On a rainy Saturday night, few things are as satisfying as ordering in from your local Chinese restaurant. Having a warm fragrant bag of your favorite Chinese treats delivered to your door is a huge convenience and a feast for the senses. These days, not everyone can afford the luxury of ordering Chinese food; at least, not as often as they used to. Take-out food is usually one of the first luxuries to get the axe when the family budget is tightened up.

The good news is that you can make many popular Chinese meals at home easily, economically, and with the healthy, natural ingredients that you love. If you want to try your hand at cooking Chinese, it's wise to prepare beforehand to make sure you have all the ingredients you need.

Most Chinese dishes require simple, readily available meats and veggies, but the spices and oils used in Chinese cooking may differ from what you have in your cupboard right now.

To create a basic Chinese ingredient line-up you should have:

• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Chinese 5-spice blend

If you're feeling adventurous and want to cook up Chinese meals with a gourmet flavor, you can pick up some Shaoxing rice wine. Shaoxing Rice wine is similar to dry cooking sherry, adding a sweet flavor and rich depth.

Chow Mein is a hugely popular Chinese dish because it includes something for everyone: succulent meat strips, crisp vegetables, and the satisfying crunch of a fried noodle topping.

Chow Mein is also a healthy dish, featuring lean meat as well as the vitamins and fiber of vegetables.

Homemade Chow Mein Recipe

(Serves 4)

• 1 - 1 1/2 lb beef or chicken labeled for stir-fry or fajitas
• 4 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup onion cut in strips
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
• 1small green pepper, sliced
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 small can sliced water chestnuts (optional)
• Sesame oil
• Soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• White or brown rice (follow package directions for 4-portion serving)
• 1 package/can Chow Mein noodles
  

Preparation:

Pre-heat wok or heavy gauge deep-frying pan to medium. Drizzle sesame oil liberally to cover pan, and add celery, onions, green pepper. Sautee 3 minutes or until transparent; do not brown. Add ginger, garlic, and salt to taste. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender-crisp, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and remove to bowl.

Again, add oil to pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Stir-fry meat until desired doneness is reached. If using shrimp, stir-fry until raw shrimp are pink and no longer transparent.

Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water to meat and bring to a simmer. Add veggies. Thicken your Chow Mein mixture with a paste made of 3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon corn starch.

Cook an additional 1-2 minutes then serve over rice and top with Chow Mein noodles.

Vegetarians can enjoy a meatless version of this yummy Chow Mein by substituting pan-fried tofu for the meat strips. Tofu is available in a variety of textures; extra firm works best for Chow Mein.

Tips On Cooking Rice

When you're cooking Chinese, you have to know your rice. You may think you know all there is to know about this staple of Asian cuisine, but there's more to rice than meets the eye. There are thousands of different types of rice, some more suited for Chinese cooking than others.

Glutinous or "sticky" rice is a medium grain rice commonly used in Chinese cooking. Some people like to use jasmine rice as well. If you can't find these types of rice, or don't find them appealing, that's okay; you can use plain everyday white rice for most Chinese recipes. If you're looking for more fiber, you can use a high-quality brown rice.

Eggroll Appetizers

Eggrolls are among the best-loved Chinese appetizers, and they're surprisingly easy to make at home. All you need is a package of won-ton wrappers and some ingredients for the filling, and you're good to go. These quick and simple egg rolls are made in a deep fryer so they'll be crispy, golden, and delicious.

• 1 bag shredded cabbage with carrots
• 2 cups shredded chicken or canned chicken
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon or instant bouillon
• 1/2 gallon oil for deep frying
• egg roll wraps (won-ton wrappers)

Cook cabbage, carrots, and chicken with bouillon until boiling. Drain all liquid. Using towel or paper towels make sure mixture is dry. Fold into egg roll wraps as shown on package. Prepare in fryer. Place on paper towels to absorb grease, and serve.

Won-ton wrappers are very versatile, and lend themselves to all kinds of cool and creative recipes, both savory and sweet. If you have a kid (or a grown-up) in your house that isn't a fan of Asian food, get inventive with your eggrolls. You can make "American eggrolls" by filling won-ton wrappers with decidedly un-Chinese foods like ham and cheddar, turkey and Swiss cheese, and countless other variations.

Chinese cuisine isn't known for its desserts, but sometimes you want a nice sweet ending to your Asian-inspired meal.

Some great choices include:

• Ice cream
• Fruit; bananas, mangoes, pineapple
• Almond cookies

Or try this simple, healthy treat:

Steamed Pear Recipe

• 4 pears
• 4 tablespoons of honey
  

Preparation:

Cut off the tops of the pears, keeping the tops as a lid. Core the pears. Fill each pear with one tablespoon of honey. Place the cut-off portion back to top of the pears. Steam the pears upright in heatproof dishes for about 30 minutes or so. Serve hot.

Chinese take out doesn't have to be a luxury you can't afford. With a few reliable recipes, you can cook up some international cuisine at home for a fraction of the cost and calories (and sodium).