Korean Beef Bowl

One of the many cool things about being married to my hubby is that he has introduced me to so many new cuisines that I would never have tried before I met him.  Some we have even tried for the first time together.  A prime example is sushi. Never in a million years would I imagine myself eating raw fish on rice, but I am now in love with it.  On several occasions, we've also tried Indian, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Jamaican and Korean food to name a few. These are all very common restaurant choices for us now and I enjoy them all!

One of my favorite Korean dishes is called Bibimbap. Bibimbap is a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables and chili pepper paste. A fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. These ingredients are stirred together just before eating. 

That is one of the reasons I love the recipe below so much.  It resembles bibimbap but without the vegetables and chili pepper paste.  A simplified version if you will.  The second reason I love this recipe is because it was SUPER fast and easy to make! It doesn't get any easier than this to get dinner on the table.

The original recipe doesn't call for a fried egg on top but it's a must.  It makes it that much better - like icing on the cake!  I served this dish with some pot stickers and my family (excluding my picky 3 year old) devoured it.  This will now become a staple meal in our house because it was delicious and quick.

Korean Beef Bowl
Source: Real Mom Kitchen

1 lb. ground beef
⅓ c. brown sugar
¼ c. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ t. ground ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced
cooked rice for serving
2 green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds
Eggs, sunny side up (optional)

In a skillet, brown beef and garlic. Drain off any excess grease.

In the meantime, in a bowl add brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ground ginger. Whisk until combined and set aside. (You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like it.)

Add the sauce mixture that you set aside to the beef. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onion, sesame seeds, and a fried egg.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I'm a huge fan of lettuce wraps. I think P.F. Chang's have THE best lettuce wraps but unfortunately there isn't one close to where I live.  I saw this yummy recipe on my friend, K's blog and wanted to eat it off the computer screen! This is a quick meal to throw together and turned out to be delicious!!! Give it a try!





Asian Lettuce Wraps
Source: Hanging By A Thread


1 lb. ground meat (beef, turkey, pork, or chicken)
Boston Bib or butter lettuce leaves
1 T. cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 T. soy sauce
1/3 c. hoisin sauce
2 t. minced pickled ginger
1 T. rice wine vinegar
Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
1 (8oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 t. dark sesame oil


Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside.


In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground meat in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame seed oil and cooked meat; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.


Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito.

Simple Sesame Noodles

This recipe is a new favorite in my house. It received 8 thumbs up...well, 12 thumbs up if you include the friends we had over for dinner that night too! It went well with my Asian dinner of noodles, bok choy, and steamed fish with soy sauce and black beans (recipe to come). These noodles are so easy to throw together and make a delicious side dish! Thanks Pioneer Woman! I can always count on you for fabulous recipes!



Simple Sesame Noodles
Source: The Pioneer Woman

12 oz, Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
1/4 c. Soy Sauce
2 T. Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 T. Rice Vinegar
3 T. Pure Sesame Oil
1/2 t. Hot Chili Oil
4 T. Canola Oil
4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss. Serve in a bowl with chopsticks.

Salt and Pepper Tofu

Every time we get the opportunity to hang out with my brother-in-law and his wife we go out for Chinese food...
...every time we eat Chinese food, they order Salt and Pepper Tofu...
......every time they order Salt and Pepper Tofu, I have to nibble off their plate and eat several pieces!

I was never one to order tofu until hanging out with them. Needless to say, I am a huge fan now and decided it was time to learn how to make it myself! This recipe was easy to follow and it turned out amazing!!! My whole family loved it! My only complaint is that it was rather messy to cook. The hot oil was spitting and spattering the whole time I was frying the tofu. It was worth the mess I had to clean up afterwards but that may be a good reason to continue ordering this dish at a local Chinese restaurant.



Salt and Pepper Tofu
Source: Veggie Belly

Serves 2 as an entree or about 4 as an appetizer

For the sauté:
1/2 T. oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, washed and grit removed (1 c. when chopped)
1 celery rib (1/2 c. when chopped)
1 small green pepper (1/2 c. when chopped)
1 T. finely minced garlic
1 T. finely minced ginger (I left this out.)
1 T. light soy sauce
1/2 t. brown sugar

For the tofu:
1 block (14 oz when drained) extra firm tofu
4 T. corn starch
1/2 t. or to taste freshly cracked black pepper
Salt

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Chop the leeks, celery and green pepper into a fine dice. Heat oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add chopped leeks, celery, and green pepper. Sauté on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce and brown sugar and cook 30 seconds. Set this mixture aside.

Pat dry the drained tofu. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Place the tofu cubes in a large bowl. Add corn starch, salt and pepper. Gently toss till the tofu pieces are very well coated.

In a skillet, pour oil so that it comes up 1/2 inch. Heat the oil.Make sure oil is hot. Add tofu cubes a few at a time. If you fry too many in one go they won’t crisp up. Fry the tofu pieces, flipping them around, so that all sides are golden brown. Drain onto a few layers of paper towels.

Heat up the sautéed leeks, celery and bell pepper. Add the fried tofu cubes to this. Toss well. Serve Chinese salt and pepper tofu with your favorite chili sauce and garnish with celery leaves or green onions.

Fried Swai Fish with Dipping Sauce

Here's another one of my favorite Chinese recipes. I'm so excited to share it with you. It's another recipe that my sweet father-in-law taught me himself. I begged him to teach me several things before they went back to China. He used to own his own Chinese restaurant in the northern burbs of Chicago so he has many, many amazing recipes that he can just make by heart. He offered to teach me anything I wanted and this was sure to be one of them. I can't wait until their next visit so I can learn even more from him.

I love this fish because it's not fishy at all. It's so tender and frying it up makes it even that much better. Everyone (even my kids) devour this meal every time I make it!



Fried Swai Fish w/Dipping Sauce
Source: my wonderful father-in-law

2 frozen swai (or sole) fish fillets
1/2 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 T. flour
- - - - - - - - - -
1/8 c. ketchup
1 ½ t. chinkiang vinegar
2 t. sugar
1 ½ t. soy sauce
little squirt of hot sauce
¼ t. sesame oil

Cut 2 frozen swai fish fillets in half (length wise); then cut each half in 4 pieces cutting at an angle.

Put fish pieces in small mixing bowl and add ½ t. salt, 1 t. sugar, 1 egg, 1 ½ T. cornstarch, and 1 ½ T. flour. Stirring after each addition.

In large frying pan heat oil on high heat. Fry fish on med-hi heat for approx. 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden on both sides. Remove from oil.

To make the sauce:
Add 1/8 c. ketchup, 1 ½ t. chinkiang vinegar, 2 t. sugar, 1 ½ t. soy sauce, little squirt of hot sauce, and ¼ t. sesame oil to a small sauce pan. Heat up over med-high heat. Stir while warming up the sauce and don’t cook it too long or the sugar will burn.

If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little water to thin it out.

Hoisin Chicken Wings

If you haven't noticed yet, we love to eat chicken wings! It's my hubby's favorite food and even my soon-to-be 5 year old will often ask if we can have "chicken on the bones" for dinner. Here's a chicken wing recipe that's made in the crock pot so it was a win-win situation for everyone. It went great with the baby bok choy I blogged about two days ago.



Hoisin Chicken Wings
Source: Make It Fast, Cook It Slow

2 - 3 lb. frozen chicken wings or drumettes
1/2 c. prepared hoisin sauce
1/4 c. honey
4 to 5 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 T. sesame oil

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the crock. Add the hoisin sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Stir before serving.

Baby Bok Choy

I love vegetables; especially bok choy! Here's a great way to steam and season bok chop. Super easy, fast, and healthy. I'll often prepare it when I'm in the mood for Chinese food. It reminds me of the way my father-in-law prepares many vegetables when he cooks.



Baby Bok Choy
Source: slightly adapted from Steamy Kitchen

1 1/2 lb. bok choy or baby bok choy
1 1/2 T. vegetable oil
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 c. water
salt to taste
1 t. sugar
1 t. sesame oil

Start by trimming the stem off - don't trim too much - just the end. Cutting the thick stem off will ensure that the bok choy cooks evenly. Separate out the leaves, keep the tender center intact and clean under running water. Drain.

Thinly slice garlic.

Place wok or frying pan on your stove and pour in the cooking oil. Add the garlic. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the garlic gently sizzle in the oil. When the aromatics become fragrant and light golden brown, add the bok choy leaves. Toss very well to coat each leaf with the garlicky oil for 15 seconds. Pour in water. Immediately cover and let cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and sugar and drizzle a bit of sesame oil on top.

Chinese Chicken Wings

Here's another wonderful Chinese recipe that my father-in-law taught me how to make. My hubby is so excited that I can make this now because it's one of his favorites!

Chinese chicken wings are super easy to make. I served them with white rice and fresh green beans. Serve the sauce on top of the white rice and call me when you make this so I can invite myself over for dinner. :)

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I haven't been to P.F. Chang's in years but I will never forget how awesome their Chicken Lettuce Wraps are. They were always a must have when my friends and I would go there. When I came across this recipe, wonderful memories came back and my mouth started watering instantly.

They turned out really well and I served them as a main entre for dinner. I can't say that they are quite as good as P.F. Chang's but I'll still give them 2 thumbs up!

Note: The first night we had these I served them on pre-washed, precut green leaf lettuce (as seen in the picture). The second night I used iceberg lettuce (as the recipe calls for). I highly recommend using iceberg lettuce. It makes it taste a lot better and is more crunchy.

Garlic Chicken

I have to admit, I just love making Chinese food. There's a bit of prep work needed up front but the end result is just so delicious! And you can tweak it by adding in your favorite veggies and leaving out any that you don't like. Garlic chicken is another one of my favorites. When my hubby sat down to eat it he said, "Mmmmm!!! How did you learn how to cook this?" My answer? "Your dad of course!" :)

Chinese Ribs

My hubby's work hosted an International Dinner a couple weekends ago. Each person was to bring a popular dish from the country they are from. After a few days of thinking about this my hubby asked me to make Chinese ribs, another dish that his dad had taught me to make a couple years ago. This is a favorite in our house and goes great with white rice. Often times I will make a big batch of these and put them in the freezer to eat later.

Chinese Fried Rice

This is a family favorite in our house but it's a hard recipe to share because I really don't have any measurements for you. I will however share the list of ingredients and then you can try your own version of Chinese fried rice at home.

Pepper Steak & Onion

Here's another fabulous recipe that my father-in-law taught me how to cook. I consider myself extremely lucky to have such nice in-laws. I just love when they come to visit us and stay for a couple months at a time. My in-law's used to own their own Chinese restaurant so the last time they were here visiting, my father-in-law offered to teach me anything I wanted to make. This is one of the first dishes he taught me. The hardest part about learning how to cook Chinese food is that they don't use measuring utensils. They just eye-ball everything! I did my best at "guestimating" how much of this and that he would poor into the pot. Use the measurements below as a guideline but let your tastebuds be the true judge. You can always adjust the flavors to fit your style.

Pepper Steak & Onion has always been a favorite of mine. This recipe tastes just as good as what you'd order in a Chinese restaurant!

We're Having Chinese Tonight!

One of my favorite things to order when eating out at a Chinese restaurant is Double Pan Noodles with chicken. Ever had them? They are just delicious! This summer my in-laws came to stay with us for a couple of months and I had the honor of getting some personal Chinese cooking "classes" from my father-in-law. Before moving back to China, they used to own and run their own Chinese restaurant and let me tell you, he made THE BEST Chinese food ever! So I feel extremely lucky to have been taught by the best!

This was my first time making this dish and I was very happy with how it turned out! Ryan's exact quote was, "Wow! This is better than the real stuff." Carson's exact words were, "Mmmmmmm!!!" The hardest part about learning how to cook Chinese food is that they don't use measuring cups and spoons like we do. They just eyeball it all; however, I did my best to estimate the exact measurements.