Portabella Kung Pao Recipes

PORTABELLA KUNG PAO

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients for the sauce together except the cornstarch.
• Whisk in cornstarch until dissolved.
• Set aside.
• Prepare vegetables.
• Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.
• Add ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes.
• Stir fry 20-30 seconds.
• Add mushrooms and asparagus and stir fry 1 minute.
• Add water, cover, and steam 2 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in sauce mixture.
• Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute or until thickened.
• Add tomatoes and scallions.
• Garnish each serving with cashews.
• Serve immediately with sesame noodles.

EARL'S KUNG PAO (PROTEIN OF YOUR CHOICE)

Steps:

• Mix together the marinade, adding the cornstarch last, and whisking well until there are no lumps.
• Cut the tofu or chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine with the marinade ingredients. Marinate ½ - 1 hour.
• While the tofu or chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables. Set aside.
• Heat wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil. When oil is hot, add tofu or chicken and marinade. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked or tofu is browned. Remove from the wok and set aside. Stir fry vegetables until tender crisp, and set aside.
• Cook whole wheat pasta until al dente. Drain.
• Add 2 tbsp oil to wok. When hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the sauce, chili paste and hot pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Add cooked tofu or chicken, vegetables, green onions and nuts. Stir until hot. Remove from heat and add few drops of sesame oil.
• Add sauce, vegetables, and chicken to pasta and toss. Garnish with extra nuts.
• Enjoy!

THAI ROASTED CHILI PASTE (NAHM PRIK PAO)

Steps:

• In a wok or a small, heavy skillet, dry fry the chilies over med-low heat until the darken and become fragrant and brittle, 3-5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a plate to cool.
• Increase the heat to medium and dry fry the shallots and garlic, turning them occasionally, until they are softened, wilted, and blistered.
• Stem the chilies and discard most of the seeds. Crumble the chilies into small pieces. Trim the shallots and garlic, discarding the peel and root ends, and chop coarsely. Combine the chilies, shallots, and garlic in a mini-processor or blender and pulse to a coarse paste. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and grind to a fairly smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• Pour the remaining 1/4 cup oil into the wok or a skillet. Place over medium heat until a bit of the paste added to the pan sizzles at once, about 1 minute. Add the ground chili paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste gradually darkens and releases a rich fragrance, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Combine the sugar, tamarind, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Add this mixture to the cooked chili paste and stir to combine. The paste will be quite oily, and must be well stirred before each use. Transfer to a jar, cap tightly, and refrigerate for up to one month. Use at room temp in recipes or as a condiment.

SOUTHWESTERN KUNG PAO

Steps:

• Dice chicken breast into small bite-sized chunks.
• Divide into two Ziploc bags or bowls for marinating.
• Dice the pork into similar size pieces, divide, and add to containers with chicken.
• To one container of chicken and pork add: 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
• Coat the chicken and pork pieces and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
• In the other container of chicken and pork, add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, and diced jalapeno, if desired.
• Coat the chicken and pork pieces and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
• In a small or medium pan, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, peanuts, 1 teaspoon of chili paste, 1 teaspoon balsamic of vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
• Heat slowly.
• Heat 1 T sesame oil in a wok or large sauté pan on high heat.
• Add chicken and pork from both containers and cook until meat is cooked.
• Add diced red bell pepper, cook until tender.
• Add diced banana, black beans, corn, and 1 tablespoon of cilantro.
• Add cornstarch mixture.
• Stir in thoroughly.
• Serve mixture on tortillas.

KUNG PAO

Steps:

• Sauté garlic, ginger and chili sauce in oil till aroma releases.
• Add soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Boil one minute.
• Add cornstarch mix. Stir till thickened.
• Cool, bottle and store in fridge.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, salt and pepper; set aside., Place remaining cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir in the stock, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili sauce until smooth; set aside., In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in batches in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm., Stir-fry onion and red pepper in remaining oil for 2-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute longer., Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; heat through. Stir in cilantro and peanuts.

PORTUGUESE GARLIC NAILED STEAK (PREGO NO PAO)

Steps:

• Lay out the steaks on a cutting board or other flat surface.
• Lay slices of garlic on on side of the steaks.
• Using a tenderizing mallet, "nail" the garlic to the steak by pounding the slices into the meat.
• Repeat on the reverse side of the steaks.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Fry each steak in the butter for barely two to three minutes, turning once.
• Transfer to a dish and cover.
• Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet.
• Add the onions and saute until they are golden.
• Transfer the onions to the dish holding the steaks.
• Pour the wine into the same skillet.
• Using the flat edge of a wooden spatula, scrape up the caramelized coating on the bottom of the pan.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce by half.
• Return the onions and beef to the sauce and heat through for 1 minute.
• Serve on crusty rolls with a salad on the side or try tossing some lettuce and a slice of tomato into the bun for tasty all in one sandwich.