Stir fry pork & tofu

Ingredients:

Chinese 5 spices Tofu-5 pieces (These are marinated. Taste very yummy! I got them from T&T)

Chinese Chive-150g

Red Chili pepper-1

Pork Lion-200g ( cut them into small and thin slices)

Marinating sauce for pork:

Rice wine-1 teaspoon

Soy Sauce-1 teaspoon

Water-1 big teaspoon

Corn Starch-1/2 teaspoon

Sauce Ingredients:

Salt-1/2 teaspoon

Chicken stock powder-1/4 teaspoon

Method:

1.    Marinate the pork with the marinating sauce for 20 mins.

2.    Cut Tofu into thin slices

3.    Wash Chives and cut them into 3cm length and chop the red chili pepper

4.    Heat the pan and add one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cook the pork until they are done. Then, take them out.

5.    Add one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, put salt into the pan and cook tofu with low heat until they tofu turn into a little golden color.  

6.    Continue to add red chili pepper, chicken stock and chives into the pan.  Quickly stir them around. Add the pork back and cook them with high heat for 30 seconds and continue to stir.

7.    Serve.  

* For this recipe, you can skip the pork if you want. It will taste just as yummy.

Eggplants salad-Taiwanese style

Ingredients:

Egg plant-300g

 A:

Soy Sauce-50cc

Oyster Sauce-30c

Sugar-10g

Cold water-45cc

B:

Chili powder- 6g

Grinded Garlic-6g

Grinded Parsley-3g ( I used the dried ones since I can never finish when I buy a fresh one)

Sesame oil -5cc

Method:

1.       Mix ingredient A until the sugar is melted. Then add ingredient B and mix it together.

2.       Wash egg plants and boil them with a hot water. ( Make sure water is bubbling before you put the egg plants in) When they are soft, take them out of the pot.

3.       Cut them into small slices. Place them on to a plate and add the sauce on top.

4.       Serve.

 

Red Bean Soup-Chinese dessert

Ingredients:

Water:8 cups  (If it's not enough for you, you can always add more water.)

Red bean-2 cups

Barley-1 cup (It has various benefits, such as helping to get rid off edema and also lighten your skin color. These are the two main reasons I added this ingredient)

Brown sugar-4 bars (You can start with less sugar and adjust to the sweetness you want.)

Red dates: 1 cup

(Benefits: Calms the central nervous system, protects the liver, improves strength, inhibits cancer cells, treats skin cancer, prevents reaction in blood transfusion-women's menstration , treats diarrhea.)

Method:

1. Wash red bean, barley and red dates.

2.Soak red bean and barley with water in a big pot for 2 hrs.

3. Add red dates into the pot.  Cook it with high heat. When it starts to bubble, turn to low heat. Cook for 2 hrs

4. If you want to drink it thicker, you can continue to cook with the low heat untill you get the required thickness.5. When it's done, turn off the stove. Add brown sugar.

6. Serve. You can drink this dessert cold or warm.

However, you can also choose to cook red bean soup without barely and red dates. The benefit of red bean soup. 1) Promotes diuresis and reduces swelling for conditions characterized by the accumulation of water (such as edema or ascites); 2) Clears heat, damp-heat, eliminates toxins & drains pus especially in dermatological disorders (acne, sores, carbuncles - stronger therapeutic effect when applied topically).

You can use the same method to cook green bean. However, it has different benefits and usually eaten in the summer.It's Chinese energetic properties are sweet and cold. The Chinese therapeutic actions include: 1) Clears heat & toxins from the exterior of the body, such as carbuncles, sores, and ulcers; 2) Dispels Summer-heat and relieves thirst - it is a effective to prevent heat stroke during the summer season and is often eaten as a food/dessert in the summertime to relieve thirst, clear heat, alleviate restlessness, and lower body temperature. [Use this with caution for individuals who may have internal cold.]

You can eat the red dates. It's sweet. (When you buy them, some are seeded)

Brown Sugar



Mini cucumbers salad-Taiwanese style

Ingredients:

Mini Cucumbers-5

Grinded Garlic-1 small teaspoon

Salt-1small teaspoon

Sesame oil-1 small teaspoon

Chili -1 (optional)

Method:

1. Wash all the cucumbers and chop them into thin slices.

2. Season them with garlic, salt, sesame oil and chili. Use a big spoon to mix them together.

3. Serve ( if you leave them overnight, the flavour will be even better. If you want to make the dish look better, you can use red chili, instead of green one. )

Health Benefits of Cucumbers:

Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is a trace mineral that contributes to the strength
of our connective tissue.  Connective tissue is what holds our body together.  Cucumbers are effective when used for various skin problems, including swelling under the eyes and sunburn.  They also contain ascorbic and caffeic acids.  These acids prevent water retention.  That may explain why when cucumbers
are applied topically they are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns, and dermatitis.  

Spicy Taiwanese Beef Noodles-台式麻辣牛肉麵

Ingredients:
Stew Beef AAA-500g ( Make sure it's AAA, so that the meat will be more tender)
Carrot-1 (You can use red or white. I like to eat white carrots more than the red ones. So I chose to use the white one)
Garlic-3-5
Ginger-4slices
Green onion: 1 long one ( Chooped)
Chinese cooking wine (rice wine)-1 bowl
Chinese Bean sauce-1 big tea spoon. (I want to eat spicy, so I chose the chili bean sauce. If you don't eat spicy, you can choose regular bean sauce)
Crystal sugar- 2 teaspoons
Soy sauce-1 bowl
Tomato-1
Spice pouch-1 ( I used the one imported from Taiwan. The main herbal ingredients are anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, basil, bay leaves)
Water- Enough to cover the beef.

Method:

1. Chop beef into pieces. Place them in a big pot and add water. Boil them until they are cooked.
2. Take them out, and rinse with cold water. ( this can add to the tenderness of the meat)
3.Heat the pan and add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cook ginger, green onion and garlic until you can smell them.
4. Add beef to the pan. stir them a bit.
5. Add soy sauce, chili bean sauce. Continue to cook for 1 min.
6. Add tomato. and the rest of the ingredients, except white carrot.
7. Add water. 8. Cook it with high heat. When it starts to bubble, turn to low heat. and cook it for 1 hr.
8. add white carrot and cook it for 30 mins. (cook it with high heat until it bubbles, then turn to low heat)
9. Chop some green onions and chili pepper (optional). Add them on top of your soup.
10. Serve ( you can eat it with noodles or rice)

Noodles: I used dry noodles for this dish. You can use Udon or any other type of noodles you like.
Method:
1. Boil water
2. Add the dry noodles in to the pot. Cook it for 8 mins. ( you can try one to see if it's soft enough)
3. Rinse the noodles with cold water. It will make the noodles more chewy.
4. serve

Taiwanese Spice Pouch

Chili bean sauce

Japanese U-Don



Stir fry Udon (serving for two)

Ingredients: 2 Udon packages, (Chinese sausages, green vegetables, shrimps, mushrooms. You can add whatever ingredients you want)

Cooking Sauce ingredients: soy sauce 2 teaspoons, mirin 2 teaspoons, sugar 1 teaspoon, water 3 teaspoons, spicy sauce (optional)

Method:
1. mix all the sauce ingredients together
2. heat the pan and cook sausages first. When you heat up the sausages, you will see the oil. Then, you add all of the ingredients  and cook them until they are 70-80% done. take them out
3. Add 1 teaspoon extra olive oil, cook udon with low heat. Try to separate all the udon.

4. When the udone are all separated, add half of the mixed sauce into the pan. Continue to cook it with low heat until the udon turns brown.
5.  add the cooked ingredients back. Continue to stir them all together.
6. Add the rest of mixed sauce into the pan. Continue to cook it with low heat.
5. When the sauce is almost absorbed, turn it to medium heat and add 1 small teaspoon of sesame oil. Quickly stir fry them.
6. Serve

Udon packages

 Udon turns brown.

Green Veges, mushrooms, shirmps, Chinese  Sausages

Mix all of them together.

Tomato and beef

Ingredients:

Tomato-2

Beef-1 Flank

Ginger-2 slices (chopped)

Sugar-1small teaspoon

Chicken stock powder-1 small teaspoon

Marinating sauce:

Soy Sauce -2 big teaspoons

Corn Starch-1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Cut flank beef into very thin slices, about 0.1 cm. (make sure you cut against the grain)

2. Marinate beef with marinating sauce for 30mins. (When you marinate meat, put them back into refrigerator to keep the meat fresh)

3. Chop tomatoes into small chunks.

4. Heat the pan and add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add ginger and then cook the beef with high heat. Quickly stir them around. When it's medium rare, take them out. (Don't cook the beef too long, or else it will be too tough.)

5. Use the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, cook tomatoes until they become liquidity. (if it's too dry, you can add some water)

6. Add beef back, stir them together. add 1 small teaspoon chicken stock powder and sugar. 

7.Serve

Stir Fry Potato

I learned this dish from my highschool roomates. They were from mainland China. I was impressed that they all knew how to cook. So living with them, I learned quite a bit.

Ingredients:

Potato-2

Green Onion-1 teaspoon

Chili Garlic Sauce-2 teaspoons ( If you don't like too spicy, you can add 1 teaspoon)

Red or Black Vinegar-1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Peel the potato skin and chop them into small pieces. ( like the pic below.) Prepare a bowl of water. After you chopped them, put them in the water, so that they won't change color.

2. Heat the pan, add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Then, add the chili garlic sauce.

3. Put potato into the pan. Quickly stir fry them with high heat.  Cook them until they are soft.

4. Add the green onion. Taste the potato to see if it's salty enough.

5. Serve

Squash Creamy Soup‏

Ingredients:

Squash 500g、butter 30g、Onion-half、Chicken stock 500ml、Salt and pepper powder-some、Cream 100ml

 Method:

1.    Peel the skin of the squash. Seeded. Cut squash and onions into small pieces.

2.      Heat the pan, melt butter. Cook chopped onions for 5 mins or until they turn soft

3.     Add squash and chcken stock. Cook it with high heat until it bubbles. Turn to low heat and cook for 20 mins or until they are soft.

4.     Use a blender to blend them. and then pour them back to the pot

5.     Add salt and pepper powder. Sir them and slowly add cream in there. Continue to cook it with low heat until they are done.

6.      If you like to drink them as a sweet dessert, you can add brown sugar or honey.

 

 

Tomato and Chicken 番茄雞

Ingredients:

Chicken breast or Boneless chicken leg-2

Tomato-2

Grinded Garlic-1small teaspoon

Sauce ingredients A:

Salt-1/2 small teaspoon

Corn Starch-1small teaspoon

Sauce ingredients B:

Cooking wine-2 small teaspoon

Soy Sauce-2 small teaspoon

Sugar-1/2 small teaspoon

Red vinegar-1/2 small teaspoon

White pepper 1/2 small teaspoons

Sesame oil-1 small teaspoon

Chili or hot bean sauce 豆瓣醬 1 small teaspoon

Method:
1. Chop tomato into small pieces.

2.Chop chicken into small pieces. Marinate with sauce ingredients A for 30 mins.

3.Heat the pan, add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cook marinated chicken. When they are cooked, take them out.

4.Continue to cook grinded ginger ( if not enough oil, add 1 small tea spoon). When you can smell ginger, you add tomato. Quickly  stir fry them, then add sauce ingredients B and then Chicken. Stir them all together.

      5.Serve

Pork Bone White Carrots Soup-菜頭湯

This receipe is from my mom. She often cooked this when I was living at home. White carrort in Chinese herbal theory is consider "cold" food. If you are drinking this soup in Winter, it''s better to add ginger ("warm food") to balance out.

Ingredients:

White Carrort-1 ( chopped them into small pieces)

Pork bone-8 pieces

Ginger-4 slices

(The portion is really up to you how much you are going to eat. At then end, when you add salt, you can add according to the amount of the ingreidents you have.)

Method:

1. Boil the pork bones in a hot water until they are cooked. Take them out and rinse with cold water for twice. ( Cleaning process)

 

2. Prepare a big pot and add 12 cups of water. Add ginger and cook them with high heat until it starts to bubble. Turn it to low heat and continue to cook for 1 hour.

3. Add white carrort  into the pork bone pot and cook them for 1 hr with low heat or until they turn soft.

4. Add salt and serve.