Bean Sauce Sugar Snap Pea Shrimp (豆瓣蜜豆蝦, Dau6 Faan6 Mat6 Dau6 Haa1)

Shrimp with vegetables in a bean sauce is a common dish served in Chinese-American restaurants. Thin strips of carrot always seem to be included in the restaurant dish and are also included in this home cooked version. Coin mushrooms are used in this dish and are so named because the size of these Shiitake mushrooms resembles that of a coin. Coin mushrooms are usually not included in the dish when served at restaurants, but can be added to a home cooked dish where cost is not necessarily a factor in creating the dish. Full-sized Shiitake mushrooms can be substituted (cut into pieces) if coin mushrooms are not available.

Enjoy!

Salted Radish Shrimp Chow Mein (菜脯蝦炒麵, Coi3 Pou2 Haa1 Caau2 Min6)

Salted radish and shrimp make a great taste combination. The crunchiness and saltiness of the radish contrast nicely with the softness and sweetness of the shrimp. In the USA, the names prawn and shrimp are used interchangeably, with prawn usually meaning a large shrimp; either ingredient can be used in this recipe. Baby bok choy adds a nice color contrast to the dish. The baby bok choy is cut into quarters lengthwise, but if the stalks are small, they should be cut in half.

Enjoy!

Grilled Capsicum Chicken (燒烤紅油辣椒鷄, Siu1 Haau1 Hung4 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Gai1)

The principal flavor in this dish is capsicum, which is a fancy way of saying ground chili, with red oil. The capsicum is more spicy than hot, so the flavor of the chilies are dominant in the marinade over any heat. The capsicum is suspended in red oil that also is a necessary part of the marinade. The oil takes on the flavor of the capsicum and adds to the marinades flavor.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Garlic Sauce String Bean Chicken (蒜蓉豆豉青豆角雞, Syun3 Jung4 Dau6 Si6 Ceng1 Dau6 Gok3 Gai1)

Lee Kum Kee makes a bottled black bean garlic sauce that’s tasty and easy to use, which saves time in having to make the sauce with salted black beans. Canned baby corn is also used to help decrease the preparation time. You can use whatever meat is available, in this case chicken, and your dish is complete.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Sauce Chicken and Mixed Mushroom Fish Balls (黑豆辣椒菇魚蛋雞, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Gu1 Jyu4 Daan6 Gai1)

Using seafood and meat in a dish is a classic combination in Chinese cooking. In this case chicken is used as the meat and mixed mushroom fish balls are the seafood in a mildly spicy sauce. This dish is a variation on the Chili Paste with Fermented Soy Bean Chicken and Mixed Mushroom Fish Balls (湖南豆豉辣椒菇魚蛋雞, Wu⁴ Naam⁴ Dau⁶ Si⁶ Laat⁶ Ziu¹ Gu¹ Jyu⁴ Daan⁶ Gai¹) recipe. If you like a spicy black bean sauce, this is the dish for you.

Enjoy!

Chili Paste with Fermented Soy Bean Chicken and Mixed Mushroom Fish Balls (湖南豆豉辣椒菇魚蛋雞, Wu4 Naam4 Dau6 Si6 Laat6 Ziu1 Gu1 Jyu4 Daan6 Gai1)

Using seafood and meat in a dish is a classic combination in Chinese cooking. In this case chicken is used as the meat and mixed mushroom fish balls are the seafood in a mildly spicy sauce. The more unusual ingredient in this recipe is the mixed mushroom fish balls. Fish balls are a fairly common ingredient in Chinese cooking and is used mainly in hot pots and soups, but can also be stir fried. When stir fried, fish balls are easier to cook and eat when cut in half. Fish balls, which mainly consist of ground fish, can be found in the refrigerated or frozen section of your local Asian market, and come in many varieties (i.e. the type of fish used). Mixed mushroom fish balls have bits of mushroom mixed in with the ground fish. If you’re lucky enough to have your local Asian market sell fish balls already thawed in the refrigerated section, all you have to do to use them is to cut them in half before stir frying. If mixed mushroom fish balls are not available, any other fish ball can be substituted.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Sauce String Bean Beef (黑豆辣椒青豆角牛肉, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Ceng1 Dau6 Gok3 Ngau4 Juk6)

This version of the Spicy Black Bean Sauce Beef and Green Beans (青豆角牛肉, Ceng¹ Dau⁶ Gok³ Ngau⁴ Juk⁶) recipe uses a few more ingredients than just the beef and string beans. A spicy black bean sauce is still used (made by Laoganma), but the dish can be made without the spiciness by using salted black beans or a prepared black bean garlic sauce (made by Lee Kum Kee). Red chili peppers further enhance the spiciness of this dish, and the amount is a personal preference and optional.

Enjoy!