Soy Glazed Salmon

Soy Glazed Salmon
Makes 2 Servings
Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com

1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice from ½ lemon)
½ tbsp dry white wine (or water)
8 oz. salmon, skin removed
½ cup basmati rice, dry
optional topping: sesame seeds

Cook rice per package instructions on stove. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir sugar, oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and wine until sugar has dissolved. Spray nonstick cooking spray in square baking dish. Add fish in a single layer. Pour glaze over fish and turn to coat evenly. Bake until fish is opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over basmati, spooning remaining glaze on top as a sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Nutritional Information: 401 calories, 43 carbs, 14 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: The glaze was very tasty, and it made plenty to allow for the sauce to give the rice flavor. I liked how easy this was, too – I had all of the ingredients on hand! I did use wine, only because I happened to have a bottle open already, but I feel certain it would be fine with water instead like the recipe suggested as an alternative. I will definitely have this again, and think it would be great with other grains, too, like couscous or quinoa, or with an Asian-inspired salad!

Skinny General Tso’s Chicken

Skinny General Tso’s Chicken
Adapted from Coup De Pouce Magazine (as seen on Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, who saw it on La Table de Nana)
Makes 4 Servings

1/3 cup light brown sugar (5 tbsp + 1 tsp)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil
6-8 green onions chopped, plus more for serving
3 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
1/4 tsp each hot pepper flakes and sesame seeds (optional)
1 cup basmati rice, dry

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and water. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Dredge the chicken in the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Cook the chicken in the olive oil until browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Using a paper towel, wipe skillet clean. Add sesame oil, green onions and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture for 2 minutes, or until sauce thickens a bit. Add chicken back into the skillet, toss to coat with sauce, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds (if desired).

Nutritional Information: 441 calories, 65 carbs, 6 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Okay - yes, it's a bit high carb, but it made that thick, textured sauce you find in those little white square to-go boxes. Awesome. Plenty of sauce that went a long way - you could easily add your favorite Asain veggies - enough sauce to go around. I liked the extra breading, too - a little bit of cornstarch goes such a long way - good stuff! A new household favorite for sure - but next time i'll make sure to save some green onions for garnish - oopsie!

Crispy Honey Chicken

Crispy Honey Chicken
Makes 4 servings
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced
2 tbsp egg substitute
1/3 cup cornstarch
½ bag frozen Asian vegetables
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup honey
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup basmati rice, cooked per package instructions

Se rice to cook (takes about 20 minutes). In 2 separate bowls, add egg substitutes and cornstarch. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add ½ tbsp olive oil. Add veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining oil. Dip chicken pieces in egg and then lightly dredge in cornstarch. Add to sheet of wax paper. Once done, add all of the chicken to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip and add half of honey, stir. Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add remaining honey and red pepper flakes; mix to combine. Season with salt, pepper and remaining soy sauce. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 425 calories, 63 carbs, 5 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Great, light dish! I made this for Austin, my mom and my sister and we all enjoyed how light it was and how nice that honey made it taste. Super simple, quick to put together (under 20 minutes including rice) and a definite keeper. We each did add some salt - but that's all. I think it will reheat nicely too, so long as you really mix the rice into the chicken mixture so it's all coated in sauce.

Spicy Orange Chicken

Spicy Orange Chicken
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, diced
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup orange juice
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp siracha
1 ½ tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped green onions
4 servings basmati rice

Make rice per package instructions. Add chicken to medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside. Combine juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar and siracha. Stir with a whisk and set aside. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add chicken and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add juice mixture and onions; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and chicken is no longer pink. Divide rice into 4 servings; divide chicken mixture into 4 servings and serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 372 calories, 49 carbs, 7 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Yes - another Asian-inspired winner! The cornstarch made the chicken so thick and juicy - loved that addition, and the sauce got just thick enough to cover the rice and give each bite the sauce's unique flavor- which was citrusy and spicy. The siracha gave it the spice on the aftertaste rather than the front - it was great though, subtle but had a kick. If you're timid about spicy, just reduce the amount of siracha! I love this recipe and will absolutely make it again. I think it would taste great over an Asian salad too rather than rice!

Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Basil Chicken
Recipe adapted from Sweet Tea in Texas

Makes 4 Servings

2 cups thai basil leaves, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp siracha
2 ½ tbsp fish sauce, divided
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp splenda
1 tsp white vinegar
1 pound chicken, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ cup onion, diced
4 servings basmati rice

Place garlic, 1 cup basil and the siracha sauce in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping bowl one time. Transfer 1 tbsp of this mixture to a small bowl with 1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Stir and set aside. Place remaining garlic/basil mixture into 12" skillet and set aside. Place chicken in a bowl with the remaining fish sauce and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Add add olive oil and onions to the skillet, and sauté over medium heat until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, stirring constantly, until it’s no longer pink. Add garlic/basil sauce mixture that you made previously. Cook for 1 minute. Meanwhile, dice remaining basil, add to the pan and cook 1 additional minute until basil wilts. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 348 calories, 38 carbs, 8 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Yum! So glad to find another go-to Asian-inspired recipe. This one tasted wonderful, and I was so happy to use the Thai basil Austin has been growing in the backyard! The splenda is once again a great substitute for sugar, and I left out the oyster sauce since I didn't have it on hand - worked great for me. The onions and the sauce went a long way, and while it's not a huge serving, it's filling, healthy and definitely curbed my appetite for wanting to order out! I also thought it was a pretty simple, short ingredient list - I had everything on hand without planning! I'll make this one again for sure but be forewarned, this one, like the pad thai that used fish sauce, does smell funny when you cook it but then tastes amazing and the smell goes away - so weird!