Easy Recipes to Make to Celebrate Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year is tomorrow.... Chinese love food, it's about good eating.... so what better way to celebrate the New Year than with food.

Don't do take out!

Why not try one of these recipes? They aren't difficult to make and are a delicious way to celebrate the New Year.

I hope you try one of these tasty recipes!

                                          Baked Crab Rangoon

                                          Honey Garlic Chicken

                                          Chicken and Broccoli

                             Pork Fried Rice   OR   Chicken Fried Rice

                                       Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

                                        Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry

                                          Mongolian Beef

 

                                         Sweet and Sour Pork

                          Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables Over Rice

Try this for an Easy Dessert

                                 Baked Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons

Pepper Steak Meatballs

This recipe is one from my Mother. She has made this recipe for as long as I can remember. It’s a little different twist on Pepper Steak…

It’s very easy and quick… it also can be made ahead and reheated…. serve this with white rice.

TIPS

You can use red, green and yellow peppers for color... it makes a terrific presentation.... also red and yellow peppers have a milder flavor that guests may prefer.

It makes a great buffet item…. It’s very tasty and different… goes well with other foods and is pretty inexpensive to make.

This recipe serves 6… so if you are serving this on a buffet… I would double the recipe…. but I would suggest you make it in two batches so everything fits easily in the skillet.







Recipe: Pepper Steak Meatballs

All you need:

1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
½ cup milk
¾ cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup butter or margarine
3 green peppers, seeded and sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 package (8 oz.) fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 small plum (Roma) tomatoes, quartered
1 can (10 oz.) condensed beef broth
1/3 cup water
¼ cup Burgundy wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup cold water

All you need to do:

In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, milk, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Shape the meat into small balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter.

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet on medium high heat.

Brown the meatballs in the butter. (Just brown them, they will continue to cook throughout the recipe)

Add the green peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes; sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the condensed beef broth, 1/3 cup water, wine and soy sauce.

Simmer covered for 5 to 8 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Remove the meatballs to a serving dish.

Add the cornstarch to a small measuring cup of ¼ cup cold water. Blend into a smooth paste.

Slowly add the cornstarch mixture into the skillet… stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes clear.



Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve with white rice.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with These Easy To Make Dishes

Chinese New Year is almost here.... and what better way to celebrate than with food.

Don't do take out!

Why not try one of these recipes? They aren't difficult to make and are a delicious way to celebrate the New Year.

I hope you try one of these tasty recipes!

                                          Baked Crab Rangoon

                                          Honey Garlic Chicken

                                          Chicken and Broccoli

                             Pork Fried Rice   OR   Chicken Fried Rice

                                       Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

                                        Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry

                                          Mongolian Beef

 

                                         Sweet and Sour Pork

                          Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables Over Rice

Try this for an Easy Dessert

                                 Baked Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons

Baked Pineapple Cream Cheese Dessert Wontons

 

These Pineapple Cream Cheese Dessert Wontons are so easy to make.. and totally delicious!  We had them when visiting a Disney restaurant at Disney World and loved them.. a nice light touch dessert.

They fried theirs… I wanted a healthier alternative.. so I baked mine.. much the same as my Baked Crab Rangoon.

With Chinese New Year just around the corner.. these will be an nice addition to any celebration.

TIPS

I’ve tried to make these a few times before getting them “just right”… so here goes…

Make sure you drain the crush pineapple… you want a little liquid.. not a lot.

I tried making these without adding any sugar to the mixture… in my opinion… while they were good… they weren’t as “dessert-like” as I wanted… so don’t omit that in the recipe.

I mixed the pineapple cream cheese mixture by spoon…. I found it didn’t mix as well as when I used my mixer … the mixer blends the ingredients a lot better.

I used spray oil in each muffin “well” ..it will give the feel of being fried without all the fat of frying… I used olive oil  spray oil .. which worked but didn’t add to the “dessert” flavor.. I’d recommend you use butter flavored cooking oil spray..

When you make the wonton bundles… be sure to fold the pointy ends down… they get pretty crisp in the oven and are pretty brittle… which is okay when making savory appetizer wontons.. but you want a softer wonton for dessert.

I didn’t sift powdered sugar over these.. but that would be definitely an added sweetness and will make a nice presentation.. I’d recommend it.

Don’t over-fill the wontons… about 1 ½ measuring teaspoons should be right… it’s not an exact science… so don’t fret about being exact.

This recipe should make about 24 wontons

Try these.. you will love them!

Recipe:   Baked Pineapple Cream Cheese Dessert Wontons

All you need:

Wonton wrappers

1 small can (8 oz) Dole crushed pineapple

1 pkg (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon sugar

Cooking oil spray *Butter flavor preferred

Powdered sugar (optional)

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray the muffin wells in a regular size muffin tin with butter flavor cooking oil spray.  Set aside.

Be sure to drain off some of the pineapple juice in the crushed pineapple can leaving it very moist but not soupy.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and crushed pineapple.

Place the wontons on a cutting board… put about 1 ½ teaspoons of the pineapple cream cheese mixture in the center of each wonton… fold the ends up and pinch… to make a little bundle.

Place one bundle in each of the prepared muffin wells.  Give the tops a light spray with the butter flavored cooking oil.

Bake until lightly browned… about 10 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool to warm… place on a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar (sift a little over them).

Chicken and Broccoli

 

Chicken and Broccoli is a super fast meal to put together…. Plan ahead and marinate your meat in the morning and have dinner on the table in under 20 minutes…. Delicious and better for you than take-out… you control the salt and no msg.

TIPS

As I pointed out in the beginning… the marinade ahead of time and this recipe cooks fast.  Even though the recipe says to marinate the meat for 15 minutes… I did mine in the morning… I have done it the night before also… so all I had to do was cook it when I got home.

I used a bag of ready to cook broccoli florets I found in the produce section of the grocery store… another time saver.. you cut and clean your own before hand as well to save time.  The actual recipe uses the stalks and florets (cut the stalks off and cut them at an angle.. they go in too… no waste here).

I make my rice .. I used Minute Rice… in the microwave while I cooked the meal.

The recipe calls for fresh ginger… if you are new to purchasing fresh ginger… it usually is not expensive.. and can be found in the produce section of the grocery store.  Measuring a piece and cutting it off… then chopping it in a mini chopper is probably the easiest way to mince it. 

You can mince the ginger and garlic together in the mini chopper… just use half the minced mixture in the marinade and half in cooking.

If you need to substitute garlic powder for the cloves… the conversion is 1 clove equals 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder.  Remember different brands and age of the powder will have different potency.. use the amount in the conversion and adjust to taste at the end of cooking.

If you don’t have fresh ginger .. you can use ground ginger but the taste is slightly different… the potency is also different… so start with less and add more in the cooking stage to your taste.. for the marinade use the teaspoon of ground ginger…. then sprinkle additional ginger in the final stages of cooking if needed.

Speaking of potency of the ginger… the larger the root, the more mature it is and more pungent… wrinkled skin indicates it is aged and less potent. 

Store fresh ginger wrapped in a paper towel for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

The salt is listed in a range.. I prefer things less salty.. I use the ½ teaspoon.. if you’re used to saltier food.. then use the larger amount.. remember.. you can always add more in the final cooking so I always recommend the lower amount.. but that is entirely up to you.

If you love Asian food and want to cook it at home.. a wok is the best pan to cook in… a good quality wok is worth its weight in gold…  I splurged on a Le Creuset wok at the outlet…. It’s a heavy cast iron wok.. heats up fast and gets really really hot.. perfect for cooking Asian recipes…. Hot and fast is the best cooking method for these recipes.

You can cook this in a regular skillet.. use one that will get nice and hot.

The cooking step that cooks the broccoli will surprise you.. I know it did me… the fresh broccoli gets a beautiful bright green.. my picture does not do it justice because of the sauce on it.

This will make 3-4 servings depending on size.  We had 3 servings from it.

I hope you try it!

Recipe:  Chicken and Broccoli

All you need:

About 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks

For the Marinade:

3-4 green onions, white only, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced *See TIPS

½ inch minced fresh ginger or about ½ teaspoon ground ginger *See TIPS

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½-1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Additional ingredients for Cooking:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¾  cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 cups broccoli florets and cut-up stems *See TIPS

1 garlic clove, minced *See TIPS

½  inch minced fresh ginger or about ½ teaspoon ground ginger *See TIPS

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

Cooked Rice

Chinese noodles (optional)

Thinly sliced green onion (green parts) for garnish (optional)

All you have to do:

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a glass bowl and place the chicken in it… marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or you can do this step ahead *See TIPS

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the cornstarch and chicken broth.  Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wok or skillet over high heat.  Add the broccoli stems and cook for about a minute.  Add the florets, minced ginger, minced garlic and 3 tablespoons water.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir fry cook for about 3 minutes until broccoli is bright green and cooked but still crisp (you will be adding it back into the pan at the end for more cooking).  Remove the broccoli to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat it over high heat.  Add the chicken and stir fry cook until the chicken is cooked and a little brown about 5 minutes.

Add the hoisin sauce and the broccoli and stir fry cook to heat the broccoli.  Add the reserved cornstarch and chicken broth.  Bring to a bubbly boil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Adjust seasonings to taste if necessary.

Serve over cooked rice.

Honey Garlic Chicken

 

This recipe for Honey Garlic Chicken is a snap.. a snap to make and done in a snap!  Not many recipes can boast 20 minutes (including prep) to the table and with very little prep.

Why get take out?… make it yourself!... It’s easy and a whole lot less expensive… not to mention you control the ingredients.

TIPS

You can bread the chicken a couple of different ways… you can take a quick shortcut using a Shake n Bake…  or bread it the traditional way… four .. egg.. and breadcrumbs…

The Sriracha sauce is Chinese hot chili sauce and if you haven’t had it or used it before.. go easy when making this.. remember you can always add more…. I highly recommend you use the lower end of the posted amount.  I used the full tablespoon and.. let’s just say it wasn’t for me… Warren liked it but simply thought it was too hot.

I served it with white rice and bought small spring rolls to serve with it…

I hope you try this tasty Asian meal!

Recipe:  Honey Garlic Chicken

All you need:

1 pound chicken breasts or tenders, cut into chunks

½ cup flour, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder

1 egg beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs (Panko works the best)

Olive oil cooking oil spray (optional)

For the Sauce:

¾ cup honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ - 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

Garnish:

Sesame seeds

1 green onion chopped (green part only)

Cooked white rice

All you have to do:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking pan with non-stick foil.

Dredge the chicken pieces in flour.. then egg then breadcrumbs.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.  Give them a quick spray with cooking oil spray (optional).

Bake for 15 minutes or until fully cooked… (15 minutes should be fine for small pieces).

Meanwhile, heat the honey, garlic and soy sauce in a small saucepan over medium/low heat.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the water and cornstarch until fully mixed, then add it to the honey, whisking until blended.  Add the Sriracha sauce and stir well.

When chicken is done, place them in a large bowl and pour the sauce over them, toss to fully coat the chicken.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.

Pork Fried Rice

I thought I would post another popular Asian meal… Pork Fried Rice….we had it last night with our New Year's Celebration.

It's quick and easy... for sure...and so much better and cheaper than take-out. Better because you control the ingredients.

Prep a few things ahead and this dish is prepared in minutes…. Yes … you read that right… minutes….

My archives have a recipe for Chicken Fried Rice... the only difference with this recipe is the pork... the tips are the same .. except for the meat...

TIPS

You MUST prepare the rice ahead. It MUST be cold rice or it will be a sticky mess …. not at all like the Fried Rice you want. So make the rice the night before or make it in the morning and store it in the fridge until you come home that night and make supper.

I highly recommend that you salt the dish after you have added the soy sauce to taste… soy sauce adds quite a bit of sodium and you could end up over salting this dish if you add salt to taste before the soy sauce. At the very least add a minimum of salt to begin with.

The spice quantities are a base recipe… add more to your taste. Fried rice is actually quite bland to begin with … you add more garlic, ginger and soy sauce to your taste. We like garlic so I add a good deal more than listed below. Use the recipe as a guide.

I used three very thin sliced boneless pork chops, that I cut into small pieces… you can use thicker pork chops which are cheaper, but I do encourage you to cut the pieces as thin and small as possible… they will cook faster and spread more evenly throughout the dish.

I have never seen boneless pork chops quite as small or thin before.... they were no thicker than very thin boneless chicken breast cutlets.... if your local store doesn't have the pork that thin... you can use a regular boneless pork chop...

If you are stuck using a regular boneless pork chop.. freeze it briefly before cutting it.. it make slicing it very thin more easily.  In that case, I would cut it like you were cutting a London broil... cut it into slices then dice it up.

Some people add some diced red pepper into this… if you do… you can add it toward the end of the onion and pork sautéing … a little crunch is good.

Instead of adding soy sauce to the dish.. some people add oyster sauce.. you can add either one.

The oil can be sesame oil or olive oil.. or a combination… sesame oil has a strong taste… so if you have never cooked with it before.. add it sparingly to begin with … and add olive oil when you need more oil… unless you are sure you will like the flavor of sesame oil.

I cook the egg in a small skillet and then add it to the dish.. some people slide the rice over and cook it in the same skillet… I like have room to keep stirring it as it cooks… it’s your choice how to handle it.

I listed the number of eggs as 2-3… for the picture you see … I used 2 eggs… if you like a lot of egg in your fried rice.. use 3…

I tried to cut back on some fat in the recipe.. as I mentioned… I cooked the eggs in another skillet… I used a non-stick skillet with a light spray of butter flavored cooking oil. If you have ever watched a Chinese cook in a take-out place.. you will remember they stir very quickly with a spatula constantly, constantly pulling and flipping and “chopping” the egg… the eggs will cook quickly and should be “chopped” with a spatula into small pieces.

As with the spices… the amount of chopped onion is a base amount… and one I used.. you certainly can add more if you prefer.

This will make about 4-6 servings, depending on what else you are serving.

Try this very quick and easy recipe..







Recipe:  Pork Fried Rice

All you need:

2 cups uncooked rice (cooked and then allowed to get COLD)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 thin sliced chicken breasts, chopped and seasoned with garlic powder
2 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons olive or sesame oil or a combination
2-3 eggs, beaten
Butter flavored cooking oil spray
2 tablespoons soy or oyster sauce (to taste)
Salt to taste
1 cup frozen carrots and peas, thawed
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

All you have to do:

Make the rice according to package instructions. Allow rice to get COLD.

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over fairly high heat.

Add the pork and stir to cook. When pork is almost done … it should take about 3-5 minutes to cook it completely through… (exact cooking time will depend on the size of your pieces) ...

Add the chopped onion (not the green onion).

Cook pork and the onion until pork is no longer pink.

Add the rice, carrots and peas and spices. Stir to evenly coat the rice with the oil. Add a drizzle of additional oil if necessary. Add the soy sauce and stir to evenly coat.

Meanwhile, spray butter flavored cooking oil in a separate small skillet. Heat the skillet over medium high heat. Add the beaten egg and cook (see tips). Make sure you have chopped it into small pieces.

Add the cooked egg pieces and green onion to the rice. Mix well.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with these Easy Recipes!

Chinese New Year is almost here.... and what better way to celebrate than with food.

Don't do take out!

Why not try one of these recipes? They aren't difficult to make and are a delicious way to celebrate the New Year.

I hope you try one of these tasty recipes!









Baked Crab Rangoons










Chicken Fried Rice













Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry









Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry

Mongolian Beef










Sweet and Sour Pork











Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables Over Rice

Recipe: Mongolian Beef

This copycat recipe for P. F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef dish is absolutely the best.   A basic simple and easy recipe to make… no exotic ingredients to buy… not a lot of work involved either… a perfect week night meal.

TIPS

While it’s always nice to go out to eat.. it can get expensive.. and you can’t control the ingredients…  making this at home is easy… you can easily cut the fat in this recipe and use a lower sodium soy sauce.. cut a little here and there.. it adds up.

Many copycat recipes almost deep fry the meat.. it really isn’t necessary..  it only adds fat and calories.. and really doesn’t do much to add to the flavor.  This recipe uses olive oil but just enough to sear the meat and a small amount in the sauce.

I like a thicker sauce.. so I add cornstarch at the end also to thicken it up.. if you want it runnier.. omit that step.

The sauce has a lot of brown sugar in it.. but honestly.. keep it in.. don’t cut back there.. this sauce is to die for.

You can use fresh ginger… grate it or mince it…start with a small amount .. about ½ teaspoon .. add more to taste.

I served this with white rice and steamed broccoli.

Recipe:  Mongolian Beef

All you need:

About 1 lb. thin cut eye round steak

About ¼ cup cornstarch for dredging the beef in

About 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Scant ¼ teaspoon ground ginger or to taste

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup water

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch to thicken the sauce (optional)

2 large green onions cut into 1 inch pieces

All you need to do:

Cut the beef into strips about an inch wide.  Place the ¼ cup cornstarch in a shallow bowl and dredge the beef in it.  Place the beef on a plate and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Do not let the garlic brown.  Add the soy sauce, water and brown sugar.  Stir until the brown sugar has melted.  Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes.  Turn the heat off.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to coat the pan)in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the beef and sear on both sides.  Remove any excess oil.

Add the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir it into the sauce to thicken it (if desired).  Add the green onions and cook for a minute.

Serve immediately.

Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables Over Rice

This is one of my “Suppers in a Flash” recipes…. hearty, tasty and quick. A delicious supper in under 30 minutes…. perfect for the week night meal when time is short.

Everything can easily be made all at the same time…. the homemade Teriyaki sauce cooks while you steam the vegetables in the microwave and make the rice… and the chicken cooks in the skillet.

Thanks to the folks at Birdseye… they have great vegetable combinations that you can steam right in the bag.. and I must tell you.. they come out perfect every time. This recipe uses their broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas and water chestnut mix.

TIPS

Make your teriyaki sauce from scratch.. the recipe is quick and easy and you’ll be sure to know exactly what’s in it… click here for the recipe. If you like your meal very saucy… double the recipe.

I used a package of chicken tenders from the meat department at the grocery store.. you can cut your own using boneless chicken breasts.

White or brown rice works well with this dish.

This recipe will feed 2-3 and easily doubles…

Relax and enjoy making this quick and easy recipe!






Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables Over Rice

All you need:

1 pound chicken tenders
Garlic powder
Black pepper
1 bag Birdseye Vegetable Steamers – Broccoli, Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas and Water Chestnut variety
Teriyaki Sauce
Cooked rice

All you need to do:

Spray a large skillet with cooking oil spray and heat it over medium high heat.

Season the chicken tenders with a sprinkling of garlic powder and black pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through until it is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the Birdseye vegetables according to package directions.

Add the vegetables and the Teriyaki sauce (about 1 cup).

Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Serve over cooked rice.

Recipe: Teriyaki Sauce

Did you know just how easy it is to make Teriyaki Sauce yourself??? Well … it is! Takes .. at the most.. about 5 minutes to make and you control the ingredients.. so you know exactly what’s in it…

This is a perfect sauce for some quick stir fried vegetables and chicken or shrimp over rice… a meal in under 30 minutes… now how great is that?

TIPS

This sauce is made with soy sauce… you can purchase lower sodium soy sauce to cut the sodium.

Be sure to mix the cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water separately.. I use a glass measuring cup and mix it with a fork to be sure it’s completely dissolved.

Add the water and cornstarch to the rest of the ingredients when it is at a low simmer… use a whisk to mix it in.

I “eyeball” (to use Rachael Ray’s term) the amount of honey…

If the mixture gets too thick for your tastes… simply add more water.

This is a small batch it will make just enough for two people… I usually double the recipe.

Try this quick and easy sauce… you’ll never purchase the jarred stuff again.







Recipe: Teriyaki Sauce

All you need:

2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup cold water

1 cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

All you have to do:

Mix the cornstarch and ¼ cold water together in a small measuring cup or bowl, and mix well until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

Place the remaining ingredients in small sauce pan and bring to a low simmer.

Add the cornstarch mixture, whisking as you add it in.

Cook for about 2 minutes or until desired thickness.