Chinese Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced across the grain in thin slices
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles (lo mein noodles)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons oil, divided
2 carrots, cut julienne
about 8 leaves Chinese cabbage or romaine lettuce, cut in crosswise shreds
1 small (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

Directions:
Mix beef with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or sherry, and the cornstarch. Let stand 20 minutes.
Combine remaining soy sauce and rice wine with oyster sauce and sugar. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles, stirring to separate. Cook about 2 minutes, until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with sesame oil. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok. Add carrots and stir-fry 1 minute. Add shredded cabbage or lettuce and mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute longer. Remove.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add beef mixture and stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove.
Wipe out wok. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in wok. Add noodles and stir-fry until they are heated through. Stir in vegetables and beef. Add sauce and stir-fry to mix well.

Ingredients:
8-inch segment large Oriental white radish*
2 pounds of stewing beef
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) of dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root
3 whole green (spring) onions
2 tablespoons of pale dry sherry
2 cups of water

Mixture
2 teaspoons of cornstarch (cornflour)
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon of Chinese All-Purpose Sauce or hoisin sauce

Directions:
Prepare the meat and vegetables: The beef should be trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes. For the vegetables: peel the radish and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the ginger, and cut into quarters.
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to boil on high heat.
Use a strainer (also known as a sieve) to immerse the radish in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the strainer from the saucepan and place the radish on a plate. Do not rinse the saucepan.
Separate the cubes of beef into three sections. Blanch one of the sections, plunging the meat into the boiling water until it changes color, and any excess fat rises to the surface. Drain the meat and set on a plate. Repeat for the other two sections, empty the saucepan and rinse.
Using either a stewing pan or a wok, boil the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, sherry, and beef, adding the ingredients in that order, bringing to a boil on medium heat and stirring to ensure the beef is mixed with the other ingredients.
Add 2 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook for 1 hour.
Strain the stock in the saucepan, discarding green onions. Add 2/3 cup to the beef stew. Add the cornstarch/water/All Purpose Sauce mixture, stirring. Add the cooked Oriental radish and adjust the heat to medium. Stir until the ingredients are heated through and the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice.

Serves 3 to 4 as part of a multicourse meal

Ingredients

1/2 lb. beef, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups assorted vegetables, chopped

Marinade:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 clove garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

Combine marinade ingredients.
Marinate beef for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in wok. Stir-fry beef and onion.
Add vegetables. Fry until bright in color.
Add sesame seeds and left over marinade. Heat thoroughly. Serve with rice.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 pound fresh snow peas
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

Directions:

Mix beef with cornstarch and soy sauce. Trim snow peas. Blanch in boiling water 1 minute until they turn bright green; drain and run under cold water. Combine oyster sauce, sherry, and sugar.
Heat oil in a wok. Add garlic and ginger. Stir-fry a few seconds until fragrant. Add beef and stir-fry until browned. Add oyster sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until it begins to boil. Add snow peas and stir-fry 30 seconds longer.

Ingredients:

4 ounces Sirloin beef sliced thin or thick steaks
3 green peppers (or red and green peppers as desired)
1/2 small onion
2 sticks of celery
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon MSG (if desired)
1 teaspoon Chinese salted black beans
2 cloves garlic
3 slices ginger
1/2 cup stock or hot water
2 tablespoons oil for cooking

Marinade:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oil

Directions:
Place the beef in a bowl, and stir in the marinade ingredients. Marinate beef for approximately thirty minutes.
While beef is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Cut peppers, onion, and celery into 1/2 inch pieces. Mix the garlic cloves and ginger with the black beans and chop finely.
Heat wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is ready, add 1/2 of the black bean, garlic, and ginger mixture. Mix and add the beef. Stir-fry until the beef is approximately 60 – 65 percent cooked. Remove the beef and set aside.
Add the rest of the bean mixture, onions and celery. Stir-fry for 3 – 4 minutes and add the peppers. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes longer and add 1/2 cup of stock or hot water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add MSG if desired.
Mix, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the beef. Mix and serve immediately.

Ingredients

1 loaf of Bean curd , fried and cut into cubes
1 small can of tausi ( fermented, salted, black beans )
200 gms (7 ounces) Chinese broccoli
1-2 kg of pork, cut into cubes

crushed garlic
chopped onions

Seasonings, Add to taste
oyster sauce
Chinese light soy sauce
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat the pan with cooking oil.
Add the crushed garlic and onions.
Add the pork cubes. Allow to cook until the pork golden brown.
Add the fried bean curd and tausi. Season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper.
Add the Chinese broccoli last. Mix through and serve.

Ingredients:
3 sheets dried bean curd
3 sheets yakinori (roasted seaweed used in sushi rolls)

Seasoning:
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
a pinch MSG (if desired)
3 cups water

Oil for frying

Directions:
Heat water in the wok and add the remaining seasonings. Bring to a boil. Lower heat.
Fold the bean curd sheets into 4 squares. Boil the folded sheets in the heated water for 1 minute, using chopsticks to move the sheets around the boiling water as necessary. Drain.
In a baking tray, spread out the bean curd sheet and re-fold into a square. Place a square of seaweed on top, and fold into an oblong shape.
In a wok or large skillet add oil. Fry the bean curd rolls on high heat until both sides are golden brown, adding more oil as needed. Slice into 1 – 1 1/2 inch (3 – 4 centimeter) pieces before serving.

Yield: Serves 3 – 4

Ingredients:
350 grams (approximately 3/4 of a pound) firm tofu
225 g (1 cup) mushrooms
1 225 mL can (or an 8 ounce can) bamboo shoots
30 mL (2 tablespoons) dark soy sauce
15 mL (1 tablespoon) oyster sauce
5 mL (1 teaspoon) sugar
20 – 25 mL (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) sherry
30 mL (2 tablespoons) peanut oil

Directions:
Prepare the vegetables: slice the mushrooms into quarters. Drain the canned bamboo shoots, running through hot water if desired to get rid of a “”tinny”" taste.
Remove the tofu from the package and drain. Cut the tofu lengthwise through the middle, so that you have two equal pieces about 1-inch thick. Cut into large cubes.
In a small bowl, mix together the dark soy, oyster sauce, sugar, and sherry.
Heat wok. When wok is ready, add the oil. Add the bamboo shoots and mushrooms, stirring, until they are heated through.
Add the tofu and the dark soy/oyster sauce/sugar/sherry mixture. Stir-fry until the ingredients are heated through. Serve hot.

Always use long grain rice – short grain rice is used only for desserts and snacks in Chinese cooking.
Rinse the rice in water to get rid of excess starch.
Use 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water. For example, when cooking 2 cups of rice you would use 3 cups of water.
Bring the rice to a boil at medium heat (about 4 on the dial).
When boiling, turn the heat down to medium low (about 3) and tilt the lid on the pot. This allows the steam to escape.
Let the water evaporate. When you can see craters (holes) in the rice, put the lid on tight.
Turn the heat to low, and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Fluff up the rice, and serve.

Makes 18 Buns

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (about half a packet)
3 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
1 1/2 tablespoons corn oil

Directions:
With a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar and water in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the yeast and stir again to dissolve it.
Add the flour and 1 tablespoon of the oil, stirring with the wooden spoon to form a rough dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, scraping it from the sides of the bowl. Knead lightly until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky. (The consistency may vary slightly depending on the weather: If the dough is too dry, add a little warm water).
Brush the large bowl with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and put the dough in the bowl. Turn to coat. Cover with a damp dish towel and place in a warm, draft-free place (like a turned off oven with a pilot light). Let rise until tripled in bulk, about 3 hours. Use as directed in the recipe.