Take Out At Home: Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fried Rice

I am almost always in the mood for anything Asian-inspired. From sushi to crab ragoons, this family loves it all!  In terms of fast food-type take out, Chinese is not always the cheapest and it usually makes me sick afterwards. As a result, I'm always on the lookout for Chinese take-out copy cat recipes.  The recipes that follow will completely satisfy any Chinese-food craving you may have. The rice is a new go-to in my kitchen. It's quick and easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. It would also be great paired with stir fry. The chicken is not a difficult recipe, but it does take a while to bake, so some planning is needed.  Also, neither of these are low fat, but they are so stinkin' delicious! Well, the chicken is baked, not fried so it less bad for you, but I bet Weight Watchers wouldn't endorse this! ;) I found these on the blog Life as a Lofthouse.

Fried Rice
 

Ingredients

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best. When I don't have leftover, I make the rice first, then put it in the refrigerator.  Then I make the chicken. When I'm ready to make the rice, it has chilled and makes better fried rice.)
3 tbs sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions
On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

The chicken coating:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

*I used a jar of my own homemade pepper jelly instead of making this sauce. You could use the above recipe or use any pre-made, store-bought sweet and sour sauce if you're short on time.
1. Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. (I combined the chicken, cornstarch and eggs in a ziploc bag and shook it!)  

4. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. 5. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. 

5. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes. Be sure to check it. It only took my chicken a half hour to cook through. Maybe I just my chicken into smaller pieces?

Chipotle Chicken Salad

I don't have a picture of this recipe because, last week when I made it for company, we were halfway through polishing off the bowl when I said, "Oh, I should post this online!"  This recipe originally came from Gourmet magazine. I used to have a subscription. I ended up with that subscription because two cute young men came to my door and convinced me that they were competing to win a trip and if I could please buy a magazine subscription from them it would help them earn points. Well, I was young... and they were cute, so I did. Back in those days, I didn't appreciate much that Gourmet had to offer. I was just beginning to cook, but this recipe is one that I tried and it has been a staple around here ever since.

It's light and fresh and perfect for a hot day. In addition, it's pretty easy to throw together. It's one of my husband's favorite recipes of all time. I like it because it doesn't require any cooking and I can whip it up pretty last minute. It requires only about 15 minutes of prep time! Also, it does contain adobo sauce, but the salad is not spicy However, you could add a little more if you like a little kick. The Fritos seem like an odd addition, I realize, but they are what make the meal! Once I substituted crushed tortilla chips and it just wasn't the same.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie-cooked chicken (2 lb) at room temperature
1 medium white onion, chopped (I have also used chopped green onions in a bind)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1 rounded tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 firm-ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and chopped (err on the side of firmer, they'll be easier to cut up)
3 oz corn chips such as Fritos (1 1/2 cups)
1 heart of romaine, separated into leaves (optional)

Directions

Remove chicken from bone and chop or shred into medium-large chunks, then toss together with onion and black beans in a large bowl.

Purée cilantro, chipotles, oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor, and add to chicken mixture.

Toss chicken mixture with chips. Scoop avocado into chicken mixture with a spoon (basically just do this gently so that you don't mush the avocado up). Serve salad on romaine leaves if you want to be fancy, or just scoop salad into a bowl and enjoy!

Anyone I've ever served this to has loved it. Once my tupperware was passed around the teacher's lounge so everyone could have a taste! 

*Note: The Fritos will get soggy if you store this overnight. On the other hand, they are much yummier when tossed with the dressing. I generally pick them out of my leftovers, then add a handful of fresh ones before eating. They add a salty, crunch which is a great contrast to the avocado, chicken, and bean mixture.