All of the sudden, my son has decided he loves Chinese. However, buying Chinese food from the local take out gives me the heebie jeebies. I personally would rather know exactly what goes into my food. So here is a sampling of our latest successful experiments in the new Chinese cooking venture.
Spicy Basil Chicken
You will need:
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 cloves garlic
a dash of hot sauce (substitute hot chili peppers if you like it spicier)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
Note: You can find some of the more rare ingredients in this list, in the Asian food aisle at your grocery store.
Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and chile peppers until golden brown. Mix in chicken and sugar, and season with garlic salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, but not done.
Stir oyster sauce into the skillet. Mix in mushrooms and onions, and continue cooking until onions are tender and chicken juices run clear. Remove from heat, and mix in basil. Let sit 2 minutes before serving.
Chicken Over Peanut Ramen Noodles
Inspired by Taste of Home
You will need:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 packages of Ramen noodles
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 can of bean sprouts drained
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, soy sauce and garlic; set aside. In a large Ziploc bag, combine bread crumbs and contents of two noodle seasoning packets (discard the remaining packet). Add chicken, one piece at a time and shake and coat.
In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
Remove chicken and keep warm. Add peanut butter mixture to skillet; cook and stir until heated through. Drain noodles. Add noddles and bean sprouts to skillet; toss to coat. Serve with chicken.
Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.
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