How to Eat Chinese Food Without Feeling Guilty

How many times have you ordered Chinese food since the kick off of the Summer Olympics in Beijing? I’m guilty or indulging in more than my share over the last 16 days. It’s hard not to, after all, Chinese dishes are among the most popular in the world and with all eyes on China for the last two weeks it’s no surprise that requests for regional recipes are at an all time high. Unfortunately, not all Chinese food is prepared the same and the cuisine sometimes gets a bad rap for offering unhealthy choices–many of which are loaded with sodium. … Continue reading →

Hot and Spicy Singapore Rice Noodles with Shrimp

In keeping in the Olympic spirit I have been sharing recipes for some popular Chinese dishes. The local Chinese restaurant in my (very small) town came up with the clever idea of passing out recipes to patrons who dine at their eatery during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Last week my friends took me out for Chinese food to celebrate my birthday and we left the restaurant with a folder full of recipes. Some of them were for familiar dishes and others were for ones that we had never sampled until that night, such as the one below. According to … Continue reading →

Making an Edible Bird’s Nest

Much has been made of the most recognizable Olympic venue in Beijing, China. The eye-catching National Stadium, or “Bird’s Nest” was home to the memorable opening ceremony and it is currently housing the track and field events along with men’s soccer. In addition, this Sunday the Bird’s Nest will host the 2008 Olympic closing ceremonies. According to the building’s designer, the hollowed complex allows in maximum sunshine in an effort to make spectators feel like they are in a forest. The designer also noted that the bowl shape was designed specifically to help the audience focus on the bottom center … Continue reading →

Mother’s Day Potluck: Chinese Shrimp and Noodle Salad

This is year my beloved grandmother will be spending Mother’s Day in a nursing home. It will be her first Mother’s Day since her horrific stroke and I wish more than anything we could be with her to celebrate. If I were there I wouldn’t hesitate to whip her up some of her favorite dishes. (Unfortunately, we are 5,000 miles away and we’ll have to settle with sending her some photo gifts in the mail.) However, my parents and brothers (along with my sister-in-law) have assured me that they will be hosting a little potluck in honor of my grandma … Continue reading →

Valorie’s Leftover Pork Noodle Bowl

With five kids, there are a few things that I must keep on hand at all times. Graham crackers, macaroni and cheese, sugar free popsicles, chicken nuggets and Ramen noodles. This is a story (and recipe) about how Ramen noodles saved the day, and a lesson on how not to prepare dinner. It was 5:15 and we eat at six o’clock. There was blissful silence. The twins hadn’t woken up yet, and something utterly engrossing was on the television–I have no idea what because I was too wrapped up in the silence. In any case, when I realized the time … Continue reading →

Two Asian Inspired Chicken Dishes You Have to Try

All of the sudden, my son has decided he loves Chinese. However, buying Chinese food from the local take out gives me the heebie jeebies. I personally would rather know exactly what goes into my food. So here is a sampling of our latest successful experiments in the new Chinese cooking venture. Spicy Basil Chicken You will need: 2 tablespoons chili oil 2 cloves garlic a dash of hot sauce (substitute hot chili peppers if you like it spicier) 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into bite-size pieces 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar 1 teaspoon garlic salt … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Chinese New Year Dishes

Mark your calendars–this year Chinese New Year begins on February 7th. Which means you have exactly one week to finalize your party menu… or make dinner reservations at your favorite Chinese restaurant. Actually, the point of this blog is to encourage the former instead of the latter, more convenient option. I grew up in Hawaii where Chinese New Year is celebrated with huge block parties featuring massive buffet tables lined with the most delicious homemade Chinese delicacies. Growing up my favorite Chinese New Year treat was Soy Zing Dan Gow, a steamed Chinese sponge cake that is specifically made for … Continue reading →

Vegetarian Peanut Butter Noodles

I have recently been looking for more vegetarian dishes to add to our weekly repertoire of tasty things to eat. Frankly, meat is just getting expensive so cutting it out a couple of times a week will make my wallet happier. I also figured that adding more vegetables to our diet could never hurt. When I first tried this dish, I really did so under threat of rebellion. (The moral of that story is never let the kids who can read look at your magazines.) One of my children saw the peanut butter noodle headliner and thought that adding peanut … Continue reading →

Szechuan Chicken & Veggies

This [easy] recipe that I have for Szechuan Chicken & Veggies is so special to me since one of my wonderful neighbors gave it to me. My neighbor happened to mention how different yet delicious her new recipe was to make for her guests, so I asked her to let me try out the recipe. I am so glad I asked her for this Asian recipe because my family and I absolutely love it, and now I cook it probably once a month. Now I don’t know what you normally cook, but besides this recipe, I don’t normally cook Asian … Continue reading →

Herbed Sweet ‘n’ Sour Chicken with Sesame Broccoli Salad

Here is a delicious recipe for sweet ‘n’ sour chicken with sesame broccoli salad on the side. Herbed Sweet ‘n’ Sour Chicken For this recipe, you will need uncooked long-grain white rice, olive oil, honey, soy sauce, distilled white vinegar, dried thyme, ground paprika, ground cayenne pepper, ground allspice, ground black pepper, and 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix 2/3 cups of the long-grain white rice and 1 1/3 cups of water in a medium pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Let the rice simmer for … Continue reading →