I've been thinking a lot about how my cooking styles have changed lately. When I was first learning to cook, I was very unsure of myself and only tried very easy dishes. You know the type, the ones in which a can or two of cream soup are involved. It didn't take too long for the foodie gene to hit me, and I started trying many more types of recipes.
I think that most of the time what we cook is in direct relationship to how much time we have to devote to the kitchen. Although, I am rethinking that since I have all the time to cook that I may need or want, and yet I haven't felt the creative urge to do something time consuming like baking bread like I used to. There are so many recipes and techniques that I would love to master, and yet... I find myself doing something else. Is it all in one's frame of mind?
All of this thinking made me remember how many Asian -inspired meals I used to make. At least a couple of times a month, if not once a week I would cook something, whether it be Thai, Korean, Chinese or an Asian fusion meal. That stopped when we lived in Italy. I remember trying to cook Pad Thai on a warm summer day in our small kitchen in Italy, and it just didn't feel right. There is a reason why a certain food or wine tastes exceptional in one geographical area but only just okay in another.
Even though we have been back in the Continental U.S. for some time, I have only prepared Asian meals occasionally. Which is such a waste because there are some wonderful reasons to cook Asian food. It can be very quick and easy to prepare and healthy as well!
Both of us have been craving some Asian inspired food, and so last night I decided to dust off my cooking skills and try some easy dishes. Like many of my favorite dishes, I have several recipes for Szechuan Chicken. This is my lower fat version and is from Canyon Ranch Cooks by Barry Correia and Scott Uehlein. Because I did not feel like getting out my indoor grill, I sliced the chicken into bite sized pieces before placing them in the marinade and stir fried them in a large skillet. To make your next day's meal easy, you can double the recipe for Chicken, and make extra rice in order to make stir-fried rice, which is what I am doing for dinner tonight!
I have had this recipe for Sweet and Sour Carrots for more than 10 years, and I cannot remember where I found it. All I know is that I started cooking it for just about any Chinese inspired meal I would make when we lived in Korea.
Szechuan Chicken
From Canyon Ranch Cooks by Barry Correia and Scott Uehlein
For the marinade:
3 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce
1/2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon chili sauce
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 skinless chicken breast halves, boned and de-fatted
Combine marinade ingredients in a baking dish. Place chicken breasts in marinade and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Prepare coals for grilling, preheat broiler or heat up an indoor grill. Remove chicken from marinade and grill or broil 3 to 4 minutes a side. Chicken is done when juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
Sweet and Sour Carrots
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons chicken broth2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound carrots, cut on the bias into 1/4" slices
1 small onion, cut in half, then into thin slices
In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup broth, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside. Place the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and when it is hot add the carrots and onions. Stir- fry for approximately one minute. Add the 3 tablespoons broth and reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook until the carrots are crisp tender.
Increase the heat to high and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let sauce boil to thicken. Season to taste with salt and serve.
