Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

I LOVE fried rice, and often make my own fried rice at home with brown rice which is delicious. But sometimes when I want to cut down on my carbs, I opt for cauliflower rice.

I posted this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice" a while back, and it was a huge hit. So I decided to play around with that recipe and make this Asian version to go with the Orange Chicken I posted yesterday, and my husband (who detests cauliflower) was pretty amazed how the meal turned out. The portions are generous and you get a serving or two of vegetables into your diet.

If you like this, you may also like:

Brown Fried Rice
Asian Edamame Fried Rice
Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice


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Orange Chicken Makeover

Sweet, spicy and flavorful – a lighter alternative to the popular Chinese fast food take-out dish and it's quick and easy to make!

I had a request a few weeks ago to make over this popular American-Chinese fast food dish which is usually battered and deep fried. To be honest, this is not a dish I would order because I'm not a fan of battered sweet Chinese dishes, but I was happy to tackle a lighter version. My solution was skip all that frying, and make a flavorful orange sauce. The outcome was great, and my husband even gave it two thumbs up!

I served this over cauliflower "fried rice" which I will post tomorrow but you could even saute some bell peppers, snow peas, broccoli or asparagus and add them at the end. Enjoy!

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Chicken and Asparagus Lemon Stir Fry

Although the weather outside still feels like winter, I'm excited to see signs of Spring all around. One of those signs is asparagus. Asparagus is one of my favorite Spring vegetables, and this quick stir-fry made with chicken, lemon, garlic and ginger is a great way to make it a weeknight meal.

I used a reduced-sodium Japanese soy sauce called Shoyu which is similar to Chinese soy sauce, but has a more full bodied flavored and a touch of sweetness that I'm really in love with. I like Eden, which is organic and non-GMO. You can use either one, or even Tamari if you're gluten free. We served this over brown rice to complete the meal. 

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Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

These Asian inspired meatballs are out of this world! Made with ground turkey, ginger, scallions, cilantro and sesame oil with a wonderful tangy sesame-lime dipping sauce. You can make them for dinner or serve them as an appetizer by making them half their size and setting out toothpicks for dipping into that delicious sauce.

I first posted these meatballs back in 2010 and the quickly became a fan favorite! Often I served them with brown rice or Asian "fried" brown rice, but lately I've been on a zoodle (zucchini noodle) kick and made them for dinner this week served over these zucchini noodles for a low-carb meal and they were fantastic!

To make the zucchini noodles, you'll need a spiralizer (I love my Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer) or a mandolin fitted with a julienne blade. You can see my Italian Zoodles and Meatball recipe here for more detailed instructions if you wish to make this as a side, the only difference was here I used sesame oil to cook the zucchini.

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Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Yakitori

I love these Japanese inspired grilled chicken and zucchini skewers marinated with yakitori sauce and threaded onto bamboo sticks with green onions. They are perfect as an appetizer if you're having a backyard bash this summer, or you can turn it into a meal any night of the week served with rice, salad or more vegetables.

Yakitori reminds me of my college days in Soho living on a student budget. Me and my BFF Gabbie used to meet 3 to 4 times a week after class at this cute little Japanese restaurant in the Village where paper origami birds hung from the ceiling and Japanese music played in the background. I didn't have much money then, so I usually ordered the chicken yakitori off the appetizer menu which always came with white rice... a perfectly good meal when you're broke.

Now days I can make it myself, and although this could certainly serve a crowd as an appetizer, I still like to eat them for dinner like I did back in my college days. I also like to add some zucchini to my skewers so I'm grilling my veggies at the same time. As for the chicken, I prefer dark meat to white so I use Perdue Fit & Easy thighs, which calculates to a lot less points in recipe builder than generic thighs (I'm assuming because the generic isn't trimmed of all fat? Not sure!) You could also use chicken breast if you prefer white meat. Only one tiny issue I had was it makes 14 chicken skewers, so to divide that in 4 servings, you are going to get 3 1/2 skewers. Oh well, you'll just have to share!! There's plenty of marinade left if you want to make more chicken or zucchini.

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Spring Stir Fried Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas and Carrots

Spring vegetables and chicken breast strips sauteed with fresh ginger, lime juice, and a touch of soy sauce for a quick weeknight meal.

I love making stir fries for dinner, what's better than throwing veggies and protein into a wok and having dinner ready in minutes.

Honestly, when I make a stir fry, I usually use whatever vegetables I have on hand (great way to clean out the refrigerator). You can serve it as is or over brown rice, quinoa, noodles, whatever! I love the crunch of the sugar snap peas with the chicken, and my daughter loves crunching on them raw while I'm cooking.

This is super quick, so if you plan on making a starch with this, start that first. I finally got around to using Jaden's rice bran oil which is made from the outer layer of the rice kernel where all of the nutrients are found, is high in antioxidants and is perfectly suited for high-heat wok cooking. Of course, you can use another oil that has a high smoke point such as sesame, canola, or grape seed.

This is under 200 calories, Weight Watchers friendly at 5 points, gluten-free, low-carb, clean and can easily be adapted for Paleo.

Paleo note: For those of you who are on a Paleo diet, replace the cornstarch with arrowroot, rice oil with coconut oil and the soy sauce with coconut liquid aminos.

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Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken

Sweet, savory and a little spicy, this simple Asian inspired chicken dish has a balance of flavor combinations – serve this over your favorite rice and dinner is ready!

I'm not a fan of sweet foods as a main dish, unless it's balanced with savory and spicy flavors. In this dish the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sriracha compliment each other and balance out the sweetness.

I've tried a few versions floating around the web, but they were much too sweet for my taste. After a few attempts, I finally found the perfect balance of sweet-savory without adding too much sugar. Rice wine is naturally sweet, and adds a bit of acid which rounds out the flavors. I served this with more sriracha sauce on the side for extra heat and served it over brown rice.

I usually set some chicken aside for my toddler when I shred it, before adding it back to the sauce, since her palate is pickier than the rest of ours, and it works out fine. I never cook a separate meal for her, she eats what we eat, just modified at times if I cook something spicy.

For lunch the next day, I made some lettuce wraps with some leftover forbidden rice I had and thoroughly enjoyed eating them with my hands.

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Honey-Teriyaki Salmon

Asian honey glazed salmon – an easy dish you can make any night of the week. Simply fill a resealable bag with the marinade ingredients, then add the salmon until you're ready to cook.

Then when you're ready to start dinner, make your sides and your fish will be done in less than 15 minutes.

This recipe is from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen's new cookbook:Steamy Kitchen's Healthy Asian Favorites. The pages in her book are filled with beautiful photos and 100 fast, simple recipes anyone can make on a busy weeknight.

And this week, I'm giving away her new cookbook on Skinny Bits to one lucky winner! To enter for a chance to win, click here.

We all loved this simple dish in my home, it tasted like something I would order in an upscale Asian restaurant, yet it was so easy to make. I served this with forbidden rice and sauteed sugar snap peas on the side, but this would also be wonderful with edamame fried rice.

Today is also the beginning of Lent, so for those of you looking to try a new fish dish to make, this is a great place to start. Adding salmon to your plate is one of the healthiest decisions you can make. Studies link its high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients with a lower risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and more.

By choosing fresh wild salmon (your best bet is wild Alaskan or Pacific) over farmed, you will likely be getting better quality, less-contaminated fish. However, the health benefits of eating farmed salmon far outweigh the health risks associated with not eating salmon at all; so if wild salmon is out of your budget, go for the farmed variety.

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Slow Cooker Filipino Adobo Pulled Pork

We love Filipino Adobo Chicken in my home, I make it at least once a month because it's just so darn easy to make and everyone loves it.

Adobo pork is also commonly made the same way, so I decided to test it out in the crock pot with a lean pork loin which is not so exactly the traditional method, but I love making pork in my slow cooker, so why not!

I left the pork whole rather than cutting it up in small chunks to make more of a Filipino pulled pork (and because I'm a bit lazy) but cutting it into small cubes would work out fine as well.

Served it over jasmine rice topped with fresh scallions and with some garden tomatoes on the side and it was a wonderful, simple meal.  Enjoy!

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Asian Ginger Carrot Dressing

This is good stuff! I don't care too much for carrots, but I love a good carrot ginger dressing on my salad when I go out for Hibachi. It's the perfect starter to any dish.

Well, I've been getting requests for this for a while now, so it was time! It's hot in New York, so too cool off I wanted a simple crisp iceburg lettuce salad for lunch. I added some red cabbage and carrots for color and enjoyed every bite! You can serve this on mixed greens, add tomatoes and cucumbers or whatever you like!

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Shrimp Pad Thai on the Lighter Side

I've been a huge fan of Rasa Malaysia for many years and recently Bee and I have become friends. Bee spent a few months traveling Thailand and when she returned I asked if she could guest post making a Skinnier version of a Thai Classic. Pad Thai is probably my most requested makeover, so who better than to have Bee give us her authentic version with a lighter touch! Vegetarians, leave out the shrimp and add more tofu or add more veggies!

Hi there, I’m Bee from Rasa Malaysia, a website about easy Asian cooking. I’m also the cookbook author of Easy Chinese Recipes (Tuttle, September 2011) — one of the best-selling Chinese cookery books on Amazon. First of all, I wanted to thank Gina for giving me the opportunity to guest post on Skinnytaste and share my Pad Thai recipe with you. I’m very honored—and thrilled—to grace this space, and I hope you like what I have to share with you here.

I love Thai food so there is no surprise that I’m a big fan of Pad Thai, or Thai stir-fried rice noodles. If you have dined at Thai restaurants, I’m sure you have had Pad Thai. Pad Thai is quite possibly the most famous dish outside of Thailand.

Thai cuisine is prized for its perfect balance of the four main tastes: hot, sour, salty, and sweet. Pad Thai is no exception. The spiciness of this noodle dish comes from the use of chili powder while the tartness comes from tamarind. The saltiness of most Thai food comes from fish sauce, or nam pla, while palm sugar lends the sweetness to the overall dish. For this recipe, I opted to use vinegar in lieu of tamarind juice, as it’s commonly used by the street vendors in Thailand. Palm sugar is not a common ingredient for many people, so I substituted it with sugar. The recipe is very versatile as you can make it healthier by adding more bean sprouts and reduce the rice noodles. Other than shrimp, you can also use chicken breast. The fried firm tofu is a key ingredient in authentic Pad Thai but you can’t find it at your local stores, feel free to opt it out.

I love eating my Pad Thai with a generous squirt (or two) of lime juice. It’s a delightful dish to make at home and a complete meal on its own. I hope you enjoy the recipe. If you have any questions, do leave me a comment! Again, thanks Gina for having me.

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Bangin' Grilled Shrimp Skewers

I've had it on my mind to turn my popular Banging Good Shrimp recipe into a summer dish you can make right on the grill. Now that the weather is warmer, we've been grilling almost every night. The excitement of being able to grill again and not dirty my kitchen is always

These shrimp skewers are the bomb! The spicy, salty, sweet combination of the creamy chili sauce is what makes them so good. I actually double the sauce recipe to see what else I can add it to this week!

These make a fabulous appetizer, 2 skewers would be a perfect starter to any party paired with Asian Cabbage Mango Slaw or you could turn it into a weeknight meal served over Edamame Fried Rice. Enjoy!!

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Asian Cabbage Mango Slaw

Light, fresh and crisp slaw made with shredded cabbage, carrots, lime juice, rice vinegar and a slightly under-ripe mango topped with sesame seeds. A perfect side to fish, pork and even burgers.

Feels like summer here in New York, I bet a lot of you are firing up your grill, and what's more popular than cole slaw with those burgers and grilled meats! When I make a slaw, I never make the creamy mayonnaise slaw like they sell in the deli with all the sugar in it, I actually despise the stuff! I prefer to keep it light and fresh.

Slightly under-ripe mango's are used in this recipe. In South America, a typical street food snack is under-ripe mango with lime juice and salt. The mango isn't quite sweet yet and the texture is firm which is perfect for cutting the mango into strips for this recipe. You can use red cabbage or white or a combo of both. Sometimes I buy it pre-shredded to save time, it's even great with broccoli slaw! This lasts a few days refrigerated.

Gluten-free, low-carb, dairy-free, vegan and egg-free.
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Asian Edamame Fried Rice

Make a healthier version of your favorite take-out! I'm a sucker for Chinese fried rice, but who knows how much oil is added when you order it out. Making it yourself is healthier and easy to do.

For this healthy version of fried rice I used brown rice, edamame, carrots, scallions and onions. The beauty about making it yourself is you can add anything you want. If you want to make this a main dish you can add a protein such as chicken, shrimp or even tofu to keep it vegetarian. Or serve this as a side dish with some favorites like Asian Turkey Meatballs, Asian Drumsticks, Asian Grilled Chicken.

Edamame, in case you're not familiar with them are green soybean sold shelled or in the pod in most supermarkets both frozen or ready-to-eat – my two year is crazy about them!  I like to buy the shelled ready-to-eat for convenience.


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Asian Flank Steak Skewers

Thin strips of grilled flank steak marinated with lime juice, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce. These skewers disappear quickly at every gathering, so you may want to make a lot!

With the Superbowl just around the corner I thought these would be a great appetizer for the steak lovers in your home. I myself love beef and enjoy these as an appetizer, but I also make them for dinner served with rice and roasted broccoli on the side.

You can make this on an indoor grill, a cast iron grill pan or make them outside on the grill. Always cut the meat across the grain at a slight angle with a very sharp knife.

Kid-friendly, husband-friendly, and just plain old good!


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Five Spice Roasted Chicken Legs

Oven roasted chicken legs take on exotic Asian flavors by the addition of a little Chinese five-spice.

An easy weeknight dish, the chicken is marinated in soy sauce, ginger, shallots, garlic and Chinese five-spice then roasted in the oven. Serve this with jasmine rice or brown fried rice and a vegetable for a complete meal.

I chose to use whole legs with thighs and drumsticks attached as opposed to using a whole chicken, because I find it easier to serve and I love dark meat, but you can make this with a whole chicken, thighs, legs, breasts... whatever you prefer! The sodium is hard to calculate because half of the marinade gets tossed so keep that in mind.

Happy Chinese New Year!!
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Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sautéed ground chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms and water chestnuts seasoned with Asian spices are served in a crispy cold lettuce leaf with a spicy hoisin dipping sauce. I can't think of a more playful appetizer to celebrate the Year of The Dragon!

Some of you probably know how much I love using lettuce leaves as a wrap for everything from Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps to BLT Lettuce wraps. They are the perfect low-carb solution and don't interfere with the flavors of the filling. This recipe is no exception, you can taste all the Asian goodness... pure delight in every bite!

This recipe was ever so slightly adapted from my friend Bee, of Rasa Malaysia's first cookbook, Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao. Whether you are celebrating The Chinese New Year, The Superbowl, or just having some friends over, I highly recommend making these... double or triple the recipe for a large crowd!

And speaking of Chinese New Year, I have a new cookbook giveaway this week! Two lucky winners will have a chance to win their own copy of Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao. For a chance to win, visit Skinny Bits and leave a comment there (US residents only)!

Oh and one more thing I want to mention, if you want to turn this into a main dish, make some steamed rice and serve each wrap with rice and chicken, it's very good! Enjoy!!


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Brown Coconut Rice with Cilantro

Coconut milk, brown rice, coconut flakes, fresh ginger and cilantro are combined to create this simple side dish, perfect to accompany many Thai dishes.
The flavor of the coconut milk is subtle, and pairs perfectly with Sweet and Fiery Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa, Tilapia with Coconut Curry Sauce, Thai green coconut curry shrimp, to name a few. The photo above is the rice topped with the mango salsa from the Sweet and Fiery Pork.

You can also make this with white rice, which is usually my husband's preference. For a healthier option, stick with brown rice. I've played around with several brown rice varieties and Jasmine works best (I was out so I used short grain). If using white, reduce the water to 1 cup and reduce the cooking time. If you wish, you can add a touch of sesame oil which I often like to do. The flaked coconut is optional but I like the subtle sweetness it adds to the dish.


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Sweet and Fiery Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

Chinese New Year is January 23rd, the start of a 15-day celebration celebrating the Chinese New Year – This year it's the Year of The Dragon. I thought this Asian inspired fiery pork dish would be a great way to celebrate!

Roasted pork tenderloin with a sweet and spicy glaze topped with a fresh mango salsa. Your taste buds will be tantilized with each bite you take.

How good does this look...

Even if you have no intentions of celebrating the Chinese New Year, this is a tasty way to make a pork tenderloin if you are looking for something different.

Could you make this with chicken? Sure! This would be fabulous over a chicken breast if pork is not your thing.

I served this with my own coconut rice creation that my husband loves (recipe coming soon) and he literally cleaned his plate! You could also serve this over steamed jasmine rice for a simple side dish. Enjoy!


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Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms

Boneless pork roast slow cooked in Asian spices creates a aromatic pork dish with mushrooms and broth, perfect over noodles or rice with fresh chopped green onions, cilantro and sriracha.

I'm liking my crock pot more and more lately because I am understanding how to make it work and what not to do from some crock pot disasters in my past. Food cooked in the crock pot is blander than dishes made on the stove. To compensate, I learned to boost the seasoning and I usually have to add more at the very end to taste. Fresh herbs should always be added at the end of cooking. Searing the pork before adding it to the crock pot is a must, so don't skip this step. If you want to do this the night before, you can set it all up and leave it refrigerated, then turn it on in the morning.

Because this makes a lot, I enjoyed this two nights with leftovers to spare. The first night we enjoyed it over rice noodles, soba or buckwheat noodles  would also be great.

The second night, I reheated some of the pork and broth on the stove and though in some handfuls of baby spinach to it and let it wilt. We had this over rice and my husband couldn't stop raving. Next time I make this I will try adding chopped carrots, baby corn, or bok choy in the end for extra vegetables.

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