# Chinese recipes



## lyndalou (Oct 22, 2005)

Does anyone have some good and easy Chinese recipes for a complete dinner? I'm especially interested in desserts,but whatever you might have for an entree and sides would be great, too.

Thanks.


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## SierraCook (Oct 22, 2005)

Here are some of my favorite recipes and links to others from this site. Hopefully, some will be what you are looking for. 

SC  

*Cashew Chicken*

I also have added snow peas to this dish when the chicken is added for the last time.

Ingredients:
8 ounces boneless chicken breasts, skinned and cut into 1/2 inch cubes 

Marinade
1 egg white
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon cornstarch
5 fluid ounces cooking oil (vegetable or peanut) 
2 ounces cashew nuts
2 teaspoons dry sherry or rice wine
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon spring onions, finely chopped as garnish (if desired) 

Directions: 
Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken cubes, mixing with chopsticks and adding the cornstarch last. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 - 20 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, mix together the dry sherry and light soy sauce and set aside. 
Heat the wok and add oil. When the oil is ready, add the chicken cubes and stir-fry on medium heat, stirring quickly to ensure that the chicken does not stick to the wok, until it turns white. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside. 
Clean the wok with a paper towel and add one tablespoon of oil. When the oil is ready, add the cashews and stir-fry them for about 1 minute. Add the chicken, and the sherry/soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry the dish for about another 2 minutes. If you don't like raw spring onions, you can add them to the dish at this time. Otherwise, remove the dish from wok, garnish with spring onions, and serve. 

Here is the recipe for Egg Drop Soup.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5095

This recipe was posted by mish and sounds really good.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9239

Kung Pao Chicken Stir-fry

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10763

There are a couple of other recipes in this thread.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7633



Chicken Chow Mein

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5532

Pork Fried Rice

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1166


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## AllenOK (Oct 22, 2005)

A couple points about Chinese dinners.

Dinners are served "Family Style", with everyone getting a little of the different dishes.  They try to balance the entire meal by having one dish for every person, with a balance of textures, fried, steamed, simmered, etc., as well as a balance of tastes, salty, sweet, sour, bitter, etc.

There aren't really any "desserts" as we know of it, although there are some sweet dishes that will fit the bill.


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## cara (Oct 23, 2005)

hmm.. desserts... not easy...
you could probably use

*baked bananas*

125g Flour
1 Teesp baking powder
2 Tblsp Milk
melted butter ca. 20g
1 tblsp sugar
about 3 bananas
Honey

stir flour, baking powder, milk, butter und sugar, add some water until high-viscosity ( is that the right word?? I hope you know what I mean... my translation side is off for server work today...*argh*)
cut the bananas into 3cm pieces and dip into the batter
Fry until they are brown and crispy

serve hot with the honey

++++++++++++++++++++

*Ginger Pudding*

200g Ginger
1 tblsp sugar
500ml milk

chop the ginger and press juice out... you need about 4 tblsp ginger juice
put one tblsp juice in one out of four dishes, add a teasp sugar.
cook the milk and pour into the dishes.

serve warm.


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## Yakuta (Oct 24, 2005)

You can make either a mango jello or a lychee jello.  Both of these have an Asian flair to it and I have eaten them at Chinese buffets.  There are also Chinese style hot cross buns but I prefer the chilled desserts more.


3 Fresh mangoes - Roughly pureed in a food processor 
or a 1 can of Lychees (liquid and all) pureed.
1 packet of gelatin
water 4-5 cups
sugar to your liking

In a pan bring the water and sugar to a boil.  Slowly stir in the gelatin and add the mango or lychee puree.  Set it in a mold and allow it to cool.  

Cut into diamonds and serve surrounded by other fresh or canned fruits like mandarin oranges.


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## shannon in KS (Oct 24, 2005)

*Easy Almond Chicken*

Chicken Breasts, Cut In Strips
Sauce:
1 Cup Chk Broth
18 Oz Jar Peach Jam
2 1/2 T Cornstarch
2 1/2 T Vinegar
Batter:
2 Eggs
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Water

Deep Fry Chicken In Batter, Drain.  Combine Sauce Ingredients, Cook Till Thickened.  Place Chicken In Baking Dish, Pour Sauce Over.  Sprinkle With Almonds. Bake 350 30-40 Minutes.  Can Also Add Chunk Pineapple And Cubed Peppers.


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## htc (Oct 24, 2005)

We just tend to do cut up fruit. Or lychee or logans chilled. But then my family isn't big on sweets. As for a whole Chinese meal, my suggestion, keep it very simple. 

If you want to make it "authentic" keep it simple as possible, not too much meat but lots of veggies. 

have some sort of a clear broth soup (nappa cabbage w/ shrimp or bean curd soup is always yummy). To go with the rice, I'd do a steamed fish w/ green onions, ginger & soy sauce, steamed eggs & a veggies stir fry.


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## simpleisgood (Oct 24, 2005)

Hi lyndalou, my ancestors (all g'parents) are from China. I have eaten at many of the finest Chinese restaurants in the SF bay area and LA.  Chinese desserts are terrible.  All my many relatives agree.  I have been to sumptuous 7-8 course banquets for up to 700 or so people and they will serve a kind of sweet bean soup for dessert.  675 of the people will not eat it, yet it continues to be served.  This is the most common dessert served at authentic Chinese restaurants but nobody likes it.  

I could describe some other Chinese sweets, but they are also mediocre at best.  My suggestion is to skip the Chinese dessert.


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## shannon in KS (Oct 24, 2005)

*Flowing Walnut Pudding*

http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com/chinese_desserts_appetizers_%20recipes/flowing_walnut_pudding_recipe.php

Copy function disabled.... so I will just provide the link....


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## htc (Oct 25, 2005)

The sweet bean soup is an acquired taste. I don't think it's THAT bad. I have to be in the mood to eat it though. I think the Chinese versions are not as good as what the Vietnamese do with sweet bean desserts. Though most restaurants don't make the sweet bean dessert the way I like, for some reason, I remember what my mom made as a kid was good. Some sort of green mung bean sweet soup w/ real seaweed.


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## lyndalou (Oct 25, 2005)

Thanks to all of you for great ideas and suggestions. Shannon the website is awesome. Now I can plan my dinner (no Chinese dessert). You are such a great group.


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## shannon in KS (Oct 25, 2005)

You are welcome!  I agree, the website is great, packed full of recipes!  





			
				lyndalou said:
			
		

> Thanks to all of you for great ideas and suggestions. Shannon the website is awesome. Now I can plan my dinner (no Chinese dessert). You are such a great group.


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## amber (Oct 25, 2005)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> You can make either a mango jello or a lychee jello. Both of these have an Asian flair to it and I have eaten them at Chinese buffets. There are also Chinese style hot cross buns but I prefer the chilled desserts more.
> 
> 
> 3 Fresh mangoes - Roughly pureed in a food processor
> ...


 
This sounds great Yakuta.  I love lychees.


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## GB (Oct 26, 2005)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> You can make either a mango jello or a lychee jello.  Both of these have an Asian flair to it and I have eaten them at Chinese buffets.  There are also Chinese style hot cross buns but I prefer the chilled desserts more.
> 
> 
> 3 Fresh mangoes - Roughly pureed in a food processor
> ...


Yakuta this sounds so good. I have a few cans of lychees in the cupboard so I would like to make this. How much sugar would you recommend? Lychees are so sweet to begin with that I wonder if any is really needed. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks


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## Yakuta (Oct 26, 2005)

Hi GB, yes go easy on the sugar.  I normally taste it at the end and adjust the sugar and only add it if necessary.  In most cases you can skip it since the lychees are already in a syrup. 

If you like lychees, lychee icecream is also delicious.  I just posted a recipe for mango icecream for Sarah and you can follow the same recipe and just use lychees instead of mango.  In my house and my family in general, lychee icecream is a favorite and it disappears in no time.


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## GB (Oct 26, 2005)

Oh that lychee ice cream sounds amazing! Thanks for your advice Yakuta


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 28, 2005)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Hi GB, yes go easy on the sugar. I normally taste it at the end and adjust the sugar and only add it if necessary. In most cases you can skip it since the lychees are already in a syrup.
> 
> If you like lychees, lychee icecream is also delicious. I just posted a recipe for mango icecream for Sarah and you can follow the same recipe and just use lychees instead of mango. In my house and my family in general, lychee icecream is a favorite and it disappears in no time.


 
Whoa Yakuta! Lychee ice cream!!  We own a very good ice cream maker and ice cream making is one of our passions... we created so many flavours but never thought of lychee!!  And we love the fruit!!  We must try this, thanks for the idea!


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