Chinese Chicken and Persimmon Lettuce Wraps

RECIPE

Asian preparations are natural for persimmons. You can also serve individual wraps as appetizers.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 wraps)

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
1/2 cup minced green onions
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound ground chicken
1 cup chopped peeled ripe Fuyu persimmon (about 2)
1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
12 Boston lettuce leaves

Preparation
Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, cornstarch, and chicken to pan; sauté for 4 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring to crumble. Add persimmon, water chestnuts, ginger, soy sauce, juice, and oyster sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture into center of each lettuce leaf; roll up jelly-roll fashion.

Nutritional Information
Calories:247 (40% from fat)
Fat:11g (sat 2.8g,mono 4g,poly 2.7g)
Protein:20.2g
Carbohydrate:19.3g
Fiber:3.4g
Cholesterol:75mg
Iron:2.1mg
Sodium:392mg
Calcium:34mg

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Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Chinese Ginger and Lemon Sauce

RECIPE

The cooking goes quickly for this hearty one-pan meal, so have all the ingredients prepped before you begin.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork, 2 tablespoons sauce, and 1 tablespoon green onions)

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients, and rub evenly over pork.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan, and cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove pork from pan, and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons onions, ginger, and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Combine sherry and next 5 ingredients (through soy sauce) in a small bowl. Add sherry mixture to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes or until pork is done. Remove pork from pan using a slotted spoon, reserving liquid in pan.

Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds or until slightly thickened. Serve over pork. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup green onions.

Nutritional Information
Calories:189 (30% from fat)
Fat:6.2g (sat 2.1g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:24g
Carbohydrate:6.1g
Fiber:0.6g
Cholesterol:75mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:513mg
Calcium:22mg

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Chinese Vegetable Soup with Noodles

RECIPE

The noodles here aren't cooked in the soup; they'd absorb too much of the liquid. Instead, they're boiled separately, tossed with sesame oil, and then put into bowls, waiting to be warmed by the hot broth. The bok choy goes into the soup toward the end of cooking, so that a hint of crispness remains.

Yield
4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cooking oil
6 scallions including green tops, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
3 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 pound napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 1/2 head), leaves shredded (about 3 cups)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 small head bok choy (about 3/4 pound), stalks halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, leaves shredded
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 pound vermicelli
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Preparation
1. In a large saucepan, heat the cooking oil over moderately low heat. Add the scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, water, and broth and bring to a boil.

2. Add the carrots to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and salt and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Add the bok choy and lemon zest and simmer until the bok choy starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the vermicelli until just done, about 9 minutes. Drain. Return the noodles to the pot and toss with the sesame oil. Put some noodles in each of four bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles.

Wine Recommendation: German wines are huge sellers in Japan; their exciting juxtaposition of tangy acidity, vibrant aromatic fruitiness, and balancing sweetness is ideal for Asian cuisine. Look for a Mosel kabinett for a match made in heaven.

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Chinese Recipes Introduction

There is absolutely no way to describe the best of Chinese food on this page. The variety, styles, and methods of cooking are immense. Therefore, I'll briefly highlight some key items.The difference in regional styles of cooking in China are vast for the most part. The recipes listed here are mainly comprised of Westernized versions of popular recipes.

However, you can learn how to cook Chinese food by yourself from many popular Chinese recipes. Just do it and enjoy the great taste now!

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