Chinese Chicken Salad

 CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD
Printable Recipe

• 1 head romaine or buttered lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup snap peas, cut on diagonal
• ½ bunch green onion, cut on diagonal
• 1-12 oz. can Mandarin Oranges, drained
• 2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted 
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds  
• 1 pack wonton wrappers 
• 1 cup vegetable oil   
• Asian Sesame Dressing

1. cut 15-20 wonton wrappers into 5 strips. About 3/8" thick. 

2. Meanwhile, heat up 2” oil in a pot or wok & cook some of the won ton strips in the hot oil.  They should be golden brown before you remove them from the oil.

 

3. Place on a plate topped with a paper towel to drain excess oil.   

 

 

 4. Chop salad, green onions, snap peas, & place in a serving bowl. 

 5. Top salad with oranges, chicken, onions, peas, almonds, sesame seeds, & wontons.

 6. Use Asian Sesame Salad Dressing, top dress the salad.

Top as individual servings or toss all in one bowl. 

Plate Finished Product

7. Gently toss salad & serve. 

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I came across this dish at one of my best friends parents house. I really call it "Bev's Yummy Salad." It is a simple dish that is a true crowd-pleaser. Be sure to serve this one up at your next party & believe me your guest will love it! Do not skip out on the wontons, they are the best part! 

MODIFICATIONS

  This is a pretty straight forward & easy recipe to follow, I always make the dressing a day ahead or a few hours before & let it chill in the fridge. Once you quickly chop & prep the salad toppers all you need to do if fry the wontons, toss it all together & you're done! Many things can be added to this dish, celery, carrots, cabbage, water chestnuts, cashews, & peanuts would go well with this dish. Don't forget, you can always substitute soy sauce for gluten free soy sauce & remove the won tons to make it gluten free!

Asian Sesame Salad Dressing

ASIAN SESAME SALAD DRESSING
Printable Recipe

 

• 2 tablespoons + 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil (Dynasty)
• 1 cup salad oil (vegetable or canola)
• ¾ cup Rice Vinegar (Marukan yellow label)
• 2 tsp dry mustard powder
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Mix all ingredients well with a beater or wand until sugar is melted.

2. Add 1 tablespoon sesame seeds & mix. 

3. Pour dressing into an airtight container, I used a mason jar, & 

store in the fridge until ready to serve.  

 

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I came across this dressing at one of my best friends parents house. I really call it "Bev's Yummy Salad Dressing." It is a simple Asian dressing that pairs well with any Asian salad.

MODIFICATIONS

  This is a pretty straight forward & easy recipe to follow, Don't forget, you can always substitute soy sauce for gluten free soy sauce to make it gluten free!

Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Kalbi)

 KOREAN BBQ SHORT RIBS (KALBI)
Printable Recipe

• 3 pounds Korean short ribs (Asian Market)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/8 cup mirin (rice wine aka saki) 
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 small Asian pear or apple, peeled/minced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

1. Sprinkle brown sugar over beef & mix well to evenly coat. 

Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while preparing marinade. 

  

2. Roughly chop onion & pulse till minced in food processor, or use a knife to finely mince. 

 3. Peel & roughly chop Asian pear, pulse till minced in food processor, 

or use knife to finely mince. 

 4. Mince garlic. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients. 

(garlic, onion, pear, soy sauce, water, rice wine, sesame oil, & pepper).

 5. Place short ribs in a ZipLock bag, add marinade, press out excess air from bags, & seal. Turn bag over several times to ensure beef is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

 6. Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-hot. Drain excess marinade off beef. Grill short ribs, turning once, to desired doneness, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Plate Finished Product

7. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, if desired. Serve while hot.

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I came across this dish at a former students high school graduation party. The Nguyen family had a party for their daughter Jenny & made amazing BBQ chicken & these tasty Korean BBQ short ribs. I fell in love, they are sweet yet savory, tender, & delicious. The do sell a Korean BBQ marinade at many Asian markets, which is also a great taste, but I wanted to recreate this dish with a healthier marinade that had less sodium & sugar. I used used some ingredients from the original recipe & found a great marinade from Food Network that matched almost exactly what I was looking for, the finished product was worth the extra time.

MODIFICATIONS

  This is a pretty straight forward & easy recipe to follow, the longer you marinate the meat the more tender and flavorful it will be. They serve best on a bed of rice & they pair well with my Veggie Stir-Fry or Chinese Chicken Salad. Don't forget, you can always substitute soy sauce for gluten free soy sauce to make this a gluten free dish!

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

TERIYAKI CHICKEN SKEWERS 
Printable Recipe

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup soy sauce 
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

  

1. Cut each chicken thigh into 4 pieces or strips about 1 inch thick. Thread chicken onto 6-inch wooden skewers, folding thinner pieces, off necessary. 

2. Place skewers in Crock-Pot slow cooker, layering as flat as possible.  (I had to trim about a inch off the skewers to fit flat in the Crock-Pot so do that before you skewer them). Also remember to check out Products I love to find out about easy clean up slow cooker bags.

3. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, & minced garlic in a small bowl. 
Reserve 1/3 cup sauce; set aside. 

4. Pour remaining sauce over chicken. Cover; cook on LOW 2 hours. 

Turn skewers over & cook 1 hour longer. 

 5. Transfer skewers to serving platter. Discard cooked liquid. Spoon on reserved sauce & sprinkle with sliced green onions & sesame seeds, if desired.

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I came across this dish years ago at a teacher pot luck, someone brought their Crock-Pot full of teriyaki chicken on sticks, but I thought they just used the Crock-pot to keep them warm, nope, she said that is how she cooked them. Believe me, I was shocked too, skewers? In the Crock-Pot? Yes! They are good too! I modified the dish & made my own teriyaki sauce, but you could always use a store bought teriyaki glaze sauce, I would use one cup of Kikkoman, purple label.

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

  For Whole30 & Paleo remove sugar & use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. This is a pretty straight forward & easy recipe to follow, but if you don't own a Crock-Pot, or don't have 3 hours to spare, just use the sauce as a marinade for at least an hour & BBQ the skewers. I like to place them each on an oven top grill to give them markings & crisp them up after I take them out of the Crock-Pot. You can add a peanut sauce to dip, serve them on a bed of rice or they pair well with my Veggie Stir-Fry or Chinese Chicken Salad. Don't forget, you can always substitute soy sauce for gluten free soy sauce & in this dish don't add the wontons to make it gluten free!

Spicy Chili Bean & Chicken Soup

SPICY CHILI BEAN & CHICKEN SOUP 
Printable Recipe

• 5 cups chicken broth (see Quick Tips for homemade broth from rotisserie chicken)
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced 
• 2 cans diced tomatoes 
• 1 can tomato soup 
• 2 cans chili beans, undrained 
• 1 jar chunky salsa 
• 1 can corn, drained or cup frozen corn 
• 2 tablespoons chili powder 
• 2 avocados 
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 

1. Chop onion & garlic.

2. In a large pot over medium heat saute onion & garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. 

3. Add in salsa, diced tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, shredded chicken & 5 cups broth. Mix well & simmer for 30 minutes on med-low heat. 

4. When soup is done pour into a bowl & serve hot.

 Plate Finished Product

5. Top soup with fresh avocado, cilantro, & a splash of line juice.

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

My sister came across this delicious soup years ago on a food blog, I have always enjoyed it & have been wanting to share it with you. I modified it to a healthier version but I personally think it still tastes amazing!

 

MODIFICATIONS 

 There are many things that can be added or substituted in carrots would be a great addition or substitute if you don't like corn. To thicken it up you can add some soup cream for a more creamy soup. To spice it up even more you can add some fresh or canned diced chilies. You can top with chips, cheese, hot sauce, you name it! Serve it with some warm tortillas, bread, or even corn bread would be delicious.