Crab Wontons

The past month has been crazy! In one week I had a close friend die of cancer; another friend die suddenly of a heart attack, have sung in concerts, my son started little league in addition to all the other stuff that my family is already involved in.  Yes, I now have something going on every single day of the week until mid May.  The cloud of dust is settling again though and life is beginning to look normal, despite the busy schedule.

After all that, I needed comfort food.  Fried Comfort Food!

My husband and I went to a popular Chinese Restaurant and ordered Crab Wontons from their appetizer menu.  Theirs came to a beautiful 4 point star shape.  I wanted to make these myself so I could have them any time.  Mine were not the star shaped wontons, I opted for the easy fold over and make a triangle – the taste was the same.  I used a store bought Sweet and Sour Dipping sauce, but will try a homemade sauce next time.  The dipping sauce  was not as impressive.  Although it is called Spicy Crab Wontons, I did not find it overly spicy.  I didn’t make the whole batch, as it was just hubby and I, but for a party, do make the complete batch.  I reserved the filling to make it again in the following days, but did not get around to it.  I added more crab meat, less cream cheese (only because I did not have a pound of it), and added 2 green onions, chopped for color (only the green part)

I found this recipe in the book: The Chesapeake Bay Crabbiest Cookbook by Whitey Schmidt.  It is a cookbook that I picked up on a trip to Baltimore, MD. You can find the original recipe on page 96. Here is my adaptation:

Spicy Crab Wontons

adapted from The Chesapeake Bay Crabbiest Cookbook (pg 96)

Serves 4-6 (or more if appetizer portion)

Ingredients:

• 16 oz crab meat (I used a quality canned crab meat found in the refrigerated section)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (green part only)
• 1 (8 oz) package wonton wrappers (in refrigerated section)
• peanut oil for frying

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine.

Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface, place 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp crab filling into the center.  Moisten the edges of the wonton with water and fold the wonton in half diagonally, lining up the opposite corners.  Gently press along the edge to seal.  Cover the ready wontons with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out until you have finished making your wontons.

Heat peanut oil in a stainless skillet over medium high heat.  Fry the wontons in batches, being sure not to crowd them turning them over from time to time until they are golden (about 1 minute total).  Remove to a wire rack and finish frying the wontons in batches.  Serve with your favorite Asian dipping sauce.

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Chicken Curry

Lately, my husband and I have been eating curry at every opportunity.  A recent trip to a Thai Restaurant rekindled that craving.  Some days of the week are crazy and hectic for us.  Getting dinner in our bellies and out the door for various activities is sometimes a challenge.  On those days I like to use short cuts.  It is not beneath me to buy prepared sauces when it is needed.  I don’t want to tangle with complicated seasonings and sauces to get dinner on in a rush.

I picked up some Kikkoman Thai Red Curry Sauce and Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice Mix to help me get dinner on.

I cooked zucchini and mushrooms as my sides and kept them warm in the oven.  I cooked the rice mix according to package directions.  I cut up 3 chicken breast halves, seasoned them with salt, and browned them in a little olive oil over medium high heat.  After the chicken was fully cooked I poured the Thai Curry sauce over the chicken and heated the sauce through.  It made a simple, tasty dinner before rushing off.

Sweet and Spicy Macadamia Chicken

A long time friend recently posted on Facebook that she had made a Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken for dinner.  I and several others begged her for the recipe and she sent it to me.   Now she does not say what she is having but says it is yummy.  I think she is tired of sending her friends her best recipes.  I am glad however that she shared this one with me, because it was an instant favorite.  I made a few changes – changed the nut to Macadamia from Cashew (only because I had them on hand) and added baby bok choy because they sounded like they would be a nice addition to this recipe- It was.  My daughters thought it would also taste good with Shrimp and I agree it would, but it would need less cooking time.  I would start cooking the shrimp with the garlic and when they are pink remove them from the wok, cook the other ingredients and then add them back in once the sauce comes to a boil.

She shared with me the original source of the recipe and you can find it here.  Thank you Doris! This recipe is a keeper.

Sweet and Spicy Macadamia Chicken

adapted from Best of Bridge Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken

Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 200), Grand Slam (Page: 148)

Serves 6

Ingredients:
Sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 4 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Stir Fry Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (shrimp would be really nice in this dish as well)
• 1/4 cup oil (peanut oil if no one has a peanut allergy)
• 2-3 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 red peppers, cut in strips (I used one red and one yellow)
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced into matchsticks (they could be coins, but my family likes softer carrots)
• 2 cups snow peas
• 3 baby bok choy, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups cashews
• sprinkling of sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions:
Combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside for later use.

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add chicken cubes and toss to coat.

Heat wok or frying pan to highest heat. Add oil (I used Peanut oil). Heat to hot, not smoking. Add chicken, ginger, garlic and onion. Stir until chicken is opaque (about 1 minute). Add peppers and carrots. Stir 2-3 minutes. Add snow peas, bok choy and sauce. Cook until sauce comes to a boil. Add cashews and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately over hot cooked rice.

Serves 6.

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Thai Chicken Soup

I was looking through the most recent issue of the Food Network Magazine (November 2010) and saw a recipe for Thai Chicken Soup that sounded good.  They have the recipe on their website (link).

I made it tonight and it was very good.  I would make a few changes next time though to increase the flavor – I would cook the chicken with the onions and curry sauce and then remove them from the soup and add the meat at the end for more flavor.  I would also increase the green curry paste by at least 1 tablespoon.  The addition of fresh ginger would also be good. (The recipe below reflects the changes I would make.)

Thai Chicken Soup

Serves 4-6

adapted from Food Network Magazine (Nov. 2010)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbps vegetable oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp green curry paste
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 2-3 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), very thinly sliced crosswise
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces thin rice noodles, broken into pieces
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, occasionally stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste, and ginger and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken breast slices and cook in the curry sauce, until cooked through about 3 minutes.  Remove the chicken and set aside to add back into the soup just before serving.  Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; cover and bring to a boil.

Add the bell peppers and noodles and simmer, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes. Add the seasoned chicken and heat through, about 1-2 more minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add more fish sauce and lime juice, if desired.

SERVES: 4

Recipe Notes
I made this October 2010 after seeing it in the Thanksgiving edition of the Food Network Magazine (Nov 2010) and we liked it a lot.  Good soup.  Break the rice noodles into smaller pieces so it is easier to serve (and eat).  With the changes I made, I think it will be even more flavorful.  I served this with some reheated crusty French Bread.

 

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Asian Lettuce Wraps

On the theme of Asian food:  After making the Asian Onion Soup we had these delightful Asian Lettuce wraps and a side of garlic steamed rice.  This is another recipe that I discovered on allrecipes.com.  It was easy to eat.  I also made a dipping sauce that reviewers said worked nicely.  It added extra spice for the adults (and my 6 year old son who likes spicy foods)– don’t worry it is not overpowering.  Another change I made was that I added grated carrot to the meat mixture.  It added extra color and flavor to the dish. You could easily substitute pork or ground turkey for the ground beef.

You might be scratching your head at some of the ingredients wondering where to get them.  The answer lies with Target!   They have Asian ingredients like Sesame oil, pickled ginger etc.

Asian Lettuce Wraps - adapted from allrecipes.com

Serves 6-8

• 16 Boston, Bibb, or Romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
• 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional) ( I used Chili Garlic Sauce)
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

To prepare the meat mixture: Begin with browning the ground beef and onions in oil in a large pot over high heat. When the meat has cooked, drain the fat.  Add remaining ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes longer.  While the meat is cooking prepare the sauce (extra on side if desired)

Extra Sauce:

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar,
• 1 Tbsp chile garlic sauce
• Green onions, thinly sliced (green part only)

To serve: Place large lettuce leaves on your plate and spoon some of the meat filling into the lettuce leaves.  Wrap and enjoy.

Notes:  This is a quick and easy dish that is ready in minutes once you have your ingredients assembled.

For the garlic rice: bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil.  Add garlic flakes to the broth.  Add 1 cup Jasmine rice.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Turn heat off and leave covered another 15 minutes.  Serve with Asian Lettuce Wraps.

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Asian Onion Soup

I love the onion soup they serve at Benihana and after a search online to find a good copy cat of the recipe, I promptly made some for tonight’s dinner.  It turned out great and was really easy to prepare too!  My kids complained that there was not enough for seconds.  It tells me something when my kids want more.  I have a feeling I will be making this again in the near future.

Meemo’s Kitchen was the website where I found the recipe.  I did not make too many changes to it.

Asian Onion Soup – adapted from Meemo’s Kitchen

Serves 6

Soup Ingredients:

• 4 cups canned chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, cut into 4 inch stalks
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt

Fried Onions:

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced into rings and separated
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Additional ingredients for soup bowls:

• 6 medium mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced (green part only)

To make the soup: Pour the chicken broth and water in a large saucepan.  Add onion, celery, carrots, and salt.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to medium and allow to simmer for 15-30 minutes.  Remove the onions, celery, and carrots from the broth.

While the soup is cooking: prepare the french fried onion rings.  Dip the onion rings first in milk and then toss in flour to coat.  Bring a cup of oil to temperature over high heat and fry the onions until golden brown (in batches so you don’t crowd the pan).  Remove the fried onion rings with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on paper towels.

To serve: Place slices of fried onion rings in bottom of bowl along with a few green onion slices and sliced mushrooms.  Pour broth over them with a ladle.  Enjoy!

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Lemon Chicken

One of the best sites for new recipes in my opinion is http://allrecipes.com. Today I made a wonderful Lemon Chicken Recipe (Lemon Chicken II on the site: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemon-Chicken-II/Detail.aspx)  I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out wonderfully!  My entire family loved it.

I did use peanut oil to fry the chicken because I had it on hand and it can go to a high temperature without burning.

Here is the recipe:

Lemon Chicken II
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Breading:
2 eggs
2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For the Sauce:
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl combine the chicken, sherry, soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together, cover and refrigerate. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, 1/4 cup cornstarch and baking powder to form a batter. In a wok, heat 2 cups oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat chicken with batter and fry in wok until browned. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together and add lemon slices. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok and slowly stir in lemon sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce is clear. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemon-Chicken-II/Detail.aspx

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