Sodium Free Shrimp Chow Mein

My youngest sister, Adrienne, is dealing with a health concern that requires her to eat a low sodium diet.  She requested I try my hand at creating a low sodium chow mein recipe.  My goal ended up creating a chow mein recipe without any added sodium.  While researching the elusive umami flavor, that flavor that is pivotal to Chinese and Japanese cuisine such as chow mien, I learned some cool stuff about what flavors really give the umami flavor in recipes.  Monosodium glutamate is the flavor compound that we have come to call the fifth flavor of umami.  Oyster mushrooms are high in glutamates, the highest content of all mushrooms.  My recipe uses the umami of oyster mushrooms to replace soy sauce and oyster sauce, the two ingredients used in traditional chow mein sauce.  

Chow Mein is one of the yummiest Chinese take out items on the menu.  This is all homemade.

Shrimp Chow Mein Ingredients:

Chinese Noodles (homemade noodles recipe below)
2 packages Oyster Mushrooms
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Carrots
6 cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 bunch of Green Onions
1 head of Napa Cabbage
3 inch piece of Ginger
4 cups Water
2 lbs. Raw Deveined Shrimp
Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

Chinese Noodle Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
3 Eggs
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
3/4 cup Tapioca Flour
6 tablespoons Water

Combine all dry ingredients for noodles together in a mixer bowl and mix completely
with a paddle attachment.

Beat eggs and water together, then add to the flour mixture.   Knead with a
dough hook for 5 minutes.

Using a pasta machine, roll dough to the number 2 thickness and cut with the spaghetti cutter.
Use tapioca flour to keep the noodles separated.

Boil a large pot of water.  Boil noodles for 30 seconds.

Drain noodles well.

Peel ginger and onion.  Cut onion in half.  Add half the mushrooms without the stems, garlic,
and 3 cups of water to a pressure cooker pot.  Cook ingredients on high for 10 minutes.
 This will be the sauce for the chow mein.

Puree sauce from the pressure cooker in a blender.

Pour sauce into a small pan and cook over low to medium heat until reduced by half.

Cut carrots, bell peppers, and green onions into 1/4 inch matchsticks.  

Cut cabbage and remaining oyster mushrooms into chunks.

Preheat wok over high heat.  Be prepared for smoke and have windows and fans on to
circulate the air.  Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok and begin stir frying carrots.

Next add the bell pepper and stir.

Have ingredients ready and waiting next to the wok.

Add shrimp and more oil.  Stir fry until the shrimp is pink and opaque.

Add more oil to flavor.

Now for the cabbage, green onions, and mushrooms.  Stir fry.

Add noodles and stir.

Stir fry with some more oil if needed.  We want the noodles to be slightly crispy on the outside.

Push sauce through a sieve over chow mein.

Stir and cook for minute or two more and serve.

Enjoy!

Sodium Free Shrimp Chow Mein

Printable Recipe Found Here

Shrimp Chow Mein Ingredients:

Chinese Noodles (homemade noodles recipe below)
2 packages Oyster Mushrooms
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Carrots
6 cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 bunch of Green Onions
1 head of Napa Cabbage
3 inch piece of Ginger
4 cups Water
2 lbs Raw Deveined Shrimp
Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

Chinese Noodle Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
3 Eggs
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
3/4 cup Tapioca Flour
6 tablespoons Water

Chinese Noodle Process:

Combine all dry ingredients for noodles together in a mixer bowl and mix completely with a paddle attachment.

Beat eggs and water together then add to the flour mixture.   Knead with a dough hook for 5 minutes.

Using a pasta machine, roll dough to number 2 thickness and cut with the spaghetti cutter.  Use tapioca flour to keep the noodles separated.

Boil a large pot of water.  Boil noodles for 30 seconds.

Drain noodles well.

Shrimp Chow Mein Process:

Peel ginger and onion, cut onion in half.  Add half the mushrooms without the stems, garlic, and 3 cups water to a pressure cooker pot.  Cook ingredients on high for 10 minutes.  This will be the sauce for the chow mein.

Preheat wok over high heat.  Be prepared for smoke and have windows and fans on to circulate the air.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to wok and begin stir frying carrots.

Next add the bell pepper and stir.

Have ingredients ready and waiting next to the wok.

Add shrimp and more oil.  Stir fry until the shrimp is pink and opaque.

Add more oil to flavor.

Now for the cabbage, green onions, and mushrooms.  Stir fry.

Add noodles and stir.

Stir fry with some more oil if needed.  We want the noodles to be slightly crispy on the outside.

Push sauce through a sieve over chow mein.

Stir and cook for minute or two more and serve.

Enjoy!

Beef Stir Fry

My family went to Maryland to visit friends two and a half weeks ago and I completely left my laptop power supply and cord at our friends house.  It was torture.  I had to read and send emails on my phone and auto correct made it impossible to write intelligible emails.  When it comes to my recipes, I couldn't upload my photo's and edit them and post on my blog.  I am so sorry for not posting sooner. Thankfully, my friend brought me my cord and I can now leave my computer power rationing behind me and post all the recipes that I have ready to share.  Hopefully the recipes I have to share make up for my absence, be brutal, you can chastise me if these recipes don't hold up to what you expected from my absence.  Okay, now that I have explained and given my pathetic excuse for not blogging, here you go, the moment you have been waiting for.  

This recipe came about after a night of wanting to make an easy dinner, and no I didn't photograph it. My husband took the leftovers to work and he and his co-worker shared them.  The co-worker being Fernando, you remember him right?  Anyway he said, this is very good stir fry.  She's gonna post this right?  To which I said, no I didn't photograph the process, and he said well then you have to make it again.  Finally, I made it again, and photographed my process.  This is a simple stir-fry, as in a few ingredients but with a lot of flavor and color.  I love stir-fry's because of the color and all the vegetables you can cook together.  Stir fry is like the Chinese equivalent of the American casserole but a lot faster and maybe even healthier?  Who knows, anyway recipe time.

 I have an extreme need to create a rainbow when stir-frying, the taste and textures worked well.

Ingredients for this recipe are:

2 lbs. Stir fry Beef (Yes, that's right I let the butcher cut the beef, and it was at an Asian market, so I figured I was good to go.)
1 Yellow Crookneck Squash
1 Zucchini
1 Crown of Broccoli
2 Carrots
1 Yellow Bell Pepper (If you can get red, use red)
1 Package of Baby Bella Mushrooms
5 Green Onions
2 tablespoons Better than Boullian Beef Flavor
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
4 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
4 tablespoons Chinese Spice Sauce
1 1/2 cups Water
Cornstarch
Vegetable Oil

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil and 2 tablespoons spice
sauce in a small bowl and whisk together.  Place beef in a large bowl, pour sauce onto beef and stir.
Allow beef to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Rinse all vegetables.  Cut squash and zucchini into half moon slices, 1/4 inch thick.  Cut carrots at a slight angle and into slices.  Cut bell peppers into 1/4 sticks.  Cut mushrooms into slices.  Cut green onion also at an angle and include white part.  Place harder vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers together.  Place softer vegetables together, the squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green
onions.  Organizing the vegetables will allow you to stir fry them more quickly and also reminds
 you which vegetables will need to go in first since they take longer to stir fry.  

A word of warning, stir frying is accomplished in a preheated wok at the highest temperature
your burner can provide.  Turn on exhaust fans and open windows, this will be a very smoking
 hot process.

Mix the rest of the soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil, and spice sauce

Once you have everything you need next to your wok, you can start, I mean everything.  You need
all ingredients, the remaining sauces/oil mixed together and of course a wok spatula.  Preheat the
wok over high heat.  When you begin to see smoke add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and half
 the beef. We don't want to crowd the beef, we want to sear it quickly.  Continually move the beef around the wok, one layer.  When you see an even seer all over the beef immediately remove the
beef to the bowl you had at the ready and repeat with the remaining beef.

 That beef is done.  Yes, you will create a lot of smoke, hence the need for excellent ventilation.

Place the wok back on the high burner.  Add another 2 tablespoons oil and the hard vegetables:
broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers.  Stir and add 1/4 cup water, cover with lid and allow to steam just until the vegetables are bright and slightly cooked.  Stir fry vegetables are NOT MUSHY, really they aren't.  My husband dislikes mushy vegetables thankfully.  Remove lid and add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, stir fry until softened.  Add the sauce and stir.

Bring back the beef, and add the water, stir until thoroughly combined.  Mix a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and cold water, start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and enough cold water to create
slurry.  Move the stir fry enough to create a small opening to see the sauce, when you see it is
 bubbling, add the cornstarch and stir.  When the sauce is your desired thickness it is done.

 Add the green onions and serve over steamed rice.

  

Enjoy!

Beef Stir Fry

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Stir fry Beef (pre-sliced beef stir fry)

1 Yellow Crookneck Squash

1 Zucchini

1 Crown of Broccoli

2 Carrots

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Package of Baby Bella Mushrooms

5 Green Onions

2 tablespoons Better than Boullian Beef Flavor

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

4 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

4 tablespoons Chinese Spice Sauce

1 1/2 cups Water

Cornstarch

Vegetable Oil

Process:

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil and 2 tablespoons spice sauce in a small bowl, whisk together.  Place beef in a large bowl, pour sauce onto beef and stir.  Allow beef to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Rinse all vegetables.  Cut squash and zucchini into half moon slices, 1/4 inch thick.  Cut carrots at a slight angle and into slices.  Cut bell peppers into 1/4 sticks.  Cut mushrooms into slices.  Cut green onion also at an angle and include white part.  Place harder vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and bell pepper together.  Place softer vegetables together, the squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green onions.  Organizing the vegetables will allow you to stir fry them more quickly and also reminds you which vegetables will need to go in first since they take longer to stir fry.  

A ward of warning, stir frying is accomplished in a preheated wok at the highest temperature your burner can provide.  Turn on exhaust fans and open windows, this will be a very smoking hot process.

Mix the rest of the soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil, and spice sauce

Once you have everything you need next to your wok you can start, I mean everything.  You need all ingredients, the remaining sauces/oil mixed together and of course a wok spatula.  

Preheat the wok over high heat.  When you begin to see smoke add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and half the beef. We don't want to crowd the beef, we want to sear it quickly.  Continually move the beef around the wok, one layer.  When you see an even seer all over the beef immediately remove the beef tot he bowl you had at the ready and repeat with the remaining beef.

Place wok back on the high burner.  Add another 2 tablespoons oil and the hard vegetables: broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers.  Stir and add 1/4 cup water, cover with lid and allow to steam just until the vegetables are bright and slightly cooked.  Stir fry vegetables are NOT MUSHY, really they aren't.  My husband dislikes mushy vegetables thankfully.  Remove lid and add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, stir fry until softened.  Add the sauce and stir.

Bring back the beef, and add the water, stir until thoroughly combined.  Mix a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and cold water, start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and enough cold water to create slurry.  Move the stir fry enough to create a small opening to see the sauce, when you see is bubbling add the cornstarch and stir.  When the sauce is your desired thickness it is done.

Add the green onions and serve over steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Hoisin Sauce

Chinese food is another of my favorite ethnic cuisine's to cook. It help's that we have a Chinese teenager living with us, to give me his honest opinion about how far off the mark I was with authenticity.  I bought a frozen duck from Costco, my very first attempt at preparing duck and also my first time eating it too.  I wanted to have sauce with the duck that any self-respecting Chinese family would serve with Peking Duck.  Hoisin seemed to be my best bet for authenticity and I had all the ingredients on hand already.  This is a super easy recipe to prepare. 

This is a bottle of yummy Chinese goodness, just waiting to be put on your Peking Duck.
Don't worry, I'll show you how to make Peking Duck in another post.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (Dark Brown Sugar can be substituted)
2 teaspoons Brown Rice Vinegar (rice Vinegar can be substituted)
1 Clove of Garlic
2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
1 teaspoon Hot Sauce (I used my homemade hot sauce, recipe found here)
1/8 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

 Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

 You now have Hoisin Sauce!

Pour into a squeeze bottle or lidded container.

Enjoy!

Hoisin Sauce

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter

1 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (Dark Brown Sugar can be substituted)

2 teaspoons Brown Rice Vinegar (Rice Vinegar can be substituted)

1 Clove of Garlic

2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

1 teaspoon Hot Sauce 

1/8 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Process:

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a squeeze bottle or lidded container.

Enjoy!