Chinese Food Recipes for Kids

Cooking with Kids to Make Tasty Meals

© Denise Oliveri

Jul 1, 2007

Have you ever dreamed of your child making a tasty Chinese meal for the family? It's possible with these easy to make meals that you and your child can do together. Each recipe has a full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions for making a perfect dish every time.

Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 dried mushrooms
• 1/4 pound boneless pork loin
• 3 ounces tofu
• 1 green onion
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

1. Soak mushrooms in 1/2 cup warm water for 20 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, saving the liquid. Cut off the stems and discard. Cut caps into thin slices.
2. Cut the pork into thin slices. Stack the slices a few at a time and cut into slivers.
3. Cut tofu into long strips and then into 2-inch squares.
4. Finely chop green onion.
5. Rinse bamboo shoots in hand strainer under cold water, then cut into thin slices.
6. Line up these ingredients on the kitchen countertop: chicken stock, mushroom liquid, pork, salt, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, pepper, vinegar, frozen peas, cornstarch mixture, egg, green onion, and sesame oil.
7. Pour the chicken stock and mushroom liquid into a 4-quart pot.
8. Add the pork, salt, soy sauce, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Add the tofu, pepper, vinegar, and frozen peas. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup back to a boil.
10. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture to the boiling soup. Stir for a few seconds as it thickens.
11. Stir in the egg and cook for 30 seconds.
12. Turn off the heat and add the green onion and sesame oil. Mix well and serve hot.

Beggar's Chicken (Qi Gai Ji)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups self-rising flour
• 1-1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 6 medium-sized boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (specialty shop or local grocery store)
• Extra flour for kneading**

Directions:

1. Place flour in a large bowl. Combine the milk and 1 tablespoon canola oil. Pour into the flour, mixing well into a soft dough.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place in a clean bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Wash the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on a platter, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Heat a wok on medium-high for 30 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and heat for a few more seconds.
6. Add the ground pork. Cook for 5 minutes or until the meat gets brown slightly. Use a spatula to remove the pork to a clean bowl (you can use a frying pan, if you do not have a wok).
7. Reheat the wok and the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Add the green onion, celery, and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
8. Return the pork to the wok and add the salt and hoisin sauce. Cook for 2 minutes. This is the stuffing. Let this mixture cool completely in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
10. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 3 pieces. Then cut each piece in half. Take 1 piece of dough and cover the rest with a clean cloth.
11. Lightly cover work surface with flour. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to make a circle about 6 inches in diameter.
12. Lay 1 chicken breast in the center of the dough and top with 1-1/2 tablespoons of stuffing. Gently fold the dough up over the chicken and stuffing and press together at the edges to seal. Place this in a well-greased baking pan.
13. Repeat the above step with the other pieces of dough, chicken, and stuffing.
14. Bake for 50 minutes, basting the chicken with the juices in the bottom of the pan at least twice during the baking time.
15. Serve hot.

Sago Pudding Dessert

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces water chestnut flour
• 3 ounces corn flour
• 3.4 ounces evaporated milk
• 6.8 ounces coconut milk
• 15 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 cups boiled hot water
• 1.5 ounce canned red beans

Directions:

1. Dissolve sugar with the hot water.
2. Mix water chestnut flour and corn flour into a square baking pan.
3. Add in evaporated milk and coconut milk, then mix them well.
4. Pour in the boiling sugar water. Stir well until it forms a paste.
5. Add in the red beans. Stir again until red beans have been well distributed.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
7. Cut into small square pieces and serve.

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