Take out at home

[rebirth]

I want to diversify our menu and also eat healthier then take out is, but love those types of meals. Please share your best take out restaurant inspired recipes! Thanks!

[Shantimama]

What kind of take out meals do you like?

[Katarianna]

Egg Rolls (Way better then the restaurants!)

1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1 bag coleslaw mix (without the sauce, just cabbage and carrots)

1 package egg roll wraps

Soy sauce

Garlic

Pepper

Oil

Combine shredded chicken and coleslaw mix in a large pot.

Add soy sauce, garlic, and pepper to taste.

Cook on medium until cabbage is translucent. (At this point I taste the filling to make sure I like the amount of seasoning in it.) 

Wrap according to these directions (but add more filling!) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGAl5JQssSs

Fry to golden brown.

Enjoy!

[rebirth]

That egg roll recipe sounds yummy... And I bet I could freeze a bunch of them wrapped but uncooked too

[rebirth]

Shantimama, we like most everything although I do not eat pork but feel free to share recipes if you want for others. We eat as organic as I can manage, and avoid most processed foods. I typically cook meals consisting of 50% veg or more. We love good food and are not picky, and are allergen free thankfully. I try to minimize grains though to only a few times a week, mostly sprouted etc

We order in a fair amount of terriyaki, sesame/orange/cashew chicken, my husband likes pepper steak. We love Mexican foods and I don't have too many bean recipes but do make tacos and quesadillas, we also love Indian and Thai foods.

[Katarianna]

Originally Posted by rebirth 

That egg roll recipe sounds yummy... And I bet I could freeze a bunch of them wrapped but uncooked too

They would probably get soggy when they thawed because cabbage is very watery. I cook them and then freeze them and reheat in the oven. That keeps them crispy.

[mommy212]

I make a decent chow-fun-like recipe, like so-

1/2 package lo mein noodles (or, if you can find them, chow fun noodles, which are big fresh rice noodles)

1 small package beef story-fry meat (about 1/3 or 1/2 pound beef)

cup or so bean sprouts

1/2 or whole onion, thinly sliced

other vegetables, prepared as you would for stir-fries, like carrot, bok choy, bell pepper, broccoli etc (optional)

1-2 cloves garlic or more, minced

1/2-1 inch ginger, minced

1/2 bunch scallions, cut in 1-inch lengths

fish sauce 

soy sauce

cornstarch (optional)

salt and pepper

cook lo mein noodles according to package directions, set aside. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high with 2 tbls or so neutral oil. When hot, add beef and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Add onion and any extra vegetables (not the ginger, garlic or scallions yet). Cook for 4-5 minutes or to desired tenderness. add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add in scallions and bean sprouts; let wilt. Season all with soy sauce, fish sauce, and pepper to taste. Add in noodles and season with extra soy sauce, fish sauce, etc. Start with small amount of seasoning and keep tasting to find the right balance

[ollyoxenfree]

A very easy teriyaki marinade: 

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin (rice wine), sake or sherry

1 tbsp. sugar

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp grated orange rind 

Combine in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool. 

Marinade 1.5 lbs chicken for 30 minutes. Grill on BBQ or Bake at 375 F for 30 to 35 minutes (turning once half-way through), then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown. 

[rebirth]

Originally Posted by Katarianna 

Originally Posted by rebirth

That egg roll recipe sounds yummy... And I bet I could freeze a bunch of them wrapped but uncooked too

They would probably get soggy when they thawed because cabbage is very watery. I cook them and then freeze them and reheat in the oven. That keeps them crispy.

Oh, good point! Will Do that instead

[Shantimama]

I like to make pizzas and freeze them so we can have the ease of take-out pizza with the nutrition and taste of homemade. I roll out the dough, add the toppings, put it on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, freeze it, then wrap it in a freezer bag. When it is time to eat it I bake it at 425 just like a frozen pizza. My kids like mini-pizzas and these are just as easy for them and so much better for them than anything I could find at the store.

[homemademom]

I just made the yummiest Indian-inspired chicken curry in the pressure cooker. Do you have one? It makes everything SO quick. i love it! If not, you could do it in the crockpot, too. I kind of made up this recipe, so you can adjust ingredients how you like.

Brown 8 or so chicken thighs in a little olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Saute 1 or 2 onions, finely chopped (or put through the food processer)

Add big handful of baby carrots, also finely chopped.

Once cooked, add crushed garlic (6 or so cloves), ginger (powder or fresh), 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 Tbs garam masala, 2 Tbs tomato paste, 1/2 can of coconut milk, 1/2 cup of water.  

Add chicken back in and cook.  If pressure cooking, cook for 15 min with natural release of pressure, or crockpot for 6-8 hours.

Serve with basmati or jasmine rice (made in the rice cooker).

Apparently, I'm all about convenient kitchen appliances, lol.

[Katarianna]

The pizza is a good idea. I am going to do that!

[Shantimama]

I like Patak's curry pastes. You can make butter chicken in the time it takes to steam some rice just using the recipe on the side of the bottle.

[Megan73]

Yep - try the pizza. It's DH's specialty and he makes big batches of dough and sauce for the freezer. It makes a super quick weeknight dinner. Add a salad (I'm liking spinach and fennel sliced paper thin these days) and you're done in less time than it would take the order-in pie to arrive.

[kitchensqueen]

PF Chang-style Mongolian Beef is excellent! When I make it I also add in a couple of tablespoons of honey and swap out half of the soy sauce with red wine - not a traditional Chinese food ingredient, but it gives it a little extra depth of flavor that can't be beat and balances the saltiness of the soy sauce. If you use the full half cup of soy sauce, it'll be so salty you can't even eat it. 

[Chicky2]

topsecretrecipes.com

[mad4mady]

subbing

[Wildflower]

great ideas!