Basil Mussel Sausage Aglio e Olio

The basis of this dish is extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Whenever I’ve made this dish in the past, I would thinly slice garlic cloves to get the desired quantity (which is more than most recipes call for since I like garlic). At my local Korean market, minced garlic (mixed with a small amount of water) is available in containers up to 5 lbs. (2.3 kg), which is a lot of minced garlic! So I bought a 1 lb. (454 g.) container and used a small portion of that garlic for this recipe together with frozen mussel meat. Most recipes use fresh mussels in the shell to make this dish and the broth from cooking the mussels become part of the sauce. So to emulate that process, I thawed the mussels in white wine and then used the mussel infused wine in the sauce.

You can save some time by cooking the pasta while the other ingredients are prepared. I never do this since prep time always seems to exceed pasta cooking time for me, but for those of you that are speedier, you can use parallel processing to make this dish. Finally I used a wok to make this dish (which certainly isn’t a traditional Italian method!), but you can certainly use a pan.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Mustard Green Chow Mein (芥菜鷄炒麵, Gaai3 Coi3 Gai1 Caau2 Min6)

This recipe was updated on 29 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Mustard greens must be in season since they’ve been on sale at my local Asian market. Chicken and mustard greens is a combination that goes well together. Mustard greens not only add a crunchy texture to this dish, but also a distinctive taste to this noodle dish.

Enjoy!

Basil Lemongrass Chili Beef (紫蘇檸檬葉辣椒牛肉, Zi2 Sou1 Ning4 Mung4 Jip6 Laat6 Ziu1 Ngau4 Juk6)

This recipe was updated on 04 Jun 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

I still have a lot of lemongrass left in my refrigerator after my purchase from my local farmer’s market for the Chili Lemongrass Squid (辣椒檸檬葉魷魚, Laat⁶ Ziu¹ Ning⁴ Mung⁴ Jip⁶ Jau⁴ Jyu⁴) dish. Another flavor that goes well with lemongrass is basil, and fresh basil leaves can be purchased at your local supermarket or if you’re fortunate enough, grown in your garden. The heat in this dish comes from dried red chilies, and the amount of dried red chilies to use is a personal preference, so feel free to use more or less. The sauce is based on fish sauce, which adds another flavor to the beef used in this dish. Soy sauce can be substituted, but the dish won’t taste the same.

Enjoy!

Chili Lemongrass Squid (辣椒檸檬葉魷魚, Laat6 Ziu1 Ning4 Mung4 Jip6 Jau4 Jyu4)

This recipe was updated on 29 Apr 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

I bought lemongrass at my local Farmer’s market, which adds a mild lemon flavor to this dish, with dried red chilies adding heat. You have to remove the tough outer layers of the lemongrass and finely slice the tender white portions before cooking. Carving squid, also called pineapple cut squid due to the cross cuts on one surface, can be purchased already cut into pieces at your local Asian market and curl into cylinders when cooked.

Enjoy!

Roast Pork Shanghai Noodles (燒肉上海麵, Sui1 Juk6 Soeng6 Hoi2 Min6)

This recipe was updated on 23 Jun 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Roast pork is always a treat to eat. This recipe uses already cooked roast pork that can be bought at your local Chinese delicatessen, and pairs it with thick and chewy Shanghai noodles. The crispy skin is separated from the pork before cooking so it won’t become soggy, and then added at the end. A soy based sauce is all that’s needed to complete this quick cooking dish.

Enjoy!

Black Pepper Sauce Scallops (黑椒汁帶子, Hak1 Ziu1 Zap1 Daai3 Zi2)

This recipe was updated on 25 Jun 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Black pepper sauce goes well with seafood, in this case scallops. I used frozen 60/80 scallops (60 to 80 scallops per pound/500 g.), but you can use fresh and/or larger sized scallops to make this dish. Scallops this sized don’t take long to cook, so use a hot wok and quickly stir fry to keep them tender.

Enjoy!

Steamed Chili Lemongrass Chicken Wings (鮮辣椒檸檬葉蒸鷄翼, Sin1 Laat6 Ziu1 Ning4 Mung4 Jip6 Zing1 Gai1 Jik6)

This recipe was updated on 23 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Here’s another easy to make steamed chicken wing dish. The previous dish, Steamed Chicken Wings with Dried Lily Flowers (金針蒸鷄翼, Gam¹ Zam¹ Zing¹ Gai¹ Jik⁶), used lily flowers as a topping. This recipe is spicier, and uses Sichuan Gao Fu Ji brand fresh chili sauce (any brand chili sauce can be used) and lemongrass for a topping. Lemongrass adds another flavor to this spicy dish and can be purchased at your local Asian market. You peel the tough outer layers of the lemongrass, cut and discard the green portions, thinly slice the tender white parts before combining with the chili sauce, and then top the chicken wings with the mixture before steaming.

Enjoy!