Can a White Jewish Girl cook Chiniese? ... yes apparently.

   When you think of Chinese food, Gwyneth Paltrow's glowingly bleached face doesn't necessarily come to mind, but these two recipes will challenge your assumptions about how white peoples can attempt to cook Chinese.

  I have been craving Chinese (must be all the Christmas carols....that makes no sense), and because I only have one day left of my "fast read rental" from the library, I thought I'd give Gwyneth's Cook book  "My Fathers Daughter" another go.  This was a meal that made me look at Gwyneth's cooking and eating healthy in a new light, sometimes you can have the best of both worlds~!  Enjoy.

-To make the Ms. Paltrow's Chinese Chicken is surprisingly simple.

rent me again!

"Best Stir Fried Chicken"

-4 boneless chicken brests

- 2 tbsp. cornstarch

-coarse salt-

-2 tbsp of vegetable oil.

-1/4 cup of minced ginger 

-1/4 cup of minced garlic

-1/2 cup of scallions

-pinch red chilli flakes

-1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

-2 tbsp soy sauce
-two tablespoons of cilantro 

- Toss the chicken with cornstarch (flour is ok too) lots of pepper and a lil salt

-Heat oil in a non sick wok over medium high heat.  

-add garlic and ginger (chilli flakes if using) and cook for one minunte

-Add coated chicken and cook for 5mins

-Add vinegar, sugar and 5 or 6 grinds of pepper

-Boil on high for three mins.  This will carmalize the sugar and will result in sticky and sweet sauce

-Add the soy sauce and cook for another thrity seconds, serve with spinkled cliantro ENJOY!

Kale makes another unlikely appearance in my kitchen.

"Fried Rice with Kale and Scallions"
(don't worry, its good).

-1 bushel of kale

-1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

-2 cloves of Garlic (i used four, only because I'm afraid of impended Vampire attacks)

-3 large scallions, cut into 1/8th diagonal slices (this is Gwyenth's  pompous direction)

-2 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice (don't worry, you can't taste brown rice)

-1 table spoon, plus 1 teasponn of soy sauce.

Mash it all together 

-Cut Kale into ribbons (or as Gwyneth would say.....chiffonade,) and steam for 7mins

-Heat oil in medium heat , add garlic and cook stirring for 2 mins.

-Raise the heat to meduime and add the steamed kale and scallions.

-Cook for 2mins  then add the rice, cook for another 2 mins

-Add soy sauce and cook for 30 sec,

Enjoy!

Dramatic Mood Lighting!

 In the week that I rented Gwyneth's book from the libaray (ghetto, holla!) I've made three different dishes.  Surprisingly they've all turned out to be what I expected, made with healthy ingredents, and tasted like they were made from healthy ingredients.  I did enjoy everything I made from this book, however I still felt there was something lacking.  All and all I still need some more convincing to buy the book, but for the time being, I might just keep re-signing it out from the library every once and a while.

Hope everyone has a great Christmas season.