Chinese Mushroom Chicken Recipe

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a big fan of Asian food. I tried out the recipe below, and it turned out pretty well. Since I also like mushrooms, I will be making the Italian version of this dish as well. Stay tuned.

 Ingredients: 

10 oz. boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cubed

8 oz. of frozen mixed vegetables or zucchini

4 oz. mushrooms, halved

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 teaspoon Shao xing wine, or dry cooking sherry

2 tablespoons oil

4 slices peeled ginger

1 Chinese or unseeded habanero pepper, sliced (optional)

1 stalk scallion

Sauce: 

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

4 dashes white pepper powder

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Salt to taste

4 tablespoons water plus 1 teaspoon corn starch (to thicken the sauce). Alternatively, use 1  tablespoon of flour for the same effect.

Method: 

Marinate the chicken with wine, corn starch and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat up a frying pan and add oil. Add ginger, scallion and peppers.  Sautee until aromatic. Add chicken into the pot and stir until the chicken is half-cooked. Add mushrooms and  vegetables into the frying pan and continue to stir-fry. Add the sauce into the pan and quickly stir until the sauce nicely coats the chicken, mushrooms, and vegetables. Continue cooking for about 1 minute or until the chicken is done.

Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp

The ingredients below will make a dish that is reminiscent of Outback's coconut shrimp.

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup beer
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 24 shrimp
• 1 1/2 cups oil for frying

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons of orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon of mustard
• 1 tablespoon of horseradish
• 2 tablespoons  of water
• 1 tablespoon oil

 Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.
2. Hold shrimp by tail, and drag in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Fry shrimp until golden brown. Remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. 

I used coconut flakes that I grated myself to make this dish.

Directions for Dipping Sauce:

• Add 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of oil to a small saucepan. Bring mixture to boil. Then stir in the orange marmalade, mustard and horseradish. Serve.