Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

Sometimes the best cure for a rough day is dinner with friends.  So when I got a text from a girlfriend that she was going to be around tonight and wanted a hug, I offered to ease up the rest of the of the night with dinner at our place. 

Knowing I had to make a meat-free meal (she’s a Chopra, look it up!), I stopped at the store on my way home to pick up some vegetables to make a stir-fry and remembered yet another pin for a recipe using Ramen noodles. 

I couldn't believe how quickly the HUGE bowl of stir-fried vegetables and noodles cleared.  While I thought the meal was just mediocre, apparently I was in the minority.  I thought the sauce I used was a little sweet and could have used a hit of red pepper flakes, my dinner “guests” said not to tweak a thing. 

So, here’s the recipe, without tweaking a thing.

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

 

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

What You Need:

• 4 packages Ramen noodles
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 package shredded carrots
• 1 package broccoli florets
• 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 c chicken broth
• ½ c teriyaki sauce (I used this)

How You Do It:

1. Boil noodles according to package, discarding seasoning packet.  Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in large skillet.  Add onion and sauté until slighted softened.  Add broccoli and carrots and continue to sauté until tender.
3. Add garlic and sauce, stirring to combine and soften garlic.
4. Add noodles and chicken brother, toss to combine and heat through.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps

School is over here in Jersey which means the hubs is on summer vacation.  Read: I'm home and bored and need entertaining.  Enter: old roommate looking to burn vacation days with a suggestion to head to Atlantic City.  My husband can't resist.  So off they went.

Since I had no idea what time they would be back and I had a beating session with the trainer at the gym, last night I popped some ingredients into the slow cooker and set it this morning to be ready when I got home from the gym.

This shredded chicken makes the best wraps ever.  Especially with my favorite lettuce alternative:  broccoli slaw.  The sweet and saltiness of the chicken mixed with the crunch of the slaw and a little hoisin (or as I call it, poison), these wraps are a mess to eat, but well worth the sticky fingers.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps

What You Need:

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
• 1/2 c teriyaki sauce (I used this)
• 1 tbps freshly grated ginger
• 4 large cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• tortillas
• broccoli slaw
• hoisin sauce

How You Do It:

1. Spray basin of slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add chicken.
2. In a small bowl, combine sauce, ginger, and garlic.  Pour over chicken and toss to coat.
3. Cook on low, 7-8 hours.
4. Shred using tongs, add sesame seeds, and toss to combine with remaining sauce from cooking.

How You Eat It:

• I spread a little hoisin in the middle of a tortilla, top with slaw, and chicken.  Wrap!

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Orange Teriyaki Beef and Noodles

I rarely serve dinner in a bowl.  The hubs doesn't so much love when I do and sometimes it makes dinner feel less like dinner.  I know, strange.  Anyway, tonight's dinner - perfect for a bowl. 

I also rarely make a recipe that calls for beef strips.  My husband and I prefer our beefed cooked to different doneness and it's hard to get it rare enough for him and acceptable enough for me at the same time without the grill.  Tonight's dinner - beef strips.

And finally, I rarely make a dinner with a known ingredient not favorable to one of us.  Case in point: snow peas.  Tonight's dinner - snow peas.  (Thankfully, the hubs will kindly push them aside and offer them up once done.)

All that aside, this dish was really good!  A little sweet from the orange marmalade, a little salty from the teriyaki and broth, and a little saucy for, well, a saucy dish!   You could probably do this with chicken and any veggies you prefer - if I make it again, I will use broccoli (to please the husband) and mushrooms (also to please the husband).  Needless to say, a quick and easy midweek meal.

Orange Teriyaki Beef with Noodles

Orange Teriyaki Beef and Noodles

What You Need:

• 1 lb beef sirloin strips
• 1 3/4 c beef broth
• 1/4 c teriyaki sauce (I used Mr Yoshida's Classic)
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 c snow peas
• 3 oz uncooked egg noodles (I used these)

How You Do It:

1. In a large skillet with a lid, cook beef until brown, 2-4 minutes.  Set aside and cover to keep warm.
2. Add broth, teriyaki, orange marmalade, and red pepper flakes to skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Add snow peas and noodles, cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes.
3. Add back in beef and stir to combine.  If necessary, add a roux to thicken.

Orange Teriyaki Beef and Noodles recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken

I must preface this by stating there is no bourbon in this recipe, but to many your probable dismay.  Sorry.  I must also say, I can't say as if I know what actual bourbon chicken tastes like, but this was pretty darn good.  I suppose I would just call it "some sort of Asian-style chicken", as it had those flavors, none of which were actual bourbon. 

With a combination of ingredients you are bound to have on hand already, this is a quick fix for take-out, where yet again, you control the sodium and the ingredients in general.  While the original recipe called for chicken thighs, I chose chicken breasts since they are a bit better for us.  I also used Splenda instead of actual sugar.  The sauce was very flavorful and the sauteed onions and garlic really make this dish.  Serve this up with some steamed broccoli and rice and you've got what you would normally get when the delivery shows up!

Oh, and mom?  No need to double the sauce - there was plenty!

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken

What You Need:

• 3 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 large garlic cloved, minced
• 6 packets Splenda (or 1/4 c sugar)
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp vinegar (I used white wine vinegar because it's what was in my pantry)

How You Do It:

1. Saute onions in oil until golden. 
2. Add chicken and garlic, and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
3. In a small bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, and vinegar.  Once chicken is fully cooked, add sauce to pan, toss chicken to coat, and let simmer until the sauce naturally thickens.

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken recipe adapted from KeyIngredient.com.

Jack Daniels Glaze

Last week I had an impromptu lunch with a good friend of ours who loves TGIFridays’ Sesame Jack™ Chicken Strips appetizer.  Have you tried them!? What’s not to love – deep fried, crispy chicken tenders covered in a sweet Jack Daniels glazed sauce.  He mentioned to me how he had recently picked up a bottle of sauce similar to that at Fridays, which is when I remembered coming across a recipe on Pinterest!  Since we had no plans for the weekend, we invited him over to see just how accurate this recipe was.

Jackpot!

This sauce, sweet and sticky, with just a hint of Jack, was perfect on some baked-not-fried chicken tenders.  And what’s best – even my 8-year-old-picky-neighbor liked both the chicken AND the sauce!

Good on chicken tenders, we have all decided this sauce would be amazing atop anything on the grill… or just with a spoon.  A definite keeper.

Jack Daniels Glaze

Jack Daniels Glazed Chicken Tenders

What You Need:

• 1 head of garlic, roasted (instructions below)
• 2/3 c water
• 1 c pineapple juice
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1 1/3 c brown sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tbsp dried onion
• 1 tbsp Jack Daniels Whiskey 
• 1 tbsp crushed pineapple
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

How You Do It:

1. To roast the garlic, cut the top off of a head of garlic so the ends of the cloves are exposed. Peel off any excess layers of the papery skin. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and loosely wrap with aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, or until the cloves appear golden brown.
2. In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer.
3. Squeeze out the roasted garlic and whisk in to the simmering liquid, discard the papery skin. Add the lemon juice, onion, whiskey, pineapple, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and stir to combine.
4. Continue to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally, or until the liquid has reduced by half and is thick and syrupy.
5. Thicken, if desired, by making a slurry and adding to sauce.

Jack Daniels Glaze recipe adapted from SunnySideUp.com.

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls

For a solid week now I've wanted a Chiptole burrito.  So instead of spending the 10 minutes waiting in the lunch line and the $10 for something I would only regret for the remainder of the afternoon, I took to the inter-web to find a recipe for the chicken and made my own.

Much much much to my happiness, the burrito bowls (who really needs the tortilla anyway?) were exactly what I hoped for.  The chicken had amazing flavor and we had all the fixings for what turned out to be a filling and healthy dinner.

Just a note, and another selfless pitch for The Pampered Chef, on the chicken.  The original recipe, and in the restaurants themselves, the chicken is grilled.  While we very well could have fired 'er up tonight, I took to the microwave.  Yes, you heard me right - the microwave.  I'm telling you - in 6 minutes flat, I had cooked the moistest chicken I could have imagined - in the microwave!  Get yourself one of these Magic Pots - you won't be sorry.  And remember, if you don't already have a The Pampered Chef consultant, contact mine!

Chicken Burrito Bowl

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls

What You Need for the Chicken:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Suggested Fixings:

• Brown rice
• Lettuce
• Mexicorn
• Shredded cheese
• Avocado
• Sour Cream
• Salsa

How You Do It:

1. Combine oil, spices, and chicken in large ziploc bag.  Let marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours.
2. Cook chicken; cut into bite-size pieces. (See my note above)
3. Assemble salad with desired fixings.

Chicken recipe adapted from The Star Tribune

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

You know how when you order cashew chicken from a Chinese restaurant it's always more celery than chicken and cashews?  And remember how I told you there are a few - yes, a very short list - things my husband really doesn't like?  Well, celery is a big one of them.

This cashew chicken recipe is fully-loaded with veggies - more mushrooms than most of our friends would be interested in, a diced onion, garlic (lots of garlic), and much to my husband's dismay, pea pods.  (He really is the best - doesn't mind that I cook with pea pods, just chooses to push them aside.)

While I would doctor the sauce a little next time to add a little more flavor, maybe a pinch of red pepper flakes, less vinegar, and some fresh ginger, this is a good, healthy option, (with no celery) for cashew chicken.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

What You Need:

• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 8-oz packages sliced mushrooms
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cut into small chunks
• 2 c snow peas
• 1/2 c unsalted cashews

How You Do It:

1. In small bowl, mix broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger.  Mix to combine and until cornstarch dissolves.
2. In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms until tender, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add chicken, snow peas and cashews.  Mix to combine and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender, 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir sauce and add to skillet.  Mix to combine and cook until sauce has thickened.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken recipe adapted from Hungry Girl.

Orange Chicken with Asparagus

"It takes kind of like orange chicken from the Chinese restaurant," the hubs said tonight over dinner.  Success!

While take-out orange chicken usually is deep fried in sticky sauce with over-steamed broccoli, this version is sauteed and has a sauce, but nothing oh-so-sticky.  With a hint of sweet heat from the orange, honey, and red pepper flakes, the orange flavor shines through.  And, the asparagus is still a little crisp and adds a little crunch and green to the dish.  And maybe the best part... it takes no time to cook and is done all in one big skillet.

Another make-your-own-take-out for the books...

Orange Chicken with Asparagus

Orange Chicken with Asparagus

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• juice and zest of one orange

How You Do It:

1. Heat oil in large pan.  Add chicken, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  Cook until just slightly pink inside.
2. Add asparagus to pan and cook until desired tenderness and chicken no longer pink.
3. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds, and juice and zest of orange.  Add to pan, stir to combine, and heat through.

Orange Chicken with Asparagus recipe adapted from FitnessMagazine.com.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

Since this week I will be away Monday night, Wednesday night, and possibly even Tuesday night for a tv commercial shoot, I wanted to be sure there were plenty of leftovers to keep the hubs fed while I'm away this week.

Tonight's dinner did just that -- this recipe made about 6 portions of what was a delicious combination of chicken, pasta, and vegetables, all with an Asian-like sauce.  A good make-at-home, healthier version of Lo Mein.  Jam-packed with veggies, you can pick and choose your favs and make this your way.  I learned tonight that while my husband doesn't love corn, he definitely does not like baby corn.  Next time, I'll do him a favor and leave them out.  

With our bellies full and four packages in the refrigerator  I think he'll have enough to suffice while I'm shooting the next best Brother™ P-touch® commercial.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

What You Need:

• 1/2 box thin spaghetti
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c chicken broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 c thinly sliced carrots
• 1 c broccoli florets
• 1 c sugar snap pea pods, halved
• 1 (15-ounce) can Chinese baby corn, drained and cut in thirds
• 3 large chicken breasts, cut into small chunks

How You Do It:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. Stir-fry the ginger and onion for 2 minutes until onions are tender.
4. Add the mushrooms and carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes more.
5. Add the broccoli, pea pods, and corn. Stir-fry the vegetables for 2 more minutes, then transfer them to a large bowl.
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add chicken and stir-fry it until no longer pink. Add the cooked noodles, vegetables, and sauce. Lightly toss the mixture until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein recipe adapted from Fun Family Magazine

Sesame Chicken

Thanks to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, tonight's dinner is being brought to you by one serious hangover.  Last night they threw an amazing wine party and today I paid for it.  And, nothing helps a hangover like some Chinese food.  However, takeout can get pretty fattening, so I bring you some make-your-own-takeout: Sesame Chicken.

I will admit - this sesame chicken does not have the deep-fried, sticky, ooey-gooey sauce, nor does it have the true "sesame chicken" flavors.  It was, however, delicious.  The orange marmalade and soy sauce flavors really shine through and don't be afraid of all those red pepper flakes - not much of a kick at all.  Certainly one to be filed in my "make-your-own-takeout" folder for another night.

Thanks, Tricia and Ed, for another amazing wine party!

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

What You Need:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c flour
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

How You Do It:

1. In a large Ziploc bag, combine soy sauce, orange marmalade, wine, and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss in the chicken cubes and marinate in refrigerator up to 1 day.
2. Combine flour and sesame seeds in separate large Ziploc bag.  Drain chicken and toss in flour mixture to lightly coat.
3. Spread chicken cubes on large rimmed baking tray.  Drizzle with melted butter.
4. Bake at 375* for 10 minutes.  Turn chicken and bake additional 10 minutes.

Sesame Chicken recipe adapted from Melissa d'Arabian at Foodnetwork.com.