Rural Missouri - January 2011 - (Page 21)

H E A R T H & H O M E etables, chicken, shrimp and stir-fry until chicken and shrimp are browned and cooked throughout, about two minutes. Add noodles and toss to coat well. Add peanut/spice paste, brown sugar and cider vinegar and toss to distribute. Cook until heated through, about two minutes. Serve hot over chopped romaine lettuce. o wok or not to wok — that is the question. While you don’t have to use one of these round-bottomed pans to cook Chinese cuisine at home (a large non-stick skillet will work ﬁne), a wok’s design makes it more efﬁcient for stir-frying a meal. The shape of the pan helps to cook food quickly with evenly distributed heat — and by cooking the meal quickly, the nutritional value, as well as the ﬂavor, is preserved. When preparing Asian-style recipes, there truly are no hard and fast rules. Stick to foods you like that are in season, and you can’t go wrong. Asian cooks think about the variety of colors, textures and ﬂavors when choosing ingredients for a recipe. Prepare some long-grain rice, chop up your favorite vegetables, get out some seasonings and you’ve got the beginnings of a tasty, quick meal. For a heartier meal, toss in your favorite protein and you’re set. So wok’s for dinner? Start chopping and you’ll be sitting down to a meal in no time. T by Heather Berry hberry@ruralmissouri.coop Apricot Chicken 2-3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into small pieces 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ketchup 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon peanut oil 4 fresh, ripe apricots, halved (you can use dried apricots, but soak several hours in warm water before cooking) 2 green onions, sliced Cooked white rice (optional) In a small bowl, combine rice wine vinegar, water, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup and cornstarch; set aside. Heat oil in wok over mediumhigh heat. When wok is hot, stir-fry chicken pieces and green onions for 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add apricots and stir-fry for one minute. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Stir-fry until thickened. Serve while hot over cooked rice. Dinner can be on the table in no time with recipes like this Very Veggie Stir-Fry. Very Veggie Stir-Fry 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground 14-1/2 ounces vegetable broth 1 tablespoon soy sauce 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 pound chicken, boneless, skinless and cut into strips 5 cups mixed vegetables, (such as onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, etc., sliced to desired thickness) 1 clove garlic, minced Stir the cornstarch, ginger, vegetable broth and soy sauce together until smooth. Set aside. Heat two-thirds of the oil in a wok and stir-fry half of the chicken over high heat until browned. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir fry the vegetables, along with the garlic, until tender-crisp. Reduce heat to medium. Add the cooked chicken and the broth mixture to the wok. Stir-fry constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Serve hot. WOK 'N' ROLL Stir up some tasty entrées with an easy-to-use wok 8-ounce can chunk pineapple 2 tablespoons oil 2 teaspoon cornstarch Cut pork chops into thin slices; trim fat. Mix with salt, soy sauce, pepper and cornstarch. Let stand 20 minutes. Heat wok or skillet on high heat with oil. Stir fry pork until white. Add diagonally sliced carrots and water. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Add sweet and sour sauce and pineapple; bring to boil. Add green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths, including tops. Add pepper. Cook 1/2 minute or until bubbly. 1 large chicken breast, skinless, boneless and sliced into thin strips 12 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 pound medium-wide rice noodles, soaked in warm water until softened; drained 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 tablespoon cider vinegar Chopped romaine lettuce (optional) *Asian chili paste can be found in most larger grocery stores or specialty markets, but if you don’t happen to have any choices locally, you may substitute a hot sauce of your choice or crushed red pepper ﬂakes — just adjust the amount to your personal taste. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, peanut butter and chili paste until smooth; set aside. Heat wok over medium-high heat and add canola oil. When the oil begins to smoke, add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the chopped veg- Garlic Beef Stir-Fry 2 tablespoons peanut oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 1 small bunch green onions, chopped (including tops) 1 teaspoon salt 1 pound ﬂank steak cut into thin strips, 1-1/2 to 2 inches long 1 small yellow onion, chopped 1 cup Chinese or regular cabbage, sliced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips 2 cups sugar snap peas 1 cup beef broth 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch Hot rice (optional) Heat oil in a wok until it begins to smoke. Add two cloves of minced garlic, green onions, ginger and salt. Stir; add steak and stir-fry until meat is no longer pink. Add remaining minced garlic and stir; cook for one minute. Add chopped yellow onion, pepper, Chinese cabbage, peas and 1/2 cup beef broth. Stir-fry for two more minutes. In a small bowl, add soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and 1/2 cup beef broth; stir to combine. Add sauce to wok mixture. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Serve immediately over hot rice. Sweet and Sour Pork 1 to 1-1/2 pounds pork chops, boneless 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons soy sauce Dash of white pepper 3 green onions 1/2 cup carrots 2 tablespoons water 1 cup sweet and sour sauce 1 small green pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces Thai Stir-Fry 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter 1 teaspoon Asian chili paste* 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 cup julienned mixed vegetables (such as carrots, yellow squash or zucchini) Search our archive of recipes on our website at www.ruralmissouri.coop/hearthandhome.php JANUARY 2011 21 http://www.ruralmissouri.coop/hearthandhome.php

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - January 2011

Rural Missouri - January 2011
Contents
Comments
Columns
Doing Wood Right
Mail Bag
Blackwater’s Bucksnort
Out of the Way Eats
Huntin’ With Hawks
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
Billards Meets Bowling
Getting $mart in the New Year
Meet Yorik, One Tricky Dog
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Neighbors
Just4kids

Rural Missouri - January 2011