I said yes to prevent myself from falling out of my chair laughing, but in actuality this is a delicious main course and has nothing to do with peanut butter. I got the idea from one of my favorite cookbooks. The first time I made this dish for Matt, he gobbled it up in no time…and then proceeded to ask for it…constantly. I had no real qualms with this – it’s incredibly easy and very fast, great for a quick lunch or weeknight supper. The flavors are great, and I can mix it up by adding rice, my favorite scallion pancakes, or other veggies into the pork mixture. The problem is, I just don’t like to make the same things over and over again. Why? Because of you, my lovely readers! But Matt came into the kitchen hautily one day and informed me that I’d never put this recipe on my blog. Ha! He thwarted the system, and I made it again.

Spicy Ground Pork over Sauteed Scallions (“Ants on a Log”)

Served 2.
Leftover Potential: Reheats well, or the raw pork mixture can be used for other meals, as well.

2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 bunches scallions, ends and any wilted pieces removed

1 lb ground pork
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sriracha, or more to taste

sesame seeds, toasted, for garnishing

1. In a large saute pan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, tossing occasionally, until soft and wilted, about 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix the pork, onion, garlic, soy, vinegar, oyster sauce, and sriracha to combine.
3. Add the pork to the hot pan once the scallions have been removed. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork has browned and cooked through.
4. Spoon the pork and any juices over the scallions, and finish with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

Recent cravings for Chinese take out soup led me to this incredibly easy recipe. It may not be quite the same as your local take out joint, and it is certainly not traditional, but it was inspired by having several assorted cans of broth and not being sure what to do. I sort of “fortified” the broths with scallions, garlic, and ginger – and the mixture of the three broths was quite delicious and tasted fabulous with my standard wonton/dumpling filling. So, I’m calling it “Quick Wonton Soup”. Sure, it takes a little while to form the wontons, but the opening the can part couldn’t be easier.

Crispy Pork Eggrolls

Makes about 20 eggrolls
Leftover Potential: We assembled all of the eggrolls one day but only cooked half. We kept the others tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge until the next day when we fried some more.

1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup water chestnuts, roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp ginger, finely minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 package (20 each) eggroll wrappers
oil, as needed for frying

1. In a large bowl, combine the pork, water chestnuts, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy, Worcestershire, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and cayenne.
2. Place a few spoonfuls of the pork filling into the center of an eggroll wrapper. Use your hands to form the meat into a log. Fold the bottom of the eggroll wrapper over the filling, fold both sides in, then continue to roll away from you until the filling is completely encased and the wrapper is neatly folded under. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot until it shimmers and is hot enough for frying. Add the eggrolls a few at a time, and fry until they are golden brown (turn halfway through) on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Drain on absorbant paper towels, let cool slightly, and serve with soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, or sriracha!

***Alternatively, you can pan fry the eggrolls in a small amount of oil until they are crisp and brown on both sides, then finish them in a 375 degree oven until they are cooked through.

Perhaps I’m coming off a little strong, but I had no idea this dish would turn out so incredibly good with such a minimal ingredient list and almost no time. This is how fast you can make this dish: I didn’t have air conditioning in my house over the weekend, so Matt and I took refuge in the basement, where it was at least 10 degrees cooler. Every time we emerged onto the main floor, we nearly passed out. He sliced the meat, I prepared the sauce, and we were back downstairs in less than 10 minutes, enjoying this awesomely simple meal.

Ok, I’ve gushed enough…just try it!

Mongolian Beef


Served 2.
Leftover Potential: Reheats well in the microwave, but even better re-stirfried!


1 1/2 lbs chuck eye, flank, or other thin, tender steak, thinly sliced
3-4 Tbsp cornstarch


2 Tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes


1. Place the steak and cornstarch into a bowl, and toss to coat. Add more cornstarch as needed to completely coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or wok, and add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the steak to the pan, and stir fry until the meat is browned on the outside but still tender, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture boil lightly to thicken, about 1-2 minutes. Serve with rice.

Vegetarian Ramen

Served 1.
Leftover Potential: It would be super easy to double or triple this recipe to serve more people or to save for leftovers.

1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili paste
1 (14 oz) can vegetable broth

1 handful soba noodles
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snap peas
1/4 cup water
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
cilantro, roughly chopped, as needed for garnish

1. In a small pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat and cook the carrot, celery, and shallot until the shallots for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a blender or food processor, and process to a paste.
2. Transfer the mixture back to the pot, and add the vegetable broth. Add the soba noodles. Simmer until the mixture develops good flavor and the noodles are tender, 8-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes. Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until softened. Remove and set aside. Add the bell pepper and saute until softened, then set aside. Add the snap peas and saute with 1/4 cup water. Steam until the water has evaporated entirely. Set aside.
4. Spoon the finished broth into a bowl, and top with the garnishes. Serve immediately.