Chinese dinner out last night
Jill McQuown
food. I have 2 to-go boxes in the fridge because it was so much food we
couldn't possibly eat all of it. What's great about Chinese food (aside
from the flavour, of course!) is it cost us under $15. Guess what's for
lunch today? <G>
The meal was:
sweet/sour pork
chicken egg foo yung
fried rice with pork
egg drop soup
steamed dumplings
crab puffs
spring rolls
Let's see if I have recipes for most of what we had, then please fill in the
blanks or substitute with your own favorites! :-)
Sweet/sour pork - nope, don't have one for that. Ray loves it, so I'd like
suggestions. It had nice big chunks of pork, green pepper, onion and was in
a bright red sweet/sour sauce.
Egg Foo Yung
6 eggs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
16 oz. fresh bean sprouts, or a can of sprouts, well drained
3/4 tsp. salt
about 1/2 c. diced cooked meat of your choice, chicken, pork, shrimp
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add onion, pepper, celery and bean sprouts.
Stir in salt and meat. Lightly grease a griddle or skillet and get it hot.
Ladel out in about 1/2 c. portions. Cook until golden brown on the bottom,
then turn and brown the other side.
The sauce:
1-1/2 c. chicken broth
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dark soy sauce
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
In small saucepan, blend chicken broth into cornstarch. Stir in remaining
ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and
cook, stirring, about a minute more.
*************
Fried rice... hmmm, the only recipe I have for that is Thai but that's okay
:-)
4 cups cold steamed rice
3 Tbs. peanut oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 large pork chop, finely diced
8 oz. raw shrimp, shelled & deveined
6 oz. can crab meat, drained
3 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt & pepper
salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. Thai or Chinese chilli sauce (optional)
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 c. chopped green onions
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Steam the rice and spread it out to separate the grains and allow to cool
completely. Best if you use rice prepared a day ahead and kept in the
fridge :)
Heat oil in wok or a large frying pan and fry the onions on medium low heat,
stirring constantly, until soft and translucent. Increase heat to high.
Stir in pork and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add shrimp and crab meat and
stir-fry another 3 minutes or until shrimp is pink. Pour the eggs into the
center of the wok or pan, stir until just beginning to set and then add rice
and stir well. Continue tossing and stirring until rice is heated through.
Sprinkle fish sauce in and mix well, then add chilli sauce (if using) and
tomato paste and toss thoroughly so rice has a reddish color.
Remove from heat. Stir in green onions; transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle
with chopped cilantro and serve.
****************
Chinese Egg Drop Soup (Dahn Far Tong)
4 c. chicken stock
2 Tbs. chinese wine or dry sherry
1 tsp. sesame oil
salt to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbs. chopped spring onions
Bring the stock to a boil; add wine and sesame oil. Taste and add salt if
needed. Season beaten eggs with 1/2 tsp. salt. Pour beaten eggs slowly
into the boiling stock, stirring once or twice. Serve immediately,
sprinkled with spring onions.
**************
Steamed Dumplings
Once again, this is Thai but it doesn't really matter. The ones we had
featured pretty much just pork. I'll be up front and tell you mine are much
better!
3 oz. flaked crabmeat
6 oz. ground pork
6 large shrimp, minced
1 Tbs. water
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1-1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 egg
1-1/2 Tbs. light soy sauce
1 Tbs. peanut oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. wonton wrappers
Combine all ingredients except wonton wrappers. Hold a wonton wrapper in
the palm of hand. Place 1 Tbs. or so of filling in center. Fold two
corners up to meet in the middle. Pinch to seal. Fold the other two
corners up to the middle. Seal with fingers moistened with water. Repeat
until all filling is used. Some wrappers will be left over.
Place dumplings in an oiled steamer basket. Bring water to a boil in a deep
pot. Place steamer over water. Turn heat down. Cover and simmer (steam)
20-25 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.
A simple suggested dipping sauce:
4 Tbs. white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. hot water
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. dark soy sauce
2 Tbs. thinly sliced ginger root
Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and let stand about 30 minutes to blend the flavours.
***************
Crab puffs
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
dash red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. minced green onion
1 c. flaked crabmeat
1 pkg. wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. cold water
Blend all ingredients except egg and wonton wrappers. Place 1-1/2 tsp.
filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Fold over into a triangle
shape. Seal edges lightly with egg beaten with a little cold water. Fold
corners of wrapper together and brush with more egg. Deep fry in hot oil
until golden. Drain on paper towels or brown paper.
***************
Spring Rolls
1 pkg. egg roll wrappers
2 carrots, grated
8 oz. beansprouts
3 oz. mushrooms, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
4 Tbs. peanut oil
1/2 small head of cabbage
2 stalks celery, minced fine
4 oz. bean threads
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbs. light soy sauce
Soak bean threads in cold water until soft; cut into 4 inch lengths. Heat
wok or deep curved skillet over high heat; add 4 Tbs. peanut oil. Add all
ingredients except bean threads and egg roll wrappers in wok. Stir fry 3-5
minutes, stirring constantly to cook through. Drain mixture in collander
and let cool 5 minutes. Add bean threads.
Place 3 Tbs. filling on edge of egg roll wrapper. Fold in sides to just
cover filling. Tightly roll away from your body to form an even cylinder.
Moisten edge with water to seal. Continue until all are prepared. Deep fry
over medium-high heat until golden brown. Drain on brown paper.
**************
That's about it. Even in single servings it was way more than enough to
feed the two of us. And the service was excellent.
Jill
Nancy Young
>
> Took Ray for a spin in the new car last evening and he treated us to Chinese
> food. I have 2 to-go boxes in the fridge because it was so much food we
> couldn't possibly eat all of it. What's great about Chinese food (aside
> from the flavour, of course!) is it cost us under $15. Guess what's for
> lunch today? <G>
>
> The meal was:
> sweet/sour pork
> chicken egg foo yung
> fried rice with pork
> egg drop soup
> steamed dumplings
> crab puffs
> spring rolls
Wow, that is a lot of food, did you order each item separately or
was it some kind of chef's special? That's fun, all those different
dishes, kind of like I sometimes have an appetizer dinner.
That is one thing I like about Chinese food, I just wish I had a
good restaurant nearby, though one just opened and they deliver,
and they have some different selections from the same old same old.
I have to get out of the chicken and broccoli rut (laugh). I order
wonton soup by the quart, it's like free food, I have it for
breakfast for the next few days. Chinese takeout makes great
leftovers.
I wish chinese menus had some sort of description of the dishes.
I'm not adventurous like, oh I'll take the Happy Family (?) ...
I really like to know what I'm in for. I realize that's not
feasible given that the menus are already enormous. I never
had Chinese food growing up, I'm really not familiar with the
cuisine (and yes, I know it's not even *real* Chinese). For
instance, what is Mu Shu pork, what's with the pancakes?
nancy
Damsel in dis Dress
> ... what is Mu Shu pork, what's with the pancakes?
Think of them as tortillas. Make yourself a Chinese burrito!
Damsel
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Sheryl Rosen
Nancy Young <qwe...@mail.monmouth.com> wrote:
> I wish chinese menus had some sort of description of the dishes.
> I'm not adventurous like, oh I'll take the Happy Family (?) ...
> I really like to know what I'm in for. I realize that's not
> feasible given that the menus are already enormous. I never
> had Chinese food growing up, I'm really not familiar with the
> cuisine (and yes, I know it's not even *real* Chinese). For
> instance, what is Mu Shu pork, what's with the pancakes?
>
> nancy
Think "asian stir-fry wraps" or "chinese fajitas".
You get a mix of vegetables and the meat of your choice (beef, chicken,
pork, whatever kind of Mu Shu you order) and 3-5 pancakes...the pancakes
are essentially flour tortillas.
You eat mu shu just like you eat fajitas...roll your own!
The vegetable mixture is typically shredded cabbage and julienned
carrots and sometimes other things like mushrooms, bean sprouts...really
whatever they want to put in. The sauce is tasty, and depends on the
restaurant. I like Mu Shu chicken a lot.
Try it sometime...but make sure you order extra pancakes or have some
fajita size flour tortillas around for the leftovers!
--
---
Love like you've never been hurt
Live like there's no tomorrow
And dance like there's nobody watching
Nancy Young
>
> Nancy Young <qwe...@mail.monmouth.com> said:
>
> > ... what is Mu Shu pork, what's with the pancakes?
>
> Think of them as tortillas. Make yourself a Chinese burrito!
>
> Damsel
(laugh) I'll try them next time. nancy
aem
7DE842.130...@news2.srv.hcvlny.cv.net:
> In article <3CC2E571...@mail.monmouth.com>,
> Nancy Young <qwe...@mail.monmouth.com> wrote:
>
>> I wish chinese menus had some sort of description of the dishes.
>> I'm not adventurous like, oh I'll take the Happy Family (?) ...
>> I really like to know what I'm in for. I realize that's not
>> feasible given that the menus are already enormous. I never
>> had Chinese food growing up, I'm really not familiar with the
>> cuisine (and yes, I know it's not even *real* Chinese). For
>> instance, what is Mu Shu pork, what's with the pancakes?
>>
>> nancy
>
> Think "asian stir-fry wraps" or "chinese fajitas".
>
> You get a mix of vegetables and the meat of your choice (beef, chicken,
> pork, whatever kind of Mu Shu you order) and 3-5 pancakes...the pancakes
> are essentially flour tortillas.
>
> You eat mu shu just like you eat fajitas...roll your own!
>
> The vegetable mixture is typically shredded cabbage and julienned
> carrots and sometimes other things like mushrooms, bean sprouts...really
> whatever they want to put in. The sauce is tasty, and depends on the
> restaurant. I like Mu Shu chicken a lot.
>
[snip]
That's probably true of some American restaurants, where they're using the
name to describe variants on the theme. But the classic mu shi pork is
marinated pork shreds, wood ear (fungus) and golden needles (dried blossoms
of a certain flower). The cabbage, carrots, sprouts are less expensive
substitutes and additions. If you use them (and why not, if you like them)
you must include at least the wood ear if you want some resemblance to the
original dish. The sauce is either Hoisin or a sweet-sour mixture that
includes soy sauce, sugar and vinegar, depending on which part of the
country the cook comes from.
Jill McQuown
news:3CC2E571...@mail.monmouth.com...
> Jill McQuown wrote:
> >
> > from the flavour, of course!) is it cost us under $15. Guess what's for
> > lunch today? <G>
> >
> > The meal was:
> > sweet/sour pork
> > chicken egg foo yung
> > fried rice with pork
> > egg drop soup
> > steamed dumplings
> > crab puffs
> > spring rolls
>
> Wow, that is a lot of food, did you order each item separately or
> was it some kind of chef's special? That's fun, all those different
> dishes, kind of like I sometimes have an appetizer dinner.
>
type of soup (he had the hot & sour, not the egg drop). The rest was part
of the package :-)
> That is one thing I like about Chinese food, I just wish I had a
> good restaurant nearby, though one just opened and they deliver,
> and they have some different selections from the same old same old.
> I have to get out of the chicken and broccoli rut (laugh).
So try the beef and broccoli next time <G>
> I order
> wonton soup by the quart, it's like free food, I have it for
> breakfast for the next few days. Chinese takeout makes great
> leftovers.
>
Indeed! I had a spring roll and three dumplings for lunch. Still have
these two huge egg foo yungs (I have no idea how to say that properly) and a
bunch of the pork fried rice left.
> I wish chinese menus had some sort of description of the dishes.
> I'm not adventurous like, oh I'll take the Happy Family (?) ...
> I really like to know what I'm in for. I realize that's not
> feasible given that the menus are already enormous.
Some places do describe what's in the dish; I guess it depends on the place.
I never
> had Chinese food growing up, I'm really not familiar with the
> cuisine (and yes, I know it's not even *real* Chinese). For
> instance, what is Mu Shu pork, what's with the pancakes?
>
> nancy
Others have already answered but the pancakes are like tortillas.
Jill