Authentic Asian Food- Fast

I’ve never had luck cooking Asian food. Asian inspired I can do. Even faux Asian. But real Asian food continues to elude me. I’m not sure if it’s the amount of prep work involved or if my stovetop just doesn’t get hot enough. No, I probably shouldn’t have sold my wok at a garage sale a few years back.

But, what ever the reason, I turn, time and again, to take out for Asian cuisine. Which can get expensive. I am considering trying the Sun-Bird seasonings or a meal kit. Their products include sauce mixes like honey sesame chicken, sweet & Sour and Kung Pao, spices for fried rice and stir fry, and marinades in both teriyaki and honey. I figure it’s worth a try as my girls love Asian food.

If you stop in the Asian section at your store and see the Sun-Bird items you should also see a form to enter and win a Blu-Ray ™ Disc player. Sun-Bird is giving away 15 thru October 31, 2009.

Here’s the Quick Chicken Stir Fry recipe from the Sun-Bird site:

1 package Sun-Bird stir fry seasoning
2 T soy sauce
2 t sugar (or sugar substitute)
1/3 c water
2 T oil
1 lb boneless chicken, cut into strips
1 pkg (1 lb) Oriental style frozen vegetables (without sauce)

Blend seasoning packet, soy sauce, sugar and water. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok heat oil; add chicken, stir fry until browned. Add vegetables; stir fry until heated through.

Add liquid mixture and stir fry 1-2 minutes more; until thickened.

Serves 4

Lasagna Soup

It's soup time! If you didn't get a chance to try this last winter it's soup time again!

When I saw this recipe in Family Fun I knew we would have to try it before winter ended. And now I'm kinda hoping winter will hold on just a couple more weeks so I can make it again!

This hearty and filling soup's secret is in the bottom of the bowl: a mix of cheeses that you ladle the soup on top of. After a quick mix you have gooey, melted cheeses. Mmmm...

The recipe is by Meredith Deeds and can also be found in her book 300 Sensational Soups.

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RECIPE INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil (I, honestly, omitted this. Why add oil to sausage?)
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped (I used onion flakes, a few Tbsp, to taste)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces fusilli pasta (really, any pasta will work.)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

Gnocchi with Spinach and Ricotta

While pasta is always an easy meal I love to "mix it up" once in a while and make gnocchi. This potato dumpling, which means lumps, has been on Italian tables since Roman times.

I haven't attempted to make my own gnocchi yet but I've found some good varieties at Target and my local grocery. Just a tip- don't buy it dried. It will be in the dried pasta section but buy the kind that looks soft. It may also be in the refrigerated section.

This recipe is gooey and creamy. Mmmm... And no whining about the spinach! The recipe comes from ParentsConnect.

* 1 (1-pound) package potato gnocchi
* 1 cup fat-free half-and-half (ok, I don't buy this. I use skim milk. It makes a runnier sauce. I use 3/4 c and increase the flour by 1tsp.)
* 1 teaspoon flour
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 (10-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach leaves
* ½ cup nonfat ricotta cheese
* 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the broiler and move top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from heat.

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the gnocchi according to package directions (gnocchi will float to surface when done). Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, combine the half-and-half, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring well to mix with a wire whisk. Bring mixture to a boil. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, whisking frequently. (I don't have an oven-proof skillet. I cook it in a saucepan or regular skillet and transfer it to a casserole dish coated with cooking spray.)

Add spinach in handfuls and cook, stirring frequently until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove from heat, then add gnocchi, stirring to mix well.

Spoon ricotta over gnocchi in five large dollops (I add multiple smaller dollops) and sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling around edges, about 3 minutes.

Hello! Yes,I'm Still Here! Well, Kind Of...

First let me apologize for the lack of recipes the past few weeks. We were traveling for my site Have Kid Will Travel, then the long Labor Day weekend snuck up and we were off again and when we returned home I got hit really hard with a nasty cold. Ugh.

But, beyond that, I have been making some changes. If you follow me at Iowa Geek you may have noticed a new category on that site. Yep, Fab Food Friday will be returning to its original home at Iowa Geek. I'm still in the process of making changes, getting the feed set up and the categories just right, so I'm not taking down this site... Yet.

But all new recipes will be appearing at Iowa Geek under the Fab Food Friday category. Click here for the direct link. Watch here for new RSS links and changes!

Kids Pizza Party (And Win One of Your Own!)

What do kids furniture and pizza parties have in common? Visit my other site, Iowa Geek, to find out!


Contest open to residents of US & Canada
Contest ends August 16, 2009
Contest sponsored by AllChildrensFurniture.com
For contest information and rules visit Iowa Geek!

This post will remain at the top of my page until the contest ends. For newer posts please scroll down. Or sign up for my emails or RSS feed to "get it while it's hot"!

Ginger Chicken with Rice Noodles

My girls are big fans of Chinese and Asian influenced foods. I'm not sure if it's because of the chopsticks or what, but the mere mention of "Chinese" for dinner makes them giddy.

This recipe was very easy to make and is quite good served cold, too. If you happen to be grilling chicken the same week you make it, just grill a couple extra, cut them and heat in a saute pan before adding to the noodles. Also, I can't always find rice noodles- it depends on where I'm shopping. I substitute angel hair pasta and get great results.

I pulled this recipe out of a magazine quite a while back... I think it was Fitness.

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped scallion
• 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 4-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 ounces dried rice noodles
• 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 4 tablespoons chopped peanuts

In a small bowl, combine scallion, ginger, 6 garlic cloves, olive oil, and salt. Coat chicken breasts with mixture and place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once.

Slice chicken diagonally; keep warm. Cook noodles in a large saucepan in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes until tender; drain. Shred 2 teaspoons lime peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons lime juice into a bowl. Add sugar and remaining 2 garlic cloves; stir until sugar dissolves. Add noodles, carrot, cilantro and peanuts; toss. Spoon onto plates; arrange chicken on top.

Pillsbury simply... The Peanut Butter Version

A couple weeks ago I share my thoughts on the new Pillsbury® simply chocolate chip cookies. Last week we decided to try the peanut butter ones.

Like the chocolate chip, they are all natural ingredients:* wheat flour * brown sugar * water * eggs * baking powder * salt * pure vanilla extract * all natural semisweet chocolate chips * peanut butter * sugar * skim milk and contain no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup and not artificial colors or preservatives. In other words, they are just what you would make if you were making cookies.

We all worked hard...

I rolled the dough into balls.

Caelan rolled the balls in sugar.











Brenna did the "signature" criss-cross












And after a short baking time we had hot, fresh peanut butter cookies.

I liked them more than the chocolate chip ones!

Want to try new Pillsbury® simply... cookies? I have one coupon left. First comment gets it! If you're not the lucky first comment you can visit the Pillsbury simply... website for a $1 coupon instantly!