Jamie's Chicken Chow Mein

I have a recipe for Chicken Chow Mein in my cookbook, and it's a good recipe, but after trying Jamie Oliver's version for dinner the week, I'm afraid I'll never make my old recipe again. This recipe was the epitome of what I am looking for in meals this year. It was easy. It was delicious. But best, it was made with simple and whole ingredients, getting most of the flavor from fresh vegetables, herbs, and citrus, with no jarred sauces (except soy). The flavors, unlike most in Chinese/American were bright and fresh and definitely a little spicy. I used the recipe as written on Jamie's website and modified just a little (subbed red pepper flakes for a whole red Chili unavailable at my grocer). I also doubled it for four of us with just a little bit leftover. You could get two adult and three or four child servings from the recipe below. I think in the future I will sub some fresh veggie (like snap peas) for the water chestnuts, but mostly because my kids are not big fans of water chestnuts. I did not use the mushrooms because we have mushroom haters.

Just so you know you can cook Chinese without special equipment, I cooked mine in a large nonstick skillet.

Jamie's Chicken Chow Mein
 serves 4-5

printer version

a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 to 1 t. red pepper flakes

2  large skinless chicken breast fillet (I used four med/small and we had a lot of chicken)

  salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 scallions

  a small bunch of fresh cilantro

1 to 2 heads bok choy, depending on how much you like it

Optional: 4 shiitake mushrooms

10 oz. chow mein noodles

  peanut or vegetable oil

1 T. cornstarch

8-ounce can of water chestnuts (or 1 cup of another quick-cooking veggie, like snow or snap peas)

4-5 tablespoons soy sauce

 1 small lime

To prepare your stir-fry
Put a large pan of water on to boil. Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic. Place your red pepper flakes with the ginger and garlic. Slice the chicken into finger-sized strips and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cut the ends of your scallions and finely slice. Halve the bok choy lengthwise and cut crosswise into large strips. If using the mushrooms, either tear into pieces or leave whole.

To cook your stir-fry
Preheat a wok or a large frying pan on a high heat and once it’s very, very hot, add a good lug of peanut oil and swirl it around. Stir in the chicken strips and cook for a couple of minutes, until the chicken browns slightly. Add the ginger, chile, cilantro stalks, mushrooms (if using) and half the scallions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, keeping everything moving around the wok quickly. Add your noodles and bok choy to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, no longer. Meanwhile add the cornstarch, water chestnuts, and their water to the wok and give it another good shake to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce (start with half and taste to see if you need more). Halve the lime, squeeze the juice of one half into the pan and mix well. Drain the noodles and bok choy in a colander over a bowl, reserving a little of the cooking water. Stir in the noodles and bok choy, with a little of the cooking water to loosen, if necessary, and mix well. Have a taste and season with more soy sauce if needed.

To serve your stir-fry
Use tongs to divide everything between two bowls or plates, or lift onto one large serving platter. Spoon any juices over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the scallions and the cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges.

Yum.

Potsticker Soup

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After all those lovely comments you left over the past two days I really feel like I should have some dynamite recipe to give you -- something fabulous that you can just whip up with no effort. Alas, I have no magic, but I will post Jamie Oliver's Wicked Kebobs (pretty close to magic) just as soon as I upload the photographs.

This recipe I wanted to share a while back, but my photos were so lousy I had to wait to make it again. As is, they are still not great, but the recipe is really very good irregardless. Don't judge this book by its cover.

My family loves Asian but I am not always very successful at creating authentic Asian flavors at home. This soup, to me, tasted authentic. Frankly, I was amazed how the addition of a few ingredients to basic broth changed ordinary broth to something really tasty. And such a quick recipe -- you could whip this up in less than a half hour at the end of a busy day.

The first time I made the soup I added the potstickers frozen, as directed. The second time I baked them and added them at the table as we ate the soup -- the kids didn't even add them to their soup, they ate them in-hand. Six of one, half dozen of the other. They do tend to fall apart quickly in the soup, so I guess I liked adding them at the table better. The bok choy was yummy -- something we don't eat often. I don't think I bought baby bok choy -- it was just a head from the grocer -- but I didn't use some of the tougher outer leaves. I received one of these julienne peelers for Christmas, and it works great for this kind of recipe -- you have julienne strips of carrot in the time it takes to peel. If you have a picky child in your crowd, you could ladle out some broth before adding the veggies and prepare a serving in a separate pot, adding only the veggies the picky child will eat -- carrots are usually a safe bet if nothing else.

I served this soup with some prepared frozen egg rolls -- not the healthiest choice, but definitely easy, and tasty.

 

Potsticker Soup

 serves 4 to 5

Printer version

6 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth or vegetable broth (I used chicken)

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

2 t. minced garlic

1 to 1 1/4 pounds frozen pork, chicken, or vegetable potstickers (20 to 25)

1 pound baby bok choy

1/2 cup shredded carrot (I used julienne for a more substantial bite of carrot)

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. toasted sesame oil

  Combine broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic in a 5- to 6-quart pan; cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add potstickers and return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 4 minutes. (Or bake potstickers and add to soup at the table.)

Meanwhile, trim and discard ends from bok choy, then thinly slice crosswise. Wash thoroughly. Add bok choy and carrot to soup and return to a simmer. Cook until potstickers are no longer pink in the center (cut to test) and dough is tender to bite, 2 to 4 minutes longer.

Stir in green onions, cilantro, and sesame oil. Ladle soup into bowls.

Source: Sunset magazine via myrecipes.com

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

I promised I'd post this recipe this week, and I'm squeezing it in before I get to my weekly menu. This is a really yummy version of Sweet and Sour Chicken, and I think pretty authentic, at least as far as American-Chinese goes. It does not involve an unnatural red sauce, which is a plus in my book. It does involve ketchup, so if you're a purest with ingredients, better keep moving. Ketchup doesn't bother me much.

One of my boys is a real fan of all things Chinese and this is one of his favorite recipes. He eats about three portions -- it's that teenage boy hollow leg thing. It takes a while to make, because you have to fry the chicken in smallish batches, but it's worth it when someone you love enjoys it so much.

I think I got the recipe way back when I was a new bride, from an international cookbook, but I've altered it so much over the years, I think it's mine now.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 egg, beaten
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. dry sherry
1 t. sesame oil
½ t. salt
4 chicken breast halves, cut in 1"pieces

2 T. cornstarch
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup sugar
4 carrots, sliced crosswise
1 red pepper, diced in 1" pieces
15 oz pineapple, drained (reserve juice, above)

½ cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 cups oil + 1 T.

Mix together egg, 1 T. soy sauce, sherry, oil and salt.
Add chicken and stir.
Refrigerate 30 minutes or more.

Dissolve cornstarch in red wine vinegar and
mix with chicken broth, sugar, pineapple juice, ketchup and 1 T. soy sauce.
Set side.

Preheat 2 cups oil in wok at 375.
Mix 1/2 c. flour with 1/2 c. cornstarch.
Drain chicken and dredge in flour mixture in small batches
(about one quarter of the chicken at a time)
Fry chicken in hot oil, in small batches, until lightly golden browned
and done in the middle.
Remove chicken from oil and drain on paper towels.

When all the chicken is cooked,
drain oil from wok and wipe with a paper towel.
Add 1 T. oil and heat over high heat.
Stir fry vegetables for 1 to 3 minutes until slightly softened.
Add chicken, pineapple, and sauce.
Cook until sauce is thickened.

Serve with white or brown rice, or Chinese noodles.


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Lettuce Wraps

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This week I tried this recipe over at Mennonite Girls Can Cook. I am surprised by the different foods prepared by the women who contribute to the blog. Really good-looking stuff. I suppose I had a preconceived notion of Mennonites eating plain, simple dishes. There's quite a variety of food there -- stop by sometime.

These wraps were really good. My kids loved them, my husband loved them, and I really enjoyed the simple prep. What an easy dish (inexpensive, too!). And while I don't think it would qualify as real Chinese, it was close enough to get the idea, but far enough away that my kids ate it, no questions asked.

I made a few modifications, to add a little more authentic flavor. My changes are included in the recipe as written below. There was some talk between my husband and my high schooler about wishing it had been chicken and maybe some chopped peanuts next time. I think I'll try 100% white meat ground turkey next time as a happy medium. Also -- I was a little confused by the term "steamed fried noodles." I could find no such product at the store. I did find some stir-fry noodles, made in China, which I used. They were fine but really not much different than Ramen. I might try Ramen next time (you just add them crunchy).

Lettuce Wraps

1 large head iceberg lettuce (or butter lettuce)
1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped
1/4 c. chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. dark sesame oil
2 or 3 cups steam fried noodles
1 bottle hoisin sauce

Core head of lettuce.
Hold upside down under cold, running water;
gently pull the leaves away from the core, one at a time.
Each leaf will form a natural cup.
Remove excess water from leaves and chill in refrigerator until needed.

Brown ground beef in heavy skillet.
Add ginger, garlic, peppers, carrot and onion.
Fry until veggies are tender.
Add chicken broth and
sprinkle with soy sauce and sesame oil.
Add the steam fried noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes longer
(noodles should still be crunchy).
Transfer mixture to serving bowl.

Place bowl on table, alongside a plate of lettuce leaves and bowl of hoisin sauce.
To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf
and top with hoisin sauce.
Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito
and eat with your fingers. Yum!



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Hoisin Molasses Barbecue Sauce

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What a difference a day makes. Last night's dinner was so simple that if it weren't for the cake I baked and iced tea I brewed, I would not have had a dish to hand wash. I kept thinking I was forgetting something because there was nothing to do in the kitchen while the meat was grilling. I need to spread that simplicity around a little so I avoid afternoons like Wednesday's.

The sauce that I put on the pork chops was compliments of Barb at Mom's Fridge. The scent from the grill that blew in my kitchen window was really wonderful and the kids and Doug raved about the chops. Last week, I purchased a large pork loin at Giant Eagle for $1.77 a pound -- I cut it into a large roast (Monday's dinner), eight boneless chops, and I still have two large pieces left for stir-fry. I think I averaged about $2.60 a meal with that cut of meat. The chops were moist and juicy and this sauce will definitely be served again. I think you could use it to sweeten up a stir fry, too.

Hoisin Molasses Barbecue Sauce

3 T. sugar
1 T. molasses
3 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. rice vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1 T. soy sauce
2 t. minced garlic
2 t. mustard

Mix well and use on roasted or grilled meats.

Source: Cooking Light March 2008

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Chop Suey

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Tonight I made Chop Suey for dinner. The kids and Doug raved about it, even though I've made it before, so I thought I'd post the recipe.

According to Wikipedia, chop suey is a Chinese-American dish made with bits of meat and vegetables. My mom tells a funny story about when she was growing up and my grandma made chop suey. It was the one dish her children didn't have to eat if they didn't like it, because my grandma said it was "foreign food." It didn't matter that they were third generation Germans and ate quite a bit of German food, chop suey was "foreign."

I imagine you could use up quite a bit of leftovers with chop suey if you planned it right. I just bought some chicken breast and a bag of snow peas and started from scratch. You can eat it with rice or noodles, but we tend to go with the noodles here. Plain white spaghetti boiled, drained and tossed with a few teaspoons of sesame oil and a sprinkle of table salt. You could fry them before you mix them with the chop suey, but I don't bother. If you use noodles, I recommend doubling the sauce ingredients (see the ** below) and skipping the final cornstarch step -- the noodles really suck up the sauce.

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients, most are repeats on the list (used at different times) and if you make Chinese food at all, these are probably ingredients you already have.

Chop Suey

1 lb. lean boneless pork chops or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. low salt soy sauce
2 t. rice wine
1 t. salt
½ t. freshly ground pepper
2 t. Asian sesame oil
1 egg white
1 T. cornstarch
4 T. to 1/2 c. peanut oil *
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 T. finely shredded ginger
2 cups snow peas, trimmed
½ cup finely chopped scallions
¼ cup chicken broth **
1 T. light soy sauce **
2 t. rice wine **
2 t. chili bean paste or sauce **
1/2 t. salt (can be omitted if you're watching your salt)
1 t. sugar **
¼ t. freshly ground pepper (can be omitted if you want it less spicy)
1 t. cornstarch mixed with 2 t. water
2 t. sesame oil

cooked noodles or rice



Cut pork or chicken into shreds 2 inches long by 1/8 inch wide.
In medium-sized bowl, mix pork with soy sauce, rice wine, salt, pepper and sesame oil.
Mix in egg white and cornstarch and toss until pork is coated.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Heat a wok until very hot and swirl in peanut oil.
When oil is very hot, immediately add the meat shreds, stirring vigorously.
As soon as meat begins to lose its raw look, drain in a colander.
Add 1 T. oil to wok and heat.
When hot, toss in garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Scatter in snow-peas and scallions and stir fry for one minute.
Pour in stock, soy sauce, and rice wine.
Spoon in chili paste, salt, sugar, and pepper.
Stir to mix well and return meat to pan, cooking for 2 to 4 minutes.
Slowly drizzle in cornstarch mixture.
Stir in sesame oil, transfer to a bowl over rice or noodles.

*In my opinion, you should use as little oil as necessary. The original recipe called for 2 cups. Whoa! I think you can probably get by with as little as 3 T. for the meat and 1 T. for the veggies. And I use corn oil because of our allergies.

** Double for extra saucy.
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Egg Rolls

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If you've never tried making your own egg rolls, and you enjoy them from your favorite Chinese Restaurant, you really should try this recipe. I was a little intimidated because I've never used egg roll wrappers, but they were really simple and really yummy! I'll never buy egg rolls again.
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