Homemade Chinese Dinner

My family loves Chinese food, but I hate forking out $50 to eat out so I had to come up with a way to get our fix without breaking the bank. I googled Mongolian Beef and found a recipe to give me a launching point. I also use a friend's recipe idea to make our own version of lemon chicken. I am still trying to figure out how to make orange chicken, so if you know a sauce recipe let me know!

Here's how I make the Mongolian Beef:

1 1/2 -3 lbs cube steak cut into strips (depending on how many almost teenage boys you are feeding)
oil or lard
cornstarch
1/2 yellow onion sliced
1 TBS chopped fresh Garlic
1 TBS chopped fresh Ginger
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth (you could just use water)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 bunch green onions sliced

First I cut the cube steak with my kitchen shears. If I use a knife it just is a pain because the meat has been tenderized so much. I then coat the meat with the cornstarch and set aside.

Next I get the sauce going. Saute the ginger and garlic in a sauce pan for a minute or so with light oil, but do not let them scorch. Add the soy sauce, broth, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Set the sauce aside.

Brown the meat and onions in a fry pan. Cook until the meat thoroughly. Add the sauce and simmer for a few more minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly with the cornstarch from the meat. Garnish with the green onions. Ask your family to keep their fingers out of the pan until the rest of the meal is finished cooking.

Now for the Lemon Chicken:

1-2 lbs cubed chicken breast
2-3 eggs beaten
3-4 cups flour
garlic powder
seasoned salt
pepper
oil or lard

1 jar lemon curd
2 TBS honey
1/4 cup vegetable broth


In a ziploc bag add the flour, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper (add the spice amounts to your personal taste). In a bowl combine the chicken cubes and eggs until the chicken is completely coated. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time to the flour bag. Shake vigorously to coat the chicken. Add chicken to a fry pan and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan into a towel lined bowl. Repeat until all of your chicken is cooked.

While the chicken is frying you can work on the sauce. Add lemon curd, honey, and broth to a sauce pan. Heat until thoroughly mixed, but do not boil. You can leave the sauce to add to each dish or you can add the sauce to your bowl of chicken and mix is all at once.

Make up some steamed rice and a bit of broccoli and you have Chinese food at home! Enjoy!

Until next time,


This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam