We all know there are nights, we just don’t feel like cooking and we go to our kitchen drawer full of take out menus. One of the menu’s I grab (a lot!) is for our local Chinese take-out place. I’m sure you do too.
But really, we don’t need to spend the money on take-out all the time. It’s super easy to make tasty dishes in our own kitchen.
The name of Susanne Heartsill’s recipe really sums up everything up – Chinese Take-Out At Home. In Susanne’s recipe, she uses chicken. But, as Susanne explains, “I have used pork loin, beef tenderloin and rotisserie chicken in this recipe. All [can be] substituted.” This recipe is quick and easy to make and the perfect home-cooked, go-to meal after a long day.
“I bet ya can’t take just one bite,” teases Merry Graham when describing her Cherry Sesame Noodles with Lemon-Hoisin Sauce recipe. Unusual ingredients combine into unparalleled yumminess! We especially like that this is a healthier side dish that still offers up a lot of flavor.
Estelle Anderson’s Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a tasty, snackable treat that’s easy on the waistline! “Besides being delicious, this is a fun appetizer because you get to use your hands to hold the wraps,” says Estelle. These yummy little wraps are tops in flavor AND texture. A nice handful of goodness!
For me there are three things are staples on my Chinese take-out menu: soup, something sweet & sour and egg rolls. And, wouldn’t you know, Just A Pinch members have shared some great recipes for these dishes.
Jodi Mueller Casolari got her Shrimp Chinese style Noodle Soup recipe from her step-mother. “It is absolutely yummy,” says Jodi. “It’s quick and easy.” Quick and easy is my type of dinner! A fun – and tasty – shortcut to wonderful soup!
“[This is] one of my first attempts at Asian cuisine,” says Skip Davis about his Sweet & Sour Pork recipe. I think he nailed it with this recipe. This has all the elements of a traditional sweet & sour recipe, but with a little added TLC that really comes through in the flavor.
Made to order egg rolls? Yes, please! Helene Mulvihill’s Home Made Egg Rolls are fresh and flavorful – and fun too. Sure, they take a good bit of time to put together, but the effort is well worth it. Get the family involved and make an event out of it… Then sit back, relax and enjoy some of the best eats around.
The great thing about these recipes is that you can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store. So, I encourage you to put away those take-out menus and update your shopping list!