Slow Cooker Oriental Orange Dinner

Photo courtesy the Cooking Corner.

  
     Asian appetizers were the theme of a recent party and since I had leftover ingredients, I decided to make use of what was on hand. I had snagged some turkey cutlets on sale, so I substituted them for chicken and came up with an interesting approach to a classic Asian flavor combination.
    This is an easy slow cooker dish that's served over rice to make a flavor-filled dinner.

Slow Cooker Oriental Orange Dinner
Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. honey
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Meat base
1 to 1-1/2 lb. turkey cutlets, cut in 3/4 inch chunks
1/4 cup cornstarch
salt and pepper
3 bell peppers, any color, but red, yellow and green preferred, cut in 1/2-inch chunks
1 small onion, sliced in thin strips
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro, as garnish
1 cup cooked rice

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

In slow cooker place turkey chunks, onion and peppers. Mix in cornstarch and salt and pepper. Stir to coat well. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flake on top.

Pour sauce over top meat and cook on low 4 hours.

Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle with cilantro. Makes 6 servings.

Asian Meatballs

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     The girls were coming over for cards and I picked an Asian theme for the appetizers that night. I thought finger foods such as egg rolls, wontons and chicken wings would be fun or at least different. 
     I came up with the idea of meatballs coated in an Asian sauce. The meatballs turned out very moist, easy to make and they reheated well. It was also nice to keep them warm throughout the night.

Meatball ingredients.

Asian Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 T. parsley

Sauce
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minces
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 400. Spray coat a baking sheet.

In medium bowl combine all meatball ingredients until well blended.

Shape into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls and place apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

When meatballs are done place in sauce bowl, working in batches and stir to cover. Place in slow cooker on low to keep warm. Pour remaining sauce over meatballs and keep warm until ready to serve.

Makes 16 meatballs. Recipe easily doubled.

Meatballs out of the oven.

Slow Cooker Asian Beef and Broccoli

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

  The last two boys have finally moved out. They went together to share a place and that will be good, They've been living together forever and will help each other just fine. That's what brothers do. Of course, it helps that they're only a block away.

   I knew that it was going to be a hectic weekend, trying to haul their stuff out of the upstairs, so I made use of my slow cooker for dinner. When you know you're going to be busy, there's nothing like throwing it all in a pot and dishing it up later. 

   I had found a great deal on a top round steak and decided that low, slow and with plenty of liquid was the best way use this cut. The meat was sliced into strips, thrown into the slow cooker, covered with sauce and we started the job of moving. 
    When we called that project to a hault, I started some rice, thickened the sauce and threw the broccoli in to finish off the dish. Thirty minutes later, dinner was good to go. How easy is that? The taste was good, too.

Slow Cooker Asian Beef and Broccoli

1.5 lb. top round steak, cut in thin slices, 1/2 inch at most

1 cup beef stock, using base or bouillon

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 T. sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. liquid from meat when cooked

10-12 broccoli florets, frozen

3/4 cup cooked rice

Put beef strips in the slow cooker and turn on low.

Pour 1 cup boiling water in measuring cup. Add 2 tsp. beef base or 2 cubes beef bouillon and stir to dissolve. Pour in 1/2 cup soy sauce. Add brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Stir to combine. Pour over meat. Cook on low heat 6-8 hours.

In small bowl combine cornstarch and meat liquid, stirring until smooth. Add to slow cooker and stir to combine. Put broccoli in also and let cook for another 30 minutes. 

Serve over cooked rice. Serves 3-4.

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Pork and Pineapple Stir Fry

Photo courtesy of my Mac.

   One of the best ways to use up tidbits of leftovers is to make a stir fry. Recently I had some leftover pork roast, so I sliced some bell peppers and onions in strips and saute'd them and tossed in some leftover slaw mix. 
   When everything is cooked and tender I add the meat, some white rice and to top off the flavor, some pineapple chunks. Any kind of meat and veggies can be used, it just depends on what you have on hand. This is simple, quick and the flavor always good.

Pork Pineapple Stir Fry

2 T. vegetable oil

1 zucchini, peeled and cut in strips 2-3 inches long*

1/2 ea. red and green bell pepper, sliced in strips

1/4 onion, cut in strips

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 bag slaw mix

1/2 cup cooked white rice

1/2 can pineapple chunks, drained

3 T. soy sauce

3/4 cup cooked pork roast, cut in 1-inch chunks

    In very large skillet, heat oil. Add zucchini strips and saute' for 4-5 minutes over medium-low heat just until they start to lightly brown. Add bell peppers, onion and crushed red pepper (if desired). Saute' 8-10 minutes until veggies are tender. Add garlic and slaw mix, stirring to combine. Sprinkle with 2 T. soy sauce and add pineapple. Add pork and cook for 5 minutes to warm meat, soften slaw mix and combine flavors. Add rice and 1 more tablespoon of soy sauce and stir well. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally 5 minutes more. Serves 4.

*I don't usually add zucchini to this dish, but we had plenty.

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Filippino Pork Afritada

  One of my friends at work is married to a really nice lady that was born in the Philippines. She knows that I like to cook and have attempted some Asian food. She sent me her recipe for Pork Afritada - it roughly translates to Braised Pork Stew in tomato sauce.
  I was surprised at how easy this dish is to make. It doesn't take a lot of ingredients and you basically just keep adding ingredients and cooking until it turns orange and meat is tender. She didn't give me exact times, but total it only took about half an hour. It's similar to American beef stew in a tomato base. I have no idea how it turns orange, (maybe the soy sauce mixed with ketchup) but that's the key to telling when you're done. This can be made with chicken as well.

Filippino Pork Afritada

4 pork loin chops, trimmed into 1/2 inch pieces, about 2 cups

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup ketchup or tomato paste

2 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 green pepper, cut into thin slices

salt and pepper (salt optional)

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

   In medium saucepan, heat oil and saute' onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes; stir and cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Pour in soy sauce and water. Let boil. Add ketchup and green pepper when meat is tender. Adjust taste by adding salt and sugar. Let boil until meat is tender and soup turns orange. Best with side of white rice. Serves 4.

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Shrimp Fried Rice

Image via Wikipedia

Fried rice is a nice dish to use up what you have on hand, be it veggies or meats. If you just add some rice to your leftovers, you have a dish. So why not make it shrimp? This is a great way to use up any leftover shrimp from an appetizer tray of shrimp and dip. Once the rice is cooked, this dish doesn't take long to assemble because it's already cooked and you're just warming flavors. If you like a little heat, throw in some crushed red pepper to fire things up.

Shrimp Fried Rice
3 T. vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup cooked shrimp, chopped*
1 cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cooked white rice
3 T. soy sauce
1 green onion and top, sliced (optional)

*Chicken or ham can be substituted.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute' 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add eggs and scramble. Stir in shrimp, peas, rice and soy sauce. Cook until heated through, separating rice. Top with green onions as garnish.
Serves 4-5.

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Crab Rangoon

Image by Morton Fox via Flickr

Fried wontons and Crab Rangoon

One of my absolute favorite Oriental foods is crab rangoon - my hubby, too. But I have had some I like more than others. There's just something about that creamy center that melts in your mouth. A friend from work gave me this recipe and I was surprised at how easy it is - I never would have thought. The sesame oil is about the only ingredient uncommon to my kitchen, so that I find a huge plus. With the "Big Game" coming up this weekend, I'm doing this for my crew.

Crab Rangoon
5 oz. crabmeat
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 scallion, thin sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. toasted sesame oil
kosher salt and cracked black pepper
12 wonton wrappers
peanut oil

Preparation - In a medium bowl, mix crabmeat, cream cheese, scallions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and sesame oil until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat. Place wonton wrappers on cutting board diagonally. Place 1-1/2 t. of crab filling in center. Moisten edges of wrappers with a little water and fold one corner over to form a triangle. Gently flatten edges to seal and remove excess air. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
When oil is hot (325), cook wontons in small batches, turning after 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer with slotted spoon or wire strainer to plate lined with paper towel. Good with chili sauce and Chinese mustard. Makes 12.

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Barb's Sweet and Sour Pork

Image via Wikipedia

At work, my friend Barb, gave me her recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork. She knew that I'd recently been using some boneless pork loin I'd found on sale and gave me this recipe to give a try. I thought about saving this for a column, because if anyone had seen the state of my kitchen that night they would've laughed. I had corn starch sprinkled all over the counter like snowflakes, grease had splattered onto the flour making it a skating rink, and I even burned my finger frying. Oh, but I don't think I have enough space in the paper for the episode.
This attempt at Oriental food turned out good, but my timing was way off - it took longer than expected and we were eating late, once again. This I should have started on a Saturday afternoon, not on a work night. I sauteed red and green bell peppers and onion slices to add into the pork and sauce over white rice. Next time I might throw in some pineapple, too. However, despite the miscellaneous errors, the food was really good.


Sweet and Sour Pork            
1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork loin   
1 egg slightly beaten   
2 tablespoons cornstarch   
2 tablespoons vegetable oil   
1 teaspoon salt   
1 teaspoon light soy sauce   
1/4 teaspoon white pepper   
Vegetable Oil for frying   
3/4 cup all-purpose flour   
3/4 cup water   
2 tablespoons cornstarch   
1 teaspoon salt   
1 teaspoon baking soda                           
Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 3/4 inch pieces. Mix egg, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and the white pepper in glass or plastic bowl; stir in pork. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes. Heat vegetable oil (1-1/2 inches) in wok to 350 degrees or deep fryer. Mix flour, 3/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt and the baking soda. Stir pork pieces into batter until well coated. Fry until light brown (turning frequently if frying in wok). Drain on paper towels, serve on rice with red sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pork Red Sauce  
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar   
1 cup chicken broth   
3/4 cup white vinegar   
1 tablespoon vegetable oil   
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce   
1 teaspoon salt   
1 clove garlic, finely chopped   
1/4 cup cold water   
1/4 cup cornstarch    Red food coloring                   

Heat sugar, chicken broth, vinegar, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and the garlic and a few drops red food coloring to boiling in a 3-quart sauce pan. Mix together 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water and add to the sauce. Cook and stir until thickened, about 20 seconds. While this sauce is for the sweet and sour pork it is also a great dipping sauce for egg rolls.

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Spicy Sausage Egg Rolls

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

  

     A friend of mine from work is good enough to share recipes with me. The last one I tried was a whole new adventure for me - egg rolls. I have not ventured into Asian cooking often. I can screw up rice if I don't pay attention, so this seemed a bit daunting. However, it doesn't have that many ingredients and the steps are pretty easy - cook meat, warm the other stuff with it, spice it up and wrap and fry. Not so hard after all - and the spicy sausage was a nice kick. I'll probably add crushed red pepper flakes next time.

Spicy Sausage Egg Rolls
1 lb. hot sausage
1 lb. slaw mix
1 tsp. minced smoked garlic (in jar)

Egg roll filling

1 T. soy sauce (2 dashes)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. celery seed
1 pkg. egg roll wrappers (20 to a pack)
oil for frying

In large skillet, brown sausage until no longer pink. (don't drain) Add slaw mix, stirring well. Add remaining ingredients (except wrappers). Continue to stir over medium low heat 10 minutes until warmed and well blended. Cover and turn off heat. 

Heat oil in pan for frying (deep fryer if you have it). Fill wrappers with 2-3 T. filling. Fold and wrap tightly. When oil is hot, carefully place egg rolls (seam side down) in hot oil and cook 2-3 minutes per side. Rotate so that all sides are browned evenly. Remove to towel lined paper towel and lightly sprinkle with salt. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Egg roll and stir fry dinner.

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