Chinese Chicken and Mushroom Lettuce Cups

RECIPE

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 3 cups)

Ingredients
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups minced cremini mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
1 cup minced shiitake mushroom caps (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1 pound ground chicken breast
3 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and minced
1 cup minced green onions
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
24 Boston lettuce leaves

Preparation
Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add cremini and shiitake mushrooms and chicken; cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shredded cabbage, kosher salt, crushed red pepper, and water chestnuts; cook for 5 minutes or until cabbage wilts. Remove from heat, and stir in onions, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Cool completely. Place mixture in an airtight container or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; freeze.

Thaw chicken mixture overnight in refrigerator or microwave at MEDIUM for 10 minutes. Bring to room temperature, or microwave at HIGH until warm, if desired. Stir in cilantro. Spoon about 3 tablespoons chicken mixture into each lettuce leaf with a slotted spoon.

Nutritional Information
Calories:103 (13% from fat)
Fat:1.5g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:15.3g
Carbohydrate:7.4g
Fiber:2.3g
Cholesterol:33mg
Iron:1.4mg
Sodium:270mg
Calcium:44mg

SS Recipes

Chinese Almond Cookies

RECIPE

Prep and Cook Time: about 45 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill. Notes: You can store the cookies airtight for up to 3 days.

Yield
Makes about 48 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preparation
1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add whole egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Stir or beat in flour and baking powder until well blended. Cover bowl and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, flatten each slightly, and place each about 1 inch apart on buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

3. In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with milk to blend. Brush cookies lightly with egg mixture; discard any remaining. Press an almond into the center of each cookie and sprinkle each with about 1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds.

4. Bake cookies in a 325° oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per cookie.

Nutritional Information
Calories:86 (51% from fat)
Protein:1.2g
Fat:4.9g (sat 2.6)
Carbohydrate:9.4g
Fiber:0.3g
Sodium:52mg
Cholesterol:19mg

SS Recipes

Chinese Potstickers

RECIPE

Variations of these little dumplings are popular throughout China. They symbolize abundance and wealth for the coming year, as they are made in large amounts and, when fried golden, represent coins. In northern China they are served in the hours between the old and new year. These may take some time to prepare, but gather a few friends to help assemble the potstickers. Cook two dozen for your party, and freeze the extras for future snacks or meals. Simply pop the extra, uncooked dumplings in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag.

Yield
16 servings (serving size: 3 dumplings and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients
Dumplings:
3 cups chopped napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 4 ounces)
4 dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
5 ounces lean ground pork
5 ounces ground chicken breast
1 large egg white
48 gyoza skins
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 1/3 cups water, divided
Sauce:
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced green onions
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine) or dry sherry
2 teaspoons chile puree with garlic sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

Preparation
1. To prepare dumplings, cook cabbage in boiling water 1 minute or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cool; chop.

2. Place mushrooms in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Cover and let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain mushrooms; chop.

3. Combine cabbage, mushrooms, 1/4 cup green onions, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and next 7 ingredients (through egg white) in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

4. Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining gyoza skins to prevent drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of gyoza skin with water. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumpling, seam side up, on a baking sheet sprinkled with remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch (cover loosely with a towel to prevent drying). Repeat procedure with remaining gyoza skins and filling.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 dumplings to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until water evaporates. Repeat procedure with remaining canola oil, dumplings, and water.

6. To prepare the sauce, combine 3 tablespoons chopped ginger and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve sauce with dumplings.

Nutritional Information
Calories:132 (0.0% from fat)
Fat:5.1g (sat 0.7g,mono 2.3g,poly 1.3g)
Protein:6.5g
Carbohydrate:14.7g
Fiber:1g
Cholesterol:15mg
Iron:0.8mg
Sodium:511mg
Calcium:23mg

SS Recipes

Chinese Five Spice Burgers

RECIPE

You can now find Chinese five spice blends in the spice section of most supermarkets, where you'll also find prepared plum sauce and Asian sesame oil. If you can't find five spice, substitute this mixture: 1/8 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, and anise seeds.

Yield
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
About 1 teaspoon olive or salad oil
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (3 1/2 oz.)
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (including tops)
6 tablespoons prepared Chinese plum sauce
1 pound ground lean beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice (see notes)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 sesame seed-topped hamburger buns (about 3 oz. each), cut in half horizontally
Lettuce leaves, rinsed and crisped
Salt

Preparation
1. Pour oil into an 8- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat; when hot, add mushrooms and stir until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the green onions and plum sauce and remove from heat.

2. In a bowl, gently mix ground beef with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese five spice, and ginger. Shape beef mixture into four equal patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.

3. Lay patties on a lightly oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook patties until no longer pink in the center (cut to test) or a thermometer inserted in center reaches 160°, 6 to 8 minutes total, turning once to brown evenly. After 5 minutes, lay bun halves, cut side down, on grill and toast lightly, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Lay a lettuce leaf on each toasted bun base, top with a beef patty, and spoon mushroom mixture equally over burgers. Add salt to taste and cover with bun tops.

Nutritional Information
Calories:608 (46% from fat)
Protein:31g
Fat:31g (sat 12)
Carbohydrate:52g
Fiber:2.5g
Sodium:1119mg
Cholesterol:85mg

SS Recipes

Chinese Hot Pot of Beef and Vegetables

RECIPE

This comforting stew teams beef with spinach, an efficient pairing because the iron in the beef enhances your body's ability to absorb the iron in the spinach. Serve it over plain Chinese noodles or all by itself with some crusty French bread--it's delicious either way.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon aniseed, crushed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/4-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 to 3 teaspoons chile paste with garlic2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled turnips (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
8 cups fresh spinach (about 1/2 pound)

Preparation
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add half of beef, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat the procedure with remaining oil and beef. Add onions, ginger, aniseed, and garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return beef to pan. Add 2 3/4 cups water and next 5 ingredients (2 3/4 cups water through cinnamon sticks), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.

Add the turnips and carrots; simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch; add to beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add spinach; cover and cook for 3 minutes or until wilted. Discard the cinnamon sticks.

Nutritional Information
Calories:359 (30% from fat)
Fat:11.9g (sat 3.4g,mono 5.5g,poly 1.5g)
Protein:26.4g
Carbohydrate:35.8g
Fiber:4.5g
Cholesterol:71mg
Iron:4.8mg
Sodium:536mg
Calcium:88mg

SS Recipes

Chinese-Style Glazed Chicken Breasts

RECIPE

Serve with asparagus and rice.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon apricot preserves or fruit spread
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and sauté for 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat; carefully stir in broth mixture. Return chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until done, turning to coat.

Nutritional Information
Calories:186 (25% from fat)
Fat:5.1g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.3g,poly 2.5g)
Protein:26.7g
Carbohydrate:6.9g
Fiber:0.3g
Cholesterol:66mg
Iron:0.9mg
Sodium:526mg
Calcium:17mg

SS Recipes

Stir-Fried Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Chinese Peas

RECIPE

In this recipe, fresh ginger is combined with salt then sits for five minutes. The salt draws out some of the ginger juice, making it drier, which is better for stir -frying; it also decreases the ginger's pungency.

Yield
2 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon julienne-cut peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon minced bird chile or 1 teaspoon minced serrano chile
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/2 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Preparation
Combine ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Rinse ginger with cold water; pat dry. Combine ginger and cornstarch in bowl.

Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and stir-fry 2 minutes or until tender. Add the ginger mixture, snow peas, and chile, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add tofu; stir-fry 1 minute. Add onions and soy sauce; stir-fry 2 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories:208 (41% from fat)
Fat:9.4g (sat 2g,mono 2.5g,poly 4g)
Protein:15.4g
Carbohydrate:16.2g
Fiber:3.4g
Cholesterol:0.0mg
Iron:4.7mg
Sodium:775mg
Calcium:120mg

SS Recipes

Stir-Fried Vegetables with Toasted Cashews

RECIPE

Yield
4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2/3 cup cashews
Dried red-pepper flakes
1 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 scallions, white bulbs sliced thin, green tops chopped and reserved separately
3/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound broccoli, thick stems removed, tops cut into small florets (about quart)
1 1/2 pounds napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 1/2 head), shredded (about 1 1/2 quarts)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preparation
1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the broth with the cornstarch. In a wok or a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add the cashews; cook, stirring, until starting to char, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl and add a pinch of red-pepper flakes.

2. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the cashews. Stir the scallion greens and sesame oil into the mushroom mixture.

3. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add the scallion bulbs and garlic; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cabbage; cook, stirring, until the cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons broth and 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the oyster and soy sauces. Stir the cornstarch mixture, add it to the pan, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the sauce coats the vegetables, about 1 minute. Serve topped with the mushroom mixture.

Wine Recommendation: Wines from Austria are more available than ever. Pick a grüner veltliner, a white wine with intriguing fruity and peppery flavors, for a tasty change of pace.

SS Recipes

Sesame Beef and Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry

RECIPE

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 cup stir-fry and 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar or rice vinegar, divided
4 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
3/4 pound top round, cut into1/4-inch strips
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted and divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups frozen blanched shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 (15-ounce) can whole baby corn, drained
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions
3 cups cooked jasmine rice

Preparation
Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sesame oil, and five-spice powder in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add beef; toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove beef from bowl; discard marinade.

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, water, and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk.

Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; stir-fry 1 minute. Remove beef from pan. Add 1 teaspoon peanut oil, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic to pan; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add bell pepper, edamame, mushrooms, and corn; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add beef and cornstarch mixture; stir-fry 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and onions. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information
Calories:434 (30% from fat)
Fat:14.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.8g,poly 3.5g)
Protein:21.7g
Carbohydrate:55.9g
Fiber:6.3g
Cholesterol:36mg
Iron:3.7mg
Sodium:318mg
Calcium:62mg

SS Recipes

Lucky Chinese Soup

RECIPE

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes

Yield
Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 2 ounces)
1 cup cubed firm tofu (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Preparation
1. Bring broth to a boil in covered 2-quart saucepan; add mushroom slices, tofu, and bamboo shoots. Return to a boil; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes.

2. Remove from heat; stir in the fish sauce and remaining ingredients.

Nutritional Information
Calories:100
Fat:5g (sat 1g,mono 2g,poly 2g)
Cholesterol:53mg
Protein:10g
Carbohydrate:7g
Fiber:1g
Iron:1.5mg
Sodium:279mg
Calcium:38mg

SS Recipes