Crispy Hong Kong style noodles served in restaurants are deep fried. With a small amount of oil and a non-stick frying pan however, we can get the same crunch and a healthier version of the traditional recipe. We used chicken and shrimp with vegetables to make this tasty dish. You can also substitute with other meats, seafood and vegetables of your choice. The key is to make plenty of sauce to enhance the flavor of the noodles!

Noodles:
Half package Angel Hair pasta (8 oz.)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick fry pan)

Topping:
1 half boneless and skinless chicken breast (6 oz.)
1/2 pound medium size raw shrimp (6 oz. after peeled and deveined)
4 large size fresh white mushrooms (6 oz.)
2 large stalks of Bok Choy cabbage (6 oz.)
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable (for cooking in a non-stick wok)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Marinade:
For chicken: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon sugar
For shrimp: 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Slice chicken breast in half lengthwise then slice crosswise into ¼ inch thin pieces. In a small bowl, combine chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Peel, devein and rinse the shrimp. In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and salt to shrimp and mix well. Set aside. Wash and trim the mushrooms. Slice each mushroom in half then cut into ¼ inch thin pieces. Wash and trim the Bok Choy cabbage. Slice the cabbage lengthwise in half then cut into ½ inch thick pieces. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water.

To Cook:
In a medium size pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Break the Angel Hair noodles in half and place into the boiling water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked noodles through a colander and rinse with cold water.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the cooked noodles to pan and spread them around evenly. Pan fry the noodles uncovered for 5 minutes. Flip the noodles and pan fry the other side for another 5 minutes. The noodles will be light brown and crisp on both sides. Remove the pan from the heat and keep the crispy noodles warm in the pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add chicken pieces to wok. Cook and stir for 1 minute then add shrimp to wok. Cook and stir for another minute. Add mushrooms and bok choy to wok. Continue to stir-fry everything together for 1 more minute. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and chicken broth to wok. Stir fry for one minute. Stir the dissolved cornstarch again and add to food in the center of the wok. Cook and stir until the sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off heat. Place the crispy noodles onto a large serving plate. Pour the topping with sauce evenly over the noodles. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Boil the noodles time: 4 minutes
Pan frying the noodles time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

Last week we welcomed our newest addition, Chase Evan Fluhr to the All-American Chinese family! Life has been busy but Grandma Lucy has been here helping with the kids and cooking! She prepared one of our all time favorite dim sum dishes, steamed open faced dumplings otherwise known as Shao Mai. Shao Mai are typically served in Cantonese style Chinese restaurants, but are also easy enough to prepare at home and wow a crowd.

½ package wonton wrappers (Found in the produce section of most supermarkets)
4 to 6 cups water (Depending on the size of the steamer pot)
Cabbage or lettuce leaves for steaming

Preparation for the Filling:
½ pound lean ground pork
½ pound medium size raw shrimp, peeled, deveined
4 medium size shiitake dried black mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes or longer until soft
½ can sliced water chestnuts (2.5 oz. drained)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil

Chop the shrimp into very small pieces with a heavy knife. Drain the mushroom water, remove the stems if any and finely chop. Finely chop the water chestnuts. In a bowl, combine the ground pork with chopped shrimp, mushrooms, water chestnuts, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine, salt, sugar and sesame oil. Mix together thoroughly.

To Assemble:
Using kitchen shears, trim the four corners of a few wrappers at a time into 3 ¼ inch rounds. Place a round wonton wrapper onto the palm of your hand. Place 1 full tablespoon of filling in center of wrapper. With your other hand, gather the sides of the dough around the filling, letting the dough pleat naturally. Squeeze the middle gently to make sure the dough fits firmly against the filling and tap the dumpling’s bottom to flatten so it can stand upright.

To Cook:
When all the Shao Mai are made, place them on the rack in the steamer (for the best results, place green lettuce leaves or cabbage leaves on the rack as a bed for the Shao Mai. It makes for easy removal of the Shao Mai from the rack when done). Be sure to leave ½ to 1 inch spaces in between each Shao Mai. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, cover the steamer and steam the Shao Mai for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm.

If the pot is not big enough to steam all at once, you can steam half of the Shao Mai at a time.

Sauce for Dipping:
In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons white vinegar and 1 teaspoon red hot chili oil together for dipping the Shao Mai.

Makes 26 Shao Mai
Preparation time: 30 to 40 minutes (depends how fast you can assembling the Shao Mai)
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Tip: You can make the Shao Mai ahead of time and freeze. Steam for an extra 2 to 3 minutes more when steaming the frozen Shao Mai.

A very tasty tofu dish. Be sure to spoon plenty of the sauce over tofu before eating!

1 package firm tofu (16 oz.)
½ pound small or medium size raw shrimp
1 scallion, including the green top
1 tablespoon rice or cooking sherry wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)

Sauce:
½ can chicken broth (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water

Preparation:
Rinse the tofu block with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tofu in half lengthwise. Then cut the tofu crosswise into 20 (¼ inch thick) pieces. Peel, de-vein and rinse the shrimp. Cut the shrimp into very small pieces. Wash and trim the green onion, finely chop. Save 1 tablespoon of green onions for garnish. In a small bowl, combine the shrimp, onions, wine, cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Mix the ingredients together thoroughly. Carefully place 1 full tablespoon of the shrimp mixture between two pieces of tofu. Makes 10 tofu sandwiches. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup water and set aside.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick 10″ frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, place the 10 pieces of stuffed tofu into pan. Pan-fry one side of the stuffed tofu for approximately 5 minutes until lightly golden brown. Carefully turn each stuffed tofu sandwich over, cover the pan with a lid and pan-fry for another 5 minutes. Remove the cooked tofu and place onto a serving plate.

In a small pot, heat the chicken broth with oyster sauce, sesame oil and sugar over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir the dissolved cornstarch again and add to pot. Constantly stir and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes clear. Pour sauce evenly over the stuffed tofu. Sprinkle with remaining chopped green onions for garnish. Serve hot.

Makes 10 stuffed tofu
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes

* Oyster sauce by the bottle is sold in the Asian section of the most supermarkets. After opening, it can stored for several months in the refrigerator.

If you enjoy shrimp and pears, you’ll enjoy the combination of ingredients in this recipe. It makes for a wonderful main dish for lunch or an appetizer for dinner. For added formality to your presentation, serve the salad individually on a bed of green lettuce.

1 pound medium size raw shrimp (31 to 40 counts per pound)
2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil the shrimp
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon red hot chili oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 scallion, including the green top
1 oz. fresh cilantro (about ¼ cup after chopped)
3 firm but ripe Bartlett Pears (about 7 oz, each)
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

Preparation and Cooking:
Peel and devein shrimp. Rinse with cold water. In a medium size pot bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a full boil. Add shrimp, cook and stir until shrimp turns pink and firm for about 2 minutes. Careful not over cook them. Remove shrimp from heat and immediately rinse with cold water for a few seconds. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut each shrimp in half.

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon red chili oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Wash and trim the green onion and cilantro. Finely chop both. Wash and core the pears. Do not peel the skins. Cut pears into 1 inch cubes.

Add the chopped green onions, cilantro, ketchup and mayonnaise to the shrimp first. Mix together thoroughly then add the pear cubes. Gently stir to coat the pears. Serve chilled.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes

A delightful dish for shellfish lovers.

½ pound medium size raw shrimp (31 to 40 per pound)
½ pound large scallops (1.5 inches in diameter)
1 medium size green bell pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)

Sauce:
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 tablespoons rice wine or cooking sherry wine
1 teaspoon white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:
Peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rinse scallops with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each scallop in half.  Wash, discard stem and seeds from green pepper and cut into 1-inch squares. Peel and finely grate the fresh ginger root.

In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together thoroughly and set aside. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix together. Place the shrimp and scallops in the flour and salt mixture. Lightly toss and coat the shrimp and scallops with the flour and salt.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and scallops to wok. Stir-fry until both sides of the shrimp are pink and the scallops are almost cooked through, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add green peppers to wok. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture to wok and mix well. Stir-fry for 30 seconds longer. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 to 6 minutes