Mason’s Dragon Noodles

Tonight my kiddo said he wanted spicy, saucy noodles so Mason’s Dragon Noodles became a thing and I will absolutely be duplicating this in the future.

A super easy recipe. Bold flavors make it difficult to mess this up. It’s also easily adjustable to suit your tastes. My family likes food spicy (hello “dragon” noodles), so feel free to tinker with the spice level.

I was gifted a wok for Christmas. Mommy’s first wok. Seasoning it was an adventure but it was successful! So, this was my first time breaking it in.

If you don’t have a wok, use a cast iron skillet because they hold heat really well and they get super hot. If you don’t have either of those, use a pan large enough to hold what you’re working with. High heat is important, so be mindful of that.

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken breast, or a few boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• ¼-1/2 bell pepper, sliced
• 2-3 scallions, whites and greens (reserve some greens)
• Handful of chopped cilantro, (reserve some)
• ½ red onion, sliced
• ½-1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 habanero pepper, chopped
• 1 lb angel hair or spaghetti (you can use your preferred Asian noodles but we usually have these in the house and they work just fine)
• Canola or vegetable oil
• 1/3-1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 2 tbsp Huy Fong sriracha (the REAL kind with the green cap and rooster)
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• ~1/4 c light brown sugar
• 1/3-1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce

 

1. Boil and drain your noodles.
2. Prep your veg
3. In a bowl, mix up the garlic, ginger, habanero, sugar, and liquid ingredients and whisk together.
4. With your wok or pan on high heat, add some oil and cook your chicken breast. Remove and set to the side.
5. Working quickly, cook your veggies. You want them to keep some texture so don’t cook them to death. Remove and set to the side.
6. Still on high heat, add the liquid to the pan. Bring to a boil and add your chicken and simmer for a bit then add your veggies. Shortly after, add your drained noodles.
7. Using tongs, toss your noodles, cilantro and other ingredients. You want to incorporate them all together as well as you can. This can be annoying but toss in different directions to incorporate. Turn off your heat, your noodles will sop up any extra liquid.
8. Top with reserved cilantro and scallion.

This can be served hot, warm or cold.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

© 2018 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

Chicken and Pork Dumplings

No frills. This is a very easy recipe. Once you get the technique down, you can start playing with different flavors and different fillings.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Wonton wraps

Roughly chopped scallions

¼ c shredded carrots

4-5 oz ground pork

4-5 oz ground chicken thigh

Small splash of sesame oil

1 tsp of oyster sauce

½ tsp of fish sauce

2 tbsp of low sodium soy sauce

 

1. As you are working, keep your wontons covered with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
2. In a large bowl, combine your ingredients using a spatula
3. In a sauce pan, cook a small amount of meat to taste your seasoning. Adjust as you see fit.
4. Using a spoon, scoop a small amount of meat on to your wonton wrapper. Don’t over fill.
5. Dip your finger in water and rub it along the edge
6. Fold the opposite side of the wontons and seal them
   1. You can totally do a more fancy seal. This is the easiest one in my book.
7. I steamed these dumplings using a steamer basket
   1. Bring a little bit of water to a boil then reduce to a simmer
   2. Spray basket with cooking spray
   3. Place several dumplings at a time
   4. Steam for 5-6 minutes
8. I seasoned mine impeccably and they didn’t need a sauce, however, if you want a sauce I whipped one up here

 

© 2017 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

Crispy Ginger Lime Sticky Wings

Tonight is Saturday night and mama really did not feel like cooking. I was pleased to hear a simple request of “asiany wings with the ginger and stuff”. This is a simple recipe with simple methods that can be applied to any flavor wings you’re going for.

 

This sauce is packed full of flavor and super easy to make. It’s easily adjustable; if it’s too sweet, use less sugar. If it’s not spicy enough, add more sambal (or peppers). More or less ginger? Easy fix.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

For the chicken:

Chicken wings

Water

 

For the sauce:

¼ cup soy Sauce

2 tbsp of oyster sauce

2 tsp sambal oelek

3 cloves of garlic, grated

Thumb of ginger (about 1.5”) grated

3-4 tbsp of light brown sugar

juice and zest of one lime, a pinch of zest reserved

 

For the chicken:

 

1. Using kitchen shears, cut your wings into flats and drums
2. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
3. You’re going to boil water like you’re making pasta aka heavily salted and a rolling boil.
4. Boil the chicken for 8-10 minutes.
5. Drain thoroughly.
6. Pat dry with paper towel.
7. Place the chicken pieces directly onto a cookie sheet (no added oil, no foil).
8. Bake for about 30 minutes.
9. While your chicken is in the oven, start your sauce.
   • Grate the garlic and the ginger
   • In a sauce pan, over medium heat, add all of the ingredients and stir.
   • Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
   • Keep an eye, the sauce will bubble and start to reduce.
   • Taste and adjust as you see fit.
   • When it’s perfect, remove from the heat.
10. The wings will begin to turn golden brown.
11. Flip the wings and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
12. Toss the wings in the sauce.
13. Sprinkle reserved lime zest over sauced chicken.

One word. BOOM!

 

 

 

© 2017 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

Chili Lime Peanut Noodle Salad

I love a flavor-packed dish with these flavors. You really can’t go wrong with garlic, ginger, cilantro, soy, sesame, etc. Tossing these ingredients together with brown rice noodles and veggie noodles (carrot and zuchinni), you’ve got a super light salad that can be eaten hot or cold.

It’s delicious as part of an entree, a side or a light lunch!

 

Chili Lime Peanut Noodle Salad

 

Noodle Salad

1 package of brown rice noodles, cook as directed

1 large zuchinni julienned, (invest in a mandolin slicer w/ attachments or vegetable spiralizer)

2 carrots, julienned

 

Sauce

3 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, grated

1-2 inch ginger, grated

2 tbsp water

juice and zest of 1 large lime

3-4 tbsp of peanut butter, creamy or chunky

2 tsp of sambal

1 tsp of fish sauce

½ tsp of oyster sauce

1 tbsp of rice vinegar

½ tsp of sesame oil

2 tbsp of light brown sugar

 

¼ cup chopped cilantro, to finish

 

 

• Cook rice noodles following package directions.
• In a large bowl combine the sauce ingredients and whisk vigorously until well combined. Taste and add ingredients as needed (I wound up adding a bit more ginger and crushed red pepper).
• Using a mandolin slicer (or vegetable spiralizer), shred your zucchini and your carrots.
• Drain noodles and reserve ¼ cup of cooking liquid.
• Put noodles back into pot, add shredded vegetables and sauce
• Using tongs, toss to combine
• This can be served hot, warm or cold.

 

Leftover sauce can be loosened with more lime juice or water and used as a salad dressing! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.

 

© 2016 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

Quick Pork and Cabbage Gyoza

I am madly in love with any type of dumpling. Gyoza, potstickers, shumai. You name it, I’ll eat it. Little pockets of love, if you ask me.

 

I usually make my dough from scratch….until I bought my first pack of wrappers and well, work smarter and not harder.

 

For this recipe you will want to use your seasoned cast iron skillet for the traditional steam-fry-steam technique that yields a simultaneously crispy yet soft exterior.

 

I cooked this tonight on the fly so the measurements are not exact but you can freeze any leftover wrappers or leftover filling and use it another night. I do this all of the time.

Also, the lovely thing about making dumplings is that you really don’t have to stay true to any one recipe. Use what you have on hand!

 

Gyoza

Pack of gyoza (or wonton) skins

¼ to ½ lb of ground pork (you can substitute finely chopped shrimp, ground chicken, etc)

1-2 cup of finely shredded cabbage

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 in knob of ginger, grated

1 tbsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of low sodium soy sauce

Splash of fish sauce

 

Dipping Sauce

½ c low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp light brown sugar

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp of water

chopped scallion, crushed red pepper (optional)

 

• Combine these ingredients
• Scoop a scant tsp onto the skin
• Dampen your finger with water and moisten the lip of the wrapper
• Fold up the dumpling and seal. (Visit Lizzie Tilchin and check out different ways to seal these babies!)
• Heat your cast iron skillet and using a napkin wipe it down with your preferred cooking oil and a bit of sesame oil.
• Place your dumplings onto the hot skillet for about 10-15 seconds until the bottoms begin to crisp up
• Then pour about 2/3 cup of water into the skillet and cover tightly
• Let this cook for about 4-5 minutes.

© 2016 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved