Mostly Easy Fried Rice

3-4 cups cooked, and cooled rice
1 cup cooked beef, chicken, or pork, cubed or salad shrimp
1 cup carrots, diced small
1 cup of onions, diced
1 cup of frozen green peas
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of ginger root, minced
2 green onions, sliced finely
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Tamari (soy sauce)
1 to 3 teaspoons of Sesame seed oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Eggs, scrambled (optional)

Start by sauteing the onion, peas, and carrot, after a few minutes add the meat, garlic, and ginger.  In a few more minutes add the sesame oil and green onion, and turn off the heat.  Next add the Tamari, salt, and pepper, and combine with the rice.  For those who want it, top with the egg.

Hot and Sour Soup

• 2-4 Tbs. Chicken fat (for best results), butter, or any oil
• 1 Leek, washed thoroughly, split, and thinly sliced
• 4 medium Carrots washed, split, and sliced
• 8 oz. white button Mushrooms, washed, split, and sliced

Stir-fry vegetables in chicken fat, then add:

• 1 quart of chicken stock
• 8 oz. can of each, or a cup fresh: Bean Sprouts, Baby corn, Water chestnuts, Bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed (watch out for MSG and preservatives like Sodium Benzoate or Potassium Sorbate)
• 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
• 3 Tbs. Soy sauce
• 1/2-1 Tbs. Chili-Garlic oil
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt (depends on how salty your stock is, mine had little to none)

Let the whole pot boil for about 20 minutes, or until the largest carrot pieces are tender.

And if you like it thick, stir in:

• 2 Tbs. of Corn starch dissolved in 2 Tbs. cold water

Once it comes to a boil gently stir in a steady stream of:

• 2 eggs, beaten

And/Or add:

• 1 block of extra firm tofu cut into strips (optional)

Bring back to a boil, then serve.

When did take-out Chinese food get so bad?

My husband and I love Chinese food or any Asian style type cuisine.  But in the last few years, and possibly for longer, every time we eat from a restaurant it is just not good.  It makes me so sad to spend money we can't really afford (even if once a year) on food that isn't worth it.  I just can't help but think what I could have done with that $40.

For the second time in as many years and experiences with Chinese take out, I have rinsed off my food so I could make my own sauce.  This baffles my husband.  But even this time he agreed that anything I make is infinitely superior to what we've had in the last few years.  There's just no getting around it, if I want good food I have to make it myself.

Good things to have on hand:  Garlic, Ginger root, Tamari, Rice Wine Vinegar, Red Pepper Paste, Sesame Oil.

So here are the Chinese inspired recipes from my blog that I've complied.

Egg Rolls at Home

Egg Foo Young

Hot and Sour Soup

Stir-Fry

Asian Green Beans and Pork

Egg Rolls at Home

I personally feel egg rolls or any other delicious fried thing you can order on a Chinese restaurant menu to be the highlight of the meal. So why not make a meal out of it? Tom and I also love, love, love Crab Rangoon, but I haven't found a filling recipe really worth posting. The version I made last night was o.k.

This is best for a group of people because there is only so much fried food you can eat, but if you've gone through the trouble of heating up some oil you might as well make a lot. Or make some, then half fry the rest, cool and freeze for later eating.

Egg Rolls: Makes approx. 10 rolls

For the Filling:

2 Tbs. Canola oil
1/2 lb Sausage
1/2 large Onion diced
1/4 large head of Green Cabbage, finely chopped
2 Carrots finely diced
2 Tbs. minced Ginger root
1 Tbs. minced Garlic
1/2 Tbs. Chili paste
1 Tbs. Soy sauce
1 Tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Eggs

Start by sauteing, over high heat, the onions and sausage till sausage is cooked, then add the cabbage and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes before adding the paste, soy sauce, and vinegar. Scoot everything to the edges of the pan and crack the eggs in and scramble. Then stir to incorporate and set aside.

Next fill your pot 2 inches deep with frying oil and heat to 350 degrees, medium heat works well on my stove. Alternatively you can preheat your oven to 350 and bake your rolls till brown after brushing them with oil. Next get out your:

Egg Roll Wrappers, you can buy these at any Asian market in the frozen section

Depending on the size of the wrapper place about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of filling diagonally to one corner and 1 inch from the 2 sides. Roll over once, tuck in corners and continue rolling till a neat little bundle. Place in fryer and fry till golden. Remove with tongs and let the oil drain. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Cool and eat.

Remember, add rolls and won tons one at a time and wait a minute. This will help them from sticking together and from lowering the heat of the oil too greatly. You want to maintain 350 degrees. Adjust your setting on the stove if necessary.

Asian style Green Beans

2 lbs of Green beans, cleaned
1 lb of pork sausage
1 whole head of garlic
1 dried Cayenne Pepper
Canola, or another high heat oil
Sesame Oil
Rice Wine Vinegar
Soy Sauce

Par boil the green beans for a few minutes till vibrant green, then drain. Brown the sausage in a skillet, remove. Add a Tablespoon of Canola oil if you need to and stir fry the green beans on high heat add the garlic and the cayenne pepper in the last minute. Add 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1-2 Tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, and 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce. Enjoy straight up or over rice.

Stir-Fry

Very popular item in my household. Partly because it's quick and easy, partly because you can use almost any meat or veggie combination, and mostly because it's delicious.

All you need to make anything taste like Asian cuisine is sesame oil, crushed red pepper or garlic and red pepper paste, and wheat-free tamari(soy sauce). The oil, and paste can be purchased at any Asian market for way cheaper than in regular groceries and it's fun to peruse the aisles. The tamari can be found at most health food stores like Rainbow Blossom. The crushed red pepper flakes can be purchased anywhere but taste best when the cayenne peppers were harvested from your own garden, dried, and then crushed as needed. I've even made my own garlic and chili paste with rave reviews.

Standard recipe:

1 cup of dry rice, I prefer Lundberg any type (the more fiber the better)
2 cups of water

Bring the water to a boil, add rice, bring back to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, tilt lid to vent steam, and cook for the time suggested. If water is absorbed at the end of the cooking time turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and cover with lid for 5 minutes or until ready to eat. Have ready the ingredients below:

1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 whole onion roughly chopped
1 head of broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots sliced on the diagonal to 1/8 an inch
2 celery stalks roughly chopped
1 green pepper roughly chopped
Canola Oil
Sesame Oil
Crushed Red Pepper
Wheat-Free Tamari

Start by heating the skillet to high with about 2-4 Tablespoons of canola oil or another high-heat oil like sunflower or safflower. Add the chicken and stir till just browned then remove and set aside for later. Add the onion and stir for a couple of minutes, followed by the carrots, broccoli, celery, and green pepper stirring each item for a couple of minutes before adding the next. When you add the green pepper also return the chicken to the pan and stir till cooked. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add about 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, stir, a sprinkling of crushed red pepper, stir, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger are optional at this time, stir, and 4 Tablespoons of Tamari, stir and enjoy over rice.

Serves 2-4, or 2 with lunch for tomorrow.