Asian Orange Chicken

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons water

Chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Pour 1 cup water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and leave at a simmer until sauce cooks down and thickens. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Wipe out skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons water; stir into sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be thickened.
6. Serves 4.

Honey-Mustard Salmon

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 6 salmon fillets (4 oz. each)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small saucepan, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, mustard, honey, and soy sauce until butter has melted. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan, flesh-side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the salmon is fully browned, and flip. Brush with half of the glaze and place the pan in the preheated oven. Let bake until the salmon is firm and flaky (but before the white fat begins to form on the surface), about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush the salmon with the remaining glaze.

Fluffy Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3. Heat a large, lightlty-greased skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Yields about 8 pancakes.

Cold Peanut Butter Noodles

Ingredients

• 5 Tablespoons sesame seeds
• 5 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
• 1 (12 oz.) package dried spaghetti

Directions

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant. Reserve 2 Tablespoons.
2. Puree the remaining 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds with the soy sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in a blender (or food processor) until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add the water, a little at a time, until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream (you may not need all the water).
3. In a nonstick skillet, cook the scallions over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the carrots and pepper and cook until vegetables are slightly soft. Add the peanut butter sauce and mix with a spoon to combine.
4. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water until cool. Shake out the excess water and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the peanut butter sauce with vegetables over the pasta, and toss to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds and serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 (12 ounces) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (depending on sweetness preference)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 48 almonds

Directions

1. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add egg and almond extract. Mix well.
2. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Set them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place an almond on top of each cookie and press down to flatten slightly.
3. Bake in a preheated 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15-18 minutes. Cool on rack.

Best Lemon Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 lemons, juiced (about 1/2 cup juice) or more, depending on tartness preference

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
5. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. 
6. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Yields 36 bars.

Variations

• Lime Bars- Use lime juice in place of the lemon juice and add 1 drop of green food coloring to make the filling a very pale green.