Tag: Chinese Soup

Dan Dan Noodle

Dan Dan NoodleHow do you like your Dan Dan Noodle?

The Dan Dan Noodle is originally a Scechwan recipe, which in my opinion translates, “Hot and Spicy”!  But the heat can literally be thrown out all together if you’re not really into that much of a kick.  This recipe is a perfect example of how I “dumb it down” for my girls.  Mostly because the flavor still exists, I just extract the spice so that their little mouths won’t set on fire.  But if you want it in there for your self, feel free to throw in some chili flakes or some chili oil to pep it up a bit and you’ll love it.  Aso, you need to decide if you want to use Ground Pork or Chicken.  In this recipe I’m using Pork but it can very easily be substituted and it won’t change the recipe at all what so ever.  In fact, I personally prefer Ground Chicken.

Now, that we’ve covered the basics, all you have to decide now is whether you want the Dan Dan Noodle on a plate or in a bowl as a soup.  Just like deciding if you want it spicy or not, it’s just a simple additive of chicken stock if you want it to be a soup.  Nothing to it, it’s that simple.  On a side note, you can add some peanuts to this dish as well because it gives it a little crunch.  I only mention it because you’re going to find that ingredient in other versions of this recipe if you’re doing some investigative research on the Dan Dan Noodle.  I think here in America, P.F. Chang’s is ultimately responsible for bringing this dish to light.  Other restaurants in the corporate chain like Typhoon’s and the like have added it to their menu as well because it’s a great gourmet Noodle dish.

Dan Dan Noodle Ingredients:

8 oz Noodle
8 oz ground Pork or Chicken
1 chopped Green Onion
2 tbsp chopped Red Bell Pepper
1/2 tsp minced Ginger
2 tbsp Black Bean Garlic Sauce
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp Chili Flakes or Chili Oil (optional)
1 tsp Corn Starch (deluded with 2 tbsp water)

Garnish with Grated Cold Cucumber and Bean Sprouts
If you’re preparing a Dan Dan Noodle soup, just add 1 cup Chicken stock over the top.

 

Pork Wonton Soup with Shrimp and Vegetables

Wonton SoupChinese Wonton Soup

I can’t take full credit for this Wonton Soup Recipe.  In all honesty, I shouldn’t take any. This was on the Menu at a certain Chinese Bistro I worked at years ago, but the recipe is so incredibly simple, I don’t feel like they should take credit for it either because there’s really nothing to it.  It’s not exactly what they put inside the Wontons themselves so I don’t feel too bad about putting it up here and claiming it as my own.  Besides, everyone has their own version of how they think a recipe should be, right?  Of course right!

Wonton Soup 2A Wonton Soup base can be any broth you personally prefer; beef, chicken, vegetable or seafood.  It really doesn’t matter.  I would argue to say that 9 out of 10 times, though, I’ve had Wonton Soup served with Chicken Stock.  So you can use broth, stock or bouillon for all I care, and with any flavor you prefer.  In this particular recipe, I use Chicken Bouillon, from Knorr.  If you can manage, have two different pots of it.  Once to cook in, and one to Ladel out Soup.  I usually have less broth in the pot I cook the wontons and shrimp in, and atleast 3 times the amount in the other.  It all depends on how many I’m serving.  This Wonton Soup recipe will easily feed 4.

Wonton Soup Ingredients:

Wontons
1 pkg Wonton Wrappers
1/2 lbs Ground Pork
2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1/4 cup chopped Carrot Shoe String Slices
1 chopped Green Onion
1 handfull of chopped Cilantro

Soup
Per Wonton Soup Bowl
5 Shrimp
5 Water Chestnuts
5 Mushroom Slices
5 Wontons
1 handful of fresh Spinach leaves
1 Cup Chicken Broth, stock or bouillon

Mix the Wonton Ingredient’s together and fold the Wontons into shape using the wrappers.  Then place wantons and the other “Soup” ingredients in Chicken broth on the stove and cook for 6 to 7 minutes.  Strain out the Soup ingredients into a bowl full of fresh leafy spinach.  Ladle 1 cups worth of Chicken broth from a seperate pan, over the top of the ingredients and serve this fantastic Wonton Soup.