Takeout Chicken with Green Beans

 Chicken and marinade:

• 12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

The rest:

• 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 pound green beans (trimmed and cut in half)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

Mix together marinade ingredients and toss with chicken, set aside.

Mix together stock, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, and cornstarch to make the sauce.

Preheat wok or large frying pan to nearly smoking hot and add 2 tablespoons of oil followed by the chicken and marinade. Cook stirring until chicken is cooked through, remove chicken.  Add additional 2 tablespoons oil if needed followed by the green beans. Sauté the beans for 2 minutes and add 1/3 cup of water and cover the pan for a minute and a half so they steam. Remove lid and stir in garlic, wine, and the sauce mixture. Add the chicken back in and stir, cooking until the sauce has thickened to your liking.

Notes:

I used all regular soy sauce instead of two kinds

I used mirin instead of Shaoxing

I added a tablespoon of MSG to the sauce mix

Chicken Teriyaki Dump Dinner

Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce 
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 
2 tablespoons sesame oil 
2 teaspoons grated ginger 
3 cloves garlic, grated 
Kosher salt 
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced 
1 1/2 cups raw jasmine rice  
1 red onion, sliced 
1 medium bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 1/2 cups) 
1 red bell pepper, sliced 

 

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl until combined. Add the chicken and stir to coat. 
• Spread the rice evenly in the bottom of the prepared dish. Pour in the teriyaki mixture, scattering the chicken evenly. Scatter the onion, broccoli and bell pepper evenly over the top.  
• Cover with foil and bake until the vegetables have softened but are still vibrant, about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the juices have thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the rice to absorb more of the moisture. 

NOTES: 

• The method is good and simple.  I'll definitely make this again with (surprise) a few edits.
• Less teriyaki sauce.  Try 1/2 cup.
• I don't think the foil held in the moisture quite enough - my rice was still slightly crunchy after 25 minutes on the convection setting.  Try a little more broth and perhaps a casserole dish or dutch oven with a lid.
• Fewer onions and more broccoli
• Source - Food Network

Moo Shu Pork (or Beef, or Chicken...)

Pancake recipe source

Filling recipe adapted from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook (highly recommended!)

PANCAKES

1½ cups (7 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour

¾ cup boiling water

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (or other oil)

½ teaspoon vegetable oil

FILLING

Marinade

1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. rice wine or dry cherry

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 lb. boneless pork loin or pork chop, sliced into thin strips

OR Leftover grilled meat (skip marinade and cooking steps if using already-cooked meat)

Sauce

2 T. rice wine

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. hoisin sauce

1 T. sesame oil

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 T. oyster sauce

1/4 tsp. five-spice

2 T. peanut or vegetable oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp. dried)

2 green onions, chopped

6 fresh shittake mushrooms, sliced into thin strips

6 napa cabbage leaves, sliced into thin strips

2 medium carrots, shredded or sliced thinly

1 c. bean sprouts (or substitute extra cabbage)

To Make Pancakes (Can be done ahead of time)

1. Using wooden spoon, mix flour and boiling water in bowl to form rough dough. When cool, transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead until it forms ball that is tacky but no longer sticky, about 4 minutes (dough will not be perfectly smooth). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

2. Roll dough into 12-inch-long log on lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Turn each piece cut side up and pat into rough 3-inch disk. Brush 1 side of 6 disks with sesame oil (I don't own a brush, so I used nonstick spray.  Classy but effective); top each oiled side with unoiled disk and press lightly to form 6 pairs. Roll disks into 7-inch rounds, lightly flouring work surface as needed.

3. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil. Place pancake in skillet and cook without moving it until air pockets begin to form between layers and underside is dry, 40 to 60 seconds. Flip pancake and cook until few light brown spots appear on second side, 40 to 60 seconds. Transfer to plate and, when cool enough to handle, peel apart into 2 pancakes. Stack pancakes moist side up and cover loosely with plastic. Repeat with remaining pancakes. Cover pancakes tightly and keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel. (Pancakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped pancakes at room temperature. Unwrap and place on plate. Invert second plate over pancakes and microwave until warm and soft, 60 to 90 seconds.)

To Make Filling

1. If using raw meat: In a medium bowl, stir together the marinade ingredients and add the pork.  Stir to coat and let stand for at least 20 minutes.  Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot.  Add the pork and stir-fry until the outside is no longer pink, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

3. Add 1 T. oil to the skillet.  Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion and stir fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds (don't let it burn!).  Add the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts (and pre-cooked meat, if using).  Stir-fry until the vegetables begin to wilt, about 4-5 minutes.  Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine.  Add the meat, if you haven't yet.  When vegetables are cooked, remove from heat.

4. To serve, put pancake on your plate, add filling, and roll like a burrito.

Serves 4 polite people or 2 delighted adults.

Slow-Cooker Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs

Serves four to six.
(Source)

• 1/4 cup chicken broth 
• 3/4 cup hoisin sauce 
• 3 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin 
• 4 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce 
• 1 tablespoon instant tapioca 
• 5 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs, excess fat trimmed 
• Salt and pepper 

Combine broth, hoisin, scallion whites, chili-garlic sauce, and tapioca in slow cooker. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

Transfer short ribs to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Skim excess fat from surface of sauce. Pour sauce over short ribs and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve over rice.

General Tso's Chicken

This was fantastic!  There are a few specialty ingredients, but they were all pretty cheap (and enough to make many, many batches of this).  I wasn't sure how the cornstarch battering was going to work out, but it was so easy and perfect.  Adapted slightly from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook.

Serves 4.

Marinade:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (I used regular white wine)
2 large egg whites

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp white sesame seeds (optional)

Sauce:
1/4 c chicken stock or water
1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp white rice vinegar (I used regular)
1 tsp hoisin sauce (from the asian aisle)
1 tsp chili sauce (I used sriracha)
1 tsp sesame oil (I used canola)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

1 1/2 cups cornstarch
salt and pepper
3 cups oil for frying (I doubt I used this much)
8 dried whole red chilies, or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I used the flakes; omit for the spice-sensitive)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Scallions or green onions, for garnish

1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, wine, and egg whites.  Add the chicken and stir gently to coat.  Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. (If using sesame seeds) In a small pan, toast the sesame seeds for about 1 minute, until they become lightly brown and aromatic.  Transfer to a dish and set aside.
3. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, oil, sugar, and cornstarch.  Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.  Set aside.
4. Toss the 1 1/2 cups cornstarch with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each) in a large bowl or deep plate.  Coat the marinated chicken in the cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess before frying (Note: You should have the oil heated before coating the chicken, or the cornstarch coating gets pasty.  I don't know if this affects the finished product, but it doesn't seem ideal).
5. Heat the frying oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed pot until it registers 350 on an instant-read thermometer.  Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until lightly golden on the outside and cooked through, 3-4 minutes.  Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.  Repeat with the rest of the chicken.  (Optional: To get the chicken extra crispy, allow the chicken to drain and cool for 5 minutes, then put the chicken back in the wok to fry for about another 30 seconds, until golden brown.)
6. Transfer the oil to a heat-proof container.  Leave a light coating of oil in the pan, and heat over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact.  Add the chilies and garlic and stir just until fragrant, about 20 seconds.  Pour in the sauce mixture and heat briefly to thicken.
7. Return the chicken to the wok and stir well to coat with sauce (I didn't think there would be enough sauce, but keep stirring, and it will cover.).  Transfer the chicken to a serving dish.  Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes

NOTES:

• We loved this and will definitely be making it again.  It was messy to put together but really not hard and definitely worth it.
• Next time, I may try adding chunks of onion and pepper; coated in sauce, they should retain a nice texture while baking.  It could also be great with orange zest and extract.
• Source: Brown-Eyed Baker via Molly

Cashew Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or cooking wine, or omit)
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
3½ teaspoons cornstarch, divided
Coarse salt
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup unsalted cashews
2 green onions, white and green parts divided and thinly sliced

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the sherry, ginger, and 1½ teaspoons cornstarch; season with coarse salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the skillet and cook the remaining chicken (reduce the heat if the chicken is over-browning). Transfer to the covered plate.

4. In the same skillet, add the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the cashews, garlic, and green onion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Whisk the sauce again to combine and add to the skillet along with the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Serve over rice or noodles and top with the green onion greens.
From Brown Eyed Baker

NOTES:

• I realized about half way through that I didn't have onions in any form.  (Would've been better with.)  
• Also, I wanted more volume so I added broccoli.  (Was good.)
• Also, I didn't have rice vinegar so I just used white vinegar.  It might make a difference, but this was good as well.
• My cashews were salted - it was fine.
• Thumbs-up all around!

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

1 c. cabbage, thinly sliced

1 carrot, grated

1/2 can of bean sprouts

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 c. mushrooms, cut into thin pieces

(snow peas and shrimp would also be good)

2 T. sesame oil

2 T. soy sauce

2 tsp. lime juice

garlic, ginger, and cayenne to taste

1/3 pkg. Rice or cellophane noodles

1 pkg. spring roll wrappers*

Set the rice noodles to soak in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes, or until soft. Meanwhile, stir fry all other ingredients (except for wrappers) until done. Drain the noodles thoroughly, then assemble as follows:

Set a wrapper to soak in a shallow dish of hot water (make sure it's submerged). When it is soft, remove and let drip dry for a few seconds, then set on a plate and immediately put the next wrapper to soak.

Break off a small handful of noodles and place towards the bottom of the wrapper.

Add about 2T. of vegetables, well drained (I just squeezed them out in my hand).

Fold up the bottom and press to seal, then the sides, then roll up.

Place on waxed paper, making sure they don't touch. At this point, you can eat them as is, or deep fry them in hot oil for about a minute per side. I actually found it easier to keep one submerged with my spatula and cook for around a minute total.

Makes 20 rolls. (I fried 10, and froze the other 10 between layers of waxed paper.)

Serve with dipping sauces such as Hoisin or sweet and sour.

*I used Vietnamese (rice) spring roll wrappers. This recipe would also work with Thai (wheat) wrappers, but obviously you wouldn't soak them; just wet the edge to seal.

Emily's Improvised Chow Mein

2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
1 large carrot, sliced
1 can water chestnuts, drained (reserve liquid)
1 handful snow pea pods
1/2 can bean sprouts, drained (reserve liquid)
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp. mustard powder
dash red pepper
2 heaping tsp corn starch
soy sauce
salt
white pepper

Heat 2 tbsp oil and spices on high heat until sizzling. Add chicken and stir fry until just browned, sprinkling with soy sauce. Add vegetables and stir fry until crisp tender and chicken is fully cooked. Meanwhile, combine 1 tbsp. soy sauce and enough liquid (reserved from canned vegetables, chicken broth, or water) to make one cup with corn starch to make sauce. When chicken mixture is cooked, add sauce and lower heat to simmer until thickened. Add salt, white pepper and soy sauce to taste. Serve over chow mein noodles.

Serves 3-4.

Notes: This was enough sauce, but you might want to increase the liquid if you like it to really soak into the noodles.

Pork Cantonese

2 lbs. Boneless lean pork, cut in 1” pieces
2 tbsp. salad oil
1 (14 oz.) pineapple chunks
1 (4 oz.) canned mushrooms
1/3 c molasses
¼ c vinegar
2 green peppers, cut in strips
green onions, cut into 1” pieces
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water.

Brown pork on all sides in hot oil in skillet.
Drain pineapple and mushrooms, reserving liquids. Combine liquids and add enough water to make 2 c. Add liquid to pork; cover and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
Stir in molasses and vinegar until blended. Add pineapple, mushrooms, green peppers and onions; cover and cook 10 minutes. (Vegetables retain a little crispness.)
Blend together cornstarch and water. Stir into hot mixture and cook until slightly thickened. Serve over hot rice. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: I made this with chicken and it was excellent! Just skip the simmer step.