Tasty Asian

Peanut Crunch Salad
6 ounces spaghetti (I used a gluten free brown rice pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup carrots, julienne
1/2 cup frozen and thawed edamame
1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (gluten free tamari)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 lime squeezed 
1 tsp-1 1/2 tsp honey/agave
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
Slice up some crunchy cucumbers and add crushed peanuts, and sriracha for a little spice

Boil pasta until al-dente. Meanwhile in a large skillet heat oil and add cabbage and carrots.
Saute for 3-4 minutes until tender.
Toss in edamame and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
In a separate container, combine peanut butter, sesame oil, honey, green onions, and lime. Stir in peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Add in cooked noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, extra green onions and crushed peanuts if desired. You can add a little sriracha if you want a kick. Serve with grilled chicken or sliced skirt steak.
Serve immediately.



Purple Cabbage and Carrot
1 small purple cabbage, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, shredded

For the dressing:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari is gf)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup mixture parsley and cilantro, coarsely chopped

Shred cabbage and carrot and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let it sit for a few minutes and then drain the liquid. 

Mix the dressing components and then dress the cabbage mixture. Keep cold.



Asian Chicken Skewers with Mustard Dipping Sauce
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish, minced
about 12-15 medium sized bamboo skewers (soak the skewers for about 20 minutes before grilling so that they don't burn)

Marinate your chicken for a couple of hours and skewer the strips of chicken. Grill on medium/high until browned and cooked through. Garnish with cilantro.

Mustard Dipping Sauce

2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Hot Chinese Mustard 

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Honey

 

Asian Coconut Candies
5 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water

Mix the sugar and water together. Heat and bring to the boil.
Boil the water off to a thick sugar syrup.
Add the shredded coconut, lower the heat and stir until all the liquid has gone.
Let them cool a little, taking two teaspoons take out ball shaped lumps on the mixture and let them cool on a drying try.

Rice Rice Rice

So, did I hear someone needs some rice recipes? Well, you're in luck, I love rice, I experiment with it all the time and have a rice for every occasion. Here are some I hope you'll like. 

Orange Coconut Cashew Rice
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
1 1/2 cups white rice uncooked
1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk (I used lite)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter 
3/4 cup roasted cashews whole or chopped
1 orange segmented


 
Toast your cashews in a dry pan until it smells nutty and they are slightly browned. Set aside. 
Heat oil in pan and add the rice and stir to coat with the oil.
Add the coconut milk, orange juice, water, and salt and bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce the heat to low.
Simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat and fluff with a fork.
Place a clean, dry dish towel over the pan, cover with a lid, and let the rice steam for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and cashews. Cut each orange segment into thirds.
Toss the orange pieces into the rice. 




This is Persian Yellow Rice, it's so so so tasty. I first tasted this rice at a Persian restaurant called Rosewater. I hurried home and found a recipe. This is the best recipe I found. You try it and let me know what you think. Here are the step by step instructions.

Tahdig
2 cups white rice
1 large pinch of saffron
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tsp turmeric 

In a large bowl, rinse rise several times until the water drains clear.
Fill bowl with water again and add a large pinch of salt. Allow rice to soak for about 20 minutes while you boil water. Reserve 3 tablespoons of boiling water for later use.
Bring a large pot with 4 cups of water to a boil. Drain rice and add to boiling water. Allow to cook, uncovered on medium-high heat for exactly 8 minutes (Set your timer.) Skim the foam off the top.
When rice is done, it should begin to puff up, be soft on the outside and hard on the inside. Drain rice and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
Using the back of a spoon, grind a large pinch of saffron until it becomes powdery. Dissolve saffron in reserved 3 tablespoons hot water and stir with a spoon. Set aside.
Heat a medium size non-stick skillet on medium high heat and add oil, 3 Tb plain water, turmeric and saffron liquid. Gently swirl pan around so bottom is fully coated.
Add rice back into the pan, making sure the entire bottom is covered. Using the back of your large spoon, poke holes into the rice mound being careful not to go all the way down. Allow to cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, you should see steam coming out.
Cover pan lid with a kitchen towel and close pan. The towel will catch any moisture from the rice. Allow to cook for another 35 minutes. When it's done, you should hear a sizzle and crackling sound.
To serve: remove lid and place plate on top, carefully inverting the pan so the bottom of the rice is up. Or you can scoop the rice out and break the tahdig apart and scatter around the edges.


Arancini with Spinach (Fried Rice Balls)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
Ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
24 (1/2 inch) cubes mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or corn starch
1 1/2 cups crispy bread crumbs like panko
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Vegetable oil for frying


Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In 3-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in rice and 1/4 of stock, cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup broth; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed. Add remaining 1 cup broth; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed.
Season with pepper. Stir in spinach, butter and Parmesan cheese. Spread onto cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. (Mixture can be refrigerated overnight.)
On cookie sheet, shape rice mixture into 12×8-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 squares. Place 1 mozzarella cheese cube in center of each square; shape rice around cheese cubes to make balls.
Place flour and bread crumbs in separate bowls. In another bowl, beat egg and water until blended. Coat each ball with flour, then dip into egg mixture and coat with bread crumbs. Place coated balls on unlined cookie sheet; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep pot on medium. Flick a little flour or bread crumb into the oil to check if it sizzles. Drop about 2 arancini rice balls into the oil and fry moving the balls around so they evenly brown. Remove to a paper-towel lines plate and sprinkle with salt. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce or pesto. 



This next recipe tastes just like the lime rice from Cafe Rio...no kiddin!


Cilantro Lime Rice
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 teaspoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 (15 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons granulated sugar/splenda
4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
salt to taste

In a a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, vinegar, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.



I admit me and my family eat this sitting around the TV with tortilla chips. It's that good. 

Cheesy Spicy Chicken & Rice
2 cups shredded pre-cooked chicken
1 8oz box Zatarain’s Yellow Rice, prepared
1 can whole kernal corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup herdez verde salsa
1/2 cup red salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese + more for top
*feta is also a great choice to sprinkle on top
 
Prepare rice as packaged 
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mix well 
Transfer to 9×13 casserole dish (I split into 3 foil loaf pans, and froze 2 for future meals) 
Top with additional cheddar cheese 
Bake at 350 for 25-30 min or until hot and bubbly