Clean out the Fridge: Veggie Salad Rolls

Salad rolls can be a great snack on a hot day, and if you are looking for a project to make with the kids this can be a lot of fun. You can swap the fillings around all you want and include leftover grilled chicken or shrimp, and leave out the herbs if the kids don't like them. Change up the veggies so that you can use up anything leftover in your fridge.  I have made these following the recipe exactly, and by swapping out some of the veggies and using shredded purple cabbage, sweet bell peppers, basil, avocado, and finely chopped celery with the carrots and green onion.

Along with a great dip you can either serve these for lunch, snacks, or as an appetizer to a great meal. Either way they don't require an oven so you can keep your cool! I stored them in an airtight container in the fridge with a moist paper towel over top.

What are rice paper wrappers, you ask? Rice paper for salad rolls are typically sold in the ethnic or Asian area of your grocery store, in plastic wheel shaped containers, like pictured below.




They are hard, round things that you have to soak briefly in warm water to soften so you can roll them. Rice paper is kind of thin so it takes a little practice to soak, fill, and roll it without tearing, but I know you can do it!



Ingredients:

125 g rice vermicelli noodles
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup bean sprouts, lightly chopped
1/2 cup long English cucumber, julienned
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
14 six inch rice paper wrappers

...and a batch of peanut sauce

Directions:

Put the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl, then pour boiling water over top until they are covered. Put a pan or something on top to cover and let them soak until tender, or about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Let the noodles sit and drain for about 5-10 minutes. You want to get all the water out of them or when you add the dressing, it will get watered down and runny.

Chop up the noodles a bit so they aren't in such long strands. Mix them in a bowl with the carrots, cucumber, green onion, mint, cilantro, and sesame oil, then toss with enough of the peanut sauce to coat (about 1/3 of the batch).  Set aside.



Pour about 2 inches of hot water into a pie plate and completely submerge a rice paper wrapper. Let it sit for about 10-15 seconds until it's softened. Remove from the water, let the excess drip off, and carefully lay it on the counter in front of you.


It's hard to get it perfectly flat on the counter. Don't worry about that.



Mound about 1/4-1/3 cup of the noodle filling near the edge closest to you, in a log shape. I took the photo on an angle, but you would have this turned and the noodles/avocado facing you.



Fold the sides in and, rolling away from yourself, tightly roll that baby up.



Set the finished salad roll on a plate that is covered with a damp paper towel. Continue with the rest of the rice paper wrappers. As the water cools in the pie plate, you will have to top it up to make it warm again.

Serve on a plate garnished with chopped fresh chiles, green onion, and peanuts with the peanut sauce on the side to dip. These don't keep well, you need to eat them the same day.

Makes about 14 rolls

Adapted from Whitewater Cooks With Friends

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Baked Egg Rolls

This recipe is a great alternative to deep fried egg rolls. They are tasty, and if you don't happen to eat them in one fell swoop, they do freeze well too. I just pop 'em in a 350 F oven for a few minutes right from the freezer. Make sure you've got plum sauce for dipping. Kevin commented that he found these really fun to make and plans to take some to school in his lunch tomorrow.

Adapted from Canadian Living

1 lb (500 g) lean ground pork
3 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper
12 large egg roll wrappers (fresh)
1 tsp vegetable oil

Saute pork in a skillet until no longer pink. Add the onions, garlic, carrot, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots. Cook until pork is cooked through and veggies are soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the soy sauce, 1 tbsp water, cornstarch, sesame oil, and pepper. Whisk with a fork. Once the pork mixture has cooled a little, pour the soy sauce mixture over top and mix gently to coat the meat.

Open your package of egg roll wrappers and peel one off. Cover exposed wrappers with a damp paper towel. Lay the wrapper on the counter in front of you and brush the edges with water. Spoon about 3 tbsp filling in the middle of the wrapper. I know there is none in this picture, but let's pretend, okay?

Fold the right and left sides in towards the middle like a book. Again, pretend there is filling! It would be right in the middle there, hiding under the sides that are folded over top.Then, take the wrapper side that is closest to you and tuck over the filling, continuing to roll away from yourself. It's like rolling up a burrito!

Place finished egg rolls seam side down on a cookie sheet and cover with a damp paper towel. When you have finished using all the filling, brush the rolls with vegetable oil and bake in a 375 F oven for about 18 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Makes about 12-15 rolls

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Soy Sesame Steak

This steak is one of the easiest ways to please my teenager. Sliced thinly, marinated for a few hours and then seared in a hot pan, it's a great way to stretch a cut of meat to serve a few people. Kevin has made this before on his own, which shows you just how easy it can be to make. The secret to getting perfectly cooked and yet tender bits of meat is to get your pan really hot, and add the beef strips in batches so that they sear quickly, yet leave the inside a bit pink. It only takes a brief 45 seconds to 1 minute to do this, so stay at your stove and watch it carefully.

 Adapted from Gourmet

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (this is important-make sure you use low sodium or the end result will be too salty)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sake
1 bunch scallions (white and light green parts separate from the dark green, minced)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 lb flank steak, sliced very thin ( 1/8th of an inch?) across the grain

 Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sake, white and green parts of scallion, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Toss with steak strips, cover dish with plastic wrap, and chill for about 2 hours.

Get your frypan hot over medium heat. Add a little oil. Add about half of the beef strips, stirring and moving it around quickly as it sears. The trick with having tender steak strips is to cook it just briefly. When sliced so thin, beef doesn't need long to cook at all-maybe just 1-2 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pan, but rather cook in batches, stirring it around as you go.

Heap the cooked steak strips on a plate, sprinkle the remaining green onion over top, and serve with rice. 

Serves 2-3

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Asian Style Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf

This ain't your Momma's meatloaf!  With lots of ginger, spice, and a delicious glaze, you can serve it with coconut fried rice and some steamed bok choy.  The leftovers are incredible made into sandwiches with a pickled veggie topping.  I loved them in my lunch box!  Don't let what seems to be a long list of ingredients put you off, this is a meatloaf that is definitely worth the work. 

Adapted from Bon Appetit

2 cups cubed day old crustless while bread (about 2 slices)

½ cup low salt chicken broth

4 slices of bacon, minced

1 1/3 cups sliced green onions (separate the white and dark green parts)

3 celery stalks, minced (about a cup)

1 four inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

7 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of ground pork

2 large eggs, whisked

3 whole star anise, freshly ground in a spice mill (about 2 tsp ground) or 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

1/2 tsp salt (the bacon and hoisin add salt, but you can add more if you wish)

1 tsp pepper

Glaze:

¾ cup hoisin glaze

½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1 one inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

In a small saucepan, stir together the glaze ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes until it thickens.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F and brush a loaf pan with vegetable oil, or coat with non stick spray.

Saute the bacon over medium heat until it begins to crisp.  Drain off the fat and add the white parts of the green onions, celery, ginger, and garlic.   Turn the heat down and stir it often so that the ginger and garlic don’t burn.   When everything has softened, take it off the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the bread cubes and the chicken broth.  The bread should soak up the broth and begin to fall apart.   Add the bacon and vegetable mixture, beef, pork, anise, salt, pepper,  eggs, and 2 tbsp of the hoisin glaze.

Using your hands,  mix everything together until well incorporated.   Scoop the meat mixture into the greased pan, pushing the mixture down to get rid of any air bubbles.  Mound the meat in the middle, cover it with foil,  and place on a baking sheet covered with foil to catch any  liquid overflow.  Bake for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes, take off the foil and brush with Hoisin glaze.  Return to the oven and continue to bake for about an hour, until a meat thermometer inserted in the middle reads 165 F.  Brush with more glaze occasionally.

When the meatloaf is finished, remove from the oven, drain off the fat, and allow to sit for about 20 minutes before transferring to a board and slicing. 

Asian Style Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf Sandwiches

One recipe of  Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf, cut into 12 slices

1 cup each matchstick sized pieces of carrot, cucumber, and radish

¾ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar

vegetable oil

12 thick slices of ciabatta bread

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a bowl, toss the carrots, cucumber and radish together with the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar.  Set aside and allow to sit for about an hour. 

Using a heavy fry pan, sauté the pieces of meatloaf in a bit of oil until the sides are browned and crispy.  You will have to do this in batches.  Set the pieces aside on a plate.

Toast the bread under your broiler, then brush with hoisin glaze and top with a slice of meatloaf.  Mound the salad over top and sprinkle with coriander.  Serve immediately.

Makes 12

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Turkey Meatballs with Scallions and Soy Ginger Glaze

Meatballs are a great party food, but we also like them for dinner.  Sometimes when you make them with turkey they can be a bit dry and tasteless, but these ones are full of flavour.  We had them with coconut rice and brocollini, but you can also try serving them at a party with the glaze on the side.  If you are feeling adventurous, try slipping them into tiny bins and use the glaze as a sauce, while you add a bit of thinly sliced veggies.  There is quite a bit of sauce in this recipe, and I'd likely double the amount of meatballs while leaving the sauce as it is.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine, found in Asian or Japanese markets)
3 tbsp peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
4 black peppercorns

In a medium sized pot, combine the water and sugar over medium high heat until the sugar melts.  Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander, and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down and allow it to simmer for about 30-45 minutes until the mixture is reduced by half and syrup-like.  While it bubbles on the stove, make your meatballs!

Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey
4-6 green onions, chopped finely
1/2 cup coriander, chopped finely ( you could substitute flat leaf parsley if you like)
1 large egg
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (regular is fine)
2 tbsp soy sauce
fresh cracked black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Put a skillet over medium high heat and add a little oil before measuring out the mixture in tablespoon sized portions.  Roll into balls-although the mixture is fairly wet, so it's a bit hard to do.  Don't worry about getting them perfect.  Brown in a skillet, being careful not to have too many in the pan at once. They should take about 8 minutes to brown and cook through.

When you serve the meatballs, drizzle cooled glaze over top.  You can serve these with rice and a vegetable for dinner, or as an appetizer if you wish.

Serves 4

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Noodles and Ginger Scallion Sauce

I really love soba noodles. Despite their odd slightly grey color, they have far more flavor that usual noodles, and require little to make a them worth eating. This simple sauce dresses them up a little without overpowering them, and makes for a light, kid friendly meal if yours don't mind green bits in their food. I served them with some crunchy raw veggies, but you can pair them with some roasted meat if you like.

Serve with some chopped cucumber, lime slices, sesame seeds, and extra soy sauce on the side.

Adapted from Simply Reem

1 1/2 cups finely chopped scallions
2 tbsp minced ginger
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tsp chili oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp pepper

6 ounces of soba noodles
2 tbsp sesame seeds
lime wedges
julienned cucumber

Mix the first nine ingredients together in a bowl and allow to sit for about 20 minutes. This is crucial because the flavors need to develop.  Cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain noodles, then toss with the sauce, sesame seeds,  and add more salt, pepper, or soy if you want.  I like to squeeze some lime over and toss in some cucumber as well.

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Chicken Chow Mein, Jamie Oliver Style

I had planned to make this recipe a long time ago, but had forgotten about it until just recently a high school cooking class that I work in made it. Faced with 30 teenagers chopping, frying, and loving every minute of it, I knew I just had to make this at home. What better time to have chicken chow mein than for my birthday dinner?

The beauty with stir fries is that they come together really quickly, and this can be made and on the table in no time. Also, you can change the ingredients if you wish. Don't like bok choy? Use broccoli. Water chestnuts gross you out? Don't use them. Try a little red pepper, or maybe some sugar snap peas. Switch pork for the chicken, if you like. Leave out the mushrooms, it's entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that denser veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and snap peas should be blanched (or rather, dipped in hot water briefly) before you toss them in the stir fry or they may not cook as much as you'd like.

Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution

1 inch long piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 fresh red chile, seeded and minced (I use tiny Thai chiles)
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips (I used 2 chicken breast halves)
2 green onions, sliced
1 bok choy (I used 3 baby ones, split in half)
4 cremini or shitake mushrooms, sliced
4 oz chow mein noodles
1 tsp cornstarch
1 eight oz can sliced water chestnuts
2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
small bunch of fresh cilantro
2 limes

First, prep your ingredients for your stir fry because once you get going, it comes together rather quickly. I like to assemble things by the stove, all ready to pop in the pan when I need it. Take the cilantro and pick off the leaves, then chop the stalks and set aside.

Get a large pot of water boiling, and add your noodles and bok choy. Cook for 2 minutes and then remove them from the water and set aside. Keep a little bit of water and set it aside as well.

Using a large wok or frying pan, add some oil and let it get really hot. Toss in your chicken and stir it around for a few minutes, until it browns a little. Toss in the chile, garlic, cilantro stalks, mushrooms, half of the green onions, and ginger, continuing to stir for about 30 seconds or so. Add the the cornstarch and water chestnuts, stirring to keep things from sticking to the bottom. You CAN add the water chestnut juice as well, but I don't. If you do you'll have some broth in the bottom of the pan.

Take your pan off the heat and stir in the soy sauce, then zest your lime right into the pan, cut it in half and give a good squeeze. (I love lime!) Toss in the drained noodles and bok choy, adding a little of the water you cooked them in if you want a little more sauce. Give it a taste and add a little salt and pepper or more soy sauce if you need it. Sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves over top and toss well. Serve with extra lime wedges to squeeze over top.

Serves two, generously.

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Chicken, Snow Pea, and Cashew Stir Fry

When I started this blog, I never had intended to be a food blogger. It was just a place to store my recipes, and many in my archives have either really bad photos, or none at all. Recently I decided that I need to dive back in there and clean them up because they are great recipes!

One of my family's favorite stir fries, this one combines tender bits of chicken with crunchy cashews, sweet sugar snap peas, and chunks of sweet pepper. I love pairing it up with Coconut Ginger Rice. If you have everything chopped and ready to go once you have the rice started, dinner comes together very quickly, which makes this a great recipe for days when you are working late. My teenager also likes to take the leftovers to school for lunch.

Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine (can't remember which issue!)

3 Tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp sherry or chicken stock
1 tsp sesame oil
dash hot pepper sauce
1 lb (500g) boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 cup sugar snap peas (4 oz/125 g), cut in half
1 sweet red pepper, seeded, cored, sliced into bite sized chunks
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup roasted cashews (unsalted)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 piece (2 inches) ginger root, minced

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, sherry, sesame oil and hot pepper sauce; set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over high heat. Stir fry chicken until browned and transfer to plate. Add snow peas, red pepper, cashews, garlic and ginger to wok; cover and steam about 2 minutes. Return chicken to the pan along with accumulated juices, and toss to combine. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce mixture, continuing to stir until it thickens and coats the chicken and veggies.

Serve immediately over rice.

Makes 4 servings.

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Jamie Oliver's Quick Salmon Stir Fry

I've been in the mood for curries lately, and this one fit the bill the other night. It's fast, it's full of flavor, and it's helping me use up that jar of Patak's Tandoori Paste in the fridge!

Seriously though, we loved it; Jake especially. He greedily snarfed down three helpings, then laid claim to the leftovers.

Wow, Jamie. This one is GOOD!

Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution
1 cup basmati or wild rice
3/4 lb salmon fillet, skin off and bones removed, cut into 1 inch chunks
handful of unsalted shelled peanuts, whirled up in your food processor to small bits
1 clove garlic, minced
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped (the seeds make it spicy. I omit them)
small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
vegetable oil
1 heaped tablespoon of Patak's tandoori paste
a handful of snow peas
1/2 a 14 oz can of coconut milk
handful of bean sprouts
1 lime

Cook rice according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, put a wok or fry pan on high heat and add some oil to the pan. When it's good and hot, start cooking up your ginger, garlic, and chile. Move it around to keep the garlic from burning. Add the curry paste and continue to stir and cook for another 30 seconds.

Throw in your cubed salmon and stir for about a minute, then pour in your coconut milk and add the snow peas. Cook together for a bit longer until the fish is cooked through, then taste and see if you need to add any seasonings.

To serve, top your rice with some of the salmon stir fry, then sprinkle on the bean sprouts, cilantro, and bits of peanut. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top.

Serves 2

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Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

When you are looking for something quick that will use up veggies in your fridge, a stir fry is ideal. With my non-beef eating Hubs out for the evening, Jake and I decided to take advantage of the situation and make this delicious broccoli and beef stir fry! Yum! Once I had the rice made and everything chopped, I swear it took me only minutes to throw together.

A good trick is to have everything prepped and ready to go right at the stove so that you can just add it right when you need it.

Adapted From Food Network Magazine March 2010

1 lb lean steak, trimmed and sliced thinly against the grain
3 cups of broccoli florets, blanched (dunked for 30 sec in boiling water and then run under cold water so they were still a bit crunchy)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
salt and pepper
2 scallions, chopped (separate the white and light green bits from the dark green)

sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth (I subbed in beef broth because I was out of chicken)
pinch of hot pepper flakes
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry

I don't have a wok, but instead a good fry pan. Non stick would be ideal and then you can use less oil, but I don't have one. You can adjust the oil used to the kind of fry pan you have.

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set by the stove.

Heat your plan with a few glugs of oil in it and add your beef a bit at a time. Thinly sliced bits of beef don't need to be cooked long; just enough to turn them brown. Only put in a bit at a time so the pan doesn't get crowded and the meat has a chance to caramelize a little. Remove the bits as they cook to a plate.

Once all your beef is cooked, toss in your garlic, the white/light green parts of the green onion, and ginger. Turn the heat down to medium and watch it carefully, stirring so that it doesn't burn, and cook for about 1 minute. You may need to add a bit more oil to the pan.

Add the broccoli. Stir fry for about 1 minute. Add the beef back into the pan, stirring. Turn the heat up a bit to medium high, and pour in the sauce. I usually start by pouring 1/2 the sauce in, stirring, and seeing how "juicy" the dish is. If I want more, I can always add more. The sauce will bubble and become thick.

Serve immediately! You can garnish the dish with the green parts of sliced green onion, peanuts, or sesame seeds.

Serves 2 with a bit of leftovers

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Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

I have decided that I must take the plunge and buy a wok. In years past, I rarely made stir fries. Mostly because Hubs would never eat them. Now that he is eating more veggies and fewer carbs, stir fries have become my go to meal when I need something that all of us can eat, and is fresh and delicious.

Obviously my little fry pan where everything is spilling all over my stove top is just not working that well and a wok is totally in order. Oh well, my birthday is next week. Should I ask for one? Along with a crepe pan, so I can make those too?

So back to the food; I bought the March issue of Food Network magazine awhile ago. This was my first time every checking out the Food Network magazine, even though I regularly watch the TV programs. I quite like this! The magazine wasn't just recipes, but had lots of helpful tips and articles about cooking, restaurants, etc. One of the very best things though was a method of sort to making stir fries. It shows all the options, gives you 5 different kids of sauces, suggests veggies and proteins, and basically puts me in stir fry heaven. The possibilities are endless!

Tonight I made a sweet and sour chicken stir fry, and it was delicious. How did I do it?

Note: don't be put off by the veggies. Basically you need three cups of them in any combination. I raided the crisper and this is what I came up with.

Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine March 2010

3/4 lb chicken (mixture of thighs and breasts, because that's what I had)
1 sweet red bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 sweet yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 big gynormous shallot, sliced up. It was kicking around my fridge
5 big mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of cauliflower florets
1/2 cup broccoli florets (zapped in the microwave with the cauliflower and a bit of water to steam them so they are tender crisp, then drained)
3 green onions, sliced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Marinade:

1 egg white
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp cornstarch

Sauce: (now, I halved it because I really hate my stir fries swimming in sauce. If you like lots of sauce, then follow the recipe as listed. Otherwise half this)

3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil

Toss your chicken with the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for an hour.

Get all your ingredients prepped and right by the stove, including the sauce ingredients, in a bowl.

Drain your chicken of all the extra marinade.

Heat up some oil in your pan over medium heat. Toss in the chicken and cook, stirring slowly, until it's cooked through. Now this is where I had an issue with the Food Network directions, because all that marinade good just adhered to my pan and proceeded to go very dark brown. The directions say that when your chicken is cooked to transfer it to a plate, wipe the pan clean, add a bit more oil and proceed. I couldn't really do that. Maybe it works in a wok, but not with a fry pan, so I just got out another clean fry pan. Whatever-I'll do dishes later.

Add a bit of oil to a clean fry pan, heat it over high heat, and toss in your ginger, shallot, garlic, and chopped green onion. Cook and stir while it gets all cooked and delicious looking. Add in your mushrooms, and stir. Then your sweet peppers and broccoli/cauliflower, and stir. The trick is to cook it just UNDER what you want. That way it stays all nice and crisp instead of going soggy and disgusting.

Add the chicken and keep stirring. Stir, stir, stir.

Add in the sauce and keep stirring while it bubbles and thickens up, coating the chicken and veggies. When it's as thick as you want it and coating everything, remove the pan from the heat.

Serve with steamed rice. The sauce is really good spooned over the entire thing. You can garnish with peanuts, coriander, sesame seeds, etc.

Serves four.

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Pork Orange and Ginger Stir Fry

Hubs never used to eat stir fries. I'm not sure why but he had decided he wasn't crazy about them, and for years every time I made one he just kind of picked at it. Now that he's supposed to eat more veggies, it's sort of like stir fry hating karma. Jake and I love any sort of Asian food, so for us it's a perfect excuse to have it for dinner more often! Hubs has decided that he likes them now and then too, so everyone is happy.

Some stir fries come out a bit oily and limp, so you have to watch how you cook them. I steamed the broccoli a bit before adding it to the pan at the very last minute so that it's cooked perfectly. There is also a lot of sauce in this recipe, so you can adjust how much you add to your liking.

This recipe is adapted from my dog-eared and worn out copy of Crazy Plates by Janet and Greta Podleski. The stir fry is supposed to be made with pork, which I'm sure is delicious, but nobody in my family eats pork so I used chicken instead.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
3 cups broccoli florets
1 cup each sliced red and yellow bell peppers
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp each sesame oil and grated gingeroot
1 clove garlic, inced
1/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder

Whisk the broth, hoisin sauce, marmalade, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and 5 spice powder together in a bowl. Set aside.

Put the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl with about 1/4 cup of water and cook on high for about one minute, or until just tender crisp. Drain and set aside.

In a walk or large fry pan, heat up a small amount of oil and cook the meat over high heat until no longer pink. Add the peppers and continue to stir fry until they soften slightly. Throw in the broccoli and stir. Reduce the heat to medium high.

Pour in some of the sauce over the chicken and veggies, stirring. I don't like my stir fry too saucey and found that there was far more than I needed, so I didn't use it all. The sauce will bubble and thicken, coating all the meat and veggies. You can eyeball it.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

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Asian Peanut Chicken Wraps

When it's too hot to cook, this is a fantastic dinner recipe. Pick up a ready cooked chicken from the store, strip off the meat, and whip up these great wraps for a light dinner. We really enjoyed the Asian style sauce with the veggies and chicken packed into a wrap. These don't pack well in a lunch-instead they will go kind of soggy. 

Adapted from Canadian Living

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
olive oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp soy sauce (sodium reduced)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
lime zest
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove minced garlic
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup snow peas
4 pita breads or large flour tortillas
lettuce leaves

Brush chicken with oil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400 F until no longer pink inside and juices run clear. Set aside and let cool and then chop into cubes. Immerse the snow peas in boiling water briefly until they turn bright green-about 1 minute; removed and let cool. Cut in 1/2 cross wise.

Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together then peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, ginger root, sesame oil, and garlic until smooth.

In a large bowl toss the cooled chicken and snow peas, celery, green onions, and carrot. Pour peanut butter dressing over top and toss until evenly coated. Spoon into lettuce lined pitas or tortillas and roll.

Makes 4 servings.

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Chicken Peanut Noodles

When I first read this recipe, I was unsure whether I'd like it or not. It really was the picture in my Canadian Living Pasta By the Season issue that sold me on it. After much debate and finally throwing caution to the wind, I tried it.

Oh boy, is it yummy!

The sauce, which I had assumed might just be this runny soup-like stuff, came up nice and thick, rich, and coated everything beautifully. This recipe is really fast, uses things right out of the pantry, is filling, and will make great leftovers for school lunches!

10-12 oz spaghetti (the recipe calls for whole wheat, I used regular pasta)
2 carrots, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (I only used a couple shakes, you can always add more) hot sauce
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
2/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup fresh chopped coriander or parsley
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Cook the pasta according to directions. In the last few minutes of boiling time, add the carrots and cook until tender crisp. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a fry pan, saute the chicken with a bit of oil until golden and cooked through.

In a bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, 1/2 cup water, minced garlic, and hot sauce until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the hot pasta and carrots, bean sprouts, onion, coriander, peanuts, and chicken. Drizzle the hoisin/peanut butter mixture over top and toss again.

Serve immediately.

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Maple Glazed Salmon

Sweet with a bit of an Asian flair, this tasty glaze for salmon had Kevin and I not talking to each other last night...we were too busy eating! Be sure to line your pan with foil, the maple mixture does tend to run around and burn on the pan. I often continue to baste the salmon with it as it cooks so that the sauce doesn't just burn all over the pan.

Adapted from Canadian Living

1/4 cup maple syrup
4 tsp grainy mustard
4 tsp soy sauce
2 lb salmon fillet, skinned

Mix the maple syrup, mustard, and soy sauce together in a bowl. Place salmon on a baking sheet lined with foil, and pour maple mixture over top.

Bake at 425 F for about 12 minutes or until flaky.

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Ginger Lime Salmon Kebabs

I don't often make salmon on skewers, but decided to try this for a change of pace. The dressing isn't that strong so I think you can let it sit for the full 30 minutes, but not any longer than that or the acid will begin cooking the fish. This would be really good with some fried rice or an Asian style noodle dish. Don't be discouraged if you don't have a BBQ-neither do I. My broiler in the oven makes a nice substitute.

Adapted from Canadian Living

1 1/2 lbs skinless center-cut salmon fillets
1 piece (1 inch) ginger root, minced
1 hot red or green pepper, seeded and minced
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp vegetable oil
pinch sugar
4 green onions, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
4 lime wedges

Cut salmon into 1 1/2 inch cubes to make 24 pieces

In a large bowl, mix together ginger, hot pepper, coriander, soy sauce, lime juice, oil and sugar. Add salmon and toss to coat; let stand for at least 10, but no more then 30 minutes.

Beginning and ending with green onions, thread salmon, red pepper and green onions loosely onto 4 metal skewers, reserving marinade.

Place on greased grill over medium heat; brush with marinade. Close lid and grill, turning twice, for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested. Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 4 servings

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Thai Chicken and Noodles

I can't tell you how much I love this recipe. The glazed chicken, rice noodles, crunchy veggies, and peanuts make it better than any take out I've ever had. We've made this often in the summer as a light dinner, slurping bowls of it down with cold drinks. Make sure not to overcrowd your pan with the chicken, it needs to be hot for the marinade to thicken up and glaze the pieces of chicken.

Adapted from Every Day Food May 2008
Marinade:

4 scallion whites, thinly sliced (keep the greens for later)
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup soy sauce (low salt)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes (or a few dashes of hot sauce)

Combine all in a bowl. Use 1/2 of it to marinate 1 1/4 lbs of sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breast. Reserve the other half. (you can sub pork or beef for the chicken)

Noodles:
3 1/2 ounces rice vermicelli
2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with veggie peeler
1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup fresh torn basil
1/2 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced

optional toppings:
chopped peanuts
scallion greens
red pepper flakes

In a large fry pan, saute the marinated chicken in a small amount of oil until cooked through. Don't crowd the pan, the marinade will thicken and become a nice glaze. Transfer to a plate.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until tender (according to the package). Drain and rinse. Divide among the plates. Top with pieces of chicken, carrot, cucumber, basil, red pepper, and other optional ingredients. Drizzle with reserved marinade.

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