Turkey and Eggs with Bitter Melon (苦瓜火雞炒蛋, Fu2 Gwaa1 Fo2 Gai1 Caau2 Daan6)

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

I had some marinated ground turkey and bitter melon in my refrigerator and was trying to figure out what to do with these ingredients to make dinner. I thought about making a dish with a spicy black bean sauce, which sounded yummy in my mind, but I decided that recipe could wait until a later date. I then thought about the Eggs with Bitter Melon (Scrambled Style) (苦瓜炒蛋, Fu² Gwaa¹ Caau² Daan⁶) and Eggs with Bitter Melon (Pancake Style) (苦瓜炒蛋, Fu² Gwaa¹ Caau² Daan⁶) recipes, and decided that I could modify the scrambled style dish to incorporate ground turkey. So this recipe is the result, and you could just as easily use ground pork or beef to make this dish.

I usually buy and marinate a 2-3 lb. (1-1.5 kg.) package of ground turkey. Only ½ lb. (250 g.) of the turkey is used for this recipe, so the rest can be used to make turkey burgers or to make other dishes: Asparagus Turkey, Spaghetti with Basil Turkey Meatballs, Turkey Basil Cheeseburger with Tzatziki Sauce, and Turkey Basil Mushroom Egg Cheeseburger. The recipe specifies marinade for ½ lb. (250 g.) of ground turkey.

Enjoy!

Soy Sauce Beef Tripe with Sour Mustard (酸菜豉油牛柏葉, Syun1 Coi3 Si6 Jau4 Ngau4 Paak3 Jip6)

 

This recipe was updated on 15 Jul 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

I have to admit that this dish is more involved to make than some of my other recipes. It’s really a two-step process to make this dish. First you have to poach the beef tripe in a soy sauce mixture, and then you can cook the dish. For those not familiar with honeycomb tripe, it’s (one of the) cow’s stomach, so called because of the tripe’s honeycomb pattern. The salty and slightly sweet poaching liquid also forms the basis of the sauce, which contrasts nicely with the sour mustard.

The tripe can be prepared and refrigerated the day before you make this dish. Baking soda is required to clean and remove any unwanted smells from the tripe, unlike the other recipes where the baking soda is optionally used to tenderize the meat. Poaching will shrink the tripe, so poach the whole tripe and don’t cut it up into pieces beforehand; otherwise you’ll end up with itsy-bitsy tiny pieces of tripe (I made that mistake once before!).

Enjoy!

Grilled Cumin Lamb Arm Steaks with Vegetables

Lamb arm steaks have been available at my local market recently. The steaks are great when grilled when marinated with cumin. Grill with some vegetables; in this case bell pepper and mushrooms, and you have dinner.

Enjoy!

Squid In Salty Shrimp Sauce (蝦醬鮮魷, Haa1 Zoeng3 Sin1 Jau4)

 

This recipe was updated on 11 Aug 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Calamari is usually used when naming or titling a dish with squid in it. It seems rather odd that people are more likely to eat a dish with calamari in the title than squid, given that they’re the same ingredient. So why does this dish title have squid in the name? The main reasons are that the name of this classic dish is the literal translation from Chinese and that’s the name this dish is known by.

This is not the traditional preparation for this dish, which usually consists just of squid stir fried in shrimp sauce, since I’ve added some vegetables to the recipe. Carved squid pieces and squid tentacles are available in the frozen section of your local Asian supermarket. You can of course use fresh squid if it’s available. I happen to like eating squid tentacles, so I include them in dishes when I can, but some are not fans, so feel free to not use them in the dish.

My local farmer’s market had purple long beans, which are usually green in color. I’ve never eaten before this type of long beans before, so I couldn’t resist buying and using the purple long beans in this dish. If you can’t get long beans (whatever the color), substitute regular green beans.

The most important ingredient in this dish is the shrimp sauce, which is an odd purple color. Shrimp sauce is, to say the least, a pungent mixture of ground fermented shrimp and salt, and for some, pungent is just a nice way to say it smells. No matter what someone thinks about the smell of this sauce, you can’t make this dish without it. Shrimp sauce and squid just naturally taste good together.

Enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Beef Curry (咖哩粉番茄牛肉, Gaa3 Lei1 Fan2 Faan1 Ke4 Ngau4 Juk6)

 

This recipe was updated on 31 Aug 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Tomato Beef Curry is a classic Chinese-American dish that you can get at any Cantonese restaurant. The dish is a mixture of beef, tomatoes, and other vegetables in a sweet and sour curry sauce (not that thick red gloppy stuff). Depending upon on your preference, the dish can be sourer than sweet or sweeter than sour. Madras curry or garam masala powder is the typical ingredient for the curry part of the dish (and turmeric if you want the dish to be yellow colored). I also used tomatoes and Jalapeño peppers from my garden. The peppers make this dish spicy and can be omitted if desired. You can think of this dish as a version of the Tomato Beef Chow Mein (番茄牛肉炒麵, Faan¹ Ke⁴ Ngau⁴ Juk⁶ Caau² Min⁶) recipe without the noodles.

Enjoy!

Greek Yogurt Cantaloupe Pasta Salad

This is a nice dish for those hot days when you want something cool to eat. You get the sweetness from the cantaloupe and a nice sour tang from the dressing. This recipe is very similar to the Greek Yogurt Soy Sauce Chicken Pasta Salad dish (whose recipe can be found here). The main difference in this recipe is the use of cantaloupe instead or chicken, making this dish vegetarian.

Enjoy!

Pork Baby Back Ribs with Black Bean and Garlic (蒜蓉豆豉排骨, Syun3 Jung4 Dau6 Si6 Paai4 Gwat1)

 

This recipe was updated on 08 Nov 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

This recipe is a classic Cantonese-style steamed pork dish using pork ribs and black beans, with a notable twist to the recipe – using the whole pork baby back rib instead of using cut 1- (2.5 cm.) to 2-inch (5 cm.) rib pieces. Marinating the ribs is also not usually done in the classic recipe, so feel free to omit this step if you’re in a hurry to make and eat this dish!

The number of pork ribs used in this recipe is governed by the size of the plate than can be placed into the steamer. You want to have one layer of individual ribs in the plate with the topping. The baby back rib is the right size to fit into the steamer plate for cooking and for eating. You can of course use cut ribs (just pile them in the plate!) in this recipe instead of whole baby back ribs, but normal pork ribs are not recommended since they would be too big to fit into the steaming plate and to eat.

For this recipe, ½ of the baby back pork rib rack was used, about 7 ribs. The whole rack was cut into individual ribs, marinated, and then used in two recipes. The first being this recipe and the other is Pork Baby Back Ribs with Fermented Bean Curd (腐乳排骨, Fu⁶ Jyu⁵ Paai⁴ Gwat¹). Both recipes are classic Cantonese steamed dishes except for the use of the whole baby back rib.

Enjoy!

Pork Baby Back Ribs with Fermented Bean Curd (Fu6 Jyu5 Paai4 Gwat1, 腐乳排骨)

This recipe is a classic Cantonese-style steamed pork dish using pork ribs and fermented bean curd, with a notable twist to the recipe – using the whole pork baby back rib instead of using cut 1- to 2-inch rib pieces. Marinating the ribs is also not usually done in the classic recipe, so feel free to omit this step if you’re in a hurry to make and eat this dish!

The number of pork ribs used in this recipe is governed by the size of the plate than can be placed into the steamer. You want to have one layer of individual ribs in the plate with the topping. The baby back rib is the right size to fit into the steamer plate for cooking and for eating. You can of course use cut ribs (just pile them in the plate!) in this recipe instead of whole baby back ribs, but normal pork ribs are not recommended since they would be too big to fit into the steaming plate and to eat.

For this recipe, ½ of the baby back pork rib rack was used, about 7 ribs. The whole rack was cut into individual ribs, marinated, and then used in two recipes. The first being, Pork Baby Back Ribs with Black Bean and Garlic, whose recipe can be found here, and this recipe. Both recipes are classic Cantonese steamed dishes except for the use of the whole baby back rib.

Enjoy!

Cloud Ear Salmon (雲耳鮭魚, Wan4 Ji5 Gwai1 Jyu4)

 

This recipe was updated on 06 Aug 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

I originally called this dish, Black Fungus Salmon, but then I thought about the name and decided that it didn’t make the dish sound too appealing or appetizing. So now it’s called Cloud Ear Salmon and that seems a little more mysterious sounding and won’t immediately put off anyone. If you’ve ever eaten black or cloud ear fungus, you’ll know that it’s pretty tasteless and is eaten more for the texture than anything else. I’m sure there’s some traditional Chinese medicinal value, but I don’t know what that would be.

There is also a noodle dish based on this recipe: Cloud Ear Salmon Chow Mein (雲耳鮭魚炒麵, Wan⁴ Ji⁵ Gwai¹ Jyu⁴ Caau² Min⁶).

Enjoy!

Chinese-Style Barbecue Sauce Chicken (燒烤醬鷄, Siu1 Haau1 Zoeng3 Gai1)

This recipe was updated on 15 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

The title uses Chinese-style because the preparation uses Chinese ingredients, but the grilling and smoking of the chicken is typically American. I used mesquite wood to smoke the chicken, which is very American.

I found a bottle of Koon Chun brand Barbecue Sauce in my refrigerator that was almost empty, but there was just enough sauce left to marinate the chicken. The Koon Chun brand of Chinese barbecue sauce taste similar to hoisin sauce, which can be substituted if you can’t find this brand (there are many brands of Chinese barbecue sauce) at your local Asian market. Feel free to substitute your favorite sauce in the recipe.

Enjoy!

Basil Tomato Beef Chow Mein (紫蘇番茄牛肉炒麵, Zi2 Sou1 Faan1 Ke4 Ngau4 Juk6 Caau2 Min6)

This recipe was updated on 17 June 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Well it’s that time of year again, when the tomatoes from my garden are abundant and ready to eat. This year I have both red and yellow tomatoes. Time again to make Tomato Beef Chow Mein (番茄牛肉炒麵, Faan¹ Ke⁴ Ngau⁴ Juk⁶ Caau² Min⁶), but unlike the last recipe there’s no curry and I’ve added basil leaves (also from my garden). I also tweaked the sauce ingredients a bit, adding ketchup and the liquid used to cook the noodles. Making the noodles burned and crispy is another variant to this dish, which was done for this recipe.

Enjoy!

Japanese Curry Chicken (咖哩鷄, Gaa3 Lei1 Gai1)

This recipe was updated on 20 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

 

Cauliflower is in season now, so here’s an easy to make curry dish using cauliflower and prepared Japanese curry cubes. There are several brands of prepared Japanese curry, I happen to use S&B, and they range from mild to extra hot. There really is no heat in these prepared curry cubes, but the “hotter” the curry, the darker the sauce. In this case, the “medium” version was used. I always marinate my chicken (out of habit and being able to use the chicken in other stir-fry dishes), but you can simplify this recipe and not marinate the chicken at all.

Enjoy!

Chili and Bitter Melon Chicken (辣椒苦瓜鷄, Laat6 Ziu1 Fu2 Gwaa1 Gai1)

This recipe was updated on 08 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements were added.

Bitter melon and some meat (beef, chicken, pork…) in black bean sauce is a classic Cantonese dish. This recipe adds hot red peppers (e.g. serrano, jalapeño, or Fresno) to give the dish added color and, most importantly, a little heat. I also used a prepared black bean garlic sauce made by Lee Kum Kee. You can of course use salted black beans and garlic to make the sauce, but I wasn’t in the mood and took the easy way out using the prepared sauce.

Salting and then washing the sliced bitter melon turns out to be the easiest and fastest way to remove any excess bitterness. If the bitter melon is slightly wet, the salt does a better job. I just use wet hands to mix the bitter melon slices and salt together, and that seems to do the trick. You only need 5 minutes to reduce the bitterness. The bitterness will diminish further the longer you leave the salt on the bitter melon and after 10 minutes, the bitterness will mostly be removed. Another method to reduce bitterness involves blanching the bitter melon before stir frying, but you need another pot and boiled water. The texture of the bitter melon will also be different if you use the blanching method. You can also choose not to reduce the bitter melon’s bitterness at all, in which case just remove the seed and pith, cut into pieces, and cook. I like to pair bitter melon prepared in this manner with pork spareribs.

Enjoy!

Scrambled Egg Chili Chicken (辣椒炒蛋鷄, Laat6 Ziu1 Caau2 Daan6 Gai1)

 

This recipe was updated on 19 Jul 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

The serrano and jalapeño peppers are growing like mad in my garden. So here’s a dish that consists of peppers and chicken in a Chinkiang vinegar based sauce. I wasn’t sure how hot the peppers were, so I seeded them before cooking, but seeding is totally optional. While I like hot and spicy food, this dish still made me sweat even after seeding the peppers, so you can imagine how hot the dish would have been if the seeds were still present! Chinkiang vinegar is rice based and black in color. The vinegar helps to moderate the heat from the peppers in the dish. Black or cider vinegar can be substituted if you can’t find Chinkiang vinegar at your local Asian supermarket.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Beef (意大利青瓜牛肉, Ji3 Daai6 Lei6 Ceng1 Gwaa1 Ngau4 Juk6)

 

This recipe was updated on 19 Aug 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Zucchinis are in season, so here’s a dish using this now abundant squash. Beef, Shiitake mushrooms, and marinated bean curd are added together with the zucchini to complete the dish. A slightly spicy prepared bottled sauce is used: Fu Chi Foods brand Chili Paste with Fermented Soy Beans. If you are unable to purchase the sauce at your local Asian market, salted black beans and chili garlic sauce can be substituted.

Enjoy!

Salmon and Prawn Pasta

Sometimes you just want to eat some seafood. Salmon and prawns (also called shrimp in the USA) make a great combination together with pasta. Once the prawns are defrosted overnight, this is a quick-cooking dish to make. Pair the dish with Garlic Garlic Bread (the recipe can be found here).

Enjoy!

Chinese-Style Spareribs (Zyu1 Paai4 Gwat1, 豬排骨)

This recipe was updated on 16 June 2013. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

The pork spareribs in this recipe are prepared like the Chinese spareribs that you can buy at your local Chinese delicatessen, but the spareribs are also smoked like American spareribs. Chinese spareribs are both savory and slightly sweet, but I think the addition of wood smoke makes the spareribs taste even better. In this case, apple wood was used to smoke and flavor the spareribs, which imparts a slight sweetness to the meat and goes well with the spareribs (but any fruit smoking wood can be used, such as cherry).

The spareribs purchased from your local Asian delicatessen are usually bright red in color due to the addition of red dye. This make-at-home recipe doesn’t use added red dye. The “red” in this recipe is the result of using red vinegar and ketchup. The spareribs not being bright red doesn’t affect the taste whatsoever.

Deli-bought spareribs also have a bright glaze. Maltose is used to produce the glaze and is applied at the end of the cooking process. If you mix the maltose into the marinade to begin with, the spareribs will burn before they can cook. Since you want some charring to the spareribs together with that glazed look, you mix the maltose with some of the marinade to make the glaze and apply the glaze during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Honey can be substituted for maltose if it is not available at your local Asian supermarket.

Enjoy!                        

Grilled Guinness Chicken

 

This recipe was updated on 31 Mar 2014. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Chicken marinated in beer, what could be better? Well, when the beer is Guinness. Sriracha hot chili sauce gives the chicken a little heat.

Enjoy!

New York Steak Miso Noodle Soup

I was hungry and wanted to use up some leftovers in my refrigerator to make lunch. So here’s what I came up with, which I think is better than any instant noodle soup you can buy at the supermarket. There’s no cooking to make this quick dish, outside of boiling water and using the microwave to heat the soup. The ingredients are either leftovers or are ingredients available in my pantry or refrigerator. The leftover New York steak and mushrooms can be from the Grilled Mesquite-Smoked New York Steak and Vegetables recipe, which can be found here. I used already cooked Hong Kong style noodles, but any noodle can be substituted to make this dish.

Enjoy!

Hot and Sour Three Pepper Chicken (酸辣三椒鸡, Syun1 Laat6 Saam1 Ziu1 Gai1)

 

This recipe was updated on 12 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

The sour part of this dish comes from using Chinkiang or black (rice) vinegar, which is black in color and made from rice. These vinegars are available at your local Asian supermarket, but regular cider vinegar can be substituted.

The hot part of this dish comes from the use of Serrano or Jalapeño pepper and constitutes one of the three colorful peppers used in the dish; the others being the (sweet) red and orange bell peppers. The vinegar actually moderates the heat from the Serrano or Jalapeño peppers.

This is not a sweet and sour dish, since the sauce is just slightly sweet, but sourer in taste. If you want a sweet and sour dish, see the recipe for Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs (甜酸排骨, Tim⁴ Syun¹ Paai⁴ Gwat¹).

Enjoy!

Beef with Sugar Snap Peas (蜜豆牛肉, Mat6 Dau6 Ngau4 Juk6)

 

This recipe was updated on 02 Aug 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Here’s an easy to make beef dish when you want something spicy using sugar snap peas. The amount of spiciness can be controlled by the amount of the Laoganma brand black bean chili sauce used. If a spicy sauce is not desired, Lee Kum Kee brand black bean garlic sauce can be used in its place.

Enjoy!

Japanese Curry Pork (咖哩豬腩肉, Gaa3 Lei1 Zyu1 Naam5 Juk6)

 

This recipe was updated on 09 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

 

This is a very simple curry dish to cook due to the use premade Japanese curry cubes. There are multiple brands of prepared curry sauces, I happen to use S&B brand, but this is an easy way to make a curry dish since all you add is water to make the sauce. The premade curry cubes range from mild to extra hot, but to be honest, there’s no heat whatsoever to the cubes, even the extra hot version.

Enjoy!

Greek Yogurt Soy Sauce Chicken Pasta Salad

This recipe is very similar to the Soy Sauce Chicken and Peach Pasta Salad dish (whose recipe can be found here). The main difference in this recipe is the use of nonfat Greek yogurt and the addition of artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives. The Greek yogurt actually holds up better at being a dressing than regular yogurt. I made this dish for a family gathering the night before and mixed the dressing with the salad the day of the gathering. The dressing was still emulsified after being refrigerated overnight.

Enjoy!

Fermented Red Bean Curd Chicken (南乳雞, Naam4 Jyu5 Gai1)

 

This recipe was updated on 12 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

This recipe has all my favorite ingredients in one dish – chicken, Shiitake mushrooms, and long beans – with fermented red bean curd. Fermented red bean curd differs from fermented bean curd by the addition of red rice, which gives the fermented red bean curd its distinctive red color and taste.

Enjoy!

Chicken Chive Chow Mein (韭菜雞炒麵, Gau2 Coi3 Gai1 Caau2 Min6)

 

This recipe was updated on 17 Jul 2014. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

One of my favorite dishes to make and eat is stir fried noodles. Chow mein is one of those dishes where you can use whatever’s around to make it (as long as you have noodles!). This dish has chicken and chives, with red and green bell pepper strips for color, and scrambled eggs for added taste.

Enjoy!

Chili Black Bean Sauce Chicken (辣豉汁雞, Laat6 Si6 Zap1 Gai1)

This recipe was updated on 13 Jun 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

This dish is not as hot and spicy as the name implies. It is in fact just slightly spicy due to using both black bean chili sauce and black bean garlic sauce, but the dish can certainly be made spicier by using just black bean chili sauce. The chicken strips are thinly cut so that also makes this a quick cooking dish.

Enjoy!

New York Steak Fried Rice (牛排炒飯, Ngau4 Paai4 Caau2 Faan6)

 

This recipe was updated on 26 Aug 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Fried rice is synonymous in my mind with leftovers. In this case, the leftovers were rather luxurious – New York steak and mushrooms – from the Grilled Mesquite-Smoked New York Steak and Vegetables recipe. I would normally use green onions in this dish, but I had chives, so I used them, but either will do. The Cantonese translation isn’t quite right, since the translation means beefsteak fried rice, but if someone knows the Cantonese for New York steak, please let me know. This is a great dish to make when you need something quick after surveying the contents of your refrigerator!

 

I use Lee Kum Kee brand Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce because it’s the brand I grew up with and has a good flavor. It’s a little more expensive than other brands, but it’s worth the price in my opinion. I once had a weak moment and bought an inexpensive brand of oyster sauce, and was disappointed in the flavor when compared to the Lee Kum Kee Premium brand. So get the good stuff!

Enjoy!

Chicken and Chives with Straw Mushrooms (韭菜草菇炒雞, Gau2 Coi3 Cou2 Gu1 Caau2 Gai1)

 

This recipe was updated on 23 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Chicken and mushrooms (in this case, straw mushrooms) make a tasty combination and is a favorite of mine. Add something green and the dish is complete.

Enjoy!

Salmon and Scrambled Eggs with Chives (Gau2 Coi3 Caau2 Daan6 Saam1 Man4 Jyu4, 韭菜炒蛋三文魚)

Salmon is a quick cooking fish that holds up well to stir frying. The salmon is actually browned on each side rather than stir fried, but the fish is firm enough to hold up to real stir frying. Salmon and eggs make a tasty combination, and adding chives complete this dish.

Enjoy!

Snow Pea Chicken Gizzards (荷蘭豆鸡胗, Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Gai1 San2)

This recipe was updated on 28 Jul 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Here’s the final dish (at least for now) using soy sauce chicken gizzards. This dish uses snow peas, Shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce chicken gizzards, and some of the chicken gizzard soy sauce poaching liquid is used to make the sauce. The result is tender chicken gizzards and Shiitake mushrooms together with crispy vegetables. The chicken gizzards should be prepared at least one day before using the Soy Sauce Chicken Gizzards (豉油鸡胗, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Gai¹ San²) recipe.

Enjoy!

Chinese Broccoli Oyster Sauce Chicken (芥蘭蠔油雞, Gaai3 Laan4 Hou4 Jau4 Gai1)

 

This recipe was updated on 25 Sep 2014. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Whenever I feel lazy and want a quick easy-to-prepare dish to make, I break out the bottle of Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce and use it as the basis for a sauce. Oyster sauce and chicken just go together well as does chicken and Chinese broccoli. When you combine the pairs of ingredients, you have dinner!

Enjoy!

Grilled Mesquite-Smoked New York Steak and Vegetables

Just in time for Father’s Day, here’s a simple recipe for grilling and smoking New York steak medium rare. The basic technique is to grill the beef first uncovered, producing the grill marks on the presentation side of the steak, and then covering the grill to smoke the steak. Grilled and smoked mushrooms and bell peppers accompany the steak.

Enjoy!

Long Bean Chicken Gizzards (豆角炒鸡胗, Dau6 Gok3 Caau2 Gai1 San2)

This recipe was updated on 03 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Here’s another dish using soy sauce chicken gizzards. This colorful dish uses long beans, red bell peppers, soy sauce chicken gizzards, and some of the chicken gizzard soy sauce poaching liquid is used to make the sauce. The results are tender chicken gizzards together with crispy vegetables. The chicken gizzards are prepared using the Soy Sauce Chicken Gizzards (豉油鸡胗, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Gai¹ San²) recipe.

Enjoy!

Lamb and Asparagus Fried Rice (蘆筍羊肉炒飯, Lou4 Seon2 Joeng4 Juk6 Caau2 Faan6)

 

This recipe was updated on 12 Nov 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Fried rice is the ultimate leftover dish, which is why I normally don’t order fried rice in a Chinese restaurant. You use whatever’s handy to make a quick stir fry dish. The basic ingredients are rice, meat, vegetables, and oyster sauce (soy sauce is used in restaurants). I posted a basic fried rice recipe some time ago: Fried Rice (炒飯, Caau² Faan⁶). While there are many brands of oyster sauce, I use Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce because it’s the brand I grew up with and it does, in my opinion, have the best flavor. It’s a little more expensive than other brands, but it’s worth the price in my opinion. I once had a weak moment and bought an inexpensive brand of oyster sauce, and was disappointed in the flavor when compared to the Lee Kum Kee Premium brand. So get the good stuff!

Enjoy!

Asparagus Turkey (蘆筍火雞, Lou4 Seon2 Fo2 Gai1)

 

This recipe was updated on 08 Oct 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

 

Asparagus and ground turkey make a great combination together. The dish is usually prepared with ground pork, but ground turkey makes a good substitute. The black beans in chili oil add spiciness to the dish. A prepared black bean garlic sauce can be substituted if no spiciness is desired.

The root end of the asparagus has a tough skin. The usual advice is to take the root end of the asparagus in one hand and the tip end with the other, snap the asparagus (it breaks at the natural tough-tender skin boundary), and discard the root end and use the tip end. However that results in a lot of waste (in my opinion) since the center of the root end is still tender and edible, it’s just the skin that’s tough. So I’ve found that if you use a vegetable peeler, you can remove the tough outer skin and use the entire asparagus stalk. It takes some practice to just remove the asparagus’ tough skin. My first efforts using a vegetable peeler resulted in breaking the stalks and/or peeling too much of the asparagus at the root end, so I had some odd looking asparagus pieces. I’ve tried using a knife to remove the skin, but I’ve found that with practice the vegetable peeler removes less of the asparagus stalk root end’s tender center.

Enjoy!

Three Pepper Chicken Gizzards (三椒鸡胗, Saam1 Ziu1 Gai1 San2)

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

This colorful dish uses bell peppers of three colors, soy sauce chicken gizzards, and some of the chicken gizzard soy sauce poaching liquid to make the sauce. The result is tender chicken gizzards together with crispy bell peppers. The chicken gizzards can be prepared using the Soy Sauce Chicken Gizzards (豉油鸡胗, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Gai¹ San²) recipe.

Enjoy!

Soy Sauce Chicken Gizzards (豉油鸡胗, Si6 Jau4 Gai1 San2)

This recipe was updated on 22 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Chicken gizzards (鸡胗, gai¹ san²) are an often discarded part of the chicken here in the USA, but are quite good when prepared correctly. Using the technique to make a poached soy sauce chicken, Soy Sauce Chicken (豉油鷄, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Gai¹), chicken gizzards can be made tender and tasty. The soy sauce poaching liquid gives this recipe its distinctive flavor.

Whenever I make this recipe, I use a lot of chicken gizzards (in this case 3 pounds – 1.5 kg.) because whether or not you cook 1- (500 g.) or 3 pounds (1.5 kg.) of chicken gizzards, it takes the same amount of time. Chicken gizzards prepared this way can be eaten alone (often served as an appetizer), or as part of another dish. The Three Pepper Chicken Gizzards (三椒鸡胗, Saam¹ Ziu¹ Gai¹ San²) recipe uses the chicken gizzards prepared using this method. The poaching liquid also makes a good basis for a sauce, but is usually not used alone since it’s very salty.

Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Beef with Yu Choy (油菜炒牛肉, Jau4 Coi3 Caau2 Ngau4 Juk6)

 

This recipe was updated on 16 Jul 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

Yu choy is a one of the vegetables available at my local Asian market. It looks a lot like Chinese broccoli, so Chinese broccoli is a good substitute if you can’t find yu choy, but any green leafy vegetable can be stir fried with beef. The sauce has chili garlic sauce to give it an extra kick (i.e. a little heat) and is topped with toasted peanuts.

Enjoy!