This series of blogs is addressed to Oprah and all those out there battling the bulge and excess weight. I am often asked by my clients to prepare for them a special detox meal over a period of a week to a month. The following recipes are just a sample of our offerings and are unique to Sweet Mandarin (www.sweetmandarin.com). If you would like a one-to-one consultation, contact me, Lisa Tse on lisa@sweetmandarin.com

Best wishes and Sweet Dishes to You and Your Family

Lisa

This final sample dish is to celebrate Chinese New Year….and is a great addition for your diet in 2009 towards a New You

Firecracker Chicken

250g skinless Chicken breast fillet
50g peeled water chestnuts
50g peeled and chopped onions
50g peeled and cubed carrots
50g unsalted peanuts

2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoshing rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon cornflour
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon chilli sauce
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar (white)
30ml chicken stock

Method to Cook:

1.Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl.
2. Cut the onions into dices. Place into a bowl
3. Blanch waterchesnuts in a pan of boiling water then refresh in cold water. Drain. pat dry and cut into thin slice. Alternative is to buy tin sliced waterchestnuts. Separate pan do the same for carrots.
4. Heat wok over high heat
5. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and heat until hot and smoky.
6. Stir-fry the chicken turning constantly until the meat is cooked.
7. Add in the ginger, garlic, chilli sauce, for 10 seconds
8. Add in the onions, waterchestnuts and carrots for 15 seconds
9. Combine the sugar, chicken stock, soy sauce, sesma oil and cornflour – add to thicken.
10. Add the peanuts and toss lightly to coat the sauce.
11. Transfer to a plate and serve hot

This series of blogs is addressed to Oprah and all those out there battling the bulge and excess weight. I am often asked by my clients to prepare for them a special detox meal over a period of a week to a month. The following recipes are just a sample of our offerings and are unique to Sweet Mandarin (www.sweetmandarin.com). If you would like a one-to-one consultation, contact me, Lisa Tse on lisa@sweetmandarin.com .

SPARERIBS WITH HOISIN SAUCE

Serves 4 to 6.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds spareribs

• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

• 3 tablespoons ketchup

• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1/4 cup boiling water

PREPARATION:

Cut the spareribs apart into 1-inch pieces. Place in a shallow glass baking dish.

Combine the light soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine or sherry, brown sugar, and the chopped garlic.

Pour over the spareribs. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning occasionally to make sure the ribs are thoroughly coated.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius, set oven to either 175 degrees Celsius). Dissolve the honey in the boiling water.

Fill a shallow roasting pan with 1/2-inch of water and place in the bottom of the oven. Place the pork on a rack above the water. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, or until the ribs just begin shrinking and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Brush the spareribs several times with the honey and water mixture during roasting. Remove and cool.

Spareribs can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen. (Thaw frozen pork in the refrigerator or microwave. Use refrigerated pork within 4 days. Reheat frozen or refrigerated pork before serving).

Nutritional Breakdown per serving (based on 6 servings) – 328 calories (kcal), 22 g Total Fat (10 g monounsaturated, 8 g saturated , 2 g polyunsaturated), 17 g Protein, 13 g Carbohydrate, 73 mg Cholesterol, 805 mg Sodium

Note: Using low-sodium soy sauce reduces the sodium count to 590 mg (25 percent of daily total).

Lisa

Note to Oprah – I know you love your fried chicken – but try this as a healthy alternative – and as a treat for your diet.

This series of blogs is addressed to Oprah and all those out there battling the bulge and excess weight. I am often asked by my clients to prepare for them a special detox meal over a period of a week to a month. The following recipes are just a sample of our offerings and are unique to Sweet Mandarin (www.sweetmandarin.com). If you would like a one-to-one consultation, contact me, Lisa Tse on lisa@sweetmandarin.com

Best wishes and Sweet Dishes to You and Your Family

Lisa

CHICKEN STOCK

Makes about 10 cups.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds chicken pieces (backs, necks, or wings)

• 12 cups cold water

• 3 slices fresh ginger

• Salt, to taste

PREPARATION:

Rinse the chicken pieces under running water. Place in a large pot with 12 cups water (or enough to cover).

Add the ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat, occasionally skimming off the foam that rises to the top.

Add salt to taste.

Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Chicken Stock is simple to prepare, relatively cheap, nutritious, and easily digested. Chicken stock can be used as a soup is a good food for winter convalescents. Sipping warm soup can also clear the sinuses because of the steam ventilating into the nasal passages, serving as a natural decongestant, which also relieves cold and flu symptoms. Last, but not least, scientists found that the particular blend of nutrients and vitamins in traditional chicken soup can slow the activity of certain white blood cells. This may have an anti-inflammatory effect that could hypothetically lead to temporary ease from symptoms of illness.

This series of blogs is addressed to Oprah and all those out there battling the bulge and excess weight. I am often asked by my clients to prepare for them a special detox meal over a period of a week to a month. The following recipes are just a sample of our offerings and are unique to Sweet Mandarin (www.sweetmandarin.com). If you would like a one-to-one consultation, contact me, Lisa Tse on lisa@sweetmandarin.com .

A noodle is food made from unleavened dough that is cooked in a boiling liquid. Depending upon the type, noodles may be dried or refrigerated before cooking. The word noodle derives from the German nudel (noodle) and may be related to the Latin word nodus (knot). In English, noodle is a generic term for unleavened dough made from many different types of ingredients. Noodles exist in an abundance of shapes.

The first written account of noodles is from the East Han Dynasty between AD 25 and 220. In October 2005, the oldest noodles yet discovered were found at the Lajia site (Qijia culture) along the Yellow River in Qinghai, China. The 4,000-year-old noodles appear to have been made from foxtail millet and broomcorn millet.

What Types of Noodles are there?

Noodles can be made from various ingredients, primarily wheat, rice, mung bean or mung bean.

Millet

Oldest known prehistoric noodles, from 2000 BC.

Indian ragi noodles, made from finger millet flour.

Wheat

Ramen, yakisoba

Egg Noodles or Lamian (hand pulled Chinese noodles)

Mee pok (flat, green Chinese noodles, popular in Southeast Asia)

Pasta (approximately 350 variants of Italian noodles)

Udon (thick Japanese wheat noodles)

Rice

Flat or thick rice noodles, also known as ho fun

Rice vermicelli: thin rice noodles

Mung bean

Cellophane noodles, also known as glass noodles.

Potato or canna starch

Cellophane noodles can also be made from potato starch or canna starch or various starches of the same genre.

Gnocchi, small Italian dumplings.

Noodles, when cooked properly do not get mushy or sticky. Noodles are the only pasta products made with egg solids which give them a more intense colour than other pasta.

Measuring Noodles

Most dried noodles doubles in volume when cooked. For accuracy, measure noodles by weight rather than by cup. The general rule is one pound of dry noodles will serve six as an appetizer or four as a main course. Remember – shapes may vary in size according to the manufacturer, so use these measurements as generalizations.

The easiest way to measure noodles is to use your digital scale.

4 ounces of uncooked noodles = a 1-inch diameter bunch of dry noodles = 2 cups cooked noodles.

How To Cook Noodles Properly

Important Rule: Noodles should be prepared just before serving it.

1. Use a Large Pot (A too-small pot and too little water cause the noodles to clump and stick together, thus cooking unevenly).
2. Use only COLD Water – fill that big pot 3/4 full of COLD water and cover the pot of cold water with a lid to help bring the water to a boil faster.
3. Add Salt to the boiling water about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt per pound of noodles.
4. Add the dried noodles to BOILING HOT water.
5. Cook the noodles uncovered and gently stir the noodles during the first 1 to 2 minutes of cooking.
6. Cook for 8 – 12 minutes until the noodles are soft and chewy when bitten into.
7. Turn off heat and add 1 cup of cold water – this will lower the temperature and stop the noodles from over cooking.
8. Drain the noodles immediately in a large colander standing in the sink and then pick up the colander with its contents and shake well to remove excess water. (Do not rinse – the starch from the noodles could make the noodles stick together).

Tip about when to add the noodles : Noodles added to cold or warm water end up getting mushy and stuck together as the noodles quickly begins to break down in tepid water as the starch dissolves. Only add the noodles once the water is boiling – as this boiling temperature “sets” the outside of the noodles, which prevents the noodles from sticking together.

.

Should I add oil? No. Oil will coat the noodles and prevent the sauce from adhering.

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN

This recipe for chicken chow mein mixes the noodles with the chicken and vegetables for a healthier chicken chow mein.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb (500 g) boneless chicken breast, cut in thin strips

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) soy sauce

• 1/4 (1 mL) salt

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cornstarch

• 1 lb (500 g) Chinese-style steamed noodles or cooked thin egg noodles

• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) Chicken Stock

• ¼ cup (62.5mL) Half an onion thinly sliced onions

• 1/2 cup (125mL) Chinese cabbage

• 1/8 cup (31mL) One small carrot thinly sliced

• 3 large dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked and thinly sliced or from a can

• 2 spring onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) sesame oil

• 3 cups (750 mL) bean sprouts, tightly packed

PREPARATION:

Combine chicken and marinade ingredients (soy sauce, salt and cornstarch), mix well and set aside.

Blanch noodles in large amount of boiling water with salt for 3 minute or as per package instructions.

Drain well and cool slightly. Plate up. Meanwhile, heat wok over high heat, add stock and bring to boil. Add ginger, onions, carrots, Chinese cabbage and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Stock should thicken slightly. Add flowering chives or green onions and sesame oil; stir to mix for 1 minute. Add noodles, bean sprouts and mix together.

Remove from heat. Serves 4.

Each serving includes:

Calories 358, 43 g Carbohydrates, 33 g Protein, 6 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 100 mg Cholesterol, 5 g Fibre, 466 mg Sodium, 555 mg Potassium. An excellent source of vitamin D, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folacin, and iron. A good source of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B-12 and zinc.

Lisa

This series of blogs is addressed to Oprah and all those out there battling the bulge and excess weight. I am often asked by my clients to prepare for them a special detox meal over a period of a week to a month. The following recipes are just a sample of our offerings and are unique to Sweet Mandarin (www.sweetmandarin.com). If you would like a one-to-one consultation, contact me, Lisa Tse on lisa@sweetmandarin.com.

Lisa

Bean sprouts and Chinese Chives

This dish calls for Chinese chives, which have a lighter, more “oniony” flavour. Beansprouts are delicious, healthy and ideal for yang (warm bodied people) as these are yin foods. (Dear Reader – Please refer to my earlier post on Yin and Yang balancing of foods.)

Serves 2 – 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 sprig of flowering garlic chives or scallions.

3 cups (about 5 1/2 ounces) mung bean sprouts

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sugar

PREPARATION:

1. Wash and drain the mung bean sprouts.
2. Wash and drain the chives, and cut into strips about the same length as the bean sprouts.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a preheated wok.
4. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and stir briefly until aromatic (about 15 seconds). Add the mung bean sprouts and stir-fry until they change colour (about 1 minute), then add the chives, soy sauce and sugar.
5. Stir-fry for about another 1 – 2 minutes, until the chives have just turned limp, taking care not to overcook the bean sprouts.
   

This series of blogs is addressed to Oprah and all those out there battling the bulge and excess weight. I am often asked by my clients to prepare for them a special detox meal over a period of a week to a month. The following recipes are just a sample of our offerings and are unique to Sweet Mandarin (www.sweetmandarin.com). If you would like a one-to-one consultation, contact me, Lisa Tse on lisa@sweetmandarin.com .

Best wishes and Sweet Dishes to You and Your Family

Lisa

“Cutting stalks at noon time

Perspiration drips to the earth

Know you that your bowl of rice

Each grain from hardship comes?”

(Cheng Chan-Pao, Chinese philosopher)

Rice is the staple diet of the Chinese around the world – a symbol of life itself. The Chinese greet each other by asking “Have you had your rice today?” rather than “How are you?”. If you haven’t eaten all your rice, it is considered an insult to the host.

According to local folktales, five celestial deities rode into the Guangzhou area of China on five rams, each with an ear of rice in its mouth. The immortals gave the rice ears to the farmers and promised them that there would never be famine in Guangzhou. This is the region where my family originated from and like other farming families, we grew rice as well as soy beans.

Rice is used to make porridge or ‘congee’ and also a type of noodle. It is an ideal alternative for those with a wheat allergy who cannot eat bread or wheat pasta.

A harvested rice kernel contains a bran layer, and is enclosed by a hull. White rice has had both the bran and hull removed during the milling process. By contrast, brown rice has had only the hull removed. The result is a much more nutritious dish, containing protein and several minerals. However, parboiled white rice has been processed before milling and thus retains most of its nutrients.

Rice Types

The Chinese normally use long grain rice, which produces a fluffier rice. If you are following a recipe that calls for long grain rice, and need to use medium or short grain rice instead, remember that rice grains have different absorption rates and adjust the amount of water accordingly. (In this case you would reduce the amount of water by 1/4 to 1/2 cup per cup of rice).

In China, glutinous or “sticky” rice is used mainly for snacks and sweets. However, in other parts of Asia it is used in place of regular rice. For example, a reader recently shared with me his experience living in Laos and northern Thailand, where glutinous rice is a staple food. The rice is soaked for at least two hours, and then steamed. People take the steamed rice and knead it in a ball. It is then dipped in one of the courses and you use a finger to collect some of the course. (Glutinous rice is available at most Asian grocery markets).

Two less well-known types of rice are black rice and red rice. Grown throughout Asia, red rice is a member of the glutinous rice family. It is not considered to be very edible, but there is a great deal of interest in the potential health benefits of red rice extract. You’ll often find it in health food stores, as it is believed to help lower cholesterol levels and improve blood circulation.

Grown in China and Thailand, black rice is also a type of sticky rice. A layer of bran covers the rice grains, giving them a brown or blackish colour. Black rice is used mainly in Chinese, Thai and Pilipino desserts. Like red rice, black rice is considered to have numerous health benefits, particularly the purplish-black variety.

MAKING PERFECT BOILED RICE

Here are classic rice recipes that you’ll want to learn how to make.

Like hard boiling eggs, cooking rice is one of those tasks that appear to be easy, but can go wrong very quickly if you don’t follow the right steps. Here are simple instructions that will help you make rice that turns out light and fluffy every time.

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of long grain rice

41/2 cups of cold water

PREPARATION

1. Rinse the rice – rinsing rice helps get rid of any starch and impurities. Rinse until the water is clear and not cloudy.
2. Combine the long grain rice and water – For every cup of long grain rice, add 1 1/2 cups water.
3. Boil the rice – Bring the rice to a boil, uncovered, at medium heat.
4. Turn down heat put rice at an angle – When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low. Place the lid on the pot, tilting it to allow steam to escape.
5. After the rice has been cooking for a few minutes, check for holes or “craters.”
6. When you can see the holes or craters, put the lid on tight. Turn the heat down to low.
7. Simmer the covered rice for another 15 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork and serve hot.

This series of blogs is addressed to Oprah and all those out there battling the bulge and excess weight. I am often asked by my clients to prepare for them a special detox meal over a period of a week to a month. The following recipes are just a sample of our offerings and are unique to Sweet Mandarin (www.sweetmandarin.com). If you would like a one-to-one consultation, contact me, Lisa Tse on lisa@sweetmandarin.com .

Best wishes and Sweet Dishes to You and Your Family

Lisa

EGG DROP SOUP

The basic recipe for Egg Drop Soup (also called Egg Flower Soup) is very simple; I’ve included a few variations below. Serves 3 to 4.

Traditionally, the broth for Egg Drop Soup is rather bland, allowing the egg flavor to stand out.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups chicken broth or stock

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 -2 spring onions finely sliced

• Salt to taste

• A few drops of sesame oil (optional)

PREPARATION:

In a wok or saucepan, bring the 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add the salt, and the sesame oil if using. Cook for about another minute.

Very slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a steady stream.

To make shreds, stir the egg rapidly in a clockwise direction for one minute. To make thin streams or ribbons, gently stir the eggs in a clockwise direction until they form.

Garnish with spring onion and serve.

Nutritional Breakdown – 4 servings

Each serving contains: Calories 81, 2 g Carbohydrates, 8 g Protein, 4 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 106 mg Cholesterol, trace Fibre, 866 mg Sodium

Egg Drop Soup Variations

These would be added after the seasonings. After adding, let the soup cook for a few more minutes and then add the beaten egg.

**1/2 cup frozen peas (defrosted).

**1/2 cup sweetcorn and finely diced chicken breast meat (cooked) – this makes Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup.

**If you are preparing the soup for someone who is ill, try adding a slice of fresh, grated ginger. Among its many benefits, ginger is believed to be helpful in treating colds and flue.

Egg Drop Soup is frequently thickened with cornstarch in restaurants. To add a cornstarch thickener, mix 2 – 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Just before adding the beaten egg, stir in the cornstarch/water mixture, remove the soup from the heat, and then add the beaten egg.