Wednesday, May 25, 2011

滑蛋筍片牛肉三文治/Chinese Beef and Bamboo Sandwich




This Chinese Beef and Bamboo Sandwich recipe is based on my previous recipe - Fried Beef and Bamboo in Egg Sauce.  I put this Chinese dish into a bun and made a healthy delicious Sandwich.  It tasted so fresh and delicious!  The bamboo shoots have a unique texture and flavor all of their own making the variety of textures in this Sandwich extraordinary.  It's very simple to make and brings a tasty Chinese flavour to a very common Western style meal.  Because this is not a traditional sandwich, the kids don't feel bored when they eat.  It's not only tasty and delicious, it's packed with protein, calcium and fiber that help them to grow.  There are lots of Chinese dishes that you can combine with Western cooking styles. I will show you how to do that in my upcoming recipes.


Ingredients:
(Makes 3+ servings)


  • 7 oz shredded lean beef
  • 5 oz bamboo shoots
  • 2 oz butter lettuce
  • 2 green onion
  • Half cup julienned onion
  • 1 oz sliced ginger
  • ½ tsp salt
  • A quarter tsp white pepper powder
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 buns
  • 2 sliced Havarti cheese
  • 1 tsp hot sauce

To marinate the beef:

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp soy sauce

Directions:



  1. Marinate the beef 15 minutes before cooking.
  2. Cut the green onion an inch and half long.  Slice the bamboo shoots.  Beat the eggs in a bowl.
  3. Bring half pot of water to boil.  When the water is boiled, blanch the bamboo shoots in the boiling water for one minute.  Transfer to a plate.
  4. In a nonstick medium saucepan or a wok, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook for about a minute.  Transfer to a plate.
  5. Wash the wok, and then add 1 tbsp cooking oil over high heat.  Add green onion and ginger to cook for about 10 seconds.  Add bamboo shoots, pepper powder, salt and sesame oil.  Stir for about 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-high, and then add cooked beef.  Mix everything evenly, add the egg.  Keep mixing it until everything is covered by egg.  Transfer to a serving plate.
  6. Place the beef in the bun and add sliced cheese.  Toast the sandwich for 2 - 3 minutes and transfer to a serving plate.  Add lettuce and hot sauce.  Now enjoy!

黃豆排骨湯/Soy Bean and Pork Soup



This Soy Bean and Pork Soup is an old style Chinese soup.  It's fairly common in all regions of China and most families know this recipe.  My mom used to make this soup for my bother and I when we were babies.  I was born in China at the end of the Cultural Revolution and resources were very slim back then.  My mom told me that they couldn't even buy milk before the 80s, so most families made this Soy Bean and Pork Soup for their babies because it contains a lot of calcium and protein.  I was lucky because I had my mom's milk until I was two-years-old, and my mom used to drink this soup because she was breastfeeding.  This soup is simple, easy and also tastes clean, refreshing and it's very healthy.

Ingredients:
  • 5 oz dried soy beans
  • 2 chicken legs
  • 1 lb fresh chopped pork ribs 
  • ½ oz sliced ginger
Directions:
  1. Soak the soy beans half an hour before cooking.
  2. In a large soup pot, add ribs, chicken legs, ginger, soaked soy beans and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, and then use a soup strainer to strain all the dark bubbles on top of the water.  Reduce the heat to the lowest and cook for 2 - 3 hours.  Add salt.  You are done!  

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

四川擔擔面/Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles



I have been cooking Sichuan food a lot lately and this Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles is a classic Chinese Sichuan dish.  I have posted another similar dish - Dried Tofu Dan Dan Noodles where I used my leftover Sautéed Chives with Dried Tofu as the sauce base and then used a small amount of Dan Dan noodle ingredients.  This recipe, however, is a more authentic Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles which I learned from my mom when I was a teenager in China.  In Sichuan, there are lots of restaurants and food stands serving this dish.  Because it's a simple dish to make, a lot of people make it at home as well. My brother and I used to cook this for breakfast but now I prefer it for lunch or dinner.  



Ingredients:

  • 6 oz noodles (dry or fresh noodles)
  • 2 - 3 oz of ground pork
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 - 3 oz pea sprouts

For the sauce base:

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped green onion
  • 1 tsp ground garlic
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp chopped pickled mustard green (available at any Chinese supermarket)
  • ½ tsp roasted sesame seed
  • 1 tsp sesame paste 
  • 1 tsp ground peanut paste 
  • 1 tsp chili oil 

To Marinate the pork:



  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp soy sauce
  • ½ sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh water

Directions:

  1. Marinate the pork.  Prepare your sauce base before cooking the noodles.  Make sure it’s evenly mixed. 
  2. Bring half pot of water to boil.  When the water is boiled add noodles.  In about 4 minutes the noodles are ready.  Blanche the pea sprouts in boiling water and then transfer everything to the bowl.  Add a half-cup of water from the pot (or homemade soup if available).  Mix everything evenly with the sauce.  
  3. While the noodles are cooking, take a medium non-stick pan and heat up 1 tbsp olive oil in medium-high heat.  Add the marinated pork to cook.  Stir and make sure the pork is not in one chunk.  After about 4 minutes the pork is ready.  Add the egg in the center of the pan and turn off the heat.  The egg will cook sunny side up by itself.  
  4. Add the cooked pork and egg on top of the noodles and garnish with chopped green onion.  Now you are done!!  These delicious Dan Dan Noodles can be made in only 20 minutes! Enjoy!
Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles

Video Recipe Update - Sichuan Spicy Noodles

Friday, May 13, 2011

麻辣與泰式鴛鴦火鍋/Sichuan Spicy and Thai Tom Yum Soup Based Hot Pot



Have you ever tried hot pot?  Especially the Sichuan spicy style?  Hot pot is my favourite, that's why I have a Hot Pot section in my Recipe Page.  I grew up in Chongqing which is the city in China that is the most famous for hot pot.  Hot pot is Chongqing's local culinary specialty.  Tables in hotpot restaurants usually have a central pot where food ordered by the customers is boiled in a spicy broth. You can order beef, pork, lamb, seafood, wontons, dumplings and any other vegetables.  What makes Chongqing spicy hot pot so famous is a special spice known as Sichuan peppercorn. It creates a sensation on the tongue that is spicy and both burns and numbs slightly, almost like carbonated beverages.  A Chongqing hotpot is markedly different from the types eaten in other parts of China. Quite often the differences lie in the meats used, the type of soup base, and the sauces and condiments used to flavor the meat.


I made two types of hot pot soup base, one is a Chongqing/Sichuan spicy soup base and the other is Thai Tom Yum soup base.  If you want to have two types of hot pot at the same time like I did, you can buy a special hot pot that divides in two from any Chinese supermarket or Chinatown.  This time I made a hot pot video so you can see how it's done.


Spicy soup base soup ingredients:

  • 4 oz Spicy hotpot soup base.  4oz spicy hotpot sauce can be used for every 1 liter of water.  You can buy a spicy hotpot soup base from any Chinese supermarket.  I’m using a Chongqing spicy hotpot soup base.
  • Half cup green onion

Thai Tom Yum soup base ingredients:


  • 1 tbsp Thai Tom Yum sauce (you can find this sauce at most Chinese supermarkets)
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 5 - 6 white mushrooms
  • 2 lemon leaves and 2 stalks of lemon grass
  • 5 prawns in shell


Dipping Sauce:


  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp vinegar 
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped green onion
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp cilantro
  • ½ tsp roasted sesame seed
  • 1 tsp Shacha sauce 
  • 1 tsp Fermented bean curd
  • 1 tsp sesame seasoning vinegar


Directions:
  1. Cut the green onion approximately an inch and half long.  Add the spicy hotpot sauce and green onion into one side of the pot and add water to fill up 3-quarters of the pot.
  2. Cut the tomatoes and mushroom into small chunks and add all Thai Tom Yum ingredients into the other side of the pot.  Add water to fill up 3-quarters of the pot.
  3. Add all dipping sauce ingredients into a small bowl and mix everything evenly.  Now you can start cooking whatever you like.  Enjoy your homemade hotpot.

Monday, May 9, 2011

鮮蝦波菜水饺/Shrimp, Pork and Spinach Dumpling



I was traveling in Seattle for the past five days with my little family for the Mother's Day weekend and we had an amazing time there.  I also wanted to send big hugs out to all the moms and their moms and their moms and ... you get the idea.  I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day because you deserved it!

Last week, I released my Dumpling Videos and had a lot of great feedback!  This dumpling recipe is an authentic Sichuan style dumpling which is also very popular in Northern China.  I haven't seen this type of dumpling in any of Vancouver's Markets however they are easy to make and all the ingredients should be available at your local supermarket.  I made 38 dumplings with these ingredients and my husband and I finished them all for dinner.  They were incredibly delicious and we couldn't stop eating them!  Just like homemade Wontons, you can make more dumplings at one time and keep them in the freezer so it's very convenient if you have a family.  Whenever you are in a hurry and need a quick, comforting and energizing meal you will have your homemade dumplings ready.






Ingredients:

  • 1 package of dumpling wraps (about 1 lb)
  • 5 oz Bok Choy



For the filling:

  • 6 oz ground pork
  • 3 oz cooked small shrimps
  • 4 tsp chopped green onion
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 tsp cornstarch
  • a quarter tsp salt
  • 3 oz baby spinach
  • 1 oz dried mung bean noodles
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp olive oil


For the dipping sauce: 
(Serving per person)

  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chili oil
  • 1 tsp chopped green onion
  • half tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn (optional)
  • 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds


Directions:

  1. Soak the mung bean noodles.  Beat the eggs in a bowl.
  2. In a medium nonstick pan, heat up 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the egg, stir for a few seconds and turn off the heat.
  3. Bring half a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add ½ tbsp olive oil to the water - this will help to keep the spinach green.  Blanche the spinach in the boiling water.  Transfer the spinach to a colander, let cool.
  4. Cut the soaked mung bean noodles approximately half inch long.  Cut the spinach carefully.
  5. In a bowl, add the ground pork, chopped green onion, ground ginger, egg, mung bean noodles, spinach, cornstarch and salt.  Mix everything by hand evenly. 
  6. Add the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix everything evenly.
  7. Take the dumpling wraps and fold the dumplings (See the video).
  8. Bring half a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add the Bok Choy to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.  Transfer to a serving plate.
  9. In the same pot, add the dumplings to the boiling water and cook for about 4 -  5 minutes.  When the dumplings are floating on top of the water they are ready.  Add 1 cup of cold water to cool down the wonton skins so they don't get soft.  Bring to a boil again, and then transfer all dumplings to the serving plate where you have the cooked Bok Choy.  Take a dumpling and dip in the dipping sauce, and enjoy your authentic Shrimp, Pork and Spinach Dumpling.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

自制花椒油/Homemade Sichuan Peppercorn Oil



 I have made quite a few Chinese salads,  and I always use Sichuan peppercorn Oil in all of my Chinese salads.  The other day I was making Chili Oil so I thought why not make some Sichuan peppercorn Oil as well.  Sichuan peppercorn Oil is even easier to make and it's a great ingredient to have in your kitchen if you are a Chinese food lover.  


I grew up watching my grandma and my mom make this Sichuan peppercorn Oil because people in Chongqing can not live without Sichuan Peppercorn.  Chongqing is a major city of 30 million people in southwestern China and one of the five national central cities.  Due to its position on the Yangtze and strong industrial development, Chongqing is known for its fog, humidity and heavy air pollution. Foggy weather is most prevalent during spring, late fall and winter days, giving this city the nickname "the Fog Capital".


Based on the theory of Chinese traditional medicine, eating peppercorn is effective against illnesses due to the wet weather, such as rheumatoid arthritis.  That's why Chongqing people use Sichuan Peppercorn to cook everything and almost every family knows this recipe.




Ingredients:


Directions:

  1. In a medium sauce pan or a wok, add the Sichuan peppercorn.  Fry for 1 - 2 minutes and then transfer to a bowl. 
  2. In a medium wok or sauce pan, heat up 4 - 5 cups of cooking oil.  When the oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat and let the oil cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Pour the oil on top of the Sichuan peppercorn in the bowl, wait to cool before serving and you are done!
City of Chongqing

自制辣椒油/Homemade Sichuan Chili Oil



 I have been filming a lot recently.  After posting 4 amazing videos in a row, I am finally back to blogging.  Ever since I posted the Wonton Soup in Spicy Sauce I have got a lot of requests for the chili oil recipe.  This chili oil is very easy to make and you just need a few simple ingredients.  After you make the first batch of  chili oil, you can always heat up more oil and top it up to suit your taste.  I used to buy pre-ground chili flakes to make chili oil but this time I bought whole chilies and blended them before making the oil.  I found that using ground whole chili makes the oil 10 times spicier than using pre-ground chili flakes.  So if you want your chili oil to be spicy use the whole chili, otherwise use the chili flakes if you want your chili oil to be less spicy.




Ingredients:

  • 3.5 oz dried chili
  • 3 tbsp roasted peanuts (optional)
  • 3 - 4 cups of cooking oil

Directions:

  1. Add the whole chili in a blender and blend at high speed to desired consistency.  Transfer the ground chili to a bowl and add the peanuts.
  2. In a medium wok or sauce pan, heat up 3 - 4 cups of cooking oil.  When the oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat and let the oil cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Pour the oil on top of the ground chili and peanuts in the bowl, wait to cool before serving and you are done!