RECIPE: "ANTS CLIMBING A TREE" FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR OF THE HORSE JAN 31ST 2014

Here is a wonderful recipe..and can be made with any ground, lean meat.
In the photographs I used ground, lean turkey.

This is before adding the noodles which the client did at their home

This feeds 4

6 dried shitake mushrooms (optional)- soak in hot water for 30 mins..reserve soaking liquid, slice thinly

1 pound fresh mushrooms air dried for 3 days, then sliced thinly
2 bunches well washed and sliced, leaves and stems fresh kale/ Swiss chard/Field spinach
2 tbsp peanut/grape seed oil
1 inch ginger minced (no need to peel)
1 pound ground meat
2 tbsp light/low salt soy sauce
2tbsp sherry/rice wine/Madeira
sesame oil
1/2tsp dried chili flakes
1/2 cup chicken broth ( plus 1/2 cup reserved liquid from soaking dried mushrooms)
1/2 cup minced scallions
2 cloves garlic smashed and minced
salt and pepper to taste
Cornstarch to  thicken
1 cup minced cilantro


8 ozs Noodles. broken into 2 inch pieces...pasta/buckwheat/rice vermicelli*

Method:

Blanch the greens in boiling water which has had 1/4 tsp baking soda added.
Drain well and squeeze out excess water, then chop finely...allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet and add the ginger and garlic  cook for 30 seconds, then add the meat in small batches and cooking until, the meat is no longer pink, remove.

Add the Sherry, soy sauce and 1/4tsp sesame oil and the cooked meat, & mushrooms, stir well then add the greens, chile flakes, stock and cook for 3 mins.
Add salt and pepper to taste

Add the noodles*

Rice vermicelli soak in hot water for 5 mins, until they are softened..then drain and add to the wok with the meat
Pasta and buckwheat noodles precook to al dente in boiling water, drain and add with the meat.

Cook  over high heat for 3 mins and thicken sauce with a little cornstarch and water.
Remove from heat & stir in scallions, minced cilantro & 1/4 tsp sesame oil serve at once, on hot plates/bowls