According to the Chinese zodiac, Feb. 8 marks the beginning of the year of the Red Fire Monkey.
To honour the New Year, try making some favourite Chinese dishes at home.
Chinese food isn’t difficult to make, but it does involve a certain amount of prep time to chop ingredients, and you’ll need to stock your pantry with a few basic condiments in order to obtain authentic flavours (e.g. rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and oyster sauce).
Once you’ve mastered the timing to make these recipes, you’ll find that the results are well worth it. I like being able to control the amount of oil and salt that go into my homemade
Chinese dishes, and I know for sure that there won’t be any extra MSG added.
Hot and Sour Soup
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
1 tsp + 2 Tbsp cornstarch (divided use)
½ tsp vegetable oil
8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
½ tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
8 oz shitake mushrooms, stems discarded, cut into thin strips
¼ cup canned bamboo shoots, drained, cut into matchsticks
½ cup firm tofu, cut into thin strips
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 eggs
2 green onions, chopped
Place the chicken strips in a small bowl; add the teaspoon of cornstarch and half teaspoon of oil and stir to coat chicken. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pot; add the chicken and stir to ensure the strips aren’t clumped together. Skim off any foam that floats to the top. Stir in the white pepper and the soy sauce. Taste the soup and add more pepper or soy sauce if desired.
Add the carrot, shitakes and bamboo shoots; reduce heat and bring soup to a simmer. Add the tofu, sesame oil and vinegar. Stir together the two tablespoons of cornstarch and one-quarter cup of cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Slowly stir this cornstarch slurry into the simmering soup and let soup simmer until thickened. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until well combined; stir the soup so that it forms a slow “whirlpool” then slowly drizzle in the eggs while continuing to stir. Garnish each serving with chopped green onions.
Makes four generous servings. Source: thewoksoflife.com
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce
1 pound of Chinese broccoli (gai lan), available at Asian specialty supermarkets and many produce stores
1½ Tbsp vegetable oil
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled and gently smashed but left intact
½ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp sugar
1 inch-long piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into one-eighth-inch thick coins, smashed with the side of a heavy knife
3 Tbsp oyster sauce
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
Wash the broccoli and trim one inch from the ends of the stalks. In a large wok or sauté pan heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. When the oil is just starting to get hot (the garlic should sizzle upon contact), add the whole garlic cloves and let them fry until just golden brown on all sides. Be careful not to burn the garlic, you just want to toast it.
Once the garlic is toasted, remove it from the oil with a fork and discard. In a small bowl mix together the stock, rice vinegar and sugar and set aside. Turn the heat to high, add the ginger to the oil in the pan and fry for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli stalks, and with a large spoon scoop up the oil and spoon it over the broccoli for about 30 seconds so that every stalk has been bathed with the ginger-garlic-infused oil. Pour the stock mixture into the pan and immediately cover pan with a tight-fitting lid. Turn the heat to medium and let the broccoli steam for three or four minutes until stalks can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove the broccoli to a plate, leaving any remaining stock mixture in the pan.
Remove the ginger coins. Add the oyster sauce and sesame oil to the pan and let sauce bubble and thicken on high heat for one minute. Pour the sauce mixture over the broccoli and serve. Makes four servings. Source: steamykitchen.com
Veggie Fried Rice
Add sautéed shrimp or chicken if you want a more hearty rice.
2 Tbsp butter, divided use
1 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided use
2 eggs, whisked
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small white onion, diced
½ cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cooked and chilled rice (use whatever rice you prefer but it must be pre-cooked and chilled)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3-4 Tbsp soy sauce (use more or less according to taste)
2 tsp oyster sauce
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
Heat two teaspoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until scrambled.
Remove egg from pan and transfer to a plate. Wash the pan then add another two teaspoons of butter and one teaspoon of the vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat until butter is melted.
Add the carrots and onion and sauté until softened, about five minutes. Add the peas and garlic and sauté for one minute more. Increase heat to high; add in the remaining two teaspoons of butter and two teaspoons of oil and stir until butter melts.
Immediately add the rice, green onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce and stir until combined. Continue stir-frying for an additional three minutes to fry the rice then add in the scrambled eggs and the sesame oil. Stir to combine and break up clumps of egg. Continue frying until mixture is heated through. Makes four to six servings. Source: gimmesomeoven.com
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. She can be reached via email at ashellard@hotmail.ca.
