Pork Potstickers

Chinese take-out is delicious, but it can also be made simply at home. Pan-fried dumplings are of my favorite things to order. I am happy to eat them as a main course or appetizer. It’s even simple and impressive to make for a dinner party.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Pork Potstickers

Yields about 24 dumplings

Ingredients for the dumpling:

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium
• 2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (can substitute another teaspoon of soy sauce if wanted)
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 (12 ounces) package wonton wrappers (You will only use about half of the package.)
• vegetable oil

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

Place the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, green onions, garlic, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, and ginger into a medium sized bowl. Whisk ingredients to combine well. Next, add the meat, and mix gently until all is combined.

Fill a small bowl with water, and set up your assembly station. Place a spoonful of the filling into a wonton wrapper one at a time. To seal the edges, dip your finger into water and wet all the edges of the wonton wrapper. Press the edges tightly to close. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Place 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Place dumplings into pan. (Be sure not to crowd it because you don’t want them to get stuck together.) Then add enough water to the pan to reach about one-fourth of the dumplings height.

Place a lid on the pan, and let it sim­mer for about 5–7 minutes.

While the potstickers are simmering, place all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together until everything is combined. Set aside for serving.

Remove lid (most of the water should be gone). As the water evap­o­rates, the crust will start to brown on the bot­tom. Allow to fry until the bot­tom of the dumplings are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Repeat if all of the dumplings did not fit in the pan.

Serve warm with the prepared sauce and a side dish of rice or veggies.

Enjoy!!

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”
– Harriet Van Horne

Thai Chicken Pizza

This past weekend my husband mentioned California Pizza Kitchen in one of our conversations. Of course that got my taste buds craving some yummy pizza. There is a Thai Chicken pizza and pasta that they offer there, and my mother and I love it! I couldn’t get the craving out of my head so I decided to make my own version at home.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Thai Chicken Pizza

Yields one 12-inch pizza

Ingredients for the pizza:

• 1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
• 1 prepared pizza crust dough
• 1/2 large carrot, shredded
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1 ounce fresh mozzarella, torn apart, optional (I like to add two different types to vary the textures of the cheese.)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, torn, for serving

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter, smooth
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce, low sodium
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

In a medium sealable container, add the Thai chili paste, sesame oil, red pepper chili flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, and add the chicken breast. Make sure you cover the entire piece with the marinade.

Seal the container and place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Once the time has elapsed, preheat the oven to 450°F, and cover a pizza pan with parchment paper.

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat, and add the marinated chicken breast. Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove from grill, and allow to rest for about 3-5 minutes. Once rested, dice the chicken breast, and set aside for pizza assembly.

Work on the pizza dough next. Flatten the dough ball into a disk using the palms of your hands. Starting at the center of the disk and working outward, use your fingertips to press the dough until it is about ½-inch thick. Holding the center in place, stretch the dough outward. Rotate the dough and stretch again. Repeat until the dough reaches a diameter of 12 inches. Place the dough on the pizza pan and use your palm to press down and flatten the thick edge of the dough.

Place the pizza pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

While the pizza dough is pre-cooking, work on the sauce. In a small bowl, add the olive oil, sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, Thai chili paste, red pepper chili flakes, and green onions in a small bowl. Stir to make sure all of it is combined well.

Remove the pizza dough from the oven ,and spread the sauce over the pizza dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the outside edge for the crust.

Top with diced chicken, carrots, julienned red bell peppers, bean sprouts, green onions, and cheese.

Return the pizza to the oven, and bake for 14-16 minutes more until cheese melts and crust is golden.

Remove from oven, and allow to rest for 2-4 minutes. Slice and serve warm with cilantro sprinkled on top.

Enjoy!!

“I just want to be in my sweats, walk my dog, watch TV and eat pizza.” – America Ferrera

Cashew Chicken

Once you have made Asian food once, you most likely have the pantry ingredients to do it again. By making things at home instead of ordering from take out, you can see exactly how much sodium goes into it. This is my little homemade version of my husband’s favorite, cashew chicken!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Cashew Chicken

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, juilienned
• 1 carrot, sliced into discs
• 1/2 cup white onion, diced
• 3/4 cup cashews
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• steamed jasmine rice
• 4 green onions, sliced

Directions:

Heat large pan or wok over medium heat, and add the olive oil. Next, add the bell peppers, carrots, onions, and cashews. Sauté until everything begins to soften. At this point, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and add them to skillet.

Cook until chicken is cooked through and there is no more pink. In measuring cup, add the corn starch and chicken broth. Whisk until mixed well, and pour the mixture to the chicken and vegetables.

Finally add hoisin sauce and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and allow it to cook for 5 – 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.

Serve warm over steamed rice, and garnish with green onions.

Enjoy!!

“Let’s do this…I’m a cashew!” – Dane Cook in Retaliation

Coconut Curry Tilapia

I realized last week that I haven’t made Asian food in a while for dinner. I particularly enjoy Thai food. This is a light fish dish with a Thai coconut curry sauce.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Coconut Curry Tilapia

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless tilapia fillets
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 (13.5 ounces) can of light coconut milk*
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (can substitute another soy sauce, but fish sauce really makes this dish)
• 1/2 cup jasmine rice, cooked, for serving

* Pint-sized tip: To avoid wasting the remaining coconut milk, you can place it in a sealed plastic (ziplock-type) bag and store it in the freezer. Thaw it in the refrigerator before you use it in your next recipe!

Directions:

Preheat oven to the broiler setting, and line a small baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray to avoid sticking.

Place the tilapia fillets onto the baking sheet. Using 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, rub each fillet on both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a medium sauté over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the lemon zest, ginger, and curry paste in the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then lower the heat to low. Slowly pour in the coconut milk, and mix until fully combined. Add the lime juice and fish sauce and stir. Allow the sauce to reduce by half, stirring every once in a while to avoid sticking.

While the sauce is reducing, place the tilapia in the oven for 5-7 minutes to cook.

Serve the fish with jasmine rice and a generous amount of sauce.

Enjoy!!

“Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.”
– Chinese Proverb

Healthy Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry

This week is dedicated to my love of seafood. Since the husband does not share my affinity for it, you know I had to take advantage of a week when he would be gone. This recipe is a quick and healthy way to enjoy some shrimp.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Healthy Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head of fresh broccoli, rinsed and trimmed to florets
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili sauce
• jasmine rice, for serving (can use rice of your choice)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant. Next add the broccoli florets and allow to cook for about 2 minutes.

Pour chicken broth over the top. Cover pan and cook for 15 minutes or until the broccoli is slightly tender.

Add in remaining ingredients. Cook just until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Serve warm over rice.

Enjoy!!

“Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.” – Bubba, Forrest Gump

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro is one of our fave restaurants. My husband loves the lettuce wraps in particular. Unfortunately the closest one to us is 70-ish miles away. I make this recipe whenever we need to satisfy our cravings and we don’t have time to make the drive!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken (can substitute ground turkey)
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
• sea salt
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 carrot, minced
• 1/2 can (about 4 ounces) of water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 1 small container of baby brown mushrooms, minced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1.5 teaspoons roasted garlic-red pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 stems of green onions, chopped
• 1 head of Bibb lettuce, cleaned and leaves removed
• crispy wonton strips, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown ground chicken for 5-7 minutes.

Season the browned chicken with 1.5 tablespoons of the soy sauce, salt, and pepper.

Add the carrots and water chestnuts, cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.

Add the mushrooms and bell peppers, sauté until softened, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the hoisin, remaining 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper sauce and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat, and cook for an additional 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in green onions.

Serve with lettuce cups and garnish with chinese wonton crunchies if desired.

Enjoy!!

“Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.” – Aesop

Asian Steak Salad

Healthy Asian-Cuisine…could be an oxymoron most of the time. My husband LOVES Asian food (good thing he married me :D). This is a healthier way to enjoy the flavors of Asia. I made this with steak to switch it up, but you could definitely use the marinade on chicken as well. In my mind, steak + Asian flavors + salad is a WIN WIN. Happy cooking and eating!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Asian Steak Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients for the salad:

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1.25 lbs steak
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, julienned
• 4 cups mixed greens (ex. arugula, baby spinach, romaine, etc.)

Ingredients for the peanut dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter, smooth
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai chili paste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Place the garlic, ginger, red pepper, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and white wine in a bowl and whisk until fully incorporated. Place the steak with the marinade in a shallow container that can be sealed or in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

While the steak is marinating, start on cutting the carrot, green onions, and bell pepper.

Toss the veggies with the mixed greens and set aside.

Next start on the dressing. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant and softened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.Meanwhile combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, rice vinegar, chili paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, and cilantro in a food processor and mix thoroughly. Add the cooled garlic and ginger and oil. Pulse until the mixture is blended. Gradually add the remaining olive oil until the dressing is a creamy consistency.

When you are ready to eat, pull the steaks out of the fridge. Grill steaks on high heat for 5 minutes on each side for medium steaks.

Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Place the greens on a plate, top with the sliced steak, and drizzle the peanut dressing.

Enjoy!!

“To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven.” – ancient Chinese proverb