Peruvian Stir-Fried Chicken & Noodles (Tallarín Saltado)

This chicken and noodle stir-fry dish, tallarín saltado, is a classic Peruvian dish. According to Milk Street, simple stir-fry dishes like this are a staple of the Chinese-influenced cuisine known as chifa. Chifa cuisine combines South American and East Asian flavors and ingredients.

This recipe was adapted from Milk Street, contributed by Malcolm Jackson. Jackson uses balsamic vinegar in place of the more traditional red wine vinegar and substitutes a jalapeño or Fresno chile for the ají amarillo chile that would be used in Peru. The dish was fresh, fast and fabulous. We loved it!

We ate the stir-fry with roasted broccoli- a strange combination- but it was ultimately a nice compliment. 🙂

Yield: Serves 6

• 12 ounces spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 1/2 T oyster sauce
• 3 T light soy sauce
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• 4 T grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 5), trimmed and cut into 3/4 strips
• 1 large red onion, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
• 6-7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1 Fresno or jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, and thinly sliced lengthwise
• freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
• 1/4 cup plus 2 T lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep all remaining ingredients.
2. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain. (I cooked my pasta for 5 minutes.)
3. In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, soy sauce and vinegar; set aside.
4. In a 14-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. (I used a stainless steel skillet.)
5. Add the chicken, onion, and garlic, distributing the ingredients evenly, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring, until the chicken is well browned on the bottom and releases easily from the pan, about 4 to 5 minutes. (See Tip)
6. Add the oyster sauce mixture and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the bell pepper and chile; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are al dente, 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Off heat, stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
10. Place half of the stir-fry in a serving bowl and sprinkle with half of the cilantro. Repeat with the remaining stir-fry and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side, as desired.

Tip: Don’t stir the chicken too soon after adding it to the skillet. Left undisturbed, it forms a fond, or browned bits that stick to the skillet. The dish’s flavor develops when the oyster sauce mixture deglazes that fond. After adding the pasta water, stir vigorously; this helps the sauce come together.

Caramelized Pork & Cucumber Stir-Fry

I have never cooked cucumbers before! The cucumber slices in this stir-fry were quickly sautéed until just crisp tender- great. I also loved the seasonings in the finished dish.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Christina Chaey. I used my largest skillet (14-inch) but would use a 12-inch next time. I don’t have a 14-inch splatter screen and I made quite a mess. It was worth it.

Yield: Serves 3 to 4

• 1 large English/European cucumber, peeled in alternating lengthwise strips, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, halves sliced crosswise on a diagonal 1/2-inch thick (I used a melon baller to remove the seeds)
• 1/2 tsp Morton kosher salt (or 1 tsp Diamond Crystal), plus more
• 2 T oyster sauce
• 2 T soy sauce (I used Trader Joe’s light soy sauce)
• 2 T Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or medium-dry sherry (I used dry sherry)
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3 T grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 Fresno chile, halved, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 one-inch piece ginger root, peeled, finely grated
• 2 to 4 large garlic cloves, finely grated or pushed through a garlic press
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground white or black pepper
• white rice, for serving (I used white Basmati rice)
• minced cilantro, for garnish, optional

1. Toss cucumber slices and kosher salt in a medium bowl to coat evenly. Let sit until cucumber slices start to release their liquid, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stir oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sherry (or Shaoxing wine) in a small bowl to combine; set aside.
3. Using your hands, form pork into six small patties. Season lightly with salt; set aside.
4. Drain cucumber slices in a colander and rinse well under cool running water. Drain, shaking off any excess water, then pat dry with a kitchen towel.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (12-inch) over medium-high. Cook cucumber slices, tossing vigorously, until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
6. Wipe out skillet and heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high.
7. Add reserved pork patties; gently flatten with a spatula. Cook, pressing occasionally to help meat make contact with pan, until deeply browned and crisp underneath, about 4 minutes.
8. Flip patties; cook until other side is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 minutes.
9. Break up pork into large pieces; continue to cook until no longer pink, about 1 minute.
10. Add chile, ginger, garlic, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
11. Add cucumber back to skillet along with reserved sauce. Cook, tossing often, until sauce is reduced and evenly coats pork and cucumber slices, about 1 minute.
12. Serve stir-fry over rice. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Chicken & Corn Stir-Fry

I have a couple more dishes featuring sweet summer corn to share. This quick stir-fry was perfect to serve after a busy day outside. After prepping the ingredients in advance, it was fully prepared in the time that it took for the rice to cook.

This recipe was (slightly) adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Chris Morocco. The original recipe notes that peppers, peas, mushrooms, or summer squash could be substituted for the fresh corn. Great!

Yield: Serves 4

• 3 T oyster sauce
• 1 T unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 to 5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 lb), cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• 2 T cornstarch
• 4 T vegetable oil, divided (I used canola oil)
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 T)
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper (or other mild chile flakes or paprika), or more, to taste
• 3 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs
• cooked rice (I used white Basmati rice)
• cilantro leaves with tender stems, for serving

1. Stir together oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Trim the chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Prep the red onion, garlic, ginger and corn. Set aside.
4. Cook the rice using your preferred method.
5. While the rice is cooking, season the chicken pieces with salt and sprinkle with cornstarch; toss lightly to coat.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large well-seasoned wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high. (I used a 14-inch stainless steel skillet.)
7. Cook chicken, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and nearly cooked through, 6–8 minutes.
8. Add red onion, garlic, ginger, Aleppo-style pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Cook, tossing, until vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes.
9. Add corn kernels and cook, tossing often, until tender, about 3 minutes.
10. Stir in reserved oyster sauce mixture and cook, tossing often, until reduced nearly to a glaze, about 2 minutes.
11. Taste and season with salt if needed.
12. Serve stir-fry with rice, topped with cilantro.

Sesame Stir-Fried Pork Tenderloin with Shiitakes

This quick weeknight dish was packed with flavor. The seasonings had a great balance too. The original recipe notes that tofu can be substituted for the pork to make a vegetarian version.

This recipe was adapted from 177milkstreet.com, contributed by Dawn Yanagihara. I reduced the amount of kimchi and increased the amount of garlic. This dish could definitely gobble up more kimchi- I may incorporate the full amount next time. I served it over brown Basmati rice to make a complete meal. Wonderful!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin (can substitute 14 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups Napa cabbage kimchi, drained, large pieces chopped, with 2 T reserved juice (I used 10.6oz jar of Trader Joe’s kimchi)
• 2 1/2 T soy sauce, divided (I used reduced sodium soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 T grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil
• 8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 T mirin
• 1 T toasted sesame oil
• 2 T sesame seeds, toasted
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• brown Basmati rice, for serving, optional (I used 1 cup rice cooked in 2 cups stock)

1. Cut the tenderloin in half lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise about 1/4-inch thick.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the pork, 1 tablespoon of the reserved kimchi juice, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
3. In a 12 or 14-inch skillet over high, heat 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil until beginning to smoke. Swirl to coat the pan, then add the pork and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl.
4. In the same pan over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil until beginning to smoke.
5. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, if necessary (I omitted it), and the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
7. Return the pork to the pan with any accumulated juices and cook until the juices evaporate, 30 to 60 seconds.
8. Add the kimchi, mirin, the remaining 1 tablespoon kimchi juice and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce. Reduce to medium and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until the kimchi is heated through, about 3 minutes.
9. Stir in the sesame oil, half of the sesame seeds and half of the scallions.
10. Transfer to a bowl or platter, over rice, if desired. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and sesame seeds. Serve.

Pork & Asparagus Stir Fry

I loved that this was a veggie-loaded dish. Other members of my family may have complained that they wished it had more meat. 😉 Everyone enjoyed it!

I used asparagus combined with farm stand sugar snap peas and my CSA garlic scapes and bunching broccoli. Any crisp vegetable could be incorporated. We ate it over rice drizzled with Sriracha to add extra heat- perfect.

This Sichuan-inspired stir-fry recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Deb Perelman.

Yield: 4 servings

• 1 to 2 T peanut or vegetable oil, divided (I used 6 teaspoons)
• 2+ lbs crispy green vegetables (I used 1 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut on a diagonal into 1″–2″ pieces with 1 lb bunching broccoli, cut into 2″ pieces, and 2 cups sugar snaps)
• 8 oz ground pork
• pinch or dash of red pepper flakes, optional
• 4 to 6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
• 2 garlic scapes, finely chopped, optional
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 T Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or medium-dry sherry
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• white or brown rice, cooked, for serving
• store-bought chili crisp or sriracha, for serving, optional

1. Heat 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high. (I used a 14-inch stainless steel skillet.)
2. Once pan is hot (oil will be lightly smoking), add half of the vegetables and a couple pinches of salt and cook, tossing only once or twice so the pieces have a chance to blister, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add another 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil to skillet (no need to wipe it out) and repeat process with remaining vegetables.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high; add remaining 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil to skillet, then add pork, spreading out into an even layer. Season with a couple pinches of salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Cook, undisturbed, until meat begins to brown underneath, about 2 minutes.
4. Break up meat with a wooden spoon and add scallions, garlic scapes (if using), garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until pork is crisp and mixture is very fragrant, about 2 minutes. (I used a mini-food processor to finely chop the scallions, garlic, garlic scapes, and ginger.)
5. Add wine and soy sauce and return the vegetable to the skillet. Cook, turning to coat with pork mixture, until heated through, about 1 minute.
6. Transfer stir-fry to a platter or large shallow bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve with rice and hot sauce.

One-Skillet Hot Sausage and Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry

This was a crowd-pleasing dish to make with my beautiful CSA Napa cabbage. As suggested in the original recipe, we ate it in flour tortillas but it would also be delicious served over rice. It was reminiscent of one of our family favorites, Thai One-Pot.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Claire Saffitz. I modified the proportions, used scallions instead of chives, and wilted all of the Napa cabbage.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 16 to 18 ounces hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I used 6 sausages)
• 2 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 6 to 10 cups very thinly sliced Napa cabbage, divided (I used 1/2 of a large head)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 8 large flour tortillas or mu-shu wraps, warmed (I used Trader Joe’s handmade flour tortillas)
• hoisin sauce and Sriracha, for serving, as desired

1. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, work ginger and garlic into sausage in a medium bowl.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron (I used a 14″ stainless skillet), over medium-high and cook sausage mixture, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, crisp, and cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage mixture to a clean bowl.
3. Increase heat to high and cook mushrooms in the fat in the skillet, tossing often, until browned and starting to release their juices, about 4 minutes (if skillet looks dry at any point, add a bit more oil).
4. Add half of cabbage and cook, tossing often, until cabbage is wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. (I incorporated all of the cabbage, a handful at a time.)
5. Drizzle in vinegar and soy sauce and cook, tossing, until liquid is mostly reduced and skillet is dry in spots, about 2 minutes.
6. Remove skillet from heat and incorporate sausage and remaining cabbage (if reserved) into stir-fry.
7. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with scallions/chives and sesame seeds.
8. Serve stir-fry with tortillas, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha for making individual wraps.

Shrimp & Basil Stir-Fry

My herb garden has been beyond fabulous this year. I wanted to make sure that I made this dish before my beautiful basil faded away.

This dish was described as being “more addictive than Doritos.” 🙂 The recipe is from Bon Appétit, contributed by Andy Baraghani. I don’t usually follow a recipe precisely, but did on this occasion because I had never used Fresno chilies. Oops. The dish was tasty but beyond spicy. I regret not tasting my chilies for heat intensity. I will certainly do that next time, and will follow the recipe as written with milder chilies or remove the seeds and ribs for spicier chilies.

The spicy-sweet sauce was delicious and I still enjoyed it. This dish also comes together very quickly and is perfect for a weeknight meal. We ate it over brown Basmati rice with tomato slices on the side. The tomatoes really helped offset the heat. 🙂

Yield: Serves 3 to 4

• 3 Fresno chiles, coarsely chopped (seeds and ribs removed, to taste)
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 T fish sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4 T vegetable or grapeseed oil, divided
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry
• 2 cups basil leaves (about 1 bunch)
• lime wedges, for serving
• 1 cup of rice (cooked in 2 cups stock or water), for serving

1. Blend chiles, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, salt, and 3 T oil in a blender until smooth. (I used a Vitamix.)
2. Transfer marinade to a medium bowl and add shrimp; toss to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.
3. Heat remaining 1 T oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high.
4. Using tongs, just when oil begins to smoke and working in batches if needed, add shrimp, leaving marinade behind, and cook, turning once, until lightly charred around the edges, about 1 minute per side.
5. Remove pan from heat. Add basil and toss vigorously until basil is wilted.
6. Transfer shrimp mixture to a platter. Serve with rice and lime wedges alongside.