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

This is a simple stir-fry dish with a very colorful presentation. Yellow, orange and red bell peppers are plentiful in the spring time and full of vitamin C!

1 pound flank steak
1 small yellow onion
½ large yellow bell pepper
½ large orange bell pepper
½ large red bell pepper
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)

Marinade:
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:
Cut flank steak along the grain into 1-1/2 inch wide strips. Angle the knife away from you at a 45-degree angle against the grain and slice the beef into ¼ inch thick pieces. Peel and finely grate the ginger root. In a bowl, combine the beef with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Cut the onion into 1 inch squares. Wash, remove stems and seeds from yellow, orange and red bell peppers. Cut the three bell pepper halves into 1 inch squares.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown the onions for a few seconds. Add the marinated beef, cook and stir until medium rare for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers to beef. Stir-fry until the beef becomes slightly juicy and the bell peppers are tender yet still crunchy (approximately 2 more minutes). Serve hot.

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

In most Cantonese style Chinese restaurants you will see salt and pepper fish, shrimp or calamari offered on the menu. These dishes are all deep-fried. We use less oil at home to pan fry the seafood. It is just as tasty with half the calories!

1 pound boneless and skinless fillet of Cod white fish
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons all-propose flour
1 scallion, including the green top
1 fresh green jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick frying pan)

Preparation:
Rinse the fish fillet with cold water and pat-dry with paper towels. Cut the fish into 2-inch size pieces (each fish fillet piece is approx. ½ to 1 inch thick). Mix salt, sugar, black and white peppers together thoroughly in a small dish. Sprinkle half of the salt, sugar and pepper mixture onto the fish pieces evenly. In a large bowl, toss the partially seasoned fish pieces with 2 tablespoons of flour. Coat the fish well and set aside. Finely chop the green onion. Wash, remove the stem of the jalapeno pepper and thinly slice crosswise.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the flour coated fish pieces into the pan. Pan fry the fish for about 3 minutes until lightly golden brown. Carefully turn each piece of fish over and cover the pan with a lid to cook the other side for another 3 minutes. Add the chopped green onions and the thinly sliced jalapeno peppers to the pan. Sprinkle the remaining salt, sugar and pepper mixture evenly over the cooked fish. Gently stir and mix everything together. Try your best not to break the fish pieces. Cook for 30 seconds longer. Serve hot or warm.

Makes 2 to 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes

We all love chicken and mushrooms. This dish however is particulary tender and tasty! We enjoyed it over a recent family gathering and couldn’t get enough of it.

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 2 half breasts)
½ pound medium size fresh white mushrooms (about 14 to 15 pieces)
2 cloves garlic
1-½ tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Marinade:
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation:
Slice the 2 half chicken breasts lengthwise in half then crosswise cut into ¼ inch thin pieces. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Wash the mushrooms and trim the stems (not necessary to remove the stems). Slice the mushrooms into ¼ inch thin pieces. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic.

To Cook:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick wok or a large fry pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken into wok. Cook and stir for approximately 3 minutes until the chicken almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Add ½ tablespoon oil into wok. Brown the garlic for a few seconds. Add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper to wok. Cook and stir the mushrooms for about 1 to 2 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Add the cooked chicken back into the wok. Mix well with mushrooms. Add sesame oil, stir-fry for a few seconds longer. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 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

Cooking with garlic is always very popular in chinese cooking. This particular garlic sauce can also be prepared with chicken.

1 pound boneless lean pork (prefer pork loin)
2 large size fresh celery stalks (about 6 oz.)
1 can sliced water chestnuts (5 oz.) drained
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)

Marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice or cooking sherry wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar

Sauce:
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice or cooking sherry wine
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon red hot chili oil
½ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Slice pork against the grain into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into 1-½ inch long strips. In a bowl, combine the pork strips with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside.

Wash and trim the celery stalks. Cut the celery stalks crosswise into 2 inch long chunks and then lengthwise cut into thin strips.
Cut the sliced water chestnuts into thin strips. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add marinated pork strips. Stir-fry until the pork strips are almost cooked through for approximately 3 minutes. Add celery and water chestnuts strips. Stir-fry for 1 minute and then add the sauce mixture. Stir-fry for another minute until the celery is tender yet still crunchy. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

Chinese family style meals often include meats, seafood, eggs and vegetables. Stir-Fry Eggs with Tomatoes are a regular home cooked dish. When growing up in China, they were served for dinner once a week. These days, it’s a simple dish when your “scrambling” for dinner with only a few groceries on hand. Serve with steamed or boiled rice.

6 large eggs
6 Roman tomatoes (prefer the roman tomatoes, has less pulps)
2 scallions, including the green top
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly and set aside. Wash and slice the tomatoes lengthwise in half. Cut each half of the tomato crosswise twice into ½ inch chunks. Wash and trim the green onions, finely chop.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown the onions for a few seconds. Add the beaten eggs. Cook and stir until the eggs are almost firm for approximately 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry for about one minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and salt. Stir-fry for another minute and serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

What can I say…an American favorite!

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 2 half breasts)
½ pound fresh broccoli
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
¼ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil

Preparation:
Slice the 2 half chicken breasts lengthwise in half then crosswise cut into ¼ inch thin pieces. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Wash and cut broccoli into small florets. Peel tough outer membrane of the broccoli stems and slice into ¼ inch thin bite-size pieces.

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 marinated chicken into wok. Cook and stir for approximately 3 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl.

Add broccoli and ¼ cup of chicken broth into wok. Stir-fry until the broccoli is cooked but still crunchy for approximately 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken into wok, mix well with broccoli. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon sugar to wok. Stir-fry for another minute longer. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

Ingredients as common to an American household as chunky peanut butter can be used to create fantastic dishes with a unique Asian flavor.

1 pound beef round steaks
4 stalks romaine lettuce
¼ cup roasted salted peanuts
1 tablespoon Canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a frying pan)

Marinade:
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Sauce:
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons chunky peanut butter (We prefer Skippy brand)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon red hot chili oil

Preparation:
Slice beef against the grain into ¼ inch thick pieces. Cut pieces into 2 inch long strips. In a bowl, combine the beef strips with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Wash the romaine lettuce and cut crosswise into ½ inch strips. Place ¼ cup of peanuts into a small plastic bag and crush them with a heavy knife. Set aside. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. In a small bowl combine the sauce ingredients. Mix until it resembles a thick paste. Set aside.

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 marinated beef strips to wok. Stir-fry for approximately 2 to 3 minutes until the beef is medium rare. Add sauce, cook and stir for another minute. Serve hot on a bed of romaine lettuce strips and sprinkle with crushed peanuts on top.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Bok Choy is readily available in the vegetable section of most supermarkets. It’s a member of Chinese cabbage family. Often, Bok Choy can be very large. If that is the case, just cut in half lengthwise. The other half will keep fresh in the refrigerator for at least one week.

Stir-fry Bok Choy is very tasty and my family gives this recipe the thumbs up. As an alternative however, you can also blanch or steam the Boy Choy then drizzle with Oyster Sauce and serve.

1 pound fresh Bok Choy
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Preparation
Trim the ends and wash each stalk well. Lengthwise cut each stalk once or twice (depends on the size of the stalk), about ½ inch wide. Crosswise cut the stalks into 2 inch chunks. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel and finely grate ginger root

To Cook
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown garlic and ginger for a few seconds. Add Bok Choy. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Cook and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes until the green leaves are soft and the white parts are tender but still crunchy. Serve hot or warm.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 6 minutes
Cooking time: 3 to 4 minutes