Stir-Fry Chicken and Snow Peas

So, during the Christmas holiday and when I got to spend almost an entire week at home, my mom spoiled me with delicious food that I can't help but share. I'm trying to convince her to be a contributor on the blog as well, since she is such a whiz in the kitchen an has a little more time (not to mention the funds) to spend.

I always love the great Asian recipe, since they can be so hard to come by...

Stir-Fry Chicken and Snow Peas
Serves 4-6

2 Large Chicken Breasts cut into about 1” x 1” pieces
¼ Cup of cooking oil
¾ Cup of frozen but thawed snow pea pods
1 Carrot peeled and grated
1 small can of water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
1-can of baby corn, drained and rinsed
1 Package of stick rice (looks like a white bird nest in a bag and is in the Oriental section of the grocery store.

Sauce:
2 Tablespoons of Braggs Liquid Aminos
¼ Teaspoon of ground ginger
¼ Teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon of Curry Powder
1 Tablespoon of Honey
1 Teaspoon of Cornstarch
1/8 Cup water

• Mix all the ingredients of the sauce and set aside until later.
• Stir-fry chicken in oil until done (about 5 minutes on medium-high heat) then take out of pan and set aside.
• Add a little more oil to pan and sauté snow pea pods, grated carrot and water chestnuts for 3-5 minutes.
• Add chicken back into pan and then mix in the sauce.
• Stir for about 1 minute until sauce thickens.
• I use about ½ package of the stick rice, cooked in water for about 3 minutes. Drain and place on platter.
• Spoon the Stir-Fry Chicken and Snow Peas on top of the cooked stick rice and enjoy!

IC-Safe Shrimp Fried Rice

The other night my boyfriend made this delicious shrimp fried rice. It is normally very difficult for someone with interstitial cystitis to eat Asian foods and this recipe is IC-safe so I had to share it. Enjoy!

IC-Safe Shrimp Fried Rice

Serves 4-6

8 ounces small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 tsp. salt

Ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. cooking oil

3 eggs, beaten

1 stalk of leek, minced

4 cups rice, cooked

3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted

1 Tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos (to substitute for soy sauce)

1 tsp. sesame oil

• In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper and cornstarch. Let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Heat a wok or a large saute pan on high heat. When the pan is hot enough for a bead of water to instantly sizzle and evaporate, add just 1 tablespoon of cooking out and swirl to coat pan.
• Add the shrimp, quickly spreading out around the cooking surface area so that they are not overlapping. Let fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until abut 80% cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
• Turn the heat to medium, let the pan heat up again. Add the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the pan into the same plate as the cooked shrimp.
• Use paper towels to wipe the same wok or saute pan clean and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of the wok.
• Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all the ingredients. Taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed.

Chicken Chow Mein

My boyfriend and I recently invested in a slow cooker crock pot. I must say we absolutely love it. It has really opened up brand new cooking opportunities. If you don't have one, they don't cost too much and I would suggest that you consider adding a crock pot to your kitchen appliance inventory. I was really excited and opened my Betty Crocker Cook book and found the following recipe. It is delicious and is basically chopping and throwing things together. Best thing, it's safe for someone with interstitial cystitis. Enjoy!

Chicken Chow Mein
Serves 4-6

8 Boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally
2 medium stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
2 cups leeks, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 can water chestnuts
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
1/2 tsp ginger root
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cold water
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup snow pea pods
Chow mein noodles

• Remove fat from chicken and cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.
• In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown.
• In 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker, place carrots, celery, onion, garlic and water chestnuts then add chicken.
• In small bowl, mix broth, soy sauce and ginger root; pour over chicken.
• In small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture.
• Stir in mushrooms an pea pods.
• Increase heat setting to High.
• Cover and cook 15 minutes and then serve over noodles.

Stir-Fried Asian Beef and Noodles

I looked through my recipes on my blog and realized I seem to only cook casseroles or Italian foods. Probably because I can find recipes with milder ingredients. Well I'm going to spice things up a bit with this delicious Asian stir-fry recipe. Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Asian beef and Noodles

Serves 6

1 lb beef boneless sirloin steak, cut into 2 X 1/4-inch strips

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. corn starch

1/2 tsp. Bragg's liquid aminos

1 package (6 oz.) rice stick noodles

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. ginger

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 bag frozen broccoli, carrots and sugar snap peas (or vegetables of your choice), thawed

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3/4 cup beef broth

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup honey

3 Tbsp. Bragg's liquid aminos

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 cup leaks, sliced

sesame seeds

• In a large bowl, toss beef, 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, cornstarch and 1/2 tsp. Bragg's liquid aminos. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• In another large bowl, soak the noodles for 5 minutes in enough cold water to cover, drain
• Heat 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Coat skillet with 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil.
• Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add vegetables; stir-fry until crispy and tender. Remove from skillet.
• Add 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil to re-coat the skillet. Add beef; stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until brown. Remove from skillet.
• Add broth, vinegar, honey, 3 Tbsp. Bragg's liquid aminos and sesame oil to skillet. Stir in noodles and heat to boiling. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until noodles are tender. Stir in beef, vegetables, onions and sesame seeds. Cook and stir for about 1 minute.