Very Veggie Chicken Fried Rice

I can't believe this never made it onto the blog

WELL.....ok so I made it once before and afterwards my chief taster aka my husband ended up in the ER with some stomach issues. It was a year ago, and I was fairly certain it didn't have anything to do with my cooking...well certain enough that I would risk it again because in my recollection this dish was a-mazing!

this time no one ended up in the hospital so I can safely make it again....and again.....and again

We fought over the leftovers...and I won!

Very Veggie Chicken Fried Rice

borrowed from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

4 eggs, beaten

3 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari, divided

2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 pound of chicken tenderloins, cut in very small pieces

4 cups cabbage and carrot slaw mix

1 large carrot shredded (I like the extra carrots and the slaw mix never has enough)

4 cups of cooked rice, cooled and refrigerated

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl combine eggs and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Set aside.

Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil into a wok or large skillet. Preheat over medium heat. Add garlic and egg mixture and stir gently to scramble. When set, remove egg mixture from the wok. Cut up any large pieces of egg mixture. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil into the wok or skillet and heat to high heat. Add the chicken, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally until just cooked through, about 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil into the wok or skillet and heat to high heat. Add the mushrooms and the cabbage and carrot mix, stirring occasionally until just beginning to softened, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add cooked rice and peas. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook and stir for 2 - 3 minutes or until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture, cooked chicken, and green onions and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil; cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Hoisin Beef and Vegetable Stir-fry

YUM!

I have some recipes from cook books that I use, and they never make it on the blog because I am too lazy to type them out. This is from a new Weight Watchers cookbook and I couldnt find it online but I liked it so much and I know I want to make it again, so I will take the 10 minutes to type it out so I dont lose it and can read it much easier from my laptop sitting on my counter while I cook, then from the book taking up even more space on my counter. I liked this because it was super fast, lots of flavor and I usually make chicken stir fry so it was nice this was different.

Hoisin Beef and Vegetable Stir fry

borrowed from Weight Watchers Points Plus Cookbook

**5 WW Points Plus per serving**

1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp. hoisin sauce

1 tsp. corn starch

1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil

2 tsp. canola oil

1 lb. boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced

4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup snow peas

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cup broccoli florets

pinch red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Stir together broth, hoisin sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil in a small bowl until smooth.

Heat large heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles the pan.

Add 1 tsp. canola oil, and swirl to coat pan. Add Steak and stir fry until browned...3 minutes.

Transfer to Plate.

Heat remaining oil in same skillet over medium-high heat, add scallions, peas, pepper, garlic, broccoli, and red pepper flakes.

Stir fry until vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.

Stir cornstarch mixture and add to skillet, stir fry until sauce bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute.

Return steak to skillet and cook stirring until heated for an additional minute.

Kicked Up Kung Pao Noodles

Every now and again I see a recipe that if put into Weight Watchers Points is probably not the healthiest option but it looks so stinking yummy and its so easy I cant help myself. Since falling off the working out wagon, I have been eating things I wouldnt normally eat, so I better take advantage of this lapse and fit in all the cravings I have been having and get it over with. I was almost tempted to figure out the points value, but since I already ate it, the damage is done and it was damn, worth any points I will have to work off at a later date. So for now ignorance shall remain bliss

Kicked Up Kung Pao Noodles

borrowed from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Note: The sauce in this dish may seem a bit brothy when finished, but the liquid will be quickly absorbed by the noodles when serving.

*Serves 4-5

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3), cubed

1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you want more heat)

3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles, discard seasoning packets

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium to medium-high heat until it is hot and rippling. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add the cubed chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a medium bowl.

Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until hot and rippling. Add the red bell pepper and the peanuts and cook until the pepper is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mixture into the bowl with the chicken, trying to leave as much oil as possible behind in the skillet.

Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the remaining oil in the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Break the bricks of ramen into small chunks and add them to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, tossing the ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still a bit of liquid in the pan, about 2-4 minutes.

Stir in the hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, peppers and peanuts. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

VERDICT: Holy Moly these are some tasty noodles. I could have eaten the entire skillet if I stayed in the kitchen much longer. It was SO SIMPLE, which for me makes everything taste better. One skillet and it all gets tossed in and combine for such yummy flavor. I love Chinese food, but there are no places in my area that I feel use actual chicken so I never eat it but this was so close to take-out it satisfied any salty, spicy, noodle craving one might have. This is going into heavy rotation....and if I am blogging about it about 1/2 hour after I ate it you know its good. I was afraid if I didnt I might lose the recipe and never be able to make it again.

Asian Chicken Wraps

I fell off the wagon this week...BIG TIME

I went out with the girls on Friday night and the sangria, and fries where flowing. Saturday night I had the most delicious double date night meal complete with wine and dessert AND the most delicious Asian flavored ribs. I mean heavenly ribs that would make you smack your mama. I cant stop thinking about them. But I dove off that wagon and now I got to get back on. My body wants the sugar and the fat now and I need to remind it we have a job to do. So I wanted to make sure I got some veggies in for dinner and something low in points. I couldnt even begin to calculate all that I ate over the weekend so I am going to have to work pretty darn hard this week to log as many work out points as I can.

Again I took a terrible picture. I had already eaten 3/4 of mine so I stole my husband's and tried to take a quick picture. This is the greatest meal. It comes together so fast and easy. I love the flavor and I have made this probably 2 times a month for the last 4-5 months since I found this recipe. I rely on quick and easy and this recipe is both of those things. I served it with garlic broccoli which was especially delicious.....I think I was REALLY hungry.

Asian Chicken Wraps

borrowed from Mels Kitchen Cafe

****6 WW Points Plus****

Ingredients

Chicken:

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin, 1/2-inch, strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

Vegetables:

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces cups sliced white button mushrooms (I omit these, but I am sure they are great)

3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

4 cups coleslaw mix

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

4 soft wrap breads or flour tortillas, slightly warmed (2 pts)

For the chicken, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the chicken strips and mix to thoroughly coat the chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring often until it is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

For the vegetables, heat the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the green onions and the garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the coleslaw mix and soy sauce. Add the chicken. Cook, stirring often, until the coleslaw is slightly wilted but still has a bit of crunch, and the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the hoisin sauce. Serve immediately, rolling up the mixture in soft wrap bread or flour tortilla.

Soba Noodles with Spinach & Chicken

Back in the day when I first started eating Sushi, we would go to the 1st place in our area in Bradley Beach. I always got this yummy noodle dish called Yaki Soba. I always look for it on other menus because I loved the noodles. They were brown and yummy. I finally started to see recipes recently using these noodles and finally found them in the health food store. YAY!

So I when I saw this recipe on WW site, I figured it was my destiny......

Soba Noodles with Spinach & Chicken

adapted from Weight Watchers

***10 WW Points Plus*** omit the chicken and it becomes 7 Points Plus***

serving size:4

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked soba noodles

4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

4 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp honey

2 Tbsp scallion(s), finely sliced

8 cup(s) spinach

1 spray(s) cooking spray

1 tsp dark sesame oil, or toasted sesame oil

2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)

Optional:

1 pound thin sliced chicken cut into cubes for additional points per serving listed

Instructions

Cook noodles according to package directions (do not boil or overcook, or

noodles will be gummy). Drain and place in a large bowl. While noodles are still warm, add vinegar, soy sauce, honey and scallions; toss well to coat.


Wash spinach but do not dry it; set aside.


Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add chicken and sauté until no longer pink, ***(IF NOT USING CHICKEN) add oil and place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic; cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach to pan; cover and cook until spinach wilts, about 3 to 5 minutes. Toss spinach, chicken with noodle mixture and serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

VERDICT: I liked it. I did overcook the noodles so they were mushy. I know better next time. I liked the flavors of this dish, it was super simple, full of protein, a great way to get in your leafy greens. I actually prefered them when they became room temperature and absorbed some of the sauce.

Spinach Salad & Teriyaki Bowties

I am caught up!!! I made this last night. Ok in truth I decided to jump ahead and skip some recipes that I wont likely make again. There was no reason to talk about ho-hum meals when a beauty like this can be discussed.

I did alter it from the original to try to keep the calories down. I dont think it lacked flavor at all and I dont think you would even know I made any changes.....unless I didnt just tell you.

Now that the weather is getting warmer and produce is fresher and cheaper you will see many more salads in the rotation.

I think I might have made this recipe before and I dont know if I liked it. So odd because it sounds so familiar but yet I cant remember. anyway......

Spinach Salad & Teriyaki Bowties

adapted from The Sister's Cafe

3 cups dried Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 large Bag of fresh baby Spinach (it is 7 ozs in wt.)
1 can No Sugar Added Mandarin Oranges drained
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews (optional but adds calories so I omitted)
1/2 cup fresh Parsley (optional)(omitted)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted (optional)(omitted)
2 cups torn cooked Chicken (optional)**(used unseasoned Rotisserie chicken)

Dressing:
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce or Soy Vay
3 Tbs. Sugar

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions, drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. **I used my hand blender to emulsify it and it worked great and it was much more blended***

Marinate cooked bowtie pasta in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge.***I didnt do this and it worked great, I didnt want it to soak up the dressing or get too soggy since I knew I would have leftovers***

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce and pasta over the salad, toss together and serve.

If it's just a few of you, make individual salad servings; keeping the salad and bowtie sauce separate for the rest of the week (no one likes a soggy salad).

VERDICT:

This salad is a winner. I altered some of the ingredients listed and if you click on the link you can see the original version and maybe give it a whirl. It makes a ton of salad so you could easily make this for a large crowd as a side dish without the chicken. I do think you could add some crunchy noodle and that wouldnt drive the calories up too much and give a nice crunch. The dressing was also very delicious and I am glad that I cut the oil in half and omitted some of the sugar because it didnt need it. I am also glad I chose not to soak the pasta because, it would in truth just be soaking up more fat and calories and I think it was just as flavorful without using all that dressing. I have about 1/2 the salad leftover and 1/2 the dressing so it makes enough for 5 generous dinner sized servings just with the quantities I have listed. Click on the original link to make an even larger salad.

Oriental Beef & Noodles

I get super excited about my crock pot......I love the ease of it, its like someone else cooked my dinner. Maybe that is why I am usually underwhelmed with the results. I don't know maybe its me. Maybe I just need to keep in mind that in the morning I dumped a few things into this magical machine and left it alone for 8 hours and now I am eating it. I have yet to find a handful of recipes that I would rather eat from the crock pot then eat anything else. I have so many of those in my life, but the crock pot 5 start favorites have eluded me.

Oriental Beef and Noodles
borrowed from Cooking This and That
Makes 4-6 servings

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat.
In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, water, and red pepper.
Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours (I recommend low, it will help to break the meat down more).
At the end of cooking time, discard spice packets from ramen noodles.
Stir noodles and green onions into meat mixture.
Cover and let stand 10 minutes more.
Stir before serving.
This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

VERDICT
It was OK. Again I don't know maybe my expectations for my crock pot meals are too high. The veggies had virtually vanished and that was sad. I guess they cant hang for 9 hours. I would add them in with the noodles and see if that helped. I also should have made some stir fry broccoli to go with it. Just to perk it up. I also would add another package of noodles because I liked that part. I think someone needs to make this recipe and give me their thoughts. It was awesome to throw it in and not think about it again. Maybe I need to cut the crock pot a break!

Asian Noodle Salad

Its has been a flurry of cooking going on in my kitchen today. That's it for me though. It will be leftovers or sushi tomorrow night & the weekend because I am out recipes. Unless someone might want to come over for a BBQ? There are some turkey burgers I need to try out before vacation.

It will sound ridiculous because I am sure I could say this about everything I have posted--heck, I probably wrote it this afternoon but you need to try this salad. Make it for a party, bring it to someone's house, make it and eat it for a week. I am telling you, this is a EUREKA I cant believe I know how to make this salad its so good.

Asian Noodle Salad

borrowed from The Sister's Cafe who adapted it from Jamie Oliver

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 packages linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled--(I used whole wheat spaghetti)
1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage **I couldn't find this in my store so I omitted**
1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage**I got a bag of shredded red cabbage is that the same?**
1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin
1 small bag bean sprouts (I left these out)**me too they didn't have them in my store**
3 sliced scallions
1 peeled, sliced cucumber ( you could use more)
chopped cilantro-to taste (I only used a little) **blech I don't like cilantro**
1 can whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet **um, I forgot to do this whole step so no nuts were harmed in the making of this salad**

DRESSING:

Juice of 1 lime
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped--WARNING the use of jalapenos can be dangerous. I know when I seed them not to touch the membrane but I was in a rush and wasn't really thinking and I pulled it out with my finger nails instead of cutting it with a knife and now my fingers under the nail are burning for hours--DON'T DO THIS. I think next time I will just omit these too because I liked the dressing better without it anyway, and I cant be trusted with a hot pepper

Mix together salad ingredients in LARGE bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs and serve in a big bowl or platter. NOT A big bowl A HUGE BOWL. This is a BIG salad--you cant even tell how big it is from the picture, but this bowl is enormous

VERDICT
IIIIII LOOOOOVVVVVEEEE THHHISSSS SAAAAALLAAADDDDD!!!

There is so much leftover that I am totally in heaven that I get to eat more of it. Can you tell I am starting to get a little nuts over some of these recipes. Who said Food isn't love??? Who knew a salad could bring so much joy. I am telling you if I made this for a crowd they would go nuts for it too. I want to have a party just so I can make this salad for people. You can make it for a crowd because its GIANT, have I mentioned that? So again I omitted somethings and forgot one really big thing the cashews, but I didn't miss them and I saved a whole bunch of extra calories. When I have the leftovers maybe I will throw them in just in case it might make me love the salad more but I don't think that could happen.

EDIT:

Something about the leftovers werent quite right. There was a bitterness that wasnt there the night I made it fresh and ate it. The cabbage made the leftovers taste very bitter and I had to throw the rest out. So I am putting this warning out there. If you use cabbage beware. Maybe it was the paricular cabbage I used since I dont think it was either of the ones mentioned in the recipe or if that is what cabbage does after a day or 2. I dont think it added anything spectacular to the dish so in the future I will leave it out of maybe add plain old coleslaw mix or a broccoli cole slaw mix instead--consider yourself warned

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

I didnt start cooking tonight until almost 9 pm since my little sweet boy was feverish all day and everyone was so needy that dinner had to wait. Luckily Doug aka Chief Taste Tester was working late so no one had to suffer from hunger (except me) Luckily this recipe is really simple, easy to slice & dice ahead of time and it comes together for a very quick and healthy meal. I got this one from a Martha Stewart Everyday Food Cook Book I picked up in Costco. This recipe is worth the $14 I paid. Since getting the book a few months ago I think this is the 4th apperance of this recipe. Its a favorite and I bet once you make it you will see why.

I realized once I was finished writing this one up I keep posting my verdict on recipes I have already perfected and had a bunch of times before. So I apologize for the rave reviews on everything. I promise to hunt down some new recipes for next week.

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

borrowed From Marth Stewart Everyday Food

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and thinly sliced * I use Thin Cut breasts
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger * fresh does make the flavor stronger then the powder
1/4 tablespoon red-pepper flakes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with
1 tablespoon water
12 Boston lettuce leaves (I buy 2 heads)* make sure you wash these really well. I rinse them about 3 times before the dirt all comes off.

*optional Chopped peanuts & green onions to sprinkle on top

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes.


2. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
   
3. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).
   
4. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, ginger, and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
   
5. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture; remove from heat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in lettuce cups.
   Yield: 4 servings

VERDICT

Martha Stewart knows her Chicken Stir Fry Wraps. I love these and while I wasnt in the mood to cook tonight since it was so late I had craved them all day and they lived up to my expectations. I did think once I was finished that chopped nuts & green onions (both of which I had) would be really good on top too. Maybe next time. Oh and be careful not to wrap the chicken in the lettuce ahead of time, the lettuce gets very soggy quickly.