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Happy Birthday, Dad! A Chinese Feast!

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My dad is a wonderful chef in his own right. After retiring from the U.S. Navy, he taught in the culinary program at Oxnard College. He wasn’t ready to retire fully, and I’m not surprised since he has a love for cooking. However, I know that as he gets older, he should probably start looking into retirement, as should most people who are thinking of retiring. If you haven’t already taken the time to consider your retirement options then you need to do so. It will make your life a lot easier as you get older. That being said, you should only retire when you are ready to do so. Just like my dad, he’s not ready to retire, but I’m sure he’ll let us know when he is. So for the time being he will stick with his culinary program at Oxnard College and cook food fit for royalty! Anyway, as you might have gathered, his birthday is coming up soon. So, we wanted to create a special culinary experience for his birthday. John, my brother, and I created a Chinese food feast! We started with Pork and Vegetable Eggrolls and enjoyed dish, after dish, of wonderful entrees full of flavor.
Pork and Vegetable Eggrolls
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 24 Eggrolls
Prep time:
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Ingredients
  • Filling
  • 1 pound Pork Loin, finely minced
  • 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • ½ pound mixed Sprouts
  • 1 Cup Green Onions cut into 1-inch pieces, then cut again vertically
  • 1 Cup Celery, finely diced
  • 1 Cup Carrots, julienned
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • Eggrolls
  • 24 Eggroll Wrappers
  • 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon Water
  • 4 Cups Vegetable oil
Instructions
  1. Filling
  2. Marinate pork in Tablespoons Soy Sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat Canola Oil in a wok over high heat.
  4. Stir-fry the pork until cooked through.
  5. Place in a 9 x 13 inch pan and set aside.
  6. Wipe the wok out with a paper towel.
  7. Heat 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil in the wok.
  8. Stir-fry garlic and vegetables, until softened.
  9. Return the cooked pork to the wok and stir with vegetables until thoroughly heated.
  10. Sprinkle with about a Tablespoon Soy Sauce, and Salt & Pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
  11. Return filling to 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside to cool.
  12. For Eggrolls
  13. After about ½ hour, stir together 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch and 3 Tablespoons Water in a small dish.
  14. Place Eggroll Wrapper in a diamond with a corner pointed towards you.
  15. Spoon 2 - 3 Tablespoons Pork and Vegetable filling in the middle.
  16. Fold bottom corner up to the middle, fold the side corners to the middle, then dip your finger into the Cornstarch mixture and run it along the edges of the top of the diamond.
  17. Fold the top corner into the middle, and press to secure.
  18. Heat 4 cups Canola Oil in a deep pan - test for heat by dropping a small piece of an eggroll wrapper into the oil until it floats.
  19. Fry 2 - 3 Eggrolls at a time until golden brown.
  20. Drain on paper towels.
  21. Serve warm with Chili Oil, Plum Sauce, Sweet Chili Oil, and Soy Sauce.

Orange Beef

Orange Beef
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 6 - 8 servings
Prep time:
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Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds London Broil sliced into thin pieces.
  • 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon White Sherry
  • 2 teaspoons white Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
  • Peel of 1 Orange cut into thin 1-inch strips
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • Juice of 1 Orange
  • 5 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1 White Onion cut into wedges
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 cups Beef Broth
  • ¼ cup White Sherry
  • 4 - 5 drops Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
  1. Slice 1½ pounds London Broil into thin pieces.
  2. Whisk together Soy Sauce, White Sherry, 2 teaspoons Sugar, Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce and pour over meat to marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Peel one Orange and cut peel into thin 1-inch strips and toss with 1 Tablespoon Sugar.
  4. Juice the Orange.
  5. Heat 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil in a wok and stir-fry the beef until it's cooked through.
  6. Place cooked beef in a clean bowl and wipe wok out with a paper towel.
  7. Add 2 more Tablespoons Canola Oil to wok and stir-fry onion and garlic.
  8. When Onions begin to soften, return cooked beef to the wok with the candied orange peel, Orange Juice, Beef Broth, White Sherry, and 4 - 5 drops Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.2 Tablespoons Cornstarch dissolved in water.
  9. Continue to stir until sauce becomes clear and thick.
  10. Serve hot with rice.


Shrimp and Scallops with Snow Peas, Bamboo Shoots, and Water Chestnuts

Shrimp and Scallops with Snow Peas, Bamboo Shoots, and Water Chestnuts
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 6 - 8 servings
Prep time:
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Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Green Onions cut into 1-inch pieces, then cut again vertically
  • 1 Cup Celery, finely diced
  • 1 Cup Carrots, julienned
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 pound Snow Peas
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups Seafood Broth
  • 1 pound Shrimp, cleaned and deveined
  • 1 pound Sea Scallops
  • 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1 can Bamboo Shoots, drained
  • 1 can Sliced Water Chestnuts, drained.
Instructions
  1. In a wok, stir-fry green onions, celery, carrots, garlic, snow peas
  2. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
  3. When vegetables begin to soften, pour in seafood broth.
  4. Place shrimp and sea scallops on top of stir-fried vegetables and place lid on wok for 3 - 4 minutes.
  5. Then stir until shrimp, scallops, vegetables are coated and sauce begins to boil.
  6. Stir in cornstarch dissolved in water.
  7. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.
  8. Continue to stir until sauce becomes clear and thick.
  9. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice.
Shrimp Lo Mein

Shrimp Lo Mein
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 6 - 8 servings
Prep time:
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Ingredients
  • 1 pound frozen cooked large Shrimp, thawed
  • 2 packages of Chinese noodles according to package directions.
  • 2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1 Cup Green Onions cut into 1-inch pieces, then cut again vertically
  • 1 Cup Celery, finely diced
  • 1 Cup Carrots, julienned
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup Seafood Broth
  • ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
Instructions
  1. Cook 2 packages of Chinese noodles according to package directions.
  2. Strain, rinse in cold water, and toss with 2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil.
  3. Set aside.
  4. In a wok, stir-fry green onions, celery, carrots, garlic, salt & pepper, to taste.
  5. When vegetables begin to soften, stir in shrimp, seafood broth, and soy sauce.
  6. Cook until heated through, then stir in prepared noodles.
  7. Serve hot.

Pork Fried Rice
Pork Fried Rice
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 8 servings
Prep time:
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Total time:
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Ingredients
  • 1 pound Pork Loin, finely minced
  • 3 Tablespoons + ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon White Sherry
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 4 eggs, whisked
  • 5 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1 Cup Green Onions cut into 1-inch pieces, then cut again vertically
  • 1 Cup Celery, finely diced
  • 1 Cup Carrots, julienned
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • Add 4 cups cooked white rice
  • 1 Cup Frozen Green Peas
  • ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
Instructions
  1. Cook 4 cups white rice and set aside.
  2. Marinate minced pork in 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, White Sherry, Salt & Pepper.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk 4 eggs and set aside.
  4. Heat 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
  5. Stir-fry the pork until cooked through.
  6. Place in a clean bowl and set aside.
  7. Wipe the wok out with a paper towel.
  8. Heat 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil in the wok.
  9. Stir-fry green onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.
  10. When vegetables begin to soften, return cooked pork to the wok and stir to combine.
  11. Add 4 cups cooked white rice.
  12. Continue stirring until rice begins to brown, then add 1 Cup Frozen Green Peas and stir until they thaw.
  13. Stir in ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
  14. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour eggs in.
  15. Move wooden paddle back and forth to combine cooked eggs with uncooked eggs until they are the consistency of scrambled eggs, then stir everything together until thoroughly combined.
  16. Add Salt and Pepper, to taste.

 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

From your wonderful children!

 

These recipes are provided for your personal use. If you publish them, or re-post them, please give me credit. Grazie e Buon Appetito!

Comments

  1. Lizzy says

    Oh, my gosh, Susan!!! What a feast! I’d love to try every one of your yummy recipes. Belated birthday wishes to your lucky dad…such a fabulous celebration 🙂

  2. Anonymous says

    Susan ~ this food looks A.W.E.S.O.M.E and I am sure your dad was so proud. Braveheart,
    “I see you”

  3. megi says

    Hi Susan, you made a feast, when you said in your e-mail you were preparing a big Chinese dinner for your Dad’s birthday, I knew we would see delicious dishes but this is way beyond my imagination! From appetizers to dessert, a fantastic meal. Thank you for sharing Susan.

  4. Reeni says

    Not everyone can do Chinese food good at home Susan. I think this is beyond good! Everything looks wonderful and Braveheart so cute – is he waiting to catch a morsel that might drop to the ground?!