Asparagus and Soy Chicken

It has been a few years and another child since I’ve updated this blog. In this time, our lives have gotten busier. My son has started and finished Montessori and is starting Kindergarten at a public school this fall. My daughter is a week away from being 2 years old and I am one of those people who has settled into a lock-down routine and is thoroughly enjoying my summer evenings. There is no need to rush off to swimming and ice skating classes. That said, I have never relied on fast cooking meals as much as I have lately, so here is an Asparagus Soy Chicken dinner. This recipe is a variation on the Asian style soy chicken you might find at a restaurant. My husband and kids ate it over noodles but I ate it with quinoa and I really enjoyed it that way. 

Asian chicken with Asparagus

1 lb chicken breast, cut into large cubes

1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and cut into 2” pieces.

1 yellow pepper, cut into large pieces

1 onion, cut into large pieces

1tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp ginger paste

Clean and cut the chicken and marinate with the 1 tbsp soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Set aside. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Cut the onion and peppers. In a wok, or a deep frying pan, heat 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. Once hot, add in the onions and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, till the onion is translucent. Remove the onions and peppers, in the same wok add the remaining oil, add in the chicken and cook on high heat so that it browns on all sides. Toss in the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the stove down to medium low, then add back the onions and peppers and the sauce and mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot rice or noodles.

Garlic Pork and Sweet Potato Hash

This recipe is from the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens. It had all the ingredients that I love most – garlic, pork, and sweet potatoes. It had to be made! And it was delicious. So I thought I’d share it with you. The ingredients are all the same as the original recipe, and the method is almost exact too, however, it is written in my own words and I have made a couple of changes. It works well, as a last minute, one-pot (or pan) weekday dinner. 

Garlic Pork and Sweet Potato Hash

Garlic Pork and Sweet Potato Hash
3 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped (4 cups)
1 ½ lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1” slices (I used thin-cut boneless pork chops)
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used regular soy sauce)
8 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced thin
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 green onions
2 tbsp honey
Pepper for taste

Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle with salt, and put in ½ to 1 cup of water. Cover with a microwave lid and cook on high for 8 to 10 minutes on high. In the mean time, marinate the pork chops in the soy sauce and pepper.

In a skillet or frying pan cook the garlic in hot oil, just until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove and set aside. Cook pork in the same pan for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked, leaving the extra marinade in the bottom of the bowl for later. Transfer to a plate and keep covered. Add the potatoes to the pan and brown on all sides. Then add the onions and cook for another minute or so. Spoon onto individual plates, then place the pork chops over it.

For the sauce, whisk together the honey, remaining soy sauce (from the marinade bowl) and 2 tablespoons of water in the hot pan till it bubbles. If you feel the garlic has cooled down then add it to the sauce right at the end. Sprinkle the pork chops with garlic and then spoon over it some sauce. Serve immediately.

Shrimp Fried Rice

My husband and I both love trying new cuisines, but eating out gets expensive and making something different at home always lets me impose our likes and dislikes on the dish. 

Fried rice, as I read in another blog, All About Fried Rice, originated in China and is an integral part of Chinese cuisine. I am pretty sure that the Chinese version of Fried Rice is completely different from the Indian version of Chinese Fried Rice, which I know for a fact is totally different from the American version of Chinese Fried Rice. My point being that I don't know an authentic Chinese Fried Rice and that my version is far, far from being anything close to original. But, it's a tasty recipe, and definitely worth trying.  

Shrimp Fried Rice

2 cups brown rice, raw

1 pnd shrimp, shell removed and de-veined

1 bunch green onions, sliced (keep the whites and greens separate)

¾ - 1 pnd mushrooms, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced lengthwise

1 ½ cups peas, cooked

1 ½ cups carrots, diced fine and cooked

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt to paste

Pepper to taste

½ tsp Sirachi

chili powder to taste

2 eggs, beaten

Little oil

Cook brown rice as indicated on the packet and set aside. Clean the shrimp and marinate it with salt, pepper, and chili powder and leave till ready to use.

Chop and have ready all the vegetables. In a wok, heat a little oil on a high flame, scramble the eggs, and set aside. Add a little more oil to the wok. Once the oil is hot put in the red peppers, allow it to cook and start to brown, so that it has a nice color. Next add in the whites of the green onions and let it brown too. Then add the mushrooms, stir them in well and immediately add in the shrimp. Toss well and add all the sauces and pepper. Once the sauce starts to bubble, add the peas and carrots. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp and mushrooms is done. Switch off the stove, mix in the greens from the green onions, and then mix in the rice. Serve hot with some hot and sweet sauce on the side.

Stir-Fry Vegetables

One of the nicest parts of cooking in America is all the frozen foods and vegetables. I know, the fresh stuff is way more healthy and much better for you, but the frozen vegetables makes life so much easier, especially when you’re planning to use several different vegetables in one dish. Take for instance the stir-fry vegetable packets I’ve used in this recipe.  The packet contains broccoli, sugar snap peas, grated carrots, mushrooms, green beans, celery, onions and red peppers. Using it is easier and cheaper than buying all these ingredients separately.  So there you have it, my defense for frozen vegetable packets. And here is the recipe for stir-fry vegetables.

Stir-Fry Vegetables

3-4 oz thin wheat spaghetti

2 pkts (frozen) stir-fry vegetables

1 pkt (frozen) 3 Pepper and Onion

3 tbs soy sauce

3 tbs Worchester sauce

1 tsp (heaped) ginger paste

6-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs ketchup

¾ cup red wine

1 tsp sirachi (chili) sauce

2 tsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp (heaped) sweet orange marmalade

Pepper to taste

Little olive oil

Break the spaghetti into 2 inch pieces. In a pot of boiling water, with a little oil and salt, cook the spaghetti until al dente. 

In a separate pot, heat a little olive oil and fry the chopped garlic and ginger paste till it starts to brown. Add in the packet of 3 pepper and onions and allow it to cook till the onions start to become soft and transparent. Now stir in the soy, sirachi, hoisin, Worchester sauces and ketchup. Once properly stirred in, add the stir-fry vegetables. Mix them well, then put in the red wine and cover till vegetables cook, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables are done, cooked but still a little crunchy, stir in the marmalade and the pepper, and simmer for a minute or two. Now switch off the stove, and stir in the drained spaghetti until it’s well mixed. Serve hot.

Notes:

*The 3 Pepper and Onion packet is about ½ a red, yellow, and green pepper each and a medium onion, all sliced length-wise.

*Adding a little oil to the spaghetti while it’s cooking, will stop it from sticking and making it one big lump of spaghetti. A teaspoon is all you need to add. 

Baked Pork

The marinades I make for my meat are usually whimsical. I open the fridge, pull out what I think would go well, and do the same with the spices in my cabinet. I also very rarely measure things out for recipes like this, and so these marinades are based on an estimate. Feel very free to add or remove quantities or ingredients, I know I always do.

3 thick pork chops
1tsp dried rosemary
2tbs ketchup
1tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbs soy sauce
1/2 cup red or white wine (I usually use whatever is in the fridge)
salt
lots of pepper
about 1tbs chili flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub salt and pepper over pork chops and set aside till oven is ready. Meanwhile mix all other ingredients together in the baking dish. Then add the pork chops to it and marinade them well. Loosely cover dish with silver foil, and put into the oven for an hour. After an hour, remove foil and broil for 10 minutes till pork chops start to brown. Remove and serve with sides, or slice for sandwiches, or eat in anyway you choose! :)

Pork in Hoisin Sauce

I, often, get bored of eating the same food at home over and over again, and that pushes me try new and sometimes weird, stuff. Today's dinner is a pretty safe bet though. A couple of days ago I baked some pork in a flavourful marinade to put in our sandwiches for the weekend, but I think I made too much, so I'm converting it into Pork in Hoisin sauce. Click here to go to the Baked Pork Recipe!

1 bunch green onions (chopped)
1 yellow pepper (sliced lengthwise and then cut in half)
About 1tbs of Worcestershire Sauce
About 1tbs of Soy Sauce
3 heaped tsps of Hoisin Sauce
A little oil for frying
Baked pork cut into strips

Heat a little oil in a wok, put in the pepper, as it starts to soften add in the green onions, Let it brown a little, then add in the Worcestershire and soy sauce and let it cook for a minute. Add all the gravy from the baked pork. Let it start to simmer, then mix in the hoisin sauce and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the pork, switch off the stove and cover. Keep covered till you reheat to serve. (If you are serving immediately, then cover for 5 minutes). To serve, place a large leaf of lettuce on a plate, over which you put a cup of rice, and place pork  on side. Serve warm.

If you're the kind of person who likes to add finishing touches, then add a prig of parsley on top of the rice, just to make it pretty.