Lemony Egg Salad

With a hint of lemon...

Salad:
7 hardboiled eggs
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 red bell pepper, diced

Dressing:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. mayo
1/4 cup lemon dijon mustard
1/2 cap vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 shakes dill weed

Cook, cool and dice eggs.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir well, adjust salt & pepper to taste.

Combine egg, celery, onion, bell pepper and dressing.

Laap

Otherwise known as the Thai version of cilantro-lime rice...way better than that crap they make at Chipotle. That's right, I said it. Ew, Chipotle. And this is a meal in itself. And it takes like, 10 minutes to make. Epic win.

1 lb. ground chicken
2 cup white rice, uncooked
Juice of 8 limes
2 tbsp. soy sauce*
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Red onion, chopped in 1/2" slivers, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

*Real Laap uses fish sauce, but I have to bastardize it since I'm not supposed to eat fish stuff. Use fish sauce if you can.

Cook and drain chicken. Cook rice.

Combine lime juice, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste it - if it's too tart for you, add a little more soy sauce, but keep in mind that the rice will cut down the tartness a bit.

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl and enjoy.

Kung Pao Chicken

Because everyone needs a little PAO every now and then...

Adapted from SeaSaltWithFood

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp. peanut oil
4 scallions, cut into 1" pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
15 dried chilies, roughly chopped*
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup peanuts

Rice, to serve

Marinade
1 tbsp. mirin
4 tsp. soy sauce
1 egg white
2 tsp. corn starch

Sauce
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or chinese black vinegar if you can find it)
Scant 1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. szechuan seasoning

*I chop these to bring more heat consistently throughout the dish, but if you don't want it hot leave them whole and eat around them. I just can't handle a whole mouthful of pow! anymore.

Mix marinade ingredients and marinate chicken for an hour. Chop and prep the rest of the ingredients while you wait. Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

When chicken is done marinating, heat peanut oil in a wok on high heat. Add garlic and chilies, cook until chilies begin to darken (probably less than a minute) - stirring constantly so as not to burn anything.

Add chicken to wok, marinade and all - just dump it all in there, and cook until mostly done, about 6 minutes. Stir frequently!

Add bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes more until the bell pepper just starts to soften.

Add green onions and peanuts, stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Add sauce, bring to a boil and let cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.

Serve over rice. I doubled the sauce in this recipe to make sure there is plenty to go over rice.

Taco Seasoning

Just like the packets, but better.

1 tbsp. Mexican-style chili powder
1/4 tsp. each garlic power, onion powder, red pepper flakes and dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each smoked paprika and kosher salt
1 tsp. each black pepper and cayenne pepper*
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

* Omit cayenne for mild spice

Mix all ingredients together. If storing, use an airtight container.

If making tacos, this is good for 1 lb. ground beef. Brown and drain meat, add 1/2 cup water, add seasonings and stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till liquid is gone and meat is nicely coated in seasonings. This could also be used on chicken.