Thai drunken noodles

 8 ounces dried rice noodles

¼ cup oyster sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 cup shallots, thinly sliced

6 teaspoons chile padi (bird's eye chiles), thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips (Optional)

1 pound Chinese broccoli, sliced (Optional)

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

Directions

Soak rice noodles in hot water until flexible, 10 to 15 minutes. Occasionally move the noodles around to separate them. Drain the water and cover with a wet paper towel.

Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, Asian fish sauce, maple syrup, sugar, and water in a small bowl.

Heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a wok, or large frying pan, over medium-high heat. Stir-fry shallots, chile peppers, and garlic until shallots are soft, about 2 minutes. Move the mixture around the outside of the pan to create a space and add chicken. Sear for 1 minute, then combine with shallot mixture. Add Chinese broccoli stems and stir-fry until tender, about 2 minutes. Add Chinese broccoli leaves and stir-fry until wilted.

Add drunken noodle sauce and sliced green onions and mix. Cook until sauce begins to simmer. Add soaked rice noodles and toss to coat until noodles have absorbed the sauce and are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in Thai basil leaves until wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve.

Stir fry beef and broccoli

 Ingredients

Sauce:

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut aminos

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated

1 teaspoon sesame oil

pinch of salt

Beef and Broccoli:

2–2.5 lb sirloin steak (remove fat and then slice against the grain into thin strips)

2–3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

4–6 tablespoons ghee (or olive oil)

kosher salt and pepper

1/4 cup coconut aminos

4 heaping cups of broccoli florets

1 pint of sliced mushrooms

Instructions

In small mixing bowl, combine Sauce ingredients and whisk together; set aside.

Take large cast iron skillet and bring to medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Let it melt and coat the pan.

Place arrowroot in a medium-sized bowl. Place the steak and arrowroot on the counter next to your cast iron skillet.

Working in batches, lightly place pieces of beef in the arrowroot and lightly coat them. Shake off any excess and add to the pan. Continue, spacing out the beef strips so they aren’t touching, until you have filled up the cast iron skillet. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Cook the strips approximately 1 minute per side then remove and place on a clean plate. Continue until all the beef is seared on both sides (this should take about 3-4 batches) adding a tablespoon of ghee (or more) in between each batch to keep the bottom of the skillet from drying out.

Once steak is all cooked and set aside, add approximately 1/4 cup coconut aminos to pan to deglaze (scraping up all the bits from the bottom).

Add broccoli and mushrooms and stir and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add sauce (whisk the sauce again before adding as the arrowroot may sink to the bottom) and bring to a light simmer. Stir until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.

Add steak (along with any juices that have settled on the plate) and stir to fully mix.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

• 4 lbs boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• ¾ cup coconut aminos
• 16 cups broccoli, trimmed with sliced stalks and medium florets
• 4 tsp red chili flakes, optional
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup water
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

• In a large bowl mix together the chicken, onion, half of the garlic, half of the ginger, salt, pepper, and coconut aminos. Set aside and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
• In a large skillet add 4 tbsp of coconut oil and heat over high heat.
• Add the broccoli, remaining ginger, garlic and 8 tablespoons of water, season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry until broccoli is bright green but crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Remove broccoli from the skillet and set aside.
• Re-heat the same skillet on high with 4 more tablespoons of coconut oil.
• Add the chicken including the marinade, and chili flakes if using.
• Stir-Fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
• Return the broccoli to the skillet and mix until chicken and broccoli are combined.
• Serve Warm.

Pork Fried Rice

6 rashers bacon
1 cauliflower, riced
1 bunch green onions
1/2 lb pork tenderloin
Mushrooms
2 eggs
Fish sauce
Coconut aminos
Garlic
Ginger

Fry bacon until crispy.  Remove from wok and cook 2 eggs.  Remove & cut into thin strips.
Fry garlic and green onions in small amount of coconut oil.  Add mushrooms and pork and cook until pork is done.  Remove from wok




Fry cauliflower with ginger  in some more oil.  Add egg strips and pork  mixture.  Season with coconut aminos and fish sauce.  Top with bacon.

Day 16

This day was going to be difficult right from the beginning.  I had several meetings at work-9:45 to 12, 12 to 2:15, 2:15 to 3:30, 4 to 5.  Essentially, all day.  I had a plan to make sure I wouldn't be hungry all day, but I was busier than I expected.  I resisted the muffins at my morning meeting, but I did have half & half in my coffee.  We were having sandwiches with lunch & I had asked for chicken salad on lettuce.  Well, the chicken salad had 3 pieces of chicken in it, a few grapes and the pecans.  So, I was still hungry after eating it. Oh no, the salad came with chips-I ate them!!!  At my next meeting, I was so hungry that I ate a brownie (they are really good, by the way!) and at that point I was so mad with myself.  I was working late and so we even tallied with the idea of going out to dinner (which, as I found out when I got home, was likely to be pizza).  I immediately decided to cook and I made this sausage with cabbage noodles.  It's Ben's favourite thing to eat.  I made it all in the wok.  I fried the sausage & removed it, sliced up an onion and cooked it in the sausage fat.  Then, I added shredded cabbage and cooked it up with caraway seeds, paprika and salt & pepper.  I made cinnamon apples-cooked the apples in coconut oil, added some cinnamon, raisins and a little coconut milk.  At least I saved some part of my food day.....