Mango Chicken

I got this recipe a long time ago from my mom; it is a knock-off of a dish served at Thaifoon, an Asian-fusion restaurant back in Salt Lake. The mango offsets the spiciness of the chili garlic sauce for a delicious asian dish.

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Draney Photography

Mango Chicken

2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 fresh mango, skinned, pitted & cut into 3/4" - 1" cubes
1 Tbsp. basil
1 1/2 cups mango sauce (recipe follows)

Mango Sauce ingredients:
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
1 bottle (7.5 oz) sweet chili sauce - I use Sun Luck
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice

Combine and blend together all the sauce ingredients. Heat wok/saute pan and add canola oil. Add and stir fry chicken until cooked. Add mango pieces, tossing to incorporate and warm the mango.

Add sauce and basil. Toss and reduce until sauce lightly coats the chicken and mango.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Opah Teriyaki

Yesterday we made a trip out to one of our favorite specialty grocery stores in the area, Bristol Farms. They have an amazing selection of fresh meats, seafood, cheeses, produce....I could go on and on about my love of this store. I picked up a 6 oz. opah steak, while my husband went with ahi. Opah fillets are a nice pink color, turning white once cooked. I first tried this delicious Hawaiian fish at Duke's in Malibu, and loved the light, flaky texture. It is not as dense as say, swordfish, and does well with marinades. If you ever happen to have the opportunity to pick some up, definitely try it - you won't be disappointed!

I found this recipe and gave it a whirl. It was the perfect preparation for the opah.

Opah Teriyaki

1 opah steak (6 oz.)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce*
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

In skillet set at 250 or medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter; add garlic, saute until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in teriyaki, lemon juice, honey and sesame seeds. Pour over fish, marinate 30 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet. Set at medium heat. Add Opah, saute 4-5 minutes on each side, basting with marinade. Do not overcook.

*I also didn't have any teriyaki sauce on hand, so I made my own from this recipe on Recipezaar:

Teriyaki Sauce (makes 1 cup)
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
fresh grated ginger (about 1 Tbs. or to your liking)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 minced garlic clove
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Combine 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water and add to sauce. Stir constantly to allow the sauce to thicken. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water or soy sauce to thin.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

I love these lettuce wraps; they are healthy, delicious and super easy to make. I use butter lettuce for the wraps because it tends to hold together best as you eat it.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Head of butter lettuce
Garlic-Soy Chicken, recipe below
Peanut sauce, recipe below

Slow Cooker Garlic-Soy Chicken
From The Busy Mom's Slow Cooker Cookbook

1 small onion, sliced
2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine onion, garlic powder, soy sauce, and vinegar in small bowl and mix well. Place chicken breasts in slow cooker and pour soy mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 - 8 hours.

Remove chicken and shred. Drain onions and serve on the side as topping for your wraps.

Peanut Sauce
From Cooking Light

1/4 cup lime juice
3 Tbs. peanut butter
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. honey (I only used 2)
1 Tbs. chili paste with garlic
4 garlic cloves, minced

Combine ingredients in small bowl and stir well with a whisk. Can be used as a dipping sauce, or poured over the contents of your wrap.

Yields 1/2 cup sauce.

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Draney Photography

Spicy Orange Chicken

This is adapted from a WW recipe I found on Recipezaar, so it is fairly heathly and low in calories & fat. I substituted chicken for beef, as we are not big on red meat (I don't eat it at all.) This is a yummy, quick meal that would be easy to put together on a busy weeknight.

Spicy Orange Chicken
(sorry, no picture)

2 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp grated orange rind
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce (I added an extra tsp 1/2 since we tend to like our dishes spicy)
4 tsp canola oil
1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
1 cup stir fry veggies (broccoli, carrots & snap peas)

Combine chicken, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, and orange rind in medium bowl; toss well to coat, and set aside. Combine remaining 1 Tbsp cornstarch, chicken broth, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, and chili garlic sauce in small bowl; set aside.

Heat non-stick wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp of oil, then add chicken. Stir fry until cooked, about 2 - 3 minutes; transfer to plate. Add remaining 2 tsp of oil, then add ginger. Stir fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add broccoli, carrots & peas. Stir fry until crisp and tender, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add broth mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture boils and thickens, about one minute. Add chicken and cook until heated through, about one minute.

Serve with brown or white rice.