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.