Asian Style Snap - Orange Almond Biscuit

Like the traditional brandy snap, these biscuits can

easily be shaped into a basket by moulding over an

upturned glass. They taste great alone or with a sweet

filling such as ginger ice cream.

Ingredients:

Orange Juice

Granulated sugar

Ground Almonds

Pastry Flour

Melted butter

Directions:

Stir dry ingredients together.

Incorporate the orange juice and melted butter.

Spread the biscuits well apart on baking paper or

a non-stick surface.

Bake in a 350 degree F (170 C) oven until brown

(about 5 minutes).

Let cool slightly and bend to shape if desired or

leave flat.

Almond Boneless Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut in half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dry sherry

Sauce:

4 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

3 cups broth

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (optional)

3 tablespoons chicken fat or butter

2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

Batter:

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon water

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/3 cup toasted, slivered almonds

1 green onion, finely chopped (green and white parts)

Oil for deep-frying

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and sherry and marinate

for 15 minutes.

While chicken is marinating,

prepare the sauce. Mix together the cornstarch and

water in a small saucepan until smooth.

Gradually mix in the chicken broth, mushrooms (if using),

chicken fat or butter, soy sauce,and bouillon granules.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Let

boil for 1 minute, and keep warm.

To prepare batter:

Beat together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, egg,

and water until smooth.

Coat each piece of chicken with the batter.

Heat wok or a large skillet and add oil to a depth

of 1/2-inch. Heat to 375 degrees.

Cook coated chicken pieces in oil until they are golden,

turning them once.

This should take about 5 - 7 minutes.

Drain the chicken on a tempura rack if you have one,

or on paper towels.

Cut the chicken diagonally into strips.

Reassemble the strips into chicken breast shapes

and place on a bed of shredded lettuce.

Sprinkle with almonds and green onion.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Lotus Wraps

(This popular dim sum dish is made by steaming lotus

leaves filled with sticky rice, Chinese sausages, and

other vegetables).

Ingredents:

5 dried lotus leaves, cut in half or use banana leaves

or aluminum foil

1 1/2 cups short-grain rice, washed and drained

4 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water for

15 minutes to reconstitute,

drained, stems removed and chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger

6 1/2 ounces ground (minced) chicken

4 ounces jumbo shrimp (green king prawns)

peeled, deveined, and finely chopped

2 Chinese pork sausages, finely chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

First, prepare the lotus leaves. They need to be

soaked in hot water for about 15 - 20 minutes,

and then patted dry.

Next, line a bamboo steamer with a few pieces of

cabbage or a parchment paper so that the food will

not stick to the bottom.

Add the rice and cover.

To steam, fill the wok approximately to the half-way

point with water (the steamer should be sitting above

the water without touching).

Bring the water to a boil and steam the rice.

After the rice has cooled, divide it into ten equal

portions.

Heat wok and add oil. When the oil is ready,

add the ginger and stir-fry briefly,

then add chicken and shrimp, stir-frying until they

change color.

Add, in the following order,Chinese sausages, mushrooms,

soy sauce, rice wine, and oyster sauce and stir-fry

briefly.

Give the cornstarch mixture a quick restir.

Make a "well" in the middle of the wok

add the cornstarch mixture, stirring to thicken.

Mix with the other ingredients,

and then remove from the wok and set aside.

Once the meat and vegetable mixture has cooled

you can make the wraps.

Begin by spooning a portion of the rice mixture into

the center of a lotus leaf.

Add approximately 3 teaspoons of the meat and vegetable

mixture, placing it in the middle and forming a "rice ring"

around it. Fold the lotus leaf over the rice to form a

package and tie with the twine.

Reheat the wok with water for steaming and steam the wraps,

a few at a time, for 15 minutes.

(Add more boiling water to the wok as required). To serve,

cut open the wraps.

Serves 10

Bon Bon Chicken

Ingredients:

4 cups -water

1 1/4 pounds Chicken; skinned -- boned

1 Cucumber - peeled and -- thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon Salt

4 Bean sheets -- or 2 oz noodles

3 cups -hot water

1/2 teaspoon Peppersalt -- - see below

1/2 teaspoon Garlic -- minced

2 teaspoons Fresh ginger root -- minced

Seasoning sauce

2 teaspoons Sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons Soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chili Oil -- - see below

4 1/2 teaspoons Sesame oil

4 1/2 teaspoons Sesame paste -- or butter

2 tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns

2 tablespoons Salt

Chili oil:

1 cup Peanut oil

1/2 cup Sesame oil

1 cup Dried hot red peppers -- chopped

5 teaspoons Red (cayenne) pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan;

reduce heat to medium;

add chicken; cover and simmer 20 minutes;

remove chicken and cool,

reserving broth in saucepan.

2. Sprinkle cucumber slices with salt and let

stand for 15 minutes;

squeeze slices to remove water; arrange on a platter.

3. Soak bean sheets or noodles in 3 cups hot water

for 5 minutes to soften,

meanwhile bring chicken broth to a boil.

4. Once softened cut bean sheets into 1/2 inch

widths or noodles into 4 inch lengths;

place in a large strainer and dip into boiling

broth for 5 seconds;

drain well and arrange on top of cucumbers.

5. Cut chicken into 2 inch by 1/3 inch shreds with

a cleaver;

place chicken shreds on top of noodles;

sprinkle with Peppersalt, garlic and ginger.

6. Combine ingredients for Seasoning Saucein a small

bowl and mix well;

pour sauce over chicken, toss to coat and serve.

Bok Choy Chicken Stir-fry in Garlic Sauce

Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients:

3 medium chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

3 large bok choy stalks with leaves

Chicken Marinade:

1 TB Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 green onion, diced

2 tsp cornstarch

Sauce:*

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 TB water

1 tsp white rice vinegar

1/2 tsp black rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

dash freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tsp water

4 - 5 TB oil for stir-frying

Directions:

Cut the chicken into thin strips about 2-inches long.

Add the rice wine or sherry,

green onion and the cornstarch.

Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating,

prepare the bok choy and the sauce.

Separate the bok choy leaves and stalks,

and cut both cross-wise into thin strips.

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl

and set aside.

Heat wok and add 2 TB oil.

When oil is ready,

add the chicken and stir-fry until it turns

white and is nearly cooked.

(Stir-fry in two batches if necessary).

Drain the Stir-fried chicken on paper towels.

Clean out the wok and add 2 - 3 TB oil.

When oil is ready, add the bok choy stalks.

Stir-fry briefly and add the leaves.

Push the bok choy up to the sides of the wok

and add the sauce in the middle.

Turn up the heat to bring to a boil.

Add the cornstarch/water mixture to the sauce

and stir rapidly to thicken.

Add the chicken. Mix through and serve hot.

Nutritional Breakdown per serving (based on 3 servings

and 4 TB oil for stirfrying): 451 calories (kcal);

21 g Total Fat, (18 g Monounsaturated Fat), 57 g Protein;

5 g Carbohydrate; 137 mg Cholesterol; 818 mg Potassium,

424 mg Sodium; 1g Fiber