Deconstructed Eggroll Stir-Fry

...or Poor Man's Stir-Fry...or Exploded Eggrolls....I couldn't make up my mind as to what to name this dish. Whatever the name, it is DELICIOUS! Not only is it delicious, it is super flexible. Not only is it super flexible, it is pretty dang healthy. That makes it a winner, winner, chicken, ...err I mean stir-fry(?) dinner in my book!

Poor Man's Stir Fry
Recipe Source: Kitchen of Siggy Spice

• 1 pound of Ground Beef (you could also use Ground Turkey, Chicken, or Pork)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 TBSP Toasted Sesame Oil
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 5 Green Onions, white and green parts sliced
• 14 ounces Coleslaw Mix (or finely shredded cabbage)
• 4 TBSP Low Sodium Soy Sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino (more to taste)
• 1 tsp Sriracha Sauce (more to taste)
• 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, paste or grated. (more to taste)
• 2 packets Truvia (or sweetener of your choice)
• 2 tsp White Vinegar
• 1 bag (14-16 ounces) Frozen Stir-Fry Veggies. I use the Trader Joe's Hodgepodge Harvest, but feel free to use what you like
• 2 cups cooked Brown Rice. Trader Joe's makes a handy dandy pre-cooked frozen brown rice that is wonderful here, you could also make cauliflower rice to go carb free.

Brown Ground Beef with Salt and Pepper to taste.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat up Sesame Oil in pan and saute Garlic, Green Onions, Coleslaw, and Stir Fry Veggies until desired tenderness.
Stir in the Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Ginger, Truvia, and White Vinegar
Add the Ground Beef and Brown Rice into the veggies and mix well. Taste it and make sure it is seasoned well for your tastes, adding more Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Ginger to taste.
Enjoy!

This recipe is linked up at:
Simply Sweet Home

Japanese Steakhouse Chicken and Veggies with White Sauce

While I was looking through some of my favorite blogs for some recipes that were low carb/low sugar, I came across this gem from Amber of This Mommy Cooks.  I put it on my menu plan immediately for the week and could not wait to try it.  Well, it certainly did not disappoint.  This is an A-MAZING recipe.  While it may seem like a simple stir-fry, this White Sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Now, this recipe will take a little advanced planning since you need to make the sauce the night before.  It isn't optional, it needs that long for the flavors to completely transform the taste of the sauce.  Just trust me on this.  You can use any veggies you would like in this dish.  I used a combo of mushrooms, zucchini, a few red pepper slivers,  broccoli, and cauliflower.  I seriously could not get enough dipping the chicken and veggies in the sauce.    Don't hesitate to try this one right away!

Japanese Steakhouse Chicken and Veggies with White Sauce
Recipe very slightly adapted from:  This Mommy Cooks

• Chicken, cut into bite size pieces (or any meat you choose)
• Salt
• Lemon Pepper
• Choice of veggies, cut into bite sized pieces
• Soy Sauce (I used 1-2 TBSP total) 
• Oil of choice

White Sauce

• 1-1/4 cup real mayonnaise (Hellman's or Duke's)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 TBSP melted butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Sriracha Sauce (you could also use cayenne pepper sauce) 

For the White Sauce:
The night before you want to serve this, make the White Sauce by using a fork or a whisk to combine all ingredients together until mixed and the sauce is smooth. Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to blend.
For the chicken and veggies:
In separate pans, heat a small amount of oil. Season chicken with salt and Lemon Pepper.
Cook chicken, careful not to over cook, add some real soy sauce to taste. For the vegetables, you pretty much do the same thing. Slice up your chosen vegetables, and place in heated oil, season with a little Lemon Pepper and Soy Sauce. Cook until still slightly crisp.

This recipe has been linked up at:
This Chick Cooks
Jennifer Cooks
The Country Cook
SImply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom

Bourbon Street Chicken

Yuuuppp! 
HA!  Anyone who watches "Storage Wars" just said that in Dave Hester's nails on a chalkboard voice. 
Anyway, back to the YUP.  I meant to go on and say "YUP, just like the Bourbon St. Chicken you get in the mall."  It is scrumptious.  It is simple.  The only change I will make next time I make it is to use chicken thighs instead of breasts.  The mall uses dark meat and I just feel like dark meat stays oh-so moist.

Bourbon Street Chicken
Recipe slightly adapted from:  Big Oven

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts OR boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces 
• 1 -2 TBSP Olive Oil 
• 1 Garlic Clove, crushed
• 1/4 tsp Ginger (I used dried ginger powder) 
• 1 tsp Sriracha Sauce 
• 1/4 cup Apple Juice
• 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 2 TBSP Ketchup
• 1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 TBSP Cornstarch (to thicken sauce if desired)

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
Remove chicken.
Add remaining ingredients, aside from cornstarch, 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.
If you want a thicker sauce, combine 1 TBSP of cornstarch to 1 TBSP water.  Add to sauce and stir to thicken.
Serve over hot rice.

This recipe has been linked up to:
This Chick Cooks
Country Cook
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home

Okinawan Takoraisu, aka Taco Rice

Today, you not only get an amazing recipe, but a little of the food-history behind it. 
In the 1960's, a Japanese chef took the love of American Tacos, popular with the US military stationed there, and gave it an Asian flair.  A hybrid if you will.  A wee splice.  A tweak.  Interestingly enough, it has now become one of the most well-known Okinawan dishes.  So, cliff-notes version:  taco flavors + Asian flair = major YUM enjoyed by all!
Everyone loved this dish, adults and kidlets.  There was something so subtle and special about the soy sauce in the taco meat...and then serving it over rice made it so cozy and scrumptious.  PLUS you get this amazing hot/cold thing that is amazing. 

お楽しみ !

Okinawan Takoraisu, aka Taco Rice
Recipe source:  La Fuji Mama

• 1 TBSP vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 pound ground beef - use a leaner mix.
• 3 TBSP Soy Sauce - I used low sodium
• 1 TBSP Chili Powder
• 1 tsp ground Cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
• 4 cups steamed rice
• 2 cups lettuce, shredded
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced
• 12 ounces Queso Blanco, crumbled OR 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 cup your favorite salsa
• 4 TBSP Sour Cream

Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until the onions are barely soft. Add the ground beef and break it into small chunks. Once the meat is cooked, add the soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Let this simmer until the liquid reduces.
Spread 1/2 to 1 cup of the steamed rice on each plate. Top with the seasoned beef.
Then top with the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and salsa, and finish it off with a dollop of sour cream.

This recipe has been linked up at:
This Chick Cooks
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom

Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken

I love pineapple.  I mean, I love, love, LOVE pineapple!  However, I am allergic to it.  You may remember the story of my adventures in Hawaii and how I found a type of pineapple I am not allergic to.  If not, you can read about it HERE.
Anyway, since finding a pineapple I can enjoy without my tongue swelling up, I have been enjoying it all over the place....breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, brushing my teeth....just making sure you are paying attention.  So, when I saw this recipe, it went into my "try immediately" pile.
We all loved this recipe....kiddos especially.  Loved it so much there weren't any left-overs to fight over.  Of course, what is not to love about chicken swimming in a sweet pineapple sauce?! 

Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
recipe slightly adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up!

• 4-5 chicken breasts cut into large strips
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 TBSP Lemon Pepper
• 4 TBSP Coconut Oil (you could use olive oil as well)

For the sauce:

• 1 can (28 ounce can) Pineapple chunks in 100 % juice.  I use the Dole Tropical Gold
• 1 1/4 cup Pineapple juice (use the pineapple juice from the can, and add water to hit the 1 1/4 cup point)
• 3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp low sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground Ginger
• 1 Chicken Bouillon cube
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 TBSP Cornstarch
• 1 medium Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional, not pictured)
• 1/2 medium Sweet Yellow Onion, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional, not pictured)
• Green Onion as a tasty garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick spray.
Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. While skillet and oil are heating, mix together flour, salt, and lemon pepper. Once oil is hot, dredge chicken in flour mixture and quick fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Place chicken into the prepared baking dish.
Meanwhile, begin the sauce by bringing pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, bouillon cube, sugar, and cornstarch to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once all the chicken is in the baking dish, pour 2/3 of the sauce over top and bake for 30 minutes, flipping chicken after 15 minutes of cooking time.
While chicken is baking, quick stir-fry red pepper and onion together in a small bit of oil in a small skillet over high heat.
Once chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, take out of oven, flip chicken again and distribute pineapple chunks, onion, and red pepper over top of the chicken and pour remaining sauce over that.  Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve over rice with a tasty garnish of green onion. 
ENJOY!

Food Facts:
This recipe was a tad subjective to get an accurate nutritional count on it.  Sorry :(  I don't want to give wrong information.    I estimated the calorie count to be 475 for 6 ounces of chicken, 1/4 cup sauce with some pineapple chunks, 1/2 cup brown rice, and various oil and breading.

This recipe has been linked up at:
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen
This Chick Cooks
Eat at Home

Chicken Lettuce Wrap Rice Bowl

I ADORE the lettuce wraps you get at P.F. Chang's and Pei Wei.  Seriously adore.  I love the textures and the warm filling on the cold lettuce.  There are about a billion "copy cat" recipes on-line, but so many of them take about a 37 ingredients and are just more time consuming than going to Pei Wei for some curbside.  But this little masterpiece-o-mine is simple, simple, simple.  Seriously, the most time consuming part is chopping up the ingredients into teeny tiny pieces.  I also served it with both lettuce AND rice, though it would be good with just one or the other, but again, I love the textural and hot/cold party in my mouth.   So, time for your mouth and belly to do the happy dance!

Chicken Lettuce Wrap Rice Bowls

Recipe inspired by Dinners For a Year and Beyond

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large red pepper, diced small
• 10 ounces mushrooms, white or baby Portobello, diced into pea sized pieces
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 boneless (2 pounds), skinless chicken breasts, diced small into pea sized pieces
• 1 can (8 ounce) water chestnuts, drained, diced small into  pea sized pieces
• 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce, this is mild-medium heat.  Add more if you dare!

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add red pepper, mushrooms, and green onions, saute for
until tender, about 4-5 minutes.   Add garlic and saute just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken to pan and cook until cooked through. This should only take 5-10 minutes.  Stir chicken and red pepper mixture occasionally while it cooks. Add water chestnuts. In a separate bowl, combine the Teriyaki sauce, Hoisin sauce, and Sriracha sauce. Pour sauce in skillet and stir to coat the chicken and vegetables. Continue cooking until heated through.
To serve, make a bed of lettuce on plate, top with steamed white rice and chicken wrap mixture. You can sprinkle with additional green onions.

This recipe has been linked up at:
Crazy Domestic
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen
Eat at Home

Sesame Chicken

Oh boy do I love Chinese food!  Unfortunately for us, we have not found a decent place to order from since we moved.  So, I have had to improvise.  Luckily for us, Trader Joe's has some great options:  Teriyaki Chicken, Mandarin Chicken, and even a Tempura Sweet and Sour Chicken.  Then of course, I have my Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe that SO reminds me of Pei Wei's or P.F. Chang's version.  When I saw Mommy's Kitchen has a recipe for Sesame Chicken, I knew I had to try it.  After some tweaking (remember, I am a tweaker), I have another AMAZING Chinese recipe to add to my arsenal!  Unlike my Sweet and Sour recipe that takes longer due to having to batter and quick-fry your chicken before you bake it, this uses the convenience of pre-made popcorn chicken.  LOVE IT!  I baked the popcorn chicken as opposed to frying it and it turned out nice and crispy without all the added oil.  Don't miss out on this one!  As sweet Kiddo C says, it is "scrum-dium-dium-cious!"

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of frozen popcorn chicken.  I used the Popcorn Chicken from Costco.
• 7 TBSP honey
• 4 TBSP sugar
• 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
• 4 TBSP ketchup
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha Sauce.  This adds just an undertone of spice.  If you like the spice, add more to taste. 
• 2 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 1-2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds, to taste
• Optional Garnishes:  sliced Green Onion, diced Red Bell Pepper

Bake Popcorn Chicken according to package directions.
In a deep skillet, wok, or sauce pan, combine the remaining ingredients and warm over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until sauce slightly thickens. Once chicken is finished baking, add chicken to sauce and toss to coat. Add toasted sesame seeds.  Serve over cooked rice.  If desired, garnish with sliced green onions and diced red bell pepper.

This recipe is linked up at:
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Frou Frou Decor
Eat at Home

Asian Chicken Salad

Holy frijoles, it is hot, hot, HOT here!  Two new words have been introduced to my vocabulary since moving to the East Coast....heat index.  Because I feel like a slug when it this hot, I look for easy, preferably NON-cooking foods for dinner as often as I can.  This recipe completely totally rocks that bill.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it uses about 1/2 of a chicken.  Guess what else uses 1/2 a chicken??  Hot Hoagies!  So, either bake a chicken or take a little help from the store and get a rotisserie chicken then you can do as I did and have Hot Hoagies one night and this gem the next.  I think this recipe would also be FABULOUS with some mandarin oranges thrown in.  Give it a try, let me know what you think, and stay cool my friends!

• 1 package (3 ounces) oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
• ½ cup pre-sliced almonds
• Red Wine Asian Vinaigrette, recipe below, use entire amount
• 1/2 package (whole bag is 14-16 ounces) coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw mix
• 1 package romaine lettuce (10 ounces)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• 2 scallions, both white and light green parts, chopped

Homemade Red Wine Asian Vinaigrette:

• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Ramen noodles Oriental flavor seasoning packet

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together or place in jar and shake.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Break up the ramen noodles with your hands and place them and the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the noodles and almonds turn light brown, 7 - 9 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn.

Meanwhile, Make the salad dressing below and set aside. Place the slaw mix, romaine lettuce, chicken, cilantro and scallions in a large serving bowl.

Toss to combine the ingredients well. Just before serving, pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Scatter the toasted almonds and noodles on top and serve.

Recipe Source:  The Dinner Doctor

This recipe has been linked up at:
Mommy's Kitchen Sunday Potluck
Eat at Home

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Happy Wednesday! 
My first experience with homemade Chinese food was when I was a teen.  I was sick and a certain older female, maternal person in my life...whom I love dearly....who reads this blog, tried to make was nice enough to make me my favorite, Lemon Chicken. 
Now, something about this woman, let's call her Das Frauline, she is German after all...she is a  former model....here, take a look.

Isn't she beautiful!  Hopefully when she reads this, she will be so happy and honored to see her gorgeous self on here, she will forgive me for sharing the rest of this story....

Anyway....Das Frauline is a German who married a man that was a steak and potato fed boy that grew up on a farm in Nebraska.  She had no business experimenting in ANY ethnic cuisine, especially Chinese food, when she had made nothing but steak and donuts (oops, BUSTED) for the last 16 years.  But she did.  As I sat on the couch, sick as a dog, she handed me a bowl with a gray-ish hued chicken leg.  The gray-ish hue was somewhat masked by a tang-orange colored sauce.  When I asked her what it was, she said "Vell," in her German accent "I did not have any lemonade, so I found some frozen orange, banana, pineapple juice concentrate in the freezer and boiled the chicken in that"  She was so proud.....I was so sick.... let your imagination roll through all of your senses with that for a moment....

Moving on, I had tried a couple recipes here and there for Chinese food, and all of them giving me a less harsh memory of that sickly day.  I gave up.  Obviously, the only way I would get some good Chinese food was to call out for it.  One day, I was perusing my blogs, and found that Melanie from My Kitchen Cafe had a recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken.  I had bookmarked it, but didn't do much else.  A week later, on Tasty Kitchen, I saw that the exact same recipe, submitted by Melanie, was racing to the top of the "Most Popular" list, with high ratings and praise.  I took that as a sign and made it.  I am SOOOOO glad I did!  This recipe, my whole family has decided, is better than anything you would ever get in a restaurant!  Another one of those recipes that you can't imagine it from the ingredients, but, again....those flavor fairies do their thing!  It is a bit involved, so do it when you have a bit of time to dedicate to it, but I promise you won't be disappointed.  The only thing I did differently was while the chicken was on it's last 15 minutes in the oven, I chunked up some green pepper, onion, and pineapple.  I sauteed that trio on medium-high heat until slightly softened then added to the chicken once it was out of the oven. 
Enough...you HAVE to make this!!!

Ingredients:

Chicken:

3 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 (either apple cider vinegar or regular white work great)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes for one hour.

Optional, Siggy Spice Style
1/2 green pepper, chunked
1/2 yellow or white onion, chunked
1/2 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained

Saute green pepper and onion in 1 TBSP vegetable oil over medium high heat until just softened.  You still want the veggies to have crunch to them.  Once they hit that stage, add in pineapple and continue cooking just until warm.  Add to chicken once it is out of the oven.  Serve over rice.

YUM-I-LICIOUS!!!!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Mommy's Kitchen