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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 8, Friday
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Daily Recipes:
Hot and Sour Soup
Red Sauced Shrimp
Fried Rice
Cooking time: 30 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
This is an easy, Chinese dinner. Once the prep work is done it goes together quickly. Stir-fries are done at the last minute.
Hot and Sour Soup
Total time: 10 minutes
I don't know what it is about this simple soup that makes it so delicious. Everyone who tastes it loves it. I use a few slivered mushrooms or a bit of deli ham or smoked turkey for garnish.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (24oz, 720ml) chicken stock
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs cornstarch
- 2 - 4 mushrooms or a bit of ham or smoked turkey as garnish
Instructions:
- Clean mushrooms and cut each into thin slivers.
- Heat 2 1/2 cups chicken stock to boiling.
- Crack eggs into medium bowl and whisk lightly.
- Dissolve cornstarch into remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Add to boiling stock, stir until thickened and clear.
- Add soy sauce and vinegar.
- Pour in eggs, stir once or twice only.
- Ladle into 2 bowls. Sprinkle slivered mushrooms (and/or ham) on top and serve immediately.
Red Sauced Shrimp
Total time: 10 minutes
This is one of those dishes that can be as hot or not as you like. The ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes add the heat but you could also add other hot sauce to taste.
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) cleaned shrimp
- 1 tbs minced ginger, about 4 slices the size and thickness of an American quarter or 1 euro coin
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 - 6 green onions (scallions)
- 2 tbs sherry
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs ketchup
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs sesame or walnut oil
- 1 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, I leave them out as it makes it too hot for me)
Instructions:
- Peel, slice and mince ginger.
- Mince garlic.
- Clean the green onions: slice off the root, remove 1 layer of skin. Slice into 1/2" (1.25cm) long pieces. OR chop onion.
- Dissolve cornstarch in chicken stock.
- Have everything else measured and ready.
- Heat oils in large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When very hot add ginger, garlic and onion (and red pepper flakes if using). Stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add shrimp and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes longer, until shrimp turn opaque and start to curl.
- Add sherry, ketchup and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
- Stir cornstarch mixture to recombine, then add it to the shrimp, stirring constantly.
- Sauce will quickly thicken and coat shrimp. Remove and serve immediately.
Fried Rice
Total time: 30 minutes
Traditional Fried Rice is made with cold, leftover white sticky rice. This is equally good made with freshly cooked Basmati. The scrambled egg and peas stay with the tradition, however. Use plain, frozen peas.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) Basmati rice
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 4 - 6 green onions (scallions) or 1/2 regular onion, chopped
- 2/3 cup peas
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs sherry
Instructions:
- Cook rice in stock until done.
- Remove from heat and uncover to cool slightly.
- Clean the green onions: slice off the root, remove 1 layer of skin. Slice into 1/3" (1cm) long pieces. OR chop onion.
- Put egg into a small bowl and lightly beat with a fork.
- Heat half of the oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg and scramble. Remove to a plate.
- Heat remaining oils and onion, stir-fry 1 minute.
- Add rice, soy sauce and sherry. Stir well to combine. Stir-fry for 3 minutes.
- Add peas and stir-fry 2 minutes longer.
- Break scrambled egg into chunks, stir into rice and serve.
Cooking Schedule: 30 minutes |
Add soy, vinegar |
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