Chicken Satay Stir Fry

Sauce:

4 rounded tablespoonfuls peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 orange, juiced

Stir fry:

1 lb stir fry vegetables
1 lb chicken, sliced into strips

In a large skillet, cook the chicken in 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add vegetables later and cook for 5 minutes.  In another pan, combine ingredients for the sauce and simmer until the peanut butter has melted and the sauce looks smooth.   Add the sauce to the vegetables and chicken and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender.  Serve over rice.

Source: Lindsey Harper 

Spring Rolls

INGREDIENTS

1 tbls of vegetable oil

1 cup finely shredded Napa cabbage

1 cup mung bean sprouts

½ cup finely shredded celery

1 scallion, finely shredded

½ cup canned shredded bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained

1 ½ tsp thin soy sauce

¼ tsp ground white pepper

1 packed spring roll wrappers

1 tbls all-purpose flour

1 quart vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat a wok over high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add vegetable oil, cabbage, bean sprouts, celery, scallion, bamboo shoots, and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cabbage and celery are just limp.  Add soy sauce and pepper, remove from heat, and allow to cool.

When mixture has cooled, place spring roll wrappers on work surface and loosely cover with a dampened cloth.  In a small bowl, combine flour and 4 tsp cold water.  Place 1 wrapper on the cutting board with a corner facing you. Spread about ¼ cup of the mixture near the bottom corner into a ¾-by-2-inch rectangle.  Fold the corner nearest you over the mixture.  Roll the wrapper up once, then fold in the sides.  Continue rolling the wrapper up tightly but, before you reach the end, lightly paint the far corner with the flour-water mixtures.  Continue rolling to seal the roll into a tight cylinder.  Set aside seam-side down, and cover with a dampened cloth.  Repeat with remaining wrappers.

In a 3 quart sauce pan, heat vegetable oil over high heat until oil temperature reaches 375 degrees.  Carefully add 3 to 4 spring rolls at a time, and fry until golden brown, turning rolls, about 2 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with several thicknesses of paper towels.  Repeat with remaining spring rolls.

Makes about 10 spring rolls.

Source: Kate Kmetzsch

Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 oz Chinese fungi (such as wood or cloud ears)

2 Tbls canola oil

1 inch piece of fresh ginger; peeled and grated

1 tbls red chili paste

½ c canned bamboo shoots

¼ c soy sauce

¼ c rice vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground white pepper

Pinch of sugar

2 quarts chicken stock (*recipe follows)

1 square firm tofu

3 tbls cornstarch mixed with ¼ c water

1 large egg lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Put wood ears in small bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let stand for 30 minutes then drain and rinse

2. Heat oil in wok, add ginger, chili paste, wood ears, bamboo shoots and cook for 1 minute

3. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar in small bowl.  Pour into wok and toss everything together

4. Pour into the Chinese chicken stock

5. Bring soup to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes

6. Add tofu and cook for 3 minutes

7. Dissolve cornstarch into the water and stir until smooth.  Mix into the soup and simmer until soup thickens

8. Remove soup from the heart and stir in one direction.  Slowly pour in beaten egg in a steady stream so it feathers into broth. 

*Chinese Chicken Stock

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts cold water

8 chicken bouillon cubes (or you could use a whole chicken)

1 bunch green onions halved

4 garlic cloves

3 inch piece of fresh ginger whacked open

1 onion halved

1 tsp whole white peppercorns

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients and place over medium heat

2. Simmer gently for 1 hour uncovered

3. Pass stock through a strainer to remove the solids and excess fat

4. Cool chicken stock to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.

Source: Kate Kmetzsch

Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground chicken (you can boil chicken breasts and cut them up really fine with kitchen shears, or I just use the canned chicken and smash it up really fine) 

1 small can water chestnuts- drained, finely chopped 

3 green onions- finely  chopped 

2 cups chicken broth 

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 

Soy sauce

1 Tbsp (approx) fresh/ground ginger 

2 tsp red pepper flakes 

1 packet rice (or Ramen) noodles, broken to little pieces 

One head lettuce

DIRECTIONS

Cook the chicken in a frying pan over medium high heat, while it’s cooking break it up as small as possible with a spatula.  When the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down to medium and add the water chestnuts, green onions, garlic and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.  Add soy sauce (to taste), ginger, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and Ramen noodles.  Cook for about five minutes, or until the liquid is all cooked down (or to taste).  Serve family style in large bowl w/lettuce leaves on the side.

Source: Katie Storrs

Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Curry

INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin or butternut squash:  1 small (1.5 lbs/ 750g), halved, seeded, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
Onions: 1/2 -1 chopped
Red peppers: 1 chopped
Garlic: 2 cloves coarsely chopped
Thai red curry paste: 1 Tbsp
Unsweetened coconut milk: 1 can (13.5 fl oz/ 420 ml) (i use light)
Asian fish sauce: 2 Tbsp
Fresh lime juice: from 1 lime
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: 1 lb (500g), cut into bite-sized cubes
Fresh basil: preferably Thai, 2 Tbsp slivered
Steamed rice: for serving

**I always just add TONS of veggies.  The more, the better!!**

DIRECTIONS
1: Cook the pumpkin: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pumpkin and boil just until barely tender, about 7 minutes.  Drain well and set aside.

2: Prepare the curry base: In a blender, combine the onion, garlic, and curry paset with 2 Tbsp water and process until smooth.  In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and stir.

3: Cook the curry: In a wok or large frying pan over medium heat, warm some olive oil.  Add the chicken and sear until light brown on all sides, 5-7 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl.  Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil.  Add the curry base and cook, stirring for abut 10 seconds until fragrant.  Stir in the coconut milk mixture and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken and pumpkin, reduc the heat to low and simmer until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork and the chicken is opaque throughout, about 5 minutes longer.  Transfer to a serve in a bowl, garnish with the  basil and serve with the rice.

Source: Katie Storrs 

Thai Red Curry with Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 (15 oz) can coconut milk

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 white onion, sliced

1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 lb chicken breast, pork, or beef, slicked thin

1/2 c bamboo shoots

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 - 1 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste*

DIRECTIONS

In a pot on high heat, combine coconut milk, meat, salt, pepper, sugar for about 8 minutes. Add the vegetables and curry paste, mix well, and cover. Reduce heat to med-low and cook for 10 minutes. Add the lime juice and mix well. Serve over rice.

*The Red Curry Paste is a little spicy so start out with a little and add more to your liking.

Source: Jackie S.