Instant Pot HK Tomato Pork Chops

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Servings4

Calories314kcal

AuthorAmy + Jacky

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops (1.25 inches thick)

Marinade

• 1/2 teaspoon (2.3g) white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5g) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) light soy sauce (not low sodium soy sauce)
• 1/2 tablespoon (7.5ml) dark soy sauce

Other Ingredients

• 1 medium onion , sliced
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 small shallot , diced
• 8 mushrooms , sliced (optional)
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 50 ml tomato paste (roughly 1/5 cup)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) ketchup
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon (14g) white sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup (250ml) water
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tablespoon (12g) cornstarch mixed with 2 (30ml) tablespoons water

Instructions

• Tenderize Pork Chops: Use the back-end of a heavy knife, pound both sides of pork chops to tenderize the meat.
• Marinate Pork Chops: Marinate tenderized pork chops for 20 minutes with ½ tsp (2.3g) sugar, ¼ tsp (1.5g) salt, ¼ tsp (1.25ml) sesame oil, 1 tbsp (15ml) light soy sauce, and ½ tbsp (7.5ml) dark soy sauce.
• Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté). Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be when you place the pork chops in the pot (Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT). This will prevent the pork chops from sticking to the pot.
• Prepare Other Ingredients: Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel and prepare remaining ingredients as listed.
• Sauté Pork Chops: Add peanut oil in the pot. Ensure to coat oil over the whole bottom of the pot. Add in marinated pork chops, then let it brown for roughly 1 – 1 ½ minute on each side (don’t need to constantly flip the pork chops). Do not let it burn. Remove and set aside.
• Brown Onion, Shallot, Garlic, and Mushrooms: Add in sliced onions, diced shallot and stir. Add a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper to season if you like. Cook onions and shallot for roughly 1 minute until softened. Then, add garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in mushrooms and cook for another minute. Taste seasoning and adjust with more kosher salt and ground black pepper if necessary.
• Deglaze: Add ¼ cup (63ml) water and fully deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
• Create Tomato Sauce: Add in ¾ cup (188ml) water, 2 tbsp (30ml) ketchup, 1 tbsp (14g) sugar, 1 tsp (5ml) Worcestershire sauce, and 50ml tomato paste (See Tips). Mix well.
• Pressure Cook Pork Chops: Place pork chops back with all the meat juice in the pot. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and Full Natural Release (roughly 10 minutes). Open the lid carefully.
• Taste & Thicken Tomato Sauce: Remove pork chops and set aside. Turn heat to medium (Instant Pot: Press sauté button). Taste the seasoning one more time. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Add in diced tomato. Mix cornstarch with water and mix it into the tomato sauce one third at a time until desired thickness.
• Serve: Drizzle the tomato sauce over the pork chops and serve immediately with side dishes!

Notes

Tenderize Pork Chops: Make sure to tenderize the pork chops before marinating them. This is an important step.

Mixing in the Tomato Paste: Mixing in 50 ml tomato paste to 250 ml of water should not cause scorching. If you are unsure, just let the tomato paste sit on top of all the other ingredients unmixed. Avoid mixing in the tomato paste if you exceed the 1 cup of tomato paste to 5 cups of water ratio.

*The Total Cooking Time does not include idle/inactive time.

Chicken Congee - Instant Pot

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup (173 g) Jasmine rice (using standard 250 ml cup)
6.5 - 7 cups cold water (using standard 250 ml cup)
5 – 6 chicken drumsticks
1 tablespoon ginger, sliced into strips
Green onions for garnish
Salt to taste


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse 173g (3/4 standard cup) of rice in the pot under cold water by gently scrubbing the rice with your fingertips in a circling motion. Pour out the milky water, and continue to rinse until water is clear. Drain well.
2. Add ginger, 5-6 chicken drumsticks and 6.5 - 7 cups of cold water (using standard 250 ml cup) into the pot. Do not add salt at this point. (The ratio is 1 cup rice to 9 - 9.75 cups of water)
3. Close the lid immediately and cook at high pressure for 30 minutes + Natural Release in an Electric Pressure Cooker.
4. Open the lid carefully. The congee will look watery at this point.
5. Heat up the pot (Instant Pot: press Sauté button), stir until desired thickness & consistency. Season with salt.
6. Use tongs and fork to separate the chicken meat from the bones (they literally fall off the bone) and remove the chicken bones and skin (if desired).
7. Remove congee from heat and garnish with green onions.
8. Serve immediately.

Pressure Cooker Chinese Sticky Rice with Sausage

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (or sub fresh, or other variety of dried mushrooms)
• 1 cup glutinous rice
• 3 links Chinese Sausage, Lap Xuong chopped
• 2 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Oyster Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon salt

Instructions (can double/triple recipe but keep the same cook time)

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water and let them sit there while you get your other ingredients ready.
2. In the inner liner of your pressure cooker or instant pot, add in all the other ingredients. Add in mushrooms and stir.
3. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, and then allow it to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then release all remaining pressure.
4. Open the pressure cooker, stir to mix well and allow all water to absorb, and serve.

Cantonese poached chicken with ginger and scallion oil

From: http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/02/cantonese-poached-chicken-w-ginger-scallion-oil-bai-qie-ji/ 

 

Prep time 5 mins

Cook time 45 mins

Total time 50 mins

 

Serves: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3-pound kosher or all-natural chicken, at room temperature
• 2 whole scallions, cut into large pieces
• 5 slices ginger
• 3 tablespoons finely minced scallion (white and light green parts only)
• 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
• 3 tablespoons oil
• salt
• soy sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Clean the chicken. Rinse it under cold water, paying special attention to the cavity.
2. Fill a large stock pot with water--just enough to submerge the chicken completely.
3. Add the 2 scallions and the ginger slices. Bring it to a boil.
4. Once boiling, slowly lower the chicken into the pot. The water will cool down, so bring it up to a boil again. Don’t walk away!
5. Once it’s boiling, use a large metal carving fork to lift the chicken out of the water very carefully. The goal is to empty any colder water that may be stuck inside the cavity. Put the chicken back into the water, and bring it to a boil again. When the water is JUST starting to boil, turn the heat down. You want it to stay at a simmer.
6. Cover the pot, and keep the heat on low, so that the liquid continues to simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes. Depending on the size of your chicken, it may take a little less or more time to cook it through.
7. Test if the chicken is done by taking a chopstick or a fork and poking it into the thigh. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. Carefully take the chicken out of the pot and transfer it to a large bowl. Let cold water run over the chicken for a minute or so. Wait until it’s cooled completely.
8. While it’s cooling, make the sauce by heating up the oil in a small pan until very hot. Then add the scallion, ginger, and salt in the pan and turn off the heat. Fry sauce until fragrant.
9. Slice up the chicken into pieces, and serve with your sauce and some white rice. You can also serve it with some soy sauce, if you like.

Hong Kong style pork with tomato sauce

Ingredients

Makes: 4 - 6 servings

• Marinade:
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce or 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons cornflour, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 
  
• 6 boneless pork chops, pounded evently and cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 
  
• Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 125ml water
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black soy sauce
• 3 beef tomatoes, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation method

Prep: 10 min |Cook: 15 min | Extra time: 15 min, marinating

1.	Make the marinade by mixing together the sugar, salt, soy sauce and cornflour slurry. Mix in the pork, let marinate for 15 minutes.
2.	In a small bowl, mix together the tomato ketchup and water to make the sauce. Set aside.
3.	Heat a large frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Stir-fry the pork until done, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
4.	Heat the same large frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, shallot, salt and soy sauce, cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with sugar, mix well until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sauce, stir, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning accordingly and serve.

Ingredients

Black soy sauce is thicker and richer than ordinary soy sauce.
It can be purchased from Chinese/Oriental speciality stores.

Slow Cooker Chinese Pulled Pork

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 4 hours
• Yield: Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into very large chunks (3 to 4 inches)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of Chinese 5-spice powder*
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or Shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 12 Hawaiian dinner rolls
• 1 large scallion sliced

*To make Chinese 5-spice powder, toast 1 teaspoon peppercorns in a skillet until fragrant. In a spice grinder, grind the roasted peppercorns with 2 whole star anise, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Stir in 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

METHOD

1 Season the pork with 5-spice powder: Rub the 5 spice powder into the pork chunks, all over, and let sit while you prepare the sauce in the next step.

2 Whisk together the sauce ingredients: Whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, sherry, ginger, and garlic in a medium bowl.

3 Place pork and sauce in slow cooker: Place the seasoned pork shoulder pieces in a slow cooker, cover with the sauce.

4 Slow cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, until the meat easily pulls apart. About halfway through the cooking, turn the meat over in the pot.

5 Ladle off excess fat: Use a ladle or a large metal spoon to remove excess fat that has risen to the surface while the meat has been cooking. Don't discard it yet, you may want to add some of it back.

6 Shred the pork: Use two forks to pull apart the pork into shreds. If the pork still seems dry, add back some of the fat.

7 Serve over sweet Hawaiian dinner buns topped with sliced green onion or cilantro.

Soy Sauce Chicken

From: http://thewoksoflife.com/2015/02/soy-sauce-chicken/

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds (preferably free-range, never frozen)

2 teaspoons oil

7 slices ginger

2 scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces and smashed flat

3 whole star anise

1 ½ cups rose-flavored rice wine (mei kwei lu) or shaoxing wine

1 ½ cups soy sauce

1 1/4 cup dark soy sauce

1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

2 teaspoons salt

10 cups water

 

Take your chicken out of the refrigerator an hour before you plan to cook. You'll want it at room temperature when it hits the pot. Remove the giblets, and thoroughly rinse the chicken inside and out.

Grab your stock pot. It will ideally be a tall, narrow pot that will just fit the chicken, since it should be totally submerged in the cooking liquid (if you use a larger pot, you'll need to increase all the ingredients proportionally to create more cooking liquid). Put it over medium low heat, and add the oil and ginger.

Let the ginger caramelize for about 30 seconds. Then add the scallions and cook another 30 seconds. Add the star anise and rice wine, and bring to a simmer to let the alcohol cook off. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, and water. Bring to a simmer again and cook on low heat for another 20 minutes.

Increase the heat to bring the liquid to a slow boil (i.e. a little stronger than a simmer, but not a rolling boil). Use a large roasting fork inserted into the chicken cavity to lower the chicken slowly into the pot breast side up. Make sure any air pockets in the cavity fill up completely with liquid. The chicken should be entirely submerged at this point.

Once the chicken goes in, the cooking liquid will cool down. Let it cook for about 5 minutes at medium high heat. Next, use your large fork to carefully lift the chicken out of the water and empty the liquid inside the cavity, which will be cooler than the liquid surrounding the chicken. Lower the chicken back into the pot, making sure once again that there aren't any air pockets in the cavity. If the chicken is not completely submerged, periodically baste the exposed area with cooking liquid.

Bring the liquid back up to a lazy simmer, which should take about 10 minutes. Keep it at this slow simmer (the liquid will be about 210 degrees F) for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the chicken sit in the pot for another 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. If you like, you can use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh to confirm it's reached 165 degrees F.

Use the sauce from the pot to occasionally baste the chicken and keep the skin moist as it cools. Serve over rice with some sauce from the pot!

**Note: You can also make this recipe with chicken leg quarters and reduce the cooking time accordingly, since they are easier to handle and faster to cook. Also, once you're done cooking the chicken, you can actually freeze the sauce/cooking liquid for use again later (though you may have to re-season the sauce).

Szechuan Beef Recipe

Serves 2 | Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil
8 oz beef, cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 small green bell pepper, cut into long strips
1/4 small red bell pepper, cut into long trips
1-2 baby carrots, cut into matchstick strips
1/2 teaspoon chili oil (bottled chili oil), optional
2 stalks scallions, cut into 2-inch strips
Marinade:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
Sauce:
1/2 heaping tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Method:

Marinate the beef with all the ingredients in the Marinade, for 15 minutes.
Combine all the ingredients in the Sauce, stir and mix well, set aside.
Heat up a wok and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is fully heated, add the beef and do a few quick stirs, until the surface turns opaque and slightly charred. Transfer out and set aside.
Clean the wok and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is fully heated, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic. Add all the peppers and carrots and stir a few times before adding the beef back into the wok. Add the Sauce and stir to combine well. Stir in the scallion and chili oil, dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Sichuan Orange Beef Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. beef sirloin – cut into thin strips
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp Season with Spice’s Sichuan Peppercorns – crushed
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry (optional)
1 small red bell pepper – sliced thinly
2-3 scallions – cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
For the marinade:
Juice from one orange (about 1/3 cup*)
Zest from one orange (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh ginger – minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Method:

1. In a bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Add in the beef and coat well. Leave to marinate for 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
2. Heat a wok on high fire. Add peanut oil, and swirl to coat. Toss in the crushed Sichuan peppercorns and do a few quick stirs until fragrant. Add in the beef, but keep the leftover marinade to the side. Pour in Shaoxing wine if using. Let sear for 1-2 minutes until slightly charred, then do a few quick stirs. Add in bell pepper and the white parts of the scallions, and give it a few more stirs.
3. Keep the heat on high, add in the leftover marinade, and toss to coat all the ingredients. When the sauce starts to simmer, stir in the scallion greens and toasted sesame oil. Dish out and serve immediately with rice.

Bubble Tea

How to Make Boba and Bubble Tea

What You Need
Ingredients
1/4 cup dried boba tapioca pearls per serving (NOT quick-cooking boba)
1-2 tea bags per serving, any kind
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Milk, almond milk, or sweetened condensed milk
Fruit juice or nectar (optional)
Equipment
Saucepan
Bowl for holding the cooked boba
Measuring cups

Instructions
1. Cook the Boba: Measure 2 cups of water for every 1/4 cup of boba being prepared into a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the boba and stir gently until they begin floating to the top of the water.

Turn the heat to medium and cook the boba for 12-15 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let the pearls sit for another 12-15 minutes.

2. Prepare Sugar Syrup for the Boba: While the boba are cooking, make a simple sugar syrup to sweeten and preserve them once cooked. Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil over high heat on the stove or in the microwave. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Set aside to cool.

3. Prepare a Strong Cup of Tea: This can be done either while the boba are cooking or ahead of time. Allow enough time for the tea to cool completely before making the boba. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the tea bag. Use one tea bag for regular-strength bubble tea or two for a stronger tea flavor. Remove the tea bag after 15 minutes and chill the tea.

4. Finish the Boba: Once the boba have finished cooking, drain them from the water and transfer them to a small bowl or container. Pour the sugar syrup over top until the boba are submerged. Let sit until the boba are room temperature, at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to use. Boba are best if used within a few hours of cooking, but will keep refrigerated for several days. The boba will gradually harden and become crunchy as they sit.

5. Make the Bubble Tea: Pour the prepared tea into a tall glass and add the boba. Add milk for a creamy bubble tea, juice for a fruity tea, or leave plain and add a little extra water. Sweeten to taste with the simple syrup from soaking the boba.

Additional Notes:

• Very Chilled Bubble Tea: For an extra-chilly bubble tea, combine all the tea, milk, and/or juice, but not the boba in a cocktail shaker. Add a few ice cubes and shake for 20 seconds. Pour into a tall glass and add the boba.
• Shortcut Boba: If you want immediate gratification, just cook your boba until they are tender, 5 to 10 minutes, and use them as soon as they're cool. This kind of boba don't keep for very long (turning rock hard in a few hours), but are delicious if eaten right away.
• Saving Leftover Boba and Making Boba for Later: Boba are best if used within a few hours of cooking, but will keep refrigerated with simple syrup for several days. The boba will gradually harden and become crunchy as they sit.

Chinese Egg Tarts

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Yield: 20-24 tarts

Ingredients

200g all purpose flour (1 ½ cups)

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

200g unsalted butter, room temperature but not softened (14 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons cold water

scant 1 cup hot water

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup evaporated milk, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add the butter and break it up roughly with your fingers, making sure to keep visible little chunks of butter in the dough. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water and bring the dough together. Add a tiny bit more water if necessary, but not too much. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board, knead gently, and form into a neat rectangle. Roll the dough away from you (not back and forth), forming a 20 x 50cm rectangle (about 8x20 inches). Try to keep the edges even, and don’t overwork the butter streaks. Flecks of butter should still be visible in the dough.

Fold the top third of the dough down to the center, then the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (left or right) and roll out again to three times the length. Fold the same way as before, cover, and chill for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, make the filling. Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar into the cup of hot water, and allow to cool to room temperature. Whisk eggs and evaporated milk together and then thoroughly whisk in the sugar water and vanilla. Strain through a very fine mesh strainer--this step is extremely important to getting a smooth, glassy egg tart.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C and position a rack in the lower third of your oven. Roll out the dough and cut circles to fit your tins (you can also use a shallow muffin pan). Press the dough into the tins and use a ladle to fill each tart shell until just reaching the edges of the outside crust. Once filled, immediately (but very carefully) transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C and bake another 10-12 minutes, until filling is just set (if a toothpick can stand up in it, it’s done). If you see the shells start to puff up a bit, crack open the oven a little, and they should settle back down.

You can let the tarts cool for a couple minutes and enjoy them while they’re still hot.

Sweet and Spicy Mushroom Stir Fry Recipe

From Simply Recipes


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Any clear honey will do, the darker the better.

Ingredients

Glaze

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free)

Sauce

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
3 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free)
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine or cooking sherry
1 tablespoon corn starch

Stir-Fry

4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2-5 dried red chilies, roughly chopped OR 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
3 tablespoons sesame, grapeseed, or other high smoke-point oil
2 lbs. of mixed mushrooms (oyster, crimini, button, shitake, enoki, whathaveyou...), roughly chopped or quartered (you want bite-sized pieces)
1 1/2 cups of snow peas or snap peas, de-stringed
8 green onions, chopped
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1 Make the glaze by whisking together the stock, honey, and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside. Make the sauce by whisking together the stock, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, cooking wine or sherry, and the corn starch in a bowl and set that aside as well.

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2 Place 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or a wok over high heat. When the oil is glistening and a bead of water evaporates in under a second add the mushrooms and toss. Allow the mushrooms to cook for a few minutes until they start to squeak and give up their water (you'll see their water in the pan). When they do add the glaze. Allow the glaze to boil off, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes. When barely any more liquid remains take the mushrooms off the heat and set them aside in a bowl. There may be bits of sugar caramelized to the side of the pan, don't fret about it.

sweet-and-spicy-mushroom-stir-fry-3.jpgsweet-and-spicy-mushroom-stir-fry-4.jpg

3 Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilies and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the snow peas and green onions and toss for about 30 more seconds.

sweet-and-spicy-mushroom-stir-fry-5.jpgsweet-and-spicy-mushroom-stir-fry-6.jpg

4 Increase heat to high. Add the sauce and allow the mixture to come to a boil. The sauce will thicken considerably. Add the mushrooms back to the mixture and cook for about 20 more seconds. Take off the heat. Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds if using.

Yield: Serves 4.

Chinese greens (yu choy) stir fry

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 3 Cook Time: 5
ingredients:
1 pound Chinese greens (called yu choy), cut into 3-inch lengths
4 -6 cloves garlic, whole
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

directions:
1. Heat the oil in your wok until hot. Turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic cloves to the oil and fry until the cloves are golden brown (but not burnt!). This will flavor the oil.

2. Add the Yu Choy, stir so that each stalk gets a light coating of the garlic-flavored oil. Add the chicken broth and immediately cover. Let the vegetable steam for 3 1/2 minutes until tender. The Yu Choy should still be bright green, the stalks should be soft and still have a nice bite to it.

Notes: When cooking fresh vegetables like this, the heat of your wok should stay at medium to medium-high. If the heat is too hot, the broth may evaporate too quickly and your vegetables may burn. To low, and your vegetables will cook too slowly and you will lose your bright green coloring of the vegetable. You can cook other vegetables the same way, just adjust the amount of broth you add accordingly. Thicker stems need more broth and more steam time. If you are like me, and you love to eat soft, tender, mild garlic cloves, you can add more cloves. Because they are toasted in the oil and then cooked with the vegetables, the garlic turns into a sweet nugget of flavor without the sting of minced garlic.

Steamed Fish With Soy Sauce

Ingredients

2 Barramundi Fillets (about 340 g) or 1 Medium Whole Fish
4 Slices of Fresh Ginger, julienned
2 Stalks Scallions, chopped or julienned
1 Red Chili, julienned
Fresh Coriander, chopped
1 ½ Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing)
1 tsp Sesame Oil
3 Tbsp Peanut Oil

Method

Combine the fish with ginger, scallions, chili, soy sauce, wine, and sesame oil and steam on a high heat until they are cooked.

Then heat the peanut oil on a moderate to high heat. Carefully, pour the hot oil over the cooked fish. Top the fish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Garlic-Lover's Vegetable Stir Fry with Eggplant, Zucchini, and Yellow Squash

Makes about 4 servings

1 1/2 lbs zucchini, yellow squash, and/or eggplant, cut into same size pieces (use any combination of these vegetables)
2 T peanut oil or canola oil (or possibly a little more if you don't have a non-stick pan)
2 T finely minced garlic (or less)
1 onion, sliced top to bottom in strips about 1/2 inch wide
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T Oyster Sauce (look for it by the Asian foods in any supermarket)

Cut vegetables into pieces that are the same size and same shape, cutting away the inner seeds from squash and larger eggplants before you cut them into short strips about 1/2 inch wide. Get oil, oyster sauce, salt, and measuring spoons out and have ready on the counter near the stove.

Put wok or frying pan on the stove and heat 1-2 minutes, until it's too hot to hold your hand over it. (You should be able to almost see the heat shimmering up from the wok.) Add the oil and heat about 30 seconds, then add minced garlic and sliced onion and cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the rest of the vegetables all at once, add salt, and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring every 20-30 seconds, or until vegetables are barely starting to soften.

Add oyster sauce, stirring gently so all the vegetables are coated with sauce. Cook about 2 minutes more, stirring a few times. Serve hot.

Principles of Chinese Cooking
Preheat the wok (before you put the oil in).
Season the oil (with whole pieces of garlic and sometimes ginger root, which you often remove when you add the food to be cooked).
Symmetry of cut (all pieces must be cut the same size and shape).
Have all ingredients cut and sauces mixed before you cook.
Use very high heat and cook fast.

Szechuan Eggplant Stirfry

INGREDIENTS

3 Asian eggplants, about 2 pounds
1/2 package extra firm tofu, drained, and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced on a diagonal
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Thai holy basil leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Cut the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice crosswise into wedges, no more than 1-inch wide.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high flame and add the oils; tilt the pan to coat all sides. When you see a slight smoke, add a layer of eggplant and tofu, stir-fry until seared and sticky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant and tofu to a side platter and cook the remaining eggplant and tofu in same manner, adding more oil, if needed.

After all the eggplant and tofu are out of the pan, add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile; stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the broth. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and cook another minute, until the sauce has thickened. Put the eggplant and tofu back in the pan, tossing quickly, until the sauce is absorbed. Garnish with Thai basil, and serve.

Hoisin Pork Chops

From Emeril Lagasse (Food Network, 2002)

1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chops
1/4 cup honey
Vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Add the pork chops and turn to coat. Remove the chops from the marinade.

Reserve the marinade and combine with the honey in a medium saucepan. Bring the honey marinade mixture to a boil, and cook at a low boil for at least 10 minutes.

Add chops to a large saute pan coated with vegetable oil and sear on until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Pour the reduced marinade over the chops and bake for 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F.

Remove the chops from the oven and set aside to rest for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Chops with Yellow Bell Pepper

Serve 4

4 x Pork Chops
1 medium onion, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper (yellow capsicum), cut into long strips
2 tbsp green peas
4 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup (I use Heinz)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Corn starch water (mix 1 tbsp water with 1 1/2 tsp corn starch in a bowl)

Method

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and pan fry pork chops until brown on both sides and cooked through (approximately 3 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of your chops).

Remove and place them on a serving plate.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or a sauce pan, stir fry the onion until soft, add yellow bell pepper and green peas and stir fry for a further minute.

Add water, rice wine vinegar, sugar, ketchup, salt, Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil.

Add corn starch water to thicken the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the pork chops and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Fried Tofu with Spicy Scallion Soy Sauce

serves 4

1 block of firm tofu
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, more if needed

Sauce
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (I prefer low sodium for almost all of my cooking)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (Kadoya brand is my preference)
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
1-2 teaspoons of red chili powder (고추가루 gochu gahloo) - optional if you do not want spice
2 teaspoons sesame seed

Directions
Carefully slice tofu. Make one cut down the center and then cut into even 3/4 inch thick pieces. You should get about 16 pieces of tofu. On a plate, lay down a piece of paper towel. You will drain the tofu on here AFTER cooking.

In a heavy fry pan over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Carefully lay down tofu pieces. CAREFUL! It can begin to splatter. Use caution. Cook until golden and crisp on one side (about 3 minutes) and carefully turn over so that it gets golden and crisp on the other side (another 3 minutes). Remove from pan and place on plate with the paper towel. (It collects the excess oil.) Repeat until all tofu is cooked.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce together.

Plate the tofu on your serving dish. Carefully spoon a small amount of sauce on top of each slice of tofu. Can be served hot or warm.

Braised Tofu

1 pack of firm tofu, cut in half lengthwise, and then sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use canola or safflower)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (gochugahloo - less or more depending on your spice tolerance.)
1 teaspoon crushed toasted sesame seed

In a heavy fry pan, heat over medium heat and add oil. Carefully add tofu slices (it can splatter so watch out!) and do not overcrowd the pan. Carefully fry tofu until it is crisp and golden brown on one side, and then flip it over to cook the other side. About 2-3 minutes per side. When they are golden, remove them from the fry pan and put on a plate. Continue until all the tofu is cooked. (This photograph is not the BEST representation of my fried tofu, but I was dealing with a sick child when I took this, so I "overcooked" some...you want golden brown not crunchy brown)

In a medium sized pot, add soy sauce, water, sesame oil, green onions, chopped garlic and chili powder. Give a quick mix. Carefully lay tofu slices into the pot.
Continue until you have added all the tofu. I try and place the tofu in a circular fashion. Do NOT worry that the braising liquid is not covering the tofu - during the cooking process it will eventually cover all of it. (Tofu releases some liquid and boiling causes the tofu to get covered.)

Place the pot over medium heat. Cover. Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Serve hot!