Orange Chicken

Talk about a quick dish! KK usually sets out the ingredients for me before I get started cooking (usually it’s the night before :)).  Of course, I'm always appreciative of his planning, but this is one of the moments when it really makes a difference! There isn’t much time between each step, so it helps to have everything ready otherwise you'll be frantically running around the kitchen, trying to find the ingredients.  We served this dish with some Minute Rice, which I just after I put the chicken in the skillet.  The goal of the first step is only to brown and crisp the outside of the chicken; it will not be cooked through.  Don’t worry though, there’s more cook time in step #3! Both KK and I found ourselves adding excessive amounts of Sriracha sauce to this dish because it was a little bland, so I’ve updated the ingredient list below to add a little extra kick to the dish before serving it.

Orange Chicken

Adapted from Recipe Girl

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

2 tsp sesame oil

1 lb boneless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

15-oz. can mandarin oranges in light syrup

½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp Sriracha sauce

Directions

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper; place chicken in skillet and cook until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

2. Drain oranges, reserving ¼ cup of the light syrup.  Add oranges and reserved syrup to the skillet; let simmer for 2 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, corn starch, and Sriracha sauce.  Add mixture to skillet and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Spicy Tofu Stir Fry

Unofficially, our Italy/Portugal trip was an early first anniversary celebration, but our actual anniversary was this Sunday so we spent the weekend with some of our nearest and dearest friends! We had dinner at A&E’s house on Friday night, complete with some competitive Wii Sports and giant Jenga.  Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures – I have to get better at that! We caught up with my high school friend Dan and his fiancée on Saturday; they were visiting from DC, so we caught up over pumpkin beers at 7B in the East Village.  After Dan headed off to the Pearl Jam concert in Brooklyn, KK and I had an anniversary date night at Paprika and Puddin’.  Everything was delicious, and we used our newly acquired Italian wine knowledge to order the perfect bottle of Chianti.  I also continued the day’s pumpkin trend with pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sage for dinner and pumpkin pudding for dessert! For our actual anniversary on Sunday, KK and I joined a group of friends for tailgating and football at the Jets-Patriots game.  We got a little sentimental as we headed to the stadium because we passed our wedding venue, the Sheraton Meadowlands! We capped the day off with the traditional first anniversary dessert of frozen wedding cake.  Lasting a year in the freezer, including a few post-Sandy days without power, our dulce de leche cake from Palermo’s was much better than anticipated.  It was actually so good, that we saved some for tonight, too.  I think the tasty year-old cake is a positive sign for the many, many years of marriage we have ahead of us! Cheers!

Here's yet another take on stir fry/fried rice.  Apparently I gravitate towards these simple Asian dishes because there are tons of different varieties in my gmail.  I like them because they're simple, quick, and pack in a lot of vegetables - pretty much any vegetable that I have in stock at that particular time.  This time around, we went vegetarian - partially because we didn't have any chicken thawed and partially because I love tofu.  I didn't realize that marination time was required, so I was a little hungry and impatient by the time the tofu was ready to be cooked.  I didn't allow it to fully crisp so, as I knew it would, the tofu started to crumble when I tossed it with the vegetables and rice.  Not the end of the world - the dish still tasted great with sliced carrots, water chestnuts, and peanuts (note - I excluded the broccoli that was called for in the original recipe).

Spicy Tofu Stir Fry
Adapted from Fake Ginger
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked rice
5 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 tsp cornstarch, divided
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup vegetable broth
Splash of rice vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili paste
2 cup carrots, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced
¾ cup dry-roasted peanuts

Instructions
1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, combine 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch in a large bowl.  Add cubed tofu and toss coat.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. After tofu is marinated, heat vegetable oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tofu and brown on all sides.

4. While tofu cooks, combine remaining 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, vegetable broth, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and chili paste in a small bowl.  Add sauce to wok and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute until thickened. Add carrots; cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until carrots are tender.  Add water chestnuts and peanuts; stir to combine. Serve immediately over rice.

Teriyaki Fried Rice

While home last weekend, KK and I helped my dad clean out the pantry and fridge.  KK noticed a nearly empty bottle of Teriyaki sauce in the cabinets and, after my dad confirmed he had no plans to use it, KK confiscated it.  Little did I know that KK already had a recipe in mind for Sunday night, so the bottle never made it past our kitchen counter!

This dish catered to KK’s not-so-secret love of Chinese takeout, and my new-found love for my wok.  This recipe would be great for leftover cooked chicken, or even beef or pork.  Use any veggies you have on hand – water chestnuts, edamame, broccoli (can you believe I’m even suggesting this?!?), asparagus, baby corn, cabbage – I don’t think it’s possible to have too many vegetables! If you’re adding different veggies, make sure you give the most dense varietals a few additional minutes of cook time in your wok.  Start by adding ¼ cup Teriyaki sauce, and then add additional sauce if you think the mixture looks dry.  I measured ¼ cup, but then poured the remainder of the bottle in; I’m guessing it was about ⅓ cup in total.  Since I can’t remember us ever ordering Chinese takeout, KK was in heaven… he had seconds and thirds.  Needless to say, there were no leftovers!

Teriyaki Fried Rice

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked rice

1 tsp vegetable oil, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup sliced carrots

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 red pepper, chopped

½ medium onion, chopped

1 cup cubed chicken breast

2 whisked eggs

¼ to ½ cup Teriyaki sauce

Sriracha sauce

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat ½ teaspoon oil in the wok; cook chicken until no longer pink inside.  Remove chicken from wok, plate and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the same wok.  Cook garlic until golden brown, about 1 minute.

4.  Add carrots and cook 3-4 minutes until slightly tender.  Add corn, peas, red pepper, and onion to wok and cook another 3-4 minutes until veggies are tender and start to brown.  Add chicken and warm through.

5. Push vegetable mixture to the sides of the wok.  Add whisked eggs to the center and stir gently until they set.  Add Teriyaki sauce and cooked rice to the wok, and stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Serve and, if desired, top with Sriracha sauce.

Cashew Chicken

After the Bike Tour on Sunday, my dad, KK and I strolled through Hoboken's Arts & Music Festival.  Although the vendors are usually the same year after year, it was still nice to meander through the streets and enjoy the sunny weather.  Most importantly, I indulged in a mozzarepa - a fantastic street fair find which sandwiches mozzarella cheese between corn-based patties.  Delicious! We also walked along the Hoboken waterfront and soaked in the great views of NYC.  Instead of making the ~250 mile drive back to VA, my dad stayed with us on Sunday night. I enjoyed the extra time we got to spend together on Sunday night, plus the quick cup of coffee we shared together on Monday morning before he left!  Since we'd had Italian the night before, KK decided we needed an Asian dish for dinner.

I added extra cashews because the original recipe called for 1/2 c, but that just didn't look like enough.  I thought roasting the cashews was overkill, but I was wrong! I don't really know how to describe it, but toasting made the cashews more earthy and nuttier, if that's possible!  I was initially concerned the dish wouldn't be saucy enough, but the water and hoisin sauce, combined with the residual juices from the cooked chicken and vinegar, made just enough sauce.  To feed my dad, KK, and I - we used 1 cup Basmati rice with 2 cups water, and somehow managed to have leftovers.  To top things off (literally), I added a few dashes of Sriracha sauce.

Cashew Chicken
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Basmati rice, for serving
1 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 c water

Directions
1. Prepare rice according to package directions.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread cashews on a baking sheet, and cook about 10 minutes, until golden and fragrant.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with salt and pepper.

4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

5. Add remaining oil and chicken to skillet and cook for 1 minute.  Add garlic to chicken, and cook until chicken is browned, another 2-3 minutes.  Return first batch of chicken to pan.  Add vinegar and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.

6. Add hoisin sauce and water; heat until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.  Stir in rice and cashews.

Kung Pao Chicken Burgers

I was quite the Maxxinista on Saturday - using my new job as an excuse to pickup a few new blazers and work dresses.  And a fun pair of wedges for my friend Jess's September wedding! After a long afternoon of prowling through the racks at both TJ Maxx and Marshalls, my coworker informed me that Red Mango was serving free yogurt.  It was too cold outside for pictures (and my hands were full with shopping bags), but KK and I enjoyed frozen yogurt chock full of toppings before dinner!

My cast iron grill pan still needs some more seasoning, so I was relieved to see this recipe suggesting a non-stick skillet for cooking the burgers.  I recommend flattening the chicken patties before you start to ensure they cook through without the outsides burning.  As you can see from my picture, I knew my patties weren't cooking thoroughly, so I had to slice them in half.  Problem solved! IGE recommends low-sodium soy sauce... listen to her! Our Costco-sized jug of soy sauce is not low-sodium, and the grocery store strangely didn't have any in stock, so we were forced to use regular soy sauce.  The burgers themselves were fantastic, but the sauce was - as predicted - quite salty.

Burgers for dinner would not be complete without beer (and tater tots!).  KK and I sampled beers from his quarterly Beer Club delivery.  The latest delivery included beers from Sprecher Brewery and Woodstock Inn Brewery.  I enjoyed both of the beers I tasted: the Sprecher Abbey Triple and the Woodstock Red Rack Ale.  KK only had a 50% success rate with his selections.  The Sprecher Piper's Scotch Ale was his least favorite, but he enjoyed the Woodstock Pemi Pale Ale.

Kung Pao Chicken Burgers

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup white cooking wine
4 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Other Ingredients
1lb ground chicken
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 egg white
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 buns

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water.

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, onions, bread crumbs, peanuts, egg white, garlic, and 2 tablespoons sauce.  Mix with hands until just combined and form into 4 patties. Cook in a nonstick-sprayed skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes each side, or until done.

3. Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch and water into the remaining sauce. Transfer to a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

4. Place cooked burgers on toasted buns, and top with sauce and desired burger toppings.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I last cooked this dish a few years ago in KK's NYC apartment.  His studio kitchen was so small (although not really that bad when compared against the NYC standard), and I had such a difficult time flipping the chicken on the less-than-9x13-sized pan.  Things were much easier this time around with a proper baking dish!

I also remembered the chicken being a bit dry, so I decided to double the sauce this time (ingredients below are already doubled).  During the last 12-minute cooking period, I sauteed some water chestnuts, sliced carrots, and green peppers to add a little color and nutritional value to the meal.  During dinner, my Dad suggested adding something to give the meal some added crunch, so I'll try adding cashews next time.  I served the chicken and vegetables with brown rice, and the sauce-to-chicken-to-rice ratio was perfection.  Topping it off with Sriracha sauce, I kept dinner sweet by pairing the meal with a bottle of 2008 Mandelberg Gewurztraminer.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Chicken Ingredients
1 to 1½ lb. chicken breasts, cut into chunks
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola oil

Sauce Ingredients
1½ cup sugar
8 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup vinegar (rice or white)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, and place the chicken in a single layer in the dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 50 minutes, turning the chicken four times - every 12-13 minutes.

Lighter General Tso's Chicken

To recover from the hectic week and prepare ourselves for losing an hour of sleep, KK and I had a low-key weekend.  That being said, I still went to a friend's birthday brunch at 10th & Willow, and for a run along Hoboken's waterfront.  We dusted off some recipe favorites as well - Tofu Pad Thai on Friday, Pizza Spaghetti paried with a Wine Garage Pinot Noir on Saturday, and this lighter version of General Tso's chicken on Sunday.  My good friend Stephanie was promoting the blog to her friends (thanks!!), and raving about this dish.  Since it wasn't on the blog, KK quickly added the old favorite to the dinner rotation.  Luckily, it was just as good as I remembered.  Bon appetit! 

Lighter General Tso's Chicken
Adapted from Proceed with Caution
Serves 4
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1/4 cup cornstarch, divided
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 large egg whites
salt & pepper
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package instructions.

2. In medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons oil over medium-high.  Shake off excess egg-white mixture, add chicken to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add sugar snap peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine.

5. Add sugar snap pea mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until sugar snap peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Edamame Fried Rice

How have I owned a wok for 6+ months and not used it?! This thing is quickly going to become my favorite piece of cookware.  Actually, I also used my mandolin for the first time this evening, and it's proving to be another great tool.  I didn't have shredded carrots on hand, but I figured chopped baby carrots would be a decent substitute   Just as I started chopping, I remembered my Dad mentioning how he used his mandolin to make french onion soup, so I decided to give it a try.  After nearly slicing off my thumb (only once, don't worry), I will most certainly start using the mandolin more often.  If you have any recipes requiring extensive use of either a wok, a mandolin, or both - send them my way! 

With leftover rice, this meal would've taken less than 20 minutes to pull together.  Think about cooking this dish on the same week you prepare another rice dish to cut your prep time in half.  I added chicken to make this more of an entree, and have also upped the onion, carrot, and edamame quantities.  For extra kick, I added a few healthy dashes of Sriracha.

Edamame Fried Rice

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Serves 4-6

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 lb protein, optional (chicken, tofu, etc.)

2 egg whites, scrambled

1 whole egg, scrambled 

cooking spray
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped

1 cup shredded or sliced carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup ready-to-eat shelled edamame

3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook rice, and prepare your protein.  Once finished, set aside and cover it with tinfoil to  retain heat. 

2. When the rice is 10 minutes from being done, whisk the eggs in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper.

3. In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

4. Heat the wok again on high heat. Add oil and cook onions, carrots and garlic for about 1 minute; stir frequently to avoid burning.  Add brown rice and stir for a few minutes to heat through.  Add cooked egg, protein, soy sauce and edamame, mixing well for about 3-4 minutes.

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Traditional Sesame Chicken calls for broccoli, but that is one of the vegetables that I really do not like. I don't know how long I'll manage to keep this blog up and running, but I can guarantee that you'll never see me cooking with broccoli! If you're able to tolerate it, Martha's original recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs of broccoli, steamed.  Instead, I used a mix of veggies that I had in stock - snow peas, green beans, red pepper, and carrots.  I topped the final product with some Sriracha sauce to give it some extra kick.  Enjoy!

Lighter Sesame Chicken
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
3/4 cup brown rice
1 1/2 lbs veggies (carrots, broccoli, snow peas, edamame, etc.)
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp sesame seeds
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package instructions.

2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally until they've reached the desired tenderness, about 10 minutes.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch in a large bowl.  Add the chicken; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

4.  Transfer cooked vegetables to a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm.  In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. If the skillet is large enough, cook all of the chicken until golden and opaque throughout, 6-8 minutes.  For smaller skillets, cook the chicken in two batches.

5. Make the sauce while the chicken cooks.  Combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic in a small bowl.

6. Return chicken to skillet, add the vegetables and sauce, and toss to coat.  Mix in the rice, or serve it on the side.