Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:

8 chicken breasts cubed

1/4 c cooking sherry 

1/2 c low sodium soy sauce (*divided)

1 cup oil

2-3 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it, a little goes a long way)

12 green onions, sliced diagonally

2 TBS garlic

2 cup cashews, unsalted

toasted sesame seeds 

sauce:

1 c soy sauce

1/4 c cornstarch

1/4 c sugar

3 TBS white vinegar

Directions:

Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce with the cooking sherry in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, put chicken pieces in soy/sherry mixture. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 c soy sauce, 1/4 c corn starch, 1/4 c sugar, and 3 TBS vinegar. Set aside. Slice the green onions, and measure out the red pepper flakes and minced garlic. 

Drain chicken in strainer to get the marinade off as much a possible. Heat oil in a wok over high heat.  Add red pepper flakes to oil,stir a couple times. Add chicken all at once, let sit for a minute or two till golden,then turn chicken. Add garlic to chicken. Cook chicken till golden on all sides and cooked through. drain oil if there is still an excessive amount. Add cashews. Move wok off hot stove and immediately pour in sauce while constantly turning chicken over to cover everything in sauce. Sauce should thicken quite a bit, if you want it thicker put it back on medium heat for about 5-10 seconds, and stir, stir, stir. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and add sliced green onions. Serve over Rice, or I grated up some cauliflower and ate it on that and it was yummy. ENJOY! (This makes enough for about 10-12 people)

Here's the recipe if you're looking for 2-4 people:

2 chicken breasts  cubed

1 tbsp cooking sherry* 

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

¼ cup oil

1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it, a little goes a long way)

3 green onions, sliced diagonally

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp of jarred minced garlic)

1/2 cup cashews, unsalted

toasted sesame seeds 

sauce:

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

4 tsp sugar

2 tsp white vinegar

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce with the cooking sherry* in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, put chicken pieces in soy/sherry mixture. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 4 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp vinegar. Set aside. Slice the green onions, and measure out the red pepper flakes and minced garlic. 

Drain chicken in strainer to get the marinade off as much a possible. Heat oil in a wok over high heat.  Add red pepper flakes to oil,stir a couple times. Add chicken all at once, let sit for a minute or two till golden,then turn chicken. Add garlic to chicken. Cook chicken till golden on all sides and cooked through. drain oil if there is still an excessive amount. Add cashews. Move wok off hot stove and immediately pour in sauce while constantly turning chicken over to cover everything in sauce. Sauce should thicken quite a bit, if you want it thicker put it back on medium heat for about 5-10 seconds, and stir, stir, stir. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and add sliced green onions. Serve over Rice. ENJOY!

Chinese Chicken Salad

This makes a TON of salad!

Salad Ingredients:
1 small cabbage, chopped
3-4 green onions
3-4 TBSP sliced almonds
4 Cups Chicken
2-3 oz Sesame Seeds
1 package Top Ramen Noodles

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil (Olive Oil works too)
2 TBSP Sugar
1/4 tsp Pepper
3 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar (regular vinegar works too)
1 tsp Salt

Directions:
Mix ingredients together except ramen noodles and dressing. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Add ramen noodles and enjoy!

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rice
1 (12 oz) package of peas and carrots
3 TBS Soy Sauce
6 eggs
2 TBS milk

Directions:

Cook rice according to package. In a large frying pan add about 2 TBS of oil, make sure it is warm before you add the rice. After adding rice add the peas and carrots. While it's cooking scramble eggs and milk together and cook in a separate pan. Add soy sauce to rice, peas, and carrots mixture then add cooked scrambled eggs.

Orange Chicken

I finally found it!!! A delicious orange chicken recipe!!! This recipe is best if eaten fresh. It does take some time to make. And will feed about 6 people.

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 1/2 Cups Water
2 TBSP Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
2 1/1 TBSP Soy Sauce
1 TBSP Grated Orange Zest
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Minced Fresh Ginger
1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
2 TBSP Chopped Green Onion
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

3 TBSP Cornstarch
2 TBSP Water

Chicken:
4-5 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut into large chunks)
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3 TBSP Olive Oil

Directions

Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10-15 minutes

Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat. Put a drying rack over a baking sheet, pour out contents onto drying rack.

Pour the oil into a large pot, making sure the oil does not come more than halfway up the sides. Heat the oil to 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Working in batches, fry the wings until golden brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the wings to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Pour the sauce into a skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low.

Transfer the fried chicken to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the wings and stir to coat evenly. Serve immediately with rice.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

These wraps are SO delicious! I tried several different recipes and I definitely think this one got it right. This is one of several delicious recipes from Williams-Sonoma's Eat Well Book. In the book it isn't served with rice, but I feel like the rice is a nice low cost way to extend the meal to ensure you are full! Also this is a great food as a left over it re-cooks really well!

This recipe serves about 4 people. Depending on what you already have in your cupboards you might be able to make this for under $20.

Ingredients:

1 TBSP Vegetable Oil

1 TBSP Toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions (About one bunch from the grocery store)

2 cloves, minced garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/4 lb ground turkey meat

3 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 TBSP rice vinegar

1/2 heads of lettuce (the recipe calls for butter lettuce heads, but I prefer the taste of iceberg lettuce, anything works)

Hoisin Sauce for serving (optional)

Cooked Rice for serving

Directions:

Heat oils in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add green onions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.

Add turkey to pan and cook, stirring to break into pieces, until turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and vinegar and cook 1 minute more. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

To serve, spoon about 1/8 cup cooked rice and 1/8 cup turkey mixture into the center of one lettuce leaf at a time, drizzle a little bit of hoisin sauce on top (to taste). You also can use the mixture and put it in a tortilla and wrap it up, just as delicious!

Won Tons

This is one of my favorite things my mom use to cook, and what makes it even better is that it makes a lot of food for under $20. If you buy the right package of won tons I believe this recipe is inside one of them, but I don't know which brand, sorry. This recipe makes about 50 won tons, and I recommend planning on each person eating about 8 won tons. So, this recipe is good for up to 6 people. I will make it all (even if it's only two of us eating) that way we have leftovers, and this is a meal that I think is just as good cold as they are freshly made (and they make a great snack)!

Ingredients Needed:

1 lb ground pork (or turkey, lamb, or any combination, you can do half and half of different meats if you want)

5 green onions

1 (8 0z) can sliced water chestnuts

1 tsp ground ginger

2 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 package Won Ton wrappers (these can usually be found in the produce section, in a cool place)

Oil for deep frying (I prefer either Vegetable or Canola Oil)

4 cups cooked Rice (side)

Sweet and Sour Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, or Soy Sauce (optional, for dipping)

Directions:

This is a recipe where you get to dig in and get your hands messy (feel free to let your kids help)!!!!

Chop onions (using all of the onion) all the way up through the green. I usually don't use the top inch or so, usually because it doesn't look so good! Drain the water from the water chestnuts and finely chop. In a medium sized bowl mix pork, onions, water chestnuts, ginger, and soy sauce. I usually will just dig in with my hands and get it all nice and mixed up (make sure you remove any rings you may be wearing)! 

Next you will fill the won ton. To do this you will put about one teaspoon of the meat mix onto the center of the won ton wrap. Next moisten (with either the water drained from the water chestnuts or just water) the edge of the wrap (I only do half, I think it sticks better, if you get the square wraps just moisten two tangent edges, if you get the circle wraps moisten half the circle). Next fold in half over the filling. Starting at one edge, pinch the edges closed with thumb and finger. You can leave them just like this, but I like to bring the two corners that are farthest apart, add a little water, and stick together. Continue this until you have filled all the won tons. I usually will put them on a cookie sheet that I have lined with wax paper. What's nice about doing that is that you can have layers of wax paper and won tons.

Heat oil to 350°F, this is usually a medium to medium high heat on the stove. Fill pan with enough oil to cover won tons (about 1 inch deep). Fry won tons (I usually do about 6 or 7 at a time) until golden brown, turn once so won tons are golden on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve with rice and dipping sauce. ENJOY!!!