Salad

• Wash all produce, then tear, cut and chop all ingredients.
• Drain oranges and water chestnuts. Rinse water chestnuts.
• Toss together all salad ingredients except for the chow mein noodles, green onions, and cilantro. Chill

Pot Stickers

• Heat a large skillet with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat.
• When skillet is hot add oil and swirl pan to coat. Add pot stickers and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, do not lift or move pot stickers.
• Add water to fill pan with about 1/4 inch and cover with lid immediately. Reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 8 to 10 minutes.

Sesame Dressing

• Whisk together all ingredients.  Store unused portion in fridge.

Assemble

• Toss salad with enough dressing to completely coat all ingredients.   Arrange salad on plate and top with chow mein noodles, pot stickers, scallion, and cilantro.  Finish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

• Heat grill on high. Brush to clean and reduce to low.
• Trim large leaves from the bok choy and cut in half lengthwise. Rinse well under cold water to remove any grit. Pat dry with a paper towel.
• In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, chili sauce, brown sugar, oil, and pepper.
• Place bok choy cut side up in a pan or on a plate. Pour the rice wine chili mixture over the bok choy.
• Place the bok choy cut side down on the grill, cover, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Place on a serving platter and drizzle with any remaining rice vinegar mixture and a little soy sauce.

Stir fry sauce

• Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well and set aside.

Chicken filling

• Grill chicken until just done, do not over-cook. Allow to cool and then dice.
• If you are not going to grill the chicken. Dice the meat into small pieces. Heat the oil in wok or skillet, add chicken and stir fry until done. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Add an additional tablespoon of oil to the pan and continue with instructions below.
• In a small bowl or ramekin, mix together the stir fry sauce and set aside.
• Prepare all ingredient by chopping and dicing to pea size pieces.
• Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add water chestnuts, onion, garlic, and pepper.
• Stir fry until onions are slightly tender about 2 – 3 minutes.
• Add mushrooms and stir fry for another minute.
• Add chicken and herbs, stir to mix well.
• Add stir fry sauce and mix well to coat.
• Remove from heat.

Asian barbecue sauce

• Put all ingredients into a small sauce pan and heat until sauce just begins to boil stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until sauce has reduced by about half and has thickened to a syrup. Chill before serving.

Serve

• Serve the chicken mixture in lettuce cups with an assortment of condiments such as Asian barbecue sauce, Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce, and Garlic Red Chili Sauce.

• Peel the cucumber and cut the ends off. Slice cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Using the julienne blade on a mandoline, run the cucumbers lengthwise to form noodles. If you find it difficult to work with the whole cucumber, cut the length in half to make it easier to handle.
• In a dry skillet toast the sesame seeds until lightly golden. Allow to cool.
• In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce and sesame oil.
• Place cucumber noodles in a serving bowl and toss with soy sauce, sesame oil, and a teaspoon of the mixed toasted seeds.
• Top with remaining toasted sesame seeds. Sprinkle with red pepper flake if desired.
• Serve cold.

Garlic sauce

• In a measuring cup or small bowl mix together the first eight ingredients and set aside.

Stir fry

• Slice the pork and cut all the vegetables. Mise en place. (I can not over emphasize the importance of having all ingredients ready to go when cooking in a hot wok)
• Heat your wok or pan over high heat. Once the wok is hot add 2 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil. (To prevent smoking, do not add oil to the hot wok until you are ready to cook).
• Add onions, peppers, celery, and carrots. Stir while cooking for about 2 – 3 minutes or until vegetable start to pick up some color.
• Add the pork and continue to stir for 2 – 3 more minutes.
• Give the soy sauce and garlic mixture a stir and add to the hot pan. (When working with a hot wok, keep the food moving, this will give you even cooking and prevent burning)
• Cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until sauce starts to caramelize and thicken (Add a bit of water if sauce gets too thick).
• Remove from heat.
• Serve with rice and garnish with scallions.

• Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a stock pot. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, approximately 7 minutes (taste to be sure). Reserve half a cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water, and drain again.
• In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, chili paste, cayenne powder, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring frequently with a whisk until the sauce is smooth, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Toss well to coat the pasta. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooling, toast the sesame seeds in a dry non-stick skillet until the seeds just begin to brown and give off a nutty aroma (shake the pan frequently to avoid burning the seeds). Remove the seeds from the pan and set aside.
• When the pasta is cold toss in the cucumber, pepper, carrot, peas, cilantro and sesame seeds. Add the sauce to the noodles (If needed thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water). Toss well to combine. Garnish with scallions.

Chicken

• Mix together the sauces and spice. Brush on the chicken and grill over medium heat.
• Remove from grill and allow to cool.

Salad

• Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.

Dressing

• Wisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Assemble

• Toss the salad with the dressing. Top with slices of grilled chicken and chow mein noodles.

Spring Rolls

• Begin by slicing and chopping all ingredients (Mise en place).
• Dip a sheet of rice paper in warm water according to the instructions and place it on the wet towel. There is a bit of a knack to working with these wrappers, so just go for it. There is only one way to learn how to work with the wrappers, don’t be afraid.
• Start by placing three shrimp halves in the center of the wrapper, show side or top is face down.
• Add the rest of the ingredients alternating colors and textures.
• Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime.
• Gently fold (stretch) the lower edge of the wrapper up over the ingredients. Fold (stretch) the sides in to create an envelope.
• Close the roll by gently stretching the remaining flap across the roll, re-moistening if necessary to seal.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce – Nước mắm pha

• Combine the coconut water, rice vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan.
• Slowly bring mixture to a gentle boil.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Add the fish sauce, lime juice, chili, garlic and carrots into the cooled mixture.
• Leftover sauce can be frozen for another meal.

Serve

• Serve with sweet chili sauce (Nước mắm pha), peanut sauce, and hoisin dipping sauce.
  

• To make my dish I start by skewering a pound of raw peeled and deveined shrimp. (Soak wooden skewers in water for about an hour before using).
• Spritz the shrimp with cooking spray and dust with chili powder.
• Grill shrimp paying close attention not to over cook. Shrimp are done with they turn an opaque white color. (shrimp on the grill are like luggage at the airport, do not leave unattended)
• Squeeze fresh lime on the shrimp and tent with foil to rest.
• Drop your rice noodles in the pan of boiling water you have ready and waiting. (rice noodles take only about 6 - 8 minutes to cook)
• While the noodles cook, heat your wok or a large pan to a medium high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and stir fry the carrot and jalapeno for one minute. Turn off heat.
• Add 3 tablespoons of peanut sauce stirring to warm (the residual heat from the pan will warm the sauce)
• Drain the rice noodles and add to your wok. Toss with the peanut sauce to coat. Thin with a bit of coconut milk if necessary.
• Add half of the scallion and toss again.

Serve

• Using tongs place a bed of the peanut sauce covered noodles on a plate or in a bowl. Top with fresh scallion, bean sprouts, carrots, peppers, cilantro, shrimp, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

• Place all ingredients in a food processor.
• Process until sauce is smooth.
• If you prefer a thinner peanut sauce, add a little more coconut milk.
• Hold in the fridge for up to two weeks.

• Place the pieces of pork in a large bowl. Add about a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well to completely coat the pork with oil.
• In a small bowl, mix the hoisin, char siu, chili bean curd, soy, and vinegar.
• Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Add the pork and cook, stirring, until lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add 2 Tablespoons oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and stir, when it begins to sizzle, add the cabbage, onion, carrot and pepper. Cook while stirring until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.
• Add the hoisin mixture, pork, and half of the chives, tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and let rest for about 2 minutes. Toss well before serving.
• Sprinkle with the remaining chives and garnish with fresh cilantro.
• Serve with rice noodle or rice.