Cashew Chicken

I tried this recipe last week and it was a huge success.  This is one of my favorites to order at chinese restaurants, so I am excited that I can make my own at home now.

Dallin even added it to this month's menu, so he enjoyed it as well.

No pictures, but here is the link: http://gimmesomeoven.com/cashew-chicken/

Cashew Chicken Recipe (腰果鸡丁)
Ingredients:
Stir-fry Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into about 1″ pieces
• 5 slices ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 tsp.)
• 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/2″ dice
• 2 scallions, diced (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Marinade:

• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. rice wine (or rice wine vinegar)

Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. rice wine (or rice wine vinegar)
• 1/8 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
• Salt to taste

Method:
Marinate the chicken meat with the baking soda for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse the chicken off thoroughly with water. (Please make sure that the chicken is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda.) Pat the chicken meat dry with paper towels. Then stir in the cornstarch and rice wine in with the chicken, and let marinate for another 15 minutes.

Mix the sauce together and set aside.

Heat up a wok or skillet with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the chicken meat until the color turns white or half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.

Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok and add in the ginger, bell peppers and onions. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the green peppers. Then add the chicken meat back in, along with the green onions, garlic, and cashews. Stir and let cook for another two minutes.
Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste if you’d like.

Gyoza aka potstickers

Another Asian dish. I combined this with the meal of Yakisoba last week. Here's how to make it. You can buy these wraps in the produce section right by the yakisoba noodles. Walmart does carry these, FYI.
Here is when you get to smoosh raw meat...a favorite ;)

Then fill the wrappers and fold.

The folding can be a lot of work, this recipe makes 60 gyoza. I don't go through that much work for one meal, so I freeze nearly all of them. My family eats between 8-12 with our meal, therefore I freeze them on a cookie sheet overnight, then the next morning throw them into a freezer bag and pull them out all month long as a light lunch or to add with a meal for dinner.

The finished product:

This is Tia Chapman's recipe from recipe swap. If Dallin makes it he makes his Japanese mission ones, but I like this one because there is no ginger.

One packet of gyoza skins

Mix Well:

1/2 head cabbage finely chopped (use food processer)

1 pound ground pork (you can use whatever meat you like best)

2 bunches green onions

2 shakes salt

10 shakes garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 TBSP soy sauce

Put a spoonful into each skin and fold together.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in frying pan, brown gyoza on both sides. Add 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook on medium heat about 5 minutes or until insides are completely cooked

Sauce:

1 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp sugar

Heat in pan to dissolve sugar.

lettuce wraps

While these are not exactly like PF Changs, this is what I make when I'm craving their lettuce wraps. They are so yummy and I wouldn't hesitate to serve them to guests or company. They look fancy, but they're really not that hard.

Any Veggies may be added or omitted, here is how we like it:
1 or 2 chicken breasts depending on desired quantity.
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrots (I use more like 1 cup)
green onions or onions as desired
1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 head iceberg or Boston lettuce

Stir Fry Sauce:
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 T sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp red pepper flakes or ground red pepper
1 tsp chili oil -or- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (I recomend using sweet chili sauce, it deepens the flavor)
1/2 tsp minced ginger

Method:

Finely chop all vegetables in food processor. Finely dice or chop chicken (also in food processor if desired-if chopping chicken in food processor make sure to chop veggies first to avoid cross contamination.) First add chicken to pan with 1T heated oil. Cook chicken. Add chopped add veggies. cook through until slightly crisp. Mix all stir fry sauce ingredients in a bowl or cup and whisk together and add to chicken and veggies. Allow to thicken. Serve in lettuce wraps. These are also good with sesame ginger dipping sauce and peanut dipping sauce. Although we usually just eat them plain. Here's the dipping sauce recipe, sorry, no picture.

I made them last night for dinner and had plenty left over for lunches today.
We don't like super spicy stuff, so I don't put the full amount of red pepper.
Sesame Ginger Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup cold water
3/4 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1.2 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 dash red pepper flakes
1 dash parsley

Mix well and heat until thickened.

Peanut Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 T vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili oil or chili sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 T brown sugar

Mix well and heat until thickened.

Yakisoba

This is a favorite dish at our house. I made it last night with some gyoza, I'll add that recipe too, but it turns out great every time. You can switch it up and make it with whatever vegetable you have/like. I like to make it vegetarian much to Dallin's dismay, but it's nice to have a couple vegetarian dishes. Last night I did add a little pork that was left from the gyoza though.

You can find these noodles in the asian section of the produce at a grocery store. For some reason Walmart doesn't carry them in Burley, but Smith's does.


This is a picture of the vegetables I used, but it was before I added the carrots. We had bean sprouts, mushrooms (shitake), cabbage, carrots and onion. Again just use whatever vegetables your family would like.
I use the instructions on the back of the noodle package, you stir fry your vegetables for 2-3 minutes, then add the noodles. Stir fry the noodles for a 1-2 minutes and add powdered sauce packet and 1/4 cup water and you have this:

Absolutely delicious. Similar to the 'mall noodles' we call them. The noodles you get at chinese restaurant's in the mall. We make it in our electric skillet, this was one package of noodles, but I usually make two. I have made up to four when we have had guests and the electric skillet handled it just fine. I think with just one or two packages you would be fine in a skillet on the stove or a wok would work great too.

Sesame Noodles

This is the recipe I brought to the Vegetarian Recipe Swap last night. All I could think of was noodle dishes and we just happen to be having this one that night. I got it from Confessions of a Pioneer Woman several months ago and it is now a staple in our home. I have added chicken or thinly sliced beef strips, but I like it plain the best.




Ingredients:
12 oz any thin noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
4 cloves garlic- minced
2 tbsp Rice vinegar
3 tbsp Sesame oil
1/2 tsp hot chili oil - (I've never used this I've used crushed up tiny pepper flakes, just a pinch)
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp hot water
4 green onions, sliced thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss.

Chicken Fried Rice

Before I got married I lived in an apartment with a couple roommates. One of my roommates would make this fried rice a lot and it always tasted so good. It's a simple recipe and very fast to make.

It all starts with this packet. I know it seems like I use these packets a lot but I really don't. :) Once again you just follow the directions on the back. You can use any kind of meat you want but we're partial to the chicken. You will also need oil, soy sauce, 3 green onions, 2 eggs, cooked rice and 1 cup frozen peas.