Shall we start a bunch of ideas for Rhetta's next church culinary groups to choose from?? I think she said they only have 2-3 hours, so will try to keep within that framework...
First of all, Rhetta, no matter what you serve, please really think about these little goodies Spicy Wonton chips - they are so fast and easy and good, they probably will not get out of the kitchen!
* Exported from MasterCook *
WON TON CHIPS - SWEET & SPICY
12 wonton wrappers
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. wasabi powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. grd. red pepper
Cut the wrappers in half diagonally to create 24 triangles, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush the triangles with the sesame oil.
Combine the sugar, wasabi powder, salt & cayenne; sprinkle evenly over triangles.
Bake at 400° for 5 min. or till lightly browned & crisp
Description:
"a Cooking Light recipe"
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Here are some really good stir fry tips if you're not real familiar with this type of cooking - just keep in the back of your mind while you're having fun...(if this is old hat to you, please just ignore!
_
Stir-Fry Tips
1. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need ahead of time.
2. Make sure all the food is cut according to directions before you start. Never try to prepare food while stir-frying.
3. For even cooking, cut all the ingredients the same size.
4. If not following a recipe, cut all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
5. Pre-heat the wok on medium-high to high heat for at least a minute before adding oil. (You may want to skip this step if you have a nonstick pan - it can damage the coating.)
6. Add the oil (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons depending on the dish; peanut, canola or other vegetable oils are good) drizzling it so that it coats both the sides and the bottom of the wok. The oil heats faster this way.
7. Before adding other ingredients, season the oil by cooking a few pieces of garlic and ginger. (Note: you may want to reduce the heat at this point to keep them from burning).
8. If the recipe calls for meat and vegetables, cook the meat first and then set it aside. Add the meat back when the vegetables are almost cooked. This ensures that the meat is not overcooked, and that the meat and vegetables retain their individual flavors.
9. Meat is normally stir-fried on high heat to seal in the juices (individual recipes can differ).
10. Never add more than a cup of meat at a time to the wok. Lay the meat out flat to cook.
11. Remove the meat from the wok when it changes color - for example the redness in the beef is gone. At this point the meat is approximately 80 percent cooked.
12. Stir-fry vegetables according to density, with the densest vegetables being stir-fried first and for the longest time. Denser vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and eggplant require more cooking time than green leafy vegetables such as bok choy.
13. If you're uncertain about the order in which to stir-fry vegetables, the simplest solution is to stir-fry them separately, one at a time.
14. If possible, wash the vegetables ahead of time to ensure that they have drained and are not too wet.
15. Alternately, if the vegetables are too dry, try adding a few drops of water while stir-frying.
16. When stir-frying meat, wait a few seconds before tossing so that it has a chance to brown; when stir-frying vegetables, begin moving them immediately.
17. When adding sauce to vegetables and/or meat, form a "well" in the middle by pushing the ingredients up the sides of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and stir to thicken before combining with the other ingredients.
18. Once the dish is completed, taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
19. Serve the stir-fried dish immediately.
20. Finally, a few words about cooking temperatures. Some recipes give instructions on whether to cook a dish at high, medium-high, or medium heat, but others don't. In Chinese Home Cooking, Helen Chen suggests starting to cook at medium-high heat and then adjusting the temperature up or down as needed on your model of stove. Another option is to have a second burner set on medium heat that you can quickly move the wok to if you feel the food is cooking too fast.
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I'll just post a couple of dishes that serves 50 and see if this the direction you want to go
* Exported from MasterCook *
Stir-Fried Beef with Sugar Snap Peas
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 ounces cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/4 gallons cold water
4 ounces beef soup base
4 ounces molasses
8 ounces soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5 pounds tender beef strips
1 1/2 ounces minced garlic
4 pounds sugar snap peas
3 pounds canned water chestnuts -- sliced, drained
56 ounces converted rice
4 1/4 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons margarine
Combine sugar, pepper, and cornstarch in steam-jacketed or other kettle.
Add gradually to dry ingredients, stirring constantly with wire whip. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and looks clear. Reduce heat. Cover and keep warm for use in final step.
Pour enough vegetable oil into a large or tilting frypan just to cover bottom of pan. Heat to 375°F. Add beef strips. Stir-fry until done, 155°F.
Add garlic, sugar snap peas, and water chestnuts to beef and stir-fry until peas are tender-crisp.
Stir in sauce reserved from earlier step. Serve immediately.
Cook rice according to directions on p. 399. Serve 7 oz beef mixture over 4 oz cooked rice.
Snow peas may be substituted for sugar snap peas.
Caramel color may be used to darken sauce.
----
and
* Exported from MasterCook *
Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
4 1/2 quarts cold water
2 2/3 cups soy sauce
1 1/2 ounces chicken base
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 ounces minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper -- crushed
4 ounces sesame seed oil
7 ounces cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger -- thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 pounds raw chicken -- cut in strips
2 pounds water chestnuts -- sliced, drained
1 pound fresh mushrooms -- sliced
2 pounds chinese cabbage -- 1-inch slices
24 ounces broccoli florets
6 ounces green onions -- 1-inch slices
56 ounces converted rice
4 1/4 quarts boiling water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Prepare sauce by blending together the liquids, spices, and cornstarch. Stir with a wire whip until well blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and translucent. Stir often during cooking. Keep hot (above 165°F). Save for later step.
Sauté ginger and garlic in hot oil for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add chicken and cook until done, 165°F, stirring often during cooking.
Add water chestnuts and mushrooms to the cooked chicken. Stir-fry until mushrooms are softened. Add Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and onions. Stir-fry for an additional 2-3 minutes, until vegetables are barely tender.
Pour hot sauce reserved from earlier step over chicken-vegetable mixture.
Cook rice according to directions on p. 399. Serve 4 oz chicken-vegetable mixture over 4 oz rice.
VARIATIONS:
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry. Substitute beef strips for chicken, and beef base for chicken base. Reduce water chestnuts to 1 lb 8 oz and Chinese cabbage to 1 lb 6 oz. Increase broccoli to 3 lb and mushrooms to 1 lb.
Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry. Follow recipe for Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry. Use a total of 7 lb assorted vegetables. Select from broccoli florets, carrots, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions (green or mature), snow peas, or sugar snap peas.
Pork Stir-Fry. Substitute pork loin strips for chicken.
Tofu Stir-Fry. Delete chicken. Just before serving, gently stir in 3 lb diced (1/4-inch) tofu. Substitute vegetable base for chicken base if desired.
Vegetable Stir-Fry. Delete chicken. Increase vegetables to 12 lb. Select from bell peppers (any color), broccoli florets, carrots, cauliflower florets, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions (green or mature_, snow peas, sugar snap peas, summer squash, or zucchini.
-------
Hope these will get you started on your menu!!
First of all, Rhetta, no matter what you serve, please really think about these little goodies Spicy Wonton chips - they are so fast and easy and good, they probably will not get out of the kitchen!
* Exported from MasterCook *
WON TON CHIPS - SWEET & SPICY
12 wonton wrappers
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. wasabi powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. grd. red pepper
Cut the wrappers in half diagonally to create 24 triangles, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush the triangles with the sesame oil.
Combine the sugar, wasabi powder, salt & cayenne; sprinkle evenly over triangles.
Bake at 400° for 5 min. or till lightly browned & crisp
Description:
"a Cooking Light recipe"
----------
Here are some really good stir fry tips if you're not real familiar with this type of cooking - just keep in the back of your mind while you're having fun...(if this is old hat to you, please just ignore!
_Stir-Fry Tips
1. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need ahead of time.
2. Make sure all the food is cut according to directions before you start. Never try to prepare food while stir-frying.
3. For even cooking, cut all the ingredients the same size.
4. If not following a recipe, cut all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
5. Pre-heat the wok on medium-high to high heat for at least a minute before adding oil. (You may want to skip this step if you have a nonstick pan - it can damage the coating.)
6. Add the oil (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons depending on the dish; peanut, canola or other vegetable oils are good) drizzling it so that it coats both the sides and the bottom of the wok. The oil heats faster this way.
7. Before adding other ingredients, season the oil by cooking a few pieces of garlic and ginger. (Note: you may want to reduce the heat at this point to keep them from burning).
8. If the recipe calls for meat and vegetables, cook the meat first and then set it aside. Add the meat back when the vegetables are almost cooked. This ensures that the meat is not overcooked, and that the meat and vegetables retain their individual flavors.
9. Meat is normally stir-fried on high heat to seal in the juices (individual recipes can differ).
10. Never add more than a cup of meat at a time to the wok. Lay the meat out flat to cook.
11. Remove the meat from the wok when it changes color - for example the redness in the beef is gone. At this point the meat is approximately 80 percent cooked.
12. Stir-fry vegetables according to density, with the densest vegetables being stir-fried first and for the longest time. Denser vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and eggplant require more cooking time than green leafy vegetables such as bok choy.
13. If you're uncertain about the order in which to stir-fry vegetables, the simplest solution is to stir-fry them separately, one at a time.
14. If possible, wash the vegetables ahead of time to ensure that they have drained and are not too wet.
15. Alternately, if the vegetables are too dry, try adding a few drops of water while stir-frying.
16. When stir-frying meat, wait a few seconds before tossing so that it has a chance to brown; when stir-frying vegetables, begin moving them immediately.
17. When adding sauce to vegetables and/or meat, form a "well" in the middle by pushing the ingredients up the sides of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and stir to thicken before combining with the other ingredients.
18. Once the dish is completed, taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
19. Serve the stir-fried dish immediately.
20. Finally, a few words about cooking temperatures. Some recipes give instructions on whether to cook a dish at high, medium-high, or medium heat, but others don't. In Chinese Home Cooking, Helen Chen suggests starting to cook at medium-high heat and then adjusting the temperature up or down as needed on your model of stove. Another option is to have a second burner set on medium heat that you can quickly move the wok to if you feel the food is cooking too fast.
----------
I'll just post a couple of dishes that serves 50 and see if this the direction you want to go
* Exported from MasterCook *
Stir-Fried Beef with Sugar Snap Peas
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 ounces cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/4 gallons cold water
4 ounces beef soup base
4 ounces molasses
8 ounces soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5 pounds tender beef strips
1 1/2 ounces minced garlic
4 pounds sugar snap peas
3 pounds canned water chestnuts -- sliced, drained
56 ounces converted rice
4 1/4 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons margarine
Combine sugar, pepper, and cornstarch in steam-jacketed or other kettle.
Add gradually to dry ingredients, stirring constantly with wire whip. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and looks clear. Reduce heat. Cover and keep warm for use in final step.
Pour enough vegetable oil into a large or tilting frypan just to cover bottom of pan. Heat to 375°F. Add beef strips. Stir-fry until done, 155°F.
Add garlic, sugar snap peas, and water chestnuts to beef and stir-fry until peas are tender-crisp.
Stir in sauce reserved from earlier step. Serve immediately.
Cook rice according to directions on p. 399. Serve 7 oz beef mixture over 4 oz cooked rice.
Snow peas may be substituted for sugar snap peas.
Caramel color may be used to darken sauce.
----
and
* Exported from MasterCook *
Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
4 1/2 quarts cold water
2 2/3 cups soy sauce
1 1/2 ounces chicken base
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 ounces minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper -- crushed
4 ounces sesame seed oil
7 ounces cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger -- thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 pounds raw chicken -- cut in strips
2 pounds water chestnuts -- sliced, drained
1 pound fresh mushrooms -- sliced
2 pounds chinese cabbage -- 1-inch slices
24 ounces broccoli florets
6 ounces green onions -- 1-inch slices
56 ounces converted rice
4 1/4 quarts boiling water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Prepare sauce by blending together the liquids, spices, and cornstarch. Stir with a wire whip until well blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and translucent. Stir often during cooking. Keep hot (above 165°F). Save for later step.
Sauté ginger and garlic in hot oil for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add chicken and cook until done, 165°F, stirring often during cooking.
Add water chestnuts and mushrooms to the cooked chicken. Stir-fry until mushrooms are softened. Add Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and onions. Stir-fry for an additional 2-3 minutes, until vegetables are barely tender.
Pour hot sauce reserved from earlier step over chicken-vegetable mixture.
Cook rice according to directions on p. 399. Serve 4 oz chicken-vegetable mixture over 4 oz rice.
VARIATIONS:
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry. Substitute beef strips for chicken, and beef base for chicken base. Reduce water chestnuts to 1 lb 8 oz and Chinese cabbage to 1 lb 6 oz. Increase broccoli to 3 lb and mushrooms to 1 lb.
Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry. Follow recipe for Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry. Use a total of 7 lb assorted vegetables. Select from broccoli florets, carrots, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions (green or mature), snow peas, or sugar snap peas.
Pork Stir-Fry. Substitute pork loin strips for chicken.
Tofu Stir-Fry. Delete chicken. Just before serving, gently stir in 3 lb diced (1/4-inch) tofu. Substitute vegetable base for chicken base if desired.
Vegetable Stir-Fry. Delete chicken. Increase vegetables to 12 lb. Select from bell peppers (any color), broccoli florets, carrots, cauliflower florets, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions (green or mature_, snow peas, sugar snap peas, summer squash, or zucchini.
-------
Hope these will get you started on your menu!!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com
