Happy belated Year of the Pig!! In celebration of the Chinese New Year a couple weeks ago, I decided to make Chicken and Broccoli, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Egg Drop Soup. Pot Stickers were also on the menu but, I ran out of time.
Chinese recipes are typically easy to prepare. Just a lot of chopping. Therefore, I enlisted one of my daughters as my sous chef. She did a pretty good job. She did disappear a few times to practice her handstands.
The Fried Rice came out great as did the Chicken and Broccoli. For some reason I had trouble with the Egg Drop Soup recipe that only contains 4 ingredients. On my first try, I used low sodium chicken broth. My daughter said it tasted like dirty water. Being the good mom that I am, I told that it did not and just eat it. The second try did not go much better. I forgot the cornstarch which thickens up the broth a little. This time is tasted like salty chicken broth with egg and green onions floating in it. I gave up. I'll try that again another day. I'll give all three recipes but, you are on your own as far as the soup goes. Oink! Oink!
Chicken and Broccoli
serves 5
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons black bean sauce (in Asian aisle at grocery store)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons ginger root, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 green onions, sliced thin
Place chicken in a bowl and toss with the 1/2 cup cornstarch. Set aside.
Mix together the chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, black bean sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat large saute pan or wok over high heat high. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the coated chicken and stir fry until cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove chicken and cover with foil to keep warm.
In the same pan or wok over high heat, add the broccoli and about 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and steam for about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the broccoli doesn't burn. Add the ginger root and garlic and stir fry for a minute. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan. Add the sauce mixture and stir to coat. Cook for 1 - 3 minutes to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
Shrimp Fried Rice
serves 5
Adapted a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1930-2000 Limited Edition)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 pound small shrimp, 30 - 35 per pound
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger root, chopped
3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
4 cups cooked and chilled rice, white or brown
4 green onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil to high in a large saute pan or wok. Add shrimp and quickly stir fry, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp and keep warm.
In the same pan or wok over medium high heat add the beaten eggs and stir to cook. Remove to cutting board and chop in small pieces. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan or wok over high heat. Add green cabbage and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger root and saute for another minute. Stir in cooked rice, green onions, soy sauce, and cooked shrimp and eggs. Cook about 2 - 3 minutes to heat through.
Egg Drop Soup
serves 2
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Stir cornstarch into broth in a small pot over medium heat. When broth almost comes to a boil, slowly pour in egg. Stir broth gently to break up egg. Pour into serving bowls and top with green onions.
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