Chinese Archives - Poor Man's Gourmet Kitchen

Thai Cashew Chicken

The Best Cashew Chicken

This dish is one of the most popular entrees in American Chinese cuisine. It’s on the menu at practically every Chinese restaurant in the USA and that includes dine in, fast food and/or all you can eat buffet’s. There are many different vegetables that can be included in different recipe versions of this dish including various squash, like yellow or zucchini, mushrooms, onions, celery, snap peas etc., but the one constant that can be expected in every recipe is, chicken and Cashews.

My all time favorite Cashew Chicken recipe has got to be this one and it is the Thai version. I like this one the best because it’s spicier, lighter on the sauce but huge on the flavor. Plus it calls for mostly peppers as the vegetables so it’s a lot of fun throwing in different kinds with different colors that make this recipe pop, both visually and kinesthetically.

The Thai sauce is a bit different than the typical Chinese recipes because they heighten their flavor with soy by using dark soy sauce, which is a richer, deeper soy in both flavor and color. They also use fish sauce. If you’re not familiar with fish sauce it’s not to be mistaken as fishy, at all, but is instead salty. If you’ve ever had Summer Rolls, you might have been dipping them in fish sauce as a condiment. These two ingredients, combined with a few others, push the flavor in this dish to it’s maximum potential.

How to make Thai Cashew Chicken by PoorMansGourmet.

Cashew Chicken Ingredients: Serves 6 to 8

7 Boneless Chicken Thighs, sliced 1/2″ to 1″ pieces
8 oz Cashews, Salted, whole or halves

1 Onion, chopped
2 Bell Peppers, chopped
1 Jalapeno, chopped
1 Celery Stick, chopped
2 Green Onions, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 coin sized Ginger slices, chopped
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped optional

1/4 cup of Oil for frying, Peanut or Canola

Sauce
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp Water
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Chili Oil, optional

Chicken Seasoning
Kosher Salt and Pepper, evenly
1 tsp Smoked Paprika, optional
1 tbsp Potato or Corn Starch, for texture and thickening of the sauce but optional

Kosher Salt and Pepper Entire dish to taste. I even shake in some MSG because
that’s what Chinese Restaurants do to achieve Umami flavor.

Chow Mei Fun Singapore Noodles

The Best Singapore Noodles

If you’re thinking that this recipe title is actually 3 different recipes, you’d be right. I combined Chow fun, Mei fun and Singapore noodles because there virtually isn’t much difference. Mei Fun is a thin rice noodle and Chow Fun, is the thicker flat Vermicelli rice noodle, similar to fettuccini. Singapore noodles, however, can be made with either noodle with the addition of curry powder added to the sauce ingredients but, everything else between these 3 dishes are practically the same and that’s why I’ve turned them into one recipe.

Some recipes vary on the ingredients but I’ve put together a simple vegetable version I think everyone will love. You can add any other protein you like, if you want the addition of meat. Beef, pork, shrimp or chicken are among the most common; pre-seasoned, marinated and usually cooked beforehand, then added to the noodles and vegetables before the dish gets the sauce.

How to make Chow Mei Fun Singapore Noodles by PoorMansGourmet.

Chow Mei Fun Singapore Noodles Ingredients: Serves 4

10 oz Vermicelli Rice Stick Noodles, cook 5 oz at a time
4 Eggs, use 2 eggs per 5 oz of noodles
2 Nappa Cabbage Leave, chopped
1/2 Carrot stick, chopped
1/4 Large Onion, sliced
1 Celery stick, chopped
2 Green Onions, chopped
1/2 cup Bean Sprouts

Sauce
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 tsp Fresh Ginger, chopped
1 tsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Fish Sauce
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Rice Wine
1 tsp sugar, optional but recommended
1/2 tsp Salt, optional but recommended
1/2 tsp MSG, optional but HIGHLY recommended
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Curry Powder, optional but makes Mei Fun a Singapore Noodle

Salt and Pepper this dish to taste
1/4 cup Oil for cooking, add 2 tbsp at a time.

If you like your food spicy, add Sriracha or Garlic Chili Paste in small amounts.
Proteins (beef, pork, shrimp or chicken) should be seasoned, marinated and
cooked first but added to the wok or frying pan last, before adding the sauce.
For example, I cook one slice boneless chicken thigh per 5 oz of noodles,
which easily serves 2 people. I season with Kosher salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp
of curry powder and 1 tbsp of potato starch. Once this is mixed together, I
fry the meat in the oil I use for this dish first, then remove from the wok, leaving
the oil, then start the eggs, add the vegetables, noodles and sauce, just like I
show you how to do in the video tutorial.

Egg Drop Soup with Fried Wonton Croutons

The Best Egg Drop Soup

I don’t know why this soup isn’t consistently delicious, everywhere it’s served because it’s not that difficult to make. My daughter loves this soup but she too prefers the soup from one specific Chinese restaurant over any other so, I decided to make it the way she and I both like it. I can tell you that this is probably the Best Egg Drop Soup recipe and it only gets better, the longer it simmers.

It’s got all of the basic vegetable ingredients, including carrot, corn and peas. Other than the egg ribbons, that I teach you how to make, firm Tofu is the preferred protein in this soup and you can garnish with green onion and/or add it directly to the soup. I also show you how easy it is to make the crispy wonton croutons we all love to crunch on in our soup.

MSG is in this recipe and you really shouldn’t worry about it because this soup is good with or without it. However, You really shouldn’t be concerned with all of the misconceptions about this ingredient and HERE’S WHY. Also, know that Chinese restaurants use it in almost everything and it’s one of the reasons their food tastes so much better than your homemade Chinese cooking. MSG achieves that Umami that we all crave in food and if you read the article I linked above, you’ll understand more about it.

Egg Drop Soup Ingredients:

1 pkg Wonton Wrappers, fried crunchies (optional)

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Ginger, freshly chopped
2 qt Chicken Broth
2 tbsp Rice Cooking Wine
2 Eggs
2 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp MSG
1/4 cup Corn Starch, mix with 1 cup of the Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Corn
1/4 cup Frozen Peas
1/4 Carrots
8 oz Tofu, firm, cubed slices
2 Green Onions, chopped

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Oil for Frying, 350° Fahrenheit

2 Eggs, for egg ribbons, soup should be boiling. Add Corn Starch after.
1/4 cup Corn Starch, pre-mix with 1 cup of the broth and stir in last.
Just watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show yo exactly how to make this Egg Drop Soup.