Jamaican Beef Dumplings

• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
• Hot sauce (preferably Jamaican)
• About 30 dumpling or wonton wrappers

Cook scallion, onion, curry powder, and thyme in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef and bread crumbs and cook until meat is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with hot sauce. Cool.

Put a rounded teaspoon filling in center of a wrapper. Lightly brush edge of wrapper with water, then fold in half (diagonally if square) and press to seal. Form remaining dumplings.

Heat 1 inch oil to 350°F in a 12-inch skillet. Fry dumplings in 3 batches, turning once or twice, until golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.

Spicy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice (10 to 11 ounces)
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 8-ounce package stringless sugar snap peas

Cook rice according to package directions. Cover to keep warm; set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in medium bowl until cornstarch dissolves. Mix in orange peel.

Heat oil in large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onion and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to wok and stir-fry until onion is crisp-tender and chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and juice mixture. Toss until sauce thickens and comes to boil and peas are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice.

Spicy Pineapple-Apricot Sauce

1/2 pineapple preserves
1/2 apricot preserves
1/4 cup pineapple-apricot horseradish sauce or honey mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sambal oelek

Make the dipping sauce by mixing all ingredients together in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

(Non American) Sweet and Sour Pork

1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 green bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into pieces)
1/2 red bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into pieces)
2 stalks scallions (only the white part, cut into 2 inch length)
1 piece fresh/canned pineapple ring (cut into small pieces)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
Oil for frying

Marinate:

1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon corn flour
1/2 teaspoon rice wine

Frying Batter:

1/2 cup water
2 oz. all-purpose flour
1 oz. corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 egg
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 small pinch of salt

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon plum sauce
1/8 teaspoon Chinese rice vinegar (transparent in color)
1/2 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons water

1. Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.
2. Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.
3. Strain the dry ingredients of the frying batter and then add in the egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter.
4. When the pork is well-marinated, transfer the pork pieces into the batter and make sure they are well coated. In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels.
5. Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then follow by the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers and then add in the sweet and sour sauce. As soon as the sauce thickenens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well with the sauce. Add in the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Americanized Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon table salt)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
• 1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon table salt)
• 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2. In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
3. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
4. Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.

Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.

Serves 4.

Sesame Chicken

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/3 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1/3 cup green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon honey

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, 1/2 sesame seeds, black pepper, five-spice powder, and red pepper flakes. Place a few pieces of chicken at a time into the bag, and shake to coat. Remove to a platter.

• Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Place chicken into skillet, and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken, and set aside. Stir onion wedges and bell pepper slices into skillet; cook until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove, and set aside.  

• Return chicken to skillet, and reduce heat to low. Mix in teriyaki marinade, remaining sesame seeds, and honey; stir until sauce thickens. Return onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Warm through, and serve.