Thanks heavens I did because my pork belly verged [...]]]> So to accompany my not so great pork belly I made bok choy.  I’ve always enjoyed bok choy but usually buy the big heads.  This time I thought it would be fun to buy some baby bok choy and stir-fry that up.

Thanks heavens I did because my pork belly verged on inedible   The bok choy saved the day and saved lunch the next day with some rice.

No surprise here but I used this recipe from Epicurious. I wanted a yummy stir-fry type recipe and this one fit the bill. It uses traditional stir-fry ingredients like ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch etc.  It was beyond easy and was a great side.  It was even good for lunch the next day on top of rice.

I’m adding this recipe to my list of quick and easy vegetarian options.  This could also be good if you add some tofu in there for protein.

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I’ve been on a quest for the past few months to make awesome Chinese food.  For the most part I’ve had success thanks to Helen Chen’s Home Cooking. This cookbook is FANTASTIC!  It’s a great mix of traditional Chinese recipes and Chinese-American recipes.  Totally up my alley.

I was at work [...]]]>

I’ve been on a quest for the past few months to make awesome Chinese food.  For the most part I’ve had success thanks to Helen Chen’s Home Cooking. This cookbook is FANTASTIC!  It’s a great mix of traditional Chinese recipes and Chinese-American recipes.  Totally up my alley.

I was at work the other day and someone was eating Kung Pao Chicken and it smelled AMAZING.    So of course rather than putting in an order I figured I’d go home and make it.  Obviously.  What’s so great about this recipe is that I pretty much had everything on hand (except for peanuts which are easy enough to acquire and the Sichuan peppercorns but I used regular peppercorns instead).  I added some green peppers to the mix for a bit of “vegetable”.

Loved this recipe too!  It’s not a battered and fried version which is always a plus (but don’t get me wrong, I love me some batter) and the heat is great. AND I took leftovers for lunch and I ate actually at it all (I normally have issues with leftover chicken).  SOLD.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

SERVES 3 TO 4

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3?4-inch cubes
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 to 4 dried chiles, seeds removed
½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground (see Note)
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 scallion, bulb split, cut into 11?2-inch lengths, plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
2 slices unpeeled fresh ginger
½ cup unsalted blanched peanuts, toasted, or unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the salt, and cornstarch. Add the chicken and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the wine, sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil.

2. In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat the canola oil over medium-heat. Add the chiles and cook, stirring, until the chiles turn dark brown. Add the peppercorns, garlic, scallion lengths, and ginger and stir for a moment or two.

3. Stir up the chicken mixture and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring briskly, for about 1 minute, then add the soy sauce mixture, the peanuts and the thinly sliced scallions. Turn the heat up to high and cook, stirring, until well mixed, and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 seconds. Remove and discard the chiles and ginger, if desired. Serve immediately.

? NOTE: You may substitute 1 to 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper for the dried chiles. Add with the peppercorns, garlic, and scallions.

? NOTE: To toast Sichuan peppercorns, heat the peppercorns in an ungreased skillet over medium heat until the peppercorns are smoking and fragrant. Do not let them burn. Let the peppercorns cool, then grind them in a mortar and pestle or roll with a rolling pin between two pieces of paper. Sift and discard the larger pieces that do not pass through the strainer. Store the powder in a clean, tightly lidded glass jar in a dark, dry place.

(From Helen Chen’s Chinese Home Cooking)

I’m always on the hunt for great Chinese food recipes.  Sure, sometimes I’m after more “authentic” dishes, but sometimes I just want some good old North American/Chinese food.  We’re talking Chinese food like your favourite “round the way” spot.  Battered, fried and saucy.  I’m not afraid to admit that.

One of my guilty pleasures [...]]]>

I’m always on the hunt for great Chinese food recipes.  Sure, sometimes I’m after more “authentic” dishes, but sometimes I just want some good old North American/Chinese food.  We’re talking Chinese food like your favourite “round the way” spot.  Battered, fried and saucy.  I’m not afraid to admit that.

One of my guilty pleasures when it comes to Chinese food is sweet and sour… pretty much anything!  But especially pork or chicken.  I like it battered and fried crispy and laden with a somewhat artificial sauce.  What can I say?  I grew up on it.  When I saw this recipe in Helen Chen’s Chinese Home Cooking it totally had me at hello.

The ingredients are simple enough and I had them all on hand except for the canned pineapple.  The recipe itself is easy to execute which I like.  It’s easy enough to cook on a weeknight which is always a bonus.  If you wanted to really plan ahead you could probably fry the pork the night before and crisp it in the oven or in some oil.  The one modification that I make here is that I add onions.  The sauce isn’t too sickeningly sweet which is nice AND it’s not that somewhat frightening (but familiar) neon red colour that we’re accustomed to.

Also note that I don’t follow the directions exactly.  It says that the pork should be fried twice.  That just seems like a lot of work to me so I cook it once.  The last time I made this I fried the pork twice and it didn’t make much of a difference to me

If you wanted to be really healthy (although I would question your intent if you’re making a dish of deep fried meat tossed in sugar sauce…) you could add some more vegetables to the mix.  Broccoli would probably work well here.  Also note that I opted for white rice.  Sure, I could have done brown but something about this recipes screams white rice to me!

Enjoy!

Cantonese Sweet and Sour Pork

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup canned pineapple chunks, well drained
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch plus 3 1/2 tablespoons dissolved in 1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon beaten egg plus enough water to make 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon canola, corn, or peanut oil
About 1/2 pound lean boneless pork chops, cut into 1-inch or smaller cubes (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper

Sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Oil for deep-frying  (pork is deep-fried twice)

Directions
In a small saucepan of boiling water, parboil the carrots for 1 minute. Add the green pepper to the same water. As soon as it comes back to a boil, drain the vegetables and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Add the pineapple to the vegetables and set aside.
Combine the flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, baking powder, egg mixture, and oil in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is a smooth paste. Set aside.
In another bowl, stir the pork, sherry, salt, and pepper together. Set aside.
In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat 2 inches o foil to a temperature of 375 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip the marinated cubes of pork into the batter to coat completely. Carefully drop the pork into the hot oil, 1 piece at a time. Deep-fry until light golden brown. Remove with a wire skimmer, spread out on paper towels, and let cool. Reserve the oil in the pan. (You may deep-fry the pork to this point in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer. The oil may be strained and kept for a day or two; otherwise use fresh oil for the second frying.)
Make the sweet and sour sauce only when ready to proceed with the second frying. Combine the sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, salt, and water in a 2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the vinegar. When the liquid comes back to a boil, stir in the cornstarch solution. Cook until the sauce thickens. Add the parboiled vegetables and the pineapple to the sauce, then add 1 tablespoon of hot oil from the deep-fry pan to give the sauce a shine.
While preparing the sauce, reheat the deep-fry oil to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a second frying. Add all the pork to the oil and fry until the pieces are heated and crisped. (Frozen or refrigerated pork should be brought to room temperature before being cooked). Remove with a wire skimmer and drain on paper towels. (If not ready to serve the dish immediately, you can keep the sauce warm on the stove and the pork warm in a 325 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes, no longer. Put together just before serving.)
Put the pork in a deep plate and pour the sweet and sour sauce over. Serve immediately.

Author’s Cooking Tips
*For best results use lean pork that is free of gristle.
**The batter must be prepared exactly as described and the pork fried twice at a temperature no less than 375 degrees F. to ensure crispiness.
***The same ingredients and technique can be used with chicken, shrimp, or beef.  Cooking times need to be adjusted accordingly.

Somehow I’m totally a week late posting this!  Not sure how I got the dates so mixed up in my head at all.  Clearly I did not ace this one.  I have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to making this recipe in the first place. McKenzie of Kenzie’s Kitchen chose this recipe [...]]]>

Somehow I’m totally a week late posting this!  Not sure how I got the dates so mixed up in my head at all.  Clearly I did not ace this one.  I have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to making this recipe in the first place. McKenzie of Kenzie’s Kitchen chose this recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad and lost me at the word chicken.  But in the spirit of Barefoot Bloggers I forged ahead and I’m glad I did!

This is a super simple and delicious recipe.  I used “naturally raised” chicken from Metro which I like a lot better than regular chicken and it’s only slightly more expensive.  Most of the ingredients I had on hand and really only had to buy the veggies required.  I followed the recipe almost to a T and was pleasantly surprised.  I omitted the salt in the dressing and was happy with that choice.  I’m a big fan of a garlicky, peanutty, gingery dressing and this salad delivered.  I would use the dressing as a dipping sauce or marinade for other dishes.

I served my chicken salad on top of Hot and Sour Coleslaw that I found via Epicurious.  I had a quarter head of cabbage from my last veggie box that I had to use up and I always had carrots on hand so this seemed like a natural choice.  I also happened to have some bean sprouts that were on the verge of being not so fresh that I threw in there too.  This was a GREAT accompaniment if I do say so myself.

Would I make this again?  Sure, if I were in the mood for chicken.  I will be adding this to my list of “things to bring to summer barbecues (if i ever were to get invited to summer barbecues)” (a girl has to plan!).  I am however super excited for the lunchtime leftovers!

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
• 2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

(recipe via foodtv.com)

A few months ago I acquired a copy of Helen Chen’s Chinese Home Cooking . I’ve had a few Chinese cookbooks over the years but I’ve never thought that any of them really captured what I was looking for.  I love greasy, Americanized Chinese food.  I freely admit it, nothing to [...]]]>

A few months ago I acquired a copy of Helen Chen’s Chinese Home Cooking . I’ve had a few Chinese cookbooks over the years but I’ve never thought that any of them really captured what I was looking for.  I love greasy, Americanized Chinese food.  I freely admit it, nothing to be ashamed of.  Beef and broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, honey garlic ribs, fried rice – you name it, I love it.

Home Cooking does a great job of covering the more Chinese-American dishes as well as some overlooked traditional Chinese dishes.  I’ve made a few recipes out of this book and have been mostly happy.  The recipe for Szechuan Spicy Bean Curd is my fave!

I first came across this recipe under the name “Ma Po Tofu”.  It was probably 3 years ago and Buddakan was just opening in New York and I remember reading a review that raved about their Ma Po Tofu.  At this point I hadn’t even heard of the dish which I later learned is made of ground pork and tofu.  It sounded right up my alley!  I like tofu to begin with and enjoy pork even more.  Together the combination sounded unstoppable AND very affordable which is a bonus.

Let me just say, this dish is one of my favourite home-cooked meals EVER.  Yes, I said it, EVER.  Even my mom likes it and she a.) doesn’t really eat tofu, b.) doesn’t really eat pork and c.) doesn’t like Chinese food.  I know I’m building this up a lot but just bear with me.  The dish turns into a spicy, saucy combination of browned ground pork and soft tofu.  The flavours just meld together deliciously.  Chen also has a lot of great finishing touches.  The sprinkle of green onions and touch of sesame oil at the end was perfect.

I made a few substitutions as usual.  Hot bean paste?  I don’t have it.  Instead I used black bean paste.  Freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns?  I just used fresly ground pepper. And  instead of Chinese Chicken Broth I used regular low-sodium chicken broth.  Nothing too major.

The dish looks kind of gross but trust me it tastes and great and smells amazing while cooking.  The recipe says that you can use beef but I don’t find that appealing at all.

Rating: *****(out of 5)

Szechuan Spicy Bean Curd

1 pound soft tofu (bean curd)
2 tablespoons hot bean paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon grated peeled gingerroot
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
3 tablespoons canola, corn or peanut oil
1/2 cup ground pork or beef (4 ounces)
1 cup Chinese Chicken Broth or water
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scalions
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1. Drain te tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Set aside. Stir the hot bean paste, garlic, gingerroot, sherry, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine the red pepper and ground peppercorns together in another small dish. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a wok or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir fry the ground meat until it separates into small pieces. Add the hot bean sauce mixture and stir a few times. Add the broth or water and pepper mixture and stir a few times to mix. Add the tofu. Stir gently to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 to 6 minutes to reduce the liquid by about a quarter.

3. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce is thickened. Pour onto a serving platter and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seed oil. Serve hot.

(From Helen Chen’s Chinese Home Cooking)