Asian Chicken Salad Pitas

This is the time of year when I have a really hard time staying focused. There are only about 35 days of school left, it's almost May, the weather is warming up, and I am ready for a vacation. On top of that has been some added challenges this year - a new co-worker who requires some extra management, and my co-teacher took maternity leave so I've been supervising two new teachers for the last few weeks. Add to that my general unenthusiasm about cooking in general, and it's been a rough haul. I was (as always) finally inspired by Clean Eating, and picked this week's recipes entirely from that magazine.

Ingredients:
1 Tlbs natural peanut butter
1 Tlbs low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp tamari soy sauce
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp black sesame oil
1 chicken breast, cubed and cooked
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup diced cucumber
1 small carrot, grated or matchsticked
1 Tlbs chopped cilantro
whole wheat pita pockets

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. In a medium sized bowl, toss the chicken, green onion, cucumber, carrot and cilantro. Drizzle the sauce over the top, then toss it together. Serve in warmed pita pockets.

I'm not a huge fan of cucumber (I've tried to like it, really!) but this was pretty good. I think it would be even better chilled, so I'm going to bring it for lunch tomorrow. It comes together fairly quickly, and would be a 5 minute meal if the prep work was done ahead of time. This made enough for about 4 small pita pockets.

The original recipe called for cashew butter (expensive) and I added the black sesame oil because the sauce seemed a little bland, but other than that the recipe is pretty close to the original.

Rating: 4.5/5
Why? Cucumbers. Nice crunch, but I just don't like the flavor. =(

Asian Noodle Veggie Bowl

A few months ago, I stumbled across the Minimalist Baker (thanks Pinterest!) and fell in love with her recipes, her photography, and the good food. I don't love everything - she's vegan and I am most definitely not - but I do like that her goal is to use as few ingredients as possible and I appreciate the effort she puts into creating really great, healthy, filling food. This recipe popped up a few months ago, and it joined the many other recipes of hers on my pinterest page, until I decided to try it this week. Holy Deliciousness, Batman. This is going in the permanent rotation!

Ingredients:
Thin rice noodles*
1 chicken breast
green onions
1 med-lg carrot
several basil leaves**
2 tsp sesame seeds
(Dressing Ingredients)
1 Tlbs black sesame oil
1 Tlbs honey
1 Tlbs peanut butter
2 tsp tamari soy sauce
1 tsp-ish of lime juice
1/4 tsp chili sauce
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger

*I bought these at Uwajimaya. I can't read the instructions. But it's cool. =) These would work too, and you can get them at most traditional grocery stores. Use about a handful.
**I have a deep and abiding love for basil, and I usually triple it, at a minimum. I used probably 10-12 large leaves for this recipe.

Directions:
Heat up the grill, and put the chicken on it when it's hot. While it is grilling, boil some water and put the rice noodles in a dish that is deep enough for them to be covered. When the water is boiling, pour the water over the top of the noodles and without stirring, let them sit for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the carrot into matchsticks and chop the basil. Then whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside. By this time the chicken should be done, so let it rest, then cube it. By this time the noodles should be cooked, so rinse them with cold water and let them drain. This recipe makes two servings, so split the noodles, carrots, basil, chicken and green onions between the two bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the ingredients and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

This is DELICIOUS and super fast. If I hadn't had to cook the chicken, it would have come together in ten minutes, a lovely end to a really busy day. In addition, it was really filling and tasted great. I didn't deviate much from the original recipe, but it would be delicious with edamame or fresh snow peas. In addition, I added sesame seeds to the recipe above because I thought it sounded good, but it wasn't part of the original recipe and I didn't put them in this time.

Rating? 5/5
Why? Fast, healthy, and delicious. Perfect.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

So....it's been a while. The end of the school year was rough, then I went on vacation, and I really haven't been cooking much at all, and when I do I've been making things I am comfortable with. Which brings me to these wraps. I have made these before, but it has been a couple of years at least, and I've been craving them for a while. I apologize for the crappy picture.

Ingredients:
Bibb lettuce
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced or cubed
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tlbs soy sauce (I used tamari)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 Tlbs rice vinegar
1 tsp Thai chili pepper sauce
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
4-5 green onions, chopped
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Brown the chicken in a pan until it is about half cooked. Then add the onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, and chili sauce and cook for another few minutes until it is almost done. Add the water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil and cook 1-2 minutes more. Take it off the burner, and wash and dry the Bibb lettuce leaves. Using a spoon, put a small amount of the chicken mixture in a leaf and wrap it up to eat.

These are SO good, but be aware that the Bibb lettuce MAKES this dish. I have tried to use other types of lettuce, such as romaine and red lettuce, but for some reason the Bibb lettuce goes with this perfectly. I can go through an entire head of lettuce eating this dish. I also put in more like a tablespoon of chili sauce, but it is really hot when you do that. The first couple of times I made this, I had a hard time finding Bibb lettuce, but it is now at my local Safeway as well as the fruit stand I go to during the summer. Also, FYI, this is really ridiculously messy to eat, which should be an indication of how awesome it tastes.

Rating: 5/5
Why? This is pretty easy to make, especially if you prep everything first, and comes together really fast. It is also relatively healthy and I love the texture of the lettuce as a wrap. It also refrigerates well if you have leftovers, and is a good way to get kids to eat lettuce.

Asian Pasta Vegetable Salad

Alternative title: In Which I Learn My Lesson About Tight-Fitting Lids.

I love crunchy food, or food with lots of texture. I also love Asian food, bell peppers, and pasta, so basically this is the perfect recipe. I used this recipe from allrecipes.com as a place to start, but did make several changes based on the comments attached to the recipe. This is an excellent recipe to make and leave in the fridge for a super easy lunch.

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup low-sodium tamari soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp black sesame oil
3 Tlbs sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Salad:
4 cups of whole wheat spirals
1-2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 small carrot, julienned
3/4 cup green peas
2 Tlbs sliced green onions
1/4 cup cilantro

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a bowl with a TIGHT-FITTING LID. This is important. Very important. Then mix all the salad dressing ingredients together in a jar or something else with a tight-fitting lid. Again, quite important. Shake the salad dressing thoroughly until it is all mixed together very well, then pour the dressing over the salad. Seal the bowl and shake it well to coat the salad thorougly and mix all the ingredients. You can eat it warm, but it is pretty awesome cold.

In case you haven't gathered, it is very important to have a container with a tight-fitting lid. I know this, since mine was not, and when I shook the bowl, I decorated my kitchen with a large collection of spots. The oil-base of the dressing will get everywhere if you aren't careful. Other changes...the original recipe recommended using pasta bows, but I couldn't find a whole-wheat pasta version of this so I used spirals instead. You do need a pasta that will hold the dressing. One reviewer recommended adding water chestnuts, and I meant to do that, but forgot, so I would like to try that next time. Also, I seasoned the chicken slightly with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper before I baked and shredded it.

Rating 4.5/5
Why? It is a little oily, I want to cut down on the dressing-pasta ratio next time. Also there are a LOT of sesame seeds in this. But it is super easy to make and quite delicious as a left-over.

Chinese Chicken Salad

I have been rather remiss and very lazy in the cooking arena lately, but I recently got my ducks in a row and figured out how to meal plan in a way that works for me, so hopefully the blogging will be less sporadic. One of the recipes I tried this week was this salad. I love loaded salads, but you have to be careful about the toppings. This salad has a lot of toppings, but they are all good for me, which is the best way to go! I based this off an allrecipes.com recipe but did change it a bit.

Dressing:

1.5 Tlbs hoisin sauce
1 Tlbs peanut butter

1 tsp loose brown sugar

1/2 tso hot chili paste

1/2 tsp ginger

1.5 Tlbs rice wine vinegar

1/2 Tlbs sesame oil

Salad:

1/4 cup shredded chicken

2 wonton wrappers

2 cups shredded romaine

1/8 cup grated carrot

1/8 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup chopped red bell peppers

2 Tlbs chopped cilantro

Heat the oven to 350 and spray a pan with olive oil. Lay the wonton wrappers on the sheet and use a pizza cutter or knife to cut them into narrow strips. Bake for 3-4 minutes, checking often to prevent burning. Take them out and let them cool. While they are baking, whisk together the dressing ingredients. On a plate, layer the salad to your liking, add the dressing, and toss the baked wonton wrappers on top. Alternatively (and this is what I do when I bring a salad to school), put all the ingredients except the wonton wrappers into a plastic ziploc bag or bowl with a tight fitting lid and toss to coat everything evenly.

Rating: 5/5
Why? Like I said, I love loaded salads and this one has lots to love. The dressing has a kick to it and is one of the first dressings I have made myself that I really like.

Szechuan Chicken Stirfry

I love stirfry, and the more vegetables there are, the better I like it. I have discovered that I like spicy Asian food better than sweet, and this is pretty spicy. Even better, it's fast. From prep to plate, I spent half an hour making this dish.

1 chicken breast, cubed or sliced thinly
1 tsp black sesame oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 small red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 medium cloves of minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp low-sodium tamari soy sauce
2 tsp water
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2 tsp sesame seeds
chopped fresh cilantro

Cook the chicken in a non-stick pan just until cooked through. Set it aside. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic, broccoli, red pepper, and green onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the broccoli turns bright green. Add the chicken, red pepper and ginger and let it cook for another minute, then add the tamari soy sauce and the water and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add water 1 tsp at a time if necessary. Serve over brown rice and top with sesame seeds and cilantro.

This recipe originally called for mushrooms (which I hate), regular sesame oil (which I didn't have), black sesame seeds (which I couldn't find) and soba noodles (which I didn't feel like stopping to get tonight) instead of rice. It also called for szechuan pepper, but suggested substituting lemon pepper instead. I meant to do this but totally forgot, so I will definitely add that in next time. Without it, I think this is really good stirfry, but with it, I think it would have that little something awesome.

This recipe was quick and easy, which I like. I try to do as much prep work as possible when I get home from the grocery store - chopping carrots and broccoli, washing all the fruit, etc - as I have found I am MUCH more likely to use it when it is already prepared and very unlikely to use it at all if I don't do it immediately after getting home from the store. Having all the broccoli and green onions chopped cut down on the prep time, but it still went quickly.

Rating: 4/5
Why? I really wish I would have remembered to put in the lemon pepper. This was decent stirfry, but I think it was missing something that would have really made this awesome. I love that this recipe was quite spicy and it would be easier to make it more spicy by adding more dried red pepper.

Chicken Adobo

I teach in an area with a very large Filipino community, and apparently this is the national dish of the Philippines. It was quite delicious, although I would like to find a way to adjust the salt a little. This recipe is based off of one from allrecipes.com.

1 Tlbs black sesame oil

1 chicken breast, cubed

1/4 onion, chopped

1 clove minced garlic

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup low sodium tamari soy sauce

1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 Tlbs cornstarch

Put the black sesame oil into a skillet and heat over medium heat. Saute the chicken breast until mostly done, then add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer over low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve over brown rice.

I don't use a lot of salt, in fact, I generally cut the salt out entirely from almost everything that I eat (high blood pressure runs on both sides of my family), so maybe that is the reason that this was so salty to me. I am not sure how to adjust that, since I don't think you could realistically cut any of the ingredients with salt in them and still have adobo sauce. The only thing you might be able to do is to use water in place of the chicken broth and replace the sesame oil with olive oil, although I am not sure how that would effect the saltiness. The cornstarch is optional, since apparently adobo sauce is supposed to be thin, but I wanted it to be a little thicker.

Rating 3.5/5

Why? The flavor is good, but the salt is a lot for my taste. Simmering this for an hour means the chicken is super tender, which I loved.

Thai Chicken Pizza

This is easily one of my favorite recipes of all time. It takes some effort to make it, but the end result is fantastic, filling, and fabulous.

Pad Thai sauce

1/2 cup dried unsweetened dates, pitted and chopped

3 Tlbs hot water

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 Tlbs low-sodium tamari soy sauce

2 Tlbs fresh lemon juice

1 clove chopped garlic

Pizza

2 tsp cornmeal

1/2 recipe of whole wheat pizza dough

1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella

1 chicken breast, cooked and thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup mung bean sprouts

1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/8 cup green onions, sliced

2 Tlbs unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Make the Pad Thai sauce first. Let the dates sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients in the food processor (or blender) and chop until relatively smooth. Then start the pizza. In a cast iron frying pan (or pizza stone), spray olive oil, then sprinkle with the cornmeal. Tap the sides of the pan until there is a thin layer of cornmeal on top of the olive oil. Roll out the pizza dough, and put it in the bottom of the pan. Top with the pad thai sauce (I don't use all of it), then half of the mozzarella, then the chicken, then the bell pepper, then add the rest of the mozzarella. Put it in the oven at 475 for 15 minutes, or just until the tips of the peppers start to get brown. Pull the pizza out, and top with the green onions, bean sprouts, cilantro and peanuts. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so before serving.

I have a fairly small 12" cast iron pan, so that is what I use to make this. You could also use a pizza stone or a larger pan. I have tried making it on a cookie sheet type of pan, but only succeeded in ruining the pan, so I don't recommend trying it.

Rating: 4.5/5
Why? This recipe is delicious, but does take some time to make. But on the other hand, it is so filling, one piece of pizza will fill you up quite easily. It is packed with vegetables and fiber and is incredibly satisfying.

Red Chicken Curry

I never cared for Asian food when I was growing up. I tried Chinese food several times and never liked it, and then living in Dallas didn't really help the situation, as they aren't known for their stellar Asian cuisine. But now that I live in Seattle I have learned what truly good Asian food is, and this has opened up new possibilities. This is a foodie town and I have grown up. One of my favorite Asian foods is red curry and I have  finally found a recipe that tastes comparable to that at my favorite Thai restaurant. This is modified from a recipe off of http://www.allrecipes.com/.

1 Tlbs olive oil
1 Tlbs sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chicken breast, sliced very thinly (1/4" thick or less)
1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 sweet onion, sliced 1/4" thick
14 oz can of lite coconut milk
1 Tlbs cornstarch
2 Tlbs red curry paste
2 tsp lime juice
2 Tlbs sugar
a handful of mung bean sprouts

Heat the oil (both of them) in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Toss in the garlic and saute for a minute or so. Then throw in the chicken and saute that for 2 minutes or until it is about halfway done. Then throw in the onion and pepper and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid, mix the coconut milk, cornstarch, red curry paste, lime juice and sugar. Put the lid on and shake thoroughly. The red curry paste will still be a little lumpy, but that's ok. When the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down slightly, and add the curry mixture, smashing out any lumps as you do. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the bean sprouts and let it cook for another minute. Serve over cooked brown rice (or plain, if you prefer).

A few notes....If you don't have sesame oil, just use olive oil, but consider getting some sesame oil. It adds a really great taste. The curry should have a fairly thin consistency, so if it is too thick and you don't have any more coconut milk, add regular milk a tiny bit at a time until it is the consistency that you want. I prefer to slice the chicken really thin because that is how they serve it in my favorite restaurant, and it cooks faster, but do what works best for you. The original recipe also called for mushrooms and zucchini, but again, I was sticking to the recipe I like, so I didn't add them. Because you have to add things fairly quickly in this recipe, I would recommend prepping everything first before you start cooking.

Rating: 5/5
Why? the first time I tried this recipe, I followed the suggestion of one of the commenters and added peanut butter, which I did NOT like. This time I left the peanut butter out and really focused on making the smell match what I remembered. It turned out great, and is a pretty quick meal, which I like a lot. It took me about 15 minutes, including prep time, to put this together (not including cooking the rice). It is hot and spicy, another plus for me, and is fairly healthy if you use the lite coconut milk and go easy on the chicken.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have been wanting to try this for a while but finally got around to it today. It calls for fresh pineapple, but I used canned chunked pineapple instead. This is from Clean Eating

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (I used tamari because that is what I had)

2 Tlbs raw honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1" pieces

1 medium red bell pepper (I also used a red pimiento just because) cut into 1" chunks

1 medium green bell pepper (I also used a green Anaheim - I think), cut into 1" chunks

1 small white onion, chopped

1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 1" cubes (I used a can of chopped pineapple instead)

12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (I forgot this...oops, but I bet it would be good)

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (optional, but I used it)

Put the chicken, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in a ziploc bag (or sealable bowl) and let it marinate at least half an hour. I let mine marinate for about 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Spray some olive oil into a nonstick pan and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and marinade and saute for 5 minutes or so, then add the peppers and onions and cook for another 5 minutes or so until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Toss in the pineapple and cook for another couple of minutes.

Top with chopped cilantro and serve over cooked brown rice.

Rating - 4.5/5

Why? It's my own fault, I forgot to add the cilantro to the top, which would have added that little something that was missing. I am not a huge fan of pineapple, but I did really like this. I will make this again. I liked the marinade a lot.