Hoisin Glazed Chicken Wings

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken party wings
5 Tbsp Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic Asian Marinade
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp warm water

Method

1. In a small bowl, mix Soy Vay Marinade, honey and water.
2. Reserve about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the marinade separately.
3. Place chicken in a non-reactive dish, or plastic bag and cover with remaining mixture. Place in refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
4. While the chicken is marinating, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and shake gently to remove excess marinade. Place on a baking sheet*. Bake for 30 minutes, open the oven two times during the cooking to quickly brush with the reserved marinade.
6. Raise the heat to broil. Cook for five minutes. Flip once half way through cooking.
7. Serve.

*Tip. For crispier chicken, place chicken on a baking rack set above the baking sheet.

Where to eat chicken wings?
Why ask the obvious. Hooters, of course.

Chicken Leg Mushroom

I went to a presentation by Chef Theresa Lin “The Julia Child of Taiwan” at the local public library. This is a really easy vegetarian dish. The mushrooms are so meaty, it really is like chicken!

Ingredients
4 large Eringii mushrooms (remove the cap)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium ginger knob, sliced into matchsticks
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sugar

Method

1. Slice mushrooms into thin strips length-wise along the grain. Then cut into smaller pieces, about 1 1/4.
2. In a wok, over medium, heat oil.
3. Cook mushrooms and ginger until mushrooms have softened and the outer edges turn brown, but middle has not. Have patience.
4. Add soy sauce and sugar and cook for a minute.
5. Take off heat and serve while hot.

Where to eat it? This is the first time I've ever tried it. Track down Theresa Lin and see if she will make it for you!

Chinese Chicken Salad

I love this salad from Triple C's (California Chicken Cafe). Everyone has their own taste in Chinese Chicken Salad. Since, it's something invented in Southern California, there is no official recipe. I love the mix of salad, pasta, and roasted chicken in Triple C's version.

This is my take at trying to recreate the dish. The dressing is a Benihana dressing knock-off that has been modified to taste more like Triple C's.

Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients
Salad
3 cups Romaine Lettuce (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
1/2 cup Roasted Chicken (cut in bite-sized chunks)
1/4 cup Low Mein Noodles
1/2 cup Fusilli Spiral Pasta, cooked and cooled
1/4 cup Mandarin Oranges
2 Tbs Almonds (crunched)
1 Green Onion (sliced, white part only)

Dressing
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon ground ginger root
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped carrot
1 teaspoon chopped red pepper
1 teaspoon chopped green pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar (mandarin reserve)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Mix dressing ingredients in blencher until almost smooth.


2. Reserve dressing in a container.


3. Toss salad ingredients together.


4. Add dressing to taste.

Where to eat a Chinese Chicken Salad?
2401 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Telephone: (310) 453-0477
http://www.californiachickencafe.com/

There are multiple locations in LA. The one listed above is the closest one to my apartment. Don't forget to change into some gym clothes before you go. You can wear what you want, but the the health conscious folks who frequent the restaurant go after a quick workout. You want to fit in, don't you?

Wonton Soup

I love pasta and dumplings. I love all shapes and sizes from around the world. Italy's spaghetti, ravioli, gnocci, and lasagna. Asian delicacies of pad thai, wontons, soba/somen, udon, pho, and ramen. Polish pierogi. Turkish manti. Plus many I have yet to try.

One of my favorite dishes is Wonton soup. A childhood favorite. Now I can enjoy Wonton soup at home with this easy recipe.

Wonton Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Wontons
½ pound pork, ground
2 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 stalk green onion (finely chopped)
1/4 teaspoon chili oil (optional - alternatively use 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
24 3-3 1/2" square wonton skins

Soup
3 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
3 stalks green onion (finely chopped)
3 baby bok choy (roughly chopped)
1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Method

1. In a large non reactive bowl, combine the wonton ingredients. Stir in one direction or mix with your hands until combined. Allow the flavors to meld for 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Get a wet cloth or paper towel and a small bowl of water. Cover the waiting wonton wrappers with a wet towel. Select one wonton skin at a time. Fill with about one teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wonton. Dip a finger in the water bowl and moisten the four edges of the wonton skin. Fold to press corner to corner, forming a right triangle. Take remaining left and right edges, moisten and bring together, overlapping over the plump belly of the dumpling. Alternatively, fill center. Fold in half. Bring corners to to center of folded edge to form a crescent moon.
   
3. Bring chicken stock and soup ingredients to a rapid boil. Drop in wontons. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the dumplings float. Add sesame seed oil and chili oil for a hint of depth to the soup broth.
   

How to Fold a Wonton Pics (coming eventually...)

Note: About Wonton Skins
Pre-packaged wonton wrappers are genius. The wonton wrappers are made from flour, eggs, and water. You could make them yourself, but I've never had the gusto to do so. I just pick up a packet in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually by the ethnic foods or by the tofu. Once you've opened the packet and are workign with the skins, cover the stack with a damp cloth to keep them moist. You can refridgerate extra wrappers for a week, or several months in the freezer. Just make sure to thaw them completely before using. Cost between $2-$5 for a 12 ounce package.

Tips

• Don’t eat pork and or shrimp? Chicken is a delicious substitute in this recipe. I use boneless leg and thigh meat in this recipe. As I’ve mentioned before, All Recipes has easy to follow instructions on how to debone a chicken thigh or you can ask your butcher to do it for you. Place the meat in your food processor with a sharp blade. Pulse until the chicken is ground. I’ve tried using ground turkey before, but I didn’t quite care for it.
  

• Want to save some for later? First, line a pan with a baking sheet. Disburse wontons, making sure none touch. Place in freezer overnight. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Wontons can be frozen for up to 2-4 weeks.

Nutritional Information
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving 254g
Calories: 377
Total Fat: 18.0g
Cholesterol: 483mg
Sodium: 620mg
Total Carbs: 4.2g
Dietary Fiber: 1.2gProtein: 48.3g

Where to eat Wonton Soup

Chef Chu’s
1067 N San Antonio Rd
Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone: (650) 948-2696
www.chefchu.com

Chef Chu’s has my favorite bbq pork wonton soup. It’s one of the restaurants I grew up with. Way back in the day, my Dad used to do some tax work for Mr. Chu himself. So, we'd frequent the place. A few years back, Chef Chu catered a friends wedding. The quality of the food was just as good as I had remembered. Plus there were many special dishes that I hadn't had before. That banquet had some of the best food I've ever had at a wedding.