Sweet and Sour Chicken

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes

Grade: A-
Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (January 2011)

I haven't done a stir fry in a while, and I miss them. This is a simple and light version of sweet and sour (no frying).

It differs from Cook's Illustrated stir-fries in that you dump the veggies and chicken into the pan at once. That makes it easier, but it also resulted in green beans that were a little overcooked. Not bad, but not as bright green and crisp as they could have been.

When I first tasted the chicken, I was unimpressed, and thought that it was more bland because there was no marinating of the chicken. But when I tasted the full dish with veggies and sauce, I liked it more, and overall I found the dish very satisfying.

I think CI/ATK stir-fry recipes are a bit better, but a little more work, so this one will do in a pinch when there is less time. I could have shortened the time more by overlapping the cooking with prep, by at least heating up my pan while still prepping. However, I have found cleaning the kitchen before I start cooking with stir fries is a very good idea, otherwise I end up with a disaster.

Beef Teriyaki

Total Time: 30 minutes
Grade: A
Make Again: Yes
Recipe Source: Best 30-Minute Recipes

I steamed some broccoli and white rice at the same time as this dish and it all was done within 30 minutes. This was very good and super easy to make. All you need to do is cut the meat in thin slices, and stir the sauce ingredients together. Then cook. To only make the Beef could probably be done in under 20 minutes.

The only ingredient you may need to buy for this is Mirin, which is at most grocery stores in the Asian cooking section. (It is cheaper though if you can get it at an Asian grocery store.)

Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

Total Time: 45 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (September 2001)

Since I opened up some chunky peanut butter for the PBJ bars, I decided to make this also. I think it is really good. The important thing is to get sauce thin enough so it doesn't get clumpy. Even my leftovers are good (and they don't need to be reheated.) I've been making this one for years now, and I still like it.

Spicy Stir-Fried Sesame Chicken with Green Beans

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2004)

This is very, very good. The sauce was spicy but not too hot and very flavorful. The recipe uses the technique of velveting the chicken which makes it extra good. It almost tastes like like it was fried, but is not greasy, because of the cornstarch mixture. And it keeps the chicken very moist.

I skipped the mushrooms, and used extra green beans and some scallions instead. I will definitely be making this again soon, since it is easy and I get great beans at the farmers market.

Baked Orange Chicken

Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2006)

You can't be fooled by the "Baked" because the chicken is still sort of pan fried in a good amount of oil while it is baking. I do not think this is as good as the fried version. The texture doesn't turn out quite as good. However, it is still pretty good. Since I hate frying things just because it feels messy to me and wasteful to use all that oil that you can't really re-use, it is possible I might make this again. Mostly because I like to cook asian food for others and this would allow something to be cooking in the oven, and would allow another dish to be stir-fried at the same time.

The prep included the wait time for the marinade, so it wasn't a true 50 minutes of work. There was plenty of time to clean the kitchen, prep and steam some broccoli, etc.

Fried Rice

Total Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (March 2001)

This is the best way to use up some extra rice. I prefer the Thai curried chicken fried rice
version, because it is a little more flavorful and substantial for a full meal, but this is easy and quick.

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (September 2003)

This isn't as great as the Thai-Style Beef recipe, but it is a good stir fry. I have finally learned to clean up between the prep and cooking when I do stir fries and it makes a huge difference. My kitchen doesn't look like a disaster when the food is ready to eat and I feel less stressed when I'm cooking. I think it goes faster too.

Sesame Chicken Bites

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Marinade: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: B-

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (October 2005)

This was fine, but I didn't love the sauce flavor - it was a little one-dimensional I guess. However, I do like the idea of cooking chicken bites this way, and may try it with some other sauces. Instead of stir-frying you bake the bite sized pieces of chicken and it worked well. (I skipped the skewers)

Soba Noodles with Pork

Total Time: 29 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Probably not

Recipe Source: Best 30-Minute Recipes

I replaced the mushrooms (stir-fried) with broccoli (steamed in skillet), to suit my tastes. This was good and fine, and I did finish in less than 30 minutes, for once. But, it left my kitchen a disaster. I need to allow myself more time to prep and clean before I start cooking. If it takes 10 minutes more, it will save me 10 minutes later when I'm cleaning up, and I'll feel less stressed!

The flavors were fine on this, but nothing special, so I do think I will stick with other favorite stir-fry recipes.

Sichuan Green Beans

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2007)

I didn't love this as much as I thought I would. However, the leftover flavors tasted better to me, so I may try to make this again. It was just a little bit more work than I was expecting, I think.

Curried Singapore Noodles

Total Time: 35 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

I change this recipe to use chicken instead of shrimp and whatever veggies I want to use. (Broccoli instead of bean sprouts, usually.) It is fast and easy and good.

Spicy Sichuan Noodles - Dan Dan Mian

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2001)

This is fast, and really good. The sauce is made from ground pork and peanut butter, and is spicy. I love that it can be completed from start to finish in 30 minutes if you start your pans heating at the beginning.

Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken with Noodle Cake

Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:15 - 20 minutes

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (March 2003)

I prefer to make this recipe with broccoli and red peppers in place of the bok choy. I also like to use the velveting technique that they used in this version of the recipe found on America's Test Kitchen TV show.

Pork Egg Rolls (Baked)

Prep Time: minutes
Cook Time: minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (April 2007)

This is a pretty good recipe, but I thought they were a little bit salty. I would probably like them even more if they were fried, but that is not something I like doing in my kitchen.

Pork Bulgogi

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinate Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (Jan/Feb 2004)

This is very good but a little too spicy for me. I need to use less red pepper.

6 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (or less)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 lb pork tenderloin, very thinly sliced
1 large onion, cut into 12 wedges
1 Tablespoon olive oil
sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl. Add pork and marinate for at least 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil over medium heat. Cook pork and onions in 3 batches, 3-5 minutes per batch. Discard extra marinade.

3. Return all batches to skillet to warm. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve over rice or with lettuce leaves.

Spicy Chili-Fried Edamame

Prep Time: 14 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes boil, 5 minutes stir-fry

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Restaurant Favorites at Home

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. This is a very addictive snack, with a spicy and sweet component. I have altered the original recipe to use less oil (2 T instead of 4 T.) You need to be careful when using less oil when you add the ginger and garlic so it doesn't stick to pan and burn. Otherwise, using less oil works well.

You have just about enough time to prep all ingredients while water is heating up to boil.

I have served this as an appetizer and had all my ingredients ready including the edamame boiled, and just done the stir fry at the last minute. The cooking time might need to be slightly longer if ingredients are cold.

NOTE: In case you have not eaten edamame in the pods before, the pods are inedible. These are eaten by putting in mouth closing teeth and pulling pod back out. This way you get the beans and the spicy sauce.

Spicy Chili-Fried Edamame Recipe

1 pound frozen edamame in their pods (frozen soy beans)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced/grated (about 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add edamame and salt, return to boil, and cook for about 6 minutes, until beans inside are tender. Drain, and refresh with cold water to stop cooking.

2. Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil in small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12" non-stick skillet over high heat, until shimmering. Add edamame and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Push beans to the side and add 1/2 tablespoon more oil and the chiles. Stir fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

5. Add 1/2 tablespoon more oil and the garlic and ginger. Stir constantly for about 1 minutes.

6. Add soy sauce mixture and cook while stirring until liquid has evaporated, about 30 second.

Thai-Style Beef with Chiles and Shallots

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe: Cook's Illustrated Magagzine July 2005

My picture is of the leftovers, and doesn't look as good as the freshly cooked version. This is an easy recipe and my favorite stir fry recipe. It went very well with the Pan Roasted Broccoli with Asian flavors.

Pan Roasted Broccoli

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe: Cook's Illustrated January 2006

There are lots of good variations of this recipe from Cook's Illustrated on the subscriber website shown above. The one I have tried several times and liked was with the Spicy Southeast Asian Flavors. It is very delicious and goes well as a side dish for any type of Asian food.