Prep Raw, Eat Fresh: Wednesday Meal recipes
Wednesday's menu: Chicken Thighs with Vegetables · Stuffed Eggplant · Shrimp Ball Winter Melon Soup Chicken Thighs with Steamed Vegetables 鸡腿蒸时蔬 | ⏱ Prep: 20 min | 🍽 Serves:...
Wednesday's menu: Chicken Thighs with Vegetables · Stuffed Eggplant · Shrimp Ball Winter Melon Soup
Chicken Thighs with Steamed Vegetables 鸡腿蒸时蔬 | ⏱ Prep: 20 min | 🍽 Serves: 4
Steam from fresh: 25 minutes | Steam from frozen: 30 minutes
This dish has a secret that surprises everyone who tries it: the vegetables on the bottom always end up tasting better than the chicken. The chicken juices drip down through the whole container as it steams, and the carrots, potato, and shiitake at the bottom absorb every drop. Put whatever you love most on the bottom.
INGREDIENTS
• 1¼ lb (565g) boneless chicken thighs (鸡腿肉 565克), cut into 3cm cubes
• 2 medium carrots (胡萝卜 2根), sliced, blanched 3 minutes
• 2 medium potatoes (土豆 2个), cubed, blanched 2 minutes
• 6–8 shiitake mushrooms (香菇 6-8朵) — if using fresh, halved and blanched 3 minutes; if using dried, soak in warm water 30 minutes until fully rehydrated, then blanch 3 minutes
• 2 tablespoons scallion-ginger water (葱姜水 2汤匙)
• 1½ tablespoons soy sauce (生抽 1.5汤匙)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (蚝油 1汤匙)
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine (料酒 1汤匙)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (淀粉 1茶匙)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (芝麻油 1茶匙)
• ½ teaspoon salt (盐 半茶匙, for the vegetable base)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine scallion-ginger water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, cornstarch with chicken cubes
2. Toss to coat and marinate 20 minutes. Stir in sesame oil at the end.
3. Blanch carrots, potato, and shiitake separately (see blanching guide). Drain well.
4. Season the blanched vegetables with ½ teaspoon salt and toss
5. Layer vegetables in the bottom of your container
6. Pile marinated chicken on top of the vegetables
7. Seal and freeze
8. To cook from frozen: steam on high for 30 minutes
9. To cook fresh: steam 25 minutes
Chinese Mom Tip: The vegetables on the bottom will be more flavorful than the chicken — that is not a mistake, that is the whole point. The chicken juices are essentially basting the vegetables from above for 30 minutes. Layer your favorite vegetable closest to the bottom.
Stuffed Eggplant with Pork 肉酿茄盒 | ⏱ Prep: 15 min | 🍽 Serves: 4
Steam from fresh: 15 minutes | Steam from frozen: 20 minutes
This dish looks impressive and tastes even better. Each round of eggplant gets a pocket cut into it and then gets filled with seasoned pork — like a little sandwich. When it steams, the eggplant becomes silky and soft and the pork inside stays juicy. A glossy sauce poured over right after steaming finishes the whole thing.
INGREDIENTS
• 2–3 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplants (茄子 2-3根)
• ¾ lb (340g) master marinated ground pork (腌肉沫 340克, from Foundation 3)
• Pour the sweet & sour sauce (料汁, Foundation 4) over immediately after steaming — see Foundation 4 recipe above
INSTRUCTIONS
10. Prepare Foundation 4 sweet & sour sauce (料汁) if not already made — see Foundation 4 recipe above. Set aside at room temperature.
11. Cut eggplant into rounds about 2–3cm thick
12. Make a cut through each round almost all the way through — leave one edge connected so it opens like a pocket or clam
13. Fill each eggplant pocket generously with marinated ground pork
14. Arrange filled eggplant pieces in your container
15. Seal and freeze
16. To cook from frozen: steam 20 minutes on high
17. To cook fresh: steam 15 minutes
18. Immediately after steaming, pour Foundation 4 sweet & sour sauce generously over the top while everything is still hot. Serve right away.
Chinese Mom Tip: Cut to about two-thirds depth — deep enough to hold a generous filling, but not so deep the eggplant falls apart. If you cut all the way through you will lose the pocket that holds the pork in place.
Shrimp Ball Winter Melon Soup 虾丸冬瓜汤 | ⏱ Prep: 20 min | 🍽 Serves: 4
Steam from fresh: 15 minutes | Steam from frozen: 18 minutes
This soup looks elegant and feels light — exactly what you want in the middle of a rich meal prep week. The shrimp balls are made by blending raw shrimp into a paste and rolling it into balls, which gives them a completely different texture from whole shrimp — bouncy, smooth, and satisfying. The winter melon turns translucent and silky during steaming.
INGREDIENTS
• ½ lb (225g) raw shrimp (虾仁 225克), peeled and deveined
• 1 small carrot (胡萝卜 1小根), roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (淀粉 1汤匙) — add directly into the food processor
• ½ teaspoon salt (盐 半茶匙) — add directly into the food processor
• 1 lb (450g) winter melon (冬瓜 450克), peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 2 cups chicken stock or water (鸡汤或水, added at cook time)
• Salt to taste (盐 适量)
• Scallion (葱) for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
19. Pat winter melon completely dry with paper towels — moisture makes it freeze into a block
20. Place winter melon cubes in the bottom of your container and freeze
21. In a food processor, blend shrimp and carrot together. Add the cornstarch and salt directly into the food processor while blending — this is easier than mixing by hand and ensures even distribution.
22. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and starts to pull away from the sides — you will see it become sticky and paste-like
23. Test the texture: scoop a small amount and press it — it should spring back when you release. If not, blend for another 30 seconds.
24. Wet your hands and roll into small balls about the size of a large marble
25. Place shrimp balls on top of the frozen winter melon in the container
26. Seal and return to freezer
27. To cook: add stock or water, steam 18 minutes from frozen
28. Season with salt before serving, garnish with scallion
Chinese Mom Tip: Adding the cornstarch and salt while blending is easier and more effective than mixing by hand — the food processor works it in evenly and builds the bouncy texture faster. You will know it is ready when the mixture looks glossy and sticky and clings to the blade.