Ground chicken in hoisin sauce, two ways

As much as I like to try out new recipes, I always fall back on simple stir-fry dishes for many of our family dinners.  When time is short (and it always seems like everything needs to get done right around the dinner hour), it's easy to stir-fry up some meat, throw in some vegetables or tofu, and add a little sauce to bring it all together.  Meanwhile, the rice cooker bubbles away and provides the rest of the meal.

Ground chicken cooked in hoisin sauce, topped with scallions and peanuts, served over rice

If stir-fry "recipes" are my secret weapon for putting a quick meal on the table, then I must have certain Asian pantry ingredients in my arsenal.  The very basics include soy sauce and sesame oil; beyond that, I'd say oyster sauce is my secret weapon.  I like to stir it together with some water and cornstarch - then pour it into the pan with what I'm cooking, and I have an instant sauce for my stir-fry. 

Today though, I'm thinking about another Asian pantry sauce that I like to keep on hand and use for both cooking and as a dipping sauce.  It's hoisin sauce, or what translates into "seafood sauce" in Chinese.  It doesn't actually have any seafood in it.  Some call hoisin sauce the Asian barbecue sauce but I'd describe it as a thick, sweet sauce that has a certain umami flavor to it.  It's made with soybeans, sweet potatoes, sesame seeds, and sugar, to name a few ingredients. 

Hoisin sauce is often used as a dipping sauce, slathered onto the wrapper or bun for Peking duck, for instance.  We like to put some on Asian fish balls.  When I was growing up, I loved drowning some steamed rice noodles with hoisin sauce for a snack or meal.  The sweetness is a little addicting!  I don't use it all the time but if you're looking for a quick Asian flavor boost for your stir-fry and you're in the mood for some sweetness, this is a good option (I particularly like to use it to make a sauce for diced chicken and cashew nuts). 

I often make stir-fry with ground turkey because my son loves it.  For a little variety, I also like to use ground chicken.  This stir-fry dish here is simply ground chicken cooked with some grated garlic, ginger, and scallions.  A simple mixture of hoisin, soy sauce, water, and sesame oil makes for a quick sauce.  I topped it with some crunchy peanuts and served it over rice but it makes a great filling for lettuce wraps.  If I had some shiitake mushrooms on hand, it would be great in this dish, as would some shredded carrots.  That's the beauty of a stir-fry; you can add so many things to it and use what's lingering in your fridge.

Repurpose leftovers...and make spring rolls!

I was watching the Pioneer Woman this weekend and the show was called "one thing leads to another" and that's what I had in mind here.  I'm saving some leftovers to make something else.  Now, speaking of leftovers, I've come to truly appreciate it to the point of making sure I make too much so that I'll have leftovers!  When I was making this Asian chicken stir-fry dish, I thought I'd reserve some and use it as a filling for...spring rolls.  

You see...I've wanted to make spring rolls at home for ages now.  This is actually my inaugural batch. Years ago, I'd always opt for the crispy, fried kind but being more health-conscious in recent years, I now go for and appreciate the soft kind of spring rolls that you'd typically find filled with shrimp, vegetables, and some thin vermicelli noodles.  Unfortunately, the ones I order at restaurants are often hard and dried out so making some at home, to eat fresh, has been a goal.

So right in time for Fall, I made "Spring" roll...but I think this warm version makes a nice snack/meal at any time of the year.  It took me this long to make spring rolls because they always seemed a bit of a project, requiring you to steam shrimp and chop up/prep the various fillings to do the job.  Well, I had the idea to go for a bit of a short-cut, by using some appropriate leftovers as a filling, when I saw this post that uses leftover peanut noodles as the primary ingredient for the rolls.  I thought it was a great idea, and I could picture lots of possibilities.   In short, re-think spring roll fillings!  (Though maybe I'm the only one who'd never thought of the possibility!)  Repurposing leftovers like this cuts the prep time down and makes for tasty results.

So for my shortcut rendition, I used some leftover ground chicken in hoisin sauce we had the night before as the primary filling in my spring rolls.  I added vermicelli noodles (that only require a few minutes soak in hot water, which I then used to soak my wrappers) and some shredded carrots (another easy task thanks to my julienne peeler).  Best part - I made the easiest, 2-ingredient dipping sauce by stirring a little bit of warm water into hoisin sauce to thin it out.  It was fast and very tasty!  

For the spring rolls:

I used these wrappers I bought at an Asian grocery store:

They're just over 8 1/2 inches in diameter and while you'll likely find smaller ones as well, I think the larger rounds are the way to go since it makes handling/rolling easier.  I've always been a bit nervous about working with these delicate wrappers, or spring roll skins, but it turned out to be a lot easier than I thought.  And I particularly like the uniquely soft, thin skins of spring rolls. 

In addition to the leftover ground chicken in hoisin sauce, I wanted to add some traditional vermicelli noodles into the spring rolls to bulk them up.  I used the ones shown above.  I made 3 large rolls with my leftovers and used just half of one package.  These thin noodles only need to be soaked in some just-boiled water for about 3 minutes.  Then, I removed the noodles and used the now warm water to soak the spring roll wrappers.  

For other spring-roll making novices like myself, it may be helpful to know that they are pretty easy to make.  You need a gentle touch but if you're not too concerned with perfectly formed rolls, it's a simple enough process. 

To assemble, have everything in place so you can work quickly.  Soak a spring roll wrapper for just a few seconds in warm water until it starts to bend and become pliable but is still slightly firm (it will continue to absorb the water and become softer) and lay it out on a flat surface like a cutting board.  I laid my filling - shredded carrots, some vermicelli noodles, then a few spoonfuls of my leftovers - down near the middle of the round.  Gently pick up the edge of the wrapper nearest you and fold it over the filling.  Then, I folded in the sides and continued to roll it to a close.

You need a little dipping sauce and this couldn't be easier.  Just two ingredients!  Take some hoisin sauce and thin it out a bit with some warm water.  That's it!  This is something we've done to go with things like pork ever since I was a kid. 

These spring rolls are best served on the spot after rolling.  If necessary, you could keep them for a few hours by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap, not touching each other (to prevent sticking), so they stay moist.  I also put a damp paper towel on top for a little added insurance.  If you need to refrigerate them for longer, I suspect steaming cold spring rolls is the best way to revive them. Otherwise, you might end up with those cold, hard, disappointing, spring rolls you sometimes get at a restaurant. 

That's my little fun for today.  Hope this inspires you to put a little twist on your leftovers!

Recipes:  

Asian Chicken with Hoisin Sauce
Inspired by this recipe from Rachael Ray

- Serves up to 4 - 

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon canola oil
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1 lb. ground chicken
2 large garlic cloves, grated 
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
4 scallions, chopped, reserving the greens from 2 scallions
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
Rice, for serving (optional)

In a measuring cup, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and water.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if using.  Add ground chicken and cook, breaking up the chicken with a wooden spoon or spatula.  Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes.  If there is a lot of liquid at the bottom of the pan, drain/spoon out the majority of it. Add garlic, ginger, and scallions (except for reserved greens).  Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in hoisin sauce mixture and cook for another 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens and is throughly combined with the chicken.  Taste, and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.  Sprinkle the top with the reserved scallion greens and chopped peanuts.

Ladle on top of rice and serve immediately.  (If desired, reserve some of the chicken mixture to make spring rolls below).


Asian Chicken Spring Rolls with Hoisin Dipping Sauce
Inspired by leftovers and this recipe from Love and Lemons

For spring rolls, you'll need:
Spring roll wrappers
Leftover Asian Chicken with Hoisin Sauce (above), warmed
Vermicelli noodles, cooked by soaking in boiling water for 3 minutes
Shredded carrots

For hoisin dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons warm water

To make spring rolls, place spring roll wrapper in warm water for a few seconds until it just begins to soften but it still slightly firm (it will continue to soften as it absorbs the water).  Lay wrapper on a clean cutting board or towel.  Place filling ingredients in the middle of the wrapper horizontally.  Gently pick up the wrapper edge nearest you and fold it over the filling.  Fold in the two sides and continue to roll to a close.  Continue making spring rolls with remaining ingredients.

Stir water into hoisin sauce to make a dipping sauce.  Rolls are best served immediately, with dipping sauce alongside.  To keep for a few hours, wrap spring rolls individually in plastic wrap (to prevent sticking) and cover with a moist paper towel.