Asian Lettuce Wraps

I made these for dinner last night and boy were they delicious. Then, I warmed up the leftover chicken for lunch today, put it on top of spinach, then added cherry tomatoes and rice noodles and I think it was one of the most amazing salads I've ever had. The juice from the teriyaki sauce made it so you didn't even need dressing. Yum. Make these. Your taste buds will thank you.

Asian Lettuce Wraps: (Just as good if not better than P.F. Changs)
¼ c. water
1 T. cornstarch
½ c. teriyaki sauce
1 – 1½ lb. chicken breast slices
1 can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
2 T. vegetable oil
Iceberg lettuce leaves
Shredded carrots to taste
Sliced green onions to taste
Rice noodles for garnish

View full recipeWhisk together water and cornstarch in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in teriyaki sauce. Add chicken and water chestnuts; stir to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes. cook and stir small batches of chicken in hot oil in a wok or a large skillet until no longer pink. Serve with rice noodles, shredded carrots and lettuce leaves.

Beef with Snow Peas (and other veggies if you so desire)

I've been trying a lot of the Pioneer Woman's recipes lately (and many over the years) and I have to say I have yet to try a recipe of her's I haven't liked. We tried this last night. For step by step photos, you can see her website at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/beef-with-snow-peas/. It was delicious and even better the next day. I don't know why I've never thought to put flank steak with stir fry before, but it was the perfect tender cut of meat for it. James, who normally isn't a meat fan, even downed it and begged for more. I also included carrots in ours.

1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 30 seconds (enough to cook but still stay crisp). Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.

Hot and Sour Chinese Eggplant

Lorena's Notes: I substitute sesame oil and some chili sauce for the chili oil (since that is not sold in Sweden). I also added two chicken breasts and doubled the sauce in order to make it stretch a little further (probably 6 servings this way). Also added crushed peanuts for extra flavor.
Served it with rice (of course) and spring rolls. Everyone seemed to like it! It fills you up without leaving you feeling heavy.

http://realgoodtaste.blogspot.com/2008/08/hot-and-sour-eggplant_11.html

 From the following website:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/hot-and-sour-chinese-eggplant/Detail.aspx

 "Eggplant is sauteed, then coated in a spicy sweet sauce. It is simple and delicious! I'm sure you'll enjoy this!"

 

Prep Time:
30 Min 

Cook Time:
10 Min

Ready In:
40 Min

4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 green chile pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon chili oil, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and drain on paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, chile pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Set the sauce aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in the sauce, and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 153 | Total Fat: 7.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg