Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat Recipe

I've always loved Panda Express Chow Mein, but haven't had it in awhile. When I saw this recipe for a 'copycat' version online, I decided to give it a try. So glad that I did!! I used dried udon noodles since I couldn't find the ones called for in the recipe and it worked out just fine. We all LOVED it!! My guys have asked for it again and again. So if you have a hankerin' for some really quick and tasty Chinese restaurant 'copycat' food, give this one a try, it's super yummy and our family approved. :) 

Quick Teriyaki Beef & Veggies

Some nights, I like to make a super quick 'Chinese stir fry' for dinner, using lean ground hamburger.  It's a perfect plan for when I have some leftover rice already sitting in the fridge.  (I usually save the teriyaki glaze for the nights I use ground beef, but I've been know to use sweet & sour sauce instead, if the mood strikes :)  This simple to make meal is always a hit around here, and as an added bonus, it can also help me clean out the veggie bin ~ SCORE!   

For this really easy Quick Teriyaki Beef & Veggies meal, I just ~ brown some lean hamburger in my wok; nuke a variety of colorful sliced veggies until they are 'tender-crisp'; throw the veggies in with the cooked beef; then drizzle on some bottled teriyaki sauce and add some Chinese 5-Spice; then give it all a good toss.  For the boys, I will serve it over white rice, but for me, I'll serve it on a bed of raw spinach leaves.  I like how the heat of the cooked beef and veggies will slightly 'wilt' the spinach.  Besides it's so much lower in carbs when I serve it this way.  Save those carbs where you can, I always say.  I just love having quick-to-the table meals available for dinner, especially those that  I can have ready in about 15 minutes.  It makes those days when I'm in a hurry sooo much simpler.  :)

Superfood Stir Fry ~ Meatless Monday

Lately, I've been craving all sorts of deep green veggies ~ raw, cooked, and juiced.  This time I decided to throw a whole bunch of the fresh superfoods into my wok, along with a few other ingredients, and enjoy a quick, healthy dinner.  I had some prepacked bagged veggies in the fridge, so it was a snap to get my meal on the table.  To make this I simply...

Superfood Stir Fry

Warm a little olive oil in a wok, over medium high heat, and then throw in handfuls of...

• chopped kale
• baby spinach
• baby bok choy
• sliced onion
• sliced red bell pepper
• broccoli florets
• garbanzo beans
• toasted slivered almond
• dried cranberries
• minced ginger
• minced garlic

Toss the veggies until they begin to wilt.  Then add to taste...

• Bragg's Amino Acids (or soy sauce)
• sriracha sauce
• red pepper flakes
• Chinese 5-Spice

When the veggies are as crisp/cooked as I like, it's time to eat!  Easy-Peasy!

Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry with Hemp Hearts Seeds

Hemp Hearts Seeds were the perfect addition to my Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry dinner.  I just sprinkled them over the dish, right before serving.

Hemp Hearts ~ from Manitoba Harvest

I always wanted to try hemp seeds, but never had. Something about eating hemp seeds just didn't sound right to me.  But, I kept seeing articles about the benefits of this 'superfood'...and if it's good enough for Oprah to give it a thumbs-up, there must be something to them. They are a bit pricey, so I didn't want to commit to buying a big bag, just in case I didn't like them. Finally, I found a small packet of Hemp Hearts, raw shelled hemp seeds, over at Whole Foods, so I decided to give them a try. 

I must say, I'm so very happy that I did!  The flavor of the seeds is fantastic, they have a delicate, little 'crunch' and have a rich, 'nutty' quality that I really enjoy.  I think they're just as good eaten out of hand, as they are sprinkled over any recipe you are so inclined to add them to.  If you're like I was, on the fence about eating hemp seeds, why not give them a try?  I hope I come across a sample of Hemp Milk sometime...I'd like to try that hemp product, too.  At least for now, I've got a new tasty treat to add to my pantry staples.  Yay!!  :)

Quick Chicken-Cilantro Wonton Soup ~ ready in minutes

Quick Chicken-Cilantro Wonton Soup ~ Using Trader Joe's Frozen Chicken-Cilantro Wontons makes creating this soup a pleasure!

The Chinese New Year is being celebrated today ~ Sunday, February 10th.  The year 2013, is the ~ Year of the Snake.  I thought I'd share my really quick and super easy version of the ever-popular Chinese Wonton Soup.   I use frozen wontons in my spin and call it ~ Quick Chicken-Cilantro Wonton Soup.  I love making it because it tastes so good, I can get it on the table in minutes and it makes me feel like I'm enjoying a meal in a Chinese restaurant.

Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Teriyaki

Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Teriyaki ~ Using bottled Teriyaki sauce makes this a super quick meal to get to the table, especially when you have leftover rice hanging around in your fridge...

When I want/need to get something on the table quick & I have some leftover rice in the fridge, I'll often turn to making something Chinese.  I always keep bottles of ~ Teriyaki & Sweet and Sour ~ sauces handy, just for occasions like this.  Having those sauces around allows me to throw a tasty & colorful dinner together in a snap.  One of my favorites to make is ~ Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Teriyaki.

I like cooking with chicken tenders, because even if they're frozen, I can thaw them out quickly & start my cooking minutes later.  While the chicken tenders are cooking (either by the George Foreman Grill, sautéing or poaching),  I'll steam some broccoli (usually steamed in the microwave), reheat the rice & we're good to go.  I really enjoy broccoli with Chinese food & almost always serve it with that cuisine.  I also like the combo of Teriyaki sauce & pineapple together, to me, they seem like the perfect marriage of flavors.  On occasion, I'll thin out the Teriyaki sauce with just a bit of the canned pineapple juice, for a little bit different flavor spin.  I love being able to make a dinner that is almost as quick as heading out for a bag of fast food ~ faster, even.  Not to mention ~ cheaper, too.  :)

Marinated Pork Tenderloin ~ perfect for easy & elegant dinners

Whole Oven Roasted Thai Marinated Pork Tenderloin ~ Getting pre-marinated pork tenderloin at the market takes all the hassle out of making this tender & low fat cut of meat.  There are many different marinated flavors to choose from ~ the hardest part is trying to decide what flavor you'd like to try.  :)

For an easy dinner that's simple to prepare, yet nice enough for company, I often turn to marinated pork tenderloins.  I purchase the pre-marinated ones at the store, but you could easily marinate it at home.  I like the convenience of having it already done for me, just one less thing to have to worry about on a busy night.  Sometimes I roast the entire tenderloin in the oven.  If I'm roasting it, I just follow the simple directions on the package for getting the tenderloin into the oven & in about the time it takes me to get all the side dishes ready, maybe help out with homework & maybe have a cup of tea ~ dinner is about ready to get on the table.  It's all pretty low-key, but it tastes like you went to a lot of trouble ~ I like it when something easy makes me look so good!  heehee

BBQ Mesquite Marinated Pork Tenderloin Medallions ~ I slice the raw tenderloin into 'medallions' for even quicker cooking.  Since they're sliced thin, it takes just a few minutes to cook.  If you have any leftover rice, combine it with some frozen mixed veg & you've got a simple side dish, add another veg & dinner is served.

 

Sometimes I slice the raw tenderloin into 'medallions' when I want dinner on the table even quicker.  I'll either cook them on the George Foreman Grill, or saute them in a skillet.  Dress it up for an elegant dinner or keep it simple for a weeknight meal, it's all good!  Any leftovers are perfect served the next day, either in ~ sandwiches at lunchtime or as a stir fry for dinner.  Not only is this a really easy cut of meat to cook (you can even grill it on the BBQ), it's tasty & really low in fat ~ no wonder I like this cut of meat so much!   :)

Leftover Pork Stir Fry ~ Grab some leftover marinated pork tenderloin, cut it into cubes & stir fry it with your favorite stir fry sauce, veggies and maybe even some chunks of tropical fruit.  Then serve it over rice & sprinkle with some nuts.  A quick & simple dinner for any night of the week. 

Cashew Chicken & Mushroom Stir Fry with Wontons

Cashew Chicken & Mushroom Stir Fry with Trader Joe's Wontons ~ When I want to make a quick dinner & feel like jazzing it up a bit, I'll often cook a stir fry & serve it with one of the many varieties of Trader Joe's frozen Asian dumplings.  Nice & simple, I like that.  :)   I'm really fond of stir fry ~ it's such a great way to use up veggies that need to be eaten, as well as any odds 'n' ends lurking in the fridge & it looks great on a plate! 

TJ's Chicken Gyoza Potstickers are another favorite for adding to a stir fry dinner...or as a snack...or as a quick meal...  :)

 
For this meal, I added TJ's Chicken & Cilantro Mini Wontons  to the plate. TJ makes the best!  Their frozen dumplings make a wonderful side dish ~ they cook in about 5 minutes & taste great!  I'll often serve a stir fry with rice or, if I'm going for something a bit more low carb, I'll serve it over cabbage sauteed in a little sesame oil & Braggs (or soy sauce).  Purple cabbage makes for a really pretty presentation, it's my favorite cabbage to use.   I just love a colorful dinner, don't you?  :)

Simple Chinese Meals ~ So easy to cook Asian food at home...

Sometimes, I feel like having some Chinese food.  Sometimes, I want to go out to the local Chinese restaurant & enjoy their vast lunch buffet.  Sometimes, I just want to stay home & have some quick & easy Chinese food that I make myself.  On those days, this is what you might find cooking in my kitchen.  Not having a certain ingredient will ever stop me from making a dish, I just improvise with what I have on hand.  It's the only way to cook when you have a craving.  :)

Hot and Sour Soup ~ When Roy is sick, I like to made him some homemade soup.  He really enjoys Hot & Sour Soup at the Chinese restaurant ~ whether he has a cold, or not.  Last time he was ill, I found a recipe for the soup in The Joy of Cooking cookbook & improvised with what I had on hand. It turned out really good!

Double Mushroom Miso Soup & Sesame Broccoli ~ I saw this post (for these two recipes, making one meal) on Facebook, ~ from the blog,  Fat Free Vegan.  I had all the ingredients, so I made it for my lunch that same day. Very tasty.  I wonder sometimes if I have too many items/ingredients in my pantry/fridge...Nah. :) ~ 

  Udon Noodles ~ I know these are Japanese noodles, but they have similar noodles in China, so I'm taking the liberty to include them in this post.  (I hope no one minds :)  I love cooking with these noodles, they are so quick & easy. They make a fantastic presentation & are a great way to use up any leftovers you might have in the fridge.  I make both  hot & cold dishes with these tasty noodles. So versatile!

Sweet & Sour Pork ~ Roy & I had the munchies late one night & he decided to cook.  I had some leftover pork chops/rice & he made this REALLY good meal in no time flat. Bottled Sweet & Sour Sauce is such a quick way to make this meal.  He threw in some canned tropical fruit & frozen bell pepper strips.  Literally, 15 minutes from start to finish.  I love it when we have just the right ingredients all ready to go in the fridge.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Almonds, Ramen Noodles & Oranges ~ I love making this dish with shredded cabbage or even using coleslaw mix (to make it faster to create).  It travels well, keeps a perfect crunch & is great for potlucks & family get togethers.  I have been making it for years!

Just change up the presentation a little bit & the Chinese Chicken Salad can look elegant.  Who knew ramen noodles could look so sophisticated? 

Asian food

Fat Flush Plan ~ Low Carb & Low Fat Meals

I am a huge fan of the Fat Flush Plan diet.  Here are some meals I enjoy when I'm following Phase 1 & 2 of the plan.  If you want to find out more about my success with this low carb / low fat way of eating, check out my page  ~ 'Fat Flush Diet'.

Quick & Easy Cioppino Stew - Quick & easy stew/soup made w/lots of veggies from the Fat Flush approved list, cod chunks, V8 juice & herbs. Simmer veggies in V8 juice & water on the stove until the veggies are almost done, add fish/herbs & continue to simmer until fish is cooked through. Really good & good for you.

 

Pepper Steak ~ I use the Beef Fajitas that I mentioned in my page ~ 'My Go-To Ingredients & Stuff''.  I add bell pepper, tomato, onions & Chinese 5 spice. Saute for about 8 minutes & it is done. It's really good.

 

Steamed Mussels & Shrimp ~  I have to get a loaf of french bread to soak up all of the flavorful broth. I will splurge on the carbs for this meal.  I figure the fish is so lean, I can treat myself.  Besides, J just LOVES this meal. I add 2T of butter & some diced tomatoes to the recipe, just because it tastes so good. :) http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1645,135190-248199,00.html

 

Sweet Curry Spiced Veggies ~ This is REALLY good. I just got a new spice blend from Penzey's Spices ~ Sweet Curry. Great flavor, no heat. Nice for a night when you want something tasty that isn't hot.  Nuke the veggies & then finish it off on the stove. http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscurryswe.html?id=scwFqzah

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Found a recipe for these in an old 1979 copy of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Made a couple of changes to make it bit more low carb. They were great. Reminded me of the ones Grandma Bunni used to make.

Low Carb/Fat Whole Wheat Tortilla Bliss ~ This is my go to tortilla. It is REALLY low carb/fat/calorie (80 cal per tortilla/5 net carbs). Add some low cal Laughing Cow cheese (35 cal per wedge) & a bit of meat & veg (I like steamed spinach) & you have a tasty snack or quick meal for hardly more calories than one of those 100 calorie snack packs. I like to put Taco Bell hot sauce on it, I'm hopelessly addicted to their hot, hot sauce, have been since I was a kid. Some habits just can't be broken. :) Try this combo, you'll like it!

Veggie Stir Fry ~ I love my stir fry.  It's such an easy way to clean out the veggie bin.

Sweet and Sour Chicken w/Baby Bok Choy - Eating low carb is much easier than I thought.  I'll sometimes add a little bit of brown rice.

Teriyaki Stir Fry ~ I throw together a bunch of veggies that I nuked for a few minutes (just to get them part way cooked) & then add some of  the Beef or Chicken Fajita Strips.  Then I add some teriyaki sauce & nuts.  It's a quick & tasty dinner.  I usually skip the rice, but sometimes I'll add a little brown rice to the plate.

Matcha Green Tea & Protein Powder Smoothie ~ The goodness of green tea & protein powder collide, and don't forget the banana. Oh yeah! ~ http://www.matchasource.com/matcha-green-tea-smoothie-s/69.htm

~ http://www.sleepwarrior.com/matcha-green-tea

Fat Flush Soup ~ This is a picture of my Fat Flush Soup, using the recipe from the Sept. issue of Woman's World.  I won a random drawing from the Fat Flush fan page on Facebook. I submitted this picture & was chosen to win a Fat Flush kit!! Yipee! Taking pictures of my food is starting to pay off! ~ http://www.annlouise.com/blog/2011/10/04/my-famous-fat-flush-soup-recipe/

The Kind Diet Cookbook ~ Flirting with Veggies

Roasted Cauliflower Steak ~ This was really good. It's a bit tricky to cut the cauliflower into a steak that will stay together, but just take your time. It makes an impressive display when you cut it right. I cut it in half horizontally & had good luck. You can get a couple of good slices that way, just work your way out from the first middle cut.  Don't worry if it doesn't cut quite right, it will still taste great!

 

I'm a Flirt!  Want to know what you are?  Then go get a copy of Alicia Silverstone's  vegetarian lifestyle/vegan cookbook ~ The Kind Diet.  My local library had a copy, so I checked it out.  I liked it so much I bought a copy for myself.  Alicia has written an engaging book about the vegetarian lifestyle that is interesting & easy to read.  It gets you thinking about the daily choices we all make in regards to eating & living.  She makes a compelling argument for the vegetarian lifestyle & eating vegan ~ without sounding superior or preachy.  I appreciate that.  She graciously welcomes us into her home & shares her ideas in a sincere & thoughtful way.  This is much more than just a cookbook, it is a kind & gentle road map for our journey in life.  Read it for yourself & you'll see what I mean. I'm sure you'll be as charmed as I was by what she has to say.  Even if a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle is not for you, her book is still full of information that we can all benefit from.   

I've made about a dozen recipes so far & have enjoyed them all.  I don't think of them as 'vegan recipes', I just see them as recipes for dishes I'd like to eat.  I'm looking forward to making more dishes from her cookbook & since Spring is just around the corner, I'm sure I'll find much to tempt me.  Now,  I don't think I will ever get beyond being a Flirt, but it is nice to know there is a guidebook out there that I can relate to if I ever decide I want to be a Super Hero. When you read her book... you'll get that statement. :)      Check out her website ~ The Kind Life

Baby Bok Choy with Sesame Vinaigrette ~ So good tasting & good for you, too. These make a tasty dish & cook up in minutes. I just used apple cider vinegar, since that is what I had on hand. Be flexible, if you can't find a certain ingredient ~ just use something similar.

Maple Roasted Louts Root Chips ~ The original recipe also called for lotus roots, leeks & sunchokes, but I only used the lotus root ~ the market was all out of the other veggies in the recipe. The lotus roots are such a beautifully exotic veggie. I just love the lacy designs they make when you slice them. They are surprising tasty & in this recipe they are savory, yet sweet.  I could see these becoming addicting.

Happy Chinese New Year ~ The Year of the Dragon

Today is January 23, 2012. Today is the Chinese New Year ~ The Year of the Dragon.

Tropical Beef w/Brown Rice~ I just love Martin Yan's, Quick & Easy cookbook. Check it out & try some of the wonderful recipes that really are quick & easy. He should have added Incredibly Tasty to the book title, too.  I've loved  every single one of the recipes that  I've made. Over a dozen & counting.

 
I don't now about you, but I LOVE Chinese food. I like to go out to eat it, as well as to make it at home. Since you do all the prep work in advance of the cooking, it comes together quickly once the cooking starts. I appreciate that when I want something on the table at a certain time, prep work makes all the difference.

My favorite Chinese chef is Martin Yan.  My favorite cookbook of his is Martin Yan ~ Quick & Easy.  I have yet to find a dish that I didn't like & they truly are quick & easy.  Check out the book from the library or get a copy for yourself & see what I mean.  You'll be enjoying a home cooked Chinese meal in no time flat.