Asian

September 9, 2021 Asian

Beef Vindaloo

This beef vindaloo is amazingly rich and spicy! It’s an easy yet delicious curry that comes together in just one skillet.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

It’s a restaurant-quality dish that’s easy enough to make at home! With just one skillet you’ll have a homemade Indian curry. Throw this recipe together in the same amount of time it’d take you to drive and order it out!
It’s intensely flavorful and delicious! This beef vindaloo is jam-packed with warming spices and irresistible flavor.
You can easily customize it to your spice preferences. This recipe yields a very spicy vindaloo, however you can use less spice if you’d like. And if you’re spice-obsessed, then go ahead and add a few more dashes of cayenne pepper (that is, if you dare).

Key Ingredients

Beef Chuck – Vindaloo can be made with a variety of meats such as chicken, pork, or even lamb. Though this beef version is my personal favorite. You can either purchase pre-chopped beef chuck, sometimes referred to as “stew meat” or chop the beef yourself at home. Either way, aim for even-sized beef chunks to ensure even cooking.

Garam Masala – This spice blend is popular in Indian cuisine. Garam masala consists of a variety of flavorful spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, and cloves. If you don’t have a jar of this delicious spice blend in your kitchen, then I highly recommend you pick one up next time you’re at the grocery store. Garam masala contributes a ton of flavor to this beef vindaloo and is an integral part of this dish!

Chef’s Tips

In the third step of this recipe, cook the onions for the full 15 minutes. Cooking down the onions in this dish will give it an incredible depth of flavor. Don’t rush this step, and feel free to add small amounts of water to the skillet to prevent burning!
For low spice tolerance, leave out the cayenne pepper altogether. This recipe is already pretty spicy and the cayenne pepper takes it to a whole other level. Therefore, if sharing with little ones or simply the spice-intolerant, ditch the cayenne pepper!
Serve this beef vindaloo however you’d like! I enjoy mine with a side of rice and some warm naan bread.

beef vindaloo in a dish with spices, cilantro, and rice on the side

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Beef Vindaloo

This beef vindaloo is amazingly rich and spicy! It's an easy yet delicious curry that comes together in just one skillet.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: curry, one pan recipe, restaurant-style

Servings: servings

Calories: 546kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Large skillet

Ingredients

2 pounds beef chuck cut into 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup beef stock
rice for serving

Instructions

Season beef chuck with salt and pepper, toss to coat.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add in the beef chuck and cook for 6 minutes or until brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium, add in onion and cook for 15 minutes stirring frequently.
Add in garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add in garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Stir for 1 minute or until very fragrant.
Stir in tomato paste then add in the apple cider vinegar. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until brown bits become unstuck from the bottom of the skillet.
Pour in the beef stock and add in the beef chuck, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving out of 4, not including rice. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

August 3, 2021 Asian

Chicken Chashu

This chicken chashu is perfectly savory and sweet! Rolled chicken thighs are braised in a flavorful broth until tender and juicy. This restaurant-quality dish is simple to make and exploding with delicious flavor!

What Makes This Chicken Chashu So Good

It’s bursting with tons of flavor! Chicken thighs are braised in a flavorful broth until perfectly tender. One bite of this chicken chashu will leave your taste buds singing!
It’s a restaurant-quality dish that’s surprisingly simple to make in the comfort of your own home. Simply roll the chicken thighs, quickly brown them in a skillet, then leave to cook in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and sake or dry white wine. This delicious dish comes together in just 30 minutes!
It’s that perfect balance between savory and sweet! Savory soy sauce and tangy mirin are beautifully balanced by a bit of sugar. We even add some fresh ginger in there for a flavorful spice!

Key Ingredients for Chicken Chashu

Boneless Chicken Thighs – For this dish, you’ll need boneless skin-on chicken thighs. Without the bone, we are able to roll these chicken thighs and easily slice into them once cooked. However, the skin is necessary in achieving a golden brown and crispy exterior!

Soy Sauce – This dark liquid condiment gives this chicken chashu most of its delicious flavor! You have the option to use low-sodium soy sauce in place of regular soy sauce in this recipe. If gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce, such as tamari, instead.

Mirin – Mirin is similar to rice vinegar, though has a bit more sweetness. The acidity from the mirin is vital to balancing out the flavors of this Asian-inspired dish. If you don’t have mirin, you can use rice vinegar or sherry vinegar instead.

Sake or Dry White Wine – To keep this dish more traditional, opt for sake. However, if you can’t get your hands on sake, dry white wine works as well! As far as cooking wines go, I recommend a sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, or anything with “crisp” in the description. Though if you’d like to make this recipe alcohol-free, you can substitute it with additional mirin or water.

Chef’s Tips

Use cooking twine to secure the rolled chicken thighs! Cooking twine is heat safe, unbleached, and doesn’t contain any dyes. This kitchen item is the only string that is 100% safe to cook with and use in this recipe.
Leave the chicken to cool in the braising liquid for at least 10 minutes before serving. The longer you leave it in there, the more flavor this dish will have! Give the chicken as much time as possible to soak up all of that incredible flavor.
Enjoy this chicken chasu either on its own or over a bowl of homemade ramen! Chashu is traditionally served with ramen and makes for a delicious addition to this warming soup. Simply remove the twine from around the chicken, then thinly slice before adding to your bowl.

chicken chashu sliced on a plate with chopped scallions

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Chicken Chashu

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian-inspired, chicken brine, restaurant-style

Servings: servings

Calories: 512kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Cooking twine
Large skillet
Large pot

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken thighs
2 cups water
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup mirin
½ cup sake or dry white wine
½ cup sugar
2-inch knob ginger optional
1 shallot peeled and sliced in half

Instructions

Roll the chicken thighs with the skin-side facing out into tight rolls, then tie with cooking twine.
Add chicken thighs to a large skillet over medium heat and lightly brown for about 2-3 minutes per side.
Add the water, soy sauce, mirin, sake or white wine, sugar, ginger, and shallot to a large pot over medium-high heat. Gently boil until the sugar has dissolved.
Add chicken thighs into the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. Allow chicken to cool slightly in the cooking liquid before serving.

Notes

Make it Paleo: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and coconut sugar in place of the regular sugar to make this recipe paleo.
Make it Sugar-Free: Use granular Swerve or your favorite sugar-free substitute in place of the sugar in this recipe.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving out of 4 using specific ingredients listed above. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

May 13, 2021 Appetizer

Vegan Shrimp with Vegan Sriracha Mayo

This vegan shrimp tastes just like the real thing! Oyster mushrooms are coated in Panko breadcrumbs and Old Bay seasoning, then quickly fried until golden brown and crispy. This vegan shrimp is a total crowd-pleaser and will even have non-vegans reaching for more!

Vegan shrimp being dipping in sriracha mayo.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

It’s seasoned exactly how regular shrimp is, therefore tasting almost identical to the real thing! Oyster mushroom provide the perfect texture and a crispy coating gives them that irresistible crunch.
Everyone loves this vegan shrimp, even avid seafood-eaters! Fool your friends, family, and even yourself with this vegan alternative to a much-loved classic.
The vegan sriracha mayo is the perfect pairing to this delicious “shrimp.” While they taste great on their own, the simple vegan sriracha mayo takes this recipe to the next level!

Key Ingredients

King Oyster Mushroom Stalks – Not only do these mushrooms provide that shrimp-like texture, but when sliced they look especially similar to little shrimps! We use just the king oyster mushroom stalks for this recipe, therefore you can either discard the caps, use them in a stir-fry, or any other recipe you’d like.

Flour – Flour is used to create a batter as the base layer to these crispy vegan shrimp. I recommend using all purpose flour for this recipe, but if you’d like you could use gluten-free flour instead.

Panko Breadcrumbs – This light and airy breadcrumb is ideal in helping us achieve that incredible crispy exterior on our vegan shrimp. Panko breadcrumbs have a buttery flavor without containing any butter, making them a vegan’s best friend!

Vegan Mayonnaise – There are quite a few vegan mayonnaises on the market these days, and any one will work in the vegan sriracha mayo recipe! If you’re not vegan, but would still like to try this recipe, feel free to use regular mayonnaise instead.

Chef’s Tips

Keep a close eye on the vegan shrimp as it fries. Since they’re so small, they will fry quite quickly – a couple minutes per side is all they’ll need!
Make sure none of the “shrimp” touch while frying, otherwise they risk getting stuck together. Just 1/4-inch apart is enough space for each piece to fry up evenly without disturbing one another.
Adjust the vegan sriracha mayo to your spice-level! Start with just 1/2 tablespoon of sriracha for a mild dipping sauce, give it a taste and then work up from there.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.

Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!

Vegan shrimp sprinkled with fresh parsley, served with lemon.

More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love

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Vegan Shrimp

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: entertaining, finger foods, fried food

Servings: servings

Calories: 234kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Small bowls (2)
Large pan

Ingredients

For the Vegan Shrimp

8 ounces king oyster mushroom stalks
½ cup almond milk see Notes
½ cup all purpose flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

For the Vegan Sriracha Mayo

¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
½ – 1 tablespoon Sriracha
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Slice oyster mushroom stalks into ½-inch discs, then slice each disk into shrimp shapes (similar to slicing it into a yin-yang symbol).
Mix together the almond or soy milk, flour, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the Panko breadcrumbs and Old Bay seasoning.
Dip each “shrimp” into the flour and milk mixture, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
Heat ½-inch of oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry each vegan shrimp for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Make the vegan sriracha mayo by adding all ingredients to a bowl and mixing until combined, then serve with vegan shrimp.

Notes

Almond Milk: Any non-dairy milk will work here, you could even use water instead of milk.
Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour and gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs instead of regular Panko breadcrumbs.
Baking Option: Preheat an oven to 400° Fahrenheit and bake vegan shrimp for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, instead of frying.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Total number of vegan shrimp per serving will vary based on size of mushroom stalks. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving of vegan shrimp including the vegan sriracha mayo. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

April 13, 2021 Asian

Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot

Japanese curry in the Instant Pot is a fast-but-delicious dinner option for busy evenings when you don’t really feel like cooking. With juicy chicken thighs and lots of veggies, you can serve it on its own or with a side of rice for a total meal.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

There’s not a lot of hands-on, active cooking with pressure cooker Japanese curry, which makes it a perfect dinner idea when you don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have a ton of time on your hands.
The overall flavor of this recipe is a little spicy but also a little sweet. Serve it with a side of rice (like our Instant Pot Sushi Rice) to balance out the flavors even more.
If you have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container. They’ll be good for 2 to 3 days. You could freeze them in an airtight container, too!

Key Ingredients

Japanese Curry Roux – Definitely don’t skip this ingredient! The roux thickens up the liquid so it’s not as soup-like. You can use store-bought curry roux (or curry sauce mix) in this recipe if you want, but I actually recommend making your own! My favorite homemade Japanese curry roux is this easy 5-ingredient recipe from Just One Cookbook.

Chicken Thighs – We’re making a Japanese chicken curry here, so we’re using chicken thighs! Chicken thighs are a little fattier than chicken breasts, which means they’re also juicier and more flavorful. They’re typically less expensive, too. If you’d rather use another protein (beef, pork, etc.) or even just chicken breasts instead of thighs, you totally can, but you may need to adjust your cook time.

Chef’s Tips

The curry will thicken as it stands, so don’t worry if it seems a little thin or liquidy at first.
If you’re used to making Indian curry, pay attention to the instruction card below. With Indian curry, the spices are added at the beginning. For Japanese curry, though, you’ll add the curry roux at the end!
Adding a little milk gives your mixture an extra creaminess, but it’s totally optional. If you’re dairy free or just don’t want to use it, don’t! You can skip it altogether or try a little coconut milk or coconut cream.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

An angled view of a bowl of Instant Pot Japanese curry

Other Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love

A bowl of Instant Pot Japanese curry with a spoon

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Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot

Japanese curry in the Instant Pot is a fast-but-delicious dinner option for busy evenings when you don't really feel like cooking. With juicy chicken thighs and lots of veggies, you can serve it on its own or with a side of rice for a total meal.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Keyword: easy dinner, one pot meal, pressure cooker

Servings:

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons neutral oil avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, etc.
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks
1 1-inch piece ginger grated
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 carrots sliced
1 onion sliced
2 Yukon gold potatoes cubed
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
⅓ cup Japanese curry roux see Notes
3 tablespoons milk optional, see Notes
salt and pepper to taste
vinegar optional, to taste
tamari or soy sauce optional, to taste

Instructions

Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Once hot, add oil then chicken thighs. Brown chicken thighs on each side, then remove from Instant Pot.
Add ginger and garlic to Instant Pot. Sauté until fragrant, then add tomato paste and mix until combined.
Add chicken thighs, carrots, onions, potatoes, water, chicken stock, and bay leaves to Instant Pot. Cover with lid and cook 10 minutes on Manual High Pressure.
When timer is up, Quick Release pressure. Remove bay leaves. Stir in curry roux and milk (optional) until liquid has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in vinegar and tamari or soy sauce to taste.
Divide into portions and serve hot.

Notes

The milk adds an extra creaminess to the mixture, but it’s totally optional, so feel free to skip it if you want or need to.
Highly recommend using the Japanese Curry Roux recipe from Just One Cookbook for this recipe! It’s super easy to make, with only 5 ingredients.
Make it Dairy Free: Skip the milk completely, or use a little coconut milk or coconut cream.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving out of 4, not including any optional ingredients or additional sides. Macros may vary slightly based on specific brands or types of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire recipe when finished. Divide the total weight (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

April 8, 2021 Asian

Beef Pad Thai

This quick and easy take on beef pad Thai gives you juicy beef sirloin, slippery pad Thai noodles, and an incredibly flavorful sauce tied together in a delicious, complete meal in less than 30 minutes.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

First things first, this easy beef pad Thai is based on westernized, Americanized pad Thai, so it’s not what you’d find if you were to eat authentic pad Thai in Thailand. For a truly authentic pad Thai recipe, I recommend checking out Hot Thai Kitchen or RecipeTin Eats.
My favorite thing about cooking at home, from scratch, is that you are in 100% control over what goes into your meal and how strong (or mild) your flavors are. This beef pad Thai is no different! Feel free to play with the ingredients and quantities to perfect your pad Thai.
It’s super easy to make, and comes together quick. All you need is 30 minutes to create a full meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Skip the drive-through and opt for this instead!

Key Ingredients

Pad Thai Noodles – These medium-ish flat noodles are an important component to pad Thai. If you’ve never had them before, don’t expect an Italian style pasta. Since these are rice flour noodles, they’re cooked differently than wheat flour noodles. They have a different texture once they’re cooked, too. On their own, their flavor is pretty neutral, but they absorb the sauce in the dish so every bite of noodles contains the perfect amount of pad Thai sauce.

Sirloin – Sirloin steak is a juicy, flavorful, lean cut of meat that’s perfect for recipes like this one where you’ll be pan-frying your meat. The cook time will vary a little depending on how thick you slice your sirloin, but only by a minute or two. When you’re slicing it, be sure to slice across the grain.

Chef’s Tips

No coconut sugar on hand? You can use 3 packed tablespoons of light brown sugar instead.
Obviously this recipe is for beef pad Thai, but you can use any protein you’d like if you’re not into beef. Chicken, shrimp, tofu, and pork would all be fantastic options!
Traditional pad Thai sauce uses tamarind pulp or paste to give it its tang, but we weren’t able to find any tamarind paste locally. Instead, we substituted lime juice and rice vinegar. It’s not quite the same flavor, admittedly, but it’s delicious.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

Overhead photo of beef pad thai on a plate

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5 from 1 vote

Beef Pad Thai

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian, Thai

Keyword: noodles, stir fry, takeout

Servings: servings

Calories: 545kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Small bowls (2)
Large skillet

Ingredients

For the Pad Thai Sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoons coconut sugar

For the Pad Thai

8 ounces pad thai noodles
2 tablespoons avocado oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 red chili sliced
1 1-inch piece ginger grated
4 scallions sliced, white & green parts divided
1 pound sirloin thinly sliced
1 egg
2 cups bean sprouts
salt & pepper to taste
peanuts without shells, for garnish

Instructions

In small bowl, mix together ingredients for sauce. Set aside.
Cook noodles according to instructions on package. Drain and set aside.
Heat avocado oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, red chili, ginger, and white parts of scallions to pan. Sauté one minute, or until fragrant.
Add sirloin to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
Once sirloin is cooked, push everything to edges of pan to create well in center. Break egg into well and scramble, then mix everything together.
Add noodles to pan, followed by pad Thai sauce. Cook until noodles absorb sauce, approximately 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Once noodles absorb majority of pad Thai sauce, stir in bean sprouts. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
Portion beef pad Thai onto plates. Garnish with peanuts and green parts of scallions. Serve hot.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect the information for 1 serving out of 4. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire finished recipe. Divide the total weight of the recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

April 6, 2021 Asian

Spicy Chicken Ramen

This spicy chicken ramen is the perfect, simple meal when you’re craving something cozy! It’s deliciously savory, subtly spicy, and incredibly comforting. With just a few simple ingredients and steps you’ll have a restaurant-quality bowl of ramen in under 20 minutes.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

This spicy chicken ramen is loaded with flavor in every bite! Fresh ginger, soy sauce, and mirin give this recipe a delicious Asian-inspired taste.
It has the perfect amount of spice. There is just enough sriracha in this recipe to give this ramen a kick without overpowering all of the other incredible flavors. Though you can totally customize this recipe to your liking and add as much or as little sriracha as you’d like!
It’s simple yet super satisfying. Spicy chicken ramen is my go-to comfort meal, there’s just something about this warming soup that will make you feel so cozy.

Key Ingredients

Fresh Ginger – Make sure your ginger is fresh for this recipe! Fresh ginger contributes to the subtle spice in this dish. Be sure to remove the skin from your ginger before grating and using in this recipe. It is also very important that you grate your ginger as apposed to chopping it. Grated ginger gives this ramen delicious ginger flavor while avoiding large chunks of ginger throughout the soup.

Mirin – Mirin is a type of rice wine that is slightly sweeter than rice vinegar. If you can’t find mirin, you can substitute it with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.

Sriracha – This is what makes our spicy chicken ramen spicy! Again, feel free to use as much or as little sriracha as you’d like in this recipe. I prefer making this recipe as instructed and then allowing others to add a drizzle of extra sriracha on top of their ramen, if they’d like.

Chef’s Tips

Be very careful not to overcook your ramen noodles. Ramen typically takes just 1 to 2 minutes to cook completely. I advise even undercooking your noodles slightly since they will continue to cook once served in the warm spicy chicken ramen broth.
If shredding chicken is a bit too laborious for you, you can dice it into one-inch cubes instead. Follow the steps in the recipe to boil the chicken in the broth, then remove it and let it cool slightly before chopping. Once all of your chicken is chopped, add it back into the ramen broth and continue with the recipe.
In the event that you have leftovers (you probably won’t, it’s that delicious), you will wanted to store the ramen noodles separately from the chicken broth. If the noodles are left to sit in the broth in the fridge, they will quickly become mushy and inedible. Therefore, store each part of this spicy chicken ramen separately and heat up individually before constructing a bowl of leftovers.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

More Delicious Soup Recipes

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Spicy Chicken Ramen

This spicy chicken ramen is the perfect, simple meal when you're craving something cozy! It's deliciously savory, subtly spicy, and incredibly comforting. With just a few simple ingredients and steps you'll have a restaurant-quality bowl of ramen in under 20 minutes.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: asian-inspired, soup, takeout

Servings:

Calories: 492kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

2 (two) large pots

Ingredients

1 inch fresh ginger grated, see Notes
3 garlic cloves grated, see Notes
8 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
9 ounces ramen noodles see Notes for gluten-free option
2 boiled eggs
½ cup scallions sliced
3 nori sheets torn in half
½ cup sliced bamboo shoots

Instructions

Add the ginger, garlic, chicken broth, soy sauce, mirin, and sriracha to a large pot over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, add in the chicken breast, reduce to a simmer, and cook covered for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil and cook ramen noodles for 1-2 minutes or until al dente. Strain noodles and divide equally between four bowls.
Remove chicken from pot and shred with two forks, then return to pot and remove from heat.
Top noodles with chicken and broth along with boiled eggs, sliced bamboo shoots, nori, and scallions.

Notes

Ginger & Garlic: To grate the ginger and garlic, remove the skins and then run them along a microplane or fine grater.
Make it Gluten-Free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and rice noodles instead of ramen noodles.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for 1 serving. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

March 25, 2021 Appetizer

Chicken Gyoza

Based on traditional Japanese gyoza, these chicken gyoza are stuffed with a deliciously flavorful filling then lightly pan-fried in avocado oil for a delicate crisp. Serve with gyoza sauce for an easy snack, appetizer, or meal!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

They’re perfect for snacks, appetizers, party foods, or you can even make a double batch and enjoy them as a meal on their own! Fill them with anything you like, too – finely diced mushrooms and cabbage would be great options.
They’re great for freezer meals! Prep a big batch of chicken gyoza, then instead of cooking them immediately, place them in the freezer on a sheet pan until they’re frozen. Then you can transfer them to a sealable freezer bag or other airtight container for storage. They’ll keep in the freezer up to 1 month. No need to thaw them when you’re ready to cook – though you may need to cook them a little longer.

Key Ingredients

Gyoza Wrappers – Gyoza wrappers are similar to dumpling wrappers, but much thinner. If you aren’t able to find gyoza wrappers specifically, we have had luck making this recipe with wonton wrappers instead. Just cut them into circles first (since they come in squares) so you still get that classic half-moon shape.

Ground Chicken – Gyoza typically has a pork filling, so you can absolutely swap the ground chicken in this recipe out for ground pork if you prefer. We used chicken in this variation just to achieve a different flavor. You could also use ground lamb, ground beef, or ground shrimp for your filling instead.

Chef’s Tips

The gyoza wrappers get sticky when they’re wet, so always handle them with dry hands!
While we pan-fry both sides of our gyoza for a crispier result, traditional gyoza are only pan-fried on one side! For the other side, you’d add water to the pan, cover with a lid, and let the steam cook the top half until the water evaporates.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

Chicken gyoza on a white plate with gyoza sauce

Other Asian-Inspired Recipes

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Chicken Gyoza

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: dipping sauce, dumplings, pan fried

Servings: servings (approximately 30 gyoza total, 5 per serving)

Calories: 292kcal

Equipment

Small bowl
Large bowl
Spoon or silicone spatula
Tablespoon or cookie scoop with release handle
Large skillet

Ingredients

For the Gyoza Sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger grated
1 clove garlic minced
1 scallion chopped
½ teaspoon sesame oil

For the Filling

1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1-inch knob ginger grated
1 tablespoon finely diced scallions
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Miscellaneous

1 12-ounce package gyoza wrappers about 30 wrappers
⅓ cup water
avocado oil for frying

Instructions

For the Gyoza Sauce

In small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Set aside until needed.

For the Filling

Add all ingredients to large bowl.
Mix until thoroughly combined.

For the Gyoza

Set out individual gyoza wrappers on work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into center of each wrapper.
Lightly brush edge of gyoza wrappers with water. Fold top edge of wrapper over filling to meet bottom edge of wrapper, creating a half-moon shape. Pinch edges tightly to seal.
In large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add gyoza to skillet in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook until golden brown, then flip gyoza and repeat for other side.
Remove from pan and serve with gyoza sauce.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 30 gyoza, for 6 servings total. Nutritional values shown reflect information for 1 serving of 5 gyoza, with sauce. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

March 2, 2021 Asian

Beef with Garlic Sauce

Our beef with garlic sauce is the easy, hearty dish you’ve been looking for! This simple stir fry gives you tender, juicy beef and crisp broccoli in a flavorful garlic sauce. Serve it on a bed of rice or noodles for a delicious Asian-inspired meal.

What Makes Beef This Recipe So Good

It’s ready to eat in no time at all. Less than 20 minutes on the stovetop is all you need to come up with a delicious, filling, healthy dinner you’ll enjoy eating!
There’s really very little work involved. You can make your prep even easier by using pre-minced garlic and pre-chopped broccoli, too.
It’s naturally low carb! Pair it with a side of this cauliflower fried rice for an incredible Chinese takeout copycat that won’t mess up your macros. Keto: If you’re keto, know that this recipe contains cornstarch, which is not keto-friendly due to its high glycemic index. Since it’s a small amount, you may decide it’s fine for you, or you may be more comfortable substituting. We haven’t tried them, but you may be able to use very small amounts (less than 1 tablespoon) of almond flour, xanthan gum, psyllium husk, or glucomannan powder with success.

Key Ingredients

Beef – The key to the best beef with garlic sauce is to use the best beef. Flank steak and sirloin will be way more tender than cheaper cuts of beef.

Cornstarch – You might be tempted to skip this step, but don’t! It really makes a difference. Velveting coats the beef in a protective layer of cornstarch so it doesn’t overcook, and no one wants overcooked, tough, dry beef with garlic sauce.

Chef’s Tips

If you’re serving your beef with garlic sauce on a bed of rice, cook your rice before starting the beef recipe. The beef and broccoli will cook faster than the rice, so if you start them at the same time, you’ll be waiting a while to eat!
When you slice your beef into strips, make sure you cut against the grain of the meat. This way, you break up the muscle fibers and end up with tender meat. Cutting with the grain leaves you with chewy, tough meat.
Garlic burns quickly, so keep a close eye on it and never stop stirring. You only want it golden and fragrant before you move on to the next step.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

Beef with garlic sauce in a bowl with chopsticks

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Beef with Garlic Sauce

Our beef with garlic sauce is the easy, hearty dish you've been looking for! This simple stir fry gives you tender, juicy beef and crisp broccoli in a flavorful garlic sauce. Serve it on a bed of rice or noodles for a delicious Asian-inspired meal.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: chinese food, stir fry, take out

Servings: servings

Calories: 219kcal

Equipment

Large bowl
Large skillet or wok

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak or sirloin cut into small, short strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch plus more as needed
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon garlic minced
½ tablespoon ginger grated
2 cups broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup rice cooked, optional, for serving
white sesame seeds optional, for garnish
green onions optional, for garnish

Instructions

Place beef in large bowl and add cornstarch. Toss until beef is lightly coated, then set aside.
In large skillet over medium-high heat, warm sesame oil until it begins to shimmer, then add garlic. Stirring frequently, cook garlic until golden and fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
Add ginger to skillet. Cook approximately 1 minute.
Stir in beef. Cook approximately 4 minutes, then add broccoli, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir to coat. Cook until meat is browned and broccoli is bright green.
Remove from heat. Serve alone or over rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions (optional).

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect the information for 1 serving out of 4. Nutritional information shown does not include rice, sesame seeds, or green onions. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire finished recipe. Divide the total weight of the recipe (not including the weight of the bowl, pot, or plate the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

February 18, 2021 Asian

Chinese Vegetable Soup

Chinese vegetable soup is an incredible, light-yet-filling meal that’s full of flavor and nutrients. It’s naturally vegan and easy to make gluten-free. Ready to eat in less than 20 minutes!

What Makes This Soup So Good

It’s full of hearty veggies, so it’s super filling, on top of being super tasty. It’s a light, brothy soup that doesn’t leave you feeling like you ate nothing.
If you’re cutting out meat for a meal (or a month or a lifetime), this is a great option. Our Chinese vegetable soup is completely vegan, plus it’s a good source of protein for a meal, coming in at roughly 11 grams per serving.
It comes together in no time at all. Perfect for any time you just need something quick and easy.

Key Ingredients

Bok Choy – This traditional Chinese leafy vegetable has a flavor sort of similar to cabbage, but also a little like celery and cucumber. If you’re not able to get bok choy, you can substitute Napa cabbage!

Vegetable Broth – Go for low sodium broth, since we’ll be adding our own salt to this soup! If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, you can use chicken broth or even beef broth if you want to.

Chef’s Tips

For extra flavor, try adding a little rice vinegar. Just a splash!
For the freshest bok choy, look for green heads with firm stems that fit close together. The leaves will separate from the others when they begin to wilt.
Don’t overcook the bok choy. It only needs a few minutes, and you want it softened, not mushy!
If you want your Chinese vegetable soup to have even more substance, you can prepare a package of rice noodles while your broth is on the stove, then divide the noodles between two bowls and ladle the soup onto them.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

Overhead photo of a bowl of Chinese vegetable soup

More Tasty Soup Recipes

Close up angle photo of a bowl of Chinese vegetable soup

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5 from 1 vote

Chinese Vegetable Soup

Chinese vegetable soup is an incredible, light-yet-filling meal that's full of flavor and nutrients. It's naturally vegan and easy to make gluten-free. Ready to eat in less than 20 minutes!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Asian, Vegan

Keyword: easy to make, healthy recipe, meatless

Servings: servings

Calories: 141kcal

Equipment

Medium saucepan

Ingredients

2 cups water
4 cups vegetable broth
1 head bok choy sliced
8 ounces mushrooms sliced
1 cup carrots shredded
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons salt plus more as needed
pepper to taste
cilantro optional, for garnish
scallions optional, for garnish

Instructions

In large pot, bring water and broth to boil.
Reduce heat to low. Add bok choy, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook approximately 2 minutes.
Add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Cook an additional 2-5 minutes, until bok choy softens.
Stir in salt and pepper, to taste. Portion into bowls and garnish with cilantro and scallions. Serve warm.

Notes

Make it Gluten-Free: Double check that your broth doesn’t include any gluten-containing ingredients, like hydrolized wheat protein, and make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce (or tamari).

Recipe yields approximately 2 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for 1 serving. Macros may vary slightly depending on the specific brands of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire finished recipe . Divide the total weight of the recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 2. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

August 25, 2020 Appetizer

Keto Egg Drop Soup

This warm, light keto egg drop soup is the perfect Asian-inspired comfort food! With flavorful broth, green onions, and eggs, it’s the perfect side for all your favorite Chinese dishes.

What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

Chicken broth
Eggs
Soy sauce or liquid aminos
Green onions
Ground ginger
Salt
Pepper

How To Make It

Add the broth, green onion roots, and seasonings to a bot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to let the soup simmer.

Whisk together the eggs and egg yolk in a bowl.

Use a wooden spoon to stir the chicken broth in one direction in a circle. Slowly pour the eggs into the soup while you’re still stirring.

Pour the soup into 2 bowls and serve with green onions on top.

Chef’s Tips

If you’d like thicker soup, add xanthan gum! Set aside 1/4 of the chicken broth and mix in 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum. Add it to the soup after you’ve added the eggs.
The bottoms of the green onions go into the soup to give it flavor, while the tops are just leafy green goodness to garnish with. Make sure to add the bottoms before heating the soup to allow them to get soft and flavor the broth.
For vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

More Asian-Inspired Recipes

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5 from 2 votes

Keto Egg Drop Soup

Prep Time2 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time12 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: appetizer, chinese food, under 30 minutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 124kcal

Author: Jenny Hurley

Cost: $3

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 egg yolk beaten
2 eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup green onions root of onions, sliced
1/4 cup green onions top of onions, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Add chicken broth, green onion roots, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and ginger to a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
Whisk together the eggs and egg yolk in a bowl.
Use a wooden spoon to stir the soup in one direction in a circle. Slowly pour egg mixture into soup. Divide between 2 bowl and garnish with green onion tops.

Notes

Thicker soup: Set aside 1/4 of the chicken broth and mix in 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum. Add it to the soup after you’ve added the eggs.
Notes on green onions: The bottoms of the green onions go into the soup to give it flavor, while the tops are just leafy green goodness to garnish with. Make sure to add the bottoms before heating the soup to allow them to get soft and flavor the broth.
Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

Nutrition