Hawaiian Fried Rice

3 tablespoons GF soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Sriracha), more or less to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups cooked, chopped ham
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
5 cups cooked rice, white or brown, cold
3 large eggs
2 cups pineapple pieces

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the ham and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and the red pepper is tender (but not mushy), about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Scrape the mixture onto a plate and set aside.
2. Heat another teaspoon of oil in the skillet. Add the cold rice and cook, breaking up large clumps, until the rice is heated through, 5-6 minutes.
3. Push the rice to one side of the skillet and heat the last teaspoon of oil on the empty side of the skillet. Crack the eggs into the hot oil and stir lightly with a spatula or wooden spoon, cooking until the eggs are lightly scrambled and set. Stir the eggs and the ham mixture into the rice. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the rice and cook, stirring, until thoroughly combined and hot.
4. Remove from heat, stir in the pineapple and green onions. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from:  http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/04/hawaiian-fried-rice.html

Lettuce Wraps

1lb ground turkey breast
1/2 onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1″ knob ginger, peeled & minced
2-1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon water
1/2 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
dash of pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1. Cook meat, onion, and salt and pepper in a large skillet until meat is mostly cooked through.
2. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook until meat is completed cooked through.
3. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, peanut butter, water, honey, chile sauce, and pepper in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for thirty seconds and stir until smooth. Add to skillet and stir to combine.
4.  Add green onions and water chestnuts and cook until warm.
5. Top with peanuts and serve on lettuce leaves.

Recipe inspiration found here: http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/26/p-f-changs-lettuce-wraps-remade/

Thai-Style Steak Salad

Steak marinade:
1/4 fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 boneless rib-eye steaks (each 8 ounces and 3/4 inch thick)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

 Additional salad ingredients:
1/2 pound carrots (3-4 medium)
1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh bean sprouts (optional)
1/3 cup salted peanuts or cashews, chopped (optional)
2 apples, cored, halved, and sliced thin (optional)
1 cucumber, sliced thin (optional)
2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges (optional)

1. Make marinade: Whisk ingredients together in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Season the steaks generously with S+P; place in a baking dish. Pour 1/4 of the marinade over the steaks (reserve the remaining marinade); turn the steaks to coat. Let the steaks marinate up to 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, cook the steaks on medium-high heat, turning once, 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board; tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 5-10 minutes. Slice the steaks across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices; halve the slices crosswise. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with the reserved marinade.
3. With a vegetable peeler, cut the carrots into long ribbons. Add to the steak in the bowl along with the lettuce and mint; toss to combine. Divide the salad among bowls, sprinkle with bean sprouts and peanuts if desired. 

Recipe from Kellie Barlow, submitted to the USC Ward Recipes Blog, originally from Food Everyday's Great Food Fast recipe book

Ginger-Honey Pork

1 tsp fresh ginger
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
1 pork tenderloin

1. Mix ginger, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper and garlic together.
2. Marinate pork in mixture for at least one hour in the fridge.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until pork reaches internal temperature of 145 degrees. You could also grill the pork or cook it in the slow cooker.

Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Chicken

1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch)
1/4 cup cold water
1 8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained and juices reserved
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
3-4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs diced into 1 inch pieces
(you could also use pork tenderloin, or sliced boneless pork chops)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cups broccoli florets
1 medium bell pepper, stemmed , seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch squares
hot cooked white or brown rice
(you can really use any veggies you like: carrots, zucchini, onion, peas, etc.)

1. Start cooking your rice so it will be ready.
2. Combine cornstarch and water in a medium sized bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the reserved pineapple juice*, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar to the bowl and stir to combine.
3. heat 2-3 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink, 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm.
4. Add the remaining 1-2 teaspoons oil to the pan and add the broccoli and bell pepper. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the broccoli is bright green, 3-5 minutes.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and add the pineapple chunks and sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the hot cooked rice. If desired, top with sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

This amazing dish is from Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/10/sweet-and-sour-chicken-stir-fry/

Easy Noodle Stir-Fry

1 12-oz. package linguine (GF of course - I like quinoa but rice would probably work too)
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 bottle La Choy Orange Ginger Stir Fry Sauce
1 small red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or pressed
1 large or 2 small orange, red, and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen green sugar snap peas or snow peas
1 medium zucchini, julienned or chopped
Optional: Grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak, black sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the noodles and cook al dente. When the noodles are done, drain them and toss in 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.
2. While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, but the garlic isn’t burning. Add the peas (or beans or edamame) and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and peppers and stir fry for another 30 seconds or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add the noodles and stir to combine. Drizzle the sauce evenly over the noodles and stir fry the entire mixture for about 30-60 seconds or until everything is well-coated in the sauce. Serve immediately.

Recipe inspired by this recipe from Our Best Bites:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/09/quick-easy-noodle-stir-fry/

Cashew Sweet and Sour Pork

2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 Tbsp. cooking sherry or apple juice
1 lb. pork tenderloin or boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
1/3 c. water
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. chopped cashews (or exactly one of those little .99 bags of Fritos cashews at the front of the grocery store)
¼ c. green onions
2 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced or pressed
6-8 oz. snow peas, trimmed
1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

1. Cut your pork super thin. (Cutting it semi-frozen helps).
2. Trim your snow peas to get any icky hard parts off.
3. Begin cooking your rice.
4. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sherry/apple juice, and pork. Toss well.
5. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup. Stir with a whisk; make sure there are no clumps with the cornstarch.
5. Heat 1-2 Tbsp. canola oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add pork and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add onions, ginger, and garlic.
6. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas and pineapple. Stir-fry 3 minutes more. Whisk sauce ingredients again and add to panbring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews and serve over hot rice. Garnish with more cashews and green onions if you want.

Another incredible recipe from Our Best Bites:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/04/cashew-sweet-and-sour-pork/

Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

Another recipe from Our Best Bites
Original recipe found here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/06/sweet-and-savory-coconut-rice/

2 c. white or Jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
2 c. water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture)
2-3 tsp. white sugar
Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish
Black pepper to taste

1. Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
3. Allow to stand 5 minutes.
4. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.

Asain BBQ Chicken

From the amazing blog: Our Best Bites
Original recipe found here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/asian=bbq-chicken/

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1. Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight)
2. Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Optional: garnish with sliced green onions

Asian Braised Slow Cooker Pork

1/4 cup GF soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 2-in. piece fresh ginger, half thinly sliced and half grated
2 lb pork chops
1 cup long-grain white rice
(to be perfectly honest, I guessed on all of the measurements and it turned out great)

1. In a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, allspice, red pepper, ¼ cup of the brown sugar and the sliced ginger.
2. Add the pork and toss to coat.
3. Cover and cook until the meat is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
Serve over cooked rice or quinoa.

Orange Beef Stir Fry

12 oz beef top round steak
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1/2 c orange juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cooking oil
4 green onions, bias sliced into 1 inch pieces (approx. 2/3 c)
1 clove garlic, minced
6 c coarsely shredded fresh spinach (8 oz)
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 c hot cooked rice

1. Stir together orange peel, orange juice, cornstartch, soy sauce, and sugar to form sauce.
2. Heat oil in large skillet or wok (medium-high heat). Sitr fry green onions and garlic for one minute then remove and set aside.
3. Add steak to skillet. Cook thoroughly and push to sides of pan.
4. Add sauce to the middle of the pan. Cook until thickened and bubbly.
5. Add green onion/garlic mixture, spinach, and water chestnuts to pan. Cook for one minute.
6. Serve immediately over rice.

*This dish would be great over rice noodles. Next time I'll try stir frying the dish with rice noodles.

La Choy Creations: Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ok, so this isn't a recipe so much as it was a lucky find at the grocery store. It's called La Choy Creations: Sweet and Sour Chicken. I found it in the Asain food section, under the soy sauce. It's a blue box and includes a rice packet and a can of sauce, so all you have to do is add the chicken. I also added a green bell pepper and half a big can of pineapple to liven it up a bit. It was suprisingly good and pretty easy - perfect for after a long day at work when I want yummy food but don't have a lot of energy to cook.