Chris and I love cooking at night together. He makes amazing drinks to go along with whatever flavor profile we’re going for, and Asian is one of our favorites to make for friends and family. I always get asked for recipes, so I’ll add some here for all of you fellow foodies.
Here’s a simple egg roll, fried rice, and sesame chicken recipe that you can make at home. You can even buy your veggies pre-cut at the grocery store to save on more time.
For the egg rolls and fried rice, I don’t have exact measurements, but I’ll write out how I do it and you can modify according to your taste preference. This is how I prepare everything when I’m trying to cut down on cooking time and have everything come out at once:
First I get a bag of precut cabbage in a skillet with two cloves of minced garlic and olive oil, and sauté over medium heat. Then I get the water on for the rice, start on the sesame sauce, and get the chicken batter ready.
**Helpful tip: I’ll double the sesame sauce recipe, minus the sesame oil, and add chives and dried mustard for a dipping sauce for egg rolls or dumplings. You can add a touch more vinegar and ginger for your dipping sauce for a nice, acidic balance to cut the richness of the egg rolls or dumplings.
Sesame Sauce:
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp water
1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp ginger powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp Honey
Squirt of Sriracha (doesn’t add heat as much as that authentic Asian flavor profile with those yummy chiles)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Chicken Batter:
1 large egg
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 pinch each salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken cut into inch pieces
mix batter
***I hold off on cutting the chicken until after I prep the veggies for the fried rice as to not taint my cutting board. This is when I chop and dice the veggies for the rice and add it to a bowl to be used later.
By now the cabbage should be nice and sautéed, so I turn the heat down and add the following egg roll seasoning. Keep in mind for the egg rolls I usually over spice the cabbage so it doesn’t lose its flavor when it’s all rolled up.
Egg rolls:
1 bag precut cabbage
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 Tbsps ginger powder (or more, to taste)
2-3 Tbsps dried mustard or regular yellow mustard
3 Tbsps of soy sauce (or to taste)
1 egg
Since the cabbage and garlic are all ready to go, I usually scramble the egg and mix it well before adding the rest of the seasoning. Then I keep tasting and adjusting the same flavors until it gets where I’m looking for.
To roll the egg rolls, I spoon about a tablespoon or two directly into the left-center of the diamond shape, fold the top and bottom, then wet the edges and roll up. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m thinking of baking them in the oven at 375 to save on cooking time. You might want to roll them, add a bit of oil to the top and test it out. Other than that, I usually add a little olive oil (or veggie oil) to the skillet and turn them until cooked on all sides. Usually about 1-2 mins per side.
Your white rice should be finished by now, and it’s time to fry it up.
Fried Rice:
1 cup of white rice
2 cups of water or chicken broth
1.5 tsps salt
1 onion, diced (can be yellow, spanish, whatever you prefer.)
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
handful of carrots, diced
handful of frozen peas
1 or 2 eggs
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The rice should be cooked in the salted water prior to the next step. (Quick rice recipe, bring 2 cups of water to a boil – add salt and rice, then cover and reduce heat. Cook covered for 20 mins.) I sauté the veggies with olive oil until they’re juuuust about caramelized, then I scramble an egg or two into the mixture. Once the egg is cooked I add the rice, soy sauce, and more olive oil and let it sauté until the desired texture.
Since I’m now done with the veggies, I cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and add to batter.
While the rice is getting fried, I add the chicken to a hot skillet and cook until nice and crispy on the outside. Once it’s finished I add the sauce and let it cook for a few extra minutes to really caramelize on there. And that’s it!
Sometimes I also chop fresh chives and garnish the chicken with it.
Now it’s time to curl up after dinner with a good book, and get that brain thinking about your own WIPs. Enjoy!