EXPRESS LANE : ON THE TABLE IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS.Byline: - Marge Powers, Daily News Staff Writer Try this quick soup during the hectic holiday season ahead. Toss in cooked, cut chicken or turkey pieces, if desired, to make it more hearty. TORTILLA SOUP 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas Water 2 jars (16 ounces EACH) salsa (any flavor) 2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) vegetable OR chicken broth Noun 1. chicken broth - a stock made with chicken chicken stock broth, stock - liquid in which meat and vegetables are simmered; used as a basis for e.g. soups or sauces; "she made gravy with a base of beef stock" 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup chopped zucchini 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro Dip tortillas in water. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until crisp. Let cool; crumble into bite-size pieces and set aside. Meanwhile, combine salsa, broth, beans, zucchini and corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Stir in cilantro. Ladle into serving bowls; garnish with tortilla pieces. Makes 8 cups or 4 to 6 servings. NOTE: Garnish with tortilla chips if you you don't have time to make your own. EXPRESS TO GO Chinois Express Cafe, 19657 1/2 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana; (818) 881-7122. Several of my co-workers eat at Chinois Express several times a week, so another colleague and I decided to see what all the fuss was about and ordered some takeout delivered to our office. We ordered from the luncheon menu, which is available all day daily. Lunch specials come with a vegetable of the day (on our day it was carrots) and a choice of steamed or fried rice and fortune cookies. The portions are plentiful, fresh and tasty. The cut-up carrots were sweet tasting, but the fried rice needed help in the flavor department. Soy sauce would have helped, but no packets came with our order. The steamed rice was fine. Our selections included vegetable egg roll, which came with two egg rolls and sweet and sour sweet and sour adj → agridulce and mustard sauces ($1.50), Chinese chicken salad Chinese chicken salad, as its name suggests, is a salad with chicken, popular in the United States. The Asian influence comes from common Asian-themed ingredients. Though many variations exist, common features of most salads described as "Chinese chicken" contain lettuce, chicken, ($2), garlic shrimp pasta ($5), beef lo mein lo mein n. A Chinese dish of boiled wheat noodles stir-fried with vegetables, seasonings, and other ingredients, such as chicken. ($4.50), Peking-style chicken with sweet and sour sauce ($3.50) and kung pao chicken Kung Pao chicken (also spelled Kung Po chicken) is a classic dish in Sichuan cuisine, originating in the Sichuan Province of central-western China. The dish is named after Ding Baozhen (1820–1886), a late Qing Dynasty official. ($4.50). The two egg rolls were large and well-filled with slivers of assorted vegetables. I thought the egg rolls were good, but another taster taster /tast·er/ (tas´ter) an individual capable of tasting a particular test substance (e.g., phenylthiourea, used in genetic studies). found them greasy - and having a flavor reminiscent of previously used oil. The Chinese chicken salad is not a traditional one. Fresh cut-up iceberg lettuce iceberg lettuce n. A crisp, round, compact head of lettuce with light green, tightly folded leaves. [From its pale color. is topped with eight large slices of skinless chicken breast, then topped with crunchy Asian noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. accompanied with a sesame vinaigrette dressing. The fragrant and zesty dressing made the salad delicious. The two noodle dishes were abundant in size and could easily be shared. The garlic shrimp pasta featured 10 large, plump shrimp, slivers of carrot and large chunks of white onion White onion is a type of dry onion that has a pure white skin and a sweet, mild white flesh. This onion is used in Mexican foods or complementing the flavors of other ingredients. mixed in with thick noodles Thick noodles are a type of Chinese noodle commonly used in the cuisines of northern China. In addition, it may also be found in Hong Kong, as well as in restaurants specializing in northern Chinese cuisine in other parts of China. all flavored with a garlic tomato sauce. This was the best dish we ordered. The garlic tomato sauce was slightly sweet and sour, making for a unique dish. The beef lo mein was traditional in style, with soft slender noodles mixed with sliced pieces of beef, cabbage, celery, carrot and onion swimming in an Asian-style brown sauce. Peking-style chicken with sweet and sour sauce was a disappointment. The menu specified boneless Bone´less a. 1. Without bones. Adj. 1. boneless - being without a bone or bones; "jellyfish are boneless" chicken fried to perfection and served with savory sweet and sour sauce. The large chicken pieces had skin and bones (messy to eat and unappealing) and were on the dry side. No doubt this dish would have been far superior with boneless chicken. Kung pao chicken was delicious and rated as our second favorite dish. Large chunks of chicken were spiced with dried chiles, plenty of peanuts and green onions all floating in a mild, tasty sauce that would have been even better if it had been more spicy.Chinois Express offers Mandarin cuisine, uses vegetable oil and no MSG MSG: see glutamic acid. . The Chinois lunch menu is easy to deal with - there are side orders of soups, fried shrimp, egg rolls and chicken salad (from $1.50 to $2); extra dipping sauces (50 cents); and lunch specials with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp and vegetables (from $3.50 to $5.50). The dinner menu features special family dinners for two or more people (from $8.50 to $38), appetizers (from $2 to $5), soups and salads (from $2 to $5), vegetable dishes ($5.50), sweet and sour dishes (from $7 to $8), chicken dishes from $7 to $8.50), beef dishes (from $8 to $9), seafood dishes (from $9 to $10), noodle dishes (from $5 to $6.50) and plain rice and fried rice dishes (from $3 to $6.50). Chinois will deliver within 3 miles free with a minimum delivery order of $10. Otherwise a $1 delivery charge will be added. The restaurant accepts credit cards, but no checks. If you are in the mood for a good, quick Chinese meal, Chinois Express is worth calling. |
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