Ginger Scallion Dungeness Crab Noodles (薑葱北美大肉蟹炒麵, Goeng1 Cung1 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5 Caau2 Min6)

Dungeness crab is a crab that’s native to the West coast of the North America. Whenever it’s available, I try to purchase freshly cooked crab to use in dishes. Any crab can be used in this dish if Dungeness crab is not available, and if you’re not fortunate enough to be able to buy fresh cooked crab, canned or frozen can be substituted. For this dish, I used a variety of herbs (ginger, scallion, cilantro, and mint) to give this noodle dish a fresh and distinctive flavor. The shredded spice tofu gives the dish a texture contrast (to the other ingredients) and adds to the flavor of this noodle dish.

Enjoy!

Shallot Sauce Green Bean Shrimp (紅蔥醬青豆角蝦, Hung4 Cung1 Zoeng3 Ceng1 Dau6 Gok3 Haa1)

I finally realized that I’ve been using peeled shrimp or prawn in my previous recipes. While peeled shrimp makes for easy eating, it’s not the only way to make a shrimp dish. Shrimp dishes are also made with unpeeled shrimp, and there’s a lot of flavor in the shells that makes its way into dish. The downside to using unpeeled shrimp is that the shells must be removed before eating, unless you’re strange like me and eat shrimp with the shells on. So preparation is easy for this dish, since you don’t have to shell the shrimp (you also leave the little feet on!). If leaving the shells on shrimp doesn’t appeal to you, just remove them and cook the dish that way.

Enjoy!

Pickled Chili Sugar Snap Pea Scallops (風味糟辣椒蜜豆帶子, Fung1 Mei6 Zou1 Laat6 Ziu1 Mat6 Dau6 Daai3 Zi2)

Scallops were on sale at my local market, so I decided to make a dish using pickled chilies. Pickled chilies are available bottled at your local Asian market. The picked chilies are broken into pieces, as opposed to being whole, so all you have to do is add them to the sauce mixture. Since the scallops were on the large size, I decided to use Shiitake mushrooms that were roughly the same size. The mushrooms were also the high quality mushrooms purchased at my local Asian herb and dried goods store, so they’re meatier than the mushrooms found at Asian markets.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Oil Shredded Spice Tofu Asparagus Chicken (黑豆辣椒油五香豆腐絲蘆筍鷄, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Ng5 Hoeng1 Dau6 Fu6 Si1 Lou4 Seon2 Gai1)

Shredded spice tofu adds texture to this dish and provides needed contrast to the softer chicken. The tofu is formed into long noodle-like pieces that must be cut smaller in order to eat. I think the shredded spice tofu also provides a great visual element to the dish. Shredded tofu can be purchased in a package at your local Asian market. If shredded tofu is not available, marinated five spice tofu (which comes in blocks and must be cut into pieces) can be substituted. I used a spicy black bean chili oil to give the dish some spiciness, but a black bean garlic sauce can be substituted if spiciness is not desired.

Enjoy!

Basil Shredded Spice Tofu Chicken and Cantonese Pork Sausage Chow Mein (紫蘇五香豆腐絲臘腸鷄炒麵, Zi2 Sou1 Ng5 Hoeng1 Dau6 Fu6 Si1 Laap6 Coeng4 Gai1 Caau2 Min6)

I always have a package of Cantonese pork sausage in my refrigerator. The sausages have a characteristic deep red color and provide a tasty addition to any dish, in this case, chow mein noodles. The sausages are dried, so they are dense and hard, and not at all like fresh sausages. The sausages can be purchased at your local Asian market. There are many variations (of content), but this dish uses the pork only version. The sausages are also available lean, with less fat content. Oil may be need to be added to the wok if the lean version is used, otherwise the sausages produce their own oil when cooked.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Garlic Sauce Poblano Chili Chicken (蒜蓉豆豉醬椒鷄, Syun3 Jung4 Dau6 Si6 Zoeng3 Ziu1 Gai1)

Poblano chilies (Capsicum annuum) are a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. When dried, it’s called ancho chili. The chilies have a dark green color that look great in any dish. So rather than using green bell peppers, I substituted Poblano chilies, which gave the dish a very mild spiciness. I used a bottled black bean sauce, but you can easily make your own.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Short Rib and Soybean Stew (燉毛豆仁牛小排, Dan6 Mou4 Dau6 Jan4 Ngau4 Siu2 Paai4)

This recipe uses beef short ribs cut that are not flanken cut, where the ribs are cut thinly across all the bones leaving the connective meat intact for dishes such as Los Angeles Style Korean Barbeque Beef Short Ribs - L.A. Galbi (L.A. 갈비), but the English cut where each individual rib is separated and then cut into pieces. Chinese stew spices - star anise, cassia bark or cinnamon sticks, ginger, garlic, and dried tangerine peel – are used together with soy bean peas to make this dish. Soy bean peas are edamame, which is commonly used as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants. You can buy them frozen, already peeled (i.e. peas only), at your local Asian market. Notice that rock sugar or dried dates, which are commonly used in Chinese stews, are not used in this dish. The ingredients are browned before being placed in the slow cooker, but if you’re in a hurry, this step can be omitted.

Enjoy!

Chili Black Bean Asparagus Shabu Shabu Beef Stir Fry (辣椒豆豉蘆筍炒涮涮锅牛肉, Laat6 Ziu1 Dau6 Si6 Lou4 Seon2 Caau2 Saan3 Saan3 Wo1 Ngau4 Juk6)

I used some high quality ingredients to make this simple dish. I found thinly sliced Kobe-style beef used for Shabu Shabu (Japanese hot pot) at a nearby Japanese market on sale and decided to use it in a stir fry dish. The beef is already tender, so there’s no need to use baking soda as a tenderizer. I also used whole Shiitake mushrooms in the dish that I bought at my local Chinese dried goods and herb store. These Shiitake mushrooms are higher quality than those available at Asian markets, and are not much more expensive. These mushrooms are meatier and their outside appearance is more flower like (which is prized in Shiitake mushrooms). Finally, asparagus is the final ingredient used to complete the dish.

Enjoy!

Doubanjiang Pepper Book Tripe (郫縣豆瓣酱椒牛百葉, Pei4 Jyun6 Dau6 Faan6 Zoeng3 Ziu1 Ngau4 Baak3 Jip6)

This recipe is very similar to the previously posted beef book tripe recipe: Doubanjiang Bell Pepper Tripe (郫縣豆瓣酱青椒牛百葉, Pei⁴ Jyun⁶ Dau⁶ Faan⁶ Zoeng³ Ceng¹ Ziu¹ Ngau⁴ Baak³ Jip⁶). This recipe uses Poblano chilies, instead of green bell peppers, to give the dish a slightly spicier taste. Poblano chili’s green color is deeper than the bell peppers, so the color gives the dish more contrast against the red of the Doubanjiang. Beef book tripe is another of the cow’s stomachs that are readily available at your local Asian market. While the honeycomb tripe has a honeycomb pattern on one side, the book tripe resembles a book with open pages. The book tripe is commonly served as a Chinese Dim Sum dish and has a crunchier texture than the honeycomb.

Enjoy!

Oyster Sauce Snow Crab Hong Kong Noodles (蠔油雪蟹炒雲吞麵, Hou4 Jau4 Syut3 Haai5 Caau2 Wan4 Tan1 Min6)

Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was available at my local market, so I used it to make a noodle dish with Shiitake mushrooms and fried tofu. I usually use Dungeness crab, since it is seasonally more readily available where I live, but since snow crab was available, I decided to use this crab instead. I really couldn’t tell any difference in taste when I used the snow crab, but it always good to try cooking a dish using ingredients that you’ve never used before.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Oil Lamb with Squid (黑豆辣椒油魷魚羊肉, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Jau4 Jyu4 Joeng4 Juk6)

Here’s another lamb stir fry dish using meat from the lamb loin chop. This recipe uses black bean chili oil and cooked squid. Cooked squid is occasionally available at my local Asian market, so I buy it whenever I see it. Fresh or frozen squid can be substituted (you’ll have to clean the fresh squid yourself) if cooked squid is not available. The pairing of meat and seafood is a classic Chinese dish combination.

More common (and cheaper) cuts of lamb can be substituted, such as lamb leg or shoulder. Lamb loin chops have two distinct pieces of meat separated by a bone as in a lamb T-bone steak. The larger piece of meat is the loin and the smaller is the tenderloin. The two pieces of meat need to be removed from the bone, and then the loin and tenderloin pieces cut thinly using a very sharp knife. Meat from the lamb loin chop is very tender and even though there’s more work involved to prepare the meat for this dish, it’s worth the effort to make this dish if you can get the lamb loin chops for a decent price, otherwise use meat from the lamb leg or shoulder. You’ll need to purchase about 1½ lb. (750 g.) of lamb loin chops to get about ¾ lb. (375 g.) of meat after trimming.

Enjoy!

Shrimp and Dungeness Crab Scrambled Eggs (蝦仁北美大肉蟹炒蛋, Haa1 Jan4 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5 Caau2 Daan6)

Scrambled eggs and shrimp are a classic combination and my version of the recipe can be found here: Shrimp and Scrambled Eggs (蝦仁炒蛋, Haa¹ Jan⁴ Caau² Daan⁶). I’ve added cooked Dungeness crab meat to the combination to create this easy to cook dish. I also recently found the Cantonese translation for Dungeness crab (北美大肉蟹, bak¹ mei⁵ daai⁶ juk⁶ haai⁵), so I’ve incorporated that into the recipe name. Personal preference determines the amount of eggs to use in this dish. The ratio of eggs to seafood depends (obviously) on the number of eggs used to the amount of seafood. If more eggs than seafood is desired, use more eggs, or use fewer eggs if more seafood than eggs is desired. The dish pictured in the recipe is the later and used six.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Curry Lamb, Lentil, and Cauliflower Stew (燉咖哩兵豆椰菜花羊肉, Dan6 Gaa3 Lei1 Bing1 Dau6 Je4 Coi3 Faa1 Joeng4 Juk6)

This was more of an experiment when I made this dish. I purchased lamb stew meat and wanted to make a lentil curry in the slow cooker. Usually the lentils are cooked aside from the lamb stew, but I wanted to see if I could just use the slow cooker to make the dish all at once. I was afraid that the lentils would disintegrate if cooked for a long time in the slow cooker. It turns out that the lentils didn’t disintegrate, but the cauliflower became mushy after 8 hours of cooking. So I’ve reduced the cooking time to 6 hours in the recipe to reflect this. Otherwise, the stew was easy to make and has an Asian taste due to the lamb marinade used in the curry. You can easily omit marinating the lamb and just add the lamb to the slow cooker to save a step (and time).

Enjoy!

Abalone Sauce Shrimp and Dungeness Crab Chow Fun (鮑魚醬蝦北美大肉蟹炒粉, Baau1 Jyu4 Zoeng3 Haa1 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5 Caau2 Fan2)

This recipe was updated on 30 Aug 2016. The Cantonese for Dungeness crab was added to the title.

This is a luxurious seafood chow fun dish using shrimp and cooked Dungeness crab meat with Gold Coin Shiitake mushrooms. Abalone sauce compliments this dish, but oyster sauce can be substituted if abalone sauce is not available. I happen to live in an area where freshly cooked Dungeness crab can be obtained seasonally (you just have to take the time to remove the meat from the shell), but you can substitute any cooked crab meat, fresh, frozen, or canned.

Gold Coin Shiitake mushrooms are just small Shiitake mushrooms that can be purchased at your local Asian market or Asian herb store. Small mushrooms are used because they can be eaten whole in one bite, but you can substitute regular sized mushrooms cut into strips if the small mushrooms are not available. The small mushrooms are more expensive than the regular sized Shiitake mushrooms, and they vary in price depending upon the quality of the mushroom. You can get the best quality Shiitake mushrooms at an Asian herb store (with the prices to match), but while Asian markets have lower quality mushrooms in comparison, the mushrooms at Asian markets are still very tasty. The main differences between the mushrooms at the herb store and the Asian market are the appearance and “meatiness” of the mushrooms.

Shiitake mushrooms sold in Asian herb stores are whiter in color than black, with a pattern (resembling a flower, as opposed to being a solid black), are prized and priced accordingly. These mushrooms also are more “meaty” than their counterparts, being thicker and having more texture when eaten than the thinner mushrooms normally sold at Asian markets. Some of the best Shiitake mushrooms sold at Asian herb shops come from Japan and are sold for higher prices than the Asian market mushrooms. Asian markets sell higher grade Shiitake mushrooms, but their best mushrooms do not match the quality found at Asian herb shops. If you’re fortunate enough to have an Asian herb shop near you, I would urge you to go in and explore their dried goods offerings (not just mushrooms, but dried fish maw, shrimp, abalone, cloud ear fungus, and the list goes on…).

Enjoy!

Chili Black Bean Sauce Chicken and Imitation Lobster Balls (辣椒豆豉龍蝦丸鷄, Laat6 Ziu1 Dau6 Si6 Lung4 Haa1 Jyun4 Gai1)

Imitation lobster balls are available at your local Asian market either refrigerated or frozen. One of the local markets that I frequent, had some already thawed in the refrigerated section in the fish section. Imitation lobster balls are really fish balls with red bits (to resemble lobster) and lobster flavor added, so any fish or shrimp ball can be substituted if lobster balls are not available. If real lobster were used, this dish would be very luxurious and very expensive to make! The lobster balls are paired with chicken to make a classic seafood and meat flavor combination dish.

Enjoy!

Madras Curry Paste Beef Banana Shank and Tendon Stew (马德拉斯咖喱醬燜牛筋牛腱, Maa5 Dak1 Laai1 Si1 Gaa3 Lei1 Zoeng3 Man1 Ngau4 Gan1 Ngau4 Gin3)

While this recipe would seem to be more appropriate during the winter, it is still tasty when cooked during the summer, especially when you use a slow cooker (i.e. crockpot) to make the dish. Fresh lotus root is probably not in season during the summer, since I couldn’t find it at any of my local Asian markets. So pre-cut frozen lotus root makes a good substitute when fresh is not available (and then even the frozen lotus root slices can sometimes be hard to find). If lotus root cannot be found, daikon makes a good substitute.

Beef banana shank and beef tendon go together to make a classic Chinese stew. This dish is very similar to the Beef Shank and Tendon Stew (燜牛筋牛腱, Man¹ Ngau⁴ Gan¹ Ngau⁴ Gin³) recipe. The difference between the recipes being, of course, the addition of Madras Curry Paste to the dish. Madras Curry Paste can be purchased at your local Asian market, or you can make your own by mixing Madras Curry Powder with a neutral oil to make a slurry. Chee Hou sauce is also an important ingredient to making this dish. Chee Hou sauce is a prepared sauce and is similar in taste to hoisin sauce (which can be substituted if you can’t find it at your local Asian market) and has a slightly spicier taste to it.

Boneless beef banana shank is usually prepared and served as a cold dish appetizer at Chinese banquets, in a very similar preparation as for this stew dish. This cut of meat is usually not available at your local market, but can be found in Asian markets. If you can’t find beef banana shank, beef outside flank makes a good substitute. Beef tendon is another part of the cow available at Asian markets either whole or already cut into pieces. It’s a texture ingredient that produces a great mouth feel when eaten. Uncooked, it’s tough and hard to cut, cooked long and slow, and it becomes soft. There’s really no substitute for this ingredient, so if you can’t find it, it can be omitted, but the stew won’t be the same.

Enjoy!

Chili Oil Bean Curd Cloud Ear Long Bean Chicken (紅油腐乳雲耳豆角鷄, Hung4 Jau4 Fu6 Jyu5 Wan4 Ji5 Dau6 Gok3 Gai1)

Fermented bean curd is the basis for the sauce for this dish. I used a fermented bean curd with chili, but a regular version can be substituted if you prefer the dish without any spiciness. The quantity (i.e. the number of cakes) to use is a personal preference, so feel free to increase or decrease the amount used. Fresh cloud ear fungus is available at your local Asian market. If fresh is not available, dried can be substituted. Just remember that dried cloud ear fungus expands greatly once rehydrated, so use a smaller amount of the dried than fresh.

Enjoy!

Doubanjiang Bell Pepper Tripe (郫縣豆瓣酱青椒牛百葉, Pei4 Jyun6 Dau6 Faan6 Zoeng3 Ceng1 Ziu1 Ngau4 Baak3 Jip6)

This recipe was updated on 28 Aug 2016. The title was changed to incorporate the Chinese translation for beef book tripe.

This recipe is very similar to the previously posted beef honeycomb tripe recipe: Doubanjiang Beef Tripe with Bell Peppers (辣豆瓣酱青椒牛柏葉, Laat⁶ Dau⁶ Faan⁶ Zoeng³ Ceng¹ Ziu¹ Ngau⁴ Paak³ Jip⁶). This recipe uses beef book tripe instead, Shiitake mushrooms, and bell peppers cut into strips to match shape of the tripe pieces. Beef book tripe is another of the cow’s stomachs that are readily available at your local Asian market. While the honeycomb tripe has a honeycomb pattern on one side, the book tripe resembles a book with open pages. The book tripe is commonly served as a Chinese Dim Sum dish and has a crunchier texture than the honeycomb.

Enjoy!

Beef Shank and Tendon Stew (燜牛筋牛腱, Man1 Ngau4 Gan1 Ngau4 Gin3)

Beef shank and beef tendon go together to make a classic Chinese stew. This dish is very similar to the Beef Flank and Tendon Stew (燜牛筋牛腩, Man¹ Ngau⁴ Gan¹ Ngau⁴ Naam⁵) recipe. Chee Hou sauce is an important ingredient to making this dish. Chee Hou sauce is a prepared sauce and is similar in taste to hoisin sauce (which can be substituted if you can’t find it at your local Asian market) and has a slightly spicier taste to it.

Boneless beef shank is usually prepared and served as a cold dish appetizer at Chinese banquets, in a very similar preparation as for this stew dish. This cut of meat is usually not available at your local market, but can be found in Asian markets. If you can’t find beef shank, beef outside flank makes a good substitute. Beef tendon is another part of the cow available at Asian markets either whole or already cut into pieces. It’s a texture ingredient that produces a great mouth feel when eaten. Uncooked, it’s tough and hard to cut, cooked long and slow, and it becomes soft. There’s really no substitute for this ingredient, so if you can’t find it, it can be omitted, but the stew won’t be the same.

Enjoy!

Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste) Fish Ball and Kurobuta Pork (苦椒醬魚蛋豬肉, Fu2 Jiao1 Zoeng3 Jyu4 Daan6 Zyu1 Juk6)

My local Japanese market had thinly sliced Kurobuta pork loin on sale and, as usual, bought it before knowing what dish I was going to make. Kurobuta pork, or Berkshire pork, is a heritage pig, meaning that it’s not the mass farmed pig that’s raised in the USA whose meat is widely available in grocery stores. The only way I can describe the taste compared to regular is that Kurobuta pork is more “porky” tasting. If Kurobuta pork is not available at your local Asian market, then regular pork may be substituted. I added fish balls to make the classic seafood and meat combination found in Chinese dishes, and then decided to use Korean hot pepper paste and powder to give the dish an added Asian twist.

Enjoy!