Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Dinner Bonanza Day 2!

There's a theme for tonight's dinner! Egg drop soup, Chinese chicken salad and sweet bean paste manju.  The soup is so easy and delicious, not nearly as heavy as the egg drop soup you get at a takeout restaurant.  The salad is my favorite salad of all time, and the manju was an experiment but came out well ! 

Egg Drop Soup (Serves 2-3)
4 cups chicken broth 
4 green onions chopped 
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2.5 tsp corn starch 
Dash soy sauce
2 eggs
Pepper to taste

Bring broth, ginger, green onions and soy sauce to boil.  Take 1/2 cup of the hot broth and mix with corn starch.  Reduce heat to low.  Lightly beat eggs in a bowl.  Straining through a fork, pour the eggs into the soup while gently stirring in a circle.  Season with pepper and serve.  





Mom's Chinese Chicken Salad (Serves 6)
Salad:
1.5ish cups cooked, chopped, cooled chicken (use yesterday's leftovers if you're following the weekly menu)
Lettuce, I use romaine but any is fine
6 water chestnuts, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1 package ramen noodles
1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
Crumble ramen noodles and brown with almonds and sesame seeds in a small amount of sesame oil.  Combing all remaining ingredients and toss with dressing. So good!   

Dressing:
4 tbs apple cider vinegar
4 tbs sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp accent 
1 tsp pepper 
1/2 c. vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients, except oil, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, allow to cool and combine with oil.  





Manju
From: http://japanesefood.about.com/od/japanesecake/r/manjucake.htm 
2 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 can sweet azuki bean paste (anko if you're trying to locate it at the Asian grocery store)
Sift dry ingredients together.  Add water and knead into smooth dough.  Separate into twelve pieces, rolling into ball.  Cut 12 squares of parchment paper.  Take each dough ball and flatten, place approximately 1 tsp of bean paste in the center, fold the edges around the bean paste, reforming a ball.  Place on parchment square and into bamboo steamer.  Steam on high 12 minutes.  


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