Cashew Chicken Ding

3/4 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch dice

8 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil, divided

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Sauce:

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 medium garlic clove, finely minced

For the Stir-Fry:

6 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, stemmed and caps cut into 3/4-inch dice

1/2 small jicama, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup (3/4-inch) diced celery from 1 to 2 celery sticks

1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)

1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup toasted cashew nuts, divided

Cooked white rice, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine cubed chicken with 2 teaspoons oil, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sugar, salt, and cornstarch and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

For the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce and mix well.

To stir-fry, remove chicken from refrigerator 5 minutes before cooking. In a wok, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high heat until smoking. Add chicken and spread it out with a spatula so that all pieces are in contact with the wok. Cook, without moving, until chicken is slightly browned on bottom, about 1 minute. Continue to cook while stirring regularly until chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add another 2 teaspoons of oil to the wok and heat over high heat until smoking. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until mushrooms release liquid, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Continue to stir-fry until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Add 2 more teaspoons oil to the wok and heat over high heat until smoking. Add jicama, celery, and zucchini and cook, stirring, until jicama has browned slightly, about 3 minutes.

Add red bell pepper, season with salt and cook until bell pepper is slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms back to wok and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return chicken to the wok and stir well. Stir sauce, then pour into wok. Continue stirring and cooking until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Turn the heat off. Add 3/4 cup of toasted cashews, stir, then transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle remaining cashews on top and serve immediately with rice on the side.

Dumplings and Chilli Garlic Sauce

12-15 frozen dumplings

2 tablespoons oil

1/3 cup water

Garlic sauce :

1 heaping tablespoons chili flakes

4-5 garlic minced

2 tablespoons cilantro

2 tablespoons green onions sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon chili oil crisp

Garnish: Sesame seeds, green onions, cilantro, chili oil / chili crisp

Add the garlic sauce, ingredients to a large bowl.

Heat up the oil until slightly smoking.

Carefully pour over the garlic sauce ingredients. Stir.

In a pan, on medium heat. add oil and frozen dumplings and let the bottom get a nice brown sear. About 1 to 2 minutes.

Add water and cover with for about four minutes or until all of the water is gone.

And stir the dumplings to brown on all sides for about another minute. Remove and gently add into the garlic sauce and mix.

Garnish with more sesame seeds green onions, cilantro, and chili oil.

Roasted Garlic Butter Pasta

2 whole heads garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb pasta

1/2 cup softened butter

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan plus more for serving

1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice tops off garlic heads, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast 30-40 minutes until soft and golden. Squeeze cloves out once cooled.

Cook pasta al dente.

Mash roasted garlic with softened butter, parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper until smooth.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet and toast breadcrumbs 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy.

Toss pasta with garlic butter in the pot adding a splash of pasta water if needed.

Top with toasted breadcrumbs and extra Parmesan!