Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

Craving Chinese food?  This Chinese Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry dish is so simple and delicious.  It is better than Chinese take out because you know exactly what you are putting in your dish.   This is great served over rice of course.  Overall, this dish took me about 30 minutes to make including the rice.  I just started the rice in my rice cooker first.  As a note, if you don't have the Shaoxing Chinese rice wine, you can substitute sherry, gin or dry white wine.  This dish definitely satisfied my Chinese food craving.  Also, I recently made an apple cider ice cream for the first time and tested it out with coworkers today - yup, it was a hit!  I'll be posting that recipe in the next post :)  Enjoy! 

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups broccoli florets

1 tablespoon water

For marinade

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

For sauce

¼ cup and 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used low sodium.)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)

Directions

In a bowl, mix the marinade ingredients and add chicken.  Toss to evenly coat chicken and allow chicken to marinate while preparing the sauce and broccoli.

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Add broccoli and cook for 3 minutes.   Drain and set aside.  Be careful not to overcook the broccoli since it will be added to the stir fry later.  You may also cook the broccoli in a steamer.

In a bowl, mix sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and half the sauce mixture.  Cook the chicken for about 7 minutes until cooked through.  Add in broccoli and remaining sauce and 1 tablespoon water.

Continue to stir and cook for additional 2 to 3 minutes to thicken sauce or until broccoli is tender, but still crisp.

Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Fried Rice

I had a request to make Chicken Fried Rice and I wanted to share this recipe.  It is delicious and easy to make as long as you have all the ingredients on hand.  I cooked the rice the day before since fried rice is best with leftover rice.   What I love about fried rice is how versatile it is, because it is a meal made out of leftovers.  This Chicken Fried Rice recipe is so simple and delicious.  It is also freezer friendly.  Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Rice

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups rice, cooked

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 to 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, diced

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

4 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

¼ to ½ cup soy sauce

salt and pepper

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, beat eggs with sesame oil.  Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.

Add in chicken and cook until light pink.

Stir in onions and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Next, stir in frozen vegetables and cook for about a minute.

Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Next, add in eggs with sesame oil.

Stir in oyster sauce.

Next, add in rice and soy sauce.

Stir to mix rice in with chicken and vegetables.

Serves 6 to 8.

Chinese White Sugar Cake I

First, I want to say how heart wrenching it is to watch the news on the tornado's devastation in Moore, Oklahoma.  I can't imagine what it must be like there and I am so sorry for those who have to endure it.  I know the need to help is great right now so here are a few ways you can easily help:

American Red Cross DisasterRelief  - text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation

RegionalFood Bank of Oklahoma - text FOOD to 32333 to make a $10 donation

Central OKHumane Society - need financial donations to help treat and house lost and injured pets.  I can't help but think of my own pups, Buddy and Ellie (they both came from non-profit rescues).

Clickhere for additional ways to help Oklahoma tornado victims.

Keep reading for my first attempt at making one of my favorite Chinese dim sum desserts, "bak tong gou" which literally translates to white sugar cake.  I had to do some online research for the perfect recipe and I have yet to figure it out.  Did you know you have to steam not bake this cake?  The texture of this cake is moist, spongy and soft due to the steaming. What I love is that this cake is sweet but not overly sweet since the recipe requires fermentation with yeast. 

This is my first try of a recipe and I haven't stopped yet.  I have tried to make this white sugar cake 2 more times and it is still not perfect.  It is really hard to figure out but it is one of my goals to get the perfect recipe.  I need to get the right consistency since this first recipe wasn't as soft and spongy.  Check out the picture below for the differences from the store bought cake and the homemade cake.  I think I need to make the cake thinner to get closer to the store bought version...I'll keep trying!  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Chinese White Sugar Cake I

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup rice flour

1 ½ cup water (divided)

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon yeast

Directions

In a small microwavable bowl, add in ½ cup water and microwave for about 30 seconds so the water is lukewarm.   Stir in yeast and sugar.   Set aside while making dough.

In a large bowl, combine rice flour and ½ to ¾ cup water.  Add in just enough water to form into dough.  Knead to form soft dough. (Note:  if you add too much water, add in additional rice flour a tablespoon at a time.)

Pour yeast mixture into larger bowl with dough.  Stir with a fork until everything looks dissolved; it will look watery.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for about 6 to 8 hours.

Prepare steamer (water should be simmering) and line the steamer basket with foil or parchment paper.  Spray lightly with non-stick spray.

Pour batter into steamer basket.  Cover and steam for about 20 minutes.  (It is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.)

Allow to cool before cutting.  Lightly grease a knife before cutting because it is sticky.

Easy Fried Rice

Whenever I'm hungry and want something quick, I can always count on this Easy Fried Rice.  It is one of my go-to-meals when I don't want to spend too much time cooking.  Somehow I always have leftover rice in the fridge - which is a key ingredient to fried rice.  If you use fresh rice, it will be too sticky so leftover rice is a must.  Fried rice is a chinese dish that is made with leftovers, so you can throw it in whatever you want.  Also if you don't have oyster sauce that is okay, you don't really need it, but I like it since my grandmother used to add it to her fried rice.  My grandmother passed away several years ago but I have some great memories of her making my brother and I her fried rice.  She would also add in diced chinese roast pork and chinese sausage to her fried rice, but that is not something I always have.   Hope you make this easy fried rice soon!

Easy Fried Rice

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 to 3 cups leftover rice

2 eggs

½ cup onions, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 – 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until onions are softened.

Next, stir in rice.  

Next, stir in vegetables and add in soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Add in one egg at a time and stir.  Allow egg to lightly scramble.

Continue stirring until eggs are completed cooked.

Serves 2.

Capitol Wedding: Crystal & Stephen’s Multicultural DC Wedding at the Dumbarton House

My brother and sister-in-law's wedding was featured on Capital Romance!  How awesome is that?

Check it out here:  http://www.capitolromance.com/2012/08/14/capitol-wedding-crystal-stephens-multicultural-dc-wedding-at-the-dumbarton-house/#comment-4330

Here is my post from their Rehearsal Dinner about Seasons 52:  http://sophieinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/dinner-at-seasons-52.html

Here is my post about their Chinese Wedding Banquet:  http://sophieinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/chinese-wedding-banquet.html

Love and Memories :)

P.S.  Happy 100th Birthday to Julia Child!

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

This slow cooker honey sesame chicken dish is amazing and so easy to make!  I loved it so much that I am actually looking forward to eating leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  I have seen this recipe all over various food blogs, but naturally I changed some of it to my taste and to what I already had.  I used organic bone-in skinless chicken thighs, but you can use boneless or even use chicken breasts instead.  I also included sesame oil and ginger in my recipe unlike some of the others I have seen.  I didn't have cornstarch to thicken the sauce so I substituted flour instead.  Overall, this was a great dish and I will definitely be making this on a regular basis. 

Here are some of the recipes I found on other food blogs:  A Cook's Quest, Chef in Training, Eat Drink Love, Prevention RD, Six Sisters' Stuff, Table for Two, and Very Culinary.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound skinless chicken thighs, 4 pieces

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons onion, diced

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon flour (You may use cornstarch instead.)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, roasted

salt

pepper

 

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place into slow cooker.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and ginger.

 

Pour honey mixture over chicken.

 

Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker.

 

Whisk 1 tablespoon flour into the sauce in the slow cooker to thicken sauce.  Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

  

While the sauce is thickening, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. 

Add chicken back to the sauce and stir to coat chicken with sauce.

 

Serve over rice. Sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken.

Serves 4-6.  Enjoy!