Asian cooking Archives - Listen to Lena

This past weekend, I set out to discover if there was indeed a way to marry my two favourite comfort foods: Asian cuisine and pizza. Normally I’ll toy around with a recipe a few times before coming up with a winner, but in the case of my Thai Chicken Pizza for Two, I do believe I knocked it out of the park on the first try.

Now I call it a “pizza for two” mainly because naan-style flatbreads are limited to about 10-inch diameters; hence, it’s a stretch to feed a family of four. However, this is easily overcome by simply making two pizzas :)

I swapped traditional tomato sauce for a nutty concoction seasoned with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and vinegar – essentially, the making of any delicious peanut stir-fry sauce. It complements the tender morsels of chicken perfectly, and makes for a very satisfying lunch or dinner.

The husband suggested that mushrooms would be a great addition, but frankly, with the complex flavours and savoury twist, I’d almost rather add chopped florets of steamed broccoli – and will be doing so next time. Also, be generous with the basil; I only used about two torn leaves, but have upped that number to four in my recipe. …

All in favour of cheating? Say “Aye”.

Often, I take pride in placing an award winning, made-from-scratch, piping hot meal on the table. Nothing gives me more pleasure than showing off my culinary prowess; especially when my efforts are so well received by my doting family.

And other times, I like to slap a frozen pizza on the table and walk away.

Somewhere in the middle of this love/hate relationship with making dinner is what I like to call “The VH Zone“.

VH Sauces offer a quick, easy and tasty solution for bringing a little culture into your cuisine. From zesty Orange Ginger to Spicy Thai Chili Sauce, you can create a healthy and delicious stir fry on the fly – perfect for those weekday nights when you’re craving take-out but want a more nutritious (and wallet-friendly) option.

And, they help me cheat.

Cheaters General Tao Chicken

6 frozen chicken fingers, baked and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 egg, beaten, scrambled until just cooked and set aside
1 bottle VH General Tao Stir Fry Sauce
one large bunch cappellini pasta

So, you know how most General Tao meals include crispy, deep fried chicken? I figured out I could replicate the taste with frozen, breaded chicken fingers that have been baked in my toaster oven. They offer the same crispy, seasoned coating with none of the deep fried mess. Plus, I can bake the chicken fingers while I’m prepping my ingredients, so the entire meal is ready in less than 30 minutes….