Spicy Asian Chicken

I will now introduce a flavorful, pleasing meal for you or your family on the table any night of the week. For creating an Asian recipe, the sauce is most important. Just like in inch-thick this recipe, the sauce Is Easy ingredients that I know for the fact that can be found in any American grocery. Meals at home are possible no matter how much or how little time you have to create a good, healthy meal for your loved ones. Preparing the sauce in a large quantity will save time for your next meal. This sauce also can be served with other meat, such as pork or seafood. If you are busy, this recipe is for you.

 Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts or thighs, sliced in inch-thick pieces

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

2 tbs rice flour

2 tbs oil

Sauce ingredients:

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 cup water

3 tbs siracha hot sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 tbs hoisin sauce

3 tbs lime juice

Other ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small piece of fresh ginger, minced

1/2 small white onion, cubed

 

Serve with hot cooked rice.

 

Drections:

Place chicken in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, rice flower, and oil. Mix well. Let marinade for 1 hour. 

In another bowl, mix the sauce ingredients well and set aside. 

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a nonstick pan until hot. Add chicken pieces, but do not overlay them. Pan fry chicken for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 

Stir in garlic, ginger, and onions and mix well with chicken pieces until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add sauce and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

Sprinkle with some sliced green onions and chopped cilantro, if desired.

 

To make a large quantity of sauce:

1 cup water

1/4 cup chili flakes

1/3 cup siracha hot sauce

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/2 cup vinegar

 Combine all the sauce ingredients in a sauté pan.  Bring to boil for 1 minute. Let cool and store in a glass jar with lid.

 I use vinegar instead of lime juice because lime juice becomes bitter over time.

Pan-fry Ramen Noodles

Deep fried and stir-fried foods are often chosen on rainy and cold days. Today I will introduce one quick easy recipe for breakfast or snacking. Ramen noodles are very popular in Asian dishes, especially for college students. This is an easy recipe, but it can be incorporated into many more dishes with imagination, such as cheese and pizza sauces. 

Ingredients:

1 pack of instant noodles, your choice

2 eggs

Sauce or seasoning ingredients:

2 tsp soy sauce

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp Thai sweet chili sauce

Pinch of black pepper

Pinch of sugar

Other ingredients:

2 eggs

1 green onion, sliced 

1 small shallot, sliced

Chopped cilantro

Directions:

Break the noodles into pieces, put into a bowl, and add boiling water. Let noodles soak in hot water for 3 minutes. Drain.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl; then beat 2 eggs and add them with the shallot and the white part of green onion.

Add the noodles into the sauce mixture; mix well.

Heat 2 tbs of oil in a nonstick pan (I use a 10 inches pan). Spread the noodles in a thin layer.

Pan Fry the noodles over low to medium heat.

Flip the cake over when it turns golden brown.

Continue to cook the other side of cake.

Sprinkle with green onion and cilantro before serving. Also, some mayonnaise can be added on top.

Tip:

To turn this recipe into a pizza, add cheese of your choice when you flip the cake and let it melt. Also, another topping can be added, such as pepperoni, sausages, and pizza sauce instead of eggs.

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Chicken

This easy stir-fried dish works as well with other vegetables and meats or shrimp. Choosing the skinny, firm pods or sometimes called French beans is better; they are considerably tastier than the lighter green beans.  

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, thinly sliced

Marinade ingredients:

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp cooking wine

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vegetable oil

Pinch of salt 

Sauce ingredients:

1 tbs soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp seasoning 

Other ingredients:

1/2 pound of green beans

1/2 white onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 green onions, cut into 2 inch lengths

3 tbs peanut oil

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and add the chicken. Mix well and let it marinate for 1 hour.

In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tbs of oil over the high heat. Add minced garlic and stirfry until fragrant.

Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.

Add the rest of the oil and stir in the beans and the white onion. Cook for 2 minutes and add the sauce.

Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the beans are crispy and tender.

Add the green onions to wok and toss well. Sprinkle with black pepper.

The green beans are now ready to serve with hot cooked rice.

Stir-fried Chicken with Mushrooms and Snow Peas

 I like Chinese food, and the wonderful things about stir-fried chicken is that it is so versatile and can be made with a plentiful variety of vegetables that are available in your kitchen. For this recipe, I will use two simple vegetables, which are snow peas and mushrooms. However, other vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, and sweet bell peppers can be used in this recipe. The simple stir-fry sauce for this recipe is the common sauce used for other stir-fry dishes. 

Ingredients:

Meat ingredient:

1 chicken breast, sliced into bite sized pieces

Marinade ingredients:

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp cooking wine

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp peanut oil

Sauce ingredients:

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp seasoning

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

Vegetables:

2 cups snow peas

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup sliced white onions

2 green onions, sliced

 

Serve with cooked white rice or brown rice

2 tbs peanut oil

Directions:

Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok or medium skillet over high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and onions. Stir and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add mushrooms and stir and cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms release their liquid and are tender. If using a large wok, move the mushroom off to the side. Stir in the snow peas and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Remove and keep warm on a plate.

Add the rest of the oil in a wok and stir in chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through or chicken is turning brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the sauce and all the vegetables. 

Stir and cook the mixture until the chicken and vegetables is fully cooked with the sauce. Stir in the green onions . Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Crispy Fried Shallots

Crispy fried shallots are an essential side dish in Vietnam. They are often served in several kinds of soups and on top of some salad recipes. They are part of a lot of Asian dishes, and they are indispensable. The crispy fried shallots can be kept in the refrigerator for months. The fried shallots can be found in most Asian groceries. However, homemade fried shallots taste much better than the store-bought. You may want to make double batches, as people have a hard time resisting the urge to snack on them. Strain the oil you used to fry the shallots and use it in other recipes for a variety of dishes. The strained oil, called shallot oil, can be kept refrigerated for weeks.

Ingredients:

2 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 5 large shallots)

2 cups canola or peanut oil

1/2 cup cornstarch

Preparation:

Sprinkle the cornstarch over the shallots and coat well. Shake off the excess flour. Combine shallots and oil in a medium saucepan or wok. Place over high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until shallots begin to bubble (2 to 3 minutes). Continue cooking, stirring constantly as the shallots fry to ensure even cooking, until shallots turn pale golden brown (8 to 10 minutes longer). Working quickly, pour contents of saucepan into a prepared strainer set over a bowl. (Shallots will continue cooking for a brief period after draining, so do not allow them to get too dark.)

After the drained oil cools, pour oil in a glass jar with lid.

Vegetarian Steamed Rice Cakes --gluten free rice cake

Vegetarian steamed rice cakes (Bánh cuốn chay) are rolled rice cakes originally from Vietnam. The steamed rice cakes are made in a steam pot, and it is hard for some cooks who do not have a steam pot or some special skill necessary to create this recipe. This recipe is much easier and will guide the cook through all the simple steps, from making rice crepes to making the mushroom filling and the  soy dipping sauce. The rice cakes are delightfully light, and the filling is deliciously savory and healthy. The rice cakes served with homemade soy dipping sauce can be served as an appetizer or can be the main meal itself.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup potato starch or cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups cold water

2 tbs vegetable oil

For the filling:

1/ 8-ounce button mushrooms, chopped

2 pieces of dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in water, chopped

1/2 small white onion, diced

1 tsp mushroom seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

For the spicy garlic soy dipping sauce:

1/4 cup tamari

1/4 cup water

2 generous tablespoons rice vinegar

2-3 teaspoons sugar

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 red chili, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

To make the dough:

In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients except the salt and oil and whisk until combined. Let dough rest for 2 hours. After 2 hours, the flour will sink to the bottom of the container. Remove the water as much as you can. Measure the water that you take out and add the same amount of water back into the dough. Let the dough rest for another 2 hours or overnight. If you have time, try to do this process 3 times.

In a sauté pan, add a drizzle of oil to coat the pan and place over medium-high heat.

Pour into the sauté pan a small ladleful of the batter (aim for 2-3 tablespoons) and rotate the pan to cover the base with a thin layer of the batter. Immediately cover with lid and allow batter to cook for about 30 seconds.

Have a well-oiled tray or plate prepared on the working area.

Remove the lid and flip the noodle sheet onto the oiled tray or plate. 

Let the pan cool off before making another rice cake or you can use two pans alternately for this process. 

To make the filling:

In a sauté pan, add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When hot, add in the diced white onion and sauté until fragrant. Season with salt and allow the onions to get translucent.

Next, add in the mushrooms and sauté until the mixture has reduced a smidgen; then season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes before removing the pan from the heat. Put this mixture in a bowl and set aside.

To make the spicy garlic soy sauce:

Mix everything together in a jar. The dipping sauce is a taste preference, add more of less of each ingredient and adjust according to taste.

To assemble the rice cake:

Scoop a tablespoon or so of the mushroom filling onto the sheet, fold the top over, fold the sides in, and then fold the top side again to shape a roll.

Repeat process until everything is used up, making sure the pan is well oiled between each cake.

Top with fried shallots, scallion oil. Serve with spicy soy sauce before serving.

Tip: you can buy fried shallots in an Asian grocery market or you can make your own.

Dice two scallions green part only, and add 1/4 cup peanut oil with a pinch of salt and sugar. Place in a microwave and cook for 30 seconds.

Sesame Salad Dressing

If you are viewing my cooking and baking blog, enjoyasimplelife.blogspot.com, for the first time or are a frequent viewer, I have not made many additional entries to the blog for quite some time.  The reason for this is that I have made a move to a new home in a different state, and the cooking arrangements are not quite ideal at this time. There are additional reasons that should be resolved soon. When this happens, I will gladly post additional easy-to-follow, photo-illustrated entries that I am certain you will enjoy preparing for yourself and others. In the meantime, I have already published more than 1300 recipes on this website that you can have access to now at no cost to you except for your time and your own desire to try something new. To search for something of your liking, simply enter a word or group of words, such as shrimp, chicken, egg rolls, or dipping sauce, etc., in the search box in the upper left-hand corner or the Search This Blog at the very bottom of this page. Then click the magnifying glass search symbol or the word Search to the right of the word(s). Immediately, all the recipes I have in my blog that contain the word or words just entered will appear in the order they were posted.

 Occasionally, depending on the search engine, such as Google, other websites will appear before my blog address. You may need to look for the words, Enjoy Life, when looking for my blog as you scroll down the entries that appear first. Good luck! And thanks for visiting my blog.

 Lan

 Sesame dressing is a famous salad dressing in Asia, especially in Japan. There are a few versions of sesame dressing. I will share with you here a light version of the sesame dressing.

 Ingredients:

3 tbs sesame seeds

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin (Japanese cooking wine)

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup grape seed oil

1/3 cup white rice vinegar

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, minced

Directions:

In a sauté pan, add sesame seeds and pan fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes on low heat. 

Place the roasted sesame in a mini food processor or spice grinder and blend until just becoming fine. 

Place the sesame seeds and the rest of the ingredients in a jar with lid and shake well.

Fresh garlic and ginger is optional. 

Add sesame oil about 2 tbs to enhance flavor.

Tip:

If you prefer creamy dressing, add mayonnaise to this dressing. The ratio is 2 to 2.