Kung Pao Chicken

Last night I made Healthy Kung Pao Chicken for my dad and sister. I am a huge fan of Chinese food... and breakfast, and sushi, and Italian... Ok, I love pretty much every kind of food. But I do love Chinese food, and if you ask my roommates, I very frequently crave it.

In general, Chinese food is pretty unhealthy, so this version is really delicious, makes 4 servings, and is only 350 calories per serving! I served it as is, but you can serve it over rice!

 Ingredients:

• 3 Tbl soy sauce
• 1 Tbl  fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks, boneless, skinless
• 3 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, cut into thin strips
• 2 small green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
• 2/3 cup (unsalted) roasted peanuts, produce

Directions:

In a small bowl, with a fork, combine soy sauce, ginger, sugar, cornstarch, crushed red pepper, garlic and water. Transfer 2 Tbsp. of the sauce to a medium bowl; add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.

In a nonstick skillet, warm 2 tsp. oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook until meat loses its pink color throughout, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add remaining 1 tsp. oil to the same skillet and heat until hot. Add onion and bell peppers, and stir-fry about 5 to 10 minutes, until peppers start to soften. (Add 1 to 2 Tbsp. water if skillet is dry.)

Pour remaining stir-fry sauce over vegetables and boil 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet along with peanuts and heat through. Serve over rice, if you like.

Healthy Wasabi Salmon Cake and Asian Slaw

I've gotten a couple requests to make a couple of healthier meals. Sometimes the things that make food so delicious are usually not good for you. But tonight I made a healthy meal that is still SO good, maybe one of my favorite recipes! I was literally eating it from the pan as I cooked.

Healthy Wasabi Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl reduced-sodium soy sauce (which is healthier than regular)
• 1 1/2 tsp wasabi powder
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 pound salmon fillet, skinned
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbl minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:

Whisk soy sauce, wasabi powder and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

With a large knife, chop salmon using quick, even, straight-up-and-down motions (do not rock the knife through the fish or it will turn mushy). Continue chopping, rotating the knife, until you have a mass of roughly 1/4-inch pieces.(The smaller the chunks the better the cake stays together.)

Transfer to a large bowl. Add scallions, egg, ginger and oil; stir to combine. Form the mixture into 4 patties. The mixture will be moist and loose, but holds together nicely once the first side is cooked.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the patties and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until firm and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Spoon the reserved wasabi glaze evenly over the burgers and cook for 15 seconds more. Serve immediately.

I topped the salmon cakes with a tomato, a great asian slaw (recipe below), and chives, but my dad suggested to add a bun to make a healthy salmon burger!

This meal could not have been complete without this Asian-slaw! I could have eaten this alone (which I did), but it's perfect on top of this salmon.

Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 packages chicken-flavored Ramen noodles (if you don't have any, my roommate Ryan always has some in her pantry)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 lb cabbage slaw, shredded
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

Mix dressing in a jar the night before: vinegar, oil, sugar and seasoning packets from noodles.

Crush noodles and toss remaining dry ingredients. Pour dressing over slaw 30 minutes before serving. Mix well to coat all the noodles.