Egg Drop Soup

 This soup is easy to make and very comforting when one is feeling ill, plus, a great first course for a Chinese meal (and a way to use left over egg white or egg yolk)

Per serving:

Bring to slow, boil:

2 c. broth or prepared chicken boullion
1 t. minced onion or 1/8 t. onion powder

If using fresh onion, cook until onion begins to become clear

Add, and stir with a fork:
1 egg, swiftly whipped with a fork, or equivalent egg white and or yolk

Cook until egg white is no longer clear

Mix and add:

1/4 c. water
2 T. cornstarch

Add to slow boiling soup and stir until cornstarch is no longer cloudy.

Add soy sauce to taste
Serve

Kung Po Chicken

 2 chicken breasts, boned, skinned & cut into bite size pieces

Combine in medium bowl:

1 egg white
1 t. cornstarch
pinch of salt

Add chicken to egg mixture and stir to coat

1 medium bell pepper, chunked
1 scallion or green onion, cut into short sections
1 T. thinly sliced ginger root or 1/4 t ginger powder (more if desired)
4 - 5 small dried red chiles, sliced into thin strips, discard seeds if you don't want the heat

For sauce, combine in small pitcher or cup:

2 T. bean sauce
1 t. rice wine or dry sherry
1 c. roasted cashew nuts

sesame oil

cooked white rice

Stir fry chicken until it is cooked through; remove and drain on towels. Add scallion, fresh ginger and peppers, stir fry about 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet or wok. Add sauce and blend well. Add cashews, stir well. Sprinkle with sesame oil and serve over rice.

(use the egg yolk in Egg Drop Soup)

Szechuan Chile Chicken

 1 lb chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite size pieces.

In medium bowl combine:

1/4 t. pepper
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice wine or dry sherry
2 t. cornstarch

Add chicken and marinate 25 - 30 minutes.

Cook white rice to serve 4.

Meanwhile:

1 clove garlic, crushed
2 scallions or green onions, cut into short sections with green and white pieces separated
4 - 6 small, dried red chiles, soaked and seeded (if you want the extra heat, leave the seeds)

Prepare:

1 cup chicken bouillon or broth

Heat oil in wok or skillet. Stir fry chicken 1 - 2 minutes until lightly brown. Add garlic, scallions (reserving green pieces for garnish) and chiles stir fry another 1 - 2 minutes. Add broth. Bring to boil and cover, cooking 5 - 6 minutes. Garnish with green pieces of scallion. Serve over rice.

Crispy Shredded Beef

12 oz. beef steak, such as sirloin
cut across the grain into thin strips
 

For the batter, combine:

2 eggs
1/4 t. salt
5 T. flour

Add a little water if it's too thick, batter should be the consistency of heavy cream.
Add beef and stir until meat is well coated.

For the skillet (keep in separate piles):

2 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 scallions (or green onion), cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (or 1/4 t. powdered garlic)
2 - 3 small, fresh chiles (choose your heat), seeded and thinly sliced (or equivalent dried)

For the sauce combine in small pitcher or cup:

4 T. sugar
3 T. rice vinegar
1 t. soy sauce
3 T. water
1 t. cornstarch

Cooked white rice

Heat vegetable oil in skillet or wok until hot. Add beef strips and fry 4 - 5 minutes, stirring to separate the shreds and cook all sides until brown. Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add carrots to oil and fry 1 - 1 1/2 minutes, remove with slotted spoon to join beef in separate pile. Pour off excess oil. Add scallions, garlic, chiles and return carrots to skillet/wok and stir fry 1 minute. Add the sauce, cook and stir until sauce is no longer cloudy. Add beef, stir to coat. Serve with rice with soy sauce available for garnish.

Flan (from Savoring the Southwest, 1983)

1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 can 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 can 14 oz. evaporated milk
2 c. whole milk
1 T. vanilla

In heavy skillet, melt sugar until caramelized, stirring consistently. Pour into 2-quart baking mold.
In large mixing bowl, beat eggs until lemon colored. Combine milks and vanilla with egg. Pour into baking mold.
Add water to a large baking dish. Place mold to stand in the water. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Huevos Rancheros

eggs
bacon
Green Chile Sauce
corn tortillas
cheddar cheese, grated
refried beans or cooked pinto beans, drained

Each serving consists of:
1 piece of bacon broken in half
1 egg
about 1/4 c. Green Chile Sauce
handful of cheese
about 1/4 c. beans
1 corn tortilla

In preparation of this meal: collect your supplies and prepare Green Chile Sauce based on the amount of servings you intend to cook

Fry bacon in large skillet until reaches desired level of doneness. Place on oven safe plate in low oven to keep warm. Reheat Green Chile Sauce and beans.
Cook tortillas, however many will fit in the skillet until soft. Pat away fat with paper towel and place on plates, however many per servings your diners desire. Spread beans on each tortilla. Fry eggs according to order, however many will fit in the skillet. Set an egg on each bean decked tortilla. Top with Green Chile Sauce, bacon and cheddar. Serve.

Picadillo

 Easy, fast, two pot meal

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 t. garlic powder
1 can 14 oz. diced tomatoes, with juice
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/4 c. sliced, pimento-stuffed olives
salt to taste
hot, cooked, white rice

Fry almonds over medium heat until golden, about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Drain skillet.

Brown beef with onion and garlic in skillet. Add remaining ingredients, except almonds, olives, salt and rice. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes until the pepper begins to get tender. Add almonds and olives stir. Season with salt to taste. Stir. Serve over rice.