Chinese-American meal of shrimp, pork, and veggies stir-fried with brown sauce. This is something you can do right now in your own kitchen.
WHAT IS A HAPPY FAMILY?
It’s not uncommon for a Chinese restaurant to serve a family meal that includes a variety of meat, vegetable, and seafood dishes.
The dish Happy Family is precisely that! This stir-fry dish tossed in a basic brown sauce is a favorite among Chinese diners. It includes a variety of vegetables (broccoli, water chestnut, maize baby-corn, bamboo shoots, mushroom, carrot) and meats (chicken, pig, and BBQ Pork).
Many well-known Chinese-American restaurants serve this dish.
MAIN INGREDIENTS FOR A HAPPY FAMILY
- Canned vegetables
- Pork, chicken, and beef
- Chicken broth
- Mixed seafood
- Bell peppers
- Onions
- Dry sherry wine
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IS HAPPY FAMILY CHINESE FOOD HEALTHY?
- As far as protein goes, this dish has a lot. Extra nutrients can be gained from the other vegetables.
What is the average number of calories in one serving?
- Each serving of this recipe contains only 308 calories.
With this recipe, what are its complementary dishes?
This meal is best enjoyed as an entrée rather than an appetizer. My top picks for a healthy Chinese supper and a quick weekday meal are listed below.
- CHOW MEIN
- CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
- MAPO TOFU
- KUNG PAO CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of mixed vegetables (snap peas/snow peas, trimmed sugar, broccoli florets, sliced carrot)
- 1 1/2 cups of canned vegetables (straw mushroom, bamboo shoot cut, young baby corn, and water chestnut slice
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup of any meat (sliced pork/BBQ pork, chicken breast, and beef)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 cup of mixed seafood (peeled and cleaned shrimp, lobster meat/crab meat, and sea scallops)
- 1 cup cut onion
- green and red bell peppers
MARINADE:
- 1 tsp. any Chinese cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
BROWN SAUCE:
- 2 tbsp. dry sherry wine or any Chinese cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
- salt and sugar to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth mixed with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 3 dashes ground white pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Sautee your meat and seafood in a mixture of oil and a little sugar, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Set away for later use. Set aside the ingredients for the Brown Sauce in a bowl.
- Brown the onions and peppers in the oil in a wok over high heat for a few minutes, then whisk in the minced garlic until fragrant. Add the broccoli florets and carrots, season with a dash of salt and pepper, mix well and serve immediately. Remove from consideration.
- A damp paper towel can be used to lightly clean the wok. Stir-fry shrimp, lobster/crab meat, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a hot wok for 1 minute, then add the sliced beef and pork/BBQ pork and cook for an additional 1 minute, or until the meat is lightly browned.
- Put all the ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and bring to a simmer until the vegetables are soft and the meat and fish are cooked for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings such as salt, sugar, and other ingredients. Serve steaming steamed rice with the meal.