Sticky Coconut Chicken

This recipe is fantastic - a little spicy (if you're hot chili flakes are fresh), but flavorful and delicious.

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs)
2/3 c. canned coconut milk
1 TBS. fresh minced ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. hot chili flakes
3/4 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
3 TBS. soy sauce
1 tsp. hot chili flakes
4-5 green onions, finely chopped

Rinse chicken, pat dry. In large bowl, mix coconut milk, ginger, pepper, 1 tsp. hot chili flakes. Add chicken and mix - cover and chill for at least one hour, or up to a day.

Lift chicken from bowl, reserving marinade. Pull thighs open and lay flat on lightly oiled grill on high heat (we broiled this in the oven and it worked fine). Cover and cook, turning thighs as needed to brown on both sides until meat is no longer pink inside. Baste frequently with remaining marinade (USE ALL MARINADE). Tranfer thighs to warm platter and pour chili glaze (recipe below) evenly over meat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Chili Glaze:
In large sauce pan, combine rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and hot chili flakes. Bring to boil over high heat and cook until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (8-10 min.) Makes 1/2 c. glaze. Make sure to put your pan straight in water after the glaze has been used- once it hardens, it's VERY HARD to get off - it turns to a candy-like substance!

Serve warm over steamed brown rice.

Lettuce Wraps

I made these for my valentine this year *sigh*....they were just as good as I had hoped. Goes great with this Beef & Broccoli, if you want to go all out with the Chinese theme.

Filling:
2 TBS. soy sauce
2 TBS. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 c. fried bean threads (Saifun) - you can find these in the Asian section of the grocery store (prepare these as directed and set aside - you add these when you're assembling the lettuce wrap, they're the white, crunchy topping)
3 TBS. vegetable oil
2 bnls, sknls chicken breasts
1 5 oz. can whole water chestnuts, chopped finely
2/3 c. canned straw mushrooms (also found these in Asian section of grocery store - they are the smaller mushrooms that have black tops), chopped finely
4 green onions, finely chopped from white part to middle of the green stem (where it stops being crisp)

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 c. warm water
1/4 c. white sugar
2 TBS. soy sauce
2 TBS. rice vinegar
2 TBS. catsup
1 TBS. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
To Spice it Up, you can optionally add:
2 tsp. (for mild spice) or more - Chinese hot mustard - about $2 in Asian section of grocery store
2 tsp. (for mild spice) or more - chili garlic sauce - also in Asian section of grocery store

1 head bibb or iceberg lettuce, (top cut off, split in half, washed and chilled)

Mix all ingredients for dipping sauce - adding the right amount of spice for your taste. Set aside in refrigerator before you start anything else.

For the filling, preheat a wok or large saute pan with 2 TBS. of vegetable oil on high heat (water flicked on the oil should pop). Add chicken breasts and cook 4-5 min. on each side, or until pink center is gone. Remove from pan to cool. Chop up the mushrooms and water chestnuts finely. Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar in a bowl. Cut up the chicken into tiny minced pieces. Add an add't TBS. veg oil, add chicken, garlic, water chestnuts and mushrooms to pan. Add brown sugar, soy and rice vinegar mixture. Serve the chicken mixture into lettuce cups. Add your desired amount of dipping sauce.

We loved these! Let me know what you think!

Asian Marinated Steak by Guest Chef Amy

Steak, sliced in small pieces
½ cup soy sauce
Scallions, chopped
¼ cup water
2 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp sugar
Pepper

Combine soy sauce, scallions, water, garlic, sugar and pepper to form marinade. Reserve a small amount of sauce to top steak. Add steak to marinade in large sealable bag. Keep in refrigerator 5 hours to overnight. Broil on top rack in oven in broiling pan until done (about 5 minutes). Serve with rice and reserved marinade.

Thai Peanut Pork Stir Fry by Guest Chef Miriam

Serve with either Minute white rice or Jasmine rice:
2 t. vegetable oil
12 oz pork tenderloin, trim fat and thinly slice crosswise
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
3 1/2 c broccoli florets
1 med red bell pepper, halved and cut lenthwise
1 can (14 oz) reduced lite coconut milk
1 packet (3&1/2 oz) peanut sauce mix

Heat vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet, add the pork and garlic and stir fry 2 to 3minutes until cooked through. Place on plate. To skillet, add broccoli, red pepper, coconut milk and peanut-sauce mix. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 6 minutes until vegetables are crisp & tender. Meanwhile cook rice. Return pork & garlic to skillet and simmer a fewminutes until sauce thickents slightly. Serve over rice.

Spring Rolls w/ Peanut Sauce by Guest Chef Nanette

You wouldn't guess by looking at them, but these are actually quick and easy, even for a slow cook like me! I made them one night for a dinner party, when I found out more people were coming over, and they only took about 10 minutes to make.

Ingredients:
Package rice wrappers
Chopped thai basil
Fresh mint leaves
Chopped fresh cilantro
Grated carrot
Fresh bean sprouts
some people like to add little shrimp, or a meat, like pork or chicken. If you do, cook the meat before hand, and slice into thin strips.

Peanut Sauce/Dip
Crunchy peanut butter
Hoisin sauce
Water

All of these ingredients can be found at your local asian supermarket. I didn't include amounts, because it depends on personal preference.

Directions:
Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften.
Lay wrapper flat.In a row across the center, a little of each ingredient, to your taste, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side.
Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Dipping Sauce
mix equal parts hoisin sauce and peanut butter.
Add water until desired consistency