Cuisine: Chinese

Egg Roll in a Bowl

My friend Kay suggested this old Weight Watcher's recipe for Egg Roll in a Bowl. I made it yesterday for lunch and we loved it. This recipe is a great way to get a healthy and delicious meal on the table quickly. The Asian flavors enhance the dish, which is packed with protein and vegetables. You can also add extra veggies like thinly sliced red bell peppers, and mushrooms to the mix.

By Leslie Blythe

PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

There was definitely a sign from above for me to make lettuce wraps. We had dinner at a friend's house and they make Korean meat wrapped in lettuce. My husband said it reminded him of PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The next day my mother arrived from the east coast and asked me if I could make lettuce wraps. On the third day, I opened my Instagram and the first post was from @brunchwithbabs, and guess what she was making!

P.F. Chang’s is the restaurant first credited with putting lettuce wraps on the food map, and this menu staple is one of the most-copied items in the restaurant industry. There is an interesting article called Facts About P.F. Chang’s That Would Surprise You.

By Leslie Blythe

Red Bean Mooncake

I think you can learn so much about other cultures through food. My husband and I were invited to learn how to make Chinese Mooncakes, to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon’s roundness symbolizes harmony and prosperity, and the festival celebrates the harvest, often bringing together family members from near and far.

Our Chinese hosts prepared the dough and the filling for the Red Bean Mooncakes in advance and helped us roll out the dough, wrap it around the filling and press it into special molds before brushing with beaten egg and baking. We also made SuZhou-Style (salty, pork filled) Mooncakes.

At first, making these pastries seemed daunting but by the end we actually got the hang of it and our hosts called us experts, which was very generous of them!

By Leslie Blythe

Green Chili Egg Casserole

There are so many things to like about this Green Chili Egg Casserole. You can prepare it the day before ready to bake the next day or you can also bake it and freeze it into individual portions. Oh, and did I mention that it's absolutely delicious?!

By Leslie Blythe

Yang Chow Slippery Shrimp

Recently we had lunch at Yang Chow, home of the world-famous Slippery Shrimp. Chinatown's Yang Chow opened in 1977 and expanded to several more locations in Los Angeles. The origin of slippery shrimp, a curiously named dish of wok-fried shellfish in a sticky sweet sauce, can be traced to the ritzy Chinese American restaurants that dotted L.A. in the 1960s. It sounds really terrible, but I can assure you that it is addictive. The magic lies in the sauce, which is a combination of crushed chili, ginger, and vinegar, garlic and sugar, and finished with, yes, ketchup. It’s not a very glamorous Chinese restaurant, but this dish is a winner!

By Leslie Blythe

Kung Pao Chicken

This Kung Pao Chicken is a copycat version from Panda Express. I love Chinese takeout food, but I know that it’s very high in sodium and fat. This is classic Chinese dish is easy to recreate at home.

By Leslie Blythe

Crispy Orange Beef

Deep-Fried Doesn't Have to Mean Greasy, this beef only about 2 tablespoons of oil. Traditionally, Crispy Orange Beef is made by frying multiple batches of lightly battered beef in about 8 cups of oil. This recipe replaces the batter with a coating of cornstarch and freezing the dredged pieces of beef for easier handling as well as decreasing the oil. The sauce uses orange pith as well as zest to add complex bitter notes.

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken, Snow Peas and Baby Corn with Hoisin Sauce

This Chicken, Snow Peas and Baby Corn with Hoisin Sauce is a very easy and fast way to have dinner on the table after a busy day. The sweet and tangy Chinese hoisin sauce makes a great pairing with the chicken.

By Leslie Blythe

General Tso’s Cauliflower

This General Tso's Cauliflower is a lightened-up version of this classic takeout. It's every bit as delicious and satisfying as the fried version. Plus, it pleases vegetarians and meat-eaters alike
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By Leslie Blythe

Baby Bok Choy with Portobello Mushrooms & Ginger

Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage. Bok choy is a nutrient-dense vegetable and is a great food to incorporate into your diet because of its low calories and many health benefits, such as cancer prevention, healthy digestion, and a hefty serving of many vitamins and minerals. This Baby Bok Choy with Portobello Mushrooms & Ginger is very flavorful and quick and easy to prepare.

By Leslie Blythe