Everyone has experienced the intense and unrelenting feeling of craving Chinese takeout. Whether it hits you when you’re staying in to watch a movie, brainstorming what to feed friends that are coming over, or because you are just plain tired of the food in your dining hall, there is truly only one cure: copious amounts of Chinese food.
Unfortunately, while Chinese takeout is no doubt delicious, the ingredients are often pretty sketchy and you usually end up spending way too much money for a bunch of dishes you picked randomly from the online menu.
Luckily, there is a solution for these Chinese takeout troubles: simple and delicious Chinese dishes you can make at home. Armed with recipes for a classic Chinese appetizer, entree, and dessert, you can now satisfy your next craving with a mouthwatering, home-cooked feast made from inexpensive (and recognizable) ingredients.
1. Appetizer: Vegetable Lo Mein
Prep Time: 25
Cook Time: 5
Total Time: 30
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
8 oz lo mein egg noodles, cooked according to package instructions
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
½ cup snow peas
2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, pepper, and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
2. Stir in snow peas and spinach for about 3 minutes or until spinach has wilted.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
3. Stir in egg noodles and soy sauce. Serve immediately.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
Recipe adapted from: Damn Delicious
2. Entree: Lettuce Wraps
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
8 oz can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 head butter lettuce
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook 3-5 minutes until browned, making sure to split up the chicken as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
2. Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce until onions become translucent (should be about 1 minute).
Photo by Ashton Caudle
3. Spoon out portions onto individual pieces of lettuce.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
Recipe adapted from: Damn Delicious
3. Dessert: Fortune Cookie
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Servings: 1
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup unbleached flour
½ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Optional:
Chocolate (for melting)
Sprinkles
Ice cream (any flavor)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare a greased cookie sheet. Stir together eggs and vanilla extract until foamy. Mix in flour, sugar, and salt.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
2. Pour the batter onto the cookie sheet, tilting the sheet to make sure the batter is in a round shape. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
3. Remove the cookie from the oven, flipping it upside down on a flat surface. Bring the opposite edges of the cookie together, as if you’re folding it in half. However, be careful as to not break the cookie when doing so. Pinching the bottom corners of the fold, bend the cookie to form a C. Place the folded cookie in a narrow bowl or cup to keep its shape until firm.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
If you want to get fancy:
4. When the cookie has become hard, melt the chocolate in the microwave. Dip the corners of the cookie into the chocolate and pour sprinkles, shaking off any excess. Scoop out your ice cream of choice, placing it wherever you desire.
Photo by Ashton Caudle
Recipe adopted from: Tori Spelling
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