Chicken and Snow Pea Hong Kong Noodles (荷蘭豆雞炒雲吞麵, Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Gai1 Caau2 Wan4 Tan1 Min6)

So the idea for this dish was to use ingredients (outside of the noodles) that were roughly the same size. Since snow peas were the principal vegetable in this dish, the other ingredients were chosen to mimic the snow peas visually. So chicken breast was chosen as the cut of meat to use since regular sized strips can be cut from it. If chicken thighs were used, the cut pieces would be more irregular and rectangular, rather than strip-like. Marinated (five-spice) bean curd was chosen because it comes formed in cakes that are approximately 2-inch (5 cm.) squares that can be thinly sliced. The dish is finished with a basic dark soy based sauce that just coats all the ingredients.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chee Hou Sauce Chicken (燒烤柱候鷄, Siu1 Haau1 Cyu5 Hau6 Gai1)

Chee Hou sauce is usually used as a flavoring ingredient in the Beef Flank and Tendon Stew (燜牛筋牛腩, Man¹ Ngau⁴ Gan¹ Ngau⁴ Naam⁵) recipe. The sauce is very similar to hoisin sauce, which can be substituted, but tastes just slightly spicier. For this dish, it is used as part of the marinade for grilled chicken.

Enjoy!

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!