Frying Up Rice in a Wok.

When I wrote up my article about Hoisin sauce, I promised to also share a recipe for making Fried Rice.  Fried rice is exactly as named, the rice, whether cooked or raw, is “toasted” or fried up in oil before mixing in additional ingredients.  The rich brown color though comes from the addition of soy sauce which flavors as well.

The origin of this dish dates back to the Sui dynasty (589–618 CE), of course being cooked in a traditional Chinese cooking pot, or the Wok.  There are many advantages of cooking with a Wok, and the primary ones are: #1 – Quick, #2 – Easy.  The Wok is a deep pan with a rounded bottom and slanted sides; usually made of stainless steel, aluminum or cast iron.  The metal, while hot, is continuously rolled and pounded out to the desired depth, width and shape.  The shape of this pan allows one to cook food at high, evenly distributed, heat with very little oil.  Besides the traditional stir fry method, Woks can be used to stew, braise, steam or deep fry.  Depending on the dishes you intend to create, a meal can be prepped and cooked in about 30 minutes if using a Wok.

Back to fried rice’s origin which was a simple question of, “What to do with leftovers?”  Leftover rice, meat and vegetables from the day before are still edible, have lost some flavor, but are too good to throw away, or feed to livestock.  Wok-ing them up, adding soy sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions reawakens those flavors, and creates an entirely new meal to enjoy.

Do you need to purchase a Wok to create Asian cuisine?  Of course not; a standard skillet will work just as well; as will everyday kitchen utensils.  However, if you are feeling the creativity bug bite, well, scratch the itch, and get yourself a complete Wok set.  When I said Asian cuisine, I meant it!  Woks can be used to create Japanese dishes, such as tempura (to die for!), Thai, Indonesian, Korean, and even Indian recipes such as curry; it is not just for Chinese recipes.

 

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. canola oil if using Wok; 4 Tbsp. for skillet

3 cups uncooked long grain rice

¼ cups each diced onion, bell peppers (red, green, yellow combined)

1 (12 oz.) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed

1 cup soy sauce

5 cups water

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

Preparation:

Heat oil, on high heat, in Wok or skillet; add rice, onion and bell peppers and “toast” the rice for 5 minutes.

Saute' Chicken; Set Aside to Add Later.

 

Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.   Turn off heat, uncover, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork.  If adding any cooked, chopped protein (2 lbs.), carefully add in to not make clumps, or serve rice as a side to the protein.  Want a complete vegetarian meal; add grilled vegetables or tofu.

Completed Fried Rice; Chicken Added In.

 

Makes 6-8 servings

Note:  2 eggs, cooked scrambled, can be mixed in after rice has completely cooked.

Now this is a simplified recipe and can be adjusted to include other seasonings, such as chili flakes and/or garlic.  If adding a protein, season up the pieces that are being precooked, and their flavoring will meld with, and enhance, the fried rice.  For example, when I use chicken, I season the pieces with a little sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika.  It turns the chicken from bland to wow, and the paprika will give a little smokiness to the flavor, like hoisin sauce would do.  Mix in chopped and steamed, or grilled, broccoli and it is a whole new view of a favorite take-out dish, chicken and broccoli.

If using precooked rice, the water part, plus half the soy sauce, will be skipped.  Instead of letting the rice cook for 20 minutes, first add the rice (6 cups cooked), onion and bell peppers to the oil and keep it moving around the Wok, or skillet.  The rice and vegetables will begin to fry up, but you do not want to burn any of it.  5-7 minutes until the oil is absorbed, and the rice looks like it will begin to dry out.  Add in the peas and carrots, ½ cup soy sauce, black pepper and ginger, and keep it moving for another 5-7 minutes, or until the rice and vegetables are uniformly hot.  If you want the color of the rice to be darker, add, one tablespoon at a time, more soy sauce until it is the color you desire.  But keep it moving, as burnt rice is bitter!

Mary Cokenour

Asian Combination.

Like anyone who enjoys cooking, I get bored doing up the same old recipes, the same old way.  I wonder how things would taste if I change an ingredient here or there; what would happen if I mixed two recipes together.  Sometimes it works out fantastic and delicious; sometimes it comes out to "What was I thinking!?!".  This time I decided to combine two Asian recipes, Sweet and Sour with Fireworks; that would be with chicken, pork or shrimp of course.  Basically all that I did was give sweet and sour sauce a kick to it, yet it surprisingly changed the flavor enough to give it a new dimension; nothing very complicated.  I'm going to give the name of this recipe something non-complicated also, "Spiced Up Sweet and Sour".

Spiced Up Sweet and Sour

Ingredients:

¼ cup canola or peanut oil
1 cup each julienned carrots, shelled edamame and drained pineapple chucks
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 egg
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of water
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes; or medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined; or a combination equally up to 2 lbs.
1 qt of canola or peanut oil for frying

Sauce:

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
8 Tbsp sugar
1 and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp Sriracha

Preparation:

In a large skillet or Wok, heat oil on medium-high heat; sauté carrots, edamame and pineapple until the edges just begin to caramelize. Remove from oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 Tbsp oil, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and egg; gradually add water until a thick batter forms. Add chicken, pork, shrimp or combination into batter making sure to thoroughly coat each piece. Heat the 1 qt of oil in the skillet or Wok over medium-high heat; when temperature reaches 360F, drop several pieces of battered pieces into the oil, but do not overcrowd. Pieces will be done when they are golden brown and float to top of oil; remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat until all battered pieces are done.

While frying up the protein pieces, the sauce can be made. Stir together all ingredients in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat, use immediately or keep warm for later use. 

Combine sautéed vegetables and pineapple with battered pieces and warm sauce; serve over white, brown or fried rice; or a noodle such as lo mein, udon or soba.

Makes 8 servings.

Note: you can add more Sriracha if you prefer the dish with more heat, but always taste first to make sure; you can always add, but not take away.

Mary Cokenour

Smoky Brisket...Hoisin Style.

If you're a fan of this food blog, you know many of my recipes come from simple experimentation. Well Saturday I was craving a fresh made burger for dinner, but while in the local market I noticed that beef brisket was on sale. Fresh brisket, a lovely red color to the meat, just a 1/4 inch fat cap on top; so I picked up a two pounder. Once home though, I had to figure out what I wanted to do with it.  Too small for the smoker; too pretty to cut up for use in a recipe; what to do was a good question.

The answer came while I was gathering up ingredients to make my burger for dinner.   I saw the bottle of Hoisin sauce (yes, I keep a bottle on hand) on the refrigerator door shelf.  Hmmm, a smoky sauce with a multitude of flavors on a pretty cut of brisket; and the brain kicked in with an idea.  Haven't had good fried rice in awhile either, so I knew that would be my side dish; now I just had to wait till the next day.

I spent Sunday going through tons of photos for my travel blog, "The Southwest Through Wide Brown Eyes", and knew full well it would work me up to an "I want meat!!!" appetite.  During one of my stretching breaks from the computer, the numbers on the clock let me know it was time to prep the brisket.  Oh, you might ask, once you read the recipe, why the vinegar massage?  Brisket is a tougher cut of meat than say, eye round or top round; the vinegar will help to tenderize.  Two hours later though, time to put on the oven and get this cooking show on the road.  The final result was a tender, smoky, so full of flavor brisket; and the fried rice was all that much better by adding a little Hoisin sauce to it during its cooking process.  Got the photos I needed for my travel blog posts this week; got one heck of an intense dinner in the deal; overall good day!

Hoisin Beef (Brisket)

Ingredients:

2 lb beef brisket, trimmed of fat

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup Hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp diced red onion

Preparation:

Two hours before roasting the brisket; rub the vinegar over all sides of the meat, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

 

Preheat oven to 325F; line roasting pan with aluminum foil.  Score top and bottom of meat with diagonal cuts, creating one inch diamond marks.  Mix together the ginger, white pepper and salt; rub on both sides of meat.  Place meat in pan and roast for 15 minutes. 

 

Mix together sauce, garlic and onion; turn meat over in pan, baste top and sides of meat with sauce mixture making sure to get sauce into score marks.  Return to oven for 30 minutes; turn over meat, baste and roast for another 30 minutes for medium-rare.  For medium; repeat turn and baste process, roast for 30 minutes more.  For medium-well; repeat turn and baste process, roast for 30 minutes more.

 

Remove meat to cutting board; rest for 5 minutes before slicing; spoon sauce from roasting pan over meat.  Serve with fried rice; when making rice, add one teaspoon of Hoisin sauce for every three servings to boost the flavor.

Makes 6 servings.

 

Mary Cokenour

I Can't Believe it's not Lobster.

Recently I went on a hunt for the elusive "fermented black bean" which is actually not a black bean as you would find in Mexican cuisine, but a soy bean. I say elusive because out here in the Southwest, you'll find Mexican black beans more readily than anything dealing with Asian cuisine. Luckily, I was able to purchase a jar at  Nature's Oasis located in Durango, Colorado, but then found out that they were also available at Moonflower Market in Moab, Utah. These are both what would be classified as "health food stores" with Nature's Oasis being much larger and with more variety. Whichever place I choose to be though, it's good knowing they either have what I need, or can get it ordered in for me.

So what does this have to do with lobster, you might be wondering. One of my favorite Chinese dishes is "Shrimp with Lobster Sauce" which comes with the age old question of, "Why is it called lobster sauce when there's no lobster in it?". The name “Lobster Sauce” is taken from the sauce used in a Cantonese dish containing real lobster, “Lobster Cantonese”. The sauce was used in stir fry dishes for its delicious flavor made savory by the use of ground pork and fermented black beans (soy beans). Hence why I was hunting the fermented black beans and my trek to the health food stores.

Enough about my traveling adventure and lets get to the food adventure. By the way, while white or brown rice is good with this dish, Fried Rice adds so much more in taste.

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup peas
½ cup diced carrots
¼ cup baby corn
¼ cup straw mushrooms
¼ cup sliced water chestnuts
1/8 cup sliced green onions
Water for steaming
1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied
4 Tbsp stir fry oil, divided in half
1 tsp fermented black bean paste
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ lb ground pork
1 and ½ Tbsp cornstarch
4 Tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preparation:

Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to boiling; place colander on top of saucepan, fill with peas, carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, water chestnuts and green onions; steam until carrots begin to soften and remove colander from saucepan.

Stir fry shrimp in Wok or large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, on medium-high heat, until they turn pink; about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. While shrimp are cooking, prepare the lobster sauce by whisking together the black bean paste, garlic, chicken broth, rice wine or sherry and soy sauce; set aside.

Add remaining oil to Wok or skillet and brown the pork; remove. Add the prepared lobster sauce and bring to a boil; whisk in the cornstarch and water to thicken and then mix in sugar. Begin to slowly stream in the beaten egg which will begin to make “egg flowers”; add in the shrimp, pork and steamed vegetables; mix together and let cook an additional 2 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour
January 18, 2013

Are you Wok-ing Yet?

With all the running around of summer fun, did you have time to go out and buy your Wok? If yes, are you having fun making quick, simple and easy meals in less than 30 minutes? If no, what are you waiting for?

Well here's another recipe for you and hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. Oh, to get a recipe for fried rice, click on the word Wok in the first paragraph.

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
1 egg white
¾ cup cornstarch
canola oil for frying (3 cups for Wok, 4 cups for a large skillet)
1 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup sugar snap peas or snow pea pods
1 tsp each minced garlic and ginger
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
¼ cup chopped green onions

Sauce

1 cup water
2 Tbsp chili sauce
4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil

Preparation:

In medium bowl, combine chicken with salt, white pepper, egg white and cornstarch; coat chicken thoroughly.

In Wok, or large skillet, heat oil to 375F; fry chicken in batches until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Drain chicken on paper towels; clean out Wok or skillet, but retain 4 tablespoons of oil.

While chicken is frying, place sauce ingredients in medium sauce pan; over medium heat and let cook until sauce begins to thicken; about 8-10 minutes; stir occasionally to keep from burning.

Stir fry bell peppers, snap peas or pea pods, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, orange peel and green onion for one minute in the Wok or large skillet. Add back the chicken pieces; add sauce and combine thoroughly; let cook for one minute before serving with rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Wok It!

Recently I purchased a new Calphalon Wok, and being in the mood for Chinese food, well how could I deny my Wok? I have to say that not one of my new Calphalon purchases has disappointed yet. Food cooks easily, without much addition of butter or oil, and slides out just as easily, but would my Wok stand up to my expectations? Oh yes it did!

Chinese Beef with Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 lb sliced round steak, ¼ inch thickness
1 lb broccoli florets, cut apart
2 Tbsp sesame oil (substitute canola or peanut oil if not available)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

Marinade:

1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese rice wine (substitute dry sherry if not available)
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Sauce:

2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Chinese rice wine (substitute dry sherry if not available)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup beef broth

Preparation:

Mix together the ingredients listed under Marinade; pour over beef, mix and refrigerate for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients listed under Sauce, set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil; cook the broccoli for 3 minutes. Remove the broccoli to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process; drain and set aside.

Heat a large skillet or Wok on high heat; it will be ready for use when droplets of water sizzle; add the oil and move the pan so the oil coats the interior. Add the beef in a single layer and let it cook for 1 minute without moving it around. Flip the beef slices over and fry for an additional 1 minute; mix in the garlic and black pepper. Pour in the sauce; add the broccoli, mix well and let cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch; bring to a boil and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Makes 4 servings.

Though this is delicious with white rice, I couldn't fight the desire to have the Beef with Broccoli with fried rice.

Indulge your taste buds.

Mary Cokenour

Give Thanks to Those Cooking your Thanksgiving Meal.

I love Chinese food; I could go to a Chinese restaurant for days and never order the same thing twice.  One dish I enjoy is Sweet and Sour, but I always have trouble deciding between chicken, pork or shrimp; so I end up ordering the combination.  It's like getting a little surprise in every bite; ok, after a while you can tell what is what, but it's still fun to pretend.

Preparing for Thanksgiving entails a lot of work; cleaning the house from top to bottom, doing the shopping for groceries, baking the pies, and a few odds and ends.  Roy's mom and brother come up from Moab to eat with us, so I want everything as perfect as humanly possible.

So what in the world does Chinese food have to do with Thanksgiving Day?  I get worn out, so to spoil me, Roy decided to make dinner and he made me Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice.  All I had to do was sit on the kitchen stool and supervise, but he did all the work; and he did a damned great job!!! So for those of you busting a gut trying to get heaven and earth organized for Thanksgiving; step back and let a loved one cook a meal for you as their way of giving you thanks for being so wonderful.

Sweet and Sour – Chicken, Pork or Shrimp

Ingredients:
¼ cup canola or peanut oil
1 cup each chopped red and green bell peppers, onions and drained pineapple chucks
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 egg
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of water
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes; or medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined; or a combination equally up to 2 lbs.
1 qt of canola or peanut oil for frying
2 cups homemade sweet and sour sauce; kept warm.

Preparation:
In a large skillet or Wok, heat oil on medium-high heat; sauté peppers, onion and pineapple until the edges just begin to caramelize. Remove from oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 Tbsp oil, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and egg; gradually add water until a thick batter forms. Add chicken, pork, shrimp or combination into batter making sure to thoroughly coat each piece. Heat the 1 qt of oil in the skillet or Wok over medium-high heat; when temperature reaches 360F, drop several pieces of battered pieces into the oil, but do not overcrowd. Pieces will be done when they are golden brown and float to top of oil; remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat until all battered pieces are done.

Combine sautéed vegetables and pineapple with battered pieces and warm sauce; serve over white, brown or fried rice.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Golden Dragon Reigns over Farmington, New Mexico.

Golden Dragon

2324 E. Main Street
Farmington, NM, 87401

(505) 325-5100

Website: N/A

Located directly next to Fresh for Less on Farmington's Main Street is the Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant. This restaurant is open seven days a week and offers lunch and dinner buffets besides the regular ala carte menu. While it boasts the typical Oriental art upon its walls, the restaurant is open and welcoming, as is the staff.

We were seated at a booth and our drink orders were taken immediately. Unfortunately, we were late for the lunch buffet and too early for the dinner buffet, so needed to order from the ala carte menu. There was much to choose from and the choice was difficult as we wanted to try so much. Next visit, a buffet is a must to experience the variety Golden Dragon offers.

The Wonton Soup is a rich broth filled with vegetables and delicate wontons.

The Eggdrop Soup has a broth similar to the Wonton Soup, but thicker and it also contains vegetables, but cut finer.

Either soup would be an excellent choice as a meal alone, or for comfort if hit with a cold or flu.

Main courses were Chicken with Broccoli and Chicken Chop Suey; Fried Rice and Egg Rolls (served with sweet and sour sauce). Both chicken dishes were loaded with thinly sliced white breast meat and vegetables with light sauces, but flavorful. The fried rice was moist and tender; the egg rolls were crispy and absolutely delicious. This meal was for four people and we still ended up taking food home; and the bill did not break our wallet at all.

If in the mood for Chinese cuisine, the Golden Dragon's cave is where you want your table set.

Mary Cokenour

Time Constraints? Consider Wok Cooking.

Many years ago I discovered the advantages, and ease, of cooking meals in a Wok.  Originating in China, the Wok is a deep pan with a rounded bottom and slanted sides; it is usually made of rolled or stainless steel, aluminum or cast iron.  The shape of this pan allows one to cook food at high heat with very little oil.  Besides the traditional stir fry method, Woks can be used to stew, braise, steam or deep fry.  Depending on the dishes you intend to create, a meal can be prepped and cooked in about 30 minutes if using a Wok. 

As with many plans, they do go astray; I'd planned a day at home, catching up on chores and giving myself plenty of time to plan out and make dinner.  Instead, a simple one hour drive to find the location of a copper mine to explore turned into a three hour drive; we never did find that mine.  Needless to say, as soon as I returned home I jumped into those chores and before you knew it...dinner time had arrived.  I was tired, really tired and then I saw the wok hanging from my kitchen ceiling rack.

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ¼” thin slices

1 large egg, beaten

2 Tbsp cornstarch

4 Tbsp canola oil, divided in half

1 lb broccoli, cut up into ½” pieces and blanched in salted water

3 Tbsp oyster sauce

3 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp minced garlic

Preparation:

Mix together chicken slices, egg and cornstarch; place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil, on high heat, in Wok; sauté broccoli with oyster and soy sauces.  Remove to plate and keep warm.  Add remaining oil to Wok, sauté chicken till just starting to brown; return broccoli to Wok and add in garlic.  Mix together and let cook together for 5 minutes; remove to serving platter.

Makes 6-8 servings.

~~~~~~~

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp plus 4 Tbsp canola oil

½ cup diced onion

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

4 cups cooked long grain rice

3 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

Preparation:

Heat 2 Tbsp oil, on high heat, in Wok; sauté onion till just beginning to soften, add in peas and carrots, salt and black pepper; sauté together for 3 minutes; remove to bowl and keep warm.

Add remaining oil to Wok; add in rice, soy sauce and ginger; keep mixing together for 5 minutes, making sure to break up any clumps in the rice.  Add back the vegetables; mix thoroughly and remove to serving bowl.

Makes 6-8 servings.

The copper mine?  Roy went onto Google, found its exact location and we'll be trying that adventure again at a later date.  In the meantime, enjoy your own adventure in discovering the Wok.

Mary Cokenour