Turkey Bacon and Asparagus Fried Rice

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I know what you’re thinking, but listen, I’m not here for any turkey bacon slander. It’s salty, crispy, and savory: what’s not to love? Stir-fried with asparagus, they make an unlikely but deeply delicious pairing in this quick and easy fried rice. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound chopped turkey bacon
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 cups cold leftover steamed rice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  1. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and cook the turkey bacon over medium-high heat, flipping the turkey bacon every few minutes to evenly brown. After a few minutes, once the turkey bacon is cooked through and crispy, remove from the skillet but do not wipe the skillet clean.
  2. Sweat the ginger, garlic, and onion in the skillet until they become translucent and aromatic, about 1 minute.
  3. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, and stir them to break the yolks. Pour the eggs into the skilled and quickly stir to cook. While the eggs are still a little runny, push them to the side of the skillet. Add the remaining avocado oil to the center of the skillet and add the asparagus, stir-frying it in the oil for about 1 minute, then push it next to the eggs.
  4. Turn the heat to high and add the rice to the skillet, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon. Once the rice becomes loose, mix and fold the eggs and asparagus into the rice. Drizzle the soy sauce into the skillet, and continue to stir-fry. Add the reserved turkey bacon and green onions and season with black pepper and serve.

Chicken and Mushroom Wontons in Chili Oil

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Steamed, boiled, or fried, I’m a sucker for any and all dumplings. I keep a few different kinds in my homemade rotation, and these boiled wontons are my new favorites, thanks to a generous drizzle of chili crisp, soy sauce, and vinegar at the end.

These make enough for large crowd, but don’t be surprised if you end up wanting to eat them all yourself.

Ingredients:
  • 1 package wonton wrappers
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 cups garlic chives, chopped
  • 10 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried shiitake mushroom powder, made from 1 or 2 dried shiitake mushrooms ground in a spice grinder
  • 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Chili crisp, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and sesame seeds, for serving
  1. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, garlic chives, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, dried mushroom powder, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  3. Place a small spoonful of filling (about 1 teaspoon) in the center of one of the wonton wrappers. Fold the bottom part up so that the dumpling forms a half circle and press all the way around to seal. Flip the dumpling over, grasp the two corners, and connect them by pinching one on top of the other. Repeat with remaining wontons and filling.
  4. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, drop the wontons in the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the dumpling floats to the top and is cooked through. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil.
  5. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the wontons straight from the cooking water to into a serving platter.
  6. Serve immediately with a few generous spoonfuls of chili crisp, soy sauce, black vinegar, green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds to taste.

Chicken Keema

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Don’t be deterred by the long ingredient list for this super flavorful and aromatic ground chicken curry. You can make it ahead of time and the flavor only gets better in the fridge overnight. Serve it with rice, yogurt, and some fresh herbs on the side for the perfect meal.

Ingredients:
  • 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder (depending on how spicy you want your keema to be)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 pinch asafetida powder
  • 2 serrano or bird’s eye chiles
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 cup plain Indian or Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 6 teaspoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the asafetida power, serrano chiles, bay leaf, curry leaves, dried fenugreek, 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, and the onion. Stir everything together and saute until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot. Saute until they begin to turn golden, about 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
  3. Transfer the onion and spice mixture to a food processor. Reserve the pot. Add the yogurt to the food processor and pulse until a paste is formed, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  4. Place the peas in the reserved pot over medium heat. Cook the peas until they are thawed, about 1 minute. Add the ground chicken and 1 cup of water, stirring well, then add the butter and cook until it is melted, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the remaining teaspoon of turmeric and the Kashmiri chili powder to the chicken. Stir everything together, cover the pot, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Stir in the black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in the yogurt paste. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes more.
  7. Stir in the garam masala and remove the pot from the heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Meatballs with Sour Cream Sauce

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I know “sour cream sauce” doesn’t exactly sound appetizing, but hear me out. These tender meatballs are simmered with herbs, cream of mushroom, and sour cream, resulting in a super savory sauce sauce. Serve this atop a pile of egg noodles for the ultimate cold-weather comfort meal.

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon grated onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 can (10 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 12 ounces egg noodles, like pappardelle, cooked
  1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Let soak for 5 minutes.
  2. In another bowl, combine chicken, beef, egg, onion, parsley, salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper. Add soaked bread crumbs and mix lightly but thoroughly.
  3. With wet hands, shape meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Brown meatballs in batches. Place meatballs on a greased baking pan. Bake until cooked through, 30-35 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon in boiling water. In a large saucepan, combine cream of mushroom soup, bouillon mixture, and soy sauce until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and serve with meatballs and cooked noodles.

Ground Chicken Curry

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What if I told you this extremely unprofessionally plated curry is incredibly delicious and deserved some proper lighting and staging before I dove straight into it? Redolent with curry leaves and loads of earthy spices, this comforting ground chicken curry is perfect with basmati rice. You can serve it with yogurt and chutney too, or do like I do and serve it with tahdig and torshi for an Iranian-South Asian fusion situation.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pinch asafetida powder
  • 2 serrano chiles
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 to 10 curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the asafetida, serrano chiles, bay leaf, curry leaves, fenugreek, 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, and the onion. Saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot. Saute about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown, then add the tomatoes and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  3. Transfer the onion and spice mixture to a food processor, reserving the pot. Add the yogurt to the food processor and pulse until a paste is formed, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  4. Place the peas in the reserved pot over medium heat. Cook until they are thawed, about 1 minute. Add the ground chicken and 1 cup of water, stirring, then add the butter and cook until it is melted, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the remaining teaspoon of turmeric, the Kashmiri chili powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, adding more salt to taste if needed. Stir in the yogurt paste. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the garam masala and cilantro, and serve with rice.