Running Mama Cooks

When this recipe was recommended to me last week I was dissappointed that I has already done my food shopping! It looked so good and right up our alley. I immediately put it on our menu for this week and it was as good as it looked and sounded. Super simple and quick too! We had leftover fried rice so I served it with that, but it would be awesome over white rice too. The sauce was delish.

Beef with Snow Peas
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package directions

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.
ZACH'S RATING - ****

I was really excited for the recipe swap this week. The theme is Asian and I love cooking Asian food. I was happy to get a Thai dish since I do not have that much experience with Thai food. Also, it is from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes and she is great! The original recipe calls for shrimp, but since I am allergic I used chicken instead.

At first I was little concerned while it was cooking because the smell of the fish sauce was so overwhelming. Fortunately, Gina mentions this in her post so I kept plugging away and hoping for the best. It turned out good. I wouldn't say it is my favorite dish, but it was yummy. Thank you Lisa, for sharing this with me!

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken
Adapted from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, by way of Lisa's Cooking Adventures

Ingredients:

1 tsp oil
4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chicken tenders, cut into chunks
6 oz light coconut milk
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add chicken and garlic, season with salt and cook about 3-4 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over rice and enjoy!

When I got this month's Food Network Magazine in the mail, I was excited to see "Light Family Dinners, Easy Low-Cal Recipes." This is the one that really caught my eye and it was delicious!

I'm back on the wagon and staring the year off right with healthy eating. I immediately went to one of my favorite food blogs, Gina's Weight Watchers recipes, to get some ideas. This one caught my eye immediately. I love cooking Asian food at home, so much better than take out!

The only thing I changed about this recipe is that I used thighs instead of drumsticks. And with only 5 weight watchers points plus per serving (4 servings total) you cant go wrong! It was so good that I had it for lunch today with steamed broccoli and dinner with brown rice.

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs
Very slightly adapted Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Ingredients:

8 medium boneless skinless chicken thighs
Pam spray oil
1 cup water
1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8 minutes until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve

I was really in the mood to try a different crockpot recipe tonight. When I came across this one on Lauren's blog, I thought Id give it a try. It was super easy and I really liked it! Another good one for my crockpot rotation.

And not too bad as far as weight watchers is concerned, 12 points per serving.

Crockpot Asian Beef and Noodles
Recipe from Lauren's Kitchen

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken (I used a 6oz package of Chinese chow mein noodles)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Directions:

Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat. In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, water, and red pepper. Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours (I recommend low, it will help to break the meat down more).

At the end of cooking time, discard spice packets from ramen noodles. Stir noodles and green onions into meat mixture. Cover and let stand 10 minutes more. Stir before serving. This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Sometimes good recipes come from the most random places. I got this one off the back of the Success Boil in a Bag Brown Rice box. I've never made anything Thai before, so I was looking forward to trying out some new ingredients.

Overall this was a tasty dish. I wish it had a little more sauce, so I might increase the measurements next time. And it was really quick to prepare, since I had my chicken cooking all day in the crockpot. I cooked a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts with a little chicken broth on low for 6 hours. All I had to do was shred it.

Thai Chicken and Brown Rice

Ingredients:

2 bags Boil in a bag Brown Rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbs thai red curry paste
2 tsp brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 16oz bag Asian style mixed vegetables
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

Prepare rice according to package directions

In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar, lime juice and salt. In medium non-stick pan over medium heat, combine chicken and vegetables, then add curry sauce. Cook until vegetables are tender.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Experimenting with Asian food has been a lot of fun for me lately. Why order out when I can make it at home? I've had this meatball recipe bookmarked for quite some time, and I'm glad I finally got around to making it. They were really flavorful and I loved the dipping sauce.

I was equally happy with the fried rice. Actually, that was probably the star of the dinner for me. I LOVE fried rice. This version was not a let down at all. So good and easy!

Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce
Recipe from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes

Ingredients:

Meatballs-

1/4 cup panko crumbs
1-1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

Dipping Sauce-

4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp water
1 chopped fresh scallion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 1/4 cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the dipping sauce mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.

Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce.

Serve meatballs with remaining sauce. Makes 12 meatballs.

A closer look at the rice:
Fried Brown Rice
Recipe Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown rice
2/3 cup chopped baby carrots
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
soy sauce to taste
hoisin sauce to taste
sesame oil, to taste (optional)

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add carrots and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.

Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce and hoisin sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

ZACH'S RATING -
Meatballs *** 1/2
Rice ****

The weather is still summery and gorgeous! since we were eating outside, it felt like a good night for a salad. Plus a light dinner is a good idea with all the Easter candy still hanging around!

Asian Chicken Salad
A Running Mama original recipe

Ingredients:

Marinade:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Dressing:
3 tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbs canola oil
2 tsp brown sugar
a pinch red pepper flakes
1 sliced scallion

Salad:
1/2 head shredded napa cabbage
1 lb thin cut chicken breasts
1 large carrot, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 11 oz can Mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup Chinese rice noodles, plus more for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients for the marinade. Place chicken breasts in a ziplock bag and pour in marinade. Place in fridge for at least an hour.

Assemble all ingredients for the salad. Whisk together dressing and set aside. Grill the chicken until cooked through and cut into strips.

Toss dressing onto the salad and place chicken on top. Garnish with rice noodles.

ZACH'S RATING: ***

Scallion Pancakes are my favorite thing to order from a Chinese restaurant so I jumped at the chance to make them myself tonight as a starter for my Sweet and Sour Chicken.

They were a teeny bit difficult because the dough is sticky, but despite my concerns, they turned out perfect. They tasted exactly like the ones I usually order.

Scallion Pancakes with Ginger Dipping Sauce
From Brown Eyed Baker

Serves 4

For the Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
Salt & pepper to taste
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

For the Ginger Dipping Sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sliced scallions
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Place sifted flour in a medium-size bowl. Slowly add water in a steady stream while mixing with a wooden spoon. Keep adding water until a ball is formed. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

2. While dough is resting, make the ginger dipping sauce. Simply combine all ingredients and whisk to blend. Set aside.

3. On a floured surface, knead the dough a handful of times to bring it together. Roll the dough out into a thin rectangle about 18×13 inches.

4. Brush the sesame oil all over the surface of the dough, scatter scallions evenly over the oil, and then season with salt and pepper.

5. Carefully roll the dough up like a jelly roll, with the long side facing you. Cut the cylinder of dough into 4 equal pieces.

6. Take one pieces and twist 3 times. Coil the dough into a spiral and then flatten and roll again into an 8-inch pancake. The dough should be very thin. Repeat with the remaining three pieces of dough.

7. On a non-stick griddle over medium-high heat, brush 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Place one of the pancakes on the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining three pancakes.

8. Cut into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

When my parents come over for dinner, we typically order in, usually Chinese. Tonight I decided to make my own Chinese for a change. Allison had raved about this recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken from Brown Eyed Baker, and it did not disappoint. We polished it all off. I served it with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
From Brown Eyed Baker

Serves: 3-4

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

I was wandering around Wegmans this afternoon looking for something quick I could make after teaching boot camp and pilates tonight and the stir fry veggies caught my eye. They have chicken already cut up, all ready to stir fry, so it really makes it easy. I came home and made my own stir fry sauce and popped it in the fridge. It was so quick to throw together. And so yummy.

Flavor, flavor, flavor!!!! These Lettuce wraps were SO good, I am really happy I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try making these. The recipe was relatively simple (the prep work was a little time consuming, but not too bad) and the end result was a super tasty (with just enough spice) and attractive meal.

Lettuce Wraps
Inspired by Big City Cooking
Adapted from Allrecipes
Serves 4, 6 WW points plus per serving

Boston Bibb lettuce (I used Iceberg)
1 lbs ground turkey
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
8oz water chestnuts, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
2 tsp sesame oil

Cook turkey in oil till just cooked, but not yet brown. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, and vinegar. Cook till onions are translucent, then add water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil. Cook another 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Lay out lettuce and top with meat mixture and dip in peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce
Backpacker Magazine and The Way the Cookie Crumbles
serves 4, 3 WW points plus per serving

1 tsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. chunky peanut butter
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Heat oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add water and heat till boiling. Removed from heat and add peanut butter, stir until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and return to heat. Stir for 2-4 minutes until thickened. (I added another heaping tbs of PB because it wasn't getting as thick as I wanted, then it was perfect)

Another look at these yummy wraps!




UPDATE - I have since made this with Boston Bibb lettace and that is definitely the way to go. Its softer, tastier and easier to work with. Love this one!!