Happy New Year! Man what a weekend. Since this is a blog about food, not debauchery, I won’t go into too many details. Let’s just say I spent most of yesterday curled up in the fetal position dreaming of Jewish recipes to make you in 2011. You win! Any of you out there have New Year’s resolutions? Mine is to blog weekly. Maybe yours could be to read my blog weekly. Just a suggestion. Anyhoo, onto the food.
I spent Christmas just like any good Jew would. Gambling away my allowance money, catching a movie (True Grit was fab!) and noshing on Chinese food. Christians can keep their eggnog and ham; it just doesn’t get much more Jewish than being jealous Santa doesn’t visit you Chinese food on Christmas! Traditionally, we each pick a favorite dish and share – Mom gets her steamed chicken and broccoli, I go for moo shu myself. And we all try not to eat too many of those tasty little fried noodles. After eating, we complain how we are so full, couldn’t possibly eat another bite, and why did you let me eat all that?? Until about an hour later when we dive into the leftovers. This year, I wanted to one up tradition and make my own moo shu and pancakes. I was surprised and rather impressed with myself at how easy and authentic tasting this recipe is! I think we have a winner in this recipe- and a new tradition to boot.
What are your favorite family traditions?
Hereis all you need to make your own moo shu. The protein is up to you. Beef, chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu would be delish as well! I also went super ghetto and stole some soy sauce packets from work since I didn’t need much. I trust my secret is safe with you, friend.
My oil is parve!
First, combine soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch together. Add your protein, mix it up, and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning occasionally. This may be the grossest photo I have posted on my blog, but don’t worry there are lots more posts to come and surely much grosser photos!
While your protein is marinating, take your dried mushrooms and combine in a bowl with boiling water. I found these suckers after a confusing 15 minutes in the ethnic food aisle. Let them stand for 20 minutes, drain, and slice thin.
Then chop up ginger and garlic. After your protein is all marinated in deliciousness, slice into thin strips, heat oil in a wok (or if you don’t have a wok, ’cause I sure don’t, any non stick pan will do) and stir fry away. Set protein aside, and add eggs to the pan. After your eggs are set, add them to the protein. Add mushrooms, ginger and garlic to the pan and cook until they start to smell awesome. While the ‘shrooms are cooking, chop up your scallions. Add veggies, sprouts, half the scallions and one tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir, and cook until tender.
Then add the eggs, protein and hoisin sauce, and cook until heated through. Stir in the remaining scallions
Holy delicious! Cheng-Du may never see this face again.
But what is moo shu without pancakes? Warning, this sounds simple but is kind of a pain in the tuchas. Let’s just say I got my arm workout for the day. Boil water. Put flour in a bowl, and make a well in the center.
Pour water in the well, and stir the mixture until lumpy. Form into a ball, and knead until smooth or, in my case, you get tired of kneading. Cover with a towel and let sit for 30 minutes. Roll dough into a 10-inch log. Cut the log into 1-inch pieces, and cover with saran wrap. Take one piece of dough, keeping the others covered. Cut the piece in half, and roll each piece into a 3-inch circle. Or in my case, a circle-esque shape. Closer to a rhombus.
Put a bit of sesame oil on each, and place pieces together oil side in. Then roll out to a 6 inch circle, cover and set aside. Repeat with other pieces. Cook a pair of pancakes on medium heat in a pan until they feel dry, flipping once. Separate pancakes while still hot. There you go!
Pretty tasty Christmas dinner if you ask me!
Moo Shu
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 pound boneless chicken beef, etc
- 8 large dried shiitake mushrooms
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 4 eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 cups shredded cabbage or vegetables
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and cornstarch with protein. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, mixing occasionally. After an hour, remove protein and slice into thin strips.
- Mix dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl with boiling water. Let sit for 20 minutes, and slice into thin strips.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan over medium heat, add protein and stir-fry until brown, about 3 minutes. Remove protein from the pan.
- Add another teaspoon of oil, add eggs and cook for 2 minutes. Add to protein.
- Add shiitake mushrooms, ginger and garlic and cook until soft, about two minutes. Add shredded vegetables, sprouts, half the scallions and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Mix up, and cook until tender, and meat is cooked to desired way about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, protein and hoisin sauce and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Make sure to break up the eggs. Stir in the other half of scallions.
Mandarin Pancakes
Makes 20
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- Boil water.
- Put flour in bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the boiling water.
- Stir up the mixture with a spoon until dough is lumpy.
- Roll dough into ball and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with towel and put aside for 30 minutes.
- Roll dough into a 10-inch long log. Cut into 1-inch pieces and cover with plastic wrap.
- Cut each piece of dough in half, keeping other pieces covered. Roll each piece into 3-inch circle and brush with a little sesame oil. Put the two dough circles together, oil-side in.
- Roll the pair of circles out into a 6 inch circle. Cover and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the dough, keeping other pieces covered.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook pancakes, one pair at a time, until they are dry, flipping once.
- Remove pancakes from pan and separate into two pancakes while still hot. Serve immediately, or reheat in the microwave under a damp towel.
29 Comments
I am salivating!!!! Drooling all over my laptop. I need a bib (and a diaper!) Love, Bubbe
Bubbe, you are weird. But that’s why I like you!
Love the cheng-du shout out! Do you think it would be as good using chicken instead?
WeHa forever! It would be great with chicken- I would use boneless breasts and pound them out first to tenderize the meat. Enjoy!
these look super phenom….i may cheat and try to find pancakes pre-made…im tired just looking at that part!
Thanks! You could probably use tortillas, but they would be a little thicker than ideal. The homemade ones were tasty- and the bulging biceps a bonus!
Love it!!! My dad and I had chinese on Christmas like the good Jews we are! 🙂
It’s the best way to celebrate! Nothing says Christmas to me more than take out containers and fortune cookies.
My New Year’s resolution is to go to Tokyo! Can’t wait. I don’t have a single clue about Tokyo, but I’m going.
Also, those look really good. REALLY good. I need to go make dinner.
What a great resolution! And a whole lot more fun than the traditional eating healthy or exercising . The moo shu was really great- luckily I had lots of leftovers!
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I thought Jews are not allowed pork???? Am I wrong??
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Pork? Are you serious….this is supposed to be Jewish cooking.
Hi Yenta- I do not keep kosher, but always give alternatives to make a recipe kosher. I changed up this post so it is not offensive. Thanks for reading!
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Nice ingredient recipe but why can’t we have a thin moo shu pancake recipe on the Internet??? Every one I’m seeing, including MARTIN YAN’S!!! is Naan/Tortilla-ish. I want super-thin and delicate like at the Chinese restaurants! =;-)