A Silky Chicken...In a Soup

 

So much so, that this soup, if prepared in the traditional Chinese fashion, is actually cooked with the chicken head on. Natalie Keng, who wrote the new cookbook Egg Rolls and Sweet Tea, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about traditional Chinese foods, including the Whole Silky Black Chicken Soup. Natalie told Tonia it's something of a homage to the whole foods movement, since the chicken is pretty much intact when you make it. It's actually quite nutritious, with fewer calories and fat than more well known chicken soups. There's no question this is an exotic one, but there's also no doubt...it's the real deal when it comes to Chinese food.

• ▢40 g dried Chinese yam
• ▢20 g dried Codonopsis pilosula \
• ▢15 g dried goji berries 
• ▢10 g dried Astragalus propinquus \
• ▢10 g dried Polygonatum odoratum 
• ▢3 large slices ginger
• ▢13 cups water
• ▢2.5 pound whole black silkie chicken
• ▢salt (to taste)
  
  
• Add the dried ingredients, ginger, and water to a thick-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven. Lower the chicken into the pot, feet side down.
• Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Adjust the heat as necessary so the soup is simmering slowly. This slow cooking will give you a clear, consommé-like broth, and will prevent you from cooking off too much liquid. Skim any fat off the surface of the soup, and ladle the broth into bowls. Season the soup with salt to taste, right before enjoying.

Chinese Takeout, That You Make Yourself

   

Who doesn't love Chinese takeout? The flavors simply sing on your plate. But sometimes what they serve at your favorite restaurant isn't the healthiest of fare. But it doesn't have to be that way says Maggie Zhu, who wrote the new cookbook Chinese Homestyle. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how Chinese takeout, number one, doesn't have to be taken out, and two how it can be healthy and plant-based. Take her Black Portobello Mushrooms recipe. It's colorful, it's savory and, she told Tonia, it's meaty. Big, beefy stripes of the mushroom covered in a savory sauce. It's something you can serve as a side dish, or even a main!

YIELD 4 servings PREP 15 minutes COOK 10 minutes

·       12 to 16 ounces (340 to 454 g) portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed and caps cut in half and then sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick

·       2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce

·       2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

·       2 teaspoons cornstarch

·       2 teaspoons sugar

·       11/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

·       1/8 teaspoon salt

·       3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil), plus more if needed 1 teaspoon minced ginger

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1/2 white onion, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick

·       1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick

·       1 green bell pepper, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick

1.     In a small bowl, combine 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) of water with the oyster sauce, wine,

2.     light and dark soy sauces, cornstarch, sugar, black pepper, and salt for the sauce. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.

3.     In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, stir a few times to coat with oil, and then spread the mushrooms into an
even layer. Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms are lightly browned, then flip over and cook until both sides are browned and any liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the mushrooms to a large plate.

4.     The pan should still have a bit of oil in it. If not, drizzle in 1 teaspoon and turn the heat to medium. Add the ginger and garlic and cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the white onion and peppers and cook and stir for
20 seconds.

5.     Stir the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour it into the skillet. Immediately stir with a spatula and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, a few seconds. Add the mushrooms back into the pan and quickly stir a few times to coat everything with the sauce. Remove from the heat.

6.     Transfer the contents of the pan to a large serving plate and serve hot.

A Different Kind of Chinese Food

  

Who doesn't love Chinese takeout? The flavors simply sing on your plate. But sometimes what they serve at your favorite restaurant isn't the healthiest of fare. But it doesn't have to be that way says Maggie Zhu, who wrote the new cookbook Chinese Homestyle. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how Chinese takeout, number one, doesn't have to be taken out, and two how it can be healthy and plant-based. Take her Black Portobello Mushrooms recipe. It's colorful, it's savory and, she told Tonia, it's meaty. Big, beefy stripes of the mushroom covered in a savory sauce. It's something you can serve as a side dish, or even a main!

YIELD 4 servings PREP 15 minutes COOK 10 minutes

·       12 to 16 ounces (340 to 454 g) portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed and caps cut in half and then sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick

·       2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce

·       2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

·       2 teaspoons cornstarch

·       2 teaspoons sugar

·       11/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

·       1/8 teaspoon salt

·       3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil), plus more if needed 1 teaspoon minced ginger

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1/2 white onion, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick

·       1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick

·       1 green bell pepper, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick

1.     In a small bowl, combine 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) of water with the oyster sauce, wine,

2.     light and dark soy sauces, cornstarch, sugar, black pepper, and salt for the sauce. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.

3.     In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, stir a few times to coat with oil, and then spread the mushrooms into an
even layer. Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms are lightly browned, then flip over and cook until both sides are browned and any liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the mushrooms to a large plate.

4.     The pan should still have a bit of oil in it. If not, drizzle in 1 teaspoon and turn the heat to medium. Add the ginger and garlic and cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the white onion and peppers and cook and stir for
20 seconds.

5.     Stir the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour it into the skillet. Immediately stir with a spatula and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, a few seconds. Add the mushrooms back into the pan and quickly stir a few times to coat everything with the sauce. Remove from the heat.

6.     Transfer the contents of the pan to a large serving plate and serve hot.

Orange Chicken...No Chicken Pleas

  

Instead try a healthier version of this Chinese takeout classic. Maggie Zhu, who wrote the new cookbook Chinese Homestyle stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a delicious alternative, Orange Cauliflower. And what an alternative this is! Maggie told Tonia she takes the cauliflower and dips them in a light batter, and pan fries them. No deep frying here! That forms a crispy outer shell that has a terrific crunch. Maggie says she knows that cauliflower is not the first thing you think of when you're looking to fry up something, but it's worth it!

YIELD 4 servings PREP 15 minutes COOK 12 minutes

·       1 small head cauliflower (up to 2 pounds, or 907 g), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) florets

·       1/4 teaspoon table salt

·       1 tablespoon thinly sliced mandarin orange peel

·       1/4 cup (60 ml) mandarin orange juice

·       3 tablespoons rice vinegar

·       1 tablespoon light soy sauce

·       1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

·       2 tablespoons sugar

·       1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup (65 g) cornstarch, divided

·       1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

·       2 tablespoons almond milk (or other plant-based milk; see Note) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·       1/3 cup (80 ml) peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

·       3 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated

·       3 cloves garlic, minced

1.     Place the cauliflower in a large bowl and sprinkle with the table salt. Gently mix a few times. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

2.     In a medium bowl, combine the orange peel, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, wine, sugar, 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, and fine sea salt for the sauce. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.

3.     Right before cooking, use paper towels to dry off any excess moisture from the cauliflower. Add the almond milk and vegetable oil to the cauliflower and mix a few times. Add the remaining 1⁄2 cup (65 g) cornstarch and stir gently until all the cauliflower is coated with a thin layer of starch.

4.     In a large skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the cauliflower pieces, one at a time, without overlapping; you may need to cook in two batches. Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms turn golden, 2 minutes or so. Flip over and cook the other sides until golden, reducing the heat to medium or medium-low if the oil starts to splatter. Transfer the cauliflower to a large plate and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp up the crust.

5.     There should be 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil left in the pan; if there is more, wipe off the excess oil with a few layers of paper towels. Turn the heat to medium and add the white parts of the scallions and the garlic to the pan, stirring a few times until fragrant. Stir the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour it into the pan. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens. Add the cauliflower back into the pan and stir to coat with the sauce.

6.     Transfer the contents of the pan to a large plate, top with the green parts of the scallions, and serve hot.

N O T E : You can substitute the almond milk with a different plant-based milk, but I suggest staying away from more watery types, such as natural oat milk.

Do It Yourself Chinese Takeout

   

It's the classic Chinese Food Starch Staple, Fried Rice. Who doesn't love it? But you may not love the calories or MSG that sometimes come as a side to this delicious dish.  Enter Erica Schlick, she's the author of the new healthy food cookbook The Wandering Palette. Erica stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her version of fried rice, and what it doesn't and does not include. Erica told Tonia it starts with Pineapple. It's one of Erica's most favorite recipes and one she practically lived on while in Thailand. Erica says she really likes to keep everything fresh and simple to make, but there's a nutritious side of things here too, Erica says you might want to consider Cauliflower as the "rice" part of things.  Try it out and see!

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb. boneless chicken tenders, cut into small bite-sized cubes
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into small cubes
3 cups cauliflower rice
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon low sodium tamari or coconut aminos
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons unsalted cashews or peanuts
sesame seeds, for garnish
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely sliced chives

DIRECTIONS

1.    Heat a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and garlic, and cook, while stirring, until the garlic turns slightly brown and the aroma of the garlic comes out.  

2.     Add in the chicken and cook until just done. If needed, add some water if the skillet gets too dry. Add in the carrots and cook until they are halfway done. Add in the cauliflower rice and cook until the rice and carrots are tender-crisp. Stir in the pineapple and green peas. 

3.     Whisk the coconut milk with the fish sauce, tamari, sesame oil, onion powder, ground ginger and ground turmeric until smooth. Pour evenly over the cauliflower mixture.  

4.     Scramble the eggs in a small frying pan, stirring frequently to keep them curd-like. Once eggs are just cooked, mix them with the cauliflower mixture.

  5. Garnish the rice with the cashews or peanuts, sesame seeds, cilantro and chives. Serve in a bowl or in the traditional hollowed pineapple.

NOTE:  Pineapple fried rice is a savory and fruity combination, and is excellent served on its own or along with other Asian-inspired dishes. Cauliflower rice is a surprising low-carb replacement to regular rice, and makes this dish ideal for gluten-free and paleo diets.

Orange Chicken...Hold The Chicken

 

Instead try a healthier version of this Chinese takeout classic. Maggie Zhu, who wrote the new cookbook Chinese Homestyle stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a delicious alternative, Orange Cauliflower. And what an alternative this is! Maggie told Tonia she takes the cauliflower and dips them in a light batter, and pan fries them. No deep frying here! That forms a crispy outer shell that has a terrific crunch. Maggie says she knows that cauliflower is not the first thing you think of when you're looking to fry up something, but it's worth it!

YIELD 4 servings PREP 15 minutes COOK 12 minutes

·       1 small head cauliflower (up to 2 pounds, or 907 g), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) florets

·       1/4 teaspoon table salt

·       1 tablespoon thinly sliced mandarin orange peel

·       1/4 cup (60 ml) mandarin orange juice

·       3 tablespoons rice vinegar

·       1 tablespoon light soy sauce

·       1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

·       2 tablespoons sugar

·       1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup (65 g) cornstarch, divided

·       1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

·       2 tablespoons almond milk (or other plant-based milk; see Note) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·       1/3 cup (80 ml) peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

·       3 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated

·       3 cloves garlic, minced

1.     Place the cauliflower in a large bowl and sprinkle with the table salt. Gently mix a few times. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

2.     In a medium bowl, combine the orange peel, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, wine, sugar, 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, and fine sea salt for the sauce. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.

3.     Right before cooking, use paper towels to dry off any excess moisture from the cauliflower. Add the almond milk and vegetable oil to the cauliflower and mix a few times. Add the remaining 1⁄2 cup (65 g) cornstarch and stir gently until all the cauliflower is coated with a thin layer of starch.

4.     In a large skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the cauliflower pieces, one at a time, without overlapping; you may need to cook in two batches. Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms turn golden, 2 minutes or so. Flip over and cook the other sides until golden, reducing the heat to medium or medium-low if the oil starts to splatter. Transfer the cauliflower to a large plate and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp up the crust.

5.     There should be 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil left in the pan; if there is more, wipe off the excess oil with a few layers of paper towels. Turn the heat to medium and add the white parts of the scallions and the garlic to the pan, stirring a few times until fragrant. Stir the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour it into the pan. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens. Add the cauliflower back into the pan and stir to coat with the sauce.

6.     Transfer the contents of the pan to a large plate, top with the green parts of the scallions, and serve hot.

N O T E : You can substitute the almond milk with a different plant-based milk, but I suggest staying away from more watery types, such as natural oat milk.