Panda Express Chow Mein
two tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil, divided
four sliced scallions
three cups coarsely shredded napa cabbage
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 tsp. sugar
one cup chicken broth
tbsp. soy sauce
tbsp. untoasted sesame oil
tbsp. corn starch
two tbsp. water
red pepper flakes
1/2 pound dry chow mein noodles
Prepare chow mein noodles according to the package directions. Drain, toss with a tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil and set aside.
Heat a tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. Add scallions, cabbage, spouts and celery and stir-fry for about three minutes, or until vegetables start to wilt. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
Add cooked chow mein noodles to wok or skillet and stir fry for about two minutes, until hot. Return vegetables to the pan with noodles.
Combine sugar, broth, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. Pour over mixture in the wok, and stir to coat.
Combine corn starch and water in a small bowl. Add to pan, stirring until sauce thickens.
Season with red pepper flakes to taste, and serve.
Copycat Panda Express Eggplant Tofu
2 tbsp olive oil
1 (12 oz) package of firm tofu, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 medium size yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, cut into chunks
2 or 3 small eggplants, stem removed, cut into 1/2-inch by 1-inch slices, with peel
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
a pinch of white pepper, or to taste
1 tsp granulated sugar
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in skillet or wok, fry and stir tofu until golden brown on all sides, remove from pan and set aside until needed.
Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil, saute onion, garlic and red bell pepper until fragrant.
Add the oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, white pepper, sugar and eggplant. Mix well and cover. Cook until eggplant is tender,
Add back to pan the browned tofu, mix and let it warm through for another minute, uncovered.
Serve while warm.
Easy Panda Express Spicy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Spicy Orange Sauce:
1-1/2 cups cold water
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp orange zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
3 Tbsp chopped green onions including green tops
Sauce Thickener:
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cold water
Chicken:
2 pounds cooked breaded chicken tenders - from frozen (prepare according
to package directions).
Directions:
Mix Orange Sauce ingredients in saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
Mix 3 Tbsp Cornstarch and 3 Tbsp cold water in a cup. Stir well to remove
any lumps.
Add cornstarch mixture to simmering Orange Sauce, stirring well.
Simmer for about 5-minutes, stirring frequenty, until orange sauce
thickens.
Prepare breaded chicken tenders according to package instructions.
Serve Spicy Orange Sauce over cooked chicken tenders. Or serve along side
as a dipping sauce.
Makes about 3 cups of spicy orange sauce.
Panda Express Fried Rice
1 cup regular long grain white Rice, uncooked
2 cups water
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp butter, divided use
1 cup frozen green peas and carrots, thawed
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground white pepper, or to taste
table salt to taste
1 green onion, diced into pea sized bits, including green tops
In a covered saucepan on the stove top, bring 2 cups of water to a
boil. When the water reaches a full boil, stir in the rice. Stir to
bottom of pan to make sure all rice is moistened and not sticking on
the bottom of pan in lumps. Return water to a boil. Reduce heat to a very
low simmer, replace pan lid and cook for 20-minutes. After 20-minutes,
remove rice from saucepan and place in large bowl to cool. Makes about
2 cups of cooked rice.
Scramble eggs in skillet on stove top with 1 Tbsp of butter. After they
are cooked, chop the scrambled eggs into pea size bits with spatula.
After the rice has cooled in bowl, stir in the chopped scrambled eggs,
and thawed peas and carrots. Toss lightly until mixed uniformly.
Melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat in a large skillet on the stove top.
When the butter is melted and heated, add the rice mixture to the skilled.
Mix the soy sauce with sesame oil in a cup and sprinkle evenly over rice
mixture in skillet.
Saute rice mixture for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring and turning frequently
with a spatula.
When done, season with ground white pepper and table salt to taste.
Place in large serving bowl and garnish top with green onions.
Serve warm.
Makes about 3 cups.
Panda Express Hot and Sour Soup
This is a clear broth soup flavored with vinegar, white pepper, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil.
It contains button mushrooms, sliced tofu and diced green onions.
The Asian ingredients are available on the Asian foods aisle of many supermarkets.
6 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth
6 Tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup button mushrooms, sliced (fresh or canned)
2 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
1/3 tsp ground white pepper
3 Tbsp cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water
1 egg, beaten
6 oz firm tofu, diced into (2-in long x 1/4-in wide x 1/8-inch thick strips)
2 green onion stalks, diced (including green tops)
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
3/4 tsp sesame oil
Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a 3-quart saucepan.
Add soy sauce, sliced button mushrooms, Chili Garlic Sauce and white pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Combine 3 Tbsp of cornstarch with 3 Tbsp of cold water in a cup. Stir until mixture is smooth.
Add cornstarch mixture to hot soup and stir well. Simmer for 3 or 4 minutes until soup is thickened.
Beat egg in a cup until yolk and white are combined. Pour beaten egg slowly, in a fine stream, into soup.
Stir soup slowly several times. Stop stirring and wait 30 seconds for egg to cook.
Add tofu strips and green onions to soup. Stir well. Remove from heat.
Add distilled white vinegar and sesame oil.
Stir a few times and serve hot.
Makes about 6 cups. Serves 4 to 6
Chinese Restaurant Lemon Chicken
This is my families favorite recipe for Chinese Restaurant Lemon Chicken.
2 lbs chicken breast, raw, boneless, cut into strips
Marinade:
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp cooking sherry (or chicken broth)
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup corn starch
4 Tbsp cooking oil
Mix oyster sauce, cooking sherry and rice vinegar.
Marinate chicken in it for 1/2 hour
Roll marinated chicken strips in cornstarch and saute
in skillet using cooking oil, turning until golden brown.
Make sure center of chicken is cook to at least 165-F.
Lemon Sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp sesame oil
dash ground white pepper
Stir together Lemon Sauce ingredients and mixwell.
Simmer in a saucepan over medium heat for about 3 or 4 minutes
until lemon sauce thickens and turns somewhat clear.
Garnish:
Lemon Slices
bed of lettuce leaves
Place cooked chicken strips on bed of lettuce leaves,
pour lemon sauce over chicken and garnish with lemon slices.
Chinese Style Steamed Pork Buns
This is one of my favorite recipes. All of the ingredients
may not be strictly authentic, but this turns out really good
and I think it tastes just like what you get at a Chinese restaurant.
INGREDIENTS:
Steamed Buns:
1 1/2 cups warm water (95°F to 105°F)
3 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Bun Filling:
1 cup (about 8 ounces) shredded already cooked pulled pork or chicken (canned ok)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
DIRECTIONS:
Steamed Buns:
-
Stir yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar into 1-1/2 cups of warm water (95°F to 105°F). Let stand for 15-minutes.
-
Mix yeast water, 2 more tablespoons of sugar, flour, cooking oil, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. Stir until dough forms.
-
Knead dough for 10-minutes.
-
Allow dough to rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours.
-
Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces.
-
Roll each piece of dough into a ball, then flatten into a 6-inch circle.
-
Place about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat mixture in center of dough and pull dough up over filling and pinch seams closed to form filled bun.
-
Place buns on individual 4-inch x 4-inch pieces of parchment paper.
-
Allow to rise in warm place 1 hour, until doubled in size.
-
Steam buns, in steamer, over boiling water for 20-minutes or use electric steamer.
-
Remove from steamer. When cool enough to handle, remove parchment paper from bottom.
-
Serve warm.
Bun Filling:
-
Place all ingredients in food processor.
-
Process until ingredients are blended and chopped fine.
-
Use 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture per bun.
Makes 12 steamed pork buns
Chinese Almond Cookies
From Sunset Magazine
The recipe for these crisp almond cookies was given to a Sunset reader nearly 50 years ago by a friend from Chicago, who was a Navy shipmate of her husband’s during World War II.
About 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
-
In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter and sugar until smooth. Add whole egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add flour and baking powder; stir to mix, then beat until well blended.
-
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, flatten each slightly, and place about 1 inch apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.
-
In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with milk to blend. Brush cookies lightly with egg mixture; discard any remaining. Press an almond into the center of each cookie and sprinkle with about 1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds.
-
Bake cookies in a 325° regular or convection oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes; if baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.
Nutritional analysis per cookie.
Yield: Makes about 4 dozen
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 86(51% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 2.6g); PROTEIN 1.2g; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; SODIUM 52mg; FIBER 0.3g; CARBOHYDRATE 9.4g
Sunset, DECEMBER 2001