Chinese Cooking

Ingredients:
450g or 1 lb fillet of beef
30ml or 2 tbsp cooking oil
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) chopped garlic
2 green peppers, seeded and cut into slices
30ml or 2 tbsp of black bean sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
60ml or 4 tbsp chicken stock
5ml or 1 tsp of corn flour, combined with a little water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5ml or 1 tsp corn flour, combined with a little water

Cooking Instructions:
Thinly slice the beef into strips. Place in a bowl mixed with 5ml of corn flour. Allow time to marinate.

Heat 30ml oil in a wok and stir fry the beef for about 5 minutes until cooked and place back in the bowl. Heat 30ml of cooking oil in a wok. Add the black bean sauce, garlic and peppers. Stir together and cook for approximately 3 minutes, shaking the wok occasionally.

Stir in the chicken stock and beef, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the corn flour paste, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

4 slices of thick white bread
200g or 8 oz of king prawns
100g of 4 oz of water chestnuts
100g or 4 oz of pork/pork fat
30ml or 2 tbsps of sesame seeds
550ml or 1 pint of vegetable oil (for frying)
1/2 egg

Cooking Directions
Peel and gut the King Prawns, chop into very small cubes.

Slice pork and fat into very small cubes, Chop the water chestnuts into very small pieces. Then using a chopping knife and board dice the ingredients together into a mince content, when finished, place in a large bowl and mix in the egg (this will further bind the contents together.

Taking the four slices of bread, remove the outer crusts. Then using a fork, spread the King Prawn content on each slice of bread, pressing firm down (make sure you do not flatten the bread). Finally sprinkle some sesame seeds on the toast and now it is ready to cook. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok, then place in the King Prawn toast, turning only once or twice. When they are golden brown the King prawn toast is coked. Chop the toast into equal pieces and serve with tomatoes.

Ingredients

550ml or 1 pint of vegetable cooking oil
1 large cooked pork chop
100g 4 oz cooked chicken
5ml or 1 tsp soy sauce
5ml or 1 tsp of sugar
30ml or 2 tbsps sesame oil
50g or 2 oz of bamboo shoots, cut and blanched
50g or 2 oz of water chestnuts, chopped
225g or 8 oz bean sprouts

1 Chinese mushroom
5ml (1 tsp) corn flour, combined with a little water
18 square rice paper, soaked for 5 minutes
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Soak Chinese mushroom in warm water for 15 minutes. Then drain and cut into thin slices.

Remove the pork from the bone and cut into thin slices. Cut chicken into thin slices. In a bowl, mix together the meats with the soy sauce, sugar and 15ml (1 tsp) sesame oil. Allow to marinate until required. Heat the remaining sesame oil in a wok and stir fry the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, bean sprouts and mushroom for about 2-3 minutes, until tender. Then add the meat mixture and the marinade to the wok. Stir well and heat thoroughly.

Stir in the corn flour paste to the wok and cook until the sauce has thickened. Place the contents into a bowl and allow to cool completely. This now forms the basis of the spring roll filling. Drain the rice paper sheets. Place a little filling on each of the sheets. Fold up the bottom half of each sheet from the corners, then fold over the side flaps, folding in the filling, brush the edges lightly with water to seal. Allow the rolls to dry before cooking. Place 1/2 liters of vegetable cooking oil in wok and allow to heat for about 3 minutes.

Then place spring rolls in the wok and fry until the surface is light brown in color. Turning once or twice but do not allow to over cook. The rolls can then be drained before serving with soy sauce.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:
5 boneless chicken breasts
6 egg whites
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/4 cups cooking oil
1/2 cup fresh roasted peanuts
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup green peas
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon dried hot peppers — crushed
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Cut chicken into 1 inch slices. Combine egg whites. 4 Tablespoons of the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of the oil, mix well. Pour over chicken and marinate for 1 hour.

In wok or large saucepan, heat 2 cups of the oil till very hot with slotted spoon lift abut 1/4 of the chicken from the marinade and fry in hot oil for 2 minutes, drain and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken in another work, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over high heat. Add
peanuts and vegetables and broth. bring mixture to a full boil. Add hot pepper sauce, sugar, monosodium glutamate, sesame oil, hot pepper and salt.

Blend remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with cold water and add to boiling mixture. Cook, stirring constantly till thickened and bubbly.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken — diced
3 tablespoon oil
4 cup rice; cold — cooked
2 green onions chopped
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup raw shrimp; shelled
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
deveined and diced
1 sm piece ginger or dash
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
ground ginger
2 eggs — slightly beaten
1 cup lettuce — shredded
1 cup cooked pork — diced

Directions:
Set ingredients prepared and measured by the stove in order listed. Set
wok over high heat for 30 seconds, swirl in half the fat, count to 20, add green onions and ginger and brown lightly. Add shrimp. Stir-fry 3 minutes.
Salt. Add eggs. Scramble until not quite cooked. Remove to a warm plate.

Swirl remaining fat into the wok, count to 20, add pork and chicken, and
stir-fry 2 minutes. Add rice, soy sauce, and pepper, stir and toss until
heated. Add scrambled eggs and toss a half minute.

Add lettuce; stir and toss until mixed. Serve at once before lettuce wilts.

2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Five Spice Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 Slices of Ham (about 1 ounce or 30 g each)
1 Egg Beaten
2 Tablespoons Milk (30 mL)
1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour
4 springroll or egg roll wrappers
3 cups vegetable Oil (750 mL)

Directions
Cut breasts in half, Pound breast till very thin using a mallet or rolling pin.

Combine spices (Salt, Pepper, Five-Spice Powder, Garlic Powder) sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon evenly over each flattened chicken breast.

Tightly roll up each ham piece and place in the center of each chicken piece. Roll the chicken piece around the ham, tucking in the ends of the chicken about it.

Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish. Coat each lightly with flour then dip into the egg-milk mixture. Place each piece diagonally into a spring roll wrapper. Roll it up securely folding the ends. Brush the end corner with egg mixture and a pinch to seal.

Heat oil in the wok over high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F (190 C). Fry 3 to 4 rolls at a time in the hot oil until golden and the chicken is completely cooked (about 5 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper.

Cool slightly. and cut into 1-inch slices serve on a bed of shredded lettuce or bok choy. (the green and gold looks very pretty)

Ingredients

1 onion
1/4 cucumber
1/2 red pepper, seeded � green pepper, seeded
1 sliced pineapple, fresh or canned
75ml (5 tsp) pineapple juice
60ml (4 tsp) wine vinegar
15ml (1 tsp) sugar
1/2 tomato peeled, seeded and chopped into 4 pieces
300ml (1/2 pint) chicken stock
30ml (2 tsp) oil
450g (1 lb) chicken, cut into small sized cubes
2.5ml or 1/2 tsp of red food coloring
1 clove garlic, chopped
5ml or 1 tsp of corn flour, combined with a little water 5ml (1 tsp)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
100g or 4 oz of Self raising flour
225ml or 1/2 pint of water
225ml or 1/2 pint of vegetable cooking oil

Cut the onion, cucumber, red and green peppers and pineapple into thin matchsticks.

To make the sweet and sour sauce in the wok, mix together the pineapple juice, wine vinegar, sugar, tomato, chicken stock and food colouring. Heat for approximately 10 minutes, then add the corn flour and lastly mix in the onions, cucumber, red and green peppr. Set aside and reheat when required. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place cubes of chicken in a small bowl and mix in salt, pepper and corn flour … allow to marinate until required. To make the batter, mix the flour and water in a small bowl until it forms a paste like batter. Stir in the cubes of chicken and place in wok with cooking oil, make sure that the oil is hot. Cook until the batter is golden brown. Once cooked place chicken on a plate and pour on the sweet and sour sauce.

Serve with stir fried rice or boiled rice.

Ingredients:
12 oz (375 g) fresh prawns
1 TB butter sprig of fresh curry leaves, stripped from stem
2 hot green chilies, sliced
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
60 ml/2 fl oz evaporated milk
125 ml/4fl oz/1/2 cup peanut oil for deep frying and stir-frying

Directions:
Remove and discard hard shell from heads of prawns. Split shell down the back with scissors and lift out vein. Wash the prawns and roll in paper towels to dry exceedingly well or they will splatter when fried. Heat oil in a wok until almost smoking and deep fry the prawns very quickly for only 1 minute. Pour prawns and oil into a sieve over a metal bowl. Return wok to heat, add butter and a tablespoon of the oil in which the prawns were fried and sizzle the curry leaves, green chillies and garlic for a few seconds. Return prawns, sprinkle over them the sugar, pepper, and salt and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the evaporated milk and serve at once, with steamed rice. “

24 Buns
1 package dried yeast or 1 cake fresh yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Crisco or vegetable oil
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Add 1 cup of flour. Mix thoroughly. Cover with cloth. Let rise 1 hour, until bubbles appear.

Dissolve sugar and vegetable oil in 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir well. Cool until lukewarm. Pour into yeast mixture. Add 3 1/2 cups flour.

Knead dough on lightly floured board until smooth. Put into extra large, greased bowl in a warm place. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise until double in bulk, about 2 hours.

Divide into 2 portions. Remove first portion and knead 2 minutes. Repeat with second. Roll each into roll 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Cut into 12 pieces (24 total).

Flatten each piece with palm of hand. Roll with rolling pin into 3 inch circles.

Brush with sesame seed oil. Indent middle of circle with chopstick.

Fold circle in half so that it becomes a half moon. Crimp edges tightly with fork.

Place each roll on separate square piece of foil on steamer tray. Cover tray with towel. Let buns rise to double in bulk, about 30 minutes. Remove towel.

Steam, tightly covered, over briskly boiling water for 10 minutes. Serve with Peking Duck, Crispy Duck, or with any filling you desire.

May be prepared in advance. May be frozen. Thaw out in plastic bag and re-steam 10 minutes.

3 ounces tapioca pearls
sugar syrup
1 cup brewed tea (Chinese black tea or lychee tea)
1 cup milk (or to taste)
Ice cubes

Directions
Prepare the sugar syrup for the tapioca pearls (see below).

Prepare the tapioca pearls (see below)

Place the tapioca pearls in the large glass jar

Allow the tea to cool to room temperature. Add the milk.

Remember the wild bar scenes in the Tom Cruise film Cocktail? Add the sugar syrup, milk and tea mix, and the ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and shake well. (Alternately you can process them in a blender, but that’s not nearly as much fun!)

Pour the shaken mixture into the glass with the tapioca pearls. Serve with a thick straw.

(This recipe is loosely based on one that originally appeared in The New York Times)

Tapioca Pearls – these are the chief ingredient in Asian bubble teas.

Please note that the pearls expand considerably when cooked. Please ensure that you use a large pot.

1 part tapioca pearls
4 parts (or more) water
(as a rule, the more pearls cooked, the more water should be used: that is, the water to pearl ratio must be higher. For 3kgs of pearls, we recommend using as much as 6 times as much water)

Directions:
Boil the water. Add the pearls to the boiling water and boil for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the pearls are not sticking to each other or to the pot. Turn off heat and let the pearls steep in the water for another 30 minutes with the lid of the cooking pot on.
Drain the tapioca pearls and rinse with cold water to cool them down. Place them in sugar syrup (sugar and water solution – see below). Make sure that the pearls are covered. Stir the pearls well.
The pearls are now ready to enjoy.

Note: To prevent the pearls from sticking to each other and to the pot, there must be enough water and the pearls must be stirred.

Sugar Syrup

2 parts white sugar
1 part brown sugar
3 parts water

In a saucepan, bring the water to boil. Add the sugars. Reduce heat and heat until the sugar crystals are dissolved. Remove from heat.

Note: Please feel free to experiment with the ratio of white sugar to brown sugar, and the ratio of the sugar to water