Chicken and Potato Yellow Curry

I've made this dish twice now. The first time I couldn't find yellow curry paste, so I used yellow curry powder and just added enough until I thought it tasted good. The second time I found the paste, and it also made a good curry, although it was a lot spicier (but not too spicy).

Ingredients:

• 3 thin-skinned potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds total weight), cut into cubes
• One 13 1/2-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons yellow curry paste
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (dissolved in 2 teaspoons water)
• Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:

In a saucepan, cook the potatoes in boiling water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain.

Pour 1/2 cup of the coconut milk into a saucepan and place over medium heat for 30 seconds. Stir in the curry paste and bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the remaining coconut milk and the water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar, fish sauce, and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro and the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with the cilantro leaves, and serve.

Golden Fried Dumplings (a.k.a potstickers)

These are definitely a favorite, and they are not nearly as hard as you might think. My only tip is be sure to use a non-stick frying pan. They aren't called potstickers for nothing.

Ingredients:

• 1 bundle chopped green onion
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb chopped napa cabbage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce (or 1 tablespoon sugar)
• 3-4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger root
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 packages gyoza/potsticker wrappers

Directions:

Chop Chinese cabbage. Put in blender with water and blend well. Drain. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze water out, but not to dry. Mix cabbage with other ingredients to a very fine paste.

Place small amount of filling, approxiamtely 1 teaspoon, in the middle of each wrapper. Moisten edges of the wrapper and seal the edges.

Heat frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. Line frying pan with dumplings, flat side down. Fry until the bottom of the dumplings are golden brown, then add 1/2 cup water and cover the frying pan. Turn heat to medium. Let the dumplings steam until almost all the water has evaporated and the skins are somewhat transparent.

Serve dumplings with sauce made of soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar (mix to taste).

Simple Sesame Noodles

We made this for a potluck yesterday, and it turned out great. It can be served warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 8 ounce fresh Chinese egg noodles
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

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• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups shredded napa cabbage or green head cabbage
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

In a small frying pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until lightly colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately pour onto a plate to cool. Set aside for garnish.

Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Place the noodles in a large bowl, add the 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and stir to coat.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add the vegetable oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt and is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cabbage, bean sprouts, and carrot and stir-fry until the cabbage is tender-crisp, about 2 1/2 minutes. Add the sauce and noodles and toss until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Garnish with the sesame seeds and cilantro.

Egg Flower Corn Soup

This is one of my favorite soups, and it's very easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups turkey or chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded cooked turkey or chicken
• One 14 1/2-ounce can cream-style corn
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped water chestnuts (I've never included these when I make it)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/3 cup water
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Add the turkey, cream-style corn, frozen corn, water chestnuts, oyster-flavored sauce, sesame oil, and pepper. Return to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the soup boils and thickens slightly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly drizzle in the eggs while gently stirring constantly with a spoon to form egg flowers. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the green onion, and serve.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

My mom got this recipe from a vietnamese friend of hers.

Ingredients

• 1.5 c. sugar
• 2 c. water
• 1 c. vinegar
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 c. catsup
• 2 tbsp. corn starch

Directions

1. Cook vegetables together in medium sauce pan.
2. Stir in sugar, water, vinegar, and catsup.
3. Add corn starch and cook until good consistency.

For a nice meal bread and fry some chicken pieces and serve over fried rice.

Dad's Fried Rice

This is a great way to use up any already cooked rice you have in your fridge that you don't want to eat because your taste buds don't really call out for it.

Ingredients

• vegetable oil (1 or 2 tbsp)
  
• cooked rice
• soy sauce (enough to get the right color/desired flavor for the amount of rice)
• 1 or 2 eggs (according to preference)
• frozen veggies
• garlic powder
• black pepper

Directions

1. Heat up oil in frying pan (or wok).
2. Add cooked rice and soy sauce, stir until sauce is evenly distributed
3. Make small clearing in middle of rice to fry egg(s), scramble and mix with rice.
4. Add frozen veggies and spices to taste.