Chinese Beef with Broccoli

This is better than takeout!  It's SO easy and tastes better than our local Chinese restaurant.  I used skirt steak instead of flank, because our store was out of flank steak.  It took about 30min to prepare and was plenty to feed 2 people with leftovers for lunch.  The original recipe is from FoodNetworkMagazine and I only made some slight changes - omitted the red peppers, used skirt steak instead of flank, and added a dash of cayenne at the end for some kick.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 thin slices peeled ginger
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 3 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large bowl. Add the steak and toss to coat; refrigerate until ready to cook.
2. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and soy sauce, the oyster sauce and chicken broth in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the ginger, broccoli and the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Heat 1 more tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet, add the onion and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, turning gently, 2 minutes. Transfer the onion and tomatoes to the plate with the broccoli.
4. Reduce the heat to medium high; add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and steak and stir-fry 1 minute. Whisk the sauce mixture, then add to the skillet and simmer 1 minute. Return the vegetables to the skillet; cook until the meat is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with rice, if desired.

Definitely not the best picture, but I forgot to snap one before putting the leftovers in a container!  Oh well.

Thai Basil Stir-Fry

This is probably one of the better stir fry's we've made. It definitely tastes like takeout, and it's pretty easy to make. FYI - Oyster sauce and fish sauce can be found in the International aisle of your grocery store.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• sesame oil for frying
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled
• 6 large cloves garlic clove, crushed
• Sriracha hot sauce (comes in a big red bottle) or crushed red pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• 1 1/2 cups frozen bell peppers
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups basil (remove leaves from stem, but don't chop)

Directions

1. Whisk together the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Add the garlic and serrano peppers (or crushed red pepper), stirring quickly. Stir in the chicken, bell pepper, onion and oyster sauce mixture; cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Raise heat to high and stir in the chilled rice; stir quickly until the sauce is blended with the rice. Use the back of a spoon to break up any rice sticking together.
3. Remove from heat and mix in the basil leaves.

Korean BBQ Chicken

I had this marinade recipe kicking around from an old Cooking Light issue. It didn't seem to be anything fantastic, but it did look simple and quick, so I gave it a shot last night. I mixed up the marinade, coated some chopped chicken in it, and stir fried it with some white and green onions.

The overall dish was a bit sweet for me, and lacked some spice. I ended up adding crushed red pepper and Sriracha for some heat, which improved the dish. It was good, but not great. And I honestly don't know what makes it Korean at all...? Next time I think I'll cut down the sugar, add some ginger, and some heat.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
2. Cut 2 chicken breasts into bite sized chunks and coat with marinade. Stir-fry chicken with 1 white onion, thinly sliced, until onions are tender and chicken is fully cooked. Remove from heat, stir in chopped green onions and serve over rice.

Korean Spicy Pork

I found this on Allrecipes, and while I don't know quite how authentic this recipe really is, it's damn tasty and very easy to make. A little sweet, a touch spicy, and very garlicky. Just the way the Bickford's like their food! I marinated the pork overnight in the sauce, along with the green and white onions, so that all I had to do was stir-fry it when I was ready to make dinner the next night. Super simple, full of flavor, and definitely going on our "staple" list. While stir-frying, there was a lot of water that came out, I guess from the onions? So I'd recommend draining it halfway through and getting rid of all that extra liquid.

This would also probably be very tasty with flank steak, cut into thin strips and stir fried. It's on my list to try in the next few weeks, and I will update the post after I do!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup gochu jang (Korean hot pepper paste) (I didn't have this, so I used about a teaspoon of Sriracha hot sauce in stead)
  
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root (I cut this in half and it was plenty gingery!)
  
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick rings
• 1 (2 pound) pork loin, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• canola oil

Directions

1. Stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, hot pepper paste, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, black pepper, sugar, green onions, and yellow onion in a large bowl. Mix in the pork slices, mixing well until completely coated. Place into a resealable plastic bag, squeeze out any excess air, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.
2. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir fry until the pork is fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Remember to drain the liquid halfway through cooking, if it seems like there is an excessive amount of water in the pan. Serve over white rice.

Saucy Pork Stir-Fry

This recipe is from the free Kraft foods magazine that comes quarterly. I love pork stir-fry dishes, so of course we had to try this one. I was a bit skeptical, because there aren't a ton of seasonings in it, but it actually came out very flavorful and saucy, just like the recipe says!

We served it with Cauliflower Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 8 oz sugar snap peas
• 3 green onions, diagonally sliced
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger - I was so not in the mood for ginger, so I used some sesame oil instead!
  

Directions

1. Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add peppers and peas; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onions; cook and stir 1 minute.

2. Mix soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger until well blended. Add to meat mixture in skillet; cook 1 minute, or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Serve over rice, if desired.

Peanut Ginger Beef & Veggies

This is a Weight Watchers recipe from, "Cook it Quick!" The beef definitely takes on a Thai-inspired taste, but next time I'd double the peanut butter. It was good, but I was hoping for more peanut flavor. Be sure not to overcook the beef either -- the strips cook really fast, so I had to keep a close eye on them to make sure they didn't get too tough. We served this over white rice and it was a nice change from our typical stir-fry meal.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 3 tsp oil
• 3/4 pound top round steak, cut into strips
• 2 T grated fresh gingerroot or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cups baby carrots, halved lentghwise, or precut carrot sticks (I used bell pepper instead)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/4 onion, sliced thick
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, sliced
  

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, peanut butter, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

2. Place a very large nonstick skillet or work with a lid over high heat until a drop of water skitters. Heat 2 tsp of the oil until it shimmers. Stir-fry the steak until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add gingerroot and cook, stirring, 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

3. In the skillet, heat the remaining tsp of oil. Stir-fry the carrots 1 minute; add broccoli and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute longer. Add 1-2 tbsp water; simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Return the steak and gingerroot to the skillet; add the peanut butter mixture and stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in cilantro and green onions, and serve over rice.

Indonesian Pasta

Yet another fabulous dish from Cooking Light's, "Low-Fat Ways to Stir-Fry." We loved the peanut sauce and spiciness of the dish. I would double the peanut sauce next time, as it was slightly dry, but the flavor was definitely a hit. My recommendation is to double all ingredients from the chicken broth through the cumin.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1.5 teaspoons minced onion
• 1 teaspoon seeded, minced serrano chile pepper (I used Sriracha hot sauce instead)
• 1/8 teaspoon brown sugar ( I omitted this)
• dash of ground cumin (I used about 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/4 pound fresh asparagus spears
• 2 Tablespoons julienne-sliced sweet red pepper (I used the whole pepper)
• 3 tablespoons green onion (I used 2 stalks of green onion)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 ounced capellini, uncooked
• Asparagus spears for garnish

Ingredients

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Set aside; keep warm.

2. Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Remove scales from stalks, if desired. Heat wok at medium-high, then add asparagus and red pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes or until tender. Add green onions; stir-fry 30 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in parsley.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Place pasta in a serving bowl. Add peanut sauce and vegetable mixture; toss gently. Serve warm, garnished with additional asparagus spears, if desired. Yield 2 servings.

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

I'd made a WW Beef & Broccoli dish in the past, which was close to the "real deal" but seemed like it was missing something. This recipe comes from Cooking Light's "Low-Fat Ways to Stir-Fry" and it's a dead ringer for our favorite takeout restaurant's version of the same dish.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry (I omitted this, and didn't replace it with anything)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons sugar (I omitted the sugar entirely)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 pound lean flank steak (I used top round)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar (again, I omitted this)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup diagonally sliced green onions
  
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 6 cups fresh broccoli flowerets (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 cups cooked rice

Directions

1. Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring well; set oyster sauce mixture aside.

2. Trim fat from steak. Slice steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons sugar in a medium bowl, stirring well; add steak, stirring to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes.

3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok until hot. Add steak mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove steak from work; set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, green onions and gingerroot to wok; stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in broccoli and 1/4 cup water, cover and cook 3 minutes.

4. Return steak to wok, and stir in oyster sauce mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes or until thickened. For each serving, spoon 1 cup beef mixture over 1 cup rice. Makes 6 servings.

Sesame Pork over Couscous

I got bored with some of my standard cookbooks, so a quick trip to the library temporarily fixed that. I picked up the Cooking Light book, "Low-Fat Ways to Stir-Fry." Just from flipping through it, there seem to be quite a few good looking recipes in a variety of ethnic origins (Italian, Asian, Greek, and a few more).

Tonight's recipe was delicious! I marinated the pork for about 3 hours and it was so tender and flavorful. The original recipe calls for shrimp, but due to a food allergy, I had to substitute something else.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into strips (original recipe says 1 pound unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp)
  
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3.5 cups canned no-salt-added chicken broth, divided
• 1.5 cups couscous, uncooked
• 2 cups fresh broccoli
• 1 cup julienne-sliced sweet red pepper
• 1 cup fresh snow pea pods, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. If using shrimp, peel and devein. Combine shrimp/pork, green onions, and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours.

2. Bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in couscous; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork; set aside, and keep warm.

3. Coat a wok or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat at medium-high. Add shrimp/pork mixture; stir-fry 4 minutes or until cooked. Remove from wok, and set aside.

4. Add broccoli, sweet red pepper and snow peas to wok; stir-fry 3 minutes at medium-high. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth; stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to wok; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

5. Stir in shrimp/pork mixture and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. For each serving, spoon 1 cup shrimp/pork mixture over 1 cup couscous and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds. Yield 4 servings.

Beef & Veggie Stir-Fry

This is sort of Thai inspired, though definitely not authentic. I was just in the mood for something vegetabley and light, so this is what we made.

Ingredients

• oil
• 2/3 pound top round, cut into thin strips
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon hot chili paste
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 cup fresh peas, trimmed
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil, then add beef. Cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and chili paste, stirring to evenly coat beef. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce; cook about 1 minute until sugar dissolves.

2. Add vegetables; cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve over white rice or rice-stick noodles.

Thai Coconut Chicken

Love, love, love coconut chicken. Especially Justin. Every time we go to the local Thai place, he swears he'll get something different. And in the end, it's always coconut chicken for him. So I decided to give this recipe a shot to see how it compared to the real deal. It's sweet and spicy, and surprisingly rich for a Weight Watcher's recipe (from WW Simply Delicious). The mixture of cumin, red curry paste and basil makes for a really earthy, spicy flavor that's incredible. We kept saying, "Wow, this dish is awesome!"

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 1 Tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 pound asparagus, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces (I omitted this because I forgot to buy them at the store! So I substituted red pepper.)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet, then add the chicken and sprinkle with the salt. Saute until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

2. Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over low heat, then add onion, garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant and the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the sugar, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the asparagus, coconut milk and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the chicken and basil; heat through. Serve over rice.

Pork Pad Thai, kinda?

This recipe looked so good in the cookbook (WW Take-Out Tonight), I had to try it. I'm not sure I can technically call it "Pad Thai" because I didn't use the peanuts, but whatever, it was darn tasty and I'll definitely be making it again no matter what it's called!

The original recipe calls for shrimp and peanuts, but I am allergic to shellfish (substituted pork) and don't really like peanuts in savory dishes, so I omitted them. The final dish was sweet, slightly spicy and really flavorful. The rice stick noodles are so easy to cook with and not nearly as heavy as traditional Italian pasta.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound rick-stick noodles (I used 1 6oz package)
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used pork loin and cut it into very thin strips, about 1/4 inch wide)
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon hot chili sauce (I used 1/2 T and it was plenty spicy!)
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 3 Tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Place the noodles in a large pot and add enough hot water to cover; let stand until the noodles are soft, about 10-12 minutes. Drain, transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water to cool, and drain again. Set aside. (I boiled water, added the noodles and turned off burner. Drain, pour cold water over noodles, drain again.)

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the shrimp (or whatever protein you use). Cook until shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the egg whites, stirring gently, until they begin to set, about 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and soy sauce; cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Add the drained noodles and the bean sprouts; cook, tossing gently, until mixed and heated through, 2-3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Kung Pao Chicken

Another WW recipe from the Take Out Tonight cookbook. This is a great spicy chicken dish and would work well over white rice, brown rice, or even pasta. I made it with white rice. If you have more veggies laying around, add them! The recipe only calls for bamboo and broccoli, but it'd be great with string beans, carrots or peppers.

Ingredients

• 3/4 chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce (found in a small jar in the Asian foods aisle at the grocery store)
  
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch cubes
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger (I used ginger powder and it was fine)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 cups broccoli
• 1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained

Directions

1. Combine the broth, soy sauce, honey, chili-garlic sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Heat a nonstick wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the oil, then add the chicken. Stir-fry until no longer pink in the center, about 6-8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli florets and bamboo shoots; stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth mixture and the chicken. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Another dish from the WW Take-Out Tonight book. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks in my collection! This sauce can be used over shrimp, pork, chicken, scallops, duck breast and so much more. It's very versatile.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, or 1.5 teaspoons ginger powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used red pepper)
• 1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice, drained

Directions

1. Combine chicken with 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch in a medium bowl; toss well to coat and set aside. Combine remaining 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, water, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Heat a nonstick wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the oil, then add the pork. Stir-fry until almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bell pepper and pineapple; stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens and the pork is just cooked through, 1-2 minutes.

Chinese Beef with Broccoli

This is one of my FAVORITE take out dishes from the local Chinese hole-in-the-wall down the street. I've tried on several occasions to recreate the sauce, so I was super excited to try the recipe in the WW Take-Out Tonight cookbook. So delicious. Sweet, saucy, and totally yummy. I served this over white rice and it tasted just like the real deal.
4 WW points without the rice

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound beef top round, cut into thin strips
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon dry sherry (I didn't have any, so I omitted this)
• 1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into florets
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or 1.5 teaspoons ginger powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

1. Combine the beef with 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch; toss well to coat and set aside. Combine the remaining 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, broth, oyster sauce, honey, soy sauce and sherry in a small bown; set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes; drain.

3. Heat a nonstick wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the oil, then add the beef. Stir-fry until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes; transfer to a plate.

4. Add the ginger and garlic to the wok and stir-fry until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Add the beef and broccoli and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Chicken in Spicy Orange Sauce

This recipe was originally prepared with shrimp, but I used chicken instead. We served it over some Chuka Soba noodles, which are similar to Ramen noodles, and can be found in the Asian section of your local market. Overall, this recipe was good, but needed more orange juice. Next time I think I'd double the orange juice and cut the chili paste down slightly.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, cut in small chunks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions

1. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside.

2. Combine juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, and chile paste, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

3. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger and garlic to pan; stir-fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken mixture; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add juice mixture and onions; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens and chicken is done, stirring frequently. Serve immediately.

Yakisoba Chicken

We love Asian influenced dishes and this stir-fry dish seemed like a new idea for a typical chicken & veggie wok (OK, we're lame, and refer to stir-fry dishes as a 'wok.' example: Chicken Wok and rice, Beef Wok and noodles..). The recipe calls for 2 TABLESPOONS of chile paste. I love spicy food, but this was wicked hot! Next time, I'd recommend 2 - 3 teaspoons of chile paste instead.

I'm not a fan of rice noodles, as they always clump together and create a sticky gooey mess. They look so good in pictures, but I can never seem to cook them to my liking. Soba noodles aren't quite as sticky and gummy, and to me, the texture is much more desirable. It's very similar to a Ramen noodle and can be found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons chile paste
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces soba noodles, cooked and drained

Directions

1. In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry an additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove mixture from pan, set aside and keep warm.

2. In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy!

Asian Noodles with Veggies and Pork

This recipe is a Weight Watchers recipe, from "Simply Delicious," page 77. Rice noodles can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store, usually near soy sauce and Thai foods. You can substitute angel-hair pasta or vermicelli, but they require a bit more cooking.

This recipe needs something...more soy sauce, maybe some fish sauce, or cayenne, I'm not sure exactly what. The noodles were perfectly cooked, as was the pork and veggies, but it was lacking in taste. Smelled fantastic though, which is what's baffling. I'll definitely try it again, but I'll be upping the spice mixture. More heat, more garlic, and maybe some onions as well. Overall, it was good, but not great.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 T cornstarch
• 2 T low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp vegetable/olive oil
• 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, sliced crosswise and cut into thin strips
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 of a 7-ounce package thin rice noodles
• 8 cups hot water
• 1 (1/2 pound) head cabbage, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used broccoli instead, as I am not a fungus lover!)
• 2 carrots, finely chopped (I used red pepper instead)

Directions

1. Whisk together the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in small bowl.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in large nonstick skillet or wok, over high heat, then add pork. Saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer to a bowl. Wipe skillet clean.

3. Meanwhile, plunge the noodles in the hot water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain.

4. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in skillet, then add cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots. Cook until cabbage begins to wilt and veggies are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the pork mixture and the broth mixture; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the noodles.

Serves 4

Nutrition Information - 5 points
232 calories, 6g total fat, 1g sat fat, 36mg cholesterol, 358mg sodium, 28g total carb, 3g fiber, 16g protein, 51mg calcium

Sweet & Sour Pork

Best served with brown rice, this sweet and sour pork is a quick and easy variation on an old classic. Marinate the pork the night before to speed up cooking time and enhance the flavors.

Originally from Weight Watchers, Cook it Quick!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 pound boneless lean pork loin, cut into small chunks
• 1 red pepper, seeded and cut in strips
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1 cup drained, canned pineapple chunks (save the juice!)

Directions

1. Mix hoisin, brown sugar, soy sauce and ginger in medium sized plastic container. Add the pork. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, turning occasionally.

2. Heat large nonstick skillet or work. Add oil. Stir-fry bell pepper and scallions until softened. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

3. Add pork to skillet, reserving marinade. Stir-fry pork until browned, about 3 minutes. Add marinade, pineapple and pineapple juice (I use about 1/2 the juice in an 8 ounce can of pineapple).

4. Stir-fry until pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Return vegetables to skillet and heat to serving temperature, about 2 minutes. Serve over brown rice.