You get the Chinese classic “Almond Boneless Chicken” recipe and “Almond Broccoli” recipe in this two for one installment. Why you say? Because Kieli is a vegetarian (and has been for a year now) and we had to find a decent alternative for what used to be one of her favorite dishes “Almond Boneless Chicken” (ABC!). So as a vegetarian alternative we just substituted deep fried broccoli for the deep fried chicken (just for her) and the rest of the dish was the same. I’m going to give you both recipes so you too can have an Almond Boneless Chicken as great as your local Chinese restaurant, but also have a vegetarian version to try.

Ingredients for Almond Boneless Chicken and Almond Broccoli

• About 1 and 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
• 1 box “Fry Krisp” batter mix
• About 1 “head” of fresh broccoli
• 1 container Vegetable shortening
• 4-6 cups instant rice
• 4 tbsp margarine
• 8 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1 small package (4-6+ ounces) slivered almonds
• 1/2 head lettuce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp flour
• 4-6 cups milk (your choice, we use skim)
• 3 eggs
• 2 packets “fried rice” mix
• This recipe also requires that you have a “fryer” of at least personal or larger size. The one we use is just big enough to accomodate an entire container of shortenting to bring it to the “full” line

Almond Boneless Chicken to me is one of the timeless classic dishes, and probably my favorite Chinese dish of all time. It’s more or less “American Chinese”, and you always know if you take someone to the Chinese restaurant for the first time it’s always a safe bet. I rememer when I was a kid, this was the only dish that my sisters, brother, and myself ever ordered – because it was all we knew. Now I love all kinds of Chinese and Thai dishes, but “ABC” will always remain the one I favor the most. The irony of it is, I usually only make it 3-4 times per year (or less) because if all the preparation required to make it.

I hadn’t made it in a very long time, and last week the oldest boy asked for it – and at first I said a resounding “no”. But reluctantly I gathered up all the ingredients during several trips to the store to get it done. Today being Sunday, was a great day to take the time to create one of our favorite meals. This recipe will easily feed 4-6 adults, and as I stated early on I created one vegetarian place, and the rest with meat (chicken). I highly recommend reading this entire recipe several times before starting, since I usually do quite a few things at once in order to have everything done at all the right times. Entire recipe time from prep to plate is about 90 minutes.

I start out by having a half dozen empty bowls (salad size) for prep on the counter, with the cutting board and my chef’s knife. First I cut the chicken in 1/4-1/2″ strips, and then slice the opposite way into 1″ pieces. If you have good chicken you won’t have to trim much fat. Place in a bowl and immediately into the fridge for later. Next, now that I’m done with the chicken I was the knife, cutting board, and counter space with anti-bacterial soap. Then I get out my green onion and broccoli and set on the counter. In a large 4 qt pot place 4-6 cups water. I used 6 cups today to make enough rice for 4 adults, and then 2 additional plates to put in the fridge for later. Basically – when you make the rice it’s about 1 cup per person you are serving. So, we’re using 6 cups hot water in the pot, and then add 4tbsp margarine and a dash of salt and place on high. I also add about 5 tbsp soy sauce and a couple tbsp of Italian seasonings if you have some handy.

While you leave that on high to boil, go back to your cutting board and dice and slice your green onions and place in one bowl, and cut the florets off the broccoli head leading about 1/2″ of the stem on each if you can. Place in a bowl, and you should have anywhere from 12-20 pieces ranging in size from small to large. Last, dice up your 1/2 head of lettuce (freshly washed) and place in a medium bowl in the fridge (with a lid so it doesn’t even have a chance to brown). You can clear the cutting board and knife off the counter now and replace with your fryer. Prior to dinner prep I usually make sure that the fryer is empty and clean and ready to accomodate an entire fresh container of vegetable shortening. Turn the fryer on, and empty the shortening container into the fryer (save only 2-3 tbsp in the bottom of the container) so it will met and get hot (set your fryer temp to 350 degrees). If you have a vegetarian in the house (like we do) it’s important that you get pure “vegetable” shortening, as most (cheap) shortenings have some type of meat or animal fat in them.

At about this point your water will be boiling and turn off the burner, add the instant rice to the pan, quickly stir and cover (and move the pan to a cold burner). Next take about 1 cup of the fry krisp batter mix and place in a medium sized bowl, and slowly add 2/3 cup water. Your batter should be pretty thick at this point, and you want to add the rest of the water a tsp at a time. The batter should be about the consistency of gravy, that that it would slowly run off a spoon, not drip off of it. The box says to use 1 part water for 1 part mix, but I find that to be just a bit thin for the chicken and the broccoli. After you mix this up, let it set while you get a 1 and 1/2 to 2 quart saucepan to make the gravy.

Making the gravy for the Almond Boneless Chicken is pretty easy, it’s just a simple bechemel sauce with soy sauce added. I’ve been making “white sauce” for years and always started with butter and flour. I’ve switched in the last year or so because I’ve found that shortening and flour makes a much better base (it doesn’t burn off like butter), and all of the old cookbooks I have that are either from the 50′s-70′s (or are “southern”) use shortening to make the “roux”. So, you have 2-3 tbsp shorting and melt it on med-high heat in your saucepan. Slow add 2-3 tbsp of flour to the pan and use a wire whisk to mix it up. Don’t try to use a spoon, you must have a whisk. You keep adding flour until it goes from sauce into a paste kind of like a thick ketchup, but not as thick as say – peanut butter. Keep stirring constantly with the whisk and cook (brown) this mixture about 2-3 more minutes while you add salt and pepper to taste.

Next, quickly add 1 cup of milk and whisk it together with the mixture – and as quick as you can add the 2nd, third, and 4th cups of milk while whisking. You can let this set on the burner for maybe 30 seconds, but for the most part you have to stir the mixture constantly for about 5-8 minutes until it starts to boil. While I’m stirring with the whisk I add about 3 tbsp of soy sauce. Once it boils and starts to get thick just cook an additional 2 minutes, and remove from the heat to a cold burner.

Now I get my 3 eggs and two packets of fried rice mix and place them on the stove, bringing the rice stockpot forward to the front burner again. Leaving that set there, I go and check the fryer to see if it’s up to temperature. If it is, I take the broccoli florets, and holding the stem drag them through the fry krisp batter and gently toss into the fryer (without splashing oil on and burning myself). I don’t use a fryer basket, everything just sticks to it. I put everything in by hand, and then then remove with the fryer ladle when it’s done. When you’re cooking a “batch” of something in the fryer you have to make sure you get all the pieces in there within 60 seconds. In other words, when I dredge and drop the broccoli I get all the pieces in the fryer within a minute. That’s so they all get done at the same time and you don’t have any over or undercooked.

At this point I get out a paper plate and put two paper towels on it for when the broccoli are done. It doesn’t take as long to cook broccoli as it does the chicken chunks, I’d say about 3-4 minutes. You can usually tell because all the pieces will be floating at the top of the oil and be a golden brown color. At this point remove them from the grease with your ladle and place on the paper plate on the paper towel to blot the grease. Leave on the counter. Next I get a paper place and place about 20 pieces of chicken on it. One by one I dredge them through the fry krisp batter and drop in the fryer (again in less than 60 seconds). These chicken chunks will take 5-8 minutes in the fryer depending on how big you made them. Have another plate ready with paper towel on it, and about halfway through you’re going to want to use your fryer ladle to break apart any chicken pieces that have stuck together from when you dropped them in the hot oil.

As soon as I get the chicken into the oil I move to the stove because I’m going to turn that white rice into “fried rice”. If you prefer white rice, just omit this part. Turn the burner for your stockpot on med-high and crack the 3 eggs on top of the rice, and add the two packets of fried rice seasoning on top. I usually use a hamburger-type spatula to “chop” the seasonings and eggs into the rice. Be careful not to let too much egg stay in one place and cook, chop it all really good, and occasionally use the turner to “flip” the rice from the bottom of the pan up to ensure that nothing sticks or burns. It only takes about 3-5 minutes to mix everything well and fry your rice. Remove from the burner, and cover to retain the heat. Stir your gravy with your whisk while you’re there to make sure it doesn’t get a “skin” on top. Your chicken should be done in the fryer, so remove it with your ladle and place on the plate with the paper towel to blot the grease.

Next I make another “batch” of chicken dredged in fry krisp and drop in the hot oil, and then start making my plates. I make the broccoli plate first of course, and you just put fried rice on the bottom of the plate, then the “deep fried broccoli”, add a ladle of gravy all over the top, and place a good sized handful of shredded lettuce on top. Last add a few tbsp of almond slivers with some diced green onions on top – and it’s ready to serve! Every time a “batch” of chicken is done frying, I make a new plate with the oldest (and coolest) chicken until all the chicken is made and all the plates are made.

It’s kind of hard to make this kind of dinner at home and get everyone’s plate done at the time time, with the limited amount you can cook with a home fryer. So I just serve everyone one by one as it gets ready. Of course, I cooked the vegetarian “Almond Broccoli” plate first so it wouldn’t have any contact with (or be cooked in the same oil as) the chicken. I hope you like this Almond Boneless Chicken (and it’s vegetarian alternative) as much as we do – I think I’ve been cooking this for over a decade now, although the broccoli version is new. I didn’t do it this time, but I’m thinking that next time I may just make my place with both chicken and broccoli!

Need “Chinese Food” fast? My Chinese recipe can be made in 15 minutes or less and if you’re tired of Hamburger Helper, Macaroni and Cheese, or Hot Dogs, – this is the quickest you can make some good Chinese food!

I’ve given you a lot of great recipes from scratch, and I have no problem taking 2-3 hours to make homemade bread or 90 minutes for a fresh pan of lasagna. But sometimes you are in a hurry. With 5 of us in our house (2 adults, 2 teens, and one baby) there are people coming and going all the time. School, doctor’s appointements, grocery shopping, paying bills – there’s only so much time in the day. And we out out waaaaay to much as it is. So, if I’m in a hurry I need to save time – but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want good food.

Today Kieli wanted Chinese food. I didn’t want to buy Chinese food, but I didn’t want to take forever to make it myself either. This recipe is for fast and “easy Chinese food” that tastes really good! You can take “box food” and make it into something awesome in just a few steps.

Ingredients for “Fast Chinese Food”:

• 2 boxes Rice-a-Roni or Generic “Fried Rice”
• 1 – 8 to 10 oz bag frozen Chinese vegetables
• 1 – 8 to 10 oz bag frozen broccoli
• About 1/3 bottle Teriyaki Marinade or Stir Fry Sauce
• 4 Frozen Breaded Chicken Patties
• 6 tbsp margarine
• 4 cups hot water

You need a 2 quart pot and a large skillet. Put 6 tbsp of butter in the pot on high. From the boxed Rice-a-roni add the rice (only) once the butter starts to melt. Stir and mix well. Quickly drizzle the skillet with oil and place the 4 frozen chicken patties on med-high. While those cook, stir the rice and melted butter mixture constantly for about another 90 seconds. Then add 2 cups of hot water, mix well, and then add the 2 packets from the boxed rice and mix well. Add the remaining 2 cups hot water stir, and then place on med-high heat covered. You can turn the timer on for 10 minutes. Stir about every 3 minutes.

It should be about time to flip the chicken patties. Cook for about 2 minutes after turning, remove them from the pan to a cutting board, and put the teriyaki or stir fry sauce in the pan. Then empty the frozen veggies, and tightly cover the pan and turn the burner on just slightly under high heat. On the cutting board cut the chicken patties first in strips, and then the opposite way to get about 1/2″ squares. Then take the lid off the veggies pan, add the chicken squares, mix well, and re-cover. Also stir about every 2-3 minutes.

When the timer goes off on the rice, stir and then take a teaspoon out, cool, taste, and make sure the rice is tender and done. If it’s not or if there is significant liquid in the pan remaining it made need a few minutes more. Usually at this point it’s done. Turn off the burner, uncover and let stand for a minute or two. Check your veggies and make sure they are done. Turn off the pan and uncover. The last step is to spoon rice onto about 4 plates, and cover with the chicken and veggies mixture – and serve!

The nice thing about this recipe is that it’s versatile. Make it without the meat for a perfect “vegetarian chinese recipe”. You can also make it with regular breast of chicken instead of breaded chicken patties, but the point of making it this way is not only so it’s “quick chinese”, but also because the breading of the chicken soaks up the stir fry sauce, much like General Tso’s chicken – I believe it tastes better. That doesn’t mean, however, if I had leftover pork chops in the fridge that I couldn’t have just as quickly made the same chinese meal with pork! I hope you like this recipe as much as we do, it took longer to type this out for you than it did to make it!

I’m going to show you how to make both “Chicken Fried Rice” and “Vegetarian Fried Rice” in less than 20 minutes all in the same recipe!

Somedays I make huge intricate meals that take 90 minutes or more to create, and other deals I need something quick (and tasty) because I’m in a hurry. I’ve learned over the years to keep certain things on hand for certain days like this. Our house is nothing special, some days we can have a mexican fiesta, others thai food, and sometimes chicken nuggets in a box with frozen fries and a canned vegetable are perfect! This recipe is inspired, at least in part, by the “Semi-Homemade” show on the Food Network. Why? Because this recipe is definitely “semi-homemade” as well!

When I was a kid, one of the things we always loved was “Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice”. It’s funny becase as a kid we didn’t have Chinese food a lot, but when we did have it we went out to the restaurant. I don’t remember ever getting, or seeing a plate or meal that ever contained “fried rice“. I guess no one in my immediate family ever ate it. I never knew (until I left high school) what “fried rice” was – I just thought that it was the rice a roni stuff from the box. I now love fried rice from Thai, Japenese, and Chinese restaurants and I’ve had it many, many ways with chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, and just plain with vegetables. So – today I was in the mood for some fried rice, but I just happenned to have a couple of boxes of “Rice-A-Roni” fried rice (the San Francisco treat!) on hand. I figured out how to have one of my childhood favorites AND make it more like the fried rice I’ve come to love in the restaurant – all in 20 minutes! This recipe serves at least 4 people very healthy plates of fried rice!

Ingredients you’ll need to make my homemade fried rice:

• 2 Boxes of “Rice-A-Roni” Fried Rice
• 6 tbsp margarine
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/2 Vidalia onion
• 1/2 bag frozen peas (5-6oz, seemed to be a big less than 2 cups)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5-6 frozen skinless boneless ‘chicken tenders’ or 2 chicken breasts

You can easily make this meal in about 20 minutes if you follow right sequence of events. When I make a meal I’m usually doing multiple things at once. First put 4 tbsp margarine in a 2 quart pot on the stove on high. Once the butter starts to melt, turn down to med-high and dump in the rice only from the rice a roni boxes (set the sauce packets aside). Stir the rice and butter mixture for about 2-3 minutes, then add 4 cups hot water to the pan, and then the contents of the sauce packets. Mix everything well in the pan, and then turn burner back up to high until it boils.

I keep a 4 lb bag of boneless skiness chicken “tenders” (about 4 lbs) on hand in the freezer at all times. The “tenders” are about half the size of a regular chicken breast. I put them on “defrost” in a medium bowl in the microwave for about 4 1/2 minutes while I’m waiting for the rice mixture to boil. Next I get out my cutting board and the onion. By now, the rice is boiling – so turn it down to medium and cover tightly. Set the timer on your stove for about 15 minutes, and you don’t need to stir this as often, but be sure to visit it about every 4-5 minutes, and every few minutes towards the end.

Now, put a skillet on the stove and add a few capfuls of canola or olive oil. Get your chicken from the microwave bowl and place directly in the skillet on high. Salt and pepper to taste. Next, take the 1/2 bag of frozen peas and place in a medium bowl with 1″ of water in the bottom in the microwave for 2 minutes on high. Go back to your cutting board and julienne (cut in 1/8″ slices with the grain) about 1/2 of your sweet onion. Go back to the stove, it’s probably time to stir your rice, and also flip your chicken and turn the heat down to medium-high. When you’re done with this your peas should be done in the microwave. Get them out and drain them in a colander, rinse and then put them back in the bowl.

Add 2 tbsp margarine to the peas, put the sliced onions in the bowl, stir and place back in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir your rice again, and about this time you can flip your chicken again and just chop it up into small pieces with your spatula. As you chop it up you’ll see it’s cooked and done turn that burner off. The rice will start to stick to the bottom of the pan and rise to the top of the mixture as it’s done, it’s the last thing to complete cooking.

When it’s done turn off the burner, and add the peas and onions to the mixture and mix well. It’s at this point I dish up one plate for the “vegetarian” in our house, and that would conclude the “vegetarian fried rice” portion of this recipe. Then I add the chicken and mix well, and now you have “chicken fried rice” that is tasty AND ready in about 20 minutes.