Egg Foo Yong

 

So good I dreamed about it! This is one I made awhile back and forgot about. Not sure how I let that happen because I loved it. Hubby loved it. Even picky daughter loved it. All that plus the fact that I keep every single ingredient on hand all the time so it's the perfect pantry meal. Fortunately last night I had a dream. And in that dream I was whipping up these delicious Asian-inspired Egg Foo Yong omelets for Sunday morning breakfast. Of course once I woke up, nothing else was going to satisfy my hunger so I did indeed mix up a batch of these delicious eggy treats.On the negative side, apparently my camera skills have not improved much. The new pictures were ... not appetizing to put it nicely. (See below.)  Here's a shot from the first go round. This time I had them on hamburger buns with fresh tomato and a dollop of mayo. Heavenly!

 

Doesn't look all that appetizing but it is delicious! On a sandwich or 

splashed with soy sauce and eaten with a fork. Heaven on a plate!

Egg Foo Yong
Recipe courtesy of Diva: Flava.style

8 large eggs
4 tablespoons canola oil2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
4 large scallions (green onions), chopped, about 1 cup
1 medium sweet onion, chopped, about 1 cup
2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 large red jalapenos, chopped, about 1 cup -OR-
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced sodium
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
1 8 oz-can water chestnuts, chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick pan over medium high heat and sauté scallions, onions, mushrooms, peppers, bean sprouts, ginger and water chestnuts until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Do not allow garlic to burn, it will become bitter. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with soy sauce and black pepper, add vegetable mixture and stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to non-stick pan over medium heat, ladle 1/6 of egg mixture into pancake-like shape, cook until golden brown, approx. 2 minutes on each side. Continue making 5 more patties, one at a time, with remaining mixture.

Serve on bread or bun of your choice, with whatever you prefer.

Vegetable Fried Rice

 

 Lunch! This is one of my favorites. Grab what's in the refrigerator and throw it in with some rice. Today it was mushrooms, peas, carrots, green onion and a scrambled egg. Little bit of soy sauce and the secret ingredient ... oyster sauce. Yum!

Teresa's Fried Rice

2 cups rice -- cooked

1 handful frozen peas and carrots

1/2 cup canned sliced mushrooms

2 large eggs
2 green onions -- sliced
1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Scramble eggs in a small skillet. Remove and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. I generally use olive oil but any kind will do. Add already-cooked rice and stir-fry for a moment until heated through. Add oyster sauce and soy sauce and stir until evenly distributed. Move rice to the sides and add mushrooms and vegetables. Stir-fry until cooked through. Stir veggie mixture into the rice. Add eggs and toss.

The great thing about this recipe is you can use whatever you have. Just add in any veggies or meats chopped into bite-sized pieces: chicken, pork, even bacon.

Mushroom Chicken

I needed a quick chicken dish to go along with the Beef and Broccoli I made the other day. This Mushroom Chicken Dish from Rasa Maylasia fit the bill. Easy to throw together. Lots of flavor. Not too spicy so the kids will eat it. This was the one. Chicken, mushrooms and zucchini with a simple sauce. Delicious.

Mushroom Chicken
 Recipe from Rasa Malaysia
 

10 oz. boneless and skinless chicken breast (cut into cubes)
8 oz. zucchini (cut into pieces)
4 oz. mushroom (cut into halves)
1 teaspoon corn starch (to marinate the chicken)
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons oil
4 slices peeled ginger
Sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons water plus 1 teaspoon corn starch (to thicken the sauce)


Marinate the chicken with wine and corn starch. Set aside for 15 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat up a wok and add oil. Add ginger and saute until aromatic. Add chicken into the wok and stir until the chicken is half-cooked. Add mushrooms and zucchini into the wok and continue to stir-fry. Add the sauce into the wok and do a few quick stirs until the sauce nicely coat the chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini. Cook for 1 minute or until the chicken is cooked. Dish out and serve immediately.

Scallion Cream Cheese Bites

I personally think that "Little Pockets of Onion Cream Cheese Goodness" would have been the perfect name for ... these little pockets of onion cream cheese goodness! When I saw the recipe for Scallion Cream Cheese Bites over at Life's Ambrosia, I liked it because it seemed so simple. It was. (So easy in fact that I've made it twice in the past week!) What I didn't count on was that something so easy to put together would taste so good! Even my picky girls liked them! (Drats! More people to share with!)

Scallion Cream Cheese Bites

Recipe courtesy of Life's Ambrosia

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup chopped green onions (scallions)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

kosher salt

12 – 15 wonton wrappers

water for sealing

oil for frying

In a bowl combine cream cheese, green onions and ginger. Season to taste with salt.

To assemble bites: Lay one wonton wrapper on a flat surface. Spoon one teaspoon of mixture into the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and run along the edges. Bring all sides together in the center, pinch just above the filling to enclose filling. Carefully twist to close.  Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once oil starts to shimmer, drip a small piece of a wonton wrapper in the oil, if it sizzles its ready. Working in batches so you don’t over crowd the pan, fry bites until golden brown, 2 – 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt if desired. Allow to cool for several minutes. Serve.

Beef and Broccoli

Quick. Easy. Delicious. Got my husband to eat broccoli. 'Nuff said!



Chinese Beef with Broccoli
Recipe from Sweetnick's

1 lb top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thick strips
1/2 lbs broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

BEEF MARINADE
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
Freshly ground black pepper to season the beef

STIR-FRY SAUCE
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the Stir-fry Sauce.
In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Set the pan over high heat and when hot, add the high-heat cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.
Pour in the Stir-fry Sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.

Yakitori Noodle Bowl

I didn't need to go into town today so no trip to the grocery store. While I was trying to figure out something to make for dinner using what I had on hand, I caught the end of Rachael Ray's show. The Yakitori Noodle Bowls looked interesting so I logged on and found the recipe. Perfect. I had everything I needed. Even better. The sauce took less time to make than the noodles did. I had dinner on the table in less than ten minutes. The best part? Not one noodle left. This one was delicious and I will definitely be making it again soon.

Yakitori Noodle Bowls
Recipe Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Salt
1 pound soba noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced
Freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches scallions, trimmed of roots and cut into 2-inch pieces on an angle
1/3 cup dry sherry (eyeball it)
1/3 cup tamari (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Place a large pot of water over high heat for the noodles. Once boiling, add some salt and the noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain thoroughly.

While the water is coming up to a boil, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of vegetable oil, about 2 tablespoons. Toss the chicken with the grated ginger and season with some pepper. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, spread it out in an even layer and let it brown up a couple of minutes.

Shake and stir the skillet to turn the chicken pieces then add the scallions, sherry, tamari, sugar and sesame oil, bring up to a bubble and simmer one minute.

Add the drained noodles to the skillet and toss to combine. To serve, transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with some of the toasted sesame seeds.

Peking Chicken Pizza

What do you eat for dinner on Election Day 2008, the biggest election in recent memory? Obviously something that's easy to eat in front of the television! Peking Chicken Pizza turned out to be the perfect choice. I came across this recipe last week when I discovered a great blog called Culinary in the Desert Country. Once I saw Joe's gorgeous pictures of this pizza, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I put it in my menu plan for next week but I just couldn't wait. And am I sure glad I didn't wait! This pizza was delicious. The mix of Plum Sauce and barbecue sauce is amazing; sweet, tangy, drool-worthy for sure! I used my pizza stone and the crust crisped up beautifully. (I followed the original recipe rather than Joe's version, mainly because I was in a hurry and used frozen pizza dough that I keep on hand rather than Joe's whole wheat crust. I plan to next time though!) This pizza was so good that dh, who isn't particularly a pizza fan (especially when we also had pizza over the weekend) raved about it. He was seriously disappointed when there was a break in the election coverage and he went back into the kitchen for another piece and it was all gone! What can I say? You snooze, you lose around here! LOL!

This recipe is quick and easy. with a complex flavor that seems like it must have been much more labor intensive. I think this is my new favorite pizza. And I think I'm keeping it on the menu plan for next week. Heck, I'm think if making a small one for breakfast this morning!

Peking Chicken Pizza
Recipe from Culinary in the Desert (Adapted from Rachael Ray)

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper
cornmeal, for dusting
12 or 16 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons plum sauce
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped orange bell pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone placed on the lowest rack.

Heat a grill pan over high - drizzle oil over chicken and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Grill chicken, turning once, until done - about 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove and let cool. Slice into very thin strips.

Sprinkle enough cornmeal to slightly cover a pizza peel. Stretch and roll out dough to a rough 12" circle on a lightly floured surface and transfer to the cornmeal-dusted peel. Sprinkle the edges of the dough with sesame seeds. Spread plum sauce and barbecue sauce over the pizza - arrange the sliced chicken on top and scatter with the cheese. Sprinkle the top with the scallions and peppers. Slide pizza onto the stone and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Good News!

What a beautiful day for a run! Temps will be pushing 80F here later today. The sun is shining. It's a perfect day to wipe out the memory of all those grey, dreary days we've been having. That and the all clear I got from the doctor yesterday! Woohoo! Everything is as good as new and the last thing the doctor said as we left was to keep on running! :-)

The next part was pretty good too. The doctor's office just happens to be down the street from a Macaroni Grill so dh and I went out for lunch to celebrate. I had the Mozzarella alla Caprese and it was amazing. Juicy tomatoes, creamy buffalo mozzerella, fresh basil and some delicious balsamic vinegar. Mmmm! Dh raved about his meatball sub and I'm scratching my head, trying to re-create the yummy bowl of Chicken Toscana soup I had.

My older daughter may be a picky eater but I do know one sure way to please her -- Fried Rice. She loves it because it tastes good. I love it because it's fast and easy and it's a good way to sneak a few veggies into her diet. Today we were running late after all the appointments, practices and track meets and so I grabbed a bit of brown rice out of the fridge (I always try to keep some pre-ccoked rice in the refrigerator for quick meals or snacks.), some leftover scrambled eggs and bacon from our weekend "breakfast feast", some frozen carrots and peas, sauteed it all in a little olive oil and then tossed in a bit of Oyster Sauce and a dash of soy sauce. Perfect! My intent was to whip up a bowl of rice that she could eat as quicly as possible so she could get to bed and then I'd fix a more leisurely dinner for dh and myself. It tasted so yummy I ended up mixing up a new batch for the grown-ups! We generally have veggie rice since I'm the one cooking, but the bacon gave it such a delicious smoky flavor that we will definitely be having this dish again soon!

Teresa's Quick Fried Rice
Serves 1

1 cup pre-cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 egg, scrambled
1 hand full of frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, broccoli -- anything you have on hand)
A few shakes of Oyster Sauce
A dash or two of soy sauce, to taste

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet . Add rice and stir. Add Oyster Sauce and soy sauce and stir. Add bacon and vegetables and continue stirring. When heated through add eggs and continue stirring until the eggs are warm. Serve with additional soy sauce as desired.

The Best Laid Plans ...

I had it all planned out. I was going to run a couple of miles with dh and then come home and throw together a quick meal of Cajun Shrimp Spaghetti with Cream Sauce, some fresh bread I picked up at the store and a bag of salad and that was going to be dinner. Sounded great ... up until I got home from my run. Then, not so much. So at the last minute I was rummaging through the pantry trying to come up with something that sounded good. I had some chicken breast and some already cooked brown rice so I started thinking something spicy and Asian. I marinated the chicken in a mix of soy sauce, red pepper flakes, lime juice, garlic and ginger. I chopped up some veggies I had on hand: carrots and onions. Then I threw in a can of mushrooms and whipped up a spicy sauce of garlic, pepper flakes, vinegar and lime juice thickened with a bit of corn starch. I quickly mixed up a batch of veggie fried rice to go with it and heated up a couple of egg rolls and we were good to go.


Teresa's Fiery Asian Chicken with Hot Garlic Sauce

1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 carrot, thinly sliced

Hot Garlic Sauce:
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cut pork into 1-inch square pieces. Combine soy sauce, pepper, oil, lime juice, garlic and ginger; pour over pork in large plastic zipper bag. Turn bag over several times to coat pork well. Marinate 30 minutes, turning bag over once. Saute pork in oil-coated wok intil cooked through. Set aside. Add onion, mushrooms and carrot to the hot wok. Stir-fry until softened. Remove from wok. Prepare Hot Garlic Sauce in wok. When thickened, return pork and vegetables to wok. Stir and serve with Hot Garlic Sauce.

Hot Garlic Sauce: Combine 1/2 cup water, 2 cloves garlic, pressed, 2 Tbsp. each sugar, distilled white vinegar and fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp. Kikkoman Soy Sauce and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add 1 tablespooon cornstarch mixed with water to wok and stir until thickened.