I told you I was going to continue the story of my book club Shanghai Girls menu so here it is! As a reminder, here’s the menu from my Asian-inspired dinner.
Shanghai Girl’s Book Club Menu
Appetizers: Jiaozi- Chinese Dumplings, egg rolls, Chinese noodles with La Choy duck sauce and Wasabi Peas
Main Course: Red Cooked Beef, Pineapple Fried Rice, Shanghai Stir-Fry (all recipes below)
Dessert: Â Pomegranate Sorbet with Kumquat Mandarin Citrus Salad
RED COOKED BEEF
This beef stir-fry is perfect for a cold winter’s day! There are a lot of ingredients but the recipe is actually pretty simple. Just slice, stir-fry and simmer!
makes 6-8 servings
10 (1 package) dried Oyster or Shitake mushrooms
2 lbs. boneless stewing beef, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups water, or as needed
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tsp star anise extract
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp honey
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
8 oz can baby corn, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2-3 cups bok choy, finely sliced
5 kumquat, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
I reconstituted the dried mushrooms by soaking them in hot water for around 20-30 minutes, until softened, then chopped and set aside.
I heated the oil in a preheated wok (you can also use a large saucepan) at medium-high heat and added the garlic and ginger. I stir-fried until aromatic then added half of the beef to the wok. I browned the beef briefly then cooked until around 80 percent cooked.
I drained the mostly cooked meat and repeated the process with the remaining beef. You will notice in my pictures that I forgot to slice the beef before cooking it in the wok. I highly suggest not following my lead. Please slice your beef before beginning to cook. I had to slice mine (actually, my dad sliced it) later on in the process.
I added all of the beef back in to the wok, along with the water, soy sauce, sherry, anise extract, brown sugar, ketchup, honey and Sriracha then brought everything to a boil. I reduced the heat  and simmered uncovered for 1 hour. The liquid developed in to a beautiful dark broth that could taste delicious on its own, but I planned to make it even better…
I added the baby corn, mushrooms, carrots, 1/2 of the bok choy and kumquat and simmered for at least another hour.
I added salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, I add the rest of the bok choy for extra crunch and stirred to combine.
PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
This is a very simple and easy rice dish and can feed up to 10 people. You can cut the recipe in half for a weeknight meal.
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, for stir-frying
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 carrot, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 rings canned pineapple, cut in to small wedges
2-3 cups cold cooked basmati rice
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp sugar
1 green onion, diced
I heated the wok on medium, added the oil and rotated the pan sot hat it coated the bottom and sides. When the oil was hot, I added the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and stir-fried for 30 seconds. I added the onion and stir-fried for 1 minute, then added the red bell pepper, carrots and pineapple and I stir-fried very briefly.
I added the rice and cooked for another 2 minutes, continuously tossing. I then added the soy sauce and the whole mixture took on a beautiful color.
I stirred in the curry powder and sugar, then added the green onion. Done! See, wasn’t that easy?!?
SHANGHAI STIR-FRY
This stir-fry is even easier than the rice and just as delicious!
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped or sliced onions
1 large bunch fresh broccoli, stems removed
8 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 can (8 oz) water chesnuts
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots
stir-fry sauce of your choice
I heated the wok on medium, added the oil and rotated the pan sot hat it coated the bottom and sides. When the oil was hot, I added the carrots and stirred occasionally. I then added the onion and stirred again. I added the broccoli and continued to cook for a few minutes, then added the sliced mushrooms and stirred. I raised the heat to high and cooked the vegetables until tender but still crisp. I added the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and stir-fry sauce and mixed well until the sauce was slightly thick, around 1 minute.
