Can You Guess What Day It Is?

Yeah, it’s National Chopstick Day. Don’t you just love those bowls made for chopsticks?

Every time Hubby and I take a moment to stroll the aisles at World Market, I am drawn to the chopstick rice bowls. I really do like them. But I have yet to buy any. Why? Well, we don’t eat enough rice or single bowl Chinese foods to justify such purchase. When we do have Chinese food, typically there is a lot of food. After all, variety is the spice of life.

Don’t let the lengthy recipes below stop you. The Orange Chicken begins with a box chicken that is simply improved upon. The Beijing Beef may look complicated, but it’s really more a matter of prep work than anything else. It won’t take long to cook once all the chopping and slicing is behind you. And the noodles are also a snap.

Take out may be great, but cooked at home is so much better. It’s hot, it’s to your liking and you have full control over the quality of ingredients. Besides, it’s fun to see the smiles on your family when they sit down to some of their favorite Chinese foods.

Chinese Chopstick Menu
Cheater’s Chinese Orange Chicken
Stir-Fry Beijing Beef
Chinese Fried Noodles

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Cheater’s Chinese Orange Chicken
2 packages Orange Chicken (Costco comes in a box with 2 packages inside)
1 Serrano Pepper
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold Water
4 tablespoons Orange Juice

Bake chicken according to package using the oven method.

While chicken is baking, Stem serrano pepper, dice and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with cold water, set aside.

Squeeze the orange sauce packets into a large skillet. Add orange juice, serrano pepper and cornstarch slurry. Heat over medium-low heat until sauce becomes a sticky glaze, stirring occasionally.

When chicken is done baking, place it in the skillet with orange sauce. Toss to coat, transfer to a serving platter or serving bowl.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

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Stir-Fry Beijing Beef
Beijing Sauce
4 tablespoons Water
4 tablespoons Sugar
3 tablespoons Ketchup
2 tablespoons Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper Flakes, more to taste
2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Mix sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and keep refrigerated until use.

Beef
1 lb Flank Steak
1 large Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Water
1 tablespoon Cornstarch

Cut steak into 1/4-inch thick strips across the grain. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg, salt, water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour egg mixture over the beef strips. Toss to coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the meat chills, prepare the vegetables.

Vegetables
2 Serrano Peppers
1 Garlic Clove
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion

Stem Serrano Peppers, cut into thin strips. Discard seeds for less heat, retain for more. Set peppers aside.

Peel and finely mince garlic, set aside. Stem and core bell peppers. Cut into chunks, set aside. Peel onion, cut into slivers and set aside.

To Stir-Fry Beef
6 tablespoons Cornstarch
Vegetable Oil for frying

Remove beef from the refrigerator. Place cornstarch in a pie tin. Working with a few strips of beef at a time, remove from bowl, shake off excess egg mixture. Dredge in the cornstarch, coat well while shaking off excess cornstarch. Lay meat on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet to rest. Repeat until all the meat has been dredge and is ready to fry.

Heat up a wok with oil to 350-degrees. Fry the marinated sliced beef until it is crispy, working in batches if necessary. Remove beef strips to a rack. Drain oil from wok.

To Stir-Fry Vegetables
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil for frying

Reheat the wok with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add garlic, stir fry for 5 seconds. Add peppers and onion. Stir and fold for about 30 seconds to heat through.

To Finish Beijing Beef
Add sauce into the wok. When sauce boils, return fried beef to wok. Stir and fold until beef is covered in sauce. Place finished Beijing Beef into dish.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

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Chinese Fried Noodles
8 oz Asian Noodles
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Carrot
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Green Onions
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
2 tablespoons Grapeseed or Vegetable Oil
Sesame Seeds, garnish

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the instructions on the packet. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Let noodles drain for a few minutes after rinsing, then place in a bowl and toss with the sesame oil.

While the noodles are draining, peel and cut the carrot into fine matchstick strips, set aside. Slice the green onion into thin slices, set aside. Finely chop the garlic clove, set aside.

Heat the grapeseed or vegetable oil in a large high-sided skillet or wok over high temperature. Fry the carrot strips for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and noodles and fry briefly. Deglaze the pan with soy and hoisin sauce. Toss well to blend all the flavors together.

Transfer noodles to a serving bowl. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy.