...  Needed: 1/2 cup oyster sauce 1 tablespoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil 1/2 cup sherry or white wine 3 tablespoons light soy sauce 1-1/2 teaspoons palm sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 1-1/4 pounds beef round steak, cut into 1/8-inch thick strips 1/4 cup and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus more if needed 1-1/2 thin slice of fresh ginger root (optional) 1-1/2 shallots, sliced 1-1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets Directions: Combine  the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, and sesame oil in a bowl. Put in the meat and thoroughly mix with ingredients in the bowl. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Put the broccoli in a casserole bowl, add a tablespoon of water, cover, then microwave for 6 minutes. You can also steam the broccoli over a stove. Slice the shallots, and ...

...  off what you already have and then head to grocery store. By the way, if you can use more menu plans and meal planning tips, claim your free gift here. Produce Fresh garlic Mushrooms Baby carrots Broccoli Onions Potatoes (choose a variety that is suitable for both baking and mashing) Lettuce Tomato Chives Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples Sweet potatoes Green bell pepper Avocado Celery Ready-to-eat salad mix Seasonings and Other Cooking Items Dill weed All-purpose biscuit baking mix Vegetable oil Italian seasoning Salt Baking powder White sugar Sage Dijon mustard Ground black pepper All-purpose flour Dried mixed fruit Apricot nectar Chopped walnuts Brown sugar Allspice Nutmeg Olive oil Lime juice Dried apricots Golden raisins Red and green candied cherries Candied pineapple slices Lemon juice Lime juice Mustard powder Bay leaves Vegetable broth Cayenne pepper Ground cumin Cilantro Honey Cornmeal Dry great Northern beans Dry pinto beans Stuffing Mix Cranberry sauce Ranch ...

...  muffins are made with cornmeal, if you don’t have any on hand or prefer fresh corn, you can still make cornbread muffins. This recipe is easy to make and the results are delicious. I’ve made them with whole wheat flour, but all purpose flour can certainly be substituted. Ingredients Needed: 3 cups corn kernels. You can use fresh, canned or frozen. Just defrost first. 2 cups whole wheat flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder A pinch or two of salt 4 eggs, beaten 2 cups milk ½ cup vegetable oil Makes: 24 cornbread muffins   Direction: Start by preheating the oven to 400 F. Next, chop up the corn until it looks something like this. I’ve used a Pampered Chef food chopper on a cutting board to achieve this. You could use a food processor, but don’t create a puree…unless you want to hide the texture of the corn in the muffins. It’s actually quite delicious with little bits of corn in it, so I just chop it. Set aside. Now combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, including the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Then, add the beaten eggs, milk and vegetable oil. Stir until well combined. Then fold in the corn, until it’s evenly distributed. Now, you can pour the batter evenly amongst 24 muffin tins. The paper muffin cups are optional. I like to use them for easy clean up and then we put the papers in the green recycling bin when we’re done. Bake at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. They’re done when you gently press your finger on the top and the muffin springs back. Serve warm. Add a little butter for an even more special ...

...  recipe is for sweet potato tempura. However, you can substitute other vegetables like brocoli, onion, carrot, beans, mushrooms, etc. You can even do seafood like shrimp, fish and soft shell crab. Try a variety batch to see what you like best. Ingredients Needed: Enough vegetable oil for deep frying 2 sweet potatoes Batter: 1 egg 1 cup flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ¾ cup ice water This recipe makes about 6-8 servings. Directions: Fill your pan or deep fryer with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 375 F. In the meantime, peel and slice the sweet potato into ½ thick pieces. Mix the batter ingredients in a large bowl, whisking until well combined. The batter should be fairly runny, but add more flour or water if you need to adjust the consistency. Dip the potatoes into the batter and let the excess run off. Carefully place the potatoes in the oil with a fork or tongs. Hold the potatoes above the bottom of the pan for a few seconds to prevent them from ...

...  recipe is adapted from http://chinesefood.about.com/od/pork/r/sweetsourpork.htm, but I’ve modified the steps for simplicity, adjusted some ingredients and made the it all a whole lot saucier. This recipe makes about 6 servings. Ingredients Needed: 1 pound pork tenderloin 3 teaspoons soy sauce      Sauce: ½ cup sugar ¼ cup ketchup ¼ cup soy sauce 1 cup pineapple juice (from canned pineapple tidbits) ½ cup vinegar Batter: 1/3 cup flour 1/3 cup cornstarch 1 egg 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/3 cup water You will also need enough vegetable oil to fill a pan about 2 inches for deep frying your pork. Remaining Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 chopped red pepper 1 chopped green pepper 1 cup pineapple tidbits 2 tablespoons cornstarch 4 tablespoons water Directions: Cut the pork into 1 inch cubes and place them into a bowl. Stir in the 3 teaspoons soy sauce and allow the pork to marinate for about 20-30 minutes. Now you can prepare the sauce that you will set aside until later. Just whisk together sugar, ketchup, ...

...  Gyoza is originally a Chinese dish, which has become very popular across Japan. The Chinese call this “Jiaozi.” Gyoza seems like a complicated appetizer, but with ready-made wonton wrappers, they’re easy to make. Plus, they’re very delicious. Following this recipe will make about 36 gyozas. Ingredients Needed: 1 tablespoon sesame oil ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup shredded carrot 2 cups shredded cabbage 36 wonton wrappers 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Water – you’ll need some on hand for sautéing the vegetables to moisten the wrappers and for cooking the wrappers   Directions: Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and cabbage and sauté, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes. If you want softer vegetables, add a ½ cup of water or so and put a lid on your pan, continuing to cook until desired tenderness.  Set the vegetable mixture aside and let it cool slightly. Now add about 1 tablespoon of the mixture to the middle of each wonton wrapper. Fold it over, moisten your fingers with water and seal it with your fingers. Preheat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan at medium high heat. Add the gyoza and cook for approximately 1 minute on each side. Then add ¼ cup of water, place a lid on the pan and cook until the water evaporates. Serve the vegetable gyoza with gyoza dipping ...