Chinese Pancakes

What is nicer than a delicate warm pancakes stuffed with crispy sweet duck, crunchy cucumber, spring onions, all smothered in sweet hoisin sauce!

This is my all time favourite item on the take out menu, usually when I order take out I order extra pancakes, there can never be enough! Although sometimes I buy the ready to cook duck kit in the supermarket and once again there are never enough pancakes so this way allows me to have a many pancakes as I want, also the homemade ones taste so much better than shop bought!

Chicken Chow Mein

There are times when I feel very lazy, dithering between ordering take out or cooking! The very thought of ordering a Chinese take-out is extremely tempting, however I am of an age when lifting the phone will have consequences, namely on the weighing scales!! I wonder how in my twenties I got away with practically living on take-outs and how it didn't really effect my weight...well those days are well and truly over! Now the mere thought of a Chinese take-out has me regretting it....so here is a compromise. This tastes much better that take-out, full of vegetables and is quick to make...what's not to like? Use whatever, noodles or stir-fry vegetables you have, sit back and enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 Chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Chinese 5 spice
2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1 Heaped teaspoon cornflour
300g Dry noodles (such as Blue Dragon Instant Noodles)
1 tbsp Groundnut or vegetable oil, plus extra for the noodles
1 Red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
100g-150g Beansprouts or any fresh stir fry vegetables
1 Medium courgette, washed and sliced
Sliced spring onions to garnish (optional)

Method
In a small bowl, mix the Chinese 5 spice, 1 tbsp dark soy and chicken. Mix all the ingredient together with your hands, making sure the chicken is completely covered in the marinade. Cover, leave to marinade for at least 20 minutes (or overnight if possible).

Meanwhile cook the noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes (or according to the pack instructions), drain and drizzle with oil. Set aside.

Prepare the vegetables, it's better to have everything prepared in advance, because the whole cooking process only takes a couple of minutes.  

Uncover the marinaded chicken and mix in a heaped teaspoon of cornflour, this will thicken the sauce but also protect the chicken keeping it moist and tender while cooking. Heat a large frying pan or wok until it is smoking hot, add 1 tbsp of oil.

Add the chicken to the wok, allow the chicken to "settle" in the hot wok for about a minute, this will seal in the juices. Brown the chicken an all sides, add the prepared vegetables (except the spring onions). Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken cooked through (not pink in the middle!).

Add the noodles and season with 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, mix every together. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the noodles are warmed through. Add a tablespoon of water to the wok if it all starts to get too brown.

Garnish with the spring onions if using and serve immediately.

*Recipe adapted from Ching-He Haung Chinese Food Made Easy

Hairy Bikers Sweet and Sour Chicken (Lo Cal)

You got to hand it to Dave and Si, they sure know how to dish up a proper meal. There is nothing better than a proper family favourite that keeps the whole family happy! I love this recipe, mainly because is it easy to make, healthy and it is the official end to my "Perfect Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe" search (phew!!). Oh how I have searched the web, cookbooks and cookery programmes for "the one". Nigella's recipe was too runny and lacked punch, Gok Wan's although extremely tasty was very high in sugar and a bit fussy (I could never really get the whole caramelised sugar thing down to pat). My poor family have sat through many a Friday evening's dinner wondering how the latest attempt would taste, not to mention my ever increasing questions, rating each instalment. I have finally found the balance between not too sweet and not too sour, so much so that my beautiful 5yr old son now requests this meal more that any other.....success!!

288 calories per portion (without rice).

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 x 425g Can pineapple chunks in natural juice
2 tbsp Cornflour
2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
2 tbsp White wine vinegar
2 tbsp Soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
½ tsp Dried chilli flakes
2 boneless, Skinless chicken breasts ( I used 500g Quorn Chicken Style Pieces instead)
2 tbsp Sunflower oil
1 Medium onion, cut into 12 wedges
2 Peppers, red, green, orange or yellow, deseeded and cut into chunks of about 3cm/1¼in
1 x 225g Water chestnuts (I used a carrot which I cut into small matchsticks)
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
25g Piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
To make the sauce, drain the pineapple in a sieve over a bowl and keep all the juice – you should have about 150ml.  Put the cornflour in a large bowl and stir in three tablespoons of the pineapple juice to make a smooth paste. Add the remaining juice and 150ml water, then stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and chilli flakes until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Cut each chicken breast into eight or nine even pieces. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and stir-fry the onion and peppers for two minutes over a high heat. 

Drain the water chestnuts and cut them in half horizontally. Add the remaining oil and the chicken to the pan and stir-fry for two minutes until coloured on all sides. 

Add the garlic, ginger, pineapple chunks and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30–60 seconds. Give the cornflour and pineapple mixture a good stir and add it to the pan with the chicken and vegetables. Stir well, season with some ground black pepper and bring to a simmer. 

Cook for 4–6 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glossy and the chicken is tender and cooked throughout, turning the chicken and vegetables a few times. Serve with a small portion of rice.

Chinese Chicken Wings

My daughter celebrated her birthday recently and as part of the finger food I thought I'd try this recipe. It is really easy and very quick to make, in fact the only cleaning up is licking your fingers afterwards! Obviously this sauce can be used on drumsticks or even over a chicken fillet for a quick dinner. I didn't marinade these but I imagine it would only improve the flavour.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1kg Chicken wings
4tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder
4tbsp Runny honey
4tbsp Soy sauce

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C, place the chicken wings into a large ovenproof dish. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, pour the sauce over the wings and either brush the sauce all over the wings or get your hands in there and rub in the sauce thoroughly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Serve immediately with large napkins and a bowl of lemon water ( for washing sticking fingers afterwards)

Prawn Stir Fry

This is a quick and healthy stir fry that I just love to whip up for my family. I think that prawns are just superb because they are low fat and cook really quickly, however this meal works just as well with chicken or beef strips. The key to an evenly cooked stir fry is to cut everything the same size and then cook the crunchier vegetables first, followed by the quicker to cook vegetables. I would recommend that you cook off the chicken and beef first then add the vegetables.

Tip: If your food is beginning to burn then a couple of tablespoons of water added to the wok will help cool everything down and have all you preperation done beforehand because the whole cooking process will only last about 6-8 minutes, no time for chopping then!

Serves 4

Ingredients
1tbsp Stir fry oil
1 Red pepper,de-seeded and thinly sliced
1 Yellow pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced
1 Green pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced
100g Sugarsnap peas, roughly chopped
1 Large Courgette, shredded
100g Button Mushrooms, quartered
220g Uncooked large prawns
3tbsp Light soy sauce
1tbsp Runny honey

Method
Heat a large wok or saute pan over a medium to high heat, add the oil.

Add the peppers and sugarsnap peas, fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the courgette and the mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes, if the vegetables are burning add 2-3 tbsp of water to the wok.

Add the prawns, soy sauce and honey, mix well until fully coated. Cook for a further 4 minutes.

Serve immediately with Egg Fried Rice Anyone Can Make.

Oven Baked Chinese Spring Rolls

I love Chinese Takeout but some times it's really nice to make your own and for it to be just as tasty and lets face it much healthier. I favour these spring rolls because they are baked and also there is no Asian market locally so proper spring roll sheets are impossible to get, but Filo pastry is in every supermarket freezer cabinet. I also bought Blue Dragon Stir Fry Vegetable Mix  (or if you're in a real hurry 400g of frozen stir fry mix with 100g beansprouts) instead of the individual cans for the beansprouts etc. Beware hot cooking liquid, is the enemy of Filo pastry, it will disintegrate before your very eyes if the mix is too wet. To prepare in advance, make and bake the rolls up to a day ahead, then keep chilled. To serve, reheat them at 190°C/gas 5 for about 5 minutes.

Makes: 12

Ingredients
Filling:
1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
300g Cooked chicken or cooked prawns, roughly chopped
100g Cubed ham
4 Spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 Carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 Large courgette, coarsely grated
150g Bean sprouts
220g Can water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
220g Can bamboo shoots, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Dry sherry

Rolls:
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Packet 270g of frozen filo pastry

Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5  and line a large baking tray with baking paper.



Place the filling ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Heat a large frying pan and cook off the filling (in two batches if necessary) for 6-8 minutes over a medium heat.



Season to taste and let cool slightly before draining off the cooking liquid. I usually use a colander over a large bowl. Allow the filling cool enough to handle.

Unroll the filo pastry, keeping the sheets in a stack. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the pastry in half creating 12 squares.



On a clean surface place one sheet of filo pastry with a corner facing you. Place 2 tbsp of filling as shown below. Place the vegetable oil in a small cup with a pastry brush.


Roll the mix away from you once, then bring the sides in towards the centre. Now continue to roll and seal with a brush of oil. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush all over with oil. Bake the rolls for 12–15 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack and allow the rolls to cool slightly before serving.

Serve with Sweet chilli dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

Chinese Spare Ribs

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe when she read my Donal Skehan Sticky Barbeque Spare Ribs recipe and told me there is more than one way to cook pork ribs. If you love the spare ribs in your local take out and want to replicate it at home, then this the recipe for you. Thank you Pauline, I bow to your superior knowledge on all things pork!

Serves2 or 4 as a starter

Ingredients
1kg Pork ribs,
4tbsp Dark soy sauce,
3tbsp Muscovado sugar,
1tbsp Groundnut or sunflower oil
2 Garlic cloves finely chopped
2tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1cm Piece fresh root ginger, grated,
Spring onion, shredded to serve

Method
Place the ribs in a large ovenproof, non metallic dish, or in a plastic food bag. Mix the soy sauce, sugar, oil, garlic, Chinese five spice powder and ginger in a bowl.

Pour the mixture over the ribs and turn to thoroughly coat. Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave to marinate for at least 6 hrs or overnight in the fridge.

Drain the ribs, reserving the marinade, cover with foil and cook in preheated oven, at 180C/ 350F/Gas Mark 4 for 1 hour.

After the hour reduce the temperature to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3, remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Turn frequently and brush with the reserved marinade. Serve in a large dish, and garnish with spring onion.

Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

 

This finishes out the Chinese take out at home meal series, assuming that you can make your favourite main meal. This is very quick and a tasty snack, real fast food! I personally like my soup thick so as a result I use a heaped tablespoon of cornflour (more like the way my own Chinese takeout serves it), that way everything is suspended and it looks very inviting. 

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main

Ingredients
1 ltr Chicken stock
100g Chicken, cooked
165g Sweetcorn
1 Medium egg, lightly beaten
Spring onions or chives
1tsp - 1tbsp Cornflour
1tbsp Cold water
Seasoning

Method
In a large saucepan, heat the chicken stock, meanwhile roughly chop the chicken. Add the chicken and sweetcorn, bring to the boil. Mix the cornflour and cold water together and stir into the soup until it thickens. Beat the egg in a small jug or cup and pour it in slowly to the simmering soup. Stirring all the while, this create the strings of cooked egg. Garnish with the chopped spring onions or chives and serve immediately.

Egg Fried Rice Anyone Can Make

This is something that has eluded me for many years, I could never master fried rice that tasted and looked appealing. I buy the ready cooked rice because life's too short to cook and cool rice when you just want to get on with business of eating!

Serves 2 or (4 as a side)

Ingredients
250g Microwavable Long Grain rice or left over rice.
1 Medium egg, beaten
75g Cubed ham
100g Frozen peas
1/2 tsp Garlic paste or 1 clove of garlic crushed
1 Spring onion thinly sliced
1 tbsp Light soy sauce
1 tbsp Stir fry oil
1 tbsp Sherry

Method
In a large non stick frying pan, scramble the egg until almost cooked. Take of the heat and set aside.
Heat the oil in the pan and fry off the ham and garlic for 1-2 minutes, add the cold rice (break up if vacuum pack) and the peas. Cook for a further 5 minutes until everything is warmed through.
Add the sherry, bring up to the boil, reduce the heat and add the soy and egg. Warm everything through and garish with the chopped spring onion. If you wish you can add cooked prawns and cooked chicken along with the rice for a more substantial meal.