Asian Style Chicken and Snap Peas

 

As I grow as a cook, I am learning that if I want more authentic flavors, I need to use more authentic ingredients. When it comes to Asian dishes, that is even more true! I was on the hunt for a yummy Asian chicken dish that felt like it came from a restaurant. So, I started researching and learning about the different ingredients that make that work.

 

 

Chinese cooking wine, or Shaoxing wine, will add a rich Asian flavor different from just chicken broth. It enhances the food in a unique, and delicious way. I have also learned that Oyster Sauce is not something to fear. It actually has a savory tone that pulls into the chicken and, along with the wine, creates a uniquely Asian flavor.

 

 

These two ingredients will really ramp up your flavors. Sesame Oil is another very common product used, but I put a warning with this ingredient. It is very potent and can quickly overtake a dish. The smallest amount can add a wonderful sesame, almost nutty flavor to your dish. But too much can overpower the dish and the flavors become more bitter. Use it with caution. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away.

 

 

While I use snap peas, you can also enjoy snow peas, broccoli, carrots, whatever your heart desires. You can serve it alone, or with white or brown rice. It’s a fast and comforting weeknight meal when life is on the go.

 

 

Asian Style Chicken and Snap Peas

Prep: 15 minutes  Cook: 10 minutes

 

 

Chicken:

1 ½ - 2 lbs chicken, thinly sliced

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 clove garlic, minced

2 c snap peas (or snow peas)

1 green onion

1 Tbs Peanut Oil

 

Sauce:

½ c chicken broth

2 Tbs cornstarch

2 Tbs Chinese cooking wine

2 Tbs Lite soy sauce

2 tsp oyster sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp peanut oil

¼ tsp white pepper

½ tsp sugar

 

Prep the chicken and place it in a glass bowl. Sprinkle the baking soda over it. Mix it in and set it aside to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the garlic, snap peas, and the onion.

 

Begin heating a large skillet or wok at high heat. While that heats up, mix the ingredients for the sauce together. After 15 minutes, rinse the chicken with a sieve to remove excess baking soda. Pat the chicken dry and add the peanut oil to the hot pan. If the pan is ready, the oil should roll and start to slightly smoke.

 

Add the chicken to the pan and don’t touch it. Let a sear form on the meat for a few minutes. You’ll know there’s a good sear when the chicken will move without sticking. After a few minutes, and a check that the meat is ready, stir the chicken to allow other sides of the pieces to get a cook as well. Add the garlic and stir it for a minute. Then add the snap peas and onion and stir them all together. Finally, add the sauce to the pan. It should thicken and coat all the food. If it seems too thick, you can add a little water to the pan to thin it out. Only add a bit at a time so it doesn’t thin it too much.

 

Serve over rice and garnish with some more fresh green onion. Serves 6.

Carne Guisada

 

Sometimes you want a stew with a Mexican flavored twist. Sometimes it feels like you have to wait until the weather starts to cool down so it feels like it’s okay to eat a stew. The great thing about this recipe is that it feels totally acceptable to eat this year round! It’s just good, classic comfort food.

 

 

It hits all the marks. Soft and flavorful beef that’s rich and toothsome, the peppers add a unique zing and blend perfectly with the rich and creamy tomatoes. Finally, add some pepper and potato pieces to round out the meal, and you have an amazing blend of flavors and textures.

 

 

You can serve this with a basic spring mix salad, or some amazing Spanish rice for a complete meal. It also goes amazing with your favorite corn bread or corn muffins.

 

Carne Guisada

Prep: 20 minutes  Cook Time: 40 minutes

 

Sauce:

4 dried guajillo chili peppers

2 dried chili ancho or dried California chili peppers

2 garlic cloves

1 8oz can tomato sauce (I like la Mexicana)

2 c water, divided

 

Beef:

1-1  ½ lb beef (diced, ground, or sew meat)

1 ½ Tbs AP Flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp Mexican oregano, ground cumin, garlic salt, black pepper

1 bell pepper (any color), diced

½ yellow onion, diced

1 jalepeno, diced

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 c beef broth

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

 

Clean, de-stem and de-seed your chili peppers. Place them in a medium pot and cover them with water. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn it off and let them soak. Meanwhile, place the garlic and tomato sauce into the blender. Add the soaking peppers and 1 cup of the heated water and blend until smooth. Reserve a second cup of the heated water. Pour the sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds or skins. Use the reserved water if necessary to help with this. Once the sauce is ready, set aside.

 

In a small bowl, combine the flour with the other seasonings listed for the beef. Sprinkle the seasonings over the meat and mix them together well with your hands. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Set each batch aside in a bowl while you cook the next batch.

 

Once the meat is finished, add a bit more oil and saute the onions and peppers, just until the onions are translucent. Then add the meat back to the pan along with the tomatoes and mix everything together. Finally pour the sauce into the pan and the beef broth. Mix everything together, put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Finally, add the potatoes, mix them in and put the lid back on for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.

 

 

Serve with rice, beans, and tortillas.

Matcha Chia Pudding

 

I am totally guilty of buying products that I’ve never used before simply so I will be forced to play with that ingredient and see what I can come up with. Matcha is one of those ingredients.

 

 

I have always been super curious about matcha. Lots of people rave about it and it’s a popular ingredient in fancy coffee drinks and pastries. But how can I use it in a way that I will keep using it? Something I really enjoy and is totally worth any effort.

 

 

Enter chia pudding. Chia is another one of those ingredients I started playing with years ago and love! But I’m not always sure how to get it into my daily diet. Chatting with a friend, she mentioned using chia and almond milk to make an overnight pudding. It comes out creamy and thick and goes so well with fresh fruit. So I decided to try it with matcha. Amazing!! This might be my favorite version yet! If you like other chia pudding flavors but you’re looking for something more summery and chilled I highly recommend this one! It hits all the notes and is great for a snack or dessert.

 

 

Matcha Chia Pudding

 

 

1 c almond milk

2 tsp matcha powder

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 ½ tsp agave nectar

¼ c chia seeds

 

In a blender cup, add everything except the chia seeds. Blend it all together just until smooth. Add the chia seed and mix it together. Pour it into 2 individual cups and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Serve with blueberries, raspberries, almond slivers, Greek yogurt, or whatever toppings you might enjoy. 

 

Sausage Penne Pasta

 

There was a restaurant in town that has the most amazing and delicious sausage and pepper penne pasta dish! I’d go as often as I could, but it was getting to be an expensive habit and then they changed ownership and it was no longer on the menu. I wandered if it was something I could make myself.

 

 

We started experimenting at home and one thing led to another and we made it! Since then I have been perfecting the dish, but I just never got around to putting it on my blog, until now.

 

 

This is a very diverse recipe. You can use all sorts of different veggies; grape tomatoes, mushrooms, different colored bell peppers, or even sweet Italian peppers. There all sorts of options. Have fun with it!

 

 

The cream acts as a neutralizer for the acid in the marinara sauce. If you don’t want to use a lot, you don’t have to. You can use as much or as little as you’d like. However, I would recommend at least some because it does add to the creamy experience when you eat the dish.

 

 

Sausage Penne Pasta

 

 

2 Tbs EVOO

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

3-4 italian sausage links, mild or spicy or a mix

2 garlic cloves, minced

24 oz marinara sauce, homemade or jarred

½ to 1c heavy cream, depending on how much cream you like

1 ½ c dry pasta, I prefer penne but others work too

¼ c fresh chopped parsley

 

 

 

 

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package. Strain them and set them aside.

Heat a large saute pan to med-high. Add 1Tbs EVOO and warm it but not to smoking. Add the veggies and let them sear and soften for a few minutes. When the onions become translucent and the peppers soften, remove them from the pan and add the rest of the EVOO. Remove the sausages from their casings and once the oil is heated but not smoking add it to the pan. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the garlic to the meat and let it cook for another minute. Then add the veggies back into the pan.

Add the marinara slowly, using the liquid to help scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan. That’s where so much flavor is. Add the rest of the sauce and then add the heavy cream. Start with ½ cup and then add more as needed. Once the sauce starts to bubble, turn it down to a simmer and add the noodles. Stir to combine and then put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes. Stir it once more and it’s ready to serve. Add some fresh chopped parsley to the top of the dish for garnish.