Sticky Asian Chicken

 

My goodness!  Time sure flies sometimes.  It seems like I look at the calendar and it's the middle of March and the next time I dare to take a peek, April is almost gone.  I think it has something to do with being a mom of seven children.  My life is consumed with getting everyone where they need to be, helping with homework and keeping my home and garden intact.  It's a lot of work, but as I watch these little people grow up to be amazing, mature almost adults I can't help but be grateful for the ride, bumpy though its been.

My oldest son, Colton, is currently obsessed with Asian food and I've pretty much used up my arsenal of Asian recipes to please him.  Since he'll soon be gone for 2 years and I'll only be able to talk to him on Christmas and Mother's Day, I've been indulging his every culinary need.  As a result, I've found some fantastic recipes.

This chicken has been one of my favorites so far.  It is pretty spicy, and next time I'll tone it down for my little ones, but for adults, it's perfect.  It made a great meal with rice, steamed veggies and Asian Slaw.

Sticky Asian Chicken
Serves 6

For the chicken:

2-½ pounds Chicken, cut into chunks
2 cups All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
Vegetable oil for frying

For the sauce:

3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Minced Ginger
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Sriracha (add More If You Want Them Really Spicy, or less for a milder dish)
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
2 Tablespoons Butter
Optional Garnishes: Sesame Seeds And Finely Cut Green Onions


Add the flour and salt into a large shallow dish and set aside.

Heat a large skillet with an inch or two of vegetable and heat up to 375 F.

While you are waiting for the oil to come to temperature, add the chicken to the flour and salt mixture and toss to coat the chicken lightly in the flour. You will probably have to do this in two batches (same with the frying.)
When the oil is at the appropriate temperature gently add the chicken to the oil.
While the chicken is frying (stir and flip them occasionally over about 12 minutes) begin preparing the sauce.

For the sauce, combine the vinegars, hoisin and the honey in a small bowl. Add the minced garlic and ginger. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce and sriracha and combine well. Whisk in the cornstarch.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and then whisk in the sauce mixture. Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute while the cornstarch thickens.
Remove the golden chicken from the frying oil at about the 12 minute mark and transfer them to a large bowl.
Add half of the sauce (if you have split them into two batches for frying purposes) and toss the chicken to coat it.
Repeat with the rest of the chicken and sauce.
Serve hot with sesame seeds and finely cut green onions to garnish.


Source:  Tasty Kitchen

Thai Chicken Salad

 I just love delicious a recipe that I can put together in a hurry.  Time just always seems to be at a premium.  There is never enough time to get to everything.  So much for the lazy days of summer!  I'm busier than ever since school got out.  I've got 3 girls on 3 different soft ball teams with games and practices 4 days a week, a daughter in tennis camp, a son with a new landscaping job and another son I can't seem to get out of bed or off the couch (there's always one!).  I also have to try to keep my 4 year old busy.  Then add in weekly trips to the local water park or pool, keeping the garden weeded, helping grandma move and play dates.  We're  lucky we eat lately.

Enter this recipe.  It comes together in no time and everyone in my family loved it.  Even Boey, my 4 year old.  There aren't any specialty ingredients unless you count the soba noodles (which I didn't use anyway), just pantry staples.  The dressing was my favorite part.  I couldn't get enough of it.  And the leftovers tasted great on a roll for lunch the next day.  I tried to pretend that I didn't have 4 of them the next afternoon.  I really have no idea who could have eaten all the leftovers.  But there's no way it was me.  (wink, wink)  This dish is just simply delicious!

Thai Chicken Salad
Serves 4-6 

1 package (8 Oz. Package) Thin Soba Noodles (I used spaghetti noodles)  
2 cups Chicken, Shredded  
1 cup Carrot, julienned  or shredded
1 cup Broccoli Slaw Mix  (available in the produce department usually by the bagged salads)
1 Green Onion (chopped)  
1/4 cups Salted Peanuts, Chopped Roughly  
1/2 cups Fresh Parsley or cilantro, Chopped
   
FOR THE DRESSING:  

2-½ Tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter  
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar  
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil  
1 Tablespoon Honey  
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce  
1/8 teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes  
1 clove Garlic, Minced  
1/2 Lime, Juiced  
 
Cook the noodles according to the directions. Once they are done, drain, rinse under cool water and set aside.

Cut or shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place into a bowl. Add in the carrots, broccoli slaw mix, and green onion.

Mix up the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients. Adjust to your taste; if you want it hotter, add more red pepper flakes, or more lime, etc.

Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Garnish with the chopped peanuts and parsley.

Put a pile of noodles on a plate then heap some salad on top!


Source:  Tasty Kitchen

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

With how hectic our lives have been the last few weeks, I've been relying on my crock pot for just about everything.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I love and appreciate my crock pot.  I would love to kiss the person who invented it!  There is nothing like being able to put dinner together in the morning (or at lunch) and have it ready to eat when I get home in the evening.

This was a really great recipe. It was something I'd never considered making in the crock pot before.  And it turned out great.  I'll be honest though, I had to steal the picture from the original blog because my family started digging in before I could even think of taking a picture.  It smelled great and  it tasted great. 

Teriyaki Chicken in the Crock Pot
Serves 8-10

6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds)
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C soy sauce
6 Tbsp cider vinegar
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
4 1/2 tsp cold water

Place chicken in a 6 qt. crock pot. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid or put it through a mesh strainer. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickened. Serve with chicken and rice.

Source: Photo and recipe Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Won Ton Chicken Salad

I'm afraid this picture doesn't do this salad justice.  This is my hubby's very favorite salad EVER!  I've made this salad nearly every week the entire summer.  When I ask him what he wants me to plan into the menu, he always mentions this salad.  Even my kiddos love it.  The chicken makes this very hearty and the dressing adds a nice tang.  I'm sure it will be your family's favorite salad too!

This recipe has several steps, and all of them can be done ahead of time, so this is a snap to put together when you're ready to serve dinner.  I always take this to potluck dinners and I always come home with an empty bowl and cramped hands from rewriting the recipe a dozen times.

**This salad doesn't store well, so assemble immediately before serving.**

Won Ton Chicken Salad
Serves 10-12


For the salad:

1/2 head of iceberg lettuce
1 head romaine lettuce
3 green onions, sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
About 15 won ton wrappers, fried in oil until golden brown and crispy
1 Tbs. sesame seeds for garnish

For the chicken:

3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
Dash of Accent (This is MSG--a flavor enhancer and can be found in the spice aisle at the grocery store)

Dressing:

4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. pepper
5 Tbs. vinegar
2 tsp. Accent
1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, mix all the salad ingredients except the fried won ton wrappers and sesame seeds and refrigerate.

In a skillet, heat the soy sauce, sugar and Accent until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the chicken and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 hour or until the chicken is very tender.  Shred the chicken while warm, transfer to a covered bowl and refrigerate until cold (about 30 minutes).

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside until ready to assemble the salad.

To assemble the salad:  Break up the won ton wrappers and add to the salad along with the shredded chicken.  Toss to evenly distribute.  Pour the dressing over the salad, toss, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Source:  My cousin Andrea B.

Asian Chicken Kebabs

Here's another great grilling option for Labor Day weekend.  These have a nice mild Asian flavor and even my kiddos loved these (But that could have just been the skewers, they love food on skewers).  I served these with grilled veggies, fresh melon and Won Ton Chicken Salad. (I'll be sharing that one tomorrow, its a family favorite!)  It was a yummy meal and perfect for a hot evening.

Asian Grilled Chicken

Serves about 5

Marinade:
2 t garlic
1/2 C rice vinegar
1/2 C soy sauce
2 t Hoisin sauce  (available in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
3/4 C brown sugar
2 t sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
1/2 t ginger
pinch red pepper flakes
1 T peanut butter 
1/3 C hot water
5 chicken breasts cut into long strips
12 shish kabob skewers


Place the peanut butter and 1/3 C water in the microwave and heat for 1 minutes. Stir it until it's smooth and combined well.

Place all ingredients but the chicken and skewers into a 9x13 pan. Stir them around to incorporate. Slide the chicken strips onto the skewers. Set them in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.


Grill the chicken skewers for about 7 minutes over medium heat. Turn and cook until chicken is cooked through. 


Source:  Jamie Cooks It Up

Teriyaki Chicken Salad with Rice Noodles

This salad is so different from anything I've made before.  I would call this a grown up salad since most of my kiddos didn't appreciate it as much as my hubby and I did.  Although a couple of the younger girls surprised me by loving it.  It has so many great textures and flavors, but my favorite part is the rice noodles, which I think was a stroke of genius on my part, thank you very much.  (Picture me patting myself on the back.)  On a hot, humid summer day I also appreciated the fact that it didn't heat up my kitchen.

Honestly, I made up this recipe to use up the produce I had in my fridge.  My garden is finally starting to produce and I was running out of room in the vegetable drawers.  So this is really just a mixture of what I had on hand.  Feel free to add red or yellow peppers for some nice color, spinach, napa cabbage or even purple cabbage would also be great additions.  The dressing is sort of Thai inspired with peanut butter and red pepper flakes and adds a really nice kick.

**For the record, it is much easier to eat this salad if you break the noodles into 2" pieces.**

Teriyaki Chicken Salad with Rice Noodles
Serves 6-8


4 cups of shredded salad greens (I used romaine, but use your favorites)
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 cucumber, peeled, halved and sliced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 green onions, sliced
~1/2 cup broccoli slaw
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg. rice noodles
1 lb. chicken, cut into chunks
1 cup teriyaki sauce

Dressing:
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbs. water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbs. rice vinegar

In a resealable bag, combine the chicken and teriyaki sauce and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.  Place the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400°  for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove from pan and allow to cool.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad.  Combine the greens, carrot, cucumber, red onion, green onions and broccoli slaw in a large bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 30-45 seconds.  Add more water if necessary to reach the desired consistency.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

When you are ready to put the salad together, begin by breaking the rice noodles into 2" pieces, pouring hot water over them and allowing them to sit for about 10 minutes or until tender.  Place the noodles, peanuts and chicken in the salad and toss. Serve with peanut dressing.

Source:  A Mommy's original recipe

Crunchy Oriental Beef Salad

Since summer is in full swing and temperatures are in the upper 90's in my neck of the woods, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite salad recipes.  This salad is probably my all time favorite...ever.  I was a little worried that my kiddos wouldn't be satisfied with salad for dinner, but I was pleasantly surprised!  The whole family loved this so much, we all made total pigs out of ourselves.

This salad is so delicious and different.  I've had plenty of salads with chicken in them, but never beef.  It was delightfully different.  In fact, my hubby asked me if I got this recipe off a cooking show on TV.  What a compliment!  Actually, this recipe won the Idaho Beef Cook Off in 1990, and once you taste it you will totally understand why!

This recipe calls for flank steak, but that was way to pricey for my budget.  So I substituted a nice lean beef roast that I found on sale and had the butcher slice it nice and thin.

Crunchy Oriental Beef Salad
Serves 6 as a main dish


1 1/2 lb. beef flank steak (Or beef roast sliced thin)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. EACH  vegetable oil, apple juice, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. EACH  instant beef bouillon and garlic powder
1 (3 oz.) pkg. beef flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup EACH thinly sliced celery and shredded red cabbage
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Ginger Dressing


1/4 cup EACH sugar, vegetable oil, and rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. EACH ground ginger and black pepper

Partially freeze the flank steak until it is firm.  Meanwhile, combine the water, sugar, oil, apple juice, soy sauce, vinegar bouillon and garlic powder.  Mix well.  Stir in beef flavored packet from the noodle soup mix.

Slice the steak diagonally across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Cut the slices crosswise into 1 1/2 inch strips.  Place the beef and marinade into a plastic bag, turning to coat.  Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate 1-2 hours or overnight.

Prepare the ginger by combining all the ingredients and mixing well.

Drain the beef and discard the marinade.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Stir fry the beef in batches until browned.  Remove the beef and drain on paper towels.  Refrigerate beef for 30 minutes or until cool.  (If you are using sliced beef roast instead of flank steak, cut the meat into bite sized pieces once cooled.)

Combine the lettuce, celery, cabbage, green onions, almonds and 1 Tbs. sesame seeds.  Add the crushed ramen noodles, beef and ginger dressing and toss.  Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.

**This salad doesn't store well, so add the ramen noodles, beef and dressing immediately before serving**


Source:  Janeen T.

Mongolian Beef



Too bad that's a terrible picture of a great meal.  This is another one of my family's favorite meals.  The sauce is rich and thick and the meat is tender and flavorful.  This is supposed to be a knock off of PF Chang's Mongolian Beef.  Once again, I've never had PF Chang's version, but I can tell you that this is worth making.

Originally, this recipe called for sliced flank steak.  Have you seen the price of flank steak?  No way could that fit in my budget!  And I'm all about good food on a tight budget!  So I perused the grocery store ads and found a nice beef roast on sale for $1.78 a pound.  I had the butcher slice it thin and I was ready to go.

This dish comes together really fast.  Cooking the meat takes the longest, but that can be done ahead of time to get dinner on the table even faster.  Just be sure not to crowd the meat in the skillet.  You want it to get nice and browned, so cook it in batches.

Mongolian Beef

Serves 6

4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 c. low sodium soy sauce
1 c. water
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
2 c. vegetable oil
2 lbs. thinly sliced beef roast
½ c. cornstarch
3 large green onions

Make the sauce by heating 4 tsp. vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to medium and boil the sauce 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens a little bit. Remove sauce from heat.

Dip the meat pieces into cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit about 10 min. so the cornstarch sticks. As the beef sits, heat up 1 c. oil in a wok (or skillet). Heat the oil over medium heat until its hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and saute for just 2 minutes, or until beef just begins to darken on the edges. Stir the meat around a little bit so that it cooks evenly.

After a few minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour most of the oil out of the skillet. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sauce, cook for 1 minute while stirring and add green onions. Cook for 1 more minute. Now at this point you can either remove the beef with a slotted spoon or tongs and discard the sauce (this is what P.F. Chang's does) OR thicken the sauce with a cornstarch-water mixture to desired thickness and serve it over rice with the beef.  (The sauce is so good, its a shame to pour it off!)

Source:  Adapted from Favorite Family Recipes