Chinese Dumplings

(I am re-posting this because I looked it up yesterday to make it and discovered that I had not included the ingredient list!!  Hellloooo!!? So here it is)

Posted by Lisa

Source: www.allrecipes.com

This was the first time I had ever had or made Chinese dumplings.  I had some ground chicken on hand so I used that instead of the pork.  They were terrific!  I did them two different ways.  The filling and the wrappings were the same but the cooking method differed slightly.  All the kids gobbled them up so I will be making these again.  

Ingredients:

1/2 c soy sauce

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1 tbsp finely chopped chinese chives

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp chile garlic sauce (such as sriracha)

1 lb ground pork (I have used ground turkey, and yesterday used cooked shredded chicken)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp finely chopped chinese chives

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

50 dumpling wrappers

1 cup oil for frying

* Combine 1/2 c soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 tbsp chives, sesame seeds and chile sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

* Mix pork, garlic, egg, 2 tbsp chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger in bowl until thoroughly combined.  Place a dumpling wrapper on a lightly floured surface and spoon about 1 tbsp of filling in the middle...see below.

• Moisten the edges and place a small amount in the center

• Take your won ton wrappers and moisten all the edges with water.
• Put a spoon of filling in the center and, draw up all the corners to the middle and press the seams together until they stick.
• Set aside until they are all formed.
• Some of them I just folded over in the shape of a rectangle

**this is a must!  The sauce totally made it**

• Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan.
• Place the filled wrappers into the pan and gently fry until golden on the bottom.
• I flipped them over too, even though they were folded like these above, and fried them some more.
• Then I transferred to a second pan with about 1/4 an inch of water in it and quickly put the lid on and let it steam until I am sure the insides are done.
• the rectangle shaped ones I just browned in the pan and did not steam.  Those stayed crisper and the browned and steamed ones were soft

Serve with a side of rice and a vegie.  I intended to serve them with vegie fried rice, but I didn't get that far this time!

Dan Dan Noodles (PF Chang Style)

Ok, to most of the world, this is a common flavor I am sure.  But to me and my sheltered taste buds, this was amazing!  I ventured out in making this because of our foreign exchange student from Vietnam.  I wanted to make something that might remind him of home and it was a good choice!  This was really easy to make and so worth it!  (This was the 2nd time I have made it, I forgot the beansprouts this time and missed them!)

Dan Dan Noodles (PF Chang Style)

source: By Galley Wench on May 04, 2009 www.food.com

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breast fillets, skinless and boneless
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, plus more for cooking chicken
• 1 (6 ounce) packages chow mein noodles ( or Chinese egg noodles)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sambal oelek ( chile-garlic sauce to taste)
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water

Garnish

• 1/2 cup bean sprouts, or
• 1/2 cup peanuts

Directions

1. Saute chicken breast in a skillet in a little oil for 10 to 12 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Allow to cool; then mince.
3. Prepare the noodles following the directions on the package; typically boil for 3 to 5 minutes in 8 to 10 cups boiling water.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   NOT THIS KIND OF NOODLES!!  There are actually "chow mein" noodles that are dried and you boil.  Find them in the Asian section

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. For Sauce:.
5. In a wok heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
6. Add garlic and green onion and saute for just a few seconds; careful that the garlic doesn't burn.
   
   (tip: keep ginger root frozen.  It grates up so nicely with a micro planer while frozen)
7. Add soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar and chile-garlic sauce. Combine the cornstarch with ½ cup water and stir it into the sauce. Simmer sauce for about 2 minutes or until it thickens

(my pictures of these steps didn't take...camera issues!)

8. Once thick, add the chicken and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
9. Place cooked noodles onto a serving plate.
10. Spoon chicken and sauce over the top of the noodles.
11. Garnish with bean sprouts or peanuts before serving.

Kung Pao Ramen Noodles

Submitted by Heather

Who doesn't like Ramen Noodles?  I think it's one of those foods that people feel embarrassed about liking.  Or at least admitting that they like it. Obviously, ramen noodles aren't the healthiest food, but they're quick and satisfying.  This recipe is a great way to make a junk food into one that you can feel good about. You throw in a few veggies and some lean meat and voila!  You have a healthy meal.  Admittedly, it takes longer than tossing a pack of ramen in boiling water for 3 minutes, but it's so tasty it's worth the extra time. 


I differed from the original recipe slightly.  I didn't have a red pepper, but I did have a monster bag of stir fry vegetables from Costco that were begging to be thrown into this dish (yea - no extra chopping!).

*Serves 4-5

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3), cubed or sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin (or 2-3 cups of stir fry vegetables)
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you want more heat)
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles, discard seasoning packets
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium to medium-high heat until it is hot and rippling. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a medium bowl.

Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until hot and rippling. Add the red bell pepper and the peanuts and cook until the pepper is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mixture into the bowl with the chicken, trying to leave as much oil as possible behind in the skillet.

Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the remaining oil in the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Break the bricks of ramen into small chunks and add them to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, tossing the ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still a bit of liquid in the pan, about 2-4 minutes.

Stir in the hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, peppers and peanuts. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Source: Melskitchencafe.com who adapted it from The Best 30-Minute Recipe