ISO Chinese Food Recipes for dieters

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meshoo96

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
426
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I am home at last in SC!!!
I'm on a 1700 calorie, 2000mg sodium per day diet and have been craving some low sodium tasty Chinese food recipes. I'm really picky when it comes to what I will and will not eat (veggies are the worst) and I don't like duck, veal or lamb... any suggestions? Prefer TNT recipes.
 
I like carrots, cabbage, celery (in small quantities), mushrooms (considered a veggie?), onion, garlic, green beans, corn, broccoli... that's about all I can think of that MIGHT be in chinese food that I will eat. I do not like pea pods, peas, or anything related to the bean family.
 
This recipe is not TNT, but I thought it was an option, if you like spicy food.

Do you like spicy food?? Here is a recipe that can be a bit hot. You can leave the hot peppers out.


General Tso's Chicken
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 Tbs. water
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, or 3/43/4 tsp. teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup large chicken broth
  • 2 Tbs. white vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. dry sherry or white wine, cut into chunks
  • 1-1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup sliced green onions
  • 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. small dried hot peppers, (optional)
  • 1 Tbs. cooking oil
For Sauce: Place the first nine ingredients above in a jar and shake well to dissolve the cornstarch.

For Meat: Place chicken and egg in zipper baggie and shake to coat chicken evenly. Add cornstarch and mix until chicken is evenly covered. Deep fry chicken at 350°F until crispy. Drain.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add onions and peppers and stir fry about 30 seconds. Add sauce mixture. Cook and stir until thick. Add chicken and cook just long enough to heat through.


Per serving: calories 443, fat 7.6g, 16% calories from fat, cholesterol 146mg, protein 45.0g, carbohydrates 45.7g, fiber 1.1g, sugar 21.2g, sodium 1439mg, diet points 9.8.
 
Thanks. I love General tso's Chicken, but because it's fried, I stay away from it. I wonder how it would be if I baked the chicken as a breast and used the sauce on the side and just dipped it in a little. That way I'd get the flavor and the heat, but so much sodium and fat.
Do you like spicy food?? Here is a recipe that can be a bit hot. You can leave the hot peppers out.


General Tso's Chicken
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 Tbs. water
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, or 3/43/4 tsp. teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup large chicken broth
  • 2 Tbs. white vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. dry sherry or white wine, cut into chunks
  • 1-1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup sliced green onions
  • 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. small dried hot peppers, (optional)
  • 1 Tbs. cooking oil
For Sauce: Place the first nine ingredients above in a jar and shake well to dissolve the cornstarch.

For Meat: Place chicken and egg in zipper baggie and shake to coat chicken evenly. Add cornstarch and mix until chicken is evenly covered. Deep fry chicken at 350°F until crispy. Drain.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add onions and peppers and stir fry about 30 seconds. Add sauce mixture. Cook and stir until thick. Add chicken and cook just long enough to heat through.


Per serving: calories 443, fat 7.6g, 16% calories from fat, cholesterol 146mg, protein 45.0g, carbohydrates 45.7g, fiber 1.1g, sugar 21.2g, sodium 1439mg, diet points 9.8.
 
Thanks. I love General tso's Chicken, but because it's fried, I stay away from it. I wonder how it would be if I baked the chicken as a breast and used the sauce on the side and just dipped it in a little. That way I'd get the flavor and the heat, but so much sodium and fat.
Here is a baked chicken version that you can have over rice... it's not like General Tso's, but you can add a little heat with some red pepper flakes. If you like some sweetness to your marinade/sauce, add a bit of orange juice or some minced pineapple.

Baked Chinese Chicken Recipe

4 Tbl. soy sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water
2 Tbl. vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup diced onion
dash garlic powder
dash salt
3 1/2 lbs. cut up chicken

-Preheat oven to 350 F.
-Mix all ingredients except chicken.
-Place chicken in pan and pour sauce over it.
-Let sit in refrigerator over night.
-Bake for 90 minutes.
-Bake, baste every half hour.
-Serve over rice.
-4-6 servings

I think this would be great with chicken wings! :chef:
 
A shrimp and vegetable (you can pick your own veggies :mrgreen:) stir fry would be lo cal as long as you skipped the rice/noodles. Pair that with a hot and sour soup (tofu, veggies, no meat) and you would have a pretty nice Chinese meal for very few calories. Moo Goo Gai Pan might work also.
 
Oriental Barbecued Chicken

1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Honey
1 tablespoon dark Sesame Oil
2 teaspoons sliced Ginger
1 small Garlic clove

-Preheat grill to a medium high heat.
-Blend soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger and garlic until smooth.
-Put the mixture in a Ziplock bag, and drop in 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. Close bag tightly. Shake the bag to make sure all the chicken is coated with the marinade. You can freeze this bag right away or marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
-BBQ your usual way. Check frequently for doneness. Don't serve them too rare or let them overcook.

-Discard bag--don't use marinade overagain.
Alternatively if you place the marinade into a sauce pan and add a cup of water to it bring to a boil and boil it for 5 minutes you can kill the bacteria that naturally grows in it this is important it must be boiled and long enough to kill all organisms. You can continue to let this cook down into a sauce if you take the proceeding precaution. -This can then be used on the cooked chicken as a sauce.
Serves 4
 
A shrimp and vegetable (you can pick your own veggies :mrgreen:) stir fry would be lo cal as long as you skipped the rice/noodles. Pair that with a hot and sour soup (tofu, veggies, no meat) and you would have a pretty nice Chinese meal for very few calories. Moo Goo Gai Pan might work also.

You had me til the4 tofu... I will skip the soup...LOL. Thanks.
 
Oriental Barbecued Chicken

1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Honey
1 tablespoon dark Sesame Oil
2 teaspoons sliced Ginger
1 small Garlic clove

-Preheat grill to a medium high heat.
-Blend soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger and garlic until smooth.
-Put the mixture in a Ziplock bag, and drop in 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. Close bag tightly. Shake the bag to make sure all the chicken is coated with the marinade. You can freeze this bag right away or marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
-BBQ your usual way. Check frequently for doneness. Don't serve them too rare or let them overcook.

-Discard bag--don't use marinade overagain.
Alternatively if you place the marinade into a sauce pan and add a cup of water to it bring to a boil and boil it for 5 minutes you can kill the bacteria that naturally grows in it this is important it must be boiled and long enough to kill all organisms. You can continue to let this cook down into a sauce if you take the proceeding precaution. -This can then be used on the cooked chicken as a sauce.
Serves 4

This is dinner tomorrow I think. Thanks.
 
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