Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

This is so tasty. This is the main course from the Chinese cooking class I took. Don’t be afraid of sesame oil. It lends a warm wonderful taste to food.

Beef Marinade
4 tsp sugar
4 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 T plus 2 Tsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil
4 T peanut oil
4 T soy sauce

2-3 Lb sirloin steak, sliced in 2“X4” strips
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
several slices ginger (bottled is the only way to use ginger)
5-6 scallions, trimmed and sliced in 1" pieces
1 Lb fresh broccoli, stems thinly sliced and flowerettes left intact
1/2 to 1 Lb fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 Lb snow peas, cleaned, strings removed and sliced on the diagonal
1 large red pepper cut into thin strips
Sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 T oyster sauce
1 heaping T cornstarch
1 T sherry
1 cup beef broth
Peanut oil for cooking
Sesame oil
Rice Noodles

Marinade
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the sliced beef and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 15-30 minutes.
Prepare vegetables as directed and place in separate piles on a large tray. Set tray beside wok.
Stir together sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a pour spout.
Heat wok until very hot. Add 1” to 1 1/2” of oil to wok and heat just till it shimmers. Cook a few pieces of green onion in oil to season it. Add meat a handful at a time. Toss quickly to separate, cook a few seconds longer and remove to a dish. Repeat until all meat is cooked. Pour off oil and wipe out wok with paper towels.
Add 1/2 cup peanut oil to wok and heat to shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until browned, but do not allow to burn. Ladle out the garlic, ginger and all but 2 T of the seasoned oil into a small heatproof dish. Set beside wok.
Add broccoli to hot oil and toss until tender about 4-5 minutes. Remove to a dish when done. Toss in the scallions and red pepper strips and toss. Add snow peas and mushrooms and cook for several minutes. Remove from wok to dish with broccoli. Stir sauce well and add to wok, whisking constantly until clear and bubbly. Return meat and vegetables to sauce and turn heat to very low. Add 2 T of sesame oil and toss meat and vegetables to reheat and coat with sauce. Scoop immediately into center of a very large serving platter.
If you wish you can then serve over hot rice or you can cook rice noodles. Wipe out wok with paper toweling and return to heat. When wok is hot add 3-4 cups of peanut oil and heat until shimmering. Very carefully add rice noodles in 2-3” pieces. As soon as they puff, remove and drain on paper towels. Continue until you have cooked desire amount of noodles.

Simply Tasty Fried Rice

4 cups cooked cold white rice (I use Jasmine)
4 green onions, sliced to thickness that you like
1 # sliced mushrooms
1 can bean sprouts, drained
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 T oil
fresh ground black pepper

Add 1 T oil to a large hot skillet and add mushrooms. Cook until browned and remove to a bowl.
Add green onion to skillet and more oil if needed. Cook for 1 minute and add bean sprouts and more oil if needed.
Sprinkle garlic powder, pepper and sesame oil over all and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Add cold rice and mushrooms to skillet. Add more oil if needed.
Pour soy sauce over rice and stir constantly to distribute soy sauce and incorporate the veggies. Serve hot.

You may add 1/4-1/2 pound of meat and also scramble a few eggs too.

Authentic Egg Rolls

4 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 medium head cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 carrot, julienned
1 (8 ounce) can bean sprouts
1 cup dried, shredded wood ear mushroom, rehydrated
1 pound Chinese barbequed or roasted pork, cut into matchsticks
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
1 (14 ounce) package egg roll wrappers
1 egg white, beaten
4 cups oil for frying, or as needed

1.Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Pour in beaten eggs and cook, without stirring, until firmed. Flip the eggs over and cook for an additional 20 seconds to firm the other side. Set egg pancake aside to cool, then slice into thin strips.
2.Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in cabbage and carrot; cook for 2 minutes to wilt. Add bamboo, mushroom, pork, green onions, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG; continue cooking until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in sliced egg, then spread mixture out onto a pan, and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
3.To assemble the egg rolls, place a wrapper onto your work surface with one corner pointing towards you. Place about 3 tablespoons of cooled filling in a heap onto the bottom third of the wrapper. Brush a little beaten egg white onto the top two edges of the wrapper, then fold the bottom corner over the filling and roll firmly to the halfway point. Fold the left and right sides snugly over the egg roll, then continue rolling until the top corners seal the egg roll with the egg white. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers, covering finished egg rolls with plastic wrap to keep from drying out.
4.Heat about 6-inches of oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5.Fry egg rolls 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Stir Fry Sauce

Adapted from Martin Yan’s Chinese Cooking for Dummies. This is my favorite stir-fry sauce. It makes enough for two meals. Having extra on hand makes for a quick meal. I use low sodium soy sauce in this recipe otherwise it's just too salty for me.

2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup rice wine
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1.In a bowl, combine soy sauce, broth, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper.
2.Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup water.
3.Heat a pan over high heat; add the cooking oil, swirling to coat; add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
4.Add the soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil.
5.Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 minute.
6.Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.

Pot Stickers

I took a cooking class back in 1993 with my neighbors and this was the appetizer course. These are so good you won't be able to stop eating them. I will also post the other recipes from this class soon.

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb finely minced Chinese cabbage
salt
3-4 scallions, minced
1 T dark soy sauce
1 T soy sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 T white wine
1 T sesame oil
Wonton wrappers
2 T oil
1/2 c water
Sauce:
2 T soy sauce
1 T sugar
1 T white wine
1 T sesame oil
2 T water
1 tsp chopped scallion

Sauce:
Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Gently warm and stir to dissolve sugar. Serve warm with hot potstickers.
Potstickers:
Combine cabbage with a light sprinkling of salt and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze dry.
Combine remaining ingredients (except wrappers) with the cabbage. Stir well and in one direction. Chill 1 hour.
Hold wrappers in the palm of your hand and place about 1 T of filling in the center. Fold edges together and moisten with a few drops of water. Hold the pot sicker securely in your left hand, then begin to form small pleats with the fingers of your right hand. Continue until pot sticker is completely closed. (If this is too hard just fold over and seal. These are too good not to make!)
Heat a large flat non stick frying pan and add 2 T oil. Add enough pot stickers to cover bottom of pan. Cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully add 1/2 cup warm water. Cover and cook until pot stickers are firm, about 4-5 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking until water boils away and pot sticker bottoms become very dark. Serve with sauce.

Shrimp Egg Foo Yong with Gravy

These patties turned out great. I didn't feel like going to the store so I used canned bean sprouts and they were fine. I used reduced sodium soy sauce in the gravy and served all over a bed of steamed Jasmine rice.

8 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Combine and beat until fluffy
8 medium mushrooms, chopped fine
8 oz fresh shrimp, chopped fine
4 green onion, chopped fine
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
8 oz fresh cleaned bean sprouts
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 green onion, thin sliced for garnish

Heat 1 Tbsp oil and cook mushrooms for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients to egg mixture. Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a 7 inch pan on medium heat until hot. Add 1/2 cup egg mixture. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side or longer if you like them especially crispy like I do. Top with gravy and sprinkle with green onion.

Gravy for Egg Foo Yong
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp cooking sherry
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp water
Blend all but cornstarch and water. Simmer in saucepan for 5 minutes. Add cornstarch to water and mix well. Add to saucepan and stir til thickened

Bubby's Beef Barley Soup

 

Beef Barley Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1# beef stew meat
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced carrot
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• 3 quarts beef broth
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 c barley
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Directions

Cut meat into bite size pieces. Add all ingredients except mushroom and barley to soup ot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 3 hours. Add barley and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 1/2 to 1 hour until barley is tender.

This soup is so warming and comforting I eat it all winter long!

Rice Pilaf

This is so good you'll make it often. I love it with shish-ka-bobs or any dish where you want something different than potatoes!

 

Rice Pilaf with Cashews or Toasted Slivered Almonds

 

 

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup cashew halves or toasted slivered almonds

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium, and stir in spaghetti, cooking until coated with the melted butter and lightly browned.

Stir onion and garlic into the saucepan, and cook about 2 minutes, until tender. Stir in rice, and cook about 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and cook 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.

Add cashew halves in to the rice mixture, and serve warm. For an added bonus you can add cooked asparagus.