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!

Veggie Noodle Stir-Fry

 VEGGIE NOODLE STIR-FRY 
Printable Recipe

• 3-4 bundles veggie noodles (Asian Market)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced 
• 1/4 lb. snow peas or snap peas 
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (Kikkoman, purple label)
• Sesame seeds to top, (optional) 

1. Slice onions & peppers.

 2. In a medium pot bring a quart of water to a boil, at a rapid boil add noodles & cook for two minutes, strain when done. If you are using different noodles, egg or soba noodles,  follow the directions on the package.

 3. Warm oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onions & peppers for 2-3 minutes.

 4. Add snow peas & saute for another 2 minutes. 

5. Add cooked noodles & teriyaki sauce to the pan of veggies. Using tongs to mix well. 

Cook for another minute or two & serve warm. 

 Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I came across these veggie noodles years ago at the Asian Market by my parents house & I have loved cooking with them ever since. They are more a low mein type of noodle & they cook in just a minute or two! They are delicious & I enjoy them as a side dish for any Asian style meal.

 

MODIFICATIONS 

 There are so many things that can be added to this dish, garlic, broccoli, snap pleas, any colored bell pepper, watered chestnuts, mini corn, bean sprouts, squash, zucchini, green beans, carrots, cabbage, or even nuts such as almonds, peanuts, or cashews. This side pair well with Asian Flank Steak, Asian Salmon Patty, & Korean BBQ Short Ribs.