Cooking Club: September 2009

Chinese

Jodi: Lemon Chicken / Charshu Pork

Linda: Grandma's Chop Suey / Sake

Ashlin: Ham Foo Yung

Betty: Ginger Pork Stir-Fry / Fortune Cookies

Summer: Crispy Honey Shrimp

Shauna: Wine

Lori: Ham and Shrimp Fried Rice / Sake

Susan: Egg Drop Soup with Shrimp and Chicken

Sheryl: Pot Stickers

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Grandma's Chop Suey

This was really good and was accompanied by crunchy chow mein noodles. It had a really great flavor and many different textures. Yum.
Crispy Honey Shrimp with Candied Walnuts

These are just like the ones at Asian Star. I didn't have any left, that's a good sign.
Egg Drop Soup

This egg drop soup was loaded with peas, mushrooms, carrots, shrimp and chicken. No soggy eggs and broth here!

Pot Stickers

Crispy pot stickers with a delicious dipping sauce and sauteed asparagus for color. They were sooo good.

Ham and Shrimp Fried Rice.

It took a few tries to perfect this, but it was worth it!

Charshu Pork

Served with two dipping sauces

Crispy Lemon Chicken

The lemon sauce was served on the side and this dish was the perfect balance of salty, sweet and tangy.

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry

Crispy vegetables, tender pork and a hint of ginger. Delicious!

Ham Egg Foo Yung

Drizzled with a bit a gravy, I went back for seconds.

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The Ladies behind the Dishes

Here is the gorgeous new mommy Ashlin with her adorable baby Ava-Lin. She was so much fun to hold and very awake and alert for being just over a month old.

Here are some pics of everyone welcoming Ava to her first cooking club.

Cooking Club is such a Riot! We always have a good time.

Here is our lovely host Betty (left) with the always smiling Jodi.
Linda and Susan

Ashlin and Sheryl (Our newest member who passed the test with her pot stickers!)

Betty has a gorgeous patio. It was the perfect setting to enjoy some amazing Chinese cuisine.

Yesterday, we all discovered that Betty is a fabulous artist! She took us down to her studio to show us all of her wonderful pieces. If you would like to own an original Michaut piece, I'm sure Betty would love to show you her work!

Recipes:

Honey Walnut Shrimp
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup water
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
4 egg whites
2/3 cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canned sweetened condensed milk
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions
Stir together the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the walnuts. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and place walnuts on a cookie sheet to dry.

Whip egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. Stir in the mochiko until it has a pasty consistency. Heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dip shrimp into the mochiko batter, and then fry in the hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

In a medium serving bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey and sweetened condensed milk. Add shrimp and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the candied walnuts.

Shrimp and Ham Fried Rice

Ingredients:

4 ounces frozen uncooked shrimp, unshelled

Marinade:

1 tablespoon oyster sauce, or to taste

1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons water

Other:

4 ounces cooked ham

1 medium onion

2 green onions

2 eggs (more if desired)

1/2 cup peas

4 cups cold cooked rice

4 to 5 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

Preparation:

Run the frozen shrimp under warm running water, pat dry with paper towels, shell and devein. Chop into small pieces. Add the marinade ingredients and marinate for 15 minutes.

Dice the ham, onion, and green onion.

Beat the eggs lightly with chopsticks, add a dash of salt, and mix.* Set aside. 

Heat the wok and then add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is ready, pour 1/2 of the egg mixture into the wok and cook over medium heat, turning over once. Cook the other half the same way. Cut the egg into thin strips, and save for later.

Add 2 tablespoons oil, or as needed. When oil is hot, stir-fry the onion and shrimp on high heat for a few moments, remove and set aside. Do the same for the green peas, and then the diced ham.

Add 1 - 2 tablespoons oil, turn the heat down to medium and stir-fry the rice. Add a bit of soy and oyster sauce if desired. Add the other ingredients except the egg and green onion and combine thoroughly. Serve the fried rice with the strips of egg on top and the green onion as garnish.** 

*You can also add a bit of oyster sauce if desired

**Alternately, you can mix the green onion and egg in with the other ingredients.

Source: About.com

Egg Foo Young
Ingredients
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
8 eggs, well beaten

Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, heat sesame oil and lightly fry the onions, celery and sprouts. Stir in cornstarch and add shrimp, soy sauce and salt. Stir until well blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.


Return the pan to the heat, and add the beaten eggs. Fry the eggs while stirring gently. Return the vegetable and shrimp mixture to the pan while the eggs are still liquid. Finish frying until eggs are fully cooked.

* You can substitute ham for shrimp.

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 inch piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1/4 pound thinly sliced lean pork
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon sugar

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 cup sugar snap peas

1/2 cup water chestnuts

1 cup bok choy, diced medium

1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry ginger in hot oil until fragrant, then add pork, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, sugar and garlic. Add snap peas, water chestnuts and bok choy. Toss with sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Stir in the sesame oil, green onion, and rice wine. Simmer until the pork is tender.

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Up Next: Halloween Cooking Club!

October 18th @ 5:00 / Linda and Ashlin will host

Theme: Halloween Colors / Your dish has to be orange,purple, black or green!

Oh, and feel free to be festive. Costumes welcome.