Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

I have been trying to create a sweet and sour dipping sauce that is like those little red packets you get at Chinese restaurants. This is the closest I have come. Substituting rice wine vinegar seemed to make it a bit sweeter than other recipes I have tried. I also took someone's advice to make it thicker by adding more cornstarch and water to the pan, I think I added 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and two teaspoons of water, which I mixed with a little whisk before I stirred it into the sauce. I will keep this recipe until I get a better one.

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

1 t. cornstarch
1/3 c. distilled white vinegar
2 t. vegetable oil (I probably used peanut oil)
2/3 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
2 T ketchup
3 T brown sugar
salt to taste

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat whisk together vinegar and cornstarch.
2. Add remaining ingredients, whisking constantly until the mixture is heated through.
3. Chill before use.

Egg Rolls

I had bought some egg roll wrappers and decided to try out the recipe on the back of the packet. These were pretty good, and I will keep this recipe until I find a better one. I made the whole packet and froze half of them. I used peanut oil and baby bok choy, and a bit more than a pound of the pork. It is hard to do deep frying unless you have a deep fryer, I feel like I waste the oil or it spoils. Also, my egg rolls looked more like little burritos than the little egg rolls you get in restaurants!!

Egg Rolls

1 package of egg roll wraps
1 lb. lean ground pork
1 t. minced ginger
2 c. cabbage, finely chopped
1/4 lb. bean sprouts
1/2 c. carrot, shredded
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 T oyster sauce
oil for frying
sauce for dipping

1. Stir-fry meat and ginger in skillet over high heat until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, and green onions, cook 2 minutes.
3. Stir in oyster sauce and let mixture cool.
4. Use 2 Tablespoons filling for each egg roll. Fold bottom corner over filling, then fold in side corners. Brush top corner with water and roll up wrap tightly to enclose filling, sealing roll with top flap.
5. Fry in a 350º skillet, flap down a few at a time, turning when golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
6. Or, bake in 400º oven, place rolls on greased cookie sheet, lightly brush tops with olive oil and bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.

Orange Chicken

I had some orange juice to use up, and couldn't find a recipe to try in my boxes. So I searched the Internet for a recipe for Orange Chicken that used a lot of orange juice. This one sounded good, and it was pretty good. I don't have a deep-fryer so I often just use a frying pan with about a 1/2-inch of oil. Sometimes this works, other times it doesn't work so well. This was one time it didn't work so well. The chicken didn't cook evenly and was either too "done" or not "done" enough. I liked the taste, despite all the soy sauce. I cut the recipe down by 3/4, except the sauce since there is rarely enough sauce!! This time I was wrong, if you cut this recipe down cut the sauce down, too. I didn't add the cooked chicken to the sauce, perhaps that would have improved it? I also served over rice, not on the side. I don't think I will keep this recipe, since I am trying only to keep the outstanding recipes from now on.

Orange Chicken

2 lb. chicken breast, cut unto 1-inch cubes
3 c. oil for frying
1 c. cornstarch (for coating chicken)
1 t. sesame seeds
some chopped green onions for topping

For the marinade:

1 c. orange juice
2 t. light soy sauce
a few drops sesame oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda

For the sauce:

1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/3 c. rice vinegar
a few drops sesame oil
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T orange zest (grated)
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 t. fresh ginger minced (can use powdered)
1/2 t. minced garlic
3 T cornstarch [with some water]
salt to taste

1. Combine marinade ingredients.
2. Add chicken and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
3. In a small to medium-sized pot add chicken broth, a few drops of sesame oil, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
4. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes.
5. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, and garlic.
6. Stir in cornstarch and water mixture until sauce thickens, then season with salt to taste.
7. Check sauce for the desired thickness. If it is too runny for you then you can add a bit more corn starch and water.
8. Set sauce aside and keep warm.
9. Take chicken out of marinade, shaking off the excess and toss cubes in the 1 cup cornstarch.
10. Shake of the excess cornstarch and place on a plate.
11. Heat up the 3 cups oil in a pot or wok.
12. When oil just begins to smoke, add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
13. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
14. Repeat with the rest of the chicken cubes.
15. Reheat orange sauce and add fried chicken cubes.
16. Mix until well coated.
17. Place the chicken servings on two plates and sprinkle sesame seeds and green onion on top.
18. Serve with side of white rice and vegetables.

Crispy Chicken Wontons

I appreciate that this recipe enabled me to learn how to hand-fold wontons, but this was the only thing this recipe was good for. I was unable to find a 16-ounce container of wonton skins, so I had a lot of filling left over. The filling was missing the texture and flavor of the wontons you find in restaurants, and the texture of the baked wonton was wrong. These might be better if deep-fried or boiled. I froze the extra wontons so I can try those preparations next time. The fact that the recipe called for you to bring the corners together didn't strike me as the proper way to fold a wonton, although it is certainly less time-consuming. I definitely recommend covering the pan of folded wontons with a damp towel while you fold the remaining wontons, otherwise they will dry out. Also, remove only a portion of the wonton skins at a time from the package or they will dry out.

Crispy Chicken Wontons

3 c. finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1/4 c. finely chopped water chestnuts
2 t. cornstarch
1 T water
1 T soy sauce
1/2 to 1 t. ground ginger
16-ounce package of wonton wrappers
2 T butter, melted
1 t. vegetable oil
plum or sweet and sour sauce

1. In a bowl, combine chicken, carrot, and water chestnuts.
2. In another bowl, combine cornstarch, water, soy sauce, and ginger until smooth. Add to chicken mixture and toss to coat.
3. Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten edges with water. Bring opposite points together and pinch to seal. Place on greased baking sheets.
4. combine butter and oil and brush over wontons.
5. Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with plum or sweet and sour sauce. Makes about 4 dozen.

Cashew Chicken

I was very happy with this recipe, with the exception of the fact that the cashews were not as crunchy as I hope for. I replaced all of the vegetables with celery, carrots, peas, chopped water chestnuts, and chopped green onions. I used more chicken than the recipe called for, and would have liked slightly more sauce. I pretty much used this recipe more for technique than ingredients. I am not big on soy sauce so I cut it down to 1 teaspoon. I also used salted cashews, so I cut back on the salt in the recipe. I did use the MSG, since I don't have trouble, and don't know if that affected the final taste or not. I will keep this recipe for sure, perhaps I will substitute almonds next time.

Cashew Chicken

1 1/2 boneless chicken breast halves
1 t. cornstarch
5 T peanut oil, separated
3/4 c. unsalted cashew nuts
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. button mushrooms, sliced
3/4 c. bamboo shoots, sliced
1 c. snow peas, stringed
dash pepper
1/2 t. Accent, optional
1/2 t. sugar
2 t. soy sauce
2 t. cornstarch dissolved in 2 t. water

1. Cut chicken into thin slices or 1 1/2-inch squares. Mix thoroughly with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon peanut oil.
2. Saute nuts in 1 Tablespoon peanut oil until they are slightly brown. Remove from pan.
3. In an extremely hot frying pan, add 3 Tablespoons peanut oil and salt. Add chicken and saute over high fire until chicken meat turns white.
4. Add stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and snow peas. Cover and cook 1 minute before adding pepper, Accent, sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch mixture. Stir gently until sauce thickens.
5. Pour in nuts and mix slightly.
6. Serve piping hot with rice. Serves 4.

Stir-Fry Velvet Chicken with Almonds

I am happy with this recipe, although I think I will try to stir fry the chicken to make it a bit less "velvety". I substituted carrots and celery for the bamboo shoots and mushrooms. I like that the green onions and water chestnuts were minced, they mixed better into the recipe. I had to put some sesame oil into the sauce mixture because I didn't have any oyster sauce. I might have to purchase some, since that might be the ingredient that would make my Almond Chicken taste more like a restaurant's recipe. At first I thought this was a bit too "soy saucy" but the flavor died down a bit as the dish sat on my plate for a bit, or perhaps my tongue just got used to it. I will keep these recipes and may end up combining some of the other chicken preparation techniques with the ingredients from this recipe.

Basic Velvet Chicken

ice water
1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, skinned, boned, and cut according to recipe (about 2 c.)
1 egg white, slightly beaten
2 T cornstarch
2 quarts water
1 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. salt

1. Pour ice water into a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a small bowl mix chicken with egg white and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, bring 2 quarts water, soy sauce, and salt to a boil. Have a colander ready.
4. Add chicken to boiling water and stir gently to separate pieces. As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove pan from heat at once. Let chicken stand for 1 minute in hot water. Quickly drain in a colander and immediately plunge chicken into ice water. Remove and drain thoroughly.
5. Use as directed in recipe and cover well and refrigerate until ready to use. Refrigerated velvet chicken will keep up to two days. Bring to room temperature before using in recipe. Makes 2 cups.

Stir-Fry Velvet Chicken with Almonds

2 c. diced Velvet Chicken
1 t. cornstarch
2 T chicken broth or water
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T oyster sauce
1 T Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 c. green peas, fresh or frozen
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
2 slices ginger root, smashed and minced
1/2 c. diced bamboo shoots
1/2 c. diced mushrooms, canned or fresh
4 water chestnuts, diced (about half a can of sliced)
1/4 c. chicken broth or water
1 green onion, minced or 1 T cilantro, minced
1/4 c. blanched almonds, stir-fried or canned (I used more)
peanut oil
sesame oil

1. Have prepared velvet chicken at hand.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 2 T broth and add soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, and sugar. Set aside.
3. If using fresh peas, blanch them for 1 minute; if frozen peas, defrost them.
4. On a platter, arrange prepared peas, garlic, ginger, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Set aside.
5. Have other ingredients ready to add as needed.
6. Heat wok and add 2 1/2 T peanut oil. With spatula, swirl oil around to coat sides of wok and heat until oil just begins to smoke. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry until golden brown.
7. Add bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and water chestnuts; stir-fry until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Spread vegetables in a thin layer in wok. Add 1/4 c. broth and bring to a simmer. Lay velvet chicken on top of vegetables, cover and steam for 1 minute. Remove cover, add peas and stir-fry to combine.
9. Make a well and add soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry until all ingredients are glazed. Add a few drops of sesame oil and top with green onions or cilantro. Remove to a serving plate and garnish with almonds. Serve at once.

Mandarin Chicken

Another in a seemly endless supply of Almond Chicken recipes to test!! I thought this recipe was a bit too salty for my taste. That is probably why I don't use recipes with too much soy sauce very often. This recipe also called for additional salt when stir-frying. I won't be keeping this recipe, my quest for the perfect Almond Chicken remains elusive. I substituted peas and carrots for the mushrooms and bamboo shoots. The sauce never thickened up very well, and I should have added the peas and green onions at the end when the dish was being heated through.

Mandarin Chicken

1 chicken breast, skinned, boned, and cubed
salt
2 t. cornstarch
1/2 egg white, slightly beaten
1/2 c. diced bamboo shoots
1/2 c. quartered water chestnuts
1/2 c. quartered fresh mushrooms, or a 4-oz. can mushrooms, well drained
1 rib celery, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
3 green onions, minced
2 t. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 c. oyster sauce or soy sauce
1/2 c. chicken broth or water
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 c. blanched almonds, stir-fried
peanut oil
water

1. In a small bowl, combine cubed chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and egg white. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes. On a platter, arrange prepared bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, celery and green onions. Set aside. Have wine measured and ready to add as needed. In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, broth, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and sugar. Set aside. Have cooked almonds, peanut oil, water, and sale ready to add as needed.
2. In wok heat 1 1/2 cups oil to 375ºF or until a cube of bread dropped in oil rises to the surface and browns quickly. Add chicken and stir gently with spatula to separate pieces. Cook until all pink color is gone. Remove and drain chicken on paper towel. Set aside.
3. Remove oil from wok and wipe wok with a paper towel. To wok add 1 Tablespoon oil and heat until oil just begins to smoke. Add celery and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry briefly. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon water down the sides of wok and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Add a pinch of salt and stir-fry until vegetables are heated through. Remove from wok and set aside.
4. T wok add 1 Tablespoon oil and heat until oil just begins to smoke. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon water down the sides of wok and stir-fry until mushrooms are heated through, about 30 seconds.
5. Return cooked vegetables to wok and drizzle with wine. Stir-fry briefly and return chicken to wok, stir-frying to combine. Make a well and add oyster sauce mixture. Stir-fry to heat through. Add green onions and stir-fry to combine. Remove to a serving platter and garnish with almonds. Serve at once. Serves 2 to 3 people.

Almond Chicken

This wasn't my ideal recipe for Almond Chicken. I have so many to try out and this one just didn't make the cut. Some changes I made were to use pea pods and water chestnuts rather than mushrooms and bamboo shoots. I also used way too many carrots and peanut oil rather than vegetable oil. I would have preferred additional almonds, and there was hardly enough sauce (I had to make more at the last minute. Finally, I didn't appreciate the taste of the wine in this dish.

Almond Chicken

1 1/2 c. water
4 T dry sherry
2 1/2 T cornstarch
4 t. soy sauce
1 t. instant chicken bouillon granules
4 whole chicken breasts
1 egg white
1/2 t. salt
1 large carrot
6 green onions
3 stalks celery
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. blanched whole almonds (about 3 oz.)
1 t. grated fresh ginger root
1/2 c. drained, sliced bamboo shoots

1. Combine water, 2 Tablespoons of the sherry, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the cornstarch, the soy sauce, and bouillon in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
2. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Combine remaining 2 Tablespoons sherrt, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, egg white, and salt. Mix in chicken pieces.
3. Peel carrot and dice. Cut onions into 1-inch pieces. Cut celery diagonally into 1/2-inch slices.
4. Heat oil in wok over high heat until it reaches 375ºF. Add chicken pieces, one at a time, to hot oil (cook 1/3 of the pieces at a time). Cook until light brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on absorbant paper. Repeat with remaining chicken.
5. Remove all but 2 Tablespoons oil from wok. Stir-fry almonds in the oil until golden, about 2 minutes. Drain.
6. Add carrot and ginger to wok. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add all remaining vegetables. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in chicken, almonds, and sauce. Stir-fry until hot. Makes 4-6 servings.

General Tso's Chicken

There were so many ingredients in this recipe, but I decided to try it out anyway. I bought some dried chiles in the Mexican food aisle for a buck, and I had all the other ingredients. I served this dish over rice. I have to say I was a bit apprehensive about those chile peppers, since I don't like spicy dishes. But, it turned out just spicy enough for me!! Don't eat the pods, I didn't even eat the green onions!! The technique of getting the chicken ready to deep-fry was weird, but I guess it ended up working out OK. When I added the oil so the chicken wouldn't stick together it didn't really work. I used peanut oil and only put a bit in the bottom of a small frying pan, turning the chicken once the bottom side was golden brown. I didn't find that the soy sauce or wine taste overpowered the dish, as can sometimes happen, and I used chicken breasts rather than thighs. I will definitely keep this recipe. In fact, after eating one serving I almost want another right now!!

FOLLOW-UP: I ate the leftovers a couple of hours after the first taste and it was WAY more spicy!! I don't know if it was because I left the peppers in the container in the fridge or if the spices just "matured", but my mouth is burning right now. Other people won't notice it as much, but I am super sensitive to spicy heat!! Next time I will try to remove the pepper before I store the leftovers and see if that helps keep the heat down for me.

General Tso's Chicken

2 T cornstarch
1/2 c. water
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. ground ginger
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 1/2 c. hot chicken broth
3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1/4 c. soy sauce
1 t. white pepper
1 egg
1 c. cornstarch
1 c. oil
oil for deep frying
1 t. oil
16 small dried hot peppers
2 c. sliced green onions

1. Whisk together 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch with water. Add garlic powder, ginger powder, sugar, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, wine, and chicken broth together until the sugar dissolves.
2. Mix together in separate bowl chicken, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, and white pepper. Whisk in egg. Add 1 cup of cornstarch and mix until chicken is coated. Add 1 cup oil to separate chicken pieces. Divide the chicken into batches and deep fry at 350ºF until crispy and browned. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok or large skillet and heat on high until nearly smoking. Add hot peppers and green onions and stir-fry briefly.
4. Stir reserved sauce and add to wok with pepper and onion. Add reserved cooked chicken and lower heat to medium-high. Cook until sauce is bubbling hot and thickens. Makes 8 servings.

Chinatown Almond Chicken

I have decided not to keep this recipe, assuming I will find a better Almond Chicken recipe in my file box!! I didn't have any pea pods, so I used frozen peas instead, probably too many of them!! The fact that I don't prefer the taste of wine or soy sauce in general, the sauce was not the best part of this dish. The chunks of chicken were good, though, and the taste of almonds. I don't think I would use the whole almonds unless I didn't have slivered. I used peanut oil and it was yummy.

Chinatown Almond Chicken

1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, skinned, boned, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 t. ginger
2 t. sugar
1 T cornstarch
3 T water
3 T soy sauce
1/3 c. sherry
12 oz. Chinese pea pods, thawed
1/4 c. oil
1 c. whole almonds

1. In a bowl, mix ginger, sugar, and cornstarch.
2. Blend in water, soy sauce, and sherry.
3. In a wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add almonds, stir and cook about 3 minutes.
4. Add chicken and cook just until meat turns white.
5. Pour in sherry mixture and cook until sauce thickens.
6. Add pea pods and stir-fry until hot and glazed. Serve at once. Serves 4.

Stir-Fried Chicken Basil

This was a good recipe, but as usual with me I thought there was a bit too much soy sauce flavor. Next time I will try another less soy sauce flavored sauce. Also, I don't like mushrooms, so I substituted carrots, which I cooked first. I liked how the basil leaves got a bit crispy in the oil, but only half of them did this. I put the soggy ones in tomorrow's leftovers container!!

Stir-Fried Basil Chicken

2/3 c. packed fresh basil leaves (about 40 )
1/2 c. water
3 T soy sauce
3 T dry sherry (or water)
4 t. cornstarch
1 t. instant chicken bouillon granules
3-4 T vegetable oil
2 t. finely chopped fresh garlic
12 green onions, cut into 1-inch diagonal slices
16 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 c. hot cooked rice

1. Wash basil leaves. Lay leaves in a single layer on paper towels and pat dry. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and pat leaves again with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, stir together water, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, and chicken bouillon and set aside.
3. Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of oil in a wok and add basil leaves. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until glossy green. Use a slotted spoon to remove basil leaves from the hot oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Add garlic to hot oil and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly for about 15 seconds.
5. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil to the wok and add the green onions. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for another minute.
6. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for another minute. Remove vegetables from wok and set aside.
7. Place chicken in hot wok and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until chicken is fork tender (about 3-5 minutes).
8. Push chicken from the center of the wok. Stir sauce and add sauce to the center of the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened (1-2 minutes).
9. Return cooked vegetables to wok and stir to coat with the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through (about 1 minute). Place on serving plate and sprinkle with cooked basil leaves. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Cashew

Several things went wrong with this recipe, and I ended up not really enjoying the taste. The biggest problem was with the cornstarch mixture. I used Tablespoons instead of teaspoons, so when I mixed it with the soy sauce it seized up!! I chose to stir it into the bouillon anyway and there were all sorts of chunks floating around in it. So, I prepared a separate cup of boiling water, stirred in some more bouillon, and added it to the chicken before I strained the chunky cornstarch mixture into the chicken. I boiled it for a while and it didn't seem to be thickening, so I stirred together cornstarch with some water and drizzled that into the mixture. I ended up boiling it down until it thickened up a bit. I ended up with a passable Cashew Chicken, but the taste wasn't quite right. Oh, I used carrots, peas, and celery instead of the mushrooms and green pepper. Also, I didn't have any green onions, so I grated a yellow onion (about 2 tablespoons).

Chicken Cashew

2 teaspoons chicken-flavor bouillon (or 2 chicken-flavored bouillon cubes)
1 3/4 c. boiling water
2 T soy sauce
5 t. cornstarch
2 t. light brown sugar
1/4 t. ground ginger
2 whole chicken breasts, split, boned, skinned, and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 T vegetable oil
2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 small green pepper, sliced
8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 c. cashews
hot cooked rice

1. In a small saucepan, dissolve bouillon in water.
2. Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and ginger. Stir into bouillon mixture.
3. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil. Add bouillon mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce is slightly thickened.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts and rice. Simmer, uncovered, 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat, stir in half of the nuts. Serve over rice and garnish with remaining nuts. Serves 4.

Szechuan Cold Sesame Noodles

I tweaked this recipe a bit, but it came out good. I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles, and replaced the bean sprouts with baby corn, water chestnuts, and peas. I also used cashews in place of peanuts because I didn't have any peanuts handy. I think I will keep this recipe, because I liked the flavor of the sauce. However, a bit less soy sauce next time.

Szechuan Cold Sesame Noodles

3 quarts water
1 T corn oil
1 pound fresh Chinese whole-wheat noodles
1 T sesame oil
2 c. canned bean sprouts, drained
1 c. shredded cooked chicken
3 T sesame seeds
2 t. sesame oil
6 T soy sauce
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T oil, heated
1 t. sugar
2 T chopped scallions
2 t grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 t. powdered ginger)
2 t. finely chopped garlic
1 T sesame oil
1 T unsalted peanuts, ground

1. Bring water and corn oil to a boil in a large saucepan. Separate noodles carefully, then cook following package directions. Drain, place on serving platter, and toss with 1 T sesame oil until well coated. Place bean sprouts and chicken on top of noodles.
2. Grind sesame seeds in blender or food processor. Blend with 2 teaspoons sesame oil to form paste. Add soy sauce, vinegar, hot oil, sugar, scallions, ginger, and garlic.
3. Pour sauce over chicken, bean sprouts, and noodles. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon sesame oil and peanuts.
4. Refrigerate until well-chilled. Before serving, toss until well mixed. Serves 8.

Chicken Chow Mein

I had some water chestnuts, chicken broth, and cooked chicken to use up, so I decided to make my chicken chow mein. It had been a while since I had made it and didn't know if I would still like it. I did, I will be keeping this recipe. I served it over some white rice. I left out the bean sprouts, and added some carrots instead.

Chicken Chow Mein

1/4 c. cooking oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 onion, sliced
3 c. thinly & diagonally sliced celery
17 oz. canned bean sprouts
4 oz. canned sliced water chestnuts
2 t. sugar
2 c. chicken broth or water
2 c. sliced, cooked chicken
2 1/2 T cornstarch
1/4 c. cold water
1/4 c. soy sauce

1. Heat oil in deep skillet. Add salt, pepper, onion, celery, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, sugar, and chicken broth. Cook about 10 minutes. Don't over-cook veggies.
2. Blend together cornstarch, water, and soy sauce. Add to veggies and stir until mixture thickens.
3. Stir in chicken and serve immediately over chow mein noodles or cooked rice. Makes 5-6 servings.

Chinese Chicken

This is a weird recipe, probably from the late 1970s, I would guess. I will not be keeping it, but you may like the combination of ingredients. I substituted water chestnuts for mushrooms, and set aside only a quarter of the noodles for the topping. I also think that, in making the recipe smaller, I may have left out some of the soup. I definitely tasted the onions, and the noodles in the soup mixture were soggy. I just didn't like this dish, although I did eat it all ...

Chinese Chicken

2 c. cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. diced onion
1 c. chopped salted cashews
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. celery, diced
1 small can mushrooms
1 large can chow mein noodles

1. Mix all ingredients, reserving half the noodles.
2. Place mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining noodles.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Fung Lum's Lemon Chicken

Seems like I saved the best Lemon Chicken recipe for last!! One of the best Hong Kong style Chinese restaurants was Fung Lum, but the next generation didn't want to continue the restaurant tradition so they went out of business. The best I can recall is that a friend made this recipe for me once and I loved it, she copied the recipe for me. It looks like it was copied from the newspaper.

I liked this sauce the best of the three recipes I tested. I notice that there is no soy sauce in this recipe, but sesame oil instead. Also, it called for white wine vinegar, but I had none so used my balsamic vinegar. It also called for lemon extract in addition to the lemon juice. I served it over plain old steamed white rice. It seemed like there wasn't enough of the sauce, so I might increase the amount of sauce ingredients the next time. I ate my helping and wanted to dig into my leftover serving right away!! I might try to prepare the chicken with a cornstarch coating the next time, although this preparation was good also.

Fung Lum's Lemon Chicken

1 lb. boneless chicken, cut into julienne strips
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 drops sesame oil
3 t. cornstarch
2 t. salt
dash of black pepper
peanut oil for deep-frying
1/2 c. water
2 T white wine vinegar
2 T lemon juice
1/3 c. sugar
2 drops lemon extract
1 drop sesame oil
dash salt
1 T water
1 T cornstarch

1. Combine chicken, egg, 2 drops sesame oil, 3 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper until chicken pieces are coated and ingredients are blended.
2. Deep-fry chicken with marinade at 400ºF in peanut oil until lightly browned.
3. Drain chicken on paper towels. Cut into smaller pieces. Keep warm while preparing lemon sauce.
4. Blend together 1/2 cup water, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar lemon extract, 1 drop sesame oil, and a dash of salt in a wok or small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Blend together 1 Tablespoon water and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Stir into lemon mixture. Heat and stir until smooth and clear.
5. Pour sauce over chicken. Makes 1-2 servings.

Lemon Chicken

I have several Lemon Chicken recipes, and this is one I will not be keeping. I prefer the Chinese style of lemon chicken which has the crispy coating. I made the mistake of having Lemon Rice under the Lemon Chicken, which made it too lemony. This sauce was not as Sweet and Sour-tasting as the last recipe I tried, but I still didn't like it. The sauce didn't thicken well and I had to add some flour. Also, the way the recipe ingredients were typed on the recipe, it looked like the oil and ginger were included in the sauce, so that may explain why it didn't thicken up. I also don't like mushrooms so I left them out. I used powdered ginger rather than fresh.

Lemon Chicken

1 T lemon juice
1 T cornstarch
1 t. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 boneless, skinned chicken breast halves (5 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
1/2 c. water
2 T lemon juice
1 T sugar
2 t. soy sauce
1 T vegetable oil
3 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 t. grated fresh ginger
2 c. shredded iceberg lettuce or hot cooked rice

1. Combine 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, cornstarch, 1 t. soy sauce, garlic, and chicken in a small bowl.
2. Combine water, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, sugar, and 2 t. soy sauce in a bowl.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken with marinade. Cook, stirring, until chicken is lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
4. Add sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Serve over shredded lettuce or hot cooked rice.

Lemon Chicken

I usually order Lemon Chicken at Chinese restaurants if they don't have Almond Chicken. I was disappointed in this recipe. Not because it didn't taste good, but because it should have been called Sweet & Sour Chicken instead. The sauce wasn't really lemony, in color or taste. Also, I would have served it over rice instead of lettuce, which was seemingly for decoration. I did like the manner in which the chicken was cooked (dredged in cornstarch before it went into the oil), so I will remember this technique when I try one of the other recipes I have for Lemon Chicken next time.

Lemon Chicken

1 1/4 lb. boneless chicken breasts, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
2 T cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. chicken bouillon
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 c. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
2 T catsup
additional cornstarch
vegetable oil
shredded lettuce or hot cooked rice

1. In a medium bowl, combine egg, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, and soy sauce. Mix well. Add chicken, stirring to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, sugar, bouillon, and garlic powder. Gradually add water, lemon juice, and catsup. Mix well. Over high heat, cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking and stirring until mixture thickens. Keep sauce warm.
3. Coat chicken with additional cornstarch. In a large skillet, cook chicken in 1/2 hot oil until tender and golden. Arrange chicken on shredded lettuce or rice. Pour warm sauce over chicken. Garnish as desired. Serve immediately. Serves 4.