Sweet and Sour Pork

It is not often that I try a new recipe and tell you about it the same day.  I also don’t often post two similarly themed recipes in a row. Tonight however, I’m breaking with tradition.  Partly because I finished cooking and cleaning up early enough to tell you about what I made for dinner tonight.  Mostly because it was just that good.  And easy.  And perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

This recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork was an unexpected winner.  I don’t normally like sweet meat, but I had most of the ingredients for this recipe on hand, and I needed to figure out what to do with the pork tenderloin taking up space in my freezer.  I found this recipe in TakeOut Tonight!, one of my current favorite cookbooks, and the source of my recipes for Broccoli with Garlic Sauce and Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts.  Since I love those recipes, I figured it was worth giving this one a try.

And I have to say, I’m glad I did.  This recipe comes together very quickly using everyday ingredients.  The pork (or you could use chicken) is lean and tender.  The sauce is sweet and savory and has a nice zing from the rice vinegar.  The bell peppers give the dish a nice crunch, and the pineapple chunks add juicy pops of sweetness.  Served up with some rice and a vegetable (and maybe an egg roll), you’ve got a fantastic dinner for any night of the week.

Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts

Growing up my family had a favorite Chinese restaurant that we frequented nearly weekly for dine-in or carryout.  We knew the names of the servers, were friendly with the owners, and had the menu completely memorized.  Whenever I came home from college for a visit, a trip to the Chinese restaurant was always on the agenda.  Stan and I even considered hosting the rehearsal dinner for our wedding at my beloved restaurant.  (We ended up going for a backyard barbecue instead.)

Considering my deep and abiding love (and ingrained habit) for Chinese food, you can imagine my dismay upon discovering the lack of good Chinese food in Nashville.  (Nashville folks, if you’ve got a recommendation, I’d love to hear it!)  I’ve looked around, asked long-time residents, and tried some less than stellar venues.  While Nashville has many other amazing options for ethic cuisine, Chinese food is just not where my current hometown shines.

Since I don’t get back to Dayton as often as I’d like, I’ve had to come up with ways to get my Chinese food fix in my own kitchen.  The recipes I’ve tried are certainly not as authentic as those you’d find in a restaurant, but they tide me over until I can get the real deal.  And besides, they’re pretty darn delicious. 

Like this recipe for Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts.  You can make this recipe in less time that it would take to pick up carryout, and I guarantee you it’s healthier than its restaurant counterpart.  Strips of chicken breast are quickly stir fried (not deep fried) with carrots, green pepper, and peanuts and then tossed in a slightly spicy (or really spicy, if that’s how you like it) brown sauce that’s rich in flavor without being high in calories.  Served with some rice, it’s as good as take out - with half the time and calories.

Mango Ginger Chicken with Almonds

I was really torn about which recipe I wanted to share with you today. I have quite a backlog of recipes waiting to be posted, and they are all vying for my attention. My first inclination was to tell you about some awesome ground beef enchiladas. Then I checked the list of my most recent posts and realized I have been leaning strongly towards Mexican-inspired flavors as of late. Oops, so much for variety. (But don’t worry, I won’t hold off on telling you about the enchiladas for too long.) Then it was on to the chicken debate. I have five good recipes to tell you about. But I wasn’t feeling decisive enough to pick one. A great spring pasta? I wasn’t thrilled with the pictures. Baked goods? Healthy or sinful? You can see the conundrum.

All things considered, I decided to select a recipe whose flavors share the summery feeling Nashville’s current 80-degree weather is bringing out in me. This Mango Ginger Chicken with Almonds fit the bill perfectly – a little bit fruity, a little bit spicy, and filling without being heavy. In other words, this quick chicken stir-fry is perfect warm weather dinner fare. While I can’t say the same for this amazing weather, I’m certain this recipe is here to stay… at least until next winter.

Thai Honey Peanut Chicken

It isn’t very often that I post a recipe the day after I try it. It’s not because I’m indecisive about whether I liked it or not. Rather, it’s because I have a whole list of recipes backlogged and waiting to be shared. It takes a standout recipe to jump the line. That being said, today’s recipe is a line jumper. I knew it would be the second Stan said, and I quote, “This chicken sauce is amazing”. Even more compelling, he didn’t even bother to swallow his mouthful before heaping on the praise. (He dug in before I got to the table so I didn’t have to witness the whole talking-with-his-mouth-full thing. Thank goodness.) Rich, savory, and complexly flavored, this “chicken sauce” really is amazing. With relatively few ingredients and very little active prep time, you end up with a quick and healthy weeknight dinner that tastes special enough to serve to anyone lucky enough to be invited for dinner.

Korean-Style Romaine

Thinking it looked interesting, I cut a Korean-inspired recipe out of the March 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine. And then I filed it away with all of my other interesting looking magazine recipes… where I promptly forgot about it. You see, the problem was, at the time, I had no idea that I liked Korean food. Probably because I’d never tried it. That all changed in the past year, however, thanks to my discovery of an excellent Korean restaurant here in town. And let me tell you, I am happy I found that restaurant and learned that I like Korean food. One, because it is delicious, and two, because it made me remember I had this salad recipe filed away waiting to be tried. And oh, I wish I hadn’t waited so long because this salad is awesome.

Crisp romaine lettuce is tossed with a warm, flavorful dressing that manages to be garlicky, salty, and a little spicy all at once. The heat of the dressing causes the romaine to soften, but it doesn’t wilt into mush the way other lettuces might. Crunchy toasted sesame seeds stick to the dressing, coating the leaves in little bursts of nutty flavor. The flavors in the dressing, combined with the mostly crunchy lettuce, remind me of the flavors and textures of the fresh kimchi I have enjoyed at my favorite Korean restaurant. (One day soon I hope to try making my own kimchi, too!) I served this salad alongside a tofu and vegetable stir fry. It would also be a great, unique dish to serve alongside some grilled chicken or steak, or of course, authentic Korean food.

Cashew Chicken

Awhile back I told you about Stan’s and my weird and unexplainable aversion to chicken. And although it hasn’t completely gone away, I’m happy to report that we are easing back into the poultry arena without much complaint. We’ve switched up where we buy our chicken, and that seems to be making a difference. Don’t know why exactly, but considering that chicken is an inexpensive, quick, and easy protein option for weeknight dinners, I’m willing to roll with it.

After thoroughly enjoying the sweet, salty, spicy, and savory flavors of the caramelized black pepper chicken I made a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been on the lookout for other simple, yet complexly flavored chicken dishes. When I came across this recipe for cashew chicken, it seemed to fit the bill. The fact that I already had most of the ingredients on hand made it a done deal. I’m also a big fan of any recipe that lets me use my wok – its large size means I end up with less food spatter to scrape off my stovetop.

While this may not be the most authentic cashew chicken, it is easy to prepare, quick-cooking, and very flavorful. Chunks of chicken breasts or thighs are stir-fried with garlic and green onions. Rice wine vinegar and Hoisin sauce add additional flavor and coat the chicken in a delicious sauce. Cashews give the dish the requisite crunch. I must admit that I used cashew pieces instead of the whole cashews originally called for in the recipe. They weren’t quite as pretty, but they cost half as much. If I was entertaining I might do things differently, but for a weeknight dinner at home with Stan, cashew pieces work just fine!

Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there aren’t too many chicken recipes on this site. It’s not a coincidence. Stan and I have been on something of an anti-chicken bender for the last six months or so. It’s not for political or environmental reasons, and we’re clearly not vegetarians. For whatever reason, we just decided we didn’t love the taste of chicken anymore. We still eat it every couple of weeks, but it’s not our favorite.

This recipe, however, might just rekindle our affection for chicken. It is that good. I decided to give it a try based purely on its name: caramelized black pepper chicken. Stan loves black pepper, and I love anything caramelized. Paired with the fact that it’s a quick and easy recipe, it made this week’s dinner menu. And we’re glad it did. It’s a simple dish with complex flavor. Tender chunks of chicken are bathed in a sauce that is sweet, salty, spicy, and savory. Served over rice with a side of green beans, broccoli, or sugar snap peas, it is the perfect weeknight meal.

Asian-Marinated Chicken with Kumquat Sauce

After days of sugary goodness, The Well-Fed Newlyweds’ first-ever Sweets Week has come to an end. I hope you enjoyed all of the posts and will take the time to make some sweets for your sweet this Valentine’s Day. I promise to keep the dessert recipes coming. I mean, c’mon, there’s always an excuse for some sweet treats. There’s Presidents’ Day, St. Paddy’s Day, snow days…

In the meantime, after all that sweet, I think it’s time for a little heat. But first, a question. Ever had a kumquat? Until recently, I was not even sure what a kumquat was. I was pretty sure it was a fruit, but besides that, I had no clue. Color? Flavor? Size? Kumquats were a mystery to me. If you’ve never had one, a kumquat is a small, oval-shaped citrus fruit. Orange in color, kumquats differ from most other citrus fruits in the fact that you can eat them whole. Unlike their citrus fruit relatives, it is the kumquats’ peels that are sweet while their flesh is tart and tangy.

I came across this recipe for Asian-Marinated Chicken with Kumquat Sauce in an old cooking magazine several months ago. I was intrigued by the idea of using a new (to me) ingredient, and decided to try out the recipe. However, I soon found out that kumquats were not in season, and I would have to wait until winter to give the recipe a try. Not deterred, I stashed away the recipe and waited for kumquat season… not really knowing when that would be. Lucky for me, kumquats began appearing at my local grocery stores about a month ago.

If the idea of trying a new or unusual ingredient appeals to you, I definitely suggest giving this recipe a try. The chicken breasts are marinated in a spicy marinade infused with Asian flavors and then grilled. Topping off the chicken is a sauce made of kumquats and other citrus fruit juices. A word of caution: this dish packs some heat. I actually found it almost too hot to eat. Oddly enough, however, Stan loved it, and he typically has a much lower heat tolerance than I do. Both the chicken marinade and the kumquat sauce contain chili-garlic sauce, a spicy condiment easily found in the Asian foods section of your local supermarket. If you are weary of having your taste buds a little too fired-up, I would reduce the amount of chili-garlic sauce you include in both components of this dish. If, however, you are one for whom there’s no such thing as too spicy, try this recipe as is, and your taste buds will sing.