5 Asian Recipes That Are Better Than Takeout & What I Cooked Last Week

Thai basil chicken, Mom's shrimp fried rice, healthy chicken and broccoli stir fry, beef pad see ew, Thai red curry chicken

Hi everyone,

Hope you’ve been well! Doug and I are back in LA for the next month after lots of travel, and it feels so good to be home and settling back into our routine. Tonight we’re seeing You Can See Everything, the new Elizabeth Holmes documentary, and I’m so excited. I’ve heard it’s really good, and I love a documentary. I’ll let you know what I think!

This week, I’m sharing five of my favorite Asian recipes that are better than takeout for the next time the craving hits.

First, here’s a recipe for crispy bean and cheese tostadas, which have been on rotation at my house. They’re so easy and satisfying, and I hope you give them a try!

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Crispy bean and cheese tostadas

A healthy, easy dinner I’ve been making on repeat! Crispy baked corn tortillas are topped with homemade refried beans, veggies, cheese, and salsa. So satisfying!

Bean And Cheese Tostadas

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You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

5 Asian Recipes That Are Better Than Takeout 🥢

My mom is half Korean and half Chinese, so Asian cooking has always felt like home to me. These are some of my favorite flavors to cook with, and I love how easy so many of these dishes are to recreate at home.

This week, I rounded up five of my favorites, from noodles and stir-fries to a cozy Thai curry. They’re packed with flavor, surprisingly simple to make, and perfect for the next time a takeout craving hits. I hope you find a new favorite!

Thai Basil Chicken

This one explodes with sweet, savory, and spicy flavor. You sauté the chicken with shallots, garlic, and chilies, then finish it with lots of Thai basil and serve it over rice with a fried egg on top. So craveable and delicious!

You can find the recipe here.

Mom’s Shrimp Fried Rice

This dish is so comforting and delicious. The secret to really great fried rice, in our opinion, is to make a well in the middle of the rice and let it fry undisturbed in some melted butter. You’ll end up with crispy rice bits running through the whole dish.

You can find the recipe here.

Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

This is one of my go-tos. To get the chicken super tender and juicy, we use a Chinese technique called velveting, where you marinate the chicken in a mixture of egg white, cornstarch, and a few other ingredients before cooking. Then you build your stir fry, and it all comes together with a super flavorful sauce and plenty of garlic, ginger, and scallions, which I call the holy trinity of Chinese cooking.

You can find the recipe here.

Beef Pad See Ew

This is such a satisfying dish, and it tastes just like something you’d order at a Thai restaurant. The wide rice noodles get slightly charred in the pan, then tossed with tender beef, veggies, egg, and a savory sauce that coats every bite. To make it really authentic, look for fresh, wide rice noodles at an Asian market.

You can find the recipe here.

Thai Red Curry Chicken

The secret to a really flavorful Thai curry is frying some of the curry paste in reduced coconut milk to bloom all the spices and aromatics. Then you build the broth with more coconut milk and chicken stock, and simmer the veggies and chicken right in it. It comes together so quickly and easily, and turns out fantastic every time. I recommend Mae Ploy brand curry paste.

You can find the recipe here.

I hope these become staples in your kitchen like they are in mine!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Maxine