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Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum Soup
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lbs shrimp
BROTH
4 cups of water
1/2 tsp chicken bullion 
1 stalk lemongrass
5 slices of galangal (or 3 slices of ginger)
rind of half a lime
2-3 Thai birdseye chilis 
5 garlic cloves
For the Soup
1/2 cup oyster mushrooms
1 tomato, wedged
1/2 white onion sliced 
1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
3 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1-2 limes
1 tsp tamarind paste
cilantro / scallions for garnish
1. Cut lemongrass into 2″ pieces and remove outer layers.  Take lemongrass, galangal, lime rinds, birdseye chilis, and garlic cloves and smash with hammer.  Add to medium pot.
2. Peel shrimp and take shells (and heads if available) and add into medium pot.  Add 4 cups of water with the bullion, lemongrass, galangal, lime rinds, birdseye chilis, and garlic cloves.  Bring to boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Strain out ingredients through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.  Transfer broth back to pot. 
3. Bring broth to a boil and add shrimp.  Cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Add oyster mushrooms, onions, and tomato to pot and cook for another minute.  
5.  Add fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, tamarind paste.  Adjust each to your taste. 
6.  Serve soup hot in bowls with cilantro and scallions (and chilis if you like).  

Tom Yum Soup

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Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

INGREDIENTS

4 Chinese Long Eggplant, sliced
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cornstarch

Sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch

To Stir-Fry

2 tbsp oil
2 tsp ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 Thai chilis, sliced (optional)

Scallions, sliced for garnish

1. Place sliced eggplant in a large bowl or tray on top of some paper towels.  Sprinkle salt on both sides and allow to sit for 30-60 minutes.  Pat dry. 

2. Combine sauce ingredients in bowl and mix. 

3. After patting dry eggplant, coat eggplant in corn starch. Add oil to a wok or pan and fry eggplant in batches until browned on both sides and slightly softened. Transfer to plate. 

4.  Add more oil if needed to pan.  Fry ginger, garlic, and chilis until fragrant.  Add eggplant back into pan and toss.  Mix sauce thoroughly so cornstarch is evenly distributed without and pour over eggplant.  Stir until sauce thickens and evenly coats eggplant.  

5. Transfer to plate and top with scallions. Serve immediately with rice or noodles. 

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Jjajangmyeon (Korean Black Bean Noodles)

Korean Jjajangmyeon Black Bean Noodles
INGREDIENTS

4 servings of fresh jjajangmyeon noodles

Sauce

5 tbsp Korean Black Bean Paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup of stock

Meat

12 oz of pork shoulder, cut into chunks
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp mirin
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce

1 large onion, diced
1 cup cabbage, diced
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cucumber, cut into sticks
scallions and pickled daikon for garnish

1. Combine pork, grated ginger, mirin, and salt and pepper and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes. 

2. Add sauce ingredients together and fry over medium heat until oil is absorbed into the black bean paste and sugar is dissolved. Be careful not to burn. 

3. Heat large pan with vegetable oil over medium high heat.  Pour pork and marinade into pan and fry until pork is no longer pink.  Add soy sauce and onions and fry until onions soften. 

4. Add cabbage and zucchini and continue to stir fry until the veggies have softened. 

5. Add black bean paste and mix until everything is coated with the paste.  Add chicken stock and allow to simmer for 4 minutes. Add starch slurry and cook until sauce is thickened. Adjust flavor with salt, pepper, and sugar. 

6. Boil noodles and cook according to package instructions.  Place a serving of noodles in a bowl and spoon the sauce over the noodles.  Garnish with cucumber, scallions, and daikon, and serve immediately.  

Korean Jjajangmyeon Black Bean Noodles

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Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan and Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 lbs chicken cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp butter
Juice of half a lemon
5 cloves garlic, grated
1/2″ piece of ginger, grated
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup tomato puree
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat.  Cook onions until soft and translucent.  Stir in butter, lemon juice, grated ginger, grated garlic, 1 tsp of garam masala, chili powder, cumin, bay leaf, and cayenne.  Fry spices for about 1 minute.  Add tomato sauce and simmer for a couple minutes.  Add half and half & heavy cream and drop temperature to low.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

2. Heat oil in another skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Reduce heat and season with 1 tsp garam masala and cayenne.  Take some sauce from pot and add to chicken pan.  Toss and simmer until liquid is reduced and chicken is cooked through.  Transfer chicken into pot with sauce.  

3.  Heat pot to simmer.  Stir corn starch & water together and add to sauce.  Cook 5-10 minutes or until thickened.  Serve hot with fresh rice or hot naan.  

Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan and Rice

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Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp butter
8 oz andoullie sausage, cut into 1/4″ slices
2 tbsp ground paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 green onions thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 cup of rice
3 cups of chicken stock
1 lb of large shrimp, peeled & deveined
salt and ground black pepper to taste
parsley

1. Place butter and sausage in a large pot over medium high heat; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes until sausage starts to brown

2. Stir in paprika, cumin, cayenne and incorporate

3. Add tomatoes, onions, green pepper, celery, garlic, salt, and bay leaf into mixture.

4. Add rice and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender.

5. When rice is just tender, add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and adjust with salt if needed.

6. Serve hot in bowl and top with green onion tops and parsley.

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Classic Filipino Lumpia

filipino lumpia

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
½ cup green onions
1 cup carrots, minced
1 cup onion, minced
5 cloves garlic minced
2 eggs
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
MSG optional
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
25-30 pieces Spring roll wrapper

1. Combine meat, onion, carrots, green onions, garlic, egg, salt, garlic powder, black pepper. Mix together until uniformly combined.

2. Pull and lay out spring roll wrapper . Place 1-2 tbsp of mixture in middle and roll. Tuck in any excess wrapper.

3. Heat oil to 375. Fry for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Use either shallow fry pan or deep fry and use basket to keep submerged.

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Mapo Tofu Mushroom

Mapo Tofu Mushroom

Mapo tofu is one of my classic Chinese dishes. I love eating it and I love making it.  Usually this dish is made with pork mince, but I’ve been adapting a few of these dishes for my friend Diego who is vegan / vegetarian.  This is one of those dishes, and I have to say I think I got it pretty close to down. 

Give it a try! 😀

 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
4 green onions whites, minced
1 tbsp fermented black bean paste
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground
200 g of mushrooms
2 teaspoons doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
14 ounce block of silken tofu, drained and cut into 3/4” cubes
green part of green onions minced for garnish

1. Add the stock, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar to a small bowl and stir to combine.

2. Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot. Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger and green onions and stir-fry with a spatula until fragrant. Add the black bean paste and Sichuan pepper and continue stir-frying.

3. Add Mushrooms and stirfry. Add the doubanjiang and stir to distribute. Add the tofu, and toss to mix (if you stir it, the tofu will lose its shape).

4. Give the stock mixture a good stir to incorporate anything that may have settled, and then pour over tofu. Toss to coat, then boil until the sauce thickens.

5. Garnish with the green parts of the green onions, then serve with hot rice.

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Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Basil Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
2 green onions cut into 2″ lengths
1-1.5 cups Thai basil leaves, loosely packed
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 birds eye chilis chopped
2 tbsp neutral oil (I used Peanut)

SAUCE

1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water

  1. Combine sauce ingredients, mix, and set aside. 
  2. This is a very fast cooking time, be quick. Heat oil in pan over high heat and add garlic and chili.  Cook for 10-20 seconds. 
  3. Add the scallion whites and chicken. Cook for a couple minutes until chicken no longer looks pink. 
  4. Add sauce and cook until sauce reduces to a silky, glossy consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon but slide off easily.  
  5. Toss green part of green onions into pan as well as the basil leaves.  Stir until wilted and turn off the heat. 
  6. Serve with hot rice.  Save some fresh basil, finely chopped scallions, and maybe some sesame seeds for garnish.  

 

Thai Basil Chicken

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Chicken Chop Suey

Chop Suey

Chop Suey is a uniquely Chinese-American dish created by Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush era.  The dish has origins in the Taishan region of China, but there are many conflicting reports of when the dish was invented.  

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1-2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sugar
1-1.5 lbs chicken, cubed into bite sized pieces
1 cup broccoli florets
2 carrots diced or julienned
1 small red or orange bell pepper cubed
4 mushrooms sliced
1 cup bok choy chopped
2 stalks celery sliced
1 onion sliced 
4 cloves of garlic sliced
1″ ginger piece minced
salt & pepper

1.  Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch and sugar and stir.  Set aside
2. Gather and cut all other ingredients.  
3. Heat pan to medium high heat and add neutral cooking oil.  Cook garlic, ginger, and half the onion until fragrant.  Add chicken and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink.  
4.  Stir sauce and add to pan.  Immediately add broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers.  Stir and cook for at least 2 minutes. 
5.  Add mushrooms and celery, stir, and cook for another minute. 
6. Add the rest of the onion, bok choy, and mushrooms.  Stir and cook for another minute. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. 
7. Serve hot with a bowl of rice. 

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Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
INGREDIENTS

3-3.5 lbs of beef shank, 2″ chunks
2″ piece of ginger, sliced and smashed
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
5 scallion whites, cut into 2″ segments
1 onion, wedged
2 tomatoes, wedged
5 dried chilies
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp spicy bean paste (dobanjiang)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)

Herb packet in cheese cloth
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2-3 tbsp sichuan peppercorns

to serve
Fresh white noodles
Bok choy, blanched
Cilantro, finely chopped
Scallions, sliced

  1. Boil water in a large pot.  Once the water is boiling, add beef and let come back up to a boil for 1 minute.  Strain in a colander and rinse with fresh water. 
  2. For the instant pot or regular pot on stove, saute ginger, garlic, scallions, and onions with oil.  Cook until onions are translucent. 
  3. Add meat and sauce and mix well.  Then add 8 cups of water and spice packet.  
  4. For regular pot: Bring to a boil and then drop down to a simmer on medium low. Cover and cook for at least 3-4 hours. FOR INSTANT POT: Cover and set to pressure cook for 90-100 minutes.  
  5. When broth is done, get toppings together. Boil water, blanche bok choy, and get scallions and cilantro together.  Serve broth and meat in a bowl.  Serve Hot.