VIETNAMESE CUCUMBER SALAD

VIETNAMESE CUCUMBER SALAD
2 pounds Persian or Japanese cucumbers, semi-peeled (stripes) and thinly sliced*
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 large stalk celery, diced small
1/2 cup cilantro, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts (OPTIONAL)
1/4 cup avocado oil
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon sugar
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, liquid aminos, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper.
  • In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers, celery, jalapeno, green onions and cilantro.
  • Pour marinade over greens and toss well.
  • Add peanuts and toss again.
  • Serve and enjoy!

ASIAN CHICKEN ALA SLOW COOKER

ASIAN CHICKEN ALA SLOW COOKER serves 4
adapted from Karina at CafeDelites

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts and chicken thighs
1/2 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1/3 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup QUALITY honey
3 packed tablespoons brown sugar
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 small bunch green onions/scallions sliced for garnish
1 tablespoons white and black sesame seeds, to garnish

  • Spray your slow cooker bowl with non-stick spray.
  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the liquid aminos, oyster sauce, honey, brown sugar and garlic.
  • Place chicken into the sauce, turning to coat.
  • Layer chicken pieces into slow cooker in a single layer if possible.
  • Pour remaining sauce over top.
  • Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low setting.
  • During the last hour of cooking, whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
  • Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce until well blended.
  • Recover and allow sauce to thicken and the chicken is just beginning to fall apart.
  • Season with salt and pepper as necessary.
  • Serve over rice.
  • Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

SPICY PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN & BROCCOLI – SHEET PAN STYLE

SPICY PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN & BROCCOLI – SHEET PAN STYLE
1/4 cup QUALITY honey
1/4 cup QUALITY peanut butter
1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Frank’s original hot sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 LARGE limes, juiced
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and tri-color pepper, to taste
3 1/4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
Prepared white rice

  • Whisk together honey, peanut butter, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, 1/2 cup avocado oil, salt and pepper.
  • Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce and set aside.
  • Add the chicken pieces and remaining sauce to a large ziploc bag.  Seal and refrigerate 2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Line a baking tray with foil.
  • Remove chicken from marinade and place on baking tray.  Cover lightly with foil for the first 20 minutes.  As you can see I forgot this time and it got a bit crispy, but still tasted wonderful.
  • Bake 35-40 minutes until chicken skin is crisp and chicken registers 165°.
  • At 25 minutes, toss broccoli florets with 2 tablespoons avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add to baking tray and return to oven.for final 15 minutes.
  • Serve with rice and remaining sauce.

CRISPY PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN

CRISPY PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN
This is just like crispy peanut butter  served in many Chinese restaurants.

CHICKEN
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken tenders
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 LARGE egg
FRESH ground salt and pepper
2-3 cups crushed Corn Flakes
Avocado Oil

  • Whisk together the milk, peanut butter, and egg.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Soak your chicken in this mixture for 15 minutes.
  • Drain chicken pieces.
  • Dredge chicken pieces in Corn Flakes.
  • Cook in hot oil, flipping once, until browned on both sides and cooked through.
  • Serve over prepared rice.
    Drizzle with peanut butter sauce.

SAUCE
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or maybe a little more)
3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 -3/4 cup water (Adjust to desired thickness)
Drizzle of honey

  • Combine sauce ingredients in bowl or microwave safe measuring cup. Start with 1/4 cup of water and add more later to reach your desired consistency.
  • Microwave for 30 seconds and then whisk to thoroughly combine.
  • Microwave another 30 seconds until hot – Add water a teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
  • Whisk again and pour over sliced chicken, or dip chicken pieces in sauce.
  • You can prepare the sauce ahead of time and reheat as needed.

SLOW COOKER GINGER CHICKEN & SLAW

SLOW COOKER GINGER CHICKEN & SLAW
CHICKEN

1/4 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons ketchup (Jalapeno ketchup adds a bit of a kick)
1/4 cup Bragg’s liquid aminos
2 tablespoons FRESH grated ginger
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped small
1 red Jalapeno pepper, chopped small
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Whisk together the apricot jam, ketchup, liquid aminos and ginger in 5 quart slow cooker.
  • Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and chicken, tossing to coat.
  • Cook covered 4-5 hours on low, until chicken is cooked through.
  • Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred.
  • Return chicken to slow cooker.
  • Stir in rice vinegar.
  • Season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
  • 1 cup long grain white rice, prepared 25-30 minutes before serving according to package directions.

SLAW
1/4 small red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 small green onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

  • Toss all together.
  • Season to taste.
  • Serve chicken over rice with slaw.
  • Top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

GOCHUJANG CARAMEL CHICKEN

GOCHUJANG CARAMEL CHICKEN

CHICKEN
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenders
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar

  • In a large bowl dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts of cold water.
  • Submerge chicken in brine, cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

1/2 cup cornstarch

BATTER
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste

  • Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

PREPARATION

1 cup coconut oil

  • Remove chicken from brine and dry thoroughly.
  • Dredge one piece of chicken at a time in the cornstarch, shaking to remove excess and place on a plate.
  • Heat coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat.
  • Dip chicken in batter one piece at a time, allowing excess to drip off, and add to hot oil, frying 5-7 minutes per side until crispy and cooked through.
  • Drain on paper toweling.
  • Dip chicken pieces one at time in the caramel glaze and place on rack to drain.
  • Serve immediately.

GOCHUJANG CARAMEL
1 large green onion, minced (whites only – save greens for garnish)
2 tablespoon Coarsely chopped ginger*
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Gochujang
1/2 cup Sugar
Juice from 1 orange
Juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons Sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 1/2 tablespoons Rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

  • Whisk the sugars with the orange juice in a medium sauce pan.
  • Bring to a simmer and reduce for 3-5 min or until large bubbles form and the caramel has some
  • color
  • Add the scallions, garlic and ginger to the pot and stir constantly to slow down the cooking of the
  • caramel. This will be very fragrant.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame seeds. Keep the sauce warm until ready to use or store in airtight container in refrigerator for
  • up to 2 weeks.

NOTES:

  • Gourmet Garden Squeeze herbs are a great substitution to fresh if you don’t have it on hand.
  • You can use bone in chicken, but you need to adjust the cooking time!  We prefer the boneless because the glaze is so sticky that using a knife and fork is preferable to us!

GRILLED CHICKEN RAMEN with PEANUT SAUCE

GRILLED CHICKEN RAMEN with PEANUT SAUCE
3-3 ounce packages of Ramen
2 (1+1) tablespoons avocado oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and then cut into pieces
3/4 cup match stick carrots
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
3/4 cup salted peanuts

  • Prepare sauce (recipe below) and set aside.
  • Cut chicken tender in half lengthwise and then cut each of those pieces in half.
  • Discard ramen flavor packets.
  • Cook ramen in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Drain and toss in serving bowl with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil.  Cover and set aside.
  • Coat chicken pieces with remaining oil and grill or sear in cast iron until chicken is seared on the outside and cooked through.
  • Toss chicken in sauce with vegetables.
  • Serve over prepared ramen, cucumbers and garnish with green onions.

SAUCE
1/2 cup salted creamy peanut butter (see note)
2-3 tablespoons BRAGG’S liquid aminos
2 tablespoons maple syrup
+/- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, depending on your heat level
Juice of 2 FRESH limes
+/- 1/4 cup water (to thin)

  • Whisk together the peanut butter, liquid aminos, maple syrup, chili sauce and lime juice in a medium mixing bowl.
  • Add water a little at a time until a thick BUT pourable sauce is formed.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, chili garlic sauce for heat, lime juice for acidity, or liquid aminos for saltiness.

NOTE:

  • Almond butter or Cashew butter SUBSTITUTE WELL for Peanut butter.
  • If your sauce becomes too thin, add more nut butter.
  • If your sauce is too thick, thin with more water.
  • FRESH grated ginger to taste adds another great flavor.

GRILLED GENERAL TSO’s CHICKEN

GRILLED GENERAL TSO’s CHICKEN

4 pounds of your favorite chicken pieces (we like legs and thighs) 😀
3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1/4 catsup jalapeno ketchup
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt
LARGE bunch green onions, sliced for garnish
Sesame Seeds, to garnish

  • Whisk together the liquid aminos and oil.
  • Pour into a large ziploc bag.
  • Add chicken pieces, seal and chill 2 hours.

 

  • Whisk together the ketchup, corn syrup, vinegar, garlic, crushed red pepper and salt until smooth. Set aside.

  • Drain chicken and discard marinade.
  • Pat chicken dry.
  • Preheat gas grill.
  • Oil grates.
  • Place chicken on grill, skin side down.
  • Grill 10 minutes uncovered on the hot side of the grill, rotating (NOT flipping) often to avoid burning, until skin is crispy.
  • FLIP chicken to cooler side of the grill, cover and continue grilling 30 minutes or so until you reach 165°.
  • Brush chicken with sauce during last 5 minutes.
  • Arrange chicken on platter.
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.
  • Serve with remains sauce.

CANTONESE CHICKEN STIR FRY

There are so many different provinces in China and different versions of this same chicken dish. This combination of veggies and flavors is one of our favorites.

CANTONESE CHICKEN serves 4
1 1/4 pound chicken tenders cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 LARGE bunch green onions, sliced in large diagonal
2 large carrots, sliced thinly on the diagonal
8 thin slices, peeled garlic
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms (see note)
1/2 pound Bok Choy, sliced 1 1/2 inches long diagonally
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons BRAGG’s liquid aminos
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Prepared rice

  • Toss chicken with oyster sauce and BRAGG’s liquid aminos.
  • Whisk together cornstarch and water.
  • Heat wok and peanut oil until hot.
  • Add carrots, stir frying 2 minutes.
  • Add green onions, ginger and garlic, stir frying 20-30 seconds.
  • Add chicken mixture and stir fry 2-3 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
  • Add mushrooms and bak choy.
  • Add chicken broth and sesame oil.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Add cornstarch mixture and return to boil, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through, sauce thickens and is glossy.
  • Serve over rice.

NOTE: I like beech mushrooms as you can leave them whole and they have a wonderful nutty flavor.

TERIYAKI SALMON with ASIAN WALNUT SLAW

I found the original recipe at Walnuts.org and it really inspired me to do some summer seafood recipes even if I did alter it to meet our tastes.

TERIYAKI SALMON with ASIAN WALNUT SLAW
Grilled salmon topped with a colorful tangy cabbage and carrot slaw, and garnished with fresh cilantro and toasty California walnuts.  One of the best parts is that the marinade is used for the salmon AND as the dressing for the slaw making the two parts of the dish blend seamlessly!

MARINADE
scant 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
scant 1/2 cup thick teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup champagne or apple cider vinegar vinegar
4 (4 to 6 ounce) salmon fillets
3 tablespoons finely chopped and toasted candied walnuts
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

  • In a shallow dish stir together chili sauce, teriyaki sauce and vinegar.  Set aside 1/3 cup for the slaw.
  • Place salmon in dish skin side up and let marinate for 30 minutes.
  • Over medium to high heat grill salmon for 3 to 5 minutes depending on thickness.
  • Flip and pour marinade over and around the salmon, cooking another 3-5 minutes until cooked to your liking and marinade is bubbling.
  • Transfer to a platter and top with cabbage mixture.
  • Sprinkle with walnuts and cilantro.

SLAW
1 cup shredded or thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup coarsely shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup carrot sticks
2 medium green onions, sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped and toasted candied walnuts
Fresh cilantro leaves, torn

  • Toss together cabbages, carrots, green onions and half the walnuts with reserved marinade and refrigerate.

BEEF & CABBAGE STIR FRY

All this started because one of my favorite munchkins brought me a cabbage from her class. 😀 It was this straggly looking thing, but then it grew and grew and grew into a HUGE head that I was able to make 3 meals from 😀

BEEF & CABBAGE STIR FRY

1 Pound ground beef
1/2 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups Shredded Cabbage
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Bragg’s liquid aminos
2 teaspoona Siracha (more or less depending on your preference)
2 teaspoon Ginger, minced
2 tablespoons QUALITY Honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
FRESH ground salt & pepper to taste

  • In a large frying pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
  • Saute the onions with the ground beef. Drain WELL.
  • Add in garlic, carrots & red peppers.
  • Whisk together the liquid aminos, Siracha, honey, vinegar, ginger, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • When the beef is browned and the peppers and onions are soft, add in the cabbage
  • Once cabbage has slightly wilted, add in the soy mixture, mix well and allow to cook about 5 minutes, remove from heat.
  • Add in the sesame oil and toss well.
  • Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or by itself!
  • ENJOY!

HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN ala SLOW COOKER

HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN ala SLOW COOKER

This recipe is ALWAYS a winner. Full of flavor and JUST spicy enough to please everyone at your dinner table.

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped Thai basil

  • Lay chicken thighs into the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker.
  • Whisk liquid aminos, ketchup, honey, garlic, and basil together in a bowl; pour over the chicken.
  • Cook on Low for 4 hours.
  • Serve over rice or noodles.

NOTE:  To spice this up I use Jalapeno ketchup instead of plain.