Ginger Green Beans & Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry

1 lb. chicken breast, sliced thin
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 medium onion, sliced
1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves garlic; minced/grated
1 red pepper, diced (opt)
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce, low sodium
1 tsp ginger
2 Tbl. cornstarch
black pepper to taste.

1.  Whisk honey, soy sauce, and ginger together, set aside.

2.  Blanch green beans in salted boiling water for 5 minutes while the chicken is cooking.  Then drain beans and set aside.

3.  Toss chicken with cornstarch and add to a heated saute pan, coated with olive oil. On high heat,
cook for about 5 minutes on high heat until browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.

4.  Add onion and mushroom and red pepper to the still hot pan and cook for a few minutes until slightly browned.  Add blanched green beans, stir and cook for a few more minutes.

5.  Add chicken broth to green bean mixture and cook until hot and bubbly.
Then add, the honey/soysauce mixture and cook until hot and sticky.  The vegetables should still be tender-crisp.  Add cooked chicken.

6.  Season with black pepper.

Serve over rice, if desired.  It is also good with a side of baked potato.Nummy and pretty.

Lightly Glazed Stir Fried Vegetables

Serves 6-8

You can add or delete any of the vegetables according to your preference.

2 Tbl oil
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup carrots, sliced diagonally
1 cup celery, sliced diagonally
3 green onions, sliced
1 red pepper (small)
water chestnuts, sliced
sugar pea pods-opt
2 cups bok choy-opt
bean sprouts-opt
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbl cornstarch
2 Tbl water

In large skillet, to very hot, add oil and continue to heat.
Add cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, celery, and stir 2-3 min.
Add red pepper and continue  to stir fry for 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth and seasonings.  Cover and steam about 2 min until veggies are crisp tender.
Combine water and cornstarch and add to vegetables stirring gently to coat well.
Heat through until thickened and serve immediately.

Serve with brown or white rice.


Variation: When adding seasonings to above recipe, mix together, 1 tbl fish sauce, 1 tsp ginger, 1 Tbl sugar  and 1 tbl chili-garlic sauce and stir in.

Toasted almond slices can be used for a crunchy garnish.

Crispy Spring Rolls

Anh Dien Nguyen taught our family how to make these delicious spring rolls.

3 lbs. ground pork
2 cans water chestnuts
1 pkg. bean threads, soak until soft and drain.  Set aside.
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 onions
2 carrots
1 tsp, fish sauce (opt)
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 pkg. spring roll wrappers (you find these in the freezer section of Asian markets)
Vegetable oil for frying

Saute ground pork and stir to cook very loosely.
With food processor, chop onions, carrots, and water chestnuts and add to cooked pork.
Cut softened bean threads into very small pieces with a scissors and add to pork mixture.
Add salt, pepper, fish sauce, garlic powder.
Mix all.

At this point, you can put mixture in a container and refrigerate overnight or freeze until ready to roll.

When ready to make spring rolls, put pork mixture in frying pan and warm up on top of stove.  While mixture is heating, thaw spring roll wrappers directed on package (about 30 minutes),

Cut thawed spring roll wrappers in 4 squares. Keep them from drying out by putting them under damp towels while rolling.

Put small amount of pork mixture on a skin and roll like an envelope.  Put them into plastic baggies as you make them.  You can freeze them at this point to fry another day.

Or, you can fry them in very hot oil until light brown.  Take them out of oil and put them directly on paper towels to drain excess oil.

You can put fryed rolls in freezer.  When ready to use, take them out and put them on a rack over a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven 350 until hot and crispy.
Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1 c. water
2 Tbl. brown sugar
2 Tbl. tomato paste
2 Tbl. BBQ sauce (any brand)
2 Tbl. corn starch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Cook until thick