Nicea's Favorite Fried Rice

Since I am a known Rice Addict, I knew I had to make this as soon as I saw it.  I loved it.  There were a couple of family member's who freaked out about the peas (ok, fine, I was one of them) but they come out easily.  This makes a lot!!!


Nicea's Favorite Fried Rice
Recipe from Good Things Utah

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts or 10 chicken tenders
3 scrambled eggs
2 carrots (finely grated)
½ white onion (finely chopped)
¾ cup frozen peas
½ cup butter
1-2 garlic cloves (crushed) or 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups white rice (not instant)

Directions:

Marinate chicken in soy sauce, if you do not have much time, mix it with chicken before cooking
In a large frying pan Cook chicken in small amount of olive oil, add carrots and onions and sauté until clear.  Add frozen peas and cook until soft.
In a separate pan cook rice then add to the mixture .
In another pan, scramble three eggs, chop finely and add to mixture
Melt 1/2 cup butter, add crushed garlic cloves to butter, stir and add to mixture.
Mix all together well, add soy sauce to taste.

Stir-Fried Chicken and Green Beans with Spicy Orange Sauce

There must be an orange theme going on.

On Sunday I made this dish from one of my favorite, never fail cookbooks. It was delicious as expected. We served it over rice. Next time I think I'll add some other veggies to it.

Stir-Fried Chicken and Green Beans with Spicy Orange Sauce
America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup cooking sherry (I used chicken broth)
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
4 tsp Asian Chili Sauce (I halved this for my non-spicy kids)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp grated orange zest
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large), trimmed and sliced thinly
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
1/2 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Whisk first 8 ingredients together in a bowl.

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken, break up any clumps, and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside.

Add the green beans to the skillet. Add the water, cover, and steam until the beans are bright green and begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Uncover and allow the water to evaporate, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until until fragrant, 15-30 seconds. Stir it into the vegetables. Return the chicken, with any accumulated juice, to the skillet. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add to the skillet. Simmer, tossing constantly, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if desired) and serve.

Crispy Orange Beef

I pretty much wish I had doubled this recipe.  I loved it.  Husband loved it.  Various kids loved it.  I'll be making this again SOON!!
Funny comment from my oldest son last night, "You know, you really should have named me Adonis."

WHAT?

Crispy Orange Beef

Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients:



1 1/2 pounds beef top sirloin, thinly sliced

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup long grain rice

2 cups water

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons orange zest

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

8 broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched

2 cups oil for frying

Directions:

Lay beef strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Allow to dry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice concentrate, salt and soy sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add more water at the end if necessary.  (I use Calrose rice, because I really love sticky rice and I just make it in the rice cooker.  Comes out perfectly sticky and yummy every time).

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat. Fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown; set aside. Drain all of the oil from the wok except about 1 tablespoon.

Add orange zest, ginger and garlic to the remaining oil, and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add beef, and heat through, stirring to coat. Serve immediately over steamed rice, and garnish with broccoli.

Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice

I made Thai tonight and it was delish. I will admit that I cheated a little. Instead of making my own curry sauce I bought this at Trader Joe's...

...and it was good. Spicy, but good. (I like Joe's Tikka Masala sauce, too.) What I did was sauteed the chicken in a little bit of oil until it was close to done and then added sliced red peppers, onions and carrots and sauteed until they were done. I poured in the sauce (which already had coconut milk in it) and then added some of Joe's frozen french green beans. I then covered it and let it simmer while I made the fried rice.

Now, I love this fried rice not only because it's yummy but because it reminds me of my friend Andrea (hi, Andrea!). She invited us over for dinner one night and she made this. I just had to have the recipe, it was so good! I sure do miss Andrea and all my friends in Sacramento. There is just a wonderful group of people down there. Sniff, sniff.

Thai Heavenly Pineapple Fried Rice
recipe courtesy Andrea

1 small can pineapple chunks, drained, OR 1 whole pineapple
3 cups cooked rice, preferably several days old (Tip: if fresh, leave for an hour or more in the refrigerator uncovered)
2-3 Tbsp. peanut, coconut, canola, or other vegetable oil for stir-frying
1-3 Tbsp. vegetable stock (or chicken stock if non-vegetarian) for stir-frying
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 red or green chili, thinly sliced (reduce or leave out if you prefer very mild fried rice)
1 egg (vegans can omit)*
½ cup frozen peas

optional: 1 small carrot, grated (about 1/4 cup)
¼ cup raisins or currants
½ cup raw unsalted whole cashews
3 spring onions finely sliced
1/3 cup fresh coriander

STIR-FRY SAUCE:
2 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce, or soy sauce (use regular fish sauce if non-vegetarian)
2 tsp. curry powder

Mix 1 Tbsp. oil with the rice, using your fingers to separate any chunks into grains. Set aside. In a cup, stir the fish sauce/soy sauce together with the curry powder. Place 1-2 Tbsp. oil in a wok/large frying pan and turn heat to medium-high. Add shallots, garlic, and chili, stir-frying until fragrant (1 minute). Whenever the wok/pan becomes dry, add a little stock (1/2 to 1 Tbsp. at a time). Crack egg (if using) into wok and stir quickly to cook (like making scrambled eggs). Again, add a little stock when the wok/pan becomes dry. Add the carrot (if using), peas, cashews, plus the fish/soy sauce mixed with curry powder. Stir-fry 1 minute. Now add the rice, pineapple chunks, and currents. Gently stir-fry to combine over medium-high to high heat until the rice "dances" (begins to make popping sounds) - about 3 minutes.Tip: Avoid adding any more stock from here on, or your rice will turn out soggy. The wok/pan should be fairly dry. Remove from heat. Do a taste-test for saltiness, adding a few shakes of salt or up to 2 Tbsp. more [veggie] fish sauce, as needed. (If you happen to over-salt the dish, add a squeeze or two of lime juice.) To serve, scoop rice onto a serving platter (or in a carved-out pineapple, if serving at a party - see link at beginning of recipe). Top with spring onions and coriander, and ENJOY! SERVES 4 *(I used soy sauce and cranberries instead of fish sauce and currents)

Orange Chicken, Homemade Eggrolls and Green Bean Stir Fry: New Year's Day Chinese Feast (a day later)

So we normally have a big Chinese food feast on New Year's Day, but Saturday was pizza day and you just can't break tradition. Oh, and we were sledding all day and super duper tired when we got home. Okay, I was being lazy. We have church early in the morning this year (yay!) so now I can take my beloved afternoon nap and make my weekly big meal on Sundays.

We love Chinese food at our house and we especially love these recipes. My egg roll recipe is made up and is pretty much different every time. Feel free to make it your own.

Tonight we called up our neighbors at the last minute and invited them over. They're moving in a few months (so rude!) and we'll miss having them around. They have two kids the same age as our eldest two and it has been so nice for them having buddies around the block. I'm sad that they won't grow up together because they are really great kids.

Orange Chicken
recipe courtesy of annie’s eats

Ingredients:

For the marinade and sauce:
1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 ½” pieces
¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
¾ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 ½ tsp. grated orange zest
8 thin strips orange peel (optional)
6 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup dark brown sugar
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold water

For coating and frying:
3 large egg whites
1 cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups peanut oil (or canola oil)

Directions:

For the marinade and sauce, place the chicken in a Ziploc bag; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper; whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out ¾ cup of the mixture and pour it into the bag with the chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal the bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with the marinade. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes, but no longer. Bring the remaining mixture in the saucepan to a boil over high heat. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water; whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the orange peel (if using); set the sauce aside.

For the coating, place the egg whites in a pie plate and beat with a fork until frothy. In a second pie plate, whisk together the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne until combined. Drain the chicken in a colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat. Transfer the pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the dredged chicken pieces on another plate or a baking sheet.

To fry the chicken, heat the oil in an 11- to 12-inch dutch oven or straight sided sauté pan with at least 3 qt. capacity over high heat until the oil reaches 350° on an instant read or deep fry thermometer. Carefully place half of the chicken in the oil; fry to golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Return the oil to 350° and repeat with the remaining chicken.

To serve, reheat the sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures, originally from Cooking at Home with America’s Test Kitchen

Note: I double the sauce...yum!

Carrie's Egg Rolls

1 lb. Hot ground sausage OR cooked shredded chicken
1 pkg. shredded cabbage
1 red pepper, chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 cup bean sprouts
1 garlic clove, minced
2 dashes ground ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 pkg. egg roll wrappers
peanut oil

In a large skillet cook sausage until it loses its color OR put chicken in a small amount of olive oil on med. heat. Add peppers, onions, slaw and sprouts; sprinkle soy sauce and sesame oil over top and cook for a few minutes. cool. Put 2 tbsp. of mixture in the middle of each wrapper, fold and seal with a little water. Heat peanut oil in a deep skillet, drop egg rolls in and fry until golden brown. Take out and drain on paper towel.

Green Bean Stir-Fry
recipe courtesy of Allrecipes

1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon peanut butter
3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
4 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Directions
1.In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, brown sugar and peanut butter; set aside. In a large skillet, stir-fry the green beans in oil until crisp