Orange Peanut Sauce

Great served over steamed or stir fried veggies with rice. Use edamame for protien or try with a meat.

Orange Peanut Sauce (adapted from Whole Foods)

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons raw cashew butter or almond butter
1 teaspoon liquid aminos or reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 clove garlic

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth.

Green Chile Coconut Curry

Green Chile Chicken Curry

• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 1 (4 oz) can green chiles
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 c onion thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 2 Tbs chopped cilantro
• 2-3 c cooked rice

Trim chicken and cut into pieces (whatever size you want). Saute chicken and onion together until chicken is no longer pink.  While that’s cooking whisk together coconut milk, green chiles, curry, cumin, water, and corn starch in a bowl. Add this mixture to the chicken and let boil uncovered until sauce reaches desired thickness. Serve over rice with chopped cilantro as garnish.

Kim's notes: Vegetables such as carrots and red potatoes add into this recipe really easily and are delicious!  If you decided to add them in, I suggest pre-steaming the veggies in the microwave so that they are soft enough without having to simmer for a long time.

Easy Curry

I’ve had two roommates in my life that have been missionaries to Japan.  Though they didn’t serve in the same place, they both came home with one unifying passion: Curry!  Sporadically throughout the school year we would host curry parties at our apt.  We’d break out the HUGE rice cooker, the biggest stew pot that we could find, and dish this up for anyone who wanted some with the specially set aside “Curry Spoon” (it used to be white, but with all the curry scooping the ladle part changed to a lovely shade of yellow, thus dictating its status as the Curry Spoon so that no other utensils would have to go through its same fate).

Anyway this meal is filling, delicious, a step away from ordinary, and EASY!  It’s so easy that I’m having Jay make it for us this week while I’m laid up.  The ticket for success, the key ingredient, is this stuff:

It can be found in any grocery store in the Asian food section, usually on or near the top shelf.  I always recommend getting the medium-hot.  Jay has no tolerance for spice, but he eats this with no problems.  We tried the mild once, but it had no flavor.  As my Grandpa would say, “It was like sticking your tongue out the window.” Trust me on this, medium-hot, the green label.

Easy Curry

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (can use steak or seafood also, check box for recommendations and amounts)
• 1 med onion, sliced
• 4 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small cubes (don’t peel)
• 2 c. baby carrots, chunked
• water
• Golden Curry sauce mix, med-hot

Cut up potatoes and carrots first.  Put them in a microwave safe bowl with about ¼ c. water, cover loosely with saran wrap, then microwave them until just starting to soften – about 10  minutes, then test them and add more time as needed.  By softening the veggies first you cut down your simmering time by a TON! It’s really worth it.

While the veggies are steaming, sauté the onion and chicken in a little cooking spray in the bottom of a large stew pot.  Once the onions have softened and the chicken is cooked through, add the potatoes and carrots.  Now fill the stew pot with water until everything is just about covered.  Chunk up the curry block and add to water.  Bring to a boil and stir, helping the curry to dissolve.  Reduce heat, but continue to boil the curry until it reaches the consistency that you want and the veggies are as soft as you want.  Serve over rice.

Happy Cooking!

Apricot-Teriyaki Pork Lo Mein

That's a long name, but it's worth it to try this yummy stuff.

Apricot-Teriyaki Pork Lo Mein

• 2/3 cup apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons favorite teriyaki sauce
• 1 Tbs. Honey-Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1.5 lbs boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 med onion, thinly sliced
• 2-3 cups fresh, thin veggies (I typically use broccoli slaw, shredded carrots and zucchini, cabbage, bean sprouts, and chopped pea pods, but use whatever your family likes)
• 1/2 pound angel hair pasta(about 4 servings)

In a medium-size bowl, stir preserves, teriyaki sauce, mustard and ginger. Set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (use a little cooking spray). Saute pork and onion until browned, drain excess liquid. Spread about a third of the apricot preserve mixture over the pork and cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 6 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F when inserted into thickest part of meat.

Meanwhile cook noodles according to package directions.  Steam veggies until just crisp-tender as you like.  Drain cooked pasta and veggies and place in a large bowl. Mix into pasta and veggies the remaining apricot preserve mixture. Top with pork and onions.

Variations:

1. Leave out the pork for a vegetarian meal or side dish.
2. Try it with lean chicken or beef.
3. Not a fan of pasta?  Make the same meal, but serve over rice.