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Menu Plan for Spring II: Week 8, Friday
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Daily Recipes:
Fresh Pea Soup
Stir-Fried Scallops and Ham
Spaghetti with Egg Sauce
Sweet and Pungent Carrots
Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
We haven't done a Chinese dinner in awhile. Other than the Pea Soup, these recipes are based on ideas from "The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cook Book", modified, of course, to suit local ingredients... and my taste.
Because the scallops and noodles cook so fast, do them after the starter to keep them fresh.
Fresh Pea Soup
Total time: 25 minutes
This would be lovely with actual fresh peas, but they are not so easy to find unless you have your own garden. Frozen peas are thought (by the experts) to actually be better. Make certain you get plain peas - no butter or sauce. This is equally good hot or cold.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium leek
- 1 rib celery optional
- 2 cups (8oz, 240gr) fresh or frozen peas
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) chicken stock
- 1 tsp dried basil or 1 tbs fresh, snipped
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 tbs Greek or plain yogurt optional
Instructions:
- Clean and thinly slice leek.
- Thinly slice the celery.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the leeks and celery and sauté until leeks are tender, about 7 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, basil and peas.
- Cover and simmer until peas are tender.
- Purée soup in a blender or using an immersion blender.
- Return soup to heat and add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock as desired (or more) to get the consistency you like.
- Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with a dollop of yogurt if you have some, and serve.
Stir-Fried Scallops and Ham
Total time: 10 minutes
The sweetness of shellfish pairs very well with the salty ham. Small bits of ham are often used as flavorings in Chinese foods. I buy frozen scallops, which are less expensive than fresh. You could also use small, bay scallops, which will cook very fast or shrimp.
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) large scallops
- 4 slices Prosciutto, (3.5oz, 100gr) or other dry-cured ham, Bayonne, Serrano
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 tbs dry sherry
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
Instructions:
- Cut ham slices into thick strips.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water.
- Stir sherry and soy sauce into cornstarch mixture.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- When hot add 2 tsp olive oil, ham and stir-fry until crisp.
- Remove ham and set aside. Add remaining 1 tsp olive oil and sesame oil to skillet.
- Add scallops and stir-fry quickly until scallops turn opaque. Some scallops will release water when cooked, causing them to steam rather than fry. Be sure to use a large skillet, giving them plenty of room. Turn the heat to high after adding the scallops if they don't start to sizzle.
- Return ham to skillet, add cornstarch mixture and stir until it's hot, thick and coating the scallops, less than a minute.
- Serve immediately.
Noodles with Egg Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
I use spaghetti for this, but rice noodles should work, as well. The simmering stock is whisked into the eggs to 'temper' them, so they will be more like a sauce than scrambled eggs.
Ingredients:
- 3oz (90gr) spaghetti, for spaghetti, about 3/4" (2cm) circle
- 2 green onions, white and light green only
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 2 tbs sherry
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 eggs
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
- Trim and slice green onion.
- Heat oils in drained pasta pan, over medium heat. Add green onion and sauté lightly, about 1 minute.
- Add stock, sherry and soy sauce; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low.
- Whisk eggs.
- When stock is simmering, whisk 2 tbs of hot stock into eggs.
- Immediately whisk eggs into hot stock.
- Immediately after that add pasta, stirring and tossing to heat through and coat noodles without curdling eggs. (Tongs work best.) Serve.
Sweet and Pungent Carrots
Total time: 20 minutes
In a typical 'Chinese Dinner' these would be served as an accent dish. For our Western dinner, we added more carrots and made it our vegetable side dish.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 3 medium carrots
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken stock
- Sweet and Pungent Sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch (maizena, corn flour)
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- 3 tbs water
Instructions:
- Peel carrots and roll cut: cut the end off of the carrot at an angle, roll carrot 1/4 turn and cut next piece about 3/4 inch away at an angle, roll 1/4 and cut next piece, etc. This gives you interesting looking pieces with lots of surface.
- Put carrots in a small saucepan, add stock and cook, covered, 15 - 20 minutes or until are done.
- Remove carrots, discarding stock. Keep carrots warm.
- Add all ingredients for sauce to pan. Heat, stirring constantly until thick and clear.
- Pour over carrots and serve.
Cooking Schedule: 35 minutes |
Finish soup |
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