I need really yummy Chinese food recipes!

M

Megan Turnidge

New member
I would really love some recipes for homemade Chinese food... that tastes like what you'd get from a real Chinese restaurant. Does anyone have any tried and true recipes? My faves are mongolian beef, sesame chicken, and chicken lo mein... spicy is great too!
 
Seriously...try this one (you can add roasted peanuts at the end if you like, I always forget it should have them since we are a peanut free family) you can make it spicy or not spicy as you like, just add more chilis!

Kung Pao Chicken
 
Oh I will be watching this thread... I LOVE Chinese and since our spending freeze I have been dying to learn to make somethings myself because I'm going through withdrawl!
 
mrs_jb said:
Oh I will be watching this thread... I LOVE Chinese and since our spending freeze I have been dying to learn to make somethings myself because I'm going through withdrawl!
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Haha... this is EXACTLY why I posted this thread. We just started Dave Ramsey's program and we have a very teeny tiny eating out fund... I need my fix! hehe

Thanks for these recipes and PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING! :) I'll be back in the morning to look over each recipe. :)
 
Chinese carryout is far cheaper than making it at home. By the time you buy all the chili paste and peanut oil and all the other sauces you need that you don't already have - you could have eaten out 4x. lol
 
Angie4b1g said:
Chinese carryout is far cheaper than making it at home. By the time you buy all the chili paste and peanut oil and all the other sauces you need that you don't already have - you could have eaten out 4x. lol
Click to expand...

It just depends on the recipe and how often you eat it. Mine uses stuff I have on hand most of the time, and keeps forever except for the green onions and chicken. The vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, corn starch etc I already had before I made this recipe, and now I just have the cooking sherry, sesame seed oil, etc that keep in the cupboard. We eat chinese food a lot at home and so I've "invested" more in the other stuff for other recipes. So it just depends. I will say...find a good recipe and the to go stuff doesn't taste so good anymore. Fresh is always better in chinese!

Oh and here's a sweet and sour sauce recipe for chicken, meatballs, whatever:

2/3 c water
1/3 c ketchup
3/4 c sugar
1T soy sauce

mix in a pan and bring to a low boil

add:
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/3 c water mixed with 3T corn starch

stir vigorously over heat until thickens (will lump if you don't stir constantly).

Pour over chicken, etc and enjoy!

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the "red" sauce they give you at restaurants!!!

Check out Todd Wilbur's books for Benihana fried rice/tepanyaki recipes or go online for the individual ones. These are so good too and way cheaper than eating out!
 
I just wanted to say props to you for trying to make your own. I just order it from the place across the street. Heck I guess I'm spoiled living in Korea right now. Though Korean is different than chinese, more of it is boiled.
 
These are recipes that you should have just about everything on hand.

Sweet ‘n’ Sour Chicken on Rice

Ingredients
1-2 Boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup sugar
1 cup water
¼ cup white vinegar
2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 green pepper, cut into small squares
2 tablespoons canned pineapple chunks (we add WAY more and use fresh pineapple from Sam's)

Directions
1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and cook with oil, onions, garlic, and salt and pepper (to taste).
2. Add remaining ingredients and cook until sauce is thickened and green peppers are softened. Add red food coloring if desired.
3. Serve over cooked rice.

QUICK & EASY TERIYAKI
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ginger powder
4 tbsp. lemon juice

We just mix up and heat the teriyaki sauce, and add chopped up chicken and brocolli (because we never have stir-fry vegetables on hand), and serve over cooked rice.

We've also made a recipe very similar to this Chinese Glazed Pork Chops. I just improvised on the chinese five spice powder by adding some anise, cloves, and cinnamon and it was really good. We served it with Ramen noodles, cooked, drained, powder and vegetables added with soy sauce.

Also, frozen egg rolls are good dipped in the teriyaki and sweet n sour sauces, but they are way cheaper than eating out.
 
I love any kind of Asian food. If you buy your ingredients from a real Asian market (in an Asian community), they are really inexpensive. I buy large containers and either keep it in the fridge or freezer (depending on what it is). That way I always have most everything on had to whip something up...just need some fresh veggies or meat.
 
I don't have any recipes to add (the ones shared so far all sound yummy though), but now I'm really craving Chinese food! I may have to go pick up some takeout for lunch now lol! We have this great (and cheap) little place down the street from us so that's usually where we spend our eating out funds every month.
 
OMGosh! I've been craving Chinese food for 2 weeks! Hmm....we have to eat out tonight before church. :D
I'm gonna have to try some of these recipes out! :)
 
I make my own chicken fried rice (it actually made my Week 3 of Project 365) because we are trying to save $ too.

It is such an easy way to use chicken leftovers. It's pretty much a stir fry. Just have everything chopped and the rice cooked ahead of time. And because the chicken is already cooked it only takes minutes. I use Tamari instead of soy sauce because it is gluten free. If you like egg in your fried rice, scramble in a separate bowl. You can add a dash of tamari or soy to the egg mixture if you would like. To add egg, move the rice/veggie/chicken mixture that you have already stir-fried to one side of your pan. Cook the egg in the empty side. Then chop up and incorporate into the whole mixture.

Good luck with cooking at home. I'm actually finding it sort of empowering. I was having a craving for a chimichanga. I went on the internet, watched a mini movie how to make one and modified it to make one at home.

You might want to try some of the recipes from Chef Ming Tsai. His show is on PBS. http://www.ming.com/
 
I'll share my version of Egg Rolls. They are time consuming but so yummy!!!

1 lb. ground beef
2 small cloves garlic
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 pkg. coleslaw mix, without dressing
1 pkg. saifun noodles (the clear stringy noodles)
2 eggs, whisked
Vegetable oil for frying
Large Won-Ton/Egg Roll Wrappers (usually found in the produce section)

Heat oil to med-high heat (I prefer to use an electric skillet). Brown ground beef and garlic. Place saifun noodles in a large bowl of warm water. Soak until soft. Add soy sauce and coleslaw mix. Stir fry for a minute or two. Add noodles. Stir with hamburger/slaw mix. Add eggs on top and stir fry to cook through. Let mixture slightly cool.

Place mixture onto wrappers and fold. Fry until golden brown. Let cool. Wrap up in lettuce leaves (we use green leaf or romaine). Serve with one or both of the dipping sauces below.

Dipping Sauce #1:

1/2 c. soy sauce
dash or two of garlic powder
1/2 lemon, juiced
fish sauce (to taste, if desired)

Dipping Sauce #2:

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce
 
Glad you like it, Megan! It's one of my favorite sources -- I don't always have the right kind of oils, but I just search the internet for a suitable substitute. :) I think I'm going to make me some orange chicken soon.
 
mmm I love lettuce wraps..esp P.F Changs haha

we don't eat out a lot but every once in awhile I crave some good Chinese...
 
omgosh I made the crispy orange beef for dinner last night and served it over sticky rice - it was SO SO SO good! I'm still impressed with myself that I was able to make it turn out (not the best cook in the world.. lol) I also made lettuce wraps but used a diff recipe (I love lettuce wraps.. we have them often)
YUM. We also had some chocolate covered strawberries as dessert :)
 
Food Network Magazine has a bunch in their current issue. I made beef-n-broccoli on Saturday night, and it was pretty darn good, if I say so myself.
 
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