Chinese Chicken Salad

Carolic Count: Low
Serves 6 to 8

This dish is an all time favorite of mine, as it light,healthy and low in fat and calories and so easy to prepare. Fresh ingredients ring through with each mouthful. Perfect for lunch, dinner or just a snack. The most difficult aspect of this dish is finding and preparing the Chinese noodles, known as rice noodles or glass noodles. They resemble a very thin transparent spaghetti and can be found in the oriental section of your grocers. In China they are known as Bun Gao Kho. Good Luck!

Ingredients for salad

• 2 med. filleted chicken breasts (skinless)
• 1 large bunch of romaine or cos lettuce
• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger (peeled and shredded)
• 2 bunches spring onions (scallions)
• 1 bunch coriander (cilantro)
• 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 8 to 10 oz of rice noodles
• 1/2 liter ground nut oil or veg oil

Ingredients for salad dressing

• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup water

Rinse lettuce and spinach well and set aside to drain. Prep chicken with seasoning; garlic powder, seasoning salt, a little cayenne pepper, and grill or pan fry until done. (pierce chicken with fork if juices run clear, it's done). set aside.

Now for the noodles; The noodles are to be fried, and veg or ground nut oil is great for frying as it can be heated to high temperatures without smoking. Break noodles into 1 inch strands and gently place into hot oil, they should almost immediately puff up to twice their size, fry for 1 or 2 minutes until they are just starting to brown and remove quickly and drain, fry small amounts at a time to ensure even cooking. Drain in colander and toss and set aside. Now let's go to easy street! The rest of the salad is a breeze.

Chop lettuce and spinach(spinach is optional) into small pieces, chop coriander and spring onions. Peel ginger and grate, and toss all together. chop chicken breasts and add, toss again.

Dressing

Combine Rice wine vinegar,soy sauce and honey and water, the flavor should be tart with a hint of sweetness. In a hot frying pan or skillet, dry roast sesame seeds until golden brown and remove.

Serve up salad on plate or in bowl, sprinkle dressing on top then add a handful of fried noodles
and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

ALL DONE, this dish brings you bags of flavor and it's so good for you. As usual, if any questions
at all hit me up.

ENJOY!
Ms. Boom

Pepper Steak

Level of Difficulty: EASY
Caloric count: LOW
Serves 6 to 8
..........Hello my darlings! Got something for you here. I remember as a child growing up and out on the south side of Chicago. My parents use to order from this local Chinese restaurant (the name escapes me) and on offer was pepper steak...Lord have mercy it was delish! My mom being the mom she is, decided she would make it herself, and needless to say it was the BOMB! So at the risk of cheating a bit, I feel compelled to share this baby with you with a few of my personal embellishments. It's perfect for those chilly nights and very easy to make. This recipe obviously needs steak,my preference is fillet or rump,sirloin works just fine. The better the cut of meat the better the results. before we proceed, props go out to my mother for her culinary wisdom. Healthy stuff here. It's consistency is that of a hearty stew which can be lavished generously over brown rice (or even cous cous or quinoa a gluten free alternative)

HERE GOES!

• 600 to 700 kg of steak (of your choice) fresh! trim the fat
• 400 ml of lager or beer (I use Becks)
• 125 mil Kikkoman soy sauce (the best)
• 4 cloves large fresh garlic
• 6 assorted peppers 2 green 2 yellow two or 3 red (bell peppers)
• 4 small green chillies
• 4 med yellow onions
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• a splash of red wine (I like Shiraz 2008, it was a good year) any dry red will suffice
• 3 large vine ripened tomatoes

In a sauce pan(no aluminum) prepare brown rice. ! part rice added to 2 parts salted boiling water,bring to a boil,simmer,covered until done, approx 30min.

• On cutting board for meat only! Thinly slice steak in 2 inch strips and put aside in bowl,
  add half soy sauce to steak,mince garlic, add beer and finely dice chillies (with rubber gloves on)
• add to meat mixture and lastly sesame seeds, give a good stir and let marinate.(beer breaks down the enzymes in steak adding flavor and making it more tender (if that's possible)
• On your veg cutting board roughly quarter onions, cut peppers in chunky 1/2 inch pieces have fun with it! Leave tomatoes for later! put aside for the moment.
• I large bowl add 2 cups of water and half cup of plain flour, remaining soy sauce and whip until blended
• add to pot, add peppers, onions and splash of wine (no worries, any alcohol you cook with evaporates during cooking process leaving behind the flavor)
• cook until tender checking on the thickness, if too thick gradually add water. TASTE as you go along now!
• add the steak now and stir well, i add more soy sauce as i go along i rather like the salty, earthy deep favors the beer and soy add to it, flavor it with soy sauce till it suits you let cook on low heat for 10 minutes or so.
  
  The tomatoes need to be skinned or the skin will eventually come off in the dish, not nice.
  To remedy this, we need to blanch the tomatoes, submerge them in boiling water for a min or so, remove and the skin will come easily away. Cut tomatoes into segments and incorporate into pot. Stir gently ....taste.. and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or more. Done
  if a little to tart...1/2 tsp sugar should cut it. Ladle over brown fluffy basmati rice......
  Masterpiece! Serve with hot crusty bread and the rest of the Shiraz.
  
  any ?????s
  i'm here
  Enjoy