Sweet and Sour Chicken

I made this recipe while we had extended family in town for Nephi's baptism last month. It was part of the Aussie/NZ recipe swap and my teammate was Peter J from Tasmania, Australia. This is one of his creations. I really like how thick the sauce is. I used my fake pineapple in place of the real deal and you really couldn't tell.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
2 chicken breasts, diced
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
pepper and salt

Sauce: Part 1
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup pineapple pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup bell peppers, finely diced

Sauce: Part 2
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white OR cider vinegar ( I used rice vinegar)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch

In a small saucepan saute onion from Sauce: Part 1 in oil over medium-low heat until soft but not brown. Mix in pineapple and bell peppers and set aside. Rinse the saucepan, add Sauce: Part 2 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bring to a gentle boil stirring constantly until sauce thickens slightly, remove from heat and stir in Sauce: Part 1 ingredients. This can be done in advance and refrigerated to allow flavors to "marry."
Season chicken with salt/pepper to taste. Cook chicken in oil over medium-high heat until cooked through. Meanwhile, gently warm up the sauce. Mix the chicken in thoroughly. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Chinese Plum Sauce

We have a plum tree. Or maybe it's an Italian Prune tree. Either way - the fruit looks pretty plummish to me. I was able to scavenge a whole big bowlful before the wasps and birds got to them this year. I was pretty proud of myself. I found this recipe online at recipezaar.

Chinese Plum Sauce
8 cups plums, pitted, halved
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup water
1 tsp dried ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup rice OR cider vinegar
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cloves

In large heavy saucepan, bring plums, onions, water, ginger and garlic to boil over medium heat; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir occasionally until plums and onions are very tender. About 30 minutes. Press through food mill or sieve and return to clean pan. Stir in sugar, vinegar, coriander, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cloves. Bring to a boil, stirring; reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture reaches consistency of applesauce. About 45 minutes. Fill and seal jars. Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Makes about 4 cups.

Chicken Chow Mein

I am always on the prowl for a good chinese recipe. I really like chow mein and this one is full of yummy veggies! We also doubled the amount of shrimp because we are shrimp fans! This recipe also called for homemade fried noodles which I opted to leave out. They seemed like more work than what I had time for. We ended up eating this over brown rice and with egg rolls. Super easy to put together and everyone liked it! This is part of the September 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My teammate is mersaydees from Southern Maine.

Chicken Chow Mein
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 oz boneless lean pork, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tsp cornstarch, divided
2 1/2 TBSP apple juice, divided
2 TBSP soy sauce, divided
1/2 cup water
2 tsp instant chicken bouillon
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 tsp powdered ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lb shrimp, deveined and shelled
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 green onions, chopped - with tops
4 oz cabbage, shredded (I bought a small napa cabbage and used 1/2 of that)

In a large bowl combine 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 tsp apple juice and 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce. Add chicken and pork. Coat well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Combine remaining 2 tsp cornstarch, 2 TBSP apple juice, 1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce, water and bouillon in small bowl, set aside.
Heat oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Toss in powdered ginger and garlic. Stir fry 1 minute. Add chicken and pork. Stir fry until cooked through and no longer pink. Add shrimp. Stir fry until shrimp turns pink. Toss veggies into wok. Stir fry until crisp tender. Add sauce mixture. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens.
Serve chow mein over fried noodles (either homemade or store-bought) or white or brown rice.

Pepper Steak

We like Chinese food at our house. I am always on the lookout for something I think we all will enjoy. This went over well. I got this recipe from Taste of Home years ago.

Pepper Steak
1 lb boneless sirloin steak
2 TBSP cooking oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt, optional
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 large red OR yellow OR orange bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used green, orange and yellow)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup hot water
1 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tsp sugar

Cut steak into thin strips. Marinate with a bit of oil and cornstarch. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Combine beef bouillon and hot water. Set aside.

Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, cold water and sugar. Set aside.

In large skillet or wok brown steak in oil. Add garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is almost done. Add peppers and onions to skillet. Cook and stir until peppers are crisp-tender.

Add beef bouillon water to skillet.
Add cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and starts to thicken a bit. Serve over rice or oriental noodles.

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Mushrooms

This is another recipe I made for the December Aussie/NZ recipe swap 2008. The chef is NurseJaney from Maryland, USA. The ingredients are simple, the flavors are simple as well. I took the liberty of adding additional veggies as I was already making another stir-fry for the boys! They hate mushrooms - which was perfect for Russell and I! A stir-fry all to ourselves? Amazing!

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used thawed frozen shrimp - as I have never actually deveined them - I wouldn't know what to do....)
3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
cooked rice

Saute garlic in oil. Add any hardy veggies like carrots, green bell pepper and zucchini. (This is what I added.) Saute for a little bit then add mushrooms and green onion. Add chicken broth and let the veggies kind of steam. I added the shrimp just before serving since it was already cooked. We served this with wild rice. So tasty!

Cashew & Pork Stir Fry

Cashew and Pork Stir-Fry
I had some pork in the freezer that needed to be used. I was searching on recipezaar for something to fit the bill. I came across this wonderful gem and will be making it often. I did add some changes like the chicken breast, celery, carrots and mushrooms. This recipe comes from Galley Wench in Mexico currently - on a sailboat in the Sea of Cortez.

2 lb pork tenderloin (I used 3/4 lb pork chops and 3/4 lb chicken breast)
8 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 cup cashew nuts (unsalted is preferred)
4 TBSP vegetable oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (use sparingly)
5 green onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
8 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 15 oz can chicken broth (I used 1 pint chicken stock)
1 TBSP dry parsley
hot cooked rice

Slice pork and chicken into 3/4 inch slices. Place in a ziploc bag. Add soy sauce and cornstarch. Knead the bag so the meat gets well coated with the soy sauce and cornstarch. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat skillet or wok until hot. Add cashews and dry-fry until toasted - it won't take long at all. Transfer to a bowl and save.
Add 2 TBSP oil to wok. Add meat with marinade sauce. Stir fry until meat is cooked. Add remaining ingredients except chicken stock,parsley and rice. Stir fry until veggies are done to your satisfaction. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce thickens. Stir in toasted cashews and parsley. Serve over rice.

* Freshly cooked oriental noodles are called for in this recipe - but I didn't have any on hand.

Cashew Chicken

Nephi saw this recipe in one of my books and asked for it for dinner. It's okay if he didn't actually want to EAT it! Russell and I absolutely loved it as it is chalk full of mushrooms. We love mushrooms.
We had this with the Shredded Beef and Pepper Stir-fry so everyone could have a choice. I chose both because a) hungry, b) wanted both or c) both of the above.

Cashew Chicken
Marinade:
1 egg white
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP soy sauce

Vegetables:
1/2 cup cashews
8 oz white mushrooms
4 green onions
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 tsp powdered ginger OR 1 TBSP peeled, minced fresh gingerroot

Marinade:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Mix well. Add chicken. Mix to thoroughly coat chicken and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Sauce:
Mix all ingredients in smallish bowl and set aside.

Clean mushrooms, trim stems. Cut into quarters. Trim green onions and thinly slice.

In a heavy skillet or wok, heat 1 TBSP oil over med-high heat. Drain chicken; discard marinade. (If you are like me and forgot to - it will make the finished dish very runny. I somehow overlooked this little detail until I was typing this up.) Oops. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until it turns white. Add mushrooms and green onions to the chicken. Cook just until mushrooms reach desired doneness. Add sauce. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Add cashews.
Serve over rice.

Stir-Fried Shredded Beef with Peppers

I came across this recipe years ago. It is a family favorite. I don't make it often. When I do there are never any leftovers. I usually use 2-3 different colors of peppers but this time only used the green ones.

Stir-Fried Shredded Beef with Peppers
1 lb boneless beef sirloin or round steak
1 TBSP cornstarch
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 medium bell peppers
3 green onions
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp water
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 tsp ground ginger
Trim fat from beef steak. Cut beef into very thin strips. Toss beef, 1 TBSP cornstarch, 2 tsp oil, the salt and pepper in ziploc bag. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut bell peppers into thin strips. Cut green onions into 1 inch pieces. Mix 2 tsp cornstarch, water, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside. Heat skillet or wok until very hot. Add 3 TBSP vegetable oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add beef and ginger. Stir-fry 1 minute or until meat is browned. Add bell peppers; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir 15 seconds or until thickened. Stir in green onions. Serve over hot rice.
Serves: 4-5

Sweet and Sour Chicken

If you know me at all....
You know I love chinese food. This recipe I originally found in a Taste of Home magazine. I did change some things to suit our family's tastes.
I also want to say - my friend E. in Washington sent me her wok. It's my new best friend. I initiated it into my kitchen tonight when I made this recipe. It woked - Uh - I - mean worked beautifully! Thanks E.!

Cast of characters: clockwise: zucchini and green pepper, pineapple, carrots and onions, chicken.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 green pepper, cut into chunks
1 can (8 oz) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drain - saving juice for sauce

On stage for the sauce: L-R: ketchup, black pepper, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and pineapple juice (from pineapple can)
Sweet and Sour Sauce
3 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/8 black pepper
1 can (6 oz) pineapple juice (I just use the juice from the pineapple can. It's just shy the full 6 oz)
3 TBSP ketchup
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP soy sauce

Mix Sweet and Sour Sauce ingredients together and set aside.
In a wok or large skillet heat about 2 TBSP vegetable oil over high heat. When hot add chicken and carrots and onion.
Stir fry until chicken is cooked and no longer pink.
Add in zucchini and green pepper.

Stir fry until the vegetables are at a desired tenderness. I like them cooked but still crunchy.
Now add the sweet and sour sauce.
Stir constantly as it will thicken very quickly and you don't want to burn your dinner.
Finally, add the pineapple. Mix well.
Serve Sweet and Sour Chicken over rice. Don't forget the chopsticks!

Mmmmmmmmmm! (This was my bowl. )
Donovan enjoying dinner.
Christopher enjoying his dinner too.
Michael enjoying his dinner also. He actually had three helpings.
Nephi eating his dinner. I don't know if he enjoyed it or not. He's been in a bad mood all day today.

Kung Pao Chicken

I love a really good Chinese dish. I really don't like them hot and spicy. This dish is a little hot and spicy but I can control the heat.

Kung Pao Chicken
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 TBSP cornstarch
2 tsp light sesame oil OR vegetable oil
3 TBSP green onions, chopped with tops (I also have used regular onion)
2 carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 small zucchini sliced and quarted 1/2 inch thick
2 stalks celery sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (you can make it more spicy if you like)
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
4 TBSP rice wine vinegar
4 TBSP soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
1/2-1 cup dry roasted peanuts ( I like the crunch factor)
hot cooked rice

Combine chicken and cornstarch in ziploc bag. Smoosh around and put in fridge for a couple hours before cooking. Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in small bowl. Set aside. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok on medium heat. Add chicken. Stir-fry until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients except vinegar sauce, peanuts and rice. Stir-fry until vegetables are desired doneness/crispness. Add sauce. Stir until mixture thickens. Add peanuts. Heat thoroughly and serve over rice.

Serves: 6