asian food Archives - The Midnight Baker

Authentic Lo Mein

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 23:00:47 +0000

Don’t bother with take-out when this authentic lo mein is even better than the restaurant.

Authentic Lo Mein

There’s nothing I like better than a nice hearty lo mein. In fact, it’s my go-to dish when I go to a Cantonese restaurant.

You can duplicate the restaurant or take-out place right at home. This recipe is pretty basic and it’s pretty much the standard for most restaurants. There are slight variations, for instance when I lived in New York City, carrots never formed a part of this dish. At least at my favorite place. Carrots are used in it and it’s still authentic. Since I like carrot, I add it. But you can go beyond the basic if you wish and add veggies you think would go well.

Chinese BBQ Pork

This recipe uses pork, specifically Chinese-style roast/BBQ pork. The recipe for that is included in the card below.

However, if you happen to have any leftover roast pork, that will work just as well and eliminate that step. Likewise, instead of pork, chicken (leftover or breast you cook in the dish) will work too as well as shrimp. Leave out any meat or seafood and it’s vegetarian. This lo mein is quite versatile when you think about it.

And if you make the pork in this recipe, any leftovers can be combined with broccoli and a stir fry sauce to make up some pork and broccoli or Chinese vegetables.

Dark Soy Sauce

The stuff that’s available on your grocery shelf such as a house brand is actually light soy sauce–and that doesn’t mean lower sodium. It’s just a distinction made in Asian condiments.

This recipe calls for that variety plus the dark variety. Dark soy sauce is not as liquidy as the typical kind. It’s a bit thick and slightly sweet. It adds a great depth of flavor.

You may be able to find this in a larger supermarket if you live in a major metropolitan area. Of course it is also available in Chinese and Asian markets. I got my dark soy sauce (affiliate link) from Amazon. It may seem a bit pricy, but it lasts for ages.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Authentic Cantonese Lo Mein

Just like the restaurant!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 10

Marinate2

Total Time3 40

Course: Main, Main Course, Main/Side

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: chinese roat pork, restaurant style lo mein, take-out pork lo mein

Servings: 2

Calories: 1083kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 oz Chinese roast pork
8 oz Chinese lo mein noodles uncooked
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced bok choy
2 tbs julienne carrots
1 clove garlic crushed
3 tbs oil
2 scallions sliced for garnish.

Sauce:

2 tbs dark soy sauce
2 tbs regular soy sauce
1 tbs Chinese wine or dry sherry
4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp creamy peanut butter
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp white pepper

Chinese Roast Pork:

2 lbs boneless pork loin

Marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Chinese wine or dry sherry
2 tbs hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp red food coloring Optional
pinch Chinese five-spice powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make roast pork: mix all marinade ingredients. Poke a few holes in the pork with a fork. Place the pork in a zipper freezer bag and pour in marinade. Squish the bag a bit to coat the roast. Place in the refrigerator and marinate at least 2 hours but overnight is better.
Spray a small pan with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 375F/190C. Roast meat for 1 hour or until internal temperature is 145F/63C. Let rest for 10 minutes then slice 4 oz/113 g of the roast into strips about 1/4-inch/0.64 cm wide. Set aside.
To make lo mein: Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Cook Chinese lo mein noodles per package directions. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it just begins to get golden; remove and discard. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to sear. Add the bok choy and carrots; stir fry for 1 minute.
Add the cooked noodles and the sauce. Toss until the noodles are well coated with sauce. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the cornstarch cooks.
Garnish with sliced scallions.

Nutrition

The post Authentic Lo Mein appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Beef and Bok Choy

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 23:00:21 +0000

Yummy marinated flank steak and crisp bok choy makes a quick stir fry dinner without heating the kitchen.

Flank Steak For Quick Stir Fry

I’m a big lover of flank steak. In fact, I stock up on it for summertime BBQs. It’s tender when marinated and sliced correctly. It practically melts in your mouth.

However, I had so much flank steak left over in the freezer from last summer, I had to start thinking out of the box on how to use it up. Since it works so well with marination, I figured it would be perfect to use in a quick stir fry dinner.

Marinate For Great Flavor

While many meats, including beef, don’t really require being marinated to use in a stir fry, it’s recommended you do so for this recipe.

The marinade here is basically the one I use for a whole steak when I grill it. You could even use a store-bought Asian-style marinade if you wish. They are all quite good.

With flank steak it is especially important to make sure you slice the meat correctly. Always slice the meat thinly and across the grain. Otherwise the meat will be tough. That applies whether you grill a whole steak or slice it for a stir fry.

Veggie Add-Ins

Bok choy is the main vegetable element in this stir fry dinner. However, you can add in any additional crispy veggies that you have on hand and feel would “go” with the general taste. I used up some red bell pepper that would have otherwise gone bad.

Another great thing about using additional vegetables is that it extends the number of people you can feed with this dish. In stir fries, meat is actually a condiment instead of the main focal point, so using a larger amount of veggies is actually more authentically Asian.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Beef & Bok Choy

An easy peasy stir fry

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Marinate8

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: quick dinners to make in summer, using beef in stir fries, using flank steak

Servings: 6

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb flank steak cut in thin strips
3 ribs bok choy cut in 1/2-inch slices
1/2 red bell pepper cut in thin strips
2 green onions chopped for garnish
2 tbs oil

Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup water
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs cornstarch

Marinade:

2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry
I clove garlic
1 tbs honey
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 drops sesa

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add the steak strips, toss to coat. Place in a plastic zipper bag and refrigerate overnight.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Drain marinade from the steak. Discard marinade. Add the steak to the hot skillet and stir fry until it’s cooked and starting to brown.
Add the bok choy and bell pepper and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your veggies.
Stir the sauce so that the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the meat/veggie combo and stir until thickened. Cook for one additional minute so the cornstarch cooks through.
Serve immediately with rice.

Nutrition

The post Beef and Bok Choy appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Black Bean Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 23:00:20 +0000

Black bean sauce is a common condiment in Asian food. It’s so good you can use it as a dip.

Common Asian Condiment

Black bean sauce is a pretty common Asian ingredient. However, it’s not readily available in a lot of stores–mine in particular. I could find mostly everything else but that.

So I went searching on how to make my own for a recipe I’d found. I came up with many, but I wanted to use either what I had on hand or things that were easy to come by. I can say that I didn’t find a recipe that filled what I needed 100 per cent, so I combined parts of recipes that did. I came up with this and have to say that it’s magnificent.

Looking For Protein?

Right now, we’re all looking to work with what we have in our pantries. However, we still want to eat a decent meal that’s not only satisfying but nutritious.

This black bean sauce is perfect if you use it as part of a meal and not just as a condiment.

If you’re pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as provisions are concerned, this is perfect mixed with rice. Not only is it delicious, but it’s good for you and filling. It’s also pretty cheap so if you have to watch your budget more closely now, it’s perfect.

Substitute

Since many people enjoy Mexican food, having a can of black beans in the cupboard is pretty much certain. But what to do if you don’t have those?

I’m sure any beans would suffice here. I haven’t tried this myself, but I don’t see how it wouldn’t work. At this time, you use what you have and the flavorings in this sauce would go with practically any variety of beans.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Black Bean Sauce

Make your own—it tastes better

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Course: Appetizer, condiments, Main, Sauce

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: black bean sauce recipe, canned bean recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 101kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

15 oz can black beans undrained
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated peeled gingerroot
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove minced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.

Nutrition

The post Black Bean Sauce appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Cantonese Style Ribs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 23:00:17 +0000

I just love these Chinese Cantonese stye ribs! They’re also known as “sticky ribs” and are very easy to prepare

Chinese Ribs Cantonese Style

One thing I always order in a Chinese restaurant is the ribs. They’re a real treat.

And since I love ribs of any flavor or country of origin, I make them. A lot.

Granted, they taste better when you get them from the restaurant, however, that may be psychological. My mother always said food tastes better if someone else makes it so…

Anyway, I’ve made yet another version of Chinese ribs. These are really easy too and made with ingredients you probably already have on your shelf.

Oven Roasted Yet Quick

Most of my rib recipes are done very quickly using my Instant Pot.

These ribs roast in the oven. The reason is that the sauce bakes right into them so a quicker method is not the best way to cook them. However, these cook pretty quickly–only about 60 minutes or so.

Oven roasting makes these Cantonese style ribs a year-round treat. But if you want to do them on the outside grill, make sure to use the indirect heat method. This means you cook on the unlit side of the grill. To quickly summarize that, you preheat the grill turning on all the burners. When the interior temperature reaches the desire temperature, you turn off all burners except one. I usually keep the burner on the far left lit and cook on the right side of the grill.

Preparing The Ribs

With any rib recipe, one thing that should definitely be done is removing the silverskin (membrane) from the bone side of the ribs.

If left intact, the membrane will shrink and curl the ribs. This will make them more difficult to cut and slightly unpleasant to eat as well. The membrane also dries giving it a papery texture. Of course you don’t have to remove it, but it’s better if you do.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Canotnese Style Ribs

Easy to make pork ribs in under one hour

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: baby back ribs, chinese ribs, pork ribs, rib recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 593kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 lb pork baby back ribs

Sauce:

1 tbs ginger fresh grated
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tbs honey
8 tbs hoisin sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp dark sesame oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Line a large baking pan with foil or parchment.
In a large bowl, mix the sauce ingredients.
Cut the ribs into individual ribs, then place in the bowl and toss until ribs are well coated on all sides.
Roast for 45-50 minutes until ribs are nicely brown and sauce is sticky.

Nutrition

*Post contains affiliate links

The post Cantonese Style Ribs appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Korean Style Beef Tips

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 00:00:10 +0000

Delicious beef tips with a Korean flair! Surprise the family with some of these.

A Change Of Pace

These beef tips will make a pleasant change of pace for a family meal–and well within your budget too.

As with any Asian-style meal, meat is generally a condiment so smaller amounts will feed the family. You are able then to use more expensive cuts and it won’t break the bank.

Beef tips run around $9 per pound, but when that pound is capable of feeding six people it’s really a bargain. This recipe calls for beef tips. However, flank steak may be substituted. You can always freeze smaller portions if you buy a larger steak. Then you can use it in other yummy family-friendly recipes such as fajitas!

Fruity With A Touch Of Sweetness

First I have to say I’m not sure how authentically Korean this is. However, I can say it tastes very good. I’m no expert on Korean food as I’ve eaten very little of it.

The marinade has a lovely flavor thanks to the apple, onion and brown sugar. The unusual part–at least to me–was you also marinate thinly sliced onions which are part of the main dish.

I chose to marinate overnight for the most intense flavor, but 30 minutes will do you if you’re pressed for time. If you’re lucky enough to have a FoodSaver, they sell a vacuum marinator that does in one hour what usually takes eight. I have one and it’s fantastic–if I can only remember where I put it!!!!

You have to make the marinated meat and onions as dry as you can. While I can’t say this was a fun process, I see why it was necessary. You want to sear those ingredients and since they’re wet to begin with and the marinade is liquid, there’s lots to sop up. I recommend getting a roll of very cheap paper towels for this task. Cheap towels are good to have on hand anyway.

High Heat A Must

You’ll want to cook this so fast that it will sear. To do that, you need medium-high to high heat.

I cooked this in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and it came out perfectly. I suggest you use cast iron if you have it or something relatively heavy and not non-stick (unless it’s ceramic based) as Teflon cannot be used at high temperatures.

You might want to serve this over brown rice if you’re looking to pack some good nutrition in this meal–especially for children. I used jasmine rice, but plain old white rice is fine too.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Korean Style Beef Tips

Delicious beef tips with a Korean flair! Surprise the family with some of these.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Main

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian beef recipe, beef tips, Korean beef recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 397kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb beef tips flap meat -OR- flank steak
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 small onion thinly sliced
2 green onions sliced
1 tbs sesame seed

Marinade

1 small onion coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium apple peeled and chopped coarsely
3 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs dark sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp pepper

Instructions

Slice meat thinly; place in a bowl and set aside.
Put all marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until completely liquified. Pour over meat and add the thinly sliced onions. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
Pat meat and onions dry. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the meat and onions and cook until nicely seared on all sides.
Top with sesame seed and sliced green onion. Serve with rice.

Nutrition

*Post contains affiliate links

The post Korean Style Beef Tips appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Sweet And Sour Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 00:00:17 +0000

No need to do take-out or go to the restaurant when you can make this authentic sweet and sour chicken at home!

Popular Restaurant Dish

Sweet and sour chicken has got to be one of the best-selling items on any Chinese restaurant’s menu. It’s a perennial favorite.

There are many recipes online that you can find to make it at home. Some are good and some are not so good.

This recipe is about as authentic as you can get. Because it’s authentic, there’s a little fuss and prep work involved. Most Asian dishes have a bit of prep involved so this shouldn’t shock anyone who has made these recipes before. This is not one of those quickie meals where you’re done and dusted in less than 30 minutes. I’m generally a fuss-free one-pot gal but making this sweet and sour chicken every so often–because it’s not an everyday thing–is well worth it to me.

Yeah It’s Not Diet

I’ve seen “healthed up” recipes for this and they just don’t cut it. I’m not saying that they don’t taste good (a lot DON’T) but they are not authentic and if you want to bypass the restaurant and make this at home, please bypass these quickie “healthy” versions.

The chicken must be battered and deep fried. You don’t need a deep fryer to do it. Any old large and heavy skillet, such as a cast iron skillet, can be used. You don’t need gobs of oil either. You need to have the oil level about 1/2-inch up the side of the pan. Unless you are using a very large pan, over 12-inches diameter, you’ll probably use 1-1 1/2 cups of oil.

Nope, you can’t do this in an air fryer because it will not have the taste nor the texture. Plus because the batter is so gloppy, it will really mess up your air fryer; not to mention it will be for naught because it won’t even taste good.

Sauce And Veggies

The sauce is made right before you fry the chicken and it’s put on just before you serve it. If you’ve noticed in the restaurant that the sauce is tinted, it is. This is one step you can eliminate if you don’t have food coloring on hand. Omitting it will not alter the taste, but it will alter the appearance. For the family, this is probably not an issue. However, if you are making this for guests, I’d tint it for presentation purposes.

I chose to use a variety of colors for the bell peppers. That’s not necessary, but it looks so nice. You really only need the green or red ones (or a combination if you have them on hand) and about two very large peppers is the proper amount. They are not cooked either and that adds a wonderful crisp and cool crunch that really makes this dish work!

Watch The Video

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Sweet And Sour Chicken

No need to do take-out or go to the restaurant when you can make this authentic sweet and sour chicken at home!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Main

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian chicken recipe, sweet and sour chicken

Servings: 5

Calories: 614kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

20 oz canned pineapple chunks pineapple chunks, drained (reserve the juice)
16 oz boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch chunks
oil for frying
2 large bell peppers cut into 1-inch chunks

Sauce

1 1/2 cups water
reserved pineapple juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar white vinegar is OK too
orange food coloring 1 drop red, 3-4 drops yellow OPTIONAL
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch

Batter

2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbs oil
1 egg
2 tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the sauce: In a saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 cups
water, sugar, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, and food coloring. Heat to boiling. Turn off heat. Combine 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; slowly stir into saucepan. Continue stirring until mixture thickens.
For the batter: Combine flour, oil, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and egg. Add the water gradually to make a thick batter. Stir to blend thoroughly.
Add chicken pieces to the batter, and stir until chicken is well coated.
Heat oil in skillet or wok to 360 degrees F. Fry chicken pieces about 5 minutes each side, or until golden. Remove chicken, and drain on paper towels.
When ready to serve, layer green peppers, pineapple chunks, and cooked chicken pieces on a platter. Pour hot sweet and sour sauce over top.

Nutrition

The post Sweet And Sour Chicken appeared first on The Midnight Baker.