P.F. Chang's China Bistro Stir-fried Spicy Eggplant

I found all the P.F. Chang's recipes online!

Ingredients:
1 lb eggplant, peeled, cut into 1" dice
1 lb ground pork
1 tspn garlic
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to make a paste
Canola oil for deep-frying

Spicy sauce:
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (or substitute oyster sauce)
2 tbsp Lite soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tspn chili paste
½ tspn ground bean sauce
½ tspn sesame oil

Directions:
1. Combine all Spicy Sauce ingredients and mix well.
2. In a wok, deep-fry eggplant at 350°F for 1 minute. Remove eggplant and drain on paper towels.
3. Meanwhile remove all but ½ tspn of oil from wok. On high heat, stir-fry garlic for 5 seconds then add Spicy Sauce. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer 20 seconds. Add eggplant and simmer for another 10 seconds.
4. Stir in cornstarch paste a little at a time until desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Salmon and Zucchini With Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 pounds medium zucchini (about 3), cut into thin sticks

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, sage, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat

3. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

4. Add the zucchini and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6. Serve the zucchini with the salmon and vinaigrette

Soba Noodle Salad with Salmon and Asparagus

Asparagus season is here! I see fresh asparagus on sale every where. Here is a great dish you can make with it!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
Fine sea salt
5 1/2 ounces soba (Japanese-style noodles)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces wild salmon fillet, skinned
9 ounces thick asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 ounces baby spinach leaves (5 to 6 cups)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Soba noodles can be found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian markets.
Preparation
2. Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Cook soba noodles in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well; transfer to large bowl. Pour dressing over; toss to coat.
4. Heat vegetable oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with sea salt and pepper. Cook until browned but still deep pink in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to plate; cool slightly. Wipe skillet clean. Add enough water to skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Bring to boil. Sprinkle sea salt over and add asparagus. Simmer until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain. Add spinach and asparagus to noodles; toss to incorporate evenly. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Divide noodle salad among plates. Break salmon into bite-size pieces. Tuck salmon and avocado into noodles on plates. Sprinkle sesame seeds over and serve

Steak Picadillo Soft Tacos

This recipe was from the April issue of Bon Appetit. I love how simple it was to make it. To add some HEAT to the tacos I added some fresh jalapeno peppers.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 12-ounce strip of skirt steak
• 1/2 cup 1/4-inch squares green bell pepper
• 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/3 cup halved drained pimiento-stuffed green olives plus brine from jar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 corn tortillas
• Chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; sauté 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add bell pepper to skillet. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with green chiles, olives, raisins, tomato paste, cumin, and allspice. Simmer until sauce is thick, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and olive brine.

2. Cut steak into 1/3-inch-thick slices on diagonal across grain. Add steak and any juices to sauce in skillet; toss to blend.

3. Char tortillas over gas flame or in broiler until blackened in spots, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Divide filling among tortillas. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Cheddar and Chive Bread

The cheddar and chive bread goes great with the pecan crusted chicken tenders and salad with tangy maple dressing. It was super easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 loaf baguette or French bread, split lengthwise, then cut in 1/2
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 blades fresh chives, chopped

Directions:
1. Heat broiler. Lightly toast bread under hot broiler. Remove bread from broiler and cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle cheese liberally with chopped chives and set aside. When you are ready to serve your meal, return bread to broiler to melt cheese. When cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, remove bread from broiler and cut into 2-inch chunks.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders and Salad with Tangy Maple Dressing

Loved it! the dressing was amazing, and it was really easy to make. I may try and bake the chicken tenders next time to make it a little more healthy.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/3 to 2 pounds chicken tenders
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten with a splash of milk or water
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup pecans, processed in food processor to finely chop
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or ground
1 orange, zested

Dressing:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup tangy barbecue sauce
1 navel orange, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 scallions, trimmed and chopped on an angle

Directions:
1. Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil over medium high heat. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Set out 3 shallow dishes. Place flour in 1 dish, eggs beaten with water or milk in a second. In the third dish, combine bread crumbs with ground pecans, nutmeg and orange zest. Coat tenders in batches in flour, then egg, then bread crumb mixture. Fry tenders in small batches 6 to 7 minutes. Drain tenders on paper towels.
2. Combine maple syrup, barbecue sauce and orange juice in a bowl. Whisk in oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine romaine, radishes and scallions in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter. Toss with 3/4 of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Top salad with pecan crusted chicken tenders and drizzle remaining dressing over top.

Sauteed Cod with Asparagus, Asparagus Veloute

I discovered this recipe from Rozanne Gold's Healthy 1-2-3 cook book. This is a nutritional cookbook that utilizes only three ingredients per recipe. I like this book because the recipes are fat-free, low fat or low calories.

Ingredients:
2 pounds asparagus
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 7ounce cod fillets

Directions:
1. Cut asparagus off top 2 1/2 inches of asparagus stalks and set aside. Peel asparagus stalks. Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces. Cook stalks in large saucepan of boiling slightly salted water until very tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer stalks to blender. Add 3/4 cup cooking liquid to blender. Blend until very smooth, adding more cooking liquid to thin sauce. Blend 2 tablespoons butter into sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook asparagus tips in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain
3. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat. Add 3 fish fillets to each skillet and cook until golden and opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Spoon warm sauce onto plates. Top with fish. Garnish with asparagus tips and serve.