CHINESE September 17, 2003 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Pass by most any Chinese restaurant during meal time and you'll see lots of cars in the parking lot. I've always interpreted this gaggle of cars to mean there must be plenty of eaters inside enjoying Chinese food. Statistics agree. According to the National Restaurant Association, 30 percent of the dishes we order at restaurants have ethnic origins. Of these, the three most popular cuisines are Italian, Mexican, and Chinese. Obviously, there must be something to this car theory.

But can you judge a restaurant by its cars? Bunches of cars in the parking lot may indeed indicate good food, but is the food good for the owners of all those cars? Typically, Chinese food is high in sodium due to soy sauce, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and plain ole salt. Excess sodium is linked to high blood pressure.

You can reduce the sodium content of home-cooked Chinese food by using less of these ingredients. When eating Chinese out, ask if your food can be prepared without the addition of these ingredients. More and more Chinese restaurants are offering this option. The fat content of Chinese food varies with the dish. By making wise choices, you can hold the line on fat.

Many Chinese dishes are stir-fried. In this cooking technique, bite-sized pieces of food are cooked in just a small amount of oil over very high heat while being stirred constantly to prevent burning. Food cooks quickly by this method which helps to preserve nutritive value. The small amount of oil used in stir-frying versus deep frying also helps to reduce fat. However, if the chef is heavy handed with the oil can, well . . . you know what that means.

Now back to menu choices to reduce fat. The basic rule of "eat less fried food" also applies to Chinese cuisine. Avoid breaded and fried dishes; instead, choose dishes that are steamed, broiled, or grilled. For example, choose moo shu pork over twice-cooked pork or moo goo gai pan (chicken) over sweet-and-sour chicken.

Instead of dishes loaded with meat, select dishes with lots of veggies and other carbohydrates such as rice (steamed, not fried) and unfried noodles (example: lo mein). For example, choose beef pepper steak over beef with cashews so that you're getting lots of peppers and onions and less beef.

About those nuts . . . there's new news. In the past, dieters and those at risk for cardiovascular disease have been warned against eating nuts, because they are high in fat. While nuts are still high in fat, recent studies show that nuts can actually reduce -- not increase -- the risk of cardiovascular disease in some people.

How can this be? The fat in nuts is highly monounsaturated -- the same kind as in heart-healthy olive and canola oils. Nuts are also rich in polyunsaturated fat, the other form of fat known to reduce cholesterol. Nuts contain only modest amounts of the saturated fat that clogs arteries. So the fat you get from nuts is very different from the kind in red meat for example.

Nuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids. These biomolecules may reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Plus, nuts are packed full of micronutrients such as vitamin E, folic acid, niacin, copper, magnesium, potassium, flavonoids, and isoflavones. All of these are thought to play a role in keeping us healthy.

But, but, but (are you paying attention?) all this good stuff is not a license to go wild eating nuts. Nuts are still high in fat and calories. Only 30 percent of our calories should come from fat -- no matter what kind it is. Cooking with nuts is a good way to get their benefits without going overboard on quantity.

Toasting nuts develops their flavor, so you can use fewer of them. If you open a whole can of broth for this recipe, freeze the leftover broth in ice cube trays. Transfer broth cubes to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for the next time you need only a bit of broth. Be careful not to use too high of a heat to cook this dish -- excess heat will cause your cornstarch mixture to clump.

Combine the soy sauce and cornstarch in a medium bowl; add pork, stirring to coat. Cover and chill. Place beans in a large saucepan of boiling water, and cook 5 minutes. Drain beans; plunge into ice water. Drain again. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet (coated with cooking spray) over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add pork mixture; stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in green beans; stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes or until pork is done. Stir in broth; reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Serve over rice; sprinkle with cashews.

Yields 4 servings.

This has a wonderfully fresh taste compared to some of the cooked-ahead restaurant lo mein I've had. Change the vegetables to suit your family's tastes. Fresh ginger can be frozen for up to six months, so it's easy to keep on hand for this and other Chinese dishes. I like to add water chestnuts for crunch.

Stir-fry first 8 ingredients in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet for 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and water; add pasta and toss well. Remove from heat. Stir sesame oil into mixture.

Yields 3 servings.

Recipe adapted from Kikkoman®.

Partially freezing the beef will make it easier to slice.

Trim fat from beef. Cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into thin strips. Stack 3-4 strips and cut lengthwise in half to produce smaller strips. Mix marinade ingredients. Add beef strips to marinade, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat till hot. Add half of beef and stir-fry 1-2 minutes or till outside surfaces are no longer pink. Remove from skillet and cook remaining beef.

Return first batch of beef to skillet and add coleslaw, green onions, and cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring often, till sauce is thickened and bubbly.

To assemble -- spread one side of each tortilla with 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce. Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture onto center of each tortilla. Fold bottom edge of tortilla over filling; then fold left and right sides of tortilla to center, overlapping edges.

Yields 4 servings.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 10/27/03