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On 24 Jan 2007 at 18:29, Sharna wrote:
> This product is not available in Canada. In fact we dont have any
> cornbread/muffin mixes. I frequently find recipes using this product
> and end up not using them as I am not sure how to adapt cornbread from
> scratch.
>
> Upon checking the archives I was only able to find recipes using the
> mix not recreating it. Any help you can provide would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Sharna
>
Hi Sharna,
I cannot locate a clone or copycat for Jiffy cornbread mix.
However, there are some recipes for making homemade dry cornbread mix.
See below. I have no idea of exactly how to use these as a substitute
for Jiffy in a recipe. You may have to experiment a little. Jiffy has
a bit of a sweet taste, so one of the recipes with sugar is probably
closer to it in taste.
Phaed
Corn Bread Mix
5 c. flour
5 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. baking powder
4 tsp. salt
2 c. powdered milk
Mix the above. Cut 1 cup shortening into the flour mixture. Store in
covered container. Do not keep in refrigerator. May be kept 6 to 8 weeks.
To make cornbread:
1 egg, beaten
1 c. water
1/4 c. melted shortening
2 1/2 c. mix
Stir only until blended. (Omit the melted shortening if a less rich cornbread
is desired.)
Bake in muffin tins or flat pan at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
--------------------------------------
Dry Cornbread Mix
1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
1 c. dry milk
Mix all together well and store in tight container.
To make cornbread: Mix 1 1/2 cups above mixture, 1 beaten egg and 1/4 cup oil.
Add enough water to make as thin as you wish. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20
minutes.
Dannon Brownies
This recipe came out about 1991, they are very good!!! Saves 119 g. of fat
and 1058 calories per pan.
1 box of Brownie mix that calls for 2 eggs and 1/2 c oil.
1/2 c of Dannon Plain Nonfat Yogurt
Amount of water as shown on mix
Chocolate packet (if included)
Grease bottom of 13 by 9 inch pan. Preheat oven to 350° (325° for glass
pan)
Combine brownie mix, yogurt, water and chocolate packet (if included) in
bowl.
Mix well. Spread in pan. Bake 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull
away from edge.
Cool before cutting. Makes 24 brownies ** I cut my brownies with a plastic
disposable knife,after cooling.
Barbara
On 27 Jan 2007 at 11:51, Sue Ellen wrote:
> Hi
>
> My aunt used to make a ham and oyster pie although it was really more
> of a casserole. It had a rich broth and just a topping of "pie"
> more like cornbread or perhaps even bisquik. The recipe alas died
> with her. It was rich and absolutely delicious. Any ideas?
>
> Sue Ellen
>
Hi Sue,
No real ideas. sorry. Below are all of the ham and oyster pie recipes that I could locate.
Phaed
Ham and Oyster Pie
-from John Shields' The Chesapeake Bay Cookbook.
"Here's a signature dish of Chesapeake regional cuisine: succulent, creamy
oysters are steamed beneath a flaky pastry crust in an unsurpassed partnering
of ham and bivalve."
Pastry Dough for double-crust 9-inch pie, bottom shell partially baked
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 pint shucked oysters, drained and liquor reserved
Heavy cream, as needed
salt and ground pepper to taste
Pinch ground mace
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups minced country ham
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon water
Prepare pastry dough. Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of the dough
and partially bake crust.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In an enamel or other heavy-bottomed
pan, melt the butter.
Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from
the heat. Measure oyster liquor and add cream to make 2 1/4 cups.
Whisk cream misture into the butter-flour mixture.
Return pan to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes
to a boil. Season well with salt, pepper, and mace. Stir in cheese
to melt. Arrange the oysters and ham in partially baked crust. Pour
in the cream sauce and gently blend with the oysters and ham. Roll out
the remaining pastry on a lightly floured board and fit it over the pie,
crimping edges. Make 2 or 3 slits in the top crust for vents. Mix together
the egg and water and brush on top of pie.
Bake about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
--------------------------------
Oyster And Ham Casserole
1/2 c. flour
1 c. cream
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 sm. onion, chopped fine
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. cracker crumbs
1/4 green pepper, chopped
Chopped parsley
Country ham or Smithfield ham, sliced thin
1 pt. select oysters
Melt butter in large skillet over low heat. Add flour, stir until smooth.
Add cream. Cook, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Add paprika,
pepper, onion, green pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes,
stirring constantly. Add oysters and their liqueur.
Pour into buttered baking dish lined with country or Smithfield ham slices.
Sprinkle with crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
---------------------------
Oyster Pie
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 lg. onion, chopped
1/3 c. parsley, finely chopped
6 med. potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
Salt & pepper to taste
2 c. med. white sauce (see recipe below)
1 c. diced ham, fried
1/4 lb. bacon, diced, fried & drained
2 pt. oysters & liquid
--Medium White Sauce:--
4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
Pie Crusts: One souffle dish lined with a prebaked bottom crust
(which was pricked with a fork and baked at 400 degrees until lightly
browned). One top crust. Pour oysters and liquid into the pot the
vegetables are to be cooked in - swish the oysters around, then put
them back in their containers and refrigerate temporarily. Add the
celery, onion, parsley, potatoes, carrots and enough water to cover
them and boil until almost done. Drain. White Sauce: In 2 quart
microwave-proof dish, melt butter in microwave on full power for about
45 seconds. Blend in flour and salt until smooth, using a whip to mix.
Gradually, stirring constantly, add the milk. Heat, uncovered, on roast,
for 2 minutes; stir. Heat on roast for 2 more minutes. Stir. Then
heat on roast for 2 more minutes and stir. Pour the vegetables into
the souffle dish. Add the white sauce, then place the oysters on top
of the vegetables.
Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon paprika and cover with top crust. Bake at
375 degrees for 30 minutes.
------------------------------
Virginia Ham And Oyster Pie
1 pint shucked oysters, drained
1/4 pound cooked Virginia ham, cubed
3 T butter or margarine
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 T lemon juice
Biscuit Topping
1-1/2 cups flour
2-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 T margarine or butter
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400°.
Dry oysters between absorbent paper.
Fry diced ham in butter or margarine
until heated through. Remove ham and
drain. Add mushrooms, onions, and green onion
to butter and ham drippings in the frying pan.
Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until tender. Blend
in flour, salt, and pepper. Stir in oysters, ham,
parsley, and lemon juice. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
Turn oyster mixture into pie plate. To make biscuit
topping, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse
crumbs. Add milk all at once. Mix just to a soft
dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead
gently 5 to 6 strokes. Shape into a ball. Rollout
to a 9-inch circle to fit on top of pie plate. Cover
oysters with biscuit topping Score biscuit topping.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until topping is lightly
browned. Serves 6 .
Old School Cinnamon Rolls
Watts,Ok la
Mrs. Cox head cook.
2 cups warm water
6 Tbsp. yeast
1 cup sugar
Mix and let grow about 15 min.
In mixer bowl;
25-27 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tea. salt
6 cups warm milk
2 cups melted real butter
8 eggs
Now: add to the flour mixture the rest of the ingredients. Slowly add the
milk, butter and eggs to the mixer set mixer on 1.
then add the warm water, yeast and sugar mixer.
Add flour till it pulls from the bowl of the mixer.
filling:
8-10 cups brown sugar, 2-3 cups melted butter and 3 Tbsp Cinnamon
mix and spread across dough. ( I use my hands)
Bake approx. 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Icing:
2 pounds powered sugar, 2 Tbs. Vanilla, 1 tea. salt. mix and drizzle over
rolls.
Makes about 80 extra lg. rolls.
Mrs. Cox wrote the recipe this way so it was easy for us girls to fellow.
(1966).
I made this for our Sr. lunch last week and they thought they were in heaven.
I now use bread flour. I do not have a proofing oven. Just set in a sink of
hot water and wait.
I hope you enjoy this.
Donna
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken
2 large whole boneless chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
5 tsp. ginger (Grated Extra-Fine)
1 tsp. garlic, minced, I used garlic press)
1 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup green onion, sliced in approx. 1/4" segments
2 tbsp. hot oil
2 tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with water for thickening sauce
Chicken nugget breading
2 cups cornstarch (approximation)
2 eggs
1 cup water (approximation)
1 tbsp. oil (approximation)
Several hours before cooking time, cut and salt chicken (I used a little
less than 1 tsp.). After you have salted chicken, drizzle a little water
on breast chunks and mix. Follow that with about 2 tbsp. cornstarch.
Mix cornstarch in, gently massaging it into meat with your hands.
Set in fridge.
A couple of hours before cooking time mix sauce ingredients together.
This includes everything EXCEPT green onion, hot oil and cornstarch.
Make sure the ginger is VERY FINELY minced or you will sacrifice some
of the flavor. This step may take extra time, but your effort will be
rewarded--trust me, this sauce is yummy!!!! Set sauce aside to allow
flavors to marry.
Before you heat up oil (about 3 in. deep in deepest part of wok), mix
eggs, water and oil together bowl. Place nuggets in mixture, then dip
in pure cornstarch. Make sure you have a thin, solid coating with no
bald spots. Heat oil while nuggets sit in cornstarch. Before frying,
make sure oil is piping hot (important for allowing cornstarch to
achieve its full functionality).
Drop first batch of nuggets in hot oil (should see just a little smoke
just before nuggets are placed in oil). Oil temp. for this recipe is
important, because if oil is hot enough, nuggets will be slightly crispy
in spite of having been fried for just 2 1/2 - 3 min.! On the other hand,
if the temp. is too low, your nuggets may have a slightly gooey exterior.
If you have a thermometer, fry at 375-380 degrees.
Remove first batch of nuggets which should be ready in no more than 3 min.
unless you are using golf ball-sized nuggets (lol). Drain well. My nuggets
were super tender after frying them for not quite 3 min. Allow a minute
or two for oil temp. before frying your next, and possibly final, batch.
Also, for optimum results with different sized nuggets in same batch, put
larger sized nuggets in BEFORE smaller sized ones.
After you are done frying and draining nuggets, pour oil out of wok and
into safe container. Allow wok to cool for minute or so before cleaning
it and then heating sauce. When heating sauce, pour in cornstarch/water
mixture within first minute or so. Stir and, when sauce starts to thicken,
add hot oil and stir well before adding green onions. Lastly, dump chicken
nuggets into wok and stir until all nuggets are coated with sauce. Serve
over white rice.
-----------------------
Crispy Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce
I'm posting early today during lunch because I may not be able to get on
tonight. Anyway, I made this dish last night and it was absolutely delicious.
If you like extra crispy fish with a transparent, glossy, red sweet and sour
sauce, then this dish is for you! The fish looked beautiful after I took it
out of the wok and poured the sauce over it. This is definitely a good company
dish if your guests like fish. I usually have leftovers, but not last night--
even my picky daughter, who is not a big fish eater, asked for seconds.
My father-in-law didn't help with this dish and I must admit I had to do a
bit of guesswork. It took two batches before I finally figured out the sauce
(I may dump the first batch--lol!).
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
Ingredients
1 whole fish (sea bass, yellowfish--I used yellowfish, or any good meaty frying
fish)(my fish was a little over 12 in. long and weighed around 2 lbs.)
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. white pepper
about 1 1/2 tsp. salt.
2 eggs mixed with 1 cup water and 1 tbsp. Flour
lots of cornstarch (about 2 cups)
Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. regular prepared mustard**
2 tsp. ginger (minced as fine as possible)
1 tsp. garlic (minced as fine as possible)
about 3 tbsp. green onions, green part only
About 1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with little more than 1 tbsp. water for
thickening sauce.
About 2 tbsp. hot oil (add to sauce after thickened)
**According to my wife, adding 2 tsp. mustard adds a subtle zing to sauce,
but the flavor is not as authentic with extra mustard. Depending on your
own tastes, you can reduce mustard to 1 - 1 1/2 tsp. Personally, I like
the 2 tsp. amount for that little extra. However, if I make this dish for
Chinese guests, I'll probably reduce amt. to 1 tsp.
About 3-4 hours before frying, mix ginger powder, garlic powder, white
pepper and salt, then sprinkle evenly on fish, being sure to include the
inside part. Place in fridge until ready to fry.
Mix sauce ingredients which included everything except green onions,
cornstarch and oil. Be sure to mince garlic and ginger as fine as possible
(maybe try food processor). Set aside and allow flavors to mix.
About 20 min. before you fry, beat eggs, water and flour together.
Next, dip fish in mixture, being sure to cover inside part. Now dip
fish in cornstarch mixture; you can lightly pat it on as you roll fish
in mixture. Be sure to coat insides of fish. After first coating, you
should have a light, even coating on fish. Next, redip fish in egg mixture,
then recoat with cornstarch. I decided to double-dip for an extra crispy
coating (and crispy it was!). If you want regular crispy, dipping once will
suffice. After you are through coating fish, set in fridge for a few minutes.
After you have dipped fish for second time, you should have a nice, even
coating about 1/4 inch thick. Make sure every inch of has been coated.
This is somewhat tedious, but easier than making crispy crispy beef.
Heat oil in wok until just before smoking point. For the skin on the fish
to be crisp, the oil needs to be HOT (around 370 degrees). When you place
fish in oil, you should see a lot of bubbling. During the frying process,
you can also ladle hot oil on parts of fish, like the tail, that may have
not been covered by oil. After about 3 min., turn fish and fry for a couple
of minutes before reducing temp. (you don't have to do this, but I did
because I was afraid of temp. getting too high and burning the fish). Total
frying time is about 10 min. You need the slightly longer fry time to ensure
fish is very crisp (just the way my family likes it). Don't worry about the
fish being too dry because of longer frying time. The batter forms a wonderful
protective shell.
After you drop fish in wok to fry, heat up sauce and, just before it reaches
boiling, add cornstarch mixture. When mixture boils, reduce heat stirring
until mixture thickens. Add hot oil, stirring well. Next, add green onions and
stir well.
When fish is done frying, drain well and place on platter. Pour about half
the sauce over fish and reserve the other half to pour over white rice and
fish once you have served everyone. Enjoy!
----------------------------
Sweet And Sour Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. chopped green onions, green part only (optional) (I use them)
5 tsp. ginger, minced as fine as humanly possible
1 tsp. garlic, finely minced (I use garlic press)
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with about 2 tbsp. Water (for thickening sauce)
P.S. Forgot to mention that you should use about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. hot oil in
sauce. When sauce starts to thicken, add green onions, followed by hot oil.
Stir well and add seafood, chicken, pork, or whatever you want to go with sauce.
I made this recipe this evening. Everyone in the family (especially my
Chinese wife)loved it! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. By the way,
this stuff is great cold out of the fridge--just had some for a snack!
---------------------------------------
Chicken w/Chinese Spicy Brown Sauce
I made this recipe last week and it was quite good if you like your sauces
with a bit of a punch! This sauce is pretty simple and will go well with
beef or chicken and any green vegetable. I made mine with just chicken. Enjoy!
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
P.S. I'll probably try Szechuan chicken sometime this week before wrapping
this project up. I promise to repost all of my past Chinese recipes in one
place within the next week for those who may have missed some of them.
Chicken w/Chinese Spicy Brown Sauce
About 4-5 cups of chopped chicken breast
About 3-4 cups broccoli florets or other green vegetable (I left veggies out)
Clove of garlic
Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup regular soy sauce
1/4 cup white soy sauce (light colored--available in Chinese grocery store)
1/4 cup Chinese Oyster Sauce
1 3/4 - 2 cups LOW SODIUM chicken broth****
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic (the finer the better)
1 tbsp. minced ginger (the finer the better)
2 tbsp. Chinese chili sauce (looks like bottled Mexican salsa)
2-3 tbsp. hot oil (to be added to sauce to give it a glossy, transparent look)
About 2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with water (for thickening sauce)
About 3-4 hours (or earlier) before frying, sprinkle chicken with a little
salt (NO MORE THAN HALF THE AMOUNT you would normally use to salt it).
Sprinkle about 2 tbsp. cornstarch on chicken to tenderize it. You can also
add a little water if chicken is not wet enough. Set in fridge.
You can also make sauce at this time and allow flavors to mix.
If you are having vegetables with your chicken, stir-fry them with a clove
of garlic until crisp tender. Remove from wok and set aside. Next, add a
little more oil to wok or skillet and saute chicken until done (took me
about 5 min.). When chicken is done, remove from skillet and drain excess oil.
The final step involves pouring the sauce into wok and, just before it comes
to boil, add cornstarch mixture. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. When
mixture has thickened, add hot oil and stir well. Lastly, add the chicken
and veggies and stir until well coated. Be careful not to allow sauce to
simmer to long, because sauce will cook down and become VERY SALTY.
Serve over rice.
****IMPORTANT: If you cannot find low sodium chicken broth, you can use
simple homemade chicken stock like I did. The idea is to dilute the sauce
so it is not overly salty and hot like mine was the first time I made
it--yuck (lol!).
--------------------------------
Chinese Cooking--Lessons Learned Part II
Today's info. contains a very simple but tasty recipe. I'll also mention a
meat tenderizing technique I learned. My Chinese father-in-law taught me
how to make some great tasting Oriental-style pork chops when he visited
not too long ago.
First of all, tenderizing steaks and pork chops is nothing new to most of
us. However, technique REALLY makes a difference. One afternoon, after
I donned my cooking apron, my father-in-law removed a butcher knife from
the kitchen drawer and asked me how to use the DULL edge of the blade to
tenderize meat. Anyhow, he took one look and laughed.
Basically, what you have to do about 2-3 hrs.--or even earlier (did mine
the day before)--before cooking time is lay pork chops flat and pound them
using moderate force. First go left to right, pounding very deliberately
but slowly. When done, repeat process one or two more times. Next rotate
the pork chops so that when you start pounding them again, CROSS PATTERNS
will be produced on meat surface. When this is done, turn meat over and
follow the steps outlined in this paragraph. The tenderizing process took
me more than five minutes, but less than ten. The bottom line is, take
your time. I used to sometimes pound the meat to tenderize it, but I
always was too quick. The other day, I made an awesome sirloin steak
using my father-in-laws tenderizing method. What a difference! Thanks
to him, my kids like to eat my steaks more than ever.
Now for the recipe part:
----------------------------
Fried Pork Chops(for five pork chops)
1/2 cup white wine or sherry (we used sherry)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. sugar (approximation-father-in-law sometimes works very quickly,
so in this case, I didn't get the exact measurement)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2-3 eggs, beaten
cornstarch
Mix ingredients and pour into pyrex dish. Next, dip pork chops one by
one in marinade, dipping one side and turning chop over and dipping other
side to get as much or the marinade on chops BEFORE they are set in pyrex
dish. I used to pour marinade over my pork chops and my father-in-law said
it is not as good as his method. Heck, he has 50 yrs. of experience, so I
guess I can't argue with him (lol). After each chop is covered. Lay it as
flat as possible in dish. Marinate for at least 3 hrs.or overnight.
About 30 min. before frying time, remove pork chops from marinade and dip
them one at a time into beaten eggs. Next dip chops in pure cornstarch.
Refrigerate for about 30 min. Lastly, remove pork chops from fridge and
fry in hot oil (about 360 degrees) for about 3-4 minutes.
We tried this the other day and my family said these were the best pork
chops I had ever made (with a little help of course). At any rate, my f
Father-in-law is in mainland China visiting relatives and will return on
Oct. 12th. He said he will teach me a chicken and crispy beef dish plus
a few more techniques. Will keep you informed.
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
--------------------------------
Chinese Cooking Tips
Today was the big day. I spent all afternoon in the kitchen cooking with
my Chinese father-in-law. We made the crispy beef dish which was divine.
However, I will hold off on posting until tomorrow because I have one or
two questions regarding some measurements. I know you will all hate me if
I give you incorrect measurements (lol)! My father-in-law works very quickly
and speaks Chinese with a very strong mainland Chinese accent. I am fluent
in Chinese, but I still find it hard to follow him, especially when we are
in the kitchen and the fan is on!
Have any of you ever wondered why the sauces you see in Chinese restaurants
are almost always glossy and somewhat transparent? Really looks good, huh?
I have tried for sometime to imitate that extra touch, but have always failed.
Anyhow, the SECRET lies in adding HOT oil to the sauce and mixing well. For
one cup of sauce, about 3-4 tbsp. should suffice. I tried this twice today
and it makes a sauce look sooooo good! When we made the crispy beef this
evening, my father-in-law spooned about 3 tbsp. of hot oil (used to fry beef
strips)into our sauce mixture and---voila!!--a great looking sauce just like
what you often see in the restaurants. Please note that this secret step
should be done while THICKENED sauce is still in skillet or wok just before
serving.
Ever wonder why stir-fried green veggies, such as broccoli, served in
Chinese restaurants are so green? Most of the time, when we stir-fry them,
the finished veggies are a pale green instead of bright green. According to
what I saw today, the secret lies in par-boiling the veggies for about 30
seconds BEFORE stir-frying them. This makes a huge difference! Hope these
tips are helpful. Bye for now.
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
-----------------------
Chinese Quiche
I made this tonight. The kids took one bite and wouldn't eat anymore because
of the veggies (that's THEIR problem!). My wife and I, however, LOVED it!
I have never had a quiche like this! Yummy!
For the most part, I followed your directions. However, I used a mixture of
milk and chicken broth instead of milk and added a tablespoon of of oyster
sauce. Not surprisingly, I did have trouble finding one ingredient: red bell
peppers. Sometimes I can find them quite readily, but RARELY when I need them
(sigh). Anyhow, I substituted Taiwanese red peppers (deseeded) and they really
set this dish off!
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
P.S. I also mixed cheddar cheese with Monterey Jack
Chinese Quiche
1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 (8-oz.) sliced water chestnuts
1 cup(4-oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup finely chopped red peppers
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Bake pie shell 5 minutes; set aside.
REDUCE oven temperature to 350ºF. In large bowl, beat together
eggs and milk; stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into partially
baked shell. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch
from edge comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
-----------------------------------
Chinese Stew
About 4-5 cups stew meat (feel free to add more or less)
Green Onions (white and green parts),about 5 cups (not typo)
chopped in 4 in. segments
Couple of slices of ginger (thinly sliced, about size and shape of quarter)
3-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
About 1/2 to 2/3 cup soy sauce
1 clove of star anise** (available in Chinese grocery, pronounced "ba jiao li")
1-2 tomatoes,quartered
About 2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup red wine (optional)(I normally use it, but FIL wouldn't let me (lol)!
**Star anise is to Chinese cookery as bay leaves are to American cookery.
Place stew meat in pot 2 qt. pot. Add about 1 qt. water. Add soy sauce and
rest of ingredients. Stir a little and turn fire on high. Please note that
you should pack as many green onions into stew pot as possible. After
everything has been added, the water line should be somewhere near the
"3/4 full" mark.
Once water reaches boil, do not reduce heat. Let stew boil vigorously until
water level falls to about the halfway full mark. Once it reaches that point,
reduce and simmer until meat is falling-apart-tender. Whole cooking process
should take a little over two hours. You can add extra water if necessary,
but try to add as little as possible.
For those of you who don't like tomatoes or onions in your stew, don't worry,
you probably won't even see the tomatoes and the green onions will cook down
so much that they are barely noticeable. The soup from this stew has a very
unique taste. On top of that, it is incredibley simple. Also, do not worry
about exact or near-exact measurements in this recipe. I can hardly wait to
make it again!
--------------------------------------------------
Crispy Beef
3/4 pound tender beef strips (cut into diameter of about 2 pencils or slightly
thinner than Size AA battery and length of 2 - 2/12 in.)
salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water (he insisted on water, but I might use low sodium chicken stock
next time just to see what happens)
1 1/2 tbsp. green onions (green part only)
1 tsp. sesame seeds (untoasted)
2 egg whites (beaten until frothy)
1 cup cornstarch (approximation)
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with about 2 tbsp. water (for thickening sauce)
About 2 hrs. before frying beef strips, sprinkle salt (we used about 1/2 tsp.)
and white pepper (approx. 1/4 tsp.). Massage spices into beef strips until
evenly distributed. Place in fridge. When ready to fry, in mixing bowl beat
egg whites until frothy and dip beef in egg whites making sure all pieces
are covered. Next, and very important is to GRADUALLY add cornstarch to
this mixture, slowly coating all of the beef strips. You will use a lot
of cornstarch to THOROUGHLY coat beef strips, so don't let the 1 cup
measurement intimidate you. Actually, you may use less than 1 cup, but
it will take a lot to make sure EACH strip of beef is covered with a
FAIRLY THICK coating of cornstarch. The cornstarch application part is
slightly messy but, believe me, it is worth the effort! When done coating
beef, set aside for few minutes and heat oil (you will need a fair amount).
Mix sauce ingredients except for, of course, the cornstarch and water.
Set aside. When oil has reached about 360 degrees, drop about HALF the
beef strips in oil. Fry for about 2-3 min. or until crisp. Be careful to
watch the temp. as you are frying.
Once you are done frying beef strips, carefully drain excess oil and
place on platter. Pour oil out of wok into container. Place sauce in wok
and heat for minute or so before adding cornstarch w/ water. Once sauce
mixture thickens, add about 2-3 tbsp. hot oil, stir well, then add beef
strips and heat for about 1 min. Remove from wok and place on platter.
Sprinkle beef with sesame seeds (I was going to lightly toast mine, but
my father-in-law said it wasn't necessary) and serve over white rice.
Hope everyone enjoys this tasty dish!
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
P.S. If you use more beef than recipe calls for, sauce mixture can be
doubled. Also, if you use tougher beef strips, you may want to marinate
mixture in a LITTLE soy sauce and red wine vinegar and cornstarch to
tenderize. I would marinate for at least several hours. Be careful not
to use too much soy sauce because this will contribute to excess browning
during frying cycle.
PART II of Cookin' Dad's recipes and posts
Chinese Eggplant In Garlic Sauce
I made this dish the night before my Chinese father-in-law's departure.
It was delicious and slightly spicy--nothing like anything I have ever made.
Hope you eggplant lovers enjoy this!
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
Approx. 4 cups chopped eggplant (use cylinder shaped; should be chopped
in about 1 inch cylinder shape segments)
8 cloves garlic minced
1/3 cup ketchup (approximation--even if you add a little more, dish will
still be good!)
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
1/4 - 1/3 cup white sugar (depending on your taste--we used approx. 1/4)
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. white soy sauce (LIGHT, not darker regular type; can buy in
Chinese grocery store)
1 tbsp. regular soy sauce
1 tbsp. Chinese chili sauce (heat-averse types can cut amt. in half)
1/8 tsp. MSG (I was going to leave it out, but HE insisted on adding it)
3 tbsp. dry white wine
1/2 cup chopped green onions (green part only)
approx. 1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in water
2 tbsp. hot oil (add to finished sauce)
Fry eggplant in oil over medium heat. I was going to saute it, but FIL
insisted on frying it, so I shut up and listened (lol). We fried our for
about 8 min. When frying cycle was completed, the eggplant was dark yellow
in color. After frying drain well and set aside.
Fry ginger and garlic in a little oil for about 30 sec. When you smell
strong aroma, add ketchup and stir for a minute or so. Add Chinese chile
sauce and stir well. Next, add white wine and simmer for a minute or two.
After this, add all other ingredients EXCEPT green onions and cornstarch.
Stir and allow mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes before adding
cornstarch. Just as mixture starts to thicken, add chopped green onions
and hot oil, stir for a minute or so and add eggplant to sauce. Once
eggplant is coated with sauce, turn off fire, remove from wok/skillet
and serve over white rice.
-------------------------------------
Chinese Lemon Chicken
4 to 6 whole breast halves (skin included)
1 cup water
1/2 cup LOW SODIUM chicken broth
1/4 freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. ginger, finely grated (the finer the better)
1/2 tsp. salt**
**I decided to use a little salt instead of soy sauce I originally had in recipe.
The third time I made recipe, sauce was slightly darker than I wanted it to be.
Ingredients used to fry chicken
cornstarch
oil
eggs
Mix sauce ingredients (everything except cornstarch, oil and eggs) at least
several hours before making this dish to allow flavors to mix. I didn't do
this the first time I made this dish and it just doesn't taste the same!
Rub some salt (to taste--between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp.per breast) on the breasts
so that the thicker meat on breasts will have a good flavor. If you don't
do this, you will have a tasty sauce and the meat on the surface of chicken
will taste good, but inner part will be very bland. Last time I made this
I also used a bit of garlic powder (can mix in with salt about 1/4 to
1/2 tsp. total). Chicken should be salted with garlic and salt mixture AT
LEAST 12 hrs., preferably 24 hrs.in advance to allow maximum penetration of
flavors.
Place a good amount of shortening or a combination of shortening and liquid
vegetable oil in wok or deep fryer. Wait until you have breaded your chicken
before heating shortening. Next, beat two eggs with about 1 1/2 cups water.
After that, add about 2 tbsp. veg. Oil to mixture and beat lightly.
You are now ready to bread chicken breasts with cornstarch. Dip each breast
in cornstarch making sure it is thoroughly covered. Lightly shake off
excess cornstarch and dip in egg mixture. Allow breasts to drip excess
liquid before redipping in cornstarch mixture. This time, you want a good
coating, similar to that of crispy beef--solid coating , but not too thick.
Set aside breaded breasts and heat oil.
Oil should be heated to 360 degrees. You do not have to be exact, but oil
should be GOOD AND HOT, but not so hot that the batter on chicken will have
a burned off-flavor from excess temp. during frying cycle. Depending on the
size of your fryer or wok, I would probably fry 2--definitely no more than
3 breasts at a time. To fry more than that would risk excess oil penetration
because of a slowed oil temp. recovery. Fry breasts for about 12 min., or
slightly longer if you are frying very large breasts. If you discover that
breasts are browning too quickly during fry cycle, you can turn flame down
after breasts have fryed for about six minutes. By that time, there should
be a good crispy shell to protect chicken from oil penetration.
Shortly after you have started frying chicken, heat up sauce and allow to
simmer for a minute or so before adding about 1 1/2 tbsp. (approximation)
cornstarch mixed with water. Once sauce thickens, add about 2 tbsp. Hot oil
and mix well. Remove sauce from fire and set aside.
When fryed chicken breasts are done, allow them to set for about 2 min.
to ensure meat closest to bone is fully cooked. Next chop each chicken
breast into about 3-4 pieces and pour some of lemon sauce (to taste) over
chicken. Remaining sauce can be used to dip fried chicken pieces. Chicken
can be served over white rice.
Cooking w/Chinese Father-In-Law/Lessons Learned>
My father-in-law is back in Taiwan again for two weeks after a short trip
to China. In spite of him not being at home that much these past few days,
I did manage to get in a few lessons. For those of you who did not read
the past messages related to this topic, my father-in-law is a chef with
about 50 yrs. of experience. I can't help but be awestruck as I watch him
work in our kitchen at lightening speed in spite of his advanced age.
Yesterday I made a chicken dish that is somewhat similar to orange chicken
(call it that for lack of a better name). He didn't supervise me the whole
time, but rather gave me a list of ingredients with approximate measurements.
Orange Chicken
For starters, I cut up about 3 cups of chicken breast meat and set it aside.
Next, I made the following sauce which is surprisingly simple, but delicious:
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (approximation)
Approx. 1/4 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth (to dilute soy
sauce--otherwise too salty; I used water)
2-3 garlic cloves (crushed)
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
Note: At first I was against using so much sugar and vinegar, but my
father-in-law insisted on using large amounts of equal portions of both.
Who's to argue with 50 yrs. of experience?
About 2 hrs. prior to making this dish, I poured a little of the sauce
mixture in with the breast nuggets so meat would soak up flavor. To do
otherwise would not allow the sauce to deeply penetrate the meat. Yesterday,
after frying my first batch of chicken, I tasted a piece and it was delicious
without the sauce! After pouring enough of sauce to cover chicken pieces,
I mixed in cornstarch (1/4 cup!) and let mixture sit in fridge.
While mixture sat in fridge, I cut up some red and green bell peppers and
green onion (total of approx. 1 cup). Later, I beat a couple of egg whites
until frothy and set aside. After removing chicken from fridge, I poured
off sauce mixture and dipped chicken pieces in egg white (my father-in-law
claims that this helps to tenderize chicken pieces--VERY IMPORTANT. Next,
I mixed in at least 1/2 cup cornstarch (using large qty. VERY IMPORTANT and
mixed with hands until mixture became very gooey. After placing meat back
in fridge, I heated bit of oil in wok, added 1 clove of minced garlic and
sauteed bell peppers for about 3 min. before adding green onions. I sauteed
for another 1 - 2 min. before removing from fire and adding more oil to fry
chicken.
After oil was hot (about 360 degrees), I placed chicken pieces in oil,
trying to separate them as best as possible. After frying chicken
(about 1 1/2 - 2 min. per piece), I drained pieces on paper towel-lined
plate. Next, I added sauce to wok and heated for a minute or so before
adding about 1 1/2 tbsp. Cornstarch mixed with equal amount of water.
After stirring, I added veggies and brought mixture to boil. Afterwards,
I reduced heat and simmered until mixture started to thicken, at which
point I added chicken pieces and heated for about 1 min.
This dish was served over white rice and was delicious. The flavor was
tangy and sweet, nothing like anything I've had before. This would also
be great with pork!
I made this dish without my father-in-law's supervision because he had
a bunch of errands to run. He said I did a pretty good job, but should
have added a little oil to the egg white/cornstarch mixture before frying
the chicken. This would have made the nuggets crispier. Oh well, I guess
experience is the best teacher.
Regards,
Cookin'Dad
Simmered Chinese Chicken
Like yourself, I doubled the sauce, but added about 1/2-1 tsp. mustard
(didn't really measure)and several thin quarter-sized slices of ginger.
I cooked whole chicken for about 1 hr. on high and then reduced to low,
occasionally basting chicken with sauce and turning whole chicken over twice
(I mostly cooked breast-side down). I didn't want to overcook chicken, so I
removed it from the crockpot when a meat thermometer inserted in meatiest
part of breast and thigh/drum- stick part registered about 165 degrees--came
out just right (total cooking time little over three hours?! Thanks for
posting a delicious recipe and thanks to Loy for being the one who originally
came up with recipe!
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
P.S. I didn't use sesame seeds either.
Simmered Chinese Chicken
I got this recipe from this site in Nov 1999. Originally posted by Loy, it's
a wonderful recipe for chicken. It is to be for a whole chicken, but I use
parts, namely the el cheapo .19 a pound leg quarters. It's REALLY yummy.
When I make, I double the sauce and add a large can of sliced mushrooms with
the sauce. I think this would be excellent with just wings, too.
Simmered Chinese Chicken
1 whole chicken (I use 4 leg quarters, but have also used other parts)
1 tsp oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 T ketchup
1/4 dry sherry or apple juice (I used red wine)
1/2 to 3/4 tsp crushed dried red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (I used about 4 cloves total)
1 green onion, sliced (can used dried, I used fresh)
1 Tbl cornstarch
1 Tbl water
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (I didn't use, don't like "nutty" in my food)
Heat oil in dutch oven, browning chicken on all sides. Meanwhile, mix in bowl:
soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ketchup, sherry, red pepper, garlic, and onion.
Pour over chicken. Cover and cook 35-40 minutes, turning chicken occasionally
to get all sides to cook in sauce. Remove chicken to platter and thicken sauce
w/cornstarch and water. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Sprinkly
chicken w/sesame seeds and serve with rice and sauce.
Cookin' Dad
---------------------------------
Chinese Szechuan Chicken
Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup LOW SODIUM chicken broth
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup regular soy sauce
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
1/4 to 1/2 cup water depending on how salty chicken broth is (I used 1/2 cup
because Taiwanese chicken broth is very salty)
1/4 tsp. Chinese hot pepper sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ginger, finely minced
2 tsp. garlic, minced (I used garlic press)
3-12 dried Chinese red pepper pods**
1 medium-sized green bell pepper, diced or thinly-sliced crescent shape
About 2 tbsp. hot oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp. water
**This of course is where the heat comes from. I ONLY used 3 because my
daughter does not like spicy food. With 3 pods, there will be a slight
amount of heat, but not so much that little 'uns like my daughter won't
eat it. If you want the heat, use all 12 dried red pepper pods!
Preparation
About 5-6 hour before cooking time, cut chicken breast into bite-sized
chunks. Add about 1-2 tbsp. water to breast meat, followed by an equal
amount cornstarch. Gently massage cornstarch into breast meat. Place
meat in fridge until ready to use.
About 1 hr., or earlier if you prefer, mix sauce ingredients which includes
everything except bell peppers, dried red peppers, cornstarch & water.
Mix well and set aside.
When ready to cook chicken, heat wok unitl it smokes, reduce heat and place
a little oil in wok. It will heat very quickly. Place chicken in wok and
stir-fry. When it is about halfway done, douse chicken with a about 1 1/2
tbsp. dry white wine or sherry and stir. Finish cooking chicken and remove
from wok. Next, clean wok and reheat it. Add just a little oil and heat.
After oil has heated, add a clove of garlic (does not have to be minced)
and dried red pepper pods. Stir-fry for about 20 to 30 seconds before
adding sauce ingredients. After sauce has simmered for about a minute
or so, add cornstarch and water mixture. Stir briefly and when sauce
starts to thicken, add chopped bell peppers. When sauce has thickened,
add hot oil and stir until well-mixed. Lastly, return chicken to wok and
mix with sauce. Serve over white rice.
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