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Taiwanese Recipes

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/sinChicknNdlSp.asp

"This is an authentic, 'home-style' dish served in Taiwanese homes. You can vary the easy-to-buy ingredients however you want to yield as many servings as you want. Try adding a couple of tablespoons of whole kernel corn. Super easy to make, kids can do it too! Tender noodles coupled with subtle chicken broth, all with succulent pieces of chicken, exotic shitake mushrooms and a slow-simmered egg ... my favorite rainy-day meal!"

Yields 2 servings.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes

4 ounces dry Chinese noodles
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
2 eggs

1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Stir noodles into boiling water and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. (For a chewier texture, shock the noodles by pouring 1 cup cold water into the pot when it starts to foam, then letting it come to a boil again to finish cooking.) Drain and divide into two serving bowls.

2 Meanwhile, bring chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan with mushrooms and green onions. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into boiling broth. When broth returns to a boil, crack eggs into broth. Continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink and eggs are cooked, about 10 minutes. Pour the chicken soup over the noodles in the bowls and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings

Pork Liver Soup

This soup is cooked in a wok, that most versatile of pots

1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 medium shallots, finely chopped
1/2 lb. pork liver, sliced very thin
6 cups water or chicken broth
1 cup chopped watercress, heavy stems removed
2-4 ounces very fine Chinese noodles.(Substitute angel hair pasta if not available.)

Heat wok until smoky hot. Add oil, swirling around sides of wok. Add finely chopped shallot and cook, stirring vigorously, until shallots begin to caramelize.

Add liver slices. Sear to seal in juices. Add water or broth and bring to a slow boil. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add chopped watercress. Cook for 1 minute.

If using very fine Chinese noodles, add directly to pot, breaking apart with chopsticks. After one minute, remove from heat. The noodles will finish cooking during the serving.

If using angel hair pasta, parboil for one minute, then add to the soup.
Serves 4 - 6

 

Oyster Soup with Vermicelli

makes 4 servings

1 pound of oysters, shucked (you can substitute canned oysters if fresh are not available)
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
a few fresh basil leaves
¼ pound vermicelli, cooked (rice or wheat)

Sauce A: ½ tablespoon cooking wine or sherry, ¼ teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Sauce B: 2 tablespoons cooking wine or sherry, 4 cups stock or water, ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

Step 1: Wash the oysters by rubbing gently in several changes of salt water. Blanch in boiling water. Remove and drain . Marinate in sauce A and set aside.

Step 2: Heat water in a large enough pot to cook the vermicelli. While this water is coming to a boil, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a preheated wok. Stir-fry garlic for three minutes, then add soy sauce and sauce B. Boil until thick. Stir in oysters and fresh basil and remove from heat. Don’t forget to drain your vermicelli!

Step 3: Place the warm and drained vermicelli noodles in a bowl. Pour the oyster soup over the noodles.

Sesame Chicken Soup

In winter, the weather is cold. Soup can warm and fortify your body. Here is a Taiwanese recipe for soup.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken	6 slices ginger root	2 c. cooking wine or sherry
5 c. water	2 t. sugar	1 t. salt

Directions: 1. Remove any fat from the cavity of the chicken and cut the chicken into bit-size pieces. 2. Heat the wok and then add sesame oil. Stir-fry the ginger root until fragrant. 3. Add the pieces of chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute. 4. Add the cooking wine and bring to a boil. 5. Add (5 c. water, 2 t. sugar and 1 t. salt) and boil again, turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

In my culture, many families like this soup because it is very nutritious. Some pregnant women drink this soup to help restore their physical and mental energy. So, this soup is very popular in my country.

 

Stir-Fried Taiwanese Clams

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of clams
• 2 small, fresh, sweet red peppers
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of white wine
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons of peanut oil for cooking

Directions

• Clean the clams by scrubbing them under cool running water with a vegetable brush.
• Cut the red peppers into sections.
• Mix in separate bowl with basil, soy sauce, wine garlic and sesame oil.
• Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan.
• When the oil is hot, add the clams and the sauce and mix. Cover and simmer over a low heat until the clams open.

Serves four as an appetizer. Pour over rice or noodles to serve as a main course.

 

Chicken and Cucumber Cold Salad

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cucumbers
• 6 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 2 scallions, chopped

Directions

• Cook chicken in boiling water, cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Take out, let cool, and shred (or tear by hand).
• Peel cucumbers into strips, skin and all, and put the strips in a large bowl.
• Put chicken shreds on cucumber, mix the sauce and pour on top.
• Sprinkle scallions on top of salad.

Serves four as an appetizer.

Minced Shrimp in Lettuce

Ingredients

• 1 pound of prawns or other shrimp
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1/3 cup of chopped onions
• 1/3 cup of chopped white leeks
• 1/3 cup of peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 2 Yiou-Tias or "Chinese Donuts" (Long pieces of fried dough, found in Chinese specialty stores.)

Seasoning

• 4 chopped green onions (scallions)
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of chicken stock (or water)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil.
• A pinch of white pepper

Directions

• Clean and shell the prawns, pat dry.
• Cut into small pieces and marinate for 10 minutes in salt and cornstarch (mixed with 1/4 teaspoon water).
• Cut Yiou-Tias into 1-inch sections, fry in hot oil until crisp.
• Pat dry, flatten with a spatula or the side of a chopping knife, and tear or cut into small pieces.
• Fry prawns in hot oil, stirring until they change color.
• Fry onions.
• Add shrimp, then seasoning; mix until coated.
• Mix with Yiou-Tias.
• Wash the lettuce and tear the leaves off, keeping them whole.

Serve the shrimp wrapped in lettuce leaves. Serves four to six.

Note: If you cannot find Yiou-Tias or wish to leave them out, the shrimp alone is still delicious.

Kim's Shrimp Balls

"My mother slapped the minced shrimp across a chopping board with the side of the cleaver to make it form a paste. I would run to the kitchen when I heard that sound." I. Yang Lin

1 pound shrimp
4 water chestnuts finely minced
1 egg
4 scallions, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Shell and devein shrimp. Wash carefully, and dry on paper towels. Mince finely. Place half the minced shrimp at end of a large cutting board. Using flat side of a cleaver, draw shrimp across board to smooth into a paste. Repeat with second half of mixture. (If you are using a utensil other than a cleaver, repeat the action.)

Put shrimp in medium mixing bowl. Add water chestnuts and mix into a smooth paste. Make a well in the center. Put in egg and break up with a fork. Add minced scallions, ginger and salt. Stir to combine. Sprinkle in cornstarch and mix well.

Form shrimp into balls one rounded tablespoon at a time.

TO BOIL: Bring 2 quarts of water to the boil. Drop in shrimp balls one at a time. Remove when they float to the surface. Serve with hoisin sauce.

TO FRY: Heat 2 cups peanut oil in a 3 quart saucepan. Drop in shrimp balls, a few at a time. When they become golden and float to the surface, remove them to paper towels to drain. Garnish with scallions and grated lemon peel.

IN SOUP: Pre-cooked shrimp balls may be added to chicken soup with half a bunch of cleaned, chopped spinach or bok choy. Serves 4 - 6

Four Kinds of Vegetable

Ingredients

• 1 can of baby corn
• 14 pieces of Chinese green cabbage
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons of Chinese hot oil
• 12 black mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 8 plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Simmer baby corn and cabbage in soup stock for two minutes.
• Season with salt.
• Drain, preserving the stock.
• Stir-fry black mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of hot oil, season with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Cook for 1/2 minute.
• Mix cornstarch with 1/2 teaspoon of water, add to the mushrooms. Cook for another 1/2 minute.
• Simmer tomatoes in the soup stock for 2 minutes. Peel and cut into halves.
• Group each vegetable on a plate, forming a circle.

Serves five to six as an appetizer or side dish.

Steamed Chicken with Black Mushroonms

Ingredients

• 3 chicken legs
• 6 dried black mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of rice wine
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of water
• 2 teaspoons of minced green onions (scallions)

Directions

• Remove skin from chicken legs and cut them in half.
• Soak mushrooms in water until soft, discard stems and cut the tops in half.
• Mix chicken, mushrooms, cornstarch, and seasonings together in a large bowl.
• Marinate for 1/2 hour.
• Steam the ingredients over high heat for 20 minutes.
• Turn off heat.
• Sprinkle with green onions.

Serves three to four.

Sweet Soybean Milk

Soy beans play an important role in Asian cooking. The beans themselves are used, as well as flour made from dried beans, tofu made from soybean curd and soy sauce made from fermented beans. As an interesting comparison, you might have a can of soy-based infant formula for children to taste alongside this homemade preparation.

(Note: This will take a couple of days given the soaking time for the beans, so plan ahead. You also will need an electric blender and a cheesecloth bag or large piece of cheesecloth.)

Ingredients: 1 pound soybeans and 2 cups sugar

Step 1: Put the beans in a large pot and add water. The water should be three times the amount of soybeans by volume in the pot. (If the soybeans come up to 2 inches above the bottom of the pot, the water should be an additional 6 inches above that.) Soak the beans for 12 hours.

Step 2: Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Add 7 cups of fresh water to the beans. Blend this bean and water mixture in an electric blender in several batches until all the beans are finely ground.

Step 3: Place the beans and an additional 8 cups of water in a large cheesecloth bag. Squeeze out the liquid into a large saucepan and discard the bean sediment left in the bag.

Step 4: Heat the soybean liquid over medium heat. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. This will help remove the strong taste of the beans. Add 2 cups sugar to the milk and serve warm.