Chinese Chicken Salad With Crispy Wontons And Sesame Ginger Dressing

Pin It

This is a very easy salad if you plan ahead and buy some of the ingredients already made...like at Target.  I am lucky to have a Super Target where I live and have noticed how they are expanding their grocery side, particularly their premium food brand, Archer Farms.

A couple of days ago,  on my way down the canned goods aisle, my right eye spotted something my mind couldn't believe.  Ready made Wonton Strips for salads!

I have been wanting to make a Chinese chicken salad for ages, but frankly my dedication to food doesn't transcend to actually making my own wonton strips.  So problem solved.  Armed with two bags and a can of their mandarin oranges I came home to make my long awaited salad.  Luckily I had some leftover grilled chicken thighs from the night before so the planets were aligned for a positive outcome.  Next time, though,  I will plan ahead and grill chicken breasts for dinner and use the leftovers for the salad.

Should you be so inclined or not able to find a Target with ready made wonton strips, I am including a recipe.  They can be made the day before and kept in an air tight container, after they are completely cooled.

Now you all know Chinese don't  have salads, right? What makes this "Chinese" is the ingredients.  Just checking....

The mandarin oranges and cucumbers make for a refreshing salad and the perfect choice for a hot summer day.   That, and the fact that it doesn't have that many calories, makes it the perfect lunch for The Ladies Who Lunch!

Cuban Chinese Food...Mandarin Chicken Thighs

Pin It

This recipe derives its name from the mandarin oranges (clementines) that are prevalent in most supermarkets at this time of the year and not from the traditional dish found at most Chinese restaurants.  It is an attempt, and a very successful one at that, to use up the remains of a box that was purchased during the Christmas holiday. You could classify it as elegant leftovers or Cuban Chinese Cuisine.

I use orange juice in a lot of my recipes, particularly in chicken and pork marinades, and the addition of a small amount of lemon juice as a substitute for naranja agria or bitter orange, is very typical in many Cuban dishes, perhaps as a result of the large migration of Chinese laborers who settled in Cuba in the middle of the 19th century. 

The Chinese first arrived in Cuba in significant numbers in the late 1850s to toil in Cuba’s sugarcane fields after the abolition of slavery in England led plantation owners in Cuba to search for workers elsewhere.

China emerged as the labor source following deep social upheaval after the First and Second Opium Wars. Changes in the farming system, a surge in population growth, political discontentment, natural disasters, banditry, and ethnic strife -- especially in southern China -- led many farmers and peasants to leave China and look for work overseas. While some willingly left China for contract work in Cuba, others were coerced into semi-indentured servitude.

On June 3, 1857 the first ship arrived in Cuba carrying about 200 Chinese laborers on eight-year contracts. In many cases, these Chinese “coolies” were treated just as the African slaves were. The situation was so severe that the imperial Chinese government even sent investigators to Cuba in 1873 to look into a large number of suicides by Chinese laborers in Cuba, as well as allegations of abuse and breach of contract by plantation owners. Shortly after, the Chinese labor trade was prohibited and the last ship carrying Chinese laborers reached Cuba in 1874.

Many of these laborers intermarried with the local population of Cubans, Africans and mixed-race women, although laws forbade them to marry Spaniards. These Cuban-Chinese began to develop a distinct community. At its height, in the late 1870s, there were more than 40,000 Chinese in Cuba.

In Havana they established “El Barrio Chino” or Chinatown, which grew to 44 square blocks and was once the largest such community in Latin America. In addition to working in the fields, they opened shops, restaurants, and laundries and worked in factories. A unique fusion, Chinese Cuban cuisine melding Caribbean and Chinese flavors, also emerged. (Wikipedia)
.

Dragones Street in Havana's Chinatown

Some famous Cubans of Chinese ancestry include former dictator Fulgencio Batista and one of Cuba's foremost painters, Wilfredo Lam.

While the following recipe is my own, it melds some of the distinct characteristics that make up what is known as Cuban Chinese food.

Serves 4

Ingredients

 8 chicken thighs with skin
4 clementines or mandarin oranges
1/2 lemon
2 TB soy sauce
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic
3 TB olive oil
2 TB butter
1 laurel leaf
Salt and pepper
chopped parsley

White rice

Directions

Pat and dry the chicken thighs and place them in a bowl. Cut the mandarins in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken thighs. Do the same with the lemon.  Add the soy sauce and the chopped onion. Add the mandarin and lemon skins. Cover the bowl and marinade the chicken for a couple of hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towles.  In a skillet melt the butter and olive oil.  Brown the chicken pieces on medium high.  Remove to a plate.  Add the mashed garlic and onions from the marinade and sautee until translucent.  Add the chicken pieces back to the pan, the clementine juice as well as the skins and a laurel leaf.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender and cooked, about 30 minutes.  If the sauce begins to dry out add some water to the pan. At this point, you might also add more soy sauce if desired. When the chicken is done, uncover and add some chopped parsley on top.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with white rice

Photos Lindaraxa

A Forgotten Recipe...Stir Fried Beef With Snap Peas and Red Peppers

Pin It

 

A couple of weeks ago, I had enough bay scallops left over from the previous night to feed one person but definitely not enough to serve my daughter and me.  What to do, what to do. Why not something Chinese for the scallops and possibly another stir fry with beef and the snap peas in the refrigerator?

Both dishes took less than an hour to chop and prepare while the white rice steamed away.  The sauces were different enough to serve together yet complimented each other very well.  The scallops and beef a great combination....  a kind of Chinese surf and turf!

When you first read the recipe for the beef stir fry you will  think it's too complicated and shy away from it..  It is not.  Read it again.  It really takes no time at all, just a few little steps and you are done. If you cook Chinese, at least occasionally, you should have all the ingredients already in your pantry.  Just chop everything you'll need first, and prepare the sauce.  This is called  mise en place or everything in place (and ready to go) and is key to Chinese cooking. 

Give it a try, you will adore this stir fry. I'm sure you have seen it many  times on the menu of your favorite Chinese takeout. As to the scallop recipe, it is already posted in the country blog.

Serves 4 as a main dish with rice

Ingredients

 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar plus an additional 1 teaspoon

12 ounces flank steak , cut into 2-inch wide strips with grain, then sliced across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 ounces sugar snap peas , ends trimmed and strings removed (about 4 cups)

1 medium red bell pepper , seeded and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons water


Directions

1. Combine soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining tablespoon sugar, sherry, broth, oyster sauce, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in small bowl.

2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef in single layer, breaking up clumps. Cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet and repeat with remaining beef. Rinse skillet and dry with paper towels.

3. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add snap peas and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water and continue to cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Combine garlic-ginger mixture with vegetables. Return beef and any juices to skillet and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.

Photo Emily Sterne

I forgot to post this recipe at the time it was written hence the discrepancy in dates!

Let's Give Sweet & Sour Pork a Break!

Pin It

A staple of Chinese menus, Sweet and Sour pork is the second most researched Chinese food on Google after Beef and Broccoli...who would have thought?!  It is the first Chinese dish I ever had and liked in the days when Chicken Chow Mein was the definition of Chinese cooking.  It is also one of my daughter's favorites and she lived in San Francisco! But she's used to the recipe I make at home and that recipe comes from no other than Martin Yan, the Chinese version of Julia Child.

Nowadays, the mere thought of ordering this dish defines you as an amateur or country bumpkin, perhaps because there are so many awful and syrupy versions kicking around and so many more exciting dishes on the menus of most restaurants. .  Not even my favorite takeout in NYC, Pig Heaven,  can offer a palatable version.  Needless to say, I never order it out. I am a closet sweet and sour pork aficionado.

I cook Chinese food fairly often at home even though we have a pretty good takeout here in Atlanta called Chin Chin.  I figured out long ago that the most important thing in Chinese cooking is getting organized as the actual cooking is fairly simple and takes no time.  Chop everything first, combine your sauce next while the meat is marinading, and if you are serious about Chinese cooking, have all the staples on hand .  Things like rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, plum sauce, oyster sauce and others will get you through most Chinese dishes.  I have a basket in the pantry where I store all my Chinese ingredients so when I'm ready to go, they are at hand.

There are as many versions of Sweet and Sour Pork as there are of chili. The dish originated in Guandong Province, and it is quintessential and classic Cantonese, as well as being perhaps the most well known of all Chinese recipes. The secret of an authentic sweet and sour pork lies in the perfect balance of the sweet vs. sour taste of the sauce. To master this dish, it’s not about the technique of stir-frying nor the use of the freshest ingredients, although both are equally important and wouldn't hurt. The sweet and sour sauce is the soul of this dish. If you fail on the sauce, you fail the dish.  Now that I've given you courage and hopefully, determination, go for it!

By the way, don't be put off by the catsup and Worcestershire Sauce, they are regularly used in Asian cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:


1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 green bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into 1 inch dice)
1/2 red bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into 1 inch dice)
1/2 yellow onion cut into 1 inch dice
1 cup fresh/canned pineapple chunks (cut into small pieces)*
Oil for frying

Marinade:

1/2 cup corn starch
1 egg

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

3/4 cup tomato ketchup
6 TB sugar
3 TB Chinese rice vinegar
1 TB Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 TB fresh lime juice
1 TB soy sauce


Method:

Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinade with the ingredients for 10  minutes.

Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.

In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying ( about 2 inches). Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown 3- 4 minutes. Dish out and drain on paper towels.

Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Make sure you coat the sides of the wok. Add in the minced garlic and ginger and stir fry until light brown (20 secs), then follow by the bell peppers and onions. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers (2 to 3 mins) and then add in the sweet and sour sauce to coat vegetables. As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well with the sauce. Add the pineapple and do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.

*For a nice twist, I sometimes substitute mango for pineapple, when in season.

Recipe adapted from Martin Yan
All photos Lindaraxa

Martin Yan's Cashew Chicken

Pin It

There's a Chinese restaurant and takeout in New York City called Pig Heaven.  It is to me, the best takeout on the East Coast.   I have never eaten at the restaurant, but have been ordering out since 1986.  I have always meant to eat there but why bother when I can have such marvelous Chinese in the comforts of my home.

One of my best friends, who still lives in NYC, laughs when I come to visit her. She knows on my first night in town, dinner is always takeout from Pig Heaven and always the same thing, Cashew Chicken and Orange Beef.  I once tried something else, can't remember what, but it wasn't the same.  It is a fantastic combination, and I'm lucky my friend also agrees!

Miami, in spite of what some people may think, doesn't really have a great takeout or restaurant.  Yes Mr. Chow has opened on the Beach, but who wants to go through all the hassle and pay such horrendous prices.  That defeats the whole purpose of Chinese on a Sunday night.  So, as I mentioned before, I have armed myself with a wok, and various cookbooks and tackled Chinese cuisine!

Martin Yan is one of my favorite authors.  Not only are his dishes delicious and quick but he lays out each recipe in a very simple manner.  Once you make one or two, you understand the mindset.  With Chinese, it's all about preparation, for the actual cooking really takes no time at all.  You chop the ingredients, make a sauce, stir fry separately, first meats, then vegetables, add the sauce, combine and you are done.  There really is no reason to be intimidated by it and it is not as complicated or time consuming as you think.  If you have a wonderful takeout near you, don't bother, but if you don't read on!

This popular dish, probably number one for Chinese take-out, is easily mastered at home. My preference is to use unsalted cashews. If your market doesn't stock them, reduce the soy sauce to compensate for the salt. I've made this recipe many, many times.  Don't leave out or add anything...it's terrific!


Ingredients

 MARINADE:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine OR dry sherry

2 teaspoons cornstarch



CHICKEN:

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

1/2 cup roasted cashews OR blanched almonds, toasted


Instructions

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Add chicken to marinade and stir to coat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add vegetable oil, swirling to coat sides. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry 2 minutes.

Add onion, red pepper, and broth. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Mix well. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Add nuts and mix well. Makes 4 servings.

Note:  His recipe gives you the option to use almonds...I wouldn't.  Maybe later on when you want a variation ; but the combination of these ingredients with the cashews is too perfect for words!  I also prefer the wine to the sherry for a more authentic taste.  It is found in the Chinese section of most supermarkets.

Zesty Lemon Chicken

Pin It
Had this for dinner tonight. Simply sensational. I bought the wrong cut of chicken, thinking it was boneless chicken breasts instead of skinless chicken tenders. My original intention was to make chicken paillard but there you go, we had Lemon Chicken instead. My daughter is going to be thrilled when I make it for her as it is one of her favorite Chinese dishes.

This is an adaptation of an adaptation of Martin Yan's Lemon Chicken. I've forgotten what the original recipe looks like as most of my cookbooks are in storage (they'll be out soon!). No matter, this is a keeper.

Chinese meat dishes, as a rule, are not marinaded beforehand for long periods of time. Ten minutes is the usual time in most recipes. In this case, since the chicken was intended for something else, the tenders sat in fresh lemon juice and garlic for about 4 hours*. That might have been what made this dish over the top. The end result was a light crisp crust on the outside and very tender and juicy inside, with a sauce that was lemony and not too sweet. White rice and broccoli florets accompanied the dish. Can't wait to make it again!

Yield
4 servings


Ingredients

6 to 8 tablespoons mild-flavored honey
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoon lemon pulp
2 tablespoons plum sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 lbs. chicken breast tenders*
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup cooking oil
1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Make the sauce by whisking the honey, lemon juice, zest and pulp together in a small bowl until blended. Stir in the plum sauce, pour into a small saucepan; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine egg with the salt and white pepper. Lightly coat the chicken with the cornstarch; dip into the egg mixture and coat in the cornstarch again. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Shake off the excess cornstarch prior to cooking.

In a wok, heat the oil until hot. Cook the chicken, a couple pieces at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat; add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.

Place the chicken on a serving plate. Pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Sweet and Spicy Garlic Shrimp

Pin It A couple of years ago, while I was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, I developed a strong urge for Chinese food...go figure. I have never seen this symptom posted on any of the cancer help boards, so it must have been indiginous only to me. One night, the urge was so strong I put on my head scarf and my daughter took me to the best Chinese restaurant in town. Now, I will admit that both of us are Chinese food snobs, my daughter having moved from San Francisco and I from New York City. The food was mediocre at best, the tab ... well, shall we say that never again. I am the type of person who doesn't mind paying $25 for an unbelievable hamburger but hates to pay $4 for a bad one.


I came home that night, got on Amazon, and ordered a couple of Martin Yan's cookbooks and a wok. I have been cooking Chinese ever since. The secret to cooking Chinese food is to get everything ready, including the chopping, the sauce and the marinade.

Most Chinese food consists of four steps..marinade the meat, stir fry it, stir fry the vegetables, add the sauce and its done. Most of the things I've cooked from his cookbooks and others have not taken any more than 1/2 hour from beginning to end, with the bulk of the time spent on preparation before cooking. The cooking time is less than 5 minutes! It is imperative, however, to have the basics on hand (soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, cornstarch, oil etc.) to make this a painless experience. In this case, I did not have chilis in the refrigerator, but I did have red pepper flakes in my well stocked pantry.

Chinese food is the ideal meal for a Saturday night. This afternoon, after a hectic day, I went to the store at 5:30 and by 7:30 pm we were already finished with dinner. By the time the white rice was finished cooking, and the salad made, the shrimp was ready to go on the wok. Four
minutes later it was done and ready to serve. How quick can that be!

So, get yourself a good wok, a Martin Yan's cookbook to start with and go for it. You'll be glad you did!


Serves 2


Ingredients

3/4 lb large peeled deveined shrimp, tails intact
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 dried red chilies


Directions

1 Place shrimp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch and salt. Toss the shrimp and let stand for 10 minutes.

2 Meanwhile prepare the sauce. Stir the soy sauce, ketchup, honey, and chili garlic sauce together in a small bowl.

3 Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the sides of the wok. add shrimp and stir-fry until pink, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and chiles and cook about 30 seconds. Add the sauce and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 30 seconds. Serve.