Week 25: Stir-fry ala Jonna

The Recipe
2dl rice (just under 1 cup)
1 tsp each of paprika and curry
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
300gr chicken, turkey or pork cut into bite sized pieces
1 bell pepper, sliced
3-4 carrots in thin sticks
1/2 "head" of Chinese cabbage (or any other cabbage if Chinese can't be found), sliced
Soy sauce

Put the cabbage in a bowl and pour 2-3 tbsp soy sauce on top to "soak" until ready for use.

Cook rice according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile heat oil in a wok over low heat until it starts to fizzle around a piece of onion. Add paprika and curry and cook it for a few minutes - keep the heat very low, or you'll burn it instead. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is starting to get soft. Add chicken/turkey/pork and stir until cooked through.

Add carrots and bell pepper and cook until the carrots are just al dente. Add the cabbage and stir until the cabbage has wilted somewhat. Add rice and mix everything up.

Serve with peanuts, extra soy sauce and sweet chili sauce.

The Verdict
I loved this as a child, but am somehow less fond of it as an adult without fully being able to say why. The different flavours worked well together, but it was just missing.... *something*. Ah well.

Week 16: Chili Chicken Cashew

The Recipe
1lb chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp cooking sherry or red wine (optional)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp oil
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 spring onions, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cashews or peanuts
sesame seeds
Sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp white vinegar

Combine soy sauce and sherry in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, put it in the bowl and stir until all the chicken is coated with the mixture. Set aside while you prepare the rest.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add red pepper flaked to oil and stir. Add chicken and leave without stirring for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook chicken until golden on all sides. Drain as necessary. Add cashews, bell pepper and spring onions. Turn heat down to low. Pour in sauce and stir to make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Leave for a couple of minutes until sauce thickens (you may have to turn up the heat a bit).

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

The Verdict
I really liked it, but it is very similar to other dishes I make, so I don't know how often I'll be making this particular version of it. But anything that adds cashews to a dish is A-OK with me :)

Week 7: Spicy Raspberry-Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

The Recipe
Spice Rub: (Don't shy about doubling this to make sure all the chicken is thickly coated)
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp powdered ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
1 tsp powdered garlic (I know, the fresh stuff is better, but this way you can get the same amount of garlic and ginger quite easily, which is the goal.)
Sauce:
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp raspberry balsamic vinegar (I couldn't find raspberry so used cherry instead. Am going to assume it didn't make a difference :) )
4 tbsp honey
The Rest Of The Dish:
2 tbsp oil
1 lb chicken, cut into stirfry-sized pieces
2 bell peppers
(4 oz bamboo shoots) (I don't like bamboo shoots, so I left them out)
4 oz sliced water chestnuts

Dredge the chicken thoroughly in the spice rub. Make more rub rather than let parts of chicken escape spicing. In a wok or large frying pan, over medium-high heat, stir fry the chicken in oil.
Once the chicken has been cooked on each side (but not all the way through), add the bell peppers, the bamboo shoots, and the water chestnuts.
Make sure all ingredients are tossed together well, then add the sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice or flat noodles.

The Verdict
Really yummy! I liked the spice palet and how the spicy/sweet/tart flavours meshed. Might be a tad too spicy for DH, so I'll probably mainly make this on days when I'm home alone.

Week 35: Creamy Jalapeno Turkey

The Recipe
275g boneless skinless turkey breast cutlets (couldn't find turkey, so I used chicken instead)
salt
oil
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (I only have pickled, sliced jalapeno, so I used 4 slices)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
40g cream cheese
2 tbsp sour cream or greek yoghurt
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Cut turkey into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle turkey with salt. Heat the oil in a skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat; add turkey and brown on both sides. Add onion, broth, jalapenos and cumin. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until turkey is cooked through. Stir cream cheese and sour cream into onion mixture in skillet until well blended; stir in tomatoes and bell pepper and heat through. Serve over rice.

The Verdict
I didn't have terribly high hopes for this one as it smelled kinda funny as it was cooking. It ended up being really tasty though - the chili-cheese taste did wonders for the typical blandness of chicken. It was a tiny bit too rich though, so I think I might use less cream cheese and yoghurt next time - 40g/2tbsp is a LOT!

Week 28: Casserole

The Recipe
300g meat cut into bite-sized pieces - use leftovers if you have them.
1 bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 carrots
2 tbsp cream cheese
4 dl water
salt

Heat oil in a wok. Chop up all the vegetables and stir-fry quickly. Add the meat and cook until done. Add water and bring to a boil. Once it boils, add cream cheese and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Salt to taste.

Serve over rice.

The Recipe
I had no rice, so served it over pasta instead - which was fine, but it would definitely have worked better over rice, as there was a lot of sauce which now went to waste. I added a bit of chilli sauce to my portion and the chilli-cheese mix worked really well.

Week 26: Chicken with Bean Sprouts

The Recipe
300g skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp corn flour, divided
3 spring onions, sliced
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp dry sherry
1/2 cup chicken stock
125g fresh bean sprouts

Mix a marinade of soy sauce, sugar and 1 tsp corn flour. Slice the chicken in very thin slices and add it to the marinade. Let it marinade for at least 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok. Stir-fry the spring onions for 30 sec and push aside. Add the chicken and cook until done. Add sherry and bean sprouts.

Mix together the remaining corn flour and the chicken stock. Add slowly while stirring. Let the dish simmer until the sauce thickens a bit.

The verdict
Very bland :( I added chilli sauce and extra soy sauce which helped, but too much work for too little taste.

Week 4: Cashew Chicken

The Recipe
450g chicken in strips
1 dl orange juice
1/2 dl honey
1/2 dl soy sauce
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp oil, divided
2 spring onions, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 dl cashew nuts

In a bowl, combine juice, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch and seasonings. In a wok heat 1 tbsp oil until very hot. Stir-fry vegetables for 4-5 minutes until the onions become fragrant. Remove from wok.

Heat the rest of the oil until very hot and stir-fry chicken until browned and tender. Add vegetables, cashews and sauce mixture. Continue cooking until sauce thickens.

Serve with rice.

The Verdict
A nice alternative to the traditional stir-fry. The sauce gives it a nice touch, and I loooooove cashews! I found it easier to make in a large pan rather than a wok, as it's easier to stir-fry the chicken evenly.

Tastes great the second day as well :)

Week 50: Caramelized Wok

The Recipe
250g pork in thin stripes
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt, pepper
1 tbsp oil, divided
3 bell peppers
1 small squash
1 onion
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar / red-wine vinegar
Fresh basil (optional)

Mix 1/2 tbsp oil, salt, pepper and garlic with the meat. Leave to marinate while you chop the rest of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

Warm up a wok or thick-bottomed pan over high heat and cook the meat until brown on all sides. Remove from wok.

Add the other 1/2 tbsp oil to the pan and cook vegetables until almost done but still a bit crisp - about 8 minutes. Mix the vinegar and sugar and pour it over the vegetables while stirring. Let it reduce somewhat and give the vegetables a caramelized coating. Return the meat to the wok and add basil.

Serve with bread or pasta.

The Verdict
I'm not sure what I did wrong, but the vinegar/sugar never really reduced so there wasn't much of a caramelized effect going on. Also, I think I would have been better off serving it with bread than with pasta (or as the fillings of a tortillas! Actually, that would probably have been the best!) as pasta tends to be rather bland, and there just wasn't enough taste in the stir-fry itself (quickly helped with a bit of chilli sauce fortunately). But it has definite potential, so I think I'll try to again, this time in tortillas rather than with pasta. Not sure what I'll do about the lack of caramelization though... I'll have to think about that.

Week 48: Oriental Wok

The Recipe
400g sirloin steak
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
chili
pepper
2 onions
1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green bell pepper
1 tsp oil
2dl chicken bouillon
3 tbsp hoisinsauce or chilisauce
1 tbsp corn flour

Mix soy sauce, ginger, chili and pepper in a bowl. Slice the sirloin steak and turn it in the mix. Let it set for 15 minutes.
Peel and chop the onions. Cut the bell peppers into stripes.
Heat the oil in a wok. Cook the bell peppers and onions for about 5 minutes while stirring.
Take the meat out of the marinade and dry it with paper towels. Cook the meet with the vegetables until it's done.
Mix bouillon, hoisinsauce and corn flower in another bowl. Poor the mixture into the wok while stirring. Let the liquid thicken. Serve immediately with boiled rice.

The Verdict
I didn't have any hoisin sauce, so I used chili sauce instead. I liked it well enough. It wasn't all that different from most stir-fry dishes I make, but I usually use cheaper meat, and I could taste the difference.

Week 41: Chicken Stir-Fry

The Recipe
400g chicken breast
1 tsp ginger
1 tbsp dry sherry or red wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
chilli
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup oil
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper in bite-sized pieces
1 green bell pepper in bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp chilli sauce
2 tsp corn flour.

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and marinate it in ginger, sherry and soy sauce for at least 30 minutes.
Roast chilli and peanuts in hot oil for about a minute. Remove from the wok. Stir-fry onion and bell peppers for 1 minute. Remove from wok or push to the side. Stir-fry the meat for 2 minutes or until it's done.
Add chicken stock, chilli sauce and corn flour. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens.
Return vegetables, peanuts and chilli to the wok and warm through. Serve with rice.

The Verdict
1/2 cup of oil? Are they nuts??? Even half that would be too much. The peanuts weren't roasted, they were deep-fried! And everything else started boiling rather than stir-frying.
Surprisingly dull, considering I've made similar dishes with great success. If I'm ever to make this again (highly unlikely at this point) I'll definitely be using less oil and more chilli.

Week 23: Beef with ginger and bell peppers

I ended up using pork instead of beef as beef is ridiculously expensive. Seriously, it cost almost twice as much as the pork! I doubt it changed the recipe all that much though.

The Recipe
400g beef cut into strips
1 tbsp oil
3 bell peppers
1 large leak (I didn't have that, so I used squash instead)
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2.5dl beef stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
some flour for thickening the sauce.

Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and put them cut-side down on some foil on an oven rack. Grill them for about 10 minutes until they are brown on top.
Heat the oil in a wok and cook the meat for 2-3 minutes or until done. Remove from the wok. Cut the bell peppers and leak into bite sized pieces and chop the garlic and ginger. Add it to the wok and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add stock and soy sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Add flour if a thicker sauce is desired. Add meat and heat through. Serve with wild rice.

The Verdict
Another "I don't need a recipe for this!" recipe. I seem to have acquired a number of those over the years! Guess I'm a better cook now than when I first started collecting these... which is a really good thing ;) It tasted good, and I might definitely make something similar another time, but I don't need to save the recipe.

Week 15 - Garlic-Chili Shrimp

The Recipe
200 shrimp, defrosted
1 tsp Chili-garlic olive oil
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp white wine
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 lemon slices, 1/4" thick
1/4 tablespoon butter
Salt, Pepper

Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over shrimp. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat; add shrimp and bay leaf; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for another minute. Add wine and lemon to the skillet. Raise heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a simmer; cook about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf and lemon. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Serve shrimp on rice with lemon wedges.

The Verdict
Honestly, I was a bit hesitant about this one, as I'm not usually one for cooked shrimp (I love it cold, but cooked not so much). It was absolutely delicious though! The smell was almost the best part - it smelled lovely exotic and as if I were in an Asian restaurant. There was neither enough garlic nor enough chili though, so I think I'll try to add some red pepper flakes and chopped garlic the next time.

Week 7: Mediterranean Chicken

The Recipe
Cook chicken breast halves. Remove from heat and keep warm. Combine garlic, chicken broth, extra water and brown rice and cook until the rice is almost done. Add tomatoes, zucchini and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes. Add chicken and heat through. Serve with feta cheese and olives.

The Verdict
Very similar to just about every other stir-fry dish I've ever tried, so not something I need a recipe to make. I loved the idea of cooking rice in broth though - hadn't thought about doing that before, and it tasted delicious! That part of the recipe I'll definitely use again.

Pasta with Tomatoes and Squash

(serves 2)

300gr pasta of your own choice (I use Benne - it corresponds to just under 1 litre ~ 4 cups uncooked)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 hand-full fresh basil
2-3 loaves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you like your food)
1-2 bell peppers
4 carrots
½ squash (depending on size - use a whole one if it's very small)
approx. 10 olives
2 small onions
approx 150gr thinly sliced and diced bacon (optional)
1 can of diced tomatos. (In Denmark I can get cans with chili added - I like to use this to make the dish spicy. If you can't buy them where you are, just use regular tomatos and add chili according to taste)
Salt, pepper
favourite spices (I use carry, cinnamon and sugar)

Boil the pasta according to the directions on the package. I like to add a bit of vegetable stock to the water as it boils, but it isn't necessary.

Cut everything into bite-sized pieces, chop the garlic, the basil and halve the olives. Warm the oil in a wok or large pan. Add chopped basil and garlic and fry until the garlic starts to take colour. Add bacon and onions and fry until the bacon is cooked and the onions transparent. Add carrots and squash and fry for 5 minutes. Add olives and bell pepper and fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Stirr in tomatos and turn down heat. Leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes, but keep an eye on it, that it doesn't get too dry. Add spices according to taste (approx. 1 tsp of each in my case). The sauce is done when the squash is 'al dente'. Mix with the pasta and heat through. Tastes great both warm that day, and cold for lunch the next day.

Stir-fry

(serves 2)

Approx. 300gr. meat in bite-sized pieces. Chicken, turkey, pork or beef - whichever catches your fancy.
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp soy sauce - divided
2 cloves of garlic - thinly sliced
3 carrots in bite size pieces
2 tomatoes - diced.
5 spring onions - thickly sliced
1 bell pepper in bite size pieces
1 package of frozen vegetables (in Denmark you can get Asian ones - these are the best for it)
salt + pepper to taste
Your favourite noodles. I like egg noodles, but anything will do. You'll need at least 250gr.

Mix together the oil, half the soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the meat and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes - 1 hour if possible. (Or if you're short of time, just make sure you do this first, and let it marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.)
Cook the noodles according to the description on the package. Drain and leave to be used later.
Put the stove on medium-high and heat up a wok or a cooking pot (if you don't think it can take being heated up empty, use some of the marinate). Add the meat and all the marinate and fry until the meat is close to being cooked through. Add the carrots, spring onions and bell peppers and fry until the carrots are 'al dente' - 5 minutes or so. Add the frozen vegetables, the tomatoes and the rest of the soy sauce. Cook until the vegetables are no longer frozen.

Add the noodles, heat through and serve.