Way Easy Wonton Soup

LOVE this soup it's so quick and easy.

INGREDIENTS:

• garlic to taste (1 or 2 cloves)
• Salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Chinese 5-spice
• Dried chili peppers
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 TBSP non-flavored sherry
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• Wontons (can make them...find your own recipe for that...or Whole Foods has some very nice mini-wontons that are frozen and perfect)
• Choose from any or all of the following: water chestnuts, edamame (shelled and pre-cooked), mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dried), onions, udon noodles...

DIRECTIONS:

• Smack garlic to split skin then remove. Add along with salt, chili pepper, and Chinese 5-spice to mortar and pestle.
• Grind until a nice paste forms
• Add olive oil to good soup pot then add paste and saute for a few minutes (don't let it burn...add more olive oil if needed)
  
• Add mushrooms, onions and water chestnuts if using
• Add chicken broth, sherry, soy sauce
• Heat to boiling
• Add wontons and other stuff you chose according to time needed to cook.

Remove from heat. Serve immediately. Can add some spring onions on top at the end. Enjoy!

Crispy Egg Roll Salad

INGREDIENTS (per serving):

Fresh mint - a few sprigs
Lime slices - one quarter
Peanuts - chopped - handful
Bean sprouts - handful
Avocado - 1 or 2 slices
Udon noodles - 1 serving
Crispy Egg Roll - 5 small sliced in half (can get these at grocery store and cook in oven)
Ginger Sesame Dressing - recommend Newman's

PREPARATION:
Cook egg rolls to package directions - let cool
Cook Udon noodles to package directions - let cool
In an individual serving bowl, place noodles on the bottom then, in little piles on top, place egg roll, peanuts, bean sprouts, lime slice, mint, and avocado. Dress with Ginger Sesame Dressing then enjoy!

Kung Po Chicken

INGREDIENTS (4 servings plus one leftover):

chicken cut into small cubes (I bought 20 tenders and cut them)
pinch of salt
1 egg white
2 tsp Cornflour paste (Corn flour and water at 1:1.5 ratio)
1 yellow pepper and 1 red pepper cubed
8 tbsp olive oil
garlic (4 - 6 cloves minced)
4 spring onions diced
few slices of fresh ginger root
5 - 10 dried chillies plus seeds
4-5 tbsp black bean sauce (from the store in a jar)
2 tsp rice wine
roasted cashews or peanuts or walnuts or almonds (to taste)
sesame oil - several drops
boiled rice

DIRECTIONS:
Cut chicken into cubes then add salt, egg white, cornflour paste (in that order)
Preheat wok then add olive oil
Add minced garlic and cook about 1 min
Add chicken and cook until color turns (maybe 10 minutes or less)
Remove with a slotted spoon
Add spring onion, ginger, peppers and stir-fry for 1 -2 minutes then add chicken and black bean sauce and rice wine.
Blend well and stiry fry for another minute then add nuts and sesame oil

Serve with rice and enjoy! See the result

Asian Chicken and Cabbage Salad

What do you do with an entire head of cabbage? Invite over some friends and make this treat then make coleslaw out of the cabbage leftovers.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup chicken broth
Chicken breasts (one per person)
Snow peas (as many as you like in your salad)
Head of green cabbage
Head of red cabbage
Sliced mushrooms
Grated carrots
Chopped green onions
Peanuts
Sesame seeds
Crunchy Chow Mein noodles
Ingredients for Asian Dressing (see separate post)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook chicken either by baking or lightly frying or grilling. Choose your favorite method for cooking flavorful chicken. Make sure the pieces you use are thin.

Simmer the snow peas in chicken broth until tender (3 - 4 min) then remove and place in cold water. Set aside.

Chop cabbage into thin shreds and place in a bowl (green and purple).

Place all salad ingredients into individual bowls. Provide tongs and another bowl for individual salad tossing.

Reduce broth to 1/3 (10 min or so). Transfer to bowl and cool. Make Asian dressing then whisk in reserved broth.

Hand out plates and forks and enjoy!!!!

Asian Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp minced fresh ginger
6 large garlic cloves minced
4 tsp minced jalapeños from can or fresh
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch or two of sugar