Before restrictions started taking effect, we used to go to a Chinese buffet sometimes and more occasionally get Chinese takeout. We still can’t go to a Chinese buffet (not that it’s safe right now anyway), but Chinese takeout spots have opened back up. While my mom was happy when she first heard about one reopening, she had recognized that even getting three meals for three people is expensive. For us, it costs nearly $40. That’s why my mother started to take matters into her own hands and cook Chinese food at home.
This article will cover General Tso’s Chicken. It may not look like what you get in a restaurant, but it had good flavor. Mind you that my mother wants me to write about her home cooking. I will also share a few photos, and if you would like to make some at home, recipes for General Tso’s Chicken and Fried Rice will be linked down below.
The first thing my mother did was cook white rice. It would be turned into fried rice, but it’s best to boil the white rice a day before you make it. As for the chicken, you should definitely season it ahead of time. At least a day ahead would be best, but if you’re on a time crunch, let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
My mom cut the chicken into cubic pieces and put them in corn starch. Of course she had to get the oil hot first before putting them into the pan. They cooked really nicely. The first part of the meal I was able to photograph was the fried rice. Obviously she put the white rice in a pan, but she also put frozen peas and fresh carrots into it. The photo shown below is the fried rice when completed.
After the chicken was cooked, my mother also fried a few crab rangoons and egg rolls. They made nice finger food on the side and were already made ahead of time. I’ll talk about making the crab rangoons and egg rolls in the future. The photo shows all of those things completed on one pan. Beware that your mouth may water, but that’s alright. I couldn’t wait to eat after seeing the pan.
Though part of the last step was making the sauce for the chicken. She let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes on a pan, and then she put the cooked chicken into the pan. She made sure to stir the chicken into the sauce and let it sit for a few minutes. After that, the cooking was done! Oh my word, the finished outcome was so good! I love eating my mother’s homemade Chinese food!
You can cook Chinese dishes at home yourself for a fraction of the cost of a Chinese takeout dinner. When you consider a family size portion of General Tso’s Chicken, a family size portion of fried rice, a couple of orders of crab rangoons, and a few orders of egg rolls, all of that really begins to add up. But when you cook at home, not only does it save you a ton of money, you can also control what goes into your meal. You can add or remove things while cooking.
Speaking of which, my mother advises to look at reviews of different recipes on the internet. See what works and what doesn’t. Cook the meal for yourself and plan out how to make the recipe ahead ahead of time. Keep in mind that you can make changes as you go along.
If you’re new to cooking, it may be confusing to understand. However, experienced cooks know about that. Changing a recipe to your liking makes you more satisfied overall. Cooking should bring joy, not pain.
Link to General Tso’s Chicken recipe: https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/general-tso-chicken/
Link to Fried Rice recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/egg-fried-rice/
