Friday's, Feasting with Friends Featuring Wendy Haas

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends."

~Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

Today's featured guest for Friday's, Feasting with Friends is my dear friend and fellow Babywearing International of Cleveland educator, Wendy Haas.  I have been attending meetings and then teaching with Wendy for what feels like ages and I love being able to share that part of my life with her.  There is a special bonding that comes with helping caregivers to wear their babies. I'll never forget the meeting that we were co-teaching, and chitchatting a bit while setting up. We discovered that we were both Art Historians- not a profession that you encounter very often! It is so fun to find your people in the least expected places. I worked at Harvard University Art Museums in Cambridge, MA directly out of college.  It was an amazing experience and one that very much formed me into who I am today. But holy cow, that was TWELVE years ago. It feels like a lifetime with so much that has happened in those 12 years- marriage, three children, moved 4 times, bought two houses, became a Stay at Home Mom; big life changes that make life pre-kids and marriage almost seem like a distant dream.  So having the opportunity to reconnect to that part of myself again through Wendy is a breath of fresh air. She is a wonderful conversationalist- be it art, music, politics, kid's, LIFE, it's good meaningful stuff. We went on a road trip together this summer to the International Babywearing Conference in Atlanta, GA and those many hours in the car flew by filled with wonderful conversations. That's what road trips are made of! Wendy has the loveliest little girls, they are such a delight, plus a sweet husband completing their little family.  She is a kindred spirit and I am pleased to introduce you all to her.  Enjoy.  

 Wendy Haas

What is your occupation?

Professor of art history

What is your favorite thing to cook?

Fried rice

How about your least favorite thing to cook?

Anything time-consuming.  I don’t MIND cooking, but I don’t really love it, either.  I want the things I make to be healthy, tasty, and EASY.

What is your favorite local restaurant and what is one you are dying to try out?

Mustard Seed has great vegan options for us (also, Melt and Aladin’s)!  We’d love to spend more time exploring the near West side and Tremont, trying places like Cleveland Vegan and Helio Terra Vegan Cafe.

Music and food go together so beautifully. You are hosting a dinner party, what would be on your playlist?

Beatles, probably because it’s the only request my children make!  Depending on the mood, I’d choose Paul Simon’s Graceland or Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Areoplane Over the Sea, for myself, because they pair well with everything.

What would you choose to be your last meal on earth?

Gnocchi?  Not something I want to contemplate!

What are you currently reading?

Oh, Crap! Potty Training is on the list for the holidays, but I’d really like to finish Justin Cronin’s City of Mirrors first!  After that, I just got Confronting Racism in the Arts, which I hope will give me plenty of food for thought going into the spring semester.

What is your favorite Kitchen Gadget?

No contest!  Immersion blender!

Do you have a signature go-to dish?

I make a mean vegan spinach artichoke dip!

What is your favorite thing about the Cleveland area?

Low cost of living, excellent park system, world-class arts and culture...!  There’s so much to love about living here.

Do you have a favorite meal from your childhood and do you cook it today?

Nope!  I was a pretty picky eater and my parents, while good cooks, tended to prepare pretty generic fare most of the time.  Since going vegetarian in college and vegan a few years ago, almost all the recipes I use are new to me and my family.

Top 3 Movies of all time?

Star Wars, Indiana Jones (I’m partial to Temple of Doom, but love them all), Romancing the Stone

What was your happiest moment in life?

Hard to pinpoint.  I loved traveling alone, and found the freedom intoxicating!  Seeing monuments and museums I’d only ever studied was powerful and deeply moving.  But I also look fondly back on the first few weeks of my kids’ lives, the haze and fog of new love, and think that’s really what it’s all about.

Where do you do your grocery shopping?

Mostly Costco and Giant Eagle.  Some vegan ingredients are easier to come by at specialty stores; our local one is Krieger’s.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure when it comes to food?

Peanut butter, I think.  I eat it straight from the jar and get annoyed when my husband or anyone else uses it, even for the kids.  They have their own!

Do you have Culinary Resolutions that you would like to accomplish this year?

Not really.  We’re always working toward more efficient meal-planning, and wasting less food.  That last one may be nearly impossible with toddlers, but we can certainly be better at batch cooking and freezing things!

One word that best describes you is:

Anxious

And now for your favorite recipe:

Fried Rice with Tofu and Veggies
Adapted from 15-Minute Vegetarian

Ingredients:

1 c. veggie broth (I use one bouillon cube dissolved in hot water for extra flavor)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. oil (I use canola)

Minced garlic at your discretion (I probably use a tablespoon or more!)

1 tsp. Ground ginger

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Stir-fry veggies (I use about a pound or a pound and a half of a frozen mix that includes onion, peppers, water chestnuts, baby corn, green beans, broccoli, etc.)

1 package of firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed (I usually press it for a half hour to an hour before cubing)

3-4 c. cooked rice (I tend to use brown rice, but recently tried this with cauliflower pearls and it was okay, too!)

1. Stir together broth, soy sauce, canola oil, ginger, garlic, and cayenne.
2. Heat a wok over medium-high heat for a minute or so, then pour in about a third of the broth mixture and add the veggies.
3. Stir-fry for a few minutes (usually 4-6) until soft.  
4. Add the tofu and another third of the broth mixture.  Stir-fry for another few minutes.
5. Add the rice (or cauliflower!) and the remainder of the broth mixture.  Stir and toss until heated through (about 3-4 minutes).

Caramel Chicken

This recipe is a nice substitution for Chinese Take-Out.  It had a totally different flavor then I was expecting, but not at all in a bad way!  When I read Caramel Chicken, I was thinking more of a sticky-sweet flavor.  But we found it much more like a Teriyaki.  It was sweet, salty and almost impossible to stop eating!  It balanced awesomely with the simply steamed broccoli and white rice I served to soak up the sauce.  I went with a less is more approach to the sides and boy am I glad I did!  The Grimway Farms organic broccoli was so beautiful and vibrant I really wanted it's sweet flavor to show through.  And even though the sauce was very robust, you still tasted the lovely sweet, delicate flavor from the broccoli- and check out that color!  Beautiful!

If you aren't an organic shopper already, you really need to become one.  There are so many benefits to it- especially if you have children.  But the biggest is hands down the flavor you get from the fruits and vegetables.  It can make conventional food taste like cardboard in comparison. They taste as God intended them to.  And Grimway Farms does a beautiful job with theirs.  I have eaten their Bunny Love carrots before and are a huge hit in our house (sugar sweet!) but while browsing their other products I had such a hard time deciding- rainbow chard, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, beautiful lettuces.... the options were fantastic!  I am definitely picking up their beets next.  I have been dying to try this recipe for Honey Dijon Roasted Beets. Doesn't that sound yummy?!

The lovely people of Grimway Farms sent a coupon for me to give their produce a try and what a truly special treat it was!  I will definitely be going back to their items again and again.  They also have a nice website if you would like to see where their produce is sold in your area, and while you are there, check out their recipes- lots of great ones!

Caramel Chicken
recipe courtesy Bill Granger


8 chicken thigh fillets, skinless, cut in half
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce

to serve
steamed rice
steamed green vegetables, such as broccoli, snow peas or asparagus
garnish with toasted sesame seeds

Place the chicken and oil in a bowl and toss to combine.  Heat a large frying pan over a high heat until hot. Add the chicken, in two batches, and cook for two minutes on one side until lightly brown, turn and cook for another minute.  Remove from the pan, reduce the heat to medium and add a little extra oil if needed.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Return the chicken to the pan, sprinkle liberally with black pepper, add the soy sauce and stir to combine.  Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Increase the heat to high, add the sugar and stir to combine.  Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce is rich, dark and syrupy.  Add the fish sauce and stir to combine. Place in a serving dish, garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve with steamed rice and green vegetables.  Serves 4.

Disclaimer:
Grimway Farms gave me a coupon to test and review their products.  The thoughts and opinions are completely my own.  

Un-fried, "Fried" Ice Cream

I got together with the girls last week for another yummy dinner.  Mexican was the menu and I was in charge of dessert this time.  I had fried ice cream for the very first time not too long ago at a fantastic restaurant here in Cleveland called Momocho.  It is crispy, sweet, and although fried, the ice cream is still super cold and totally frozen.  It's a fun concept!  I wanted to try recreating the dessert tonight, but thought maybe I could make something similar without the added fat that frying would give.  I found this recipe at Christie Jordan's blog, Southern Plate.  It was so yummy and couldn't be easier!  We all loved the sweet and crunchy cereal topping paired with the french vanilla ice cream.  I totally sprinkled extra cruchies on my ice cream once I ate the rest off- it was the best part!  

print this recipe

Unfried Fried Ice Cream
from Southern Plate

Container Vanilla Ice cream
3 Cups Honey and Oats Cereal*
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoons cinnamon

Scoop frozen ice cream out onto waxed paper lined baking sheets and place in freezer for at least an hour, or until hardened.

During that time, place cereal in gallon zipper bag and crush. Melt butter in microwave and stir in sugar and cinnamon, pour into bag with cereal and seal. Knead with hands until well mixed. Pour out onto lined baking sheet and place in oven at 350 just until toasted, about five minutes. Keep close watch as cereal will burn easily. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Roll hardened ice cream balls in mixture, pressing lightly as you do so. Place coated ice cream in 9×13 dish and return to freezer or serve immediately.

For serving, drizzle with honey and top with whipped cream and a cherry.

*Can also use corn flakes or cereal of your choice. Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc.
Yields about ten scoops of ice cream.

Sesame Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

Print this Recipe


Sesame Chicken with Broccoli and Rice
adapted from Miss in the Kitchen

2 cups rice
12 oz. broccoli florets, steamed

for chicken:
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 to 1/2 chunks
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
Canola or Peanut Oil for frying

for sauce:
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

for chicken:
Whisk milk and egg in a shallow bowl.  Throughly combine flour, cornstarch and salt in a shallow dish.  Miss in the Kitchen recommends using a pie plate.  I never thought of that, but goodness it is perfect!  Now you are going to dredge the chicken in flour, then dip in the egg/milk dish and then back in flour. This will give you a perfect coating to make these guys nice and crispy.  Heat about 2 inches of oil in a wok, deep skillet or Dutch oven to about 350 degrees. Fry chicken in batches until browned and chicken is cooked through. Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain.

for sauce:
In a medium sauce pan, add water, chicken broth, and vinegar. In a small bowl combine sugar and cornstarch together, stir into liquid. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until it comes to a boil. Lower heat and cook just until thickened. She recommends either pouring the sauce over the chicken (which we like to do, that way nothing gets too soggy) or dip each piece of chicken in the sauce.  Serve it over the broccoli and rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

We love, love, loved this dish!!!  If you are a regular reader here you know how much we like our Chinese take out.  With trying to watch our budget and making things a (bit) healthier I have been looking for take out alternatives.  This recipe has easily become a new favorite in this house.  It is sweet, crunchy, and although the chicken is fried, it tastes so fresh and bright.  You could definitely cut back on the fat by using grilled or sautéed chicken.  But please try it the original way first.  The crunch of the chicken is awesome and holds up to the sticky sauce really nicely.  Scott's most beloved dish from a Chinese take-out restaurant is easily Sweet and Sour Chicken.  He orders it without fail just about every single time.  Tonight he told me that he wouldn't ever have to get Chinese from a restaurant again.  This says a lot!  Thank you Miss in the Kitchen!

Teriyaki Pork Wraps with Sweet-Hot Cucumbers and Sesame Bean Sprouts

The other night, I was originally planning on making a pork stir-fry over rice to serve for dinner.  But I just wasn't feeling it.  Not in the mood for rice, but still really wanted a nice Asian dish that was a little different then what I normally make in the house.  A-Ha!  I {heart} Asian lettuce wraps.  They are so fresh, crisp and full of fantastic flavor.  Unfortunately I purchased mescaline greens this week instead of the bib or romaine hearts I generally buy.  So lettuce wraps were out of the question.  But I did have some nice soft flour tortillas.  They worked beautifully!  These wraps were so good I had them for lunch the next day and I seriously think I need to make them again this week.

The recipes for the Sweet-Hot Cucumbers and the Sesame Bean Sprouts are each ones that I had jotted down ages ago and have no idea where they came from- except that they are delicious!  They balance out the saltiness of the teriyaki perfectly.

Teriyaki Pork Wraps
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 green pepper, cut into long thin strips
1 onion, cut in half and sliced into strips
2 boneless pork chops, sliced into very thin strips
4 scallions (green onion), sliced into 1" pieces
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce, reserve additional for dipping (the absolute best is Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded cabbage
Sweet-Hot Pickled Cucumbers *recipes follows
Sesame Soy Bean Sprouts *recipe follows
sesame seeds for garnish
4-6 flour tortillas

For the Pork Filling

In bowl, toss thinly cut pork with teriyaki sauce, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes- overnight.

In hot non-stick skillet add 1 Tablespoon canola oil, sautee green peppers and onions over medium heat until tender-crisp. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. In the same pan, add the additional 1 Tablespoon oil, cook and stir marinated pork over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add sliced scallions and sautee for an additional 1 minute.  Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

Warm stack of tortillas by sandwiching them between two damp paper towels and microwave for 40 seconds.

These cucumbers are a bit sweet but also have a nice kick from the black pepper.  They are so very addicting.  LOVE them!

Sweet-Hot Pickled Cucumbers
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 English Cucumber OR 1 large cucumber, seeded and peeled

Combine the vinegar, sugar, water and salt in a small pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until it boils and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Cut cucumber lengthwise into quarters and again into 1/8″ strips. Place in a serving bowl and pour marinade over cucumbers, stirring to blend. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Next, lets move onto these yummy bean sprouts

Sesame Bean Sprouts
1½ cups bean sprouts
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the bean sprouts along with the other ingredients. Cook over a medium-high heat until the bean sprouts are tender. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To Assemble Wraps
I like to have all the different components in their own individual bowls on the table. This way everyone can make their own to their liking. This is my personal favorite layering method for maximum crunch/flavor factor.

On a warm tortilla, layer pepper/onion mixture, shredded cabbage and carrots, pork/ scallions mixture, Sweet-Hot Cucumbers (I like lots of these babies!) , Sesame Soy Bean Sprouts, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds for garnish and drizzle with a touch of extra Teriyaki Sauce. Be careful with the Teriyaki Sauce, it can be quite salty and you don't want to over-do it.  Roll up and devour!

Layer, wrap and enjoy!

Sesame Chicken Rice Noodles

One of my other obsessions when it comes to Chinese food is the dish Cow Mei Fun.  It is a noodle dish made with thin rice noodles, Chinese vegetables and Chicken.  Last night I came up with my own play on this recipe and was super happy with the results.  Scott and I both agreed this was a definite Do Again.

Sesame Chicken Rice Noodles

14 oz thin rice noodles

1 carrot, cut into long fine strips

8 oz cabbage, cut into long fine strips

4 scallions, cut into one-inch sections

3/4 cup fresh shiitake or button mushrooms, thickly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, finely sliced

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

For the sauce

3 Tbsp rice or sherry vinegar

5 Tbsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp sesame oil

6 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground

salt and freshly ground black pepper 

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl with a pinch of salt.  Slowly while mixing with a whisk, add in your olive oil to emulsify.  Set aside.  

Soak the noodles in warm water for ten minutes.  Stir them occasionally to separate.  Drain well and pat dry. Turn into a bowl.  While you are soaking the noodles, saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil until they turn golden brown.  Add the rest of the veggies for just a minute or two, stirring to combine.  Add the vegetables to the noodles.  Pour in just over half of the sauce, then toss the mixture well.  Adjust the seasoning according to taste.  

Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  Add the chicken, and stir-fry for three minutes, or until cooked and golden brown.  Remove from the heat.  Add the sesame seeds, and drizzle in some of the sauce.  

Arrange the noodles on individual plates, making a nest on each plate.  Spoon the chicken on top.  Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds for garnish.  Serve any remaining sauce on the side to add as desired.  

Sesame Shrimp Toasts

Remember my addiction to Chinese Take-Out, especially the appetizers?  Well I decided to try my hand at another one- Sesame Shrimp Toasts.  These little guys are sooo delicious; creamy, crunchy, and golden brown.  They are incredibly addictive and for the flavor you get you would think they were difficult to make.  But oh my goodness, simple as pie!  (Probably easier actually!)

Sesame Shrimp Toasts
8 oz raw shrimp, shelled and deveined (do not use cooked shrimp because they will not stick to the bread while frying)
2 Tbsp shortening (I accidently used only one Tbsp and they worked fine.  Although I think the 2nd would help it adhere a bit stronger.  But I think I will still reduce the amount next time to make it a smidge healthier...although being that it is fried, what does a little more shortening matter?!!)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tsp scallions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger root (or 1/4 tsp ground)
1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water
salt and pepper
6 slices white bread, crusts removed
5/8 cup sesame seeds
peanut oil or canola oil, for frying

Place the shrimp and sortening on a cutting board and chop them together to form a paste.  Scrape into a bowl and stir in the egg white, scallions, ginger, and rice wine.  Mix the cornstarch and the water together until a smooth paste forms, then stir into the shrimp mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the shrimp paste evenly over one side of each slice of bread.  Spread out the sesame seeds on a flat plate or parchment paper and gently press the spread side of each bread int othe seeds to coat.

Heat the peanut oil in a preheated wok or large skillet.  Add half the slices of bread, spread-side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Continue cooking the remaining slices of bread.  Cut each slice into fingers and serve immediately.

The Crab Rangoonies

One of my favorite guilty pleasures when it comes to food is easily Chinese Take-Out, most specifically all of the wonderfully delicious appetizers.  The potstickers, egg rolls, shrimp toasts, and my most favorite- Crab Rangoon.  Ok, I know that none of these items fall under the remotely healthy menu.  But I can't help it, they are GOOD!  So in my attempt to have them be something I could eat more often, I have decided to start trying to make this stuff myself.  I can cross the potstickers off my list and now after Friday night, I can add crab rangoons.  This was another Hungry Girl recipe, so the nutritional stats are amazing.  Plus they were not only super healthy, but they were incredibly easy to make. Awesome!  Now I can eat wayyyyy more of them at one time.....right??

The Crab Rangoonies
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
4 oz. imitation crabmeat, flaked
1 tsp. low-sodium/lite soy sauce
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 scallions, finely chopped
16 small square wonton wrappers (often stocked near the tofu in the fridge section of the market)
Optional: sweet & sour sauce or Chinese-style hot mustard, for dipping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make your filling, combine all ingredients except wonton wrappers in a bowl, breaking up the cheese wedges as you add them. Mix until uniform. Set aside. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set that aside as well.

Lay two wrappers flat on a clean, dry surface. Spoon a heaping 1/2 tbsp. of filling into the center of each wrapper. Moisten all four edges of each wrapper by dabbing your fingers in water and going over the edges smoothly. Fold the bottom left corner of each wrapper to meet the top right corner, forming a triangle and enclosing the filling. Press firmly on the edges to seal. Repeat with all remaining wrappers and filling, gently placing each rangoon flat on the baking sheet.

Spray the tops of the wontons with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly.

If you like, dip your rangoonies in some sweet & sour sauce or hot mustard!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS
PER SERVING (4 "crab rangoonies"): 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 618mg sodium, 20g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugars, 9g protein -- POINTS® value 3*

Sweet and Sour Chicken, Fried Rice and Steamed Pears

Each month I get together with two of my long time girlfriends, Bonnie and Dawn.  Many times we go out for a nice dinner, but as of lately we have been meeting at one another's house and cooking dinner together.  On Monday night we met at Bonnie's house for some Chinese.  I chose Chicken Friend Rice, Bonnie did Sweet and Sour Chicken and for dessert, Dawn made Steamed Pears.  Each of the dishes turned out wonderful- definite "make again's". 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup all-purpose flour

a small amount of ground pepper, ground ginger, and garlic powder to season flour (not a lot)

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

vegetable oil

1 red and 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 medium carrots, peeled and trimmed, sliced thinly on a diagonal

1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice (no added sweeteners)

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice

1 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4-6 drops red food coloring

2 rounded tablespoons corn starch mixed in enough cold water to make a slurry

Directions for making Chicken:

Trim chicken of all visible fat and cut into bit-sized pieces.  In a small frying pan heat 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Heat to deep-frying temperature.  In a bowl mix eggs and milk and beat until well blended.  Place flour and seasonings in a shallow bowl and mix.  Dunk pieces of chicken into the egg  allowing excess to drain.  Dredge the chicken in the flour coating thoroughly.  Drop pieces into the hot oil and fry until deep golden brown.  Turn as necessary to cook evenly on all sides.  When golden brown  remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain.  Repeat until all chicken pieces are cooked.  Set aside until assembly. 

Directions for Making the Sauce:

Place pineapple and water in sauce pan and heat over a low flame.  Slowly add sugar while stirring.  When sugar has dissolved, slowly add the vinegar and lemon juice while stirring.  Add corn starch slurry and stir while heating.  Bring to a boil.  Stir constantly until thickened. Add food coloring, a little at a time until you get the coloring you like and stir well to mix.  Continue to heat and stir until almost a syrup.  Remove from heat and set aside.  

Note: You will be judging the thickness of the sauce while it is hot.  It will thicken considerably when it is set aside and cools.  Later, when added to the vegetables, the moisture from the vegetables will thin the sauce quite a bit.  

Directions for Assembling Completed Dish:

Add a little vegetable oil to a large frying pan or wok.  Bring to frying temperature over medium heat.  Add all vegetables but the pineapple and cook, stirring frequently , until onions begin to caramelize.  Add sweet and sour sauce and continue cooking and stirring until vegetables are bite tender and sauce has re-thickened and clings to the vegetables.  Add pineapple and chicken and fold into the vegetables and sauce.  Simmer until heated through.  Serve over rice.

Chicken Fried Rice

4 cups leftover, previously chilled cooked rice

Two large chicken breast cleaned of all visible fat, chopped into small bite sized pieces

1 cup diced ham

3 eggs, beaten

half green pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 teaspoon salt 

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil, divided

2 green onions (scallions), sliced

2 teaspoons fish sauce or 1 tablespoon soy sauce

3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Gently seperate the grains of rice with a fork, being careful not to smush them.  

Set a wok or large saute pan on high heat.  When oil is hot enough to make water sizzle, add one tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat the wok.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add the chicken and fry until almost cooked through.  Remove from the wok to a plate, leaving as much oil in the wok as possible.  Saute the pepper and onions, until the start to become translucent but still remain crisp.  Add ham to begin to caramelize.  Remove onions, peppers and ham from the wok and add to plate with chicken.

Turn the heat to medium and let the wok heat up again.  Add the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to scramble the eggs.  When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the wok into the same plate as the chicken.  

Use a paper towel to wipe down the same wok clean and return it to high heat  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat.  When the oil is hot, add the green onions and fry until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds.  Add the rice and stir well to mix in the green oinions throughout.  Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1 minute.  Use a spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok and let cook for 1 minute.  

Drizzle the fish sauce (or soy sauce) all around the rice and toss.  Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, mostly cooked chicken, ham, peppers and onions and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all the ingredients.  Repeat the tossing, spreading and 1-minute frying until each and every grain of rice is heated through.  Taste and adjust with additional soy sauce if needed.  


**this recipe is adapted slightly from Jadin Hair's Shrimp Fried Rice recipe in Steamy Kitchen

Steamed Pears

4 Asian pears or if unavailable, bartlett pears

4 teaspoons honey

4 dates, pitted

lemon juice to brush on pears to avoid discoloration, optional

Wash and dry pears, cut off top and core.  Reserve the top of the pear.  This will become the lid.  Fill each pear with a date and fill with honey.  Put the top back on the pear and place in steamer.  Steam for 30 minutes or until tender. 

**The flavor of these we soooooo delicious.  We all agreed that the dates completely made the dish.  The three flavors blended together beautifully.  We steamed the pears for well over 30 minutes and due to our impatience we took them out of the steamer before they were completely tender.  They had more of a crispness to them.  Although this didn't take away from the flavor of the dish, we all agreed that a more tender pear would be nice.  I will most definitely be making these again and will have to play around with the recipe a bit.   But please give them a try- just wonderful!

Stay tuned for our next months' Girls Night In.  We already can't wait!

Shrimp Potstickers

Oh how I love Asian food. I could eat it almost everyday and absolutely not tire of it.  One of my favorite appetizers are Potstickers/ Steamed Dumplings.  I love getting them at the Asian Market downtown and even Trader Joe's has great one's in their frozen section.  But up until the other night I never attempted making them myself.  I really, really needed to get some grocery shopping done, but in all of this snow I didn't really want to make the treck to the market.  I just so happened to have shrimp in my freezer, wanton wrappers in the fridge, a handful of veggies in the crisper and loads of Asian sauces, I figured tonight would be as good a night as any.  And guess what- they were amazing!!  I looked at a few recipes for inspiration, but then played around with them and made this one up according to what I happened to have on hand in my kitchen and pantry.  Scott was super impressed and we both gave these a 5 stars, it's a definite do again recipe.

For the Potstickers
1lb shrimp, cleaned and devined
1 stalk celery, chopped including the leaves (I used this instead of nappa cabbage, it worked really well)
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
half an onion, chopped (if I had green onions I would have used these instead.  Use what you have onhand)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 teasoons fresh ginger, minced
1 Tablespoon cilantro
2 Tablspoons Soy Vay's Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 8oz Package Wonton Wrappers or Gyoza Wrappers

For the Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili sauce, to taste (I like Sriracha best)
1/4 teasoon Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
a pinch of sugar, more if you like a sweeter sauce

Directions
Whisk all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and set aside.  The flavors will come together as it sits.

Take a half pound of the shrimp and put it in a food processor along with the celery (or nappa cabbage), carrots, bean sprouts, onion, ginger, cilantro, Teriyaki Sauce and sesame oil.  Pulse for 20 seconds or until smooth in consistency (you want a slight chunkiness, not soupy). Take the remaining half a pound of shrimp and chop into small chunks, then stir it into the mixture.

Now it is time to begin filling your wrappers!  I began with three wonton wrappers at one time and moved up to ten at a time.  Do what works for you.  As you go, you will get a rhythm.  Place just over a teaspoon of filling just off center of the wrapper.  Have a small bowl of water and a clean towel handy.  Moisten the edges of the wrappers with water, fold wrapper corner to corner to form a triangle.  Smooth the seam being sure not to let any filling to come out or they will fall apart while cooking.  Take a fork and gently press all the way around the seam to help seal and also to create a decorative edge.

I like to spray both sides of the dumplings with Pam so they won't stick to each other on the plate, or the pan when frying.  

Heat 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil (not olive oil, it won't be able to get hot enough without burning) in a large skillet.  Add the dumplings and fry until golden brown, about 1 and a half minutes.  Add 1/2 cup hot water, partially cover and cook 4-5 minutes.  Move to a paper towel lined plate and drain slightly. Transfer to an oven-safe plate, cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven while you cook your next batch.

When ready to eat, transfer to a clean plate and serve with dipping sauce.  Enjoy!