Sunday, August 31, 2008

Soy-free Gum and Chocolate!

Good news! Soy-Free Sales, at http://www.soyfreesales.com/index.html, has soy-, nut-, peanut-, lactose-, dairy-, wheat-, gluten-, casein-, egg- and yeast- free gum!!! It comes in peppermint, cinnamon, bubblegum, and tangerine.

They also have a good selection of chocolate, including chocolate chips in bulk. The Soy-Free Kitchen will be testing these out shortly. . . .

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Moo Goo Gai Pan

sThe last time I went to a Chinese restaurant I was sick before we left, even though I had ordered only steamed shrimp, steamed rice, and sweet-and-sour sauce on the side. I blame cross-contamination in the kitchen (probably someone used a spoon that had been in another dish.)

But I love Chinese food.

So, to a avoid a long story and get straight to the recipe, here is our home-made:

Moo Goo Gai Pan

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 1" pieces
2 Tbs cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken broth (or 3/4 cup water + 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder)
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce, or 1 Tbs each Worcestershire and Maggi seasoning
1 tsp dark (Asian) sesame oil
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger (do not pack)
8 oz sliced button mushrooms (you can buy this amount in a carton in the produce section)
1/4 lb fresh snow peas (or 3/4 cup frozen green beans)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced the long way (not into rings)
2-3 tsp canola oil

Hint: start rice before you start this dish. Brown rice: start 20 minutes before, white rice: start just before.

1. Combine the chicken with 1 Tbs of the cornstarch in a medium bowl; toss well to coat and set aside. Combine the broth with the remaining 1 Tbs cornstarch, Worcestershire (or Worcestershire and Maggi) sauce, and sesame oil in a 1-cup glass measure; set aside.

2. Heat a 12" skillet (or a wok if you have one) over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the canola oil, then add the chicken. Stir-fry until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the mushtooms, snow peas or green beans, bell pepper, an onions, and stiry-fry until tender, 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the broth mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until it boils and thickens, and the chicken is just cooked through, 1-2 minutes.

Serve over rice.