Salmon and Veggie Fried Rice

Luke and I rarely go out for Chinese, and sometimes I just CRAVE it. Fried rice is a fun way to breath some life into veggies that are sitting in your fridge waiting to wilt and die. Plus, I had some salmon leftover after buying a huge fillet on sale, and this was the perfect way to use that up to. So while this meal was a bunch of scrounged up leftovers, it tasted first class!

Veggie Fried Rice

2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 leek, sliced

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
4 cups prepared brown rice, chilled
2 eggs, lightly whisked
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional, or you can add additional salt to taste)
3 tablespoons chopped cashews
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large wok or skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute leeks for 1-2 minutes until beginning to brown, then add carrots and Brussels sprouts. Saute for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and saute another minute. If needed, add a little more oil, you don't want the food to stick! Stir in the brown rice and toss to combine and bring up to heat, about 1 minute. Make a well in the middle of the pan and pour in the eggs. Let them cook about 1 1/2 minutes then begin stirring around to make sure they get cooked. Once the eggs are cooked and combined with the rice, stire in the oyster, soy and fish sauces and toss to combine. Remove from heat and top with cashews and cilantro, then flake Honey Soy Salmon on top, if using.

Note, you may be tempted to season veggies, etc. with salt and pepper during cooking. The Asian sauces are VERY salty, and I regretted adding additional salt. I recommend tasting first before adding any additional salt.

Honey Soy Salmon

1/2 pound coho salmon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season salmon with salt and pepper to taste. In an oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil then add salmon. Cook about 3 minutes then flip and let cook about 1 minute. Next add salmon to the oven and let finish cooking about 5 minutes (or longer if it's a thick piece). While salmon is cooking, whisk honey and soy sauce together, adjusting amounts to get your preferred thickness. When salmon has about 1 minute left, brush some of the sauce on top then return to oven. When it's finished cooking, brush remainder on salmon, then serve. The sweetness will contrast nicely with the saltiness of the fried rice.

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

I've been craving Asian food a lot lately but have been attempting to fight it with Kashi frozen dinners for lunch at work (they're surprisingly tasty!) I came across a recipe for Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken in the March issue of Cooking Light and decided to try it out. I forgot I had run out of hoisin sauce, so my version is a little bit different. Also, since I feed some hungry boys, I used a lot more noodles than the recipe calls for. It was really tasty and filling!

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
3 (6.75-ounce) packages thin rice sticks (rice-flour noodles)
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan; cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Place in a large bowl. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon oil, chicken, and next 6 ingredients (through sambal).

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain. Cut noodles into smaller pieces. Add noodles to bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

I served this with a saute of broccoli, carrots and snow peas with a little minced ginger and a splash of soy sauce.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

I realized that I hardly ever cook with shrimp, which is surprising because it's so versatile and tasty. I went for a simple Asian dish that has tons of great vegetables and flavor. And, this meal was extra special because my best friend Brittney surprised me and came in town. As you may recall from an earlier post, she loves my Polynesian Chicken, and this closely mirrors that. Here's to old friends!

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, deveined and tails off
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, halved, seeded and chopped
1 small can diced water chestnuts
2 mangos, peeled, pitted and chopped
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces and toss in flour. Heat oil and butter in a nonstick skillet on medium high heat. Saute shrimp about 3 to 4 minutes until warmed. Remove and cover with foil. Cook garlic, onion and bell peppers in remaining oil in pan for about 5 minutes. Add water chestnuts and mango and saute additional 2 minutes.

Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, water, ketchup and cornstarch in a saucepan and heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, 5 to ten minutes. Stir in 3/4 of mixture into vegetables and add shrimp. Serve over rice with additional sweet and sour sauce on the side. If desired, serve in lettuce cups for an added crunch :)

Asian Ginger Steak

**Update, I was a runner up in the contest and featured on the Whole Foods Market blog "What We're Reading" section-- http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2008/09/what-were-reading-5/

My friend and coworker (and fellow food blogger!) Jodi informed me about Whole Foods Market's Budget Recipe Challenge to create a meal that costs under $4 per person. I was intrigued and challenged by this. I usually start my meal creation with good intentions, then I always want to add more ingredients for additional flavors, nutrients or colors. This is a challenge in discipline, so I'm pretty excited with what I've come up with. And hey, the first 100 entrants get $25 to Whole Foods, which I'm not going to pass up!

Asian Ginger Steak with Stir-Fried Vegetables and Ginger-Infused Rice

2 inches ginger, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes
1/3 cup tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds sirloin tip steak
Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups 365 white enriched rice
1 16-ounce bag 365 frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed

Peel one inch fresh ginger and grate. Add ginger and minced garlic to a large zip lock bag. Next zest both limes. Add lime zest and juice to bag, along with 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce. Add salt and pepper and steak, and marinade for 30 minutes. Heat a grill pan on medium high heat and spray with cooking spray.

In the meantime, prepare rice according to instructions. Half way through cooking, add other inch of ginger, peeled. Once rice is done, remove ginger.

Once steak is done marinating, place on grill pan and cook about 5 minutes on each side for a medium steak. Remove from heat and let rest before slicing.

While rice and steak is cooking, heat a large skillet or wok on medium high heat. Add vegetables and remaining soy sauce and stir fry until cooked, about 3 minutes.

This recipe serves about .3 pound of meat per person, about 1/2 cup cooked rice and 1 cup vegetables.

Since the deadline is quickly approaching, I'm posting this recipe without testing it first. I plan on making this on Labor Day, at which time I'll add more pictures.

**Pictures now posted! :)

Wish me luck in my first food blog competition!

Budget Breakdown Per Person:
Ginger- $.12
Garlic- $.06
Lime- $.08
Soy Sauce- $.10
Salt and Pepper- $.05
Steak- $2.38
Cooking Spray- $.01
Rice- $.18
Vegetables- $.50

Total- $3.48