Hot and Sour Soup

Chinese Recipe - Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and sour soup is a specialty in Szechuan food and has a most unusual but very attractive taste. Yield 2-4 servings Ingredients: 3 c. chicken broth 1 tbsp. soy sauce 4 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes in cold water, stems removed, cut into fine strips 1/2 c. bamboo shoot, cut into 2-inch strips, 1/4 inch wide 1/4 lb. raw lean pork, cut into narrow strips 1 cake tofu, cubed 1/4 tsp. white pepper 2 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp. cold water 1 egg, slightly beaten 2 tsp. sesame oil (or 1/4 tsp. hot chili oil or more to taste) Finely chopped scallions for garnish Directions: In a large saucepan combine broth, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pork. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 3 minutes. Add bean curd, pepper and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring, until soup thickens slightly, then pour in the egg very slowly, stirring soup constantly. Remove from heat; stir in sesame or hot oil. Garnish with scallions. I really like hot and sour soup, people may think it is very spicy. In fact, it is not. In this recipe, it doesn’t have any chili oil, chili powder or chili sauce, what it has is white pepper, i guess it won’t be that spicy and people should able to put up with it. Hey, let’s try~

Glossary–F

Eggplant - Also known as “aubergine” is a berry that is consumed like a vegetable and has been cultivated in China since around 500 B.C. The Chinese eggplant is whitish, both inside and outside. It is 6 to 8 inches long and shaped rather like a cucumber. You will find this vegetable all year round at Chinese grocery stores, but you can also substitute the common purple-skinned variety, for they are similar in taste and texture. There are several kinds of purple eggplants: the large American variety, and the very small ones native to the Mediterranean region and to Japan. These small ones are frequently more tasty and tender than the larger vegetable. Sometimes, eggplants, no matter what variety you are using, have a bit of harsh taste. Soaking them in water before using will remove this. The most common variety both in North America and in Europe is deep purple and pear-shaped. The skin is edible, although in certain varieties it can be bitter. The yellowish white flesh is spongy and contains small brownish edible seeds. Small and young specimens of eggplant contain fewer seeds and their skin is tenderer and less bitter so there is no need to peel them, but older ones should be peeled before preparing. When buying, look for firm, smooth skin with no blemishes. They can be kept in the refrigerator for a slightly longer period. Only cut the eggplant right before throwing into the wok as the flesh discolors quickly. One pound of eggplant equals 4 cups chopped eggplant.

Curry Beef

Curry Beef

Ingredients

1 piece beef	some scallion and gingers slices
1 onion	1 tbsp. salt
1 carrot	1 five-spiced bag
1 bag curry powder	some oil
1 bowl cornstarch-water	2 cups stock
5 tbsp.sugar	some sesame oil

Cooking Methods

Cut beef into chunks and put them into a pot with boiling water. Stew to get rid of the off-odor of blood and take them out. Wash and clean the carrot and onion and cut them into chunks.

Heat oil in a wok. Add curry powder and stir-fry till aromatic. Add stock, five-spice bag, onions, gingers and other condiments. Simmer for about three hours, take spiced bag out and put in onions till cooked. Then pour cornstarch-water for thickening, sprinkle sesame oil and serve.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork

serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 pound pork tenderloin
• 2 - 3 teaspoons soy sauce
• Pinch of cornstarch
• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water or reserved pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
• Batter:
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup warm water, as needed
• Other:
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 3 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed

PREPARATION:

Directions for sweet and sour pork
Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes. Marinate in the soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, ketchup, dark soy sauce, salt, water or juice and vinegar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Set aside.

Peel the carrot and chop on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut into cubes.

Heat the oil for deep–frying to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the batter, combine the flour and cornstarch. Stir in the egg white and vegetable oil. Add as much of the warm water as is needed to form a thick batter that is neither too dry or too moist. (The batter should not be runny, but should drop off the back of a spoon).

Dip the marinated pork cubes in the batter. Deep-fry in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry the pork until it is golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

(If desired you can deep-fry the pork at second time to make it extra crispy. Make sure the oil is back up to 375 before you begin deep-frying again).

To prepare the sweet and sour sauce, bring the sauce ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, green pepper, and pineapple. Bring to a boil again and thicken with cornstarch mixture, stirring. Check the sauce one more time and adjust seasonings, adding salt and/or vinegar if desired. Serve hot over the deep-fried pork. Serve sweet and sour pork hot over rice.

O…Sweet and sour pork, i love it so much!! This is the dish that i must order whenver i go to the chinese restaurant. I love it because it smells good, taste goods, and it LOOKS good, when the orange sauce mixed with the red, yellow and green pepper, O…i forgot my favorite, pineapple!!

Ginger Beef

Ginger Beef

1 lb. lean beef, cut in thin strips across the grain.

2 1/2 T. cornstarch

1 1/2 T. sugar

1 T. sherry or water

6 mushrooms thinly sliced

1 8 oz. can sliced bamboo shoots

1 chunk ginger, size of a walnut, minced

2 garlic cloves minced

1/4 t. salt

2 stalks green onion, cut in 1 inch pieces

3 T. oil

3/4 C. beef stock

1 t. sugar, soy sauce, 1/3 of the ginger, and the sherry or water for 15 minutes. Place in small bowl 1/2 t. cornstarch and 1/2 C. beef broth, set aside. Heat wok over high heat. Add 1 T. oil to wok after it is very hot. Stir fry mushrooms and green onions until barely tender, about 1 minute. Add bamboo shoots, stir fry 1 minute. Add salt, 1/2 t. sugar, and 1/4 C. beef broth. Stir fry 1 minute. Remove from wok. Add 2 T. oil to wok and heat. Stir fry the ginger, garlic and beef 1 minute, or until barely browned. Add sauce mixture and stir until thickened. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and green onions. Serve with rice.

Serves 4.

Um..seems like people do really like ginger beef, I never heard this dish when I was in Hong Kong, I guess this dish is made to fit the taste of western people.However, I love that a lot and decided to make one after I go back to Hong Kong, my parents and friends may like that too. Hopefully, I will have my own restaurant after I return to my home country, so people over there can try the famous ginger beef!

 

Dumplings

Ingredients (Makes 36 dumplings)
10 Chinese black mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, rinsed, dried, stems discarded, and caps cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 pound coarsely ground pork
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1-1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
36 wheat-flour dough skins, 3-1/2 inch square

Cooking Methods

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the dough skins and mix until the consistency is smooth and even. Place in a shallow dish and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 hours or, covered, overnight.

To make the dumplings: Place 4 teaspoons of the filling in the middle of each skin. Hold the filling in place with your fingers and, holding the dumpling in the other hand, gradually turn the dumpling, bringing the dough up around the filling while flattening the filling on the top of the dumpling. This will result in a basket-shaped dumpling, with the dough enclosing the sides of the filling, but with the top open and the filling exposed. Pack down the filling and smooth the top. This will ensure that the dumpling and filling will remain intact during steaming. Tap the dumpling bottom lightly on the work surface to flatten it so it will stand in the steamer. Place the dumplings in a steamer, cover and steam for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve.

Note: Siu mai may be frozen after steaming. Wrapped in plastic wrap, then in foil, they will keep for 2 months. To reheat, defrost, bring to room temperature, and steam for 3 to 5 minutes.

(Source: Daily News)

Do you like dumplings or wonton? Do you know that they are different things? Although I’m not quite sure what is the differences except their shape and cooking methods. As i know, dumlings are usually steamed, fried, or pan-fry while wonton are spoiled and fried. Their ingredient are similar somehow.

Here is the video teaching how to make dumplings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOXWSMlSq98

Chinese Recipe : Scrambled Eggs with Spinach

Ingredients: ½ lb spinach 5 eggs 8 tbsp oil 1 ½ tsp salt Dash of MSG Directions: Thoroughly wash spinach and cut into 3 sections. Beat eggs lightly, adding ½ tsp salt. Heat 4 tbsp oil and scramble eggs. Remove to a plate. Heat remaining 4 tbsp oil and fry spinach until tender, adding 1 tsp salt. Add scrambled eggs to spinach and mix. Serve hot. Spinach? Eggs? How can they mix together? Is it a salad? No!!!!! It is not a salad, you have to cook it. It may not look good in its appearance, but this dish is very popular in Chinese restaurant because it is healthy, it has lot of nutrients and contain no fat!

Chinese Recipe : Chinese Sponge Cake

Ingredients: 4 eggs ½ cup sugar ½ cup milk 2 cups self-rising flour ½ tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 2 tbsps lard or shortening 3 tbsps oil Directions: Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is thick and pale in color. Stir in the milk. Sift the flour, soda and salt together and fold into the egg mixture. Melt the lard and allow to cool, then mix with the oil. Gently stir into the egg mixture. Pour into a greased 8 inch round cake tin and steam for 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin while still hot. Cut into 6 to 8 wedges and serve hot or cold. Most of you have ever tried sponge cake, right? Well..what about chinese sponge cake? its textures and tastes are very different from the orginal one. It is softer and usually serve when it is hot. It is not as sweet as the orginal sponge cake, ladies who wants to lose weight but still want to have some dessert after dinner, you may want to have it.

Glossary –E

Enoki mushrooms - Also called golden needles mushroom are small white mushrooms that grow in clumps with long, thin stems topped with a tiny white cap and a mild, almost fruity flavor. They have a crisp, crunchy texture when fresh, but tend to become tough when heated; also known as velvet stem/shank, snow puff and golden mushrooms. The enoki mushroom is highly esteemed in Asia and figures prominently in various Chinese dishes.

Chinese Recipe : Hong Kong Style Congee Serves 4 to 6Ingredients: 1 cup rice, washed and drained ½ cup glutinous rice, washed and drained 2 tbsp oil 2 century eggs, cut into small pieces 2 hardboiled egg, mashed 10 oz meat, cut into small cubes 1 ¾ oz dried scallops, soaked in water and break in pieces 2 tbsp shredded young ginger Seasoning: 2 tbsp sesame oil Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Mix oil and both varieties of washed rice in a pot and leave for 10 mins. Add 3 quarts of water to the rice and boil for 20 mins. Spoon the rest of the ingredients and continue to simmer on low heat for 20 mins until congee is cooked. Season to taste and remove from heat. Serve garnished with scallions, fried shallots and finely shredded Chinese celery. Have you ever try congee? It is a soup-like rice, when you cook congee, just pour more water than rice does into the cooker, it will makes the rice become watery. It tastes very good with marinated beef or chicken. When the congee almost done, put the beef or chicken in it, stir well until the meat is done. Moreover, it is especially good for people who get sick because it contains lot of nutrients and it is easy to digest. Babies in China do eat congee when their teeth are not yet grown. I think it is something substitue for baby food. Here is the video which teaches you how to make congee, enjoy!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqHkvsL6CfI