4 Healthy Chinese Dishes in 45 Minutes

Combine 0.5 cup brown rice and 0.5 cup white rice in a bowl. Rinse the rice, then transfer to a rice cooker. Add 2 cups of water to the rice cooker.

Cook the brown rice for 15 minutes before adding the white rice to ensure both grains finish cooking with the same ideal texture.

Rinse 1 block (16 oz) of soft tofu with cold water. Cut the tofu into large cubes, then rinse again in a bowl of water. Cut the tofu into smaller cubes and set aside.

Slice 4 oz of carrots into strips, then dice into small cubes. Combine with 2 oz of peas and 2 oz of corn on a plate and set aside.

Cut 12 oz of chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, slicing diagonally across the grain. In a bowl, combine 1.5 tbsp cornstarch, 0.5 tsp sugar, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp white pepper, and 1 tbsp water to make a slurry. Add another 0.5 tsp cornstarch to the chicken and mix well, gently massaging the meat. Set aside.

Cut 6 oz of celery into half-inch thick slices on a diagonal. Cut 4 oz of red bell pepper into large cubes. Cut 6 oz of mushrooms in half. Place all these vegetables on a plate and set aside.

Peel and mince 0.5 oz (3 cloves) of garlic and 0.5 oz (1 inch piece) of ginger. Set aside.

Soak 1.5 lbs of broccoli florets in a bowl of salt water (2 tbsp salt in 8 cups water) for a few minutes to help clean them. Then remove and cut the florets into smaller pieces, cutting from the stem to prevent flaking. Set aside.

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a pot on high heat. Add the diced carrots, peas, corn, and tofu. Stir and cover the pot, waiting for it to return to a boil.

Once boiling, remove the lid. Add 0.5 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp sugar, and 0.25 tsp white pepper. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the soup while stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Continue stirring until the soup thickens.

Beat 3 large eggs in a bowl. Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the soup while stirring from the bottom of the pot to create egg flowers. Once the egg flowers are formed, turn off the heat. The soup is ready.

Heat a wok on high heat with 8 cups of water. Add 2 tsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp salt to the water. Blanch the celery, carrots, red bell pepper, and mushrooms for about 80 seconds. Remove with a spider strainer and set aside.

Blanch the broccoli for about 3 minutes. Remove with a spider strainer and set aside.

Empty the water from the wok and dry it. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the wok. Add the minced ginger and garlic, and stir-fry on high heat until fragrant (about 25 seconds).

Add the blanched celery, carrots, red bell pepper, and mushrooms to the wok. Stir-fry for about 25 seconds. Add the blanched chicken pieces and toss again.

Add 1 tbsp cooking wine, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp sugar, 0.25 tsp white pepper, and 1 tbsp oyster sauce. Stir and let it cook for another 20 seconds. Add the cashews and stir-fry for 10 seconds until the sauce thickens. The cashew chicken is ready.