Pork & Sesame Noodles

Marinade

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1'' ginger, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Ingredients

2 boneless pork chops, each cut in half making a total of 4

1 lb whole wheat fettuccine

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 green onions chopped on an angle

1 red bell pepper, diced

1'' ginger, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili paste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds for garnish

1 teaspoon regular toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

Whisk together all ingredients for the marinade. Put the pork and the marinade in a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for 1 hour, up to 6 hours.

Grill over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool a bit and then slice into thin pieces.

Bring a big pot of water to boil - add a tablespoons of peanut oil into the water. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions and add an additional minute. Drain pasta and toss with sesame oil.

While pasta cooks heat the rest of the peanut oil in a medium pot. Add the green onions, red bell, ginger, garlic and chili paste. Cook for 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce and hot water. Stir until all is melted and combined.

In a large mixing bowl combine the pasta, pork and peanut sauce. Garnish with the sesame seeds. This can be served hot, room temperature or chilled.

Grilled Slammin Salmon

Ingredients

3 salmon fillets

Marinade:

4 tablespoons dijon mustard

6 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

Directions

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Take half of it and pour over the fillets and let soak for 10 minutes.

Grill the salmon 4 minutes on each side (discard the used portion of the marinade). Serve over a bed of basmati rice (I get a basmati rice medley from Trade Joe's that is awesome). Then top with the other half of the marinade.

7 Flavor Beef

Ingredients

Marinade:

1 lb flank steak, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fish oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

2 tablespoons canola oil

S&P

Stir Fry:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced on the diagonal

1 carrot thinly sliced

1 cup bean sprouts, rough chop

4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon ground cashews

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves

Directions

Combine beef and all marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag for at least 1 hour.

Heat oil in a wok - high heat. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onions and bean sprouts and cook for another 2 minutes. Plate the veggies on a platter and cover to keep warm. Cook beef and sear until rare about 1 minute. Add the hoisin, peanuts and tarragon. Top the platter of veggies with the meat and serve over rice.

Grilled Chicken with Sesame Noodles

Marinade

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 cloves of garlic minced

1'' ginger minced

2 tablespoons cilantro chopped

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about a pound)

1 lb whole wheat fettuccine

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 green onions chopped on an angle

1 red bell pepper diced

1'' ginger minced

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 teaspoon red chili paste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons hot water

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Whisk together all ingredients for the marinade. Put the chicken and the marinade in a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for 1 hour, up to 6 hours.

Grill in medium heat for 4 minutes each side. Set aside to cool a bit. Slice into thin pieces.

Bring a big pot of water to boil - add a tablespoon of peanut oil into the water. Cook the fettuccine according to package instructions (al dente). Drain the pasta and toss with the sesame oil.

In a medium sized pot heat the peanut oil over medium heat. Add the green onions, red bell, ginger, garlic and chili paste. Cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce and hot water. Stir until all is melted and combined.

In a large mixing bowl combine the pasta, chicken and peanut sauce. Then garnish with the sesame seeds. This dish can be served room temperature or chilled.

Grilled Chicken with an Asian Influence

I got this idea from a recipe from Tyler Florence. Like I've said, I only learned how to cook since my move to Las Vegas. I've gotten somewhat comfortable in the kitchen. Now I want to start grilling. So far, I haven't gone near our gas grill. I'm going to change that this year.

That said....it will be trial and error figuring out how long to cook things at what temps. This first attempt came out a little too crispy. I cooked it at too high a temp. I will adjust for the next time. It was delicious and worth repeating with some changes.

Ingredients

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lime juiced (put in microwave for 10 sec first)

2'' fresh ginger chopped

1 lg garlic clove (2 small) chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (set a little bit aside for garnish)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.5 lbs)

Directions

Combine ingredients (not the breasts) in a bowl and whisk together, then pour into a gallon ziplock bag. Then add the chicken and seal with as little air as possible. Marinade for one hour.

Preheat grill on high for 10 minutes. Then TURN DOWN THE HEAT just a bit. (I didn't do that tonight. Grill for 8 minutes on each side. Garnish with the rest of the cilantro.

Salmon Cakes with Baby Bok Choy

Since I moved out here to the desert one thing I miss is really good chinese food like I am used to in NYC. Not to sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but here it goes: I've learned to make my own chinese food that is way better than the little chinese restaurants that we have out here. This is one of my favorite dishes. I made this for my girl Lisa when she visited last week.

Salmon Cakes

1/4 cup peanut oil

3 garlic cloves minced

1 shallot diced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 anaheim chile diced

1.5 lbs salmon fillets cut into cubes

1 cup panko

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use low fat mayo)

1 lemon juiced (put it in the microwave for 10 seconds)

1 egg white

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons peanut oil

Baby Bok Choy

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2'' piece of ginger grated

3 heads of baby bok choy cut lengthwise in half

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)

1/4 oyster sauce

1/2 lemon juiced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper and sautee for a couple of minutes just to release the flavor. Take off heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup peanut oil, salmon, panko, mayo. lemon and the egg white. Lastly, add the cooled garlic, ginger, pepper mixture. Gently fold everything together. Careful not to break apart the salmon. With your hands make into 8 salmon cakes.

Coat a large skillet with peanut oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot add the cakes and cook 4 minutes on each side. Remove and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add 2 more tablespoons of peanut oil and heat. Add ginger - when you begin to smell it add the halved bok choy cut side down. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the water and steam for another 2 minutes. Carefully remove to platter. Now add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar. Cook for about 3 minutes until sauce thickens.

On the platter with the baby bok choy add the salmon cakes around the boarder. Then drizzle the sauce over the cakes and then the remainder in the middle of the platter of the bok choy. Garnish with the sesame seeds.

Pork Stir Fry with Whole Wheat Fettucini

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of coarse ground mustard
1/4 cup Tamari (if you can't find that use soy sauce)
1/2 cup veg or ck stock
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 boneless center cut pork chops thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 carrot cut into match sticks
1 lb of whole wheat fettucini
16 shitake mushrooms sliced
3'' ginger root minced (ginger and garlic also come in tubes already minced - I use that)
3 cloves garlic minced
1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced
4 scallions chopped on an angle
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (if you can't find them you can use toasted sesame)

Directions

Large pot of water on high to boil.

Combine with whisk mustards, tamari, stock and sesame oil in a bowl and set aside.

When water begins to boil add the carrots to blanch for one minute - remove with slotted spoon. Then add the fettucini to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. At the same time heat a wok/large skillet over medium high to high heat with the vegetable oil and red pepper flakes. Once heated add the pork and season with S&P for 2 minutes. After that add the blanched carrots along with the rest of the vegetables and ginger and garlic.

Add the drained pasta to the work and pour in the tamari mixture so the noodles soak it up - about one more minute. Serve with the black sesame seeds as garnish.