Beef and Broccoli

MMM. Guys. This recipe is amazing. This version of the classic beef and broccoli does NOT have some of the typical ingredients that cause inflammation in the body such as cornstarch, sugar, and vegetable oil. This is a great recipe to use if you are in the beginning phases of "trialing" foods, because other then the beefy ingredients the other ingredients are anti-inflammatory!
Something I love about beef and broccoli is that it doesn't take long to make and can be served together, separate, with rice, without rice, etc. My kids typically like their food all separated out, so meals like this where I can easily do that not only makes them happy, but me as well because I don't have to listen to the groaning at dinner if it's combined.

Cashew Chicken

This recipe is legit. It is full of flavor and just flat out delicious. My kids love it, I love it, my husband loves it...I'm sure if I had a pet they would love it as well. It takes hardly any time to put together from start to finish and is anti-inflammatory!
💥Mind Blown💥
In all seriousness, this is just a darn good recipe. It's got the crunch of the roasted cashews and all the wonderful flavors you would expect from an Asian dish.
Since discovering this recipe (and tweaking it) we have had it almost every other week. That's a pretty big deal in this household because I don't like to make very many meals over and over again.
Give it a try, you won't regret it, and your gut will thank you!

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Okay, since the last recipe shared was about the most unhealthy recipe in the world, I decided I should remind you all that generally I do love cooking healthier 😂
This recipe is SO CLOSE to being anti-inflammatory that I decided to label it as such anyway, even though the sauce drizzled on top is not. The rest of it is, so if you follow the anti-inflammatory diet, just don't add the spicy mayo sauce on the top, but I HIGHLY suggest adding it when you can because it is delicious.
I love the flavors that are in typical egg rolls, but sometimes I don't want the added carbs and fat from deep frying them. This recipe is so full of flavor that you don't even miss the added grease.

Anti-Inflammatory Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps. They make me feel like I am doing something good for my body, and everybody else in my family loves them as well. Double win for me. I know I have another lettuce wraps recipe on the blog already, but this one is one that we have been making a lot lately because it is full of ingredients that are anti-inflammatory. I honestly can't decide which recipe I like better. I guess you can decide if you make both of them 😁
One thing I love about this recipe is that yes it has meat in it, but it's also loaded with minced up mushrooms, which helps stretch the meat without you even realizing it's mushrooms. My daughter HATES and I mean HATES mushrooms. If we get a supreme pizza with mushrooms on it, even if we pick them off, she won't eat it because the sauce and bread take on the flavor of the once placed mushroom. True story. BUT...she loves this recipe. Gobbles it up every stinking time! Of course, I don't tell her there are mushrooms in it until after she has already consumed a massive plate full and every time she gets mad at me and tells me she hates mushrooms, and yet I continue making it, and she continues to enjoy it. 😏😏

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Oh my.  I have tried making this recipe quite a few times and never could get the sauce to taste like the kind they have at Panda Express. Well....I've figured it out, at least as close as I could tell.
This is my all time favorite dish to order when we go to Panda Express. Yes I realize spending an extra $1 is a lot of money especially when you only get like 4 shrimp...but I love it. I love the crunchy candied walnuts and the sweet sauce on the shrimp..mm..mm.mmmm.
Like I said before, I have tried a few different recipes that I have found online and been given by friends and family and I didn't care for the sauce that much because it had way to much mayo for my liking and the flavor just wasn't quite right. So I played around with the ingredients and measurements a little bit and I think I got it down.
I hope you like it as much as we did.

Chow Mein

Whenever I would go to Panda Express growing up I always got the fried rice. The Chow mein always looked so gross to me, but whenever we would go to any type of Chinese restaurant, my mom would get it. Since Panda changed their rice recipe a while ago (I actually have no idea how long ago it was haha) I decided one day a couple years ago to venture out and try the chow mein. Okay, normally I have a hard time saying that my mom knew what she was talking about ;) but she did. Chow mein rocks! I've never gone back to the fried rice and always get the chow mein now and trust me I have a hard time resisting the urge to tell them to just fill up the whole container and forget the main dishes.
This recipe is a great mock version of the Panda Express kind. It has very similar ingredients, as far as I can tell, and it tastes just as good if not better.
It also comes together very quick so its an easy side to pair with your favorite dishes.  SO YUMMY!
Anyway, enjoy!

Chicken Massaman Curry

A few years ago, when my parents were visiting us, they took us to a Thai restaurant by our apartment. I had never had Thai food before so I had no idea what to order. Long story short...we ended up eating Massaman which was so absolutely amazing. So amazing in fact that I ended up going back the next weekend to get some more and then back a couple of weeks later. Since then, I become obsessed with it. Shortly after this experience I went to the Asian food market just down the road and I grabbed every can that said Massaman on it so that I could give them a try. I finally found the paste I like the best and created this beautiful recipe! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Lettuce Wraps

You know that you have made a good meal when your spouse says (after taking it for leftovers the next day) that this recipe should make it into our regular rotation. Yep, its that good. Not only does my husband love it but the kids gobble it up as well so WIN.
It's crunchy and flavor packed, and healthy! How much more do you need really?!
This dish came together extremely fast. Seriously, it took maybe 15 minutes from the minute I started chopping up ingredients till the time it was done! That's my kind of weeknight meal.

Coconut & Tomato Shrimp

I made this recipe the other week and it was absolutely fantastic. It tasted just like something you would get at an Asian inspired restaurant. The sauce consists of coconut milk and canned tomatoes with the addition of fresh herbs and peppers which makes for a flavor explosion. This recipe is very light and refreshing, which I love for those nights when I feel like I need a little extra bit of healthiness.
Besides tasting absolutely fantastic, this dish really doesn't take long at all to put together. I think the longest thing for me was cooking the rice and prepping the ingredients. So, again, a great weeknight meal because rice and ingredient prepping can be done ahead of time if needed.

Korean Beef

I found this recipe one day when I was searching for a REALLY fast dinner idea that would use things that I would have on hand because honestly lately I have been despising going to the grocery store! I'm sure I'm not the only person who HATES going anywhere in the summer, so if this is also the case for you, then this is your recipe. This recipe is jam packed with flavor and is done from start to finish in less than 30 minutes, so that's my kind of meal. I like to serve this beef on top of hot rice and broccoli.

Hunan Style Chicken with Honey Lemon Sauce

I found this recipe in one of my moms REALLY OLD Asian cookbooks. I don't know why I had decided to give it a try but I have always been glad that I did. I have been making this recipe for years now and it has become one of my families absolute favorite dinners to have! The batter on this chicken is absolutely amazing. I think the reason I like it so much is because the batter has soy sauce in it, which helps provide some flavor and add saltiness (anybody who knows me knows that I LOVE salt).
I do feel like I need to throw a disclaimer (or two) out there though about the sauce. DON'T JUDGE IT BEFORE YOU TRY IT!
I am well aware that some of the ingredients in the sauce are a bit...odd to pair together, but I promise you JUST TRY IT.
Second disclaimer...the sauce isn't that tasty just on the tip of your finger so again don't judge it before you try it with the chicken. :)

Banh Mi Rice Bowls

A while back on Netflix they had the Great Food Truck Race so I binge watched it of course and was hungry all the time. One of the food trucks that sparked my interested was a Banh Mi Sandwich truck. I had no idea what these things were but every time they made them they looked absolutely delish. Well fast forward a couple of months and a restaurant  opened up literally around the corner from my house that was all about the Banh Mi. I am now officially an addict and wanted to try my hand at them at home.
This version is, obviously, not a sandwich. One thing that makes a good Banh Mi sandwich is the rolls they use and I was not about to butcher those amazing bits of goodness so when I found a recipe using the same flavors they put inside the sandwich but served over rice I knew this was a version I would feel comfortable making.
One thing I love about this recipe is you have your hot cooked rice and meat served with crunchy fresh pickled vegetables, fresh raw vegetables, and cilantro (which I am obsessed with).
Guys...this stuff is awesome. I have made this recipe multiple times for multiple people who have come to stay at our house and every time I have been asked for the recipe.

Simple Thai Chicken

Guys. This chicken recipe is AWESOME! The thighs come out super moist (yes I said moist and I know many of you cringed at that), it's super flavorful, and the best part is its super easy!
I had all the ingredients right in my fridge so that was an added bonus as I loathe going to the grocery store. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who will do everything I can to find recipes that I already have the ingredients for so I can avoid getting dressed and dragging my children out for an epic battle at the store.
This recipe came together so quickly and had so much flavor jammed into the sauce. That is one thing I love about Asian cooking. It's usually simple and full of flavor, which for me is the way to go. Even my 5 year old daughter loved it and she has become the pickiest eater in the world.

Potstickers

You know, I love Asian foods. One of the reasons I like it so much is because for the most part it's pretty easy to make and honestly the flavors are always going to be pretty similar to anything you can get at a restaurant.
A few weeks ago I was in the mood to have a break from life and spend some time in the kitchen. Yes I know that may sound strange to some but my relaxing time is when I can just be alone in the kitchen without screaming children and just cook. I don't know, there is just something about hearing the knife slice through fresh vegetables that just makes my brain happy. So on a rare occasion I try to take a little break from life and prepare a meal that takes a little more then just a "quick throw it in a pan" type of prep.
Potstickers. Ohhhh I love them. Not only do they look so cute and fun but they taste awesome. This recipe is approved by my whole family, even my 4 year old which at this stage in life is pretty hard to get any approval on any food.
Once you get into the groove of making these they actually don't take that long to make, especially because you don't have to cook the filling first. AND...you can freeze your leftovers and save for another time!

Kung Pao Spaghetti

Wow. I've had this recipe pinned for quite a while and I've looked at it several times thinking I bet this dish is awesome. In the original posters blog post she mentioned that it was to mimic a dish found at California Pizza Kitchen. Well I had never been there when i first came across this recioe but a couple of months ago I decided to go with some girlfriends and my goal was to get this dish to decide whether I should make it at home. Super long and ridiculous story cut short, the dish I got at CPK  was way to spicy so I sent it back and opted to not try this recipe. Well finally last week I looked at it again because I knew I had all the ingredients on hand and I needed something to throw together. Wow. I'm really kicking myself for waiting so long to try this one out. It's so incredibly simple and full of amazing flavor. My husband asked that we keep this as one of our go  to dishes so that's saying a lot in our household.

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Okay when I think of meatballs I usually don't think of them as having an Asian twist. Well I guess I have had like a sweet and sour meatball before BUT nothing like these. This recipe was so light and refreshing AND incredibly easy to make! Summer foods to me are all about keeping it simple and light since its so stinking hot outside.
These make a great dinner or you could totally use them as an appetizer.
The lady who came up with the recipe served hers over a bed of spiraled zucchini, which looked awesome. I however don't have a spiraler so I just had mine plain with the dipping sauce with a side of zucchini and quinoa.

Chinese Fried Rice

I love fried rice. I love it because it can be a side dish or a main dish. It can have a lot of ingredients, or just a little. This is such a versatile recipe.
Lately I have been making a lot of Asian inspired recipes so why not have a side dish to go with them? Fried rice is always my go to, because I always have a little bit of this and that in my fridge that can be turned into this!
Next time you are unsure what to have with your Asian inspired main dish, try this as a side.

Grilled Asian Chicken Salad

When I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew that I had to give it a try. I don't know if it was because it looked so good or if it was because the person who had pinned it said that this recipe alone had like 20,000 views or something to that effect. Either way my interests were peeked.
Im glad that I did try it. This salad is so light and refreshing but the dressing is packed with so much flavor that you really don't need anything to go along with it. Even if you don't like salads, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you at least give the dressing a try because it is FANTASTIC!
This is a typical Asian salad, where it doesn't have lettuce but is full of cabbage and carrots instead. (Yes in case you were wondering my nails have been orange for a day now after shredding them on the cheese grater!)
This salad makes a great main dish and can stand all on its own just fine or if you are really hungry and a go getter for meals, then it would make a great appetizer. Oh and I am totally making this for the next Asian Inspired Potluck we have!

Orange Chicken Thighs

I love a good chicken recipe, especially a good thigh or drumstick recipe because they are cheaper. When you are on a budget thighs and drumsticks are the way to go. Personally I am a dark meat lover because it is almost always the most moist piece when you compare all the parts of a chicken. Usually I am more of a lemon chicken fan, but I came across this recipe and thought, hmm, I haven't had a good orange chicken in a while. WAM BAM SLAM....dinner. I absolutely LOVED the glaze that you make to put on the chicken. At first when I was combining the ingredients I was a little skeptical, because to me it smelled awful, but it actually came out tasting FANTASTIC! Leaving the skin on makes the top all crispy and flavorful while keeping the inside super moist and flavorful.

Jap Chicken

Can you ever have to many ways of cooking chicken? I think not.
I love Asian food. This is a recipe that my mom used to make when we would have a big group of people over. She usually would just do it as chicken wings for appetizers but it also work just as good for a main entree. You soak the chicken overnight to really develop that Asian goodness flavor into the chicken. Cook it low and slow and it comes out so unbelievably juicy!