Directions

1. Bring 1.5 liters water to a boil, which will take 5-6 minutes over high heat.

   
2. While waiting, add the boneless skinless chicken breast, 2 scallions, 5 slices of ginger, 2 shallots, 6 cups of chicken stock, and a drizzle of Chinese cooking wine to a stock pot. Turn the heat to high. It will take about 6-8 minutes for it to come to a simmer.
   
3. While waiting, make the garlic sauce. Add 3 Tbsps butter and 4 Tbsps finely minced garlic to a saucepan and stir over low heat for 2 minutes. Just a note:  I used frozen minced garlic, which is one of my time-saving tips. Cooking is easy. The laborious part is actually all kinds of tedious cutting and prepping, like peeling tons of garlic and ginger and mincing them, so I always process a large amount with a blender, freeze them, and use them as needed.
   
4. Add 1/3 tsp ground black pepper, and optionally 1.5 tsps red chili flakes. Stir until the butter turns into a bright red color. Remove the saucepan from the stove.
   
5. Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce, and 300g of peeled and deveined shrimp and mix well. Here is an important note. Most shrimp on the market is frozen with a salt solution. If you are using previously frozen shrimp, please check the package. If you see salt on the ingredient list, you must adjust the seasonings or rinse the shrimp thoroughly before cooking; otherwise, your dish will be too salty.
   
6. By now, the water should have come to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Take the noodles out and place them on a heat-proof plate.
   
7. Place the shrimp onto the noodles and line them into a nice circle presentation. Pour the leftover sauce over the plate, then place the plate into a steamer.
   
8. If you time everything correctly, the chicken pot should come to a boil by now. Remove the lid and place the steamer on the top. Switch the heat from high to medium-low and let it steam for 6 minutes. The noodles are boiled already, the steaming is to cook the shrimp and infuse the noodles with that delicious garlic sauce.
   
9. While waiting, make the lemon sauce for the chicken. Add 3 Tbsps lemon juice, 3 Tbsps soy sauce, ½ Tbsp sugar, 3 Tbsps of diced cilantro, ½ Tbsp minced garlic, and 1 Tbsp diced Thai bird’s eye chilies to a big mixing bowl and set them aside.
   
10. The shrimp should be done cooking by now. Remove the steamer from the pot. The shrimp vermicelli noodles dish is basically done. Just sprinkle some diced cilantro for garnish.
    
11. As for the chicken, turn off the heat and put on the lid. Let the chicken breast sit in the hot water for 8-10 minutes.
    
12. During this time, prepare the vegetables. Thinly julienne 3 oz shiitake mushroom, 3 oz, 12 oz stem lettuce, and 3 oz ham and set them aside. In China, we normally use lunch meat for this recipe, but I found that ham works just as well. This is what I am using. You can choose your favorite brand. There is no restriction.
    
13. The chicken should be done sitting in the hot water. Remove it from the water and set it aside to cool.
    
14. We are going to use the chicken cooking broth to make a delicious hearty soup. Remove the soggy aromatics and sieve out the impurities.
    
15. Bring the broth to a boil again. Add all the julienned mushroom, carrot, ham and lettuce stem and cook for 1 minute.
    
16. Add 1 Tbsp of minced ginger, 1 Tbsp of minced garlic, and 2 Tbsps minced shallot. Season it with 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. The ham and store-bought stock contain different amounts of sodium; please taste to adjust the saltiness.
    
17. Quickly mix 3 Tbsps of cornstarch with 3 Tbsps of water until no lumps. Pour it into the soup, stir to thicken, and the soup is done.
    
18. The chicken breast should be cooled. Shredded it thinly. Mix the chicken with the sauce thoroughly. Garnish it with some lemon slices.
    
19. Congratulations, you’ve just prepared a complete Chinese dinner in 30-40 minutes! These dishes have a balance of nutrients between proteins, vegetables, and carbs.  They are delicious, healthy, and budget-friendly, perfect for a family of four. This meal may not be fancy, but sometimes, the simplest home-cooked dishes are the most comforting.