Shanghai Braised Pork with Bok Choi and Rice

Shanghai Braised Pork with Bok Choi and Rice

I found this incredible recipe at BBC-good food I made a few adjustments, since it called for 5lbs. of pork.
I wasn't in the mood for an oily dish, so I used a pork loin. It's considerably less fatty, than pork belly or shoulder roast, typically used for this dish. Although it didn't absorb as much of the broth as the other cuts, would have.
 I love sauces, that are so perfectly blended, that you can't detect what's in it. This is one of those. I'm going to have to devise a way, to make this into a stir-fry.

Ingredients:
2lbs. pork loin roast
8-10 bok choi-cut in half
cooked rice

For the bag of spice:
8 pieces orange peel-using a veg. peeler
2 whole star anise or 1/8tsp. ground
2 cinnamon sticks-broken
1Tbl. whole cumin seeds
3 dried bird chilies
Add spices to a cheesecloth, and tie to secure.

For the braising broth:
1-1/2cups rice wine
3cups chicken broth
3/4cup dark soy sauce
2Tbl. regular soy sauce
1/2cup sugar
1tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. minced garlic
6 whole green onions
1Tbl. salt
1tsp. black pepper

Blanch the pork, by simmering in boiling water, over a low/medium flame, for 30-minutes. Transfer the roast to a colander, and allow to drain.
Make the spice bag, and combine the braising broth ingredients in 4-quart pot.
Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, add the spice bag and blanched pork.
Cover the pot, and simmer about 3 hours, or until very tender.
Remove the pork from the pot. Break it up into small pieces and toss it in a little of the braising broth. Set aside.
Add the bok choi, to the braising broth. Cook a few minutes, until they are tender.
Strain the bok choi, and arrange it on a serving platter of rice, arrange the pork, over bok choi. Drizzle with a little braising sauce. Serve.

I didn't have cheesecloth , so I used 2 coffee filters and a twist tie.

Add the spice packet and blanched pork, to the braising broth. Simmer on low, until tender.

Mariana Island Shrimp Patties

                                     Mariana Island Shrimp Patties

This recipe from Guam, makes the best shrimp fritters, on the planet. I guess you can tell I love these. They're very easy to make, and make great party appetizers, or a main course.
The only tricky part, is getting the temperature of the oil, just right. They need to be fried over a low/medium flame, if they brown too quickly, and the center is still wet, lower the temp, a bit.

Ingredients:
2lbs. raw shrimp-peeled, de-veined, and chopped
16oz.package of frozen mixed vegetables-thawed
1/2cup thin sliced green onions
2cups flour
2tsp. baking powder
1-1/2tsp. celery salt
1-1/2tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2tsp. onion powder
1tsp. black pepper
2eggs
1can evaporated milk
oil for frying

Greek yogurt dip:
1/2cup Greek yogurt
2 thin sliced green onions
1tsp. onion powder
1/2tsp. celery salt
1/4tsp. garlic powder
Mix well, wait 30 minutes before serving, to blend the flavors.

Preparation:
Remove the green beans, from the mixed vegetables, and cut them smaller. Put the vegetables and chopped shrimp, in a colander to drain while you make the batter.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and spices.
In a large bowl,  whisk together the eggs and milk.
Stir in the flour mixture, until well combined.
Add the shimp and vegetables, mix in well.
Heat about 2-inches of oil, over a low/medium flame. Drop in about 1Tbl. of the batter and fry until golden brown.
Split the fritter open, it should be moist in the center, but not wet.
Adjust the temperature, if needed, and fry the remaining batter.
This will make a large platter of fritters. They can be served, as is or with sweet chili sauce, sour cream, yogurt.

Chop the shrimp, green onions, cut the green beans. place them in a colander to drain, while you make the batter.

Add the vegetables, and shrimp, to the batter, mix well. heat the oil, and fry 1Tbl. of batter.

I use a saucepan, with about 2-inches of oil, frying 3-4 at a time.

They should be moist in the center, but not wet.

Pork, Shrimp and Vegetable Egg Rolls

                              Pork, Shrimp and Vegetable Egg Rolls

The thing these people put me through. This recipe will make close to 40 egg rolls, and I'll be lucky if I find one, for a midnight snack
When I first started making my own egg rolls, about a million years ago, I served them as a side, for Asian dishes, like normal people. But my kids, loved them so much, they talked me into making them, as the main course, or more aptly, the only course. I still serve them that way, to this day. These aren't like the ones you get at the restaurant, there's not a lot of cabbage, but a really good combination of meats and vegetables.
I have to make so many of these, that I need help rolling them. So I have an assembly line, They roll, I fry. If you're cooking alone, Its best if you roll about a dozen or so, fry them, then roll more etc... otherwise the wrappers will get soggy, before you get a chance to fry them. You could also, roll them in wonton wrappers, for miniature egg rolls, they make perfect little appetizers, for a get-together, served with Chunky sweet and sour sauce  That has been pureed.
Here's the recipe Aaron.

Ingredients
1Tbl.-plus-1Tbl. oil
1lb. ground pork
1/4tsp. black pepper
1lb. raw shrimp-peeled, de-veined, and chopped
1Tbl. minced garlic
3 ribs of celery -finely chopped
1 red bell pepper-finely chopped
1small onion-finely diced
8oz. fresh mushrooms-chopped
2/3 of a large head of Napa cabbage (also known as celery cabbage or Chinese cabbage) -finely shredded
1Tbl. cornstarch
2 packages egg roll wrappers
2 eggs beaten
oil for frying -peanut oil tastes best, corn oil is my second choice.

Preparation:
Heat 1Tbl. oil in a wok or large pan. Add the garlic, black pepper, and pork, fry and chop very fine, until cooked through.
Add the shrimp and stir-fry until the shrimp turns pink.
Put a colander over a bowl, dump the meat into the colander, set aside. Reserve broth.
Heat another Tbl. of oil in the wok, add the celery, onion, and bell pepper.
Stir fry until the celery is crisp tender. Add the Mushrooms and fry 1 minute more.
Remove 1/4cup of the reserved broth, add 1Tbl. cornstarch, mix to dissolve. set aside.
Add the cabbage, and the rest of the meat broth from the bowl.(Don't worry, it looks like a lot of cabbage, but it cooks down, very quickly.)
Cook, tossing until the cabbage has wilted. About 3-4 minutes.
Add the pork mixture and the cornstarch mixture. Cook until heated through, and the cornstarch thickens a bit.
Dump everything into a colander over a bowl, and cool completely before rolling.
Here's a cute tutorial-How to roll an egg roll.
Add about 3Tbl, of the filling to an egg roll skin. Moisten the edges with the beaten egg, so it will stick together. Roll,  then fry until golden brown. I fry mine in a 1quart pan, two at a time.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce. They reheat nicely in the microwave, but lose their crispness.

I shred about 2/3 of the cabbage, I stop, once I see more stem, than leaf. I save the bottom 1/3 to chop up in a stir-fry for another meal. The stem is really tender, and adds a nice flavor.

Fry the pork, garlic, black pepper, and shrimp. dump it in a colander, over a bowl, and set aside.

Fry the celery, bell pepper, and onion, until the celery is crisp tender. Add the mushrooms and cook 1 minute more.

Add the cabbage and remaining reserved broth. It looks like a lot, but it wilts, down to almost nothing.

                             Cook, tossing until the cabbage wilts.

Add the pork mixture and the cornstarch mixture, to the pan and cook until heated through, and the cornstarch thickens a bit.

Dump everything into a colander, over a bowl. Cool completely before rolling. Once it has cooled, I press it, to release a bit more moisture, so the wrapper doesn't get soggy.

Brush egg-wash on the edges of the wrapper, add about 3Tbl. of filling, and roll. Actually I put the filling in the middle, it should be a bit closer to the bottom.

                                         Fry until golden brown.

Mongolian Beef

                                             Mongolian Beef

I Love The Golden Dragon's Mongolian beef. No other restaurant, tastes like their version. I have tried every recipe I've found, for this dish, plus did a little experimenting of my own, to duplicate theirs, But no real success. Until now..

Emily Koh over at emylogues is fast becoming my favorite foodie. I've tried several of her recipes, all were very good. Such an amazing cook, at a young age, I'm more than, impressed! Here's her link for Mongolian beef 

I added more dark brown sugar, and forgot to buy mushrooms, so I used canned. Is it just me, or do grocers, no longer stock, dark brown sugar? (I added 1/4tsp. molasses to 1/2Tbl. light brown sugar to make, dark brown sugar). The molasses is a very important component of this dish, you don't want to leave it out.

Ingredients:
For the marinade: This made the beef very tender
1 pound flank steak, (sirloin, or round works well too)- very thin sliced
2Tbl. kikkoman's soy sauce
1-1/2Tbl. cornstarch
1/2Tbl. dark brown sugar

You'll also need:
2Tbl. oil
4oz. fresh mushrooms-sliced
1/2 a bunch of green onions-cut into 1inch sections.
1/2tsp. grated ginger- I used 1/4tsp. pureed
2-1/2Tbl. kikkoman's soy sauce
1/2tsp. minced garlic
2Tbl water
1Tbl. dark brown sugar

Preparation:
Combine the beef and marinade ingredients, in a bowl. let stand 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a skillet. fry the steak, until almost done.
Add the mushrooms and green onions, and and fry until the mushrooms sweat.
Add the ginger, 2-1/2Tbl. soy sauce, garlic, water and 1Tbl. dark brown sugar.
Fry a few minutes longer, until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Orange Chicken

                                               Orange Chicken
I love anything from the Szechuan province of China. This is my all time (second) favorite dish, so close to my beloved General Tso's favorite chicken, (also Szechuan) This would be such an easy dish, if I weren't cooking for eight tonight. Not to mention, I hate frying! Not just because it's unhealthy, but having all that oil, floating around in the air, coating everything (including me) I always want a shower after cooking! Yet, here I am, frying 3lbs. of chicken breast, because this is so darn good!

Ingredients:

For the crispy chicken: This is an excellent crispy batter.
2-4 boneless chicken breast-diced and thawed
1 egg-white
1tsp kikkoman soy sauce
1/2tsp. sesame oil
1/4cup cornstarch
oil for frying

For the orange sauce:
zest of 1 orange
juice of half an orange
2Tbl. rice vinegar
1/2cup sweet chili sauce -or- Homemade sweet chili sauce
1Tbl. sugar
1Tbl. kikkoman soy sauce
1/4tsp sesame oil
1/2cup water
1Tbl. cornstarch
1/4cup scallions

You'll also need:
1tsp. oil
5 dried bird chilies-crushed
1tsp. minced garlic
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
Cooked rice

Preparation:
For the chicken, whisk together the egg-white, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let stand 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients, in a bowl.
When the chicken is ready, heat oil for deep frying. Cook the chicken in several batches until golden brown, but not too brown. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the 1tsp. oil. When it's very hot, add the chilies, garlic and ginger. Cook 10 second, then add the sauce ingredients.
Cook a few minutes, until the sauce thickens. Then add the cooked chicken, and stir to combine.
Serve over rice.

Pepper Steak -or- Mom's Chop Suey

                           Pepper Steak - Mom called this Chop Suey

Ingredients:
1-1/2lbs. thin sliced round steak-cut into very thin strips
1Tbl. plus 1Tbl. oil
1Tbl. minced garlic
1 onion- thinly julienne sliced
2 ribs of celery-thin sliced
4oz. fresh mushrooms-thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers-julienne sliced
2cups beef broth
1/4cup kikkoman soy sauce
15oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1Tbl. brown sugar

Thickener:
1Tbl. cornstarch


Serve with cooked rice, chow mein noodles or cooked egg noodles

Preparation:
Heat 1Tbl. oil in a 4qt pan or wok, on high heat. Add the steak when the oil is very hot, and stir-fry until cooked through.
Dump the steak and pan drippings in a bowl and set aside.
Heat another Tbl. oil on high, Add the garlic onion and celery. Stir fry until the onions become transparent.
Return the beef to the pan, along with all other ingredients .
Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes. Mix the thickener and add it too the pan.
Cook a few more minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens a little.
Mom would serve this with the rice mixed into the sauce.

                     Its easier to thin slice the steak if it's partially frozen.

                                 I make a few cuts across the strips.

                                       Thin slice the vegetables.

Sweet and Sour Ham Bake with Yams and Zucchini

                    Sweet and Sour Ham Bake with Yams and Zucchini


Like most Americans, when I think of yams, I think if that brown sugared, marshmallowed holiday dish, that never seemed to find it's way to my plate, as a kid. But when I became a mother, It became a top priority to make sure my kids ate nutritious foods. I learned that Yams are one of the most nutritious you can find.( beans are at the top of the super-food list) It has a long list of nutrients: nutritional value -1 cup yams
I watched a documentary once, where a group set out to rescue the indigenous population of a remote island, from starvation.
They had no real food sources, no game, And they were dying off at a high rate. The group taught them how to grow yams, claiming that they have nearly everything a human needs to survive. Although, I'm not 100% sold on that concept, I do see the value of these tubers.
I love sweet and sour. I have used many different combinations, but this is my favorite. The problem with this recipe is that it makes a lot.(it serves at least 8) I can't figure out a way to downsize it. I freeze half of it, and have it again the following week. The pineapple-peach combination is awesome. OK, I'll shut up now and get on with the recipe.

Ingredients:
2cups diced ham
2cups diced zucchini
2 yams- peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper- diced
1onion-diced
1can pineapple tidbits- and the juice
1-29oz. can peaches-and the juice-diced
1cup brown sugar
1Tbl. cornstarch
1/4cup white vinegar
1Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl. ketchup
1Tbl. kikkoman soy sauce
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
cooked rice

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375*
Mix together the Ham, zucchini, yams, bell pepper, and onion and spread them out on 2 shallow pans. (I use pizza pans.)
In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and corstarch.
Add the pineapple and peaches(including their juices)
Stir in all other ingredients and pour over the vegetables in the pans. (trying to divide the liquid evenly in both pans)
Bake for about 1hour 45minutes (stirring every 30 minutes) or until the yams are tender and the liquid thickens into a semi-thick sauce. Serve over Rice.

Spread everything out in 2 shallow pans. I guess you could parboil the yams first, to cut down on cooking time, but you would lose nutrients that way.

Bake about 1hour 45 minutes- or until the yams are tender and the sauce thickens. Serve with Rice.

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

                                  Thai coconut chicken curry- with zucchini
 I found another use for the mountain of zucchini Paul has been harvesting

My husband introduced me to this dish.
Paul takes great pride in creating food that's too hot for anyone else to eat.
You should see the devilish grin he gets, like a proud Papa.
In his search to inflict culinary agony, He occasionally discovers something, even my less developed palate can handle.
I love the complex combination of spices in green curry paste: chilies, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, curry leaves and Kaffir lime leaves.
I'm posting the recipe as I usually make it (minus the zucchini)
This is only mildly hot, great dish. Fast and easy too.

Ingredients:
14oz. can of coconut milk
4Tbl. green curry paste
3-4 boneless chicken breast- cut into bite sized pieces
4Tbl. fish sauce
2Tbl. brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth with 1tbl. cornstarch dissolved in it
4-6 cups cooked rice-jasmine rice is best.
1 cup frozen peas
a can of bamboo shoots- drained

Preparation:
In a 4quart pan, add the coconut milk and curry paste. Simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in all other ingredients, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix the rice into the curry and serve.

You can find coconut milk, green curry paste, and fish sauce in the Asian section of your grocer.

Firecracker sesame chicken and pasta

         Firecracker sesame chicken and pasta-Very close to T.G.I. Friday's.

I usually leave out the chicken and serve this as a super-fast side dish.
I love this Szechuan sauce. I even use it as a dipping sauce for naan bread, shrimp, steak... Sweet and Spicy.
Once I used 2 packages of Ramen noodles (minus the spice packet) in a pinch. Worked great! This is a bit on the hot side, but not ridiculously so.
You could also use a batter for your chicken and fry it first.
(I use the marinade/batter for General Tso's favorite chicken )

Ingredients:
12oz. pasta - such as fettuccine, linguini, udon, lo mein - cooked
1Tbl.oil
5 dried bird clilies
1Tbl. minced garlic
1tsp. pureed ginger
2 boneless chicken breast - cut into bite sized pieces

For the sauce:
1/4cup rice wine
3/4cup sweet chilli sauce-or- Homeade sweet chili sauce
1Tbl.chili garlic sauce -or- Homemade chili garlic sauce
1tsp. Kikkoman soy sauce
1tsp.sesame oil
2Tbl.  sesame seeds

Preparation:
Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Heat the oil in a skillet (very hot) and add the chilies, garlic and ginger.
Stir-fry 10 seconds then add the chicken. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through.
Add the sauce to the pan and cook,stirring until the sauce thickens.
Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Toss to coat and serve

                         Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Stir-fry the garlic, chilies and ginger for 10 seconds, then add the chicken.

Once the chicken has cooked through, add the sauce. Cook a few minutes more until thickened, then add drained pasta. Toss to coat.

Honey-Ginger Sticky Chicken

                                          Honey-Ginger Sticky Chicken
Use whole chicken or just wings if you prefer.
You can also grill or fry the chicken first.
This can be a main dish served with rice or a very messy appetizer.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken- cut up
If you quarter the breast all the pieces will be roughly the same size, to allow even cooking time.

Sauce Ingredients:
4Tbl. honey
1tsp. pureed ginger
1/4cup brown sugar
1Tbl. minced garlic
1tsp. kikkoman soy sauce
2Tbl. cornstarch
If you are grilling or frying the chicken add 1/2 cup water to the sauce before baking

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375*
Mix together the sauce ingredients in a bowl. set aside.
Bake the chicken (unseasoned) in a metal or cast iron baking pan,(About 1-1/2 to 2hrs for a whole chicken or about 30-45 minutes for wings.)
Remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken pieces on a plate.
Add the sauce ingredients to the pan drippings and whisk to combine.
Add the chicken, toss to coat.
Put the pan back in the oven. bake an additional15- 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens into a glaze.
Toss the chicken in the glaze before serving.

Thai Basil-Ginger Steak

                                            Thai Basil-Ginger Steak
                                          One of my favorite sauces.

Ingredients:
1-1/2lbs. sirloin-thin sliced or cubed
2Tbl. oil
4cups cooked brown rice
steamed broccoli

For the sauce:
1Tbl. pureed ginger
2Tbl. minced garlic
1/2 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4cup brown sugar
1Tbl. Chilli garlic sauce
3Tbl Kikkoman soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1Tbl. cornstarch
1/4 cup scallions
a handful of Thai basil- whole or chopped

Preparation:
Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl.
In a skillet, Heat the oil and fry the steak until just cooked through.
Pour in the sauce ingredients, and continue to cook until the sauce thickens a little.
Serve with rice and broccoli.

                                          Thin slice or cube the sirloin.

                             Mix the sauce ingredients, in a bowl. set aside

                                      Stir-fry the steak, then add the sauce.

               Continue to cook until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy.

Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura

                                      Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura
This is almost the same recipe I use to make Beer Batter Cod Fillets.
Except I use plain carbonated water, they both work equally well.
You can use any vegetables you like, but if you haven't had batter fried cauliflower, your missing out.
Even people who don't like cauliflower, tear into these.
You can find lots of recipes for dipping sauce out there,but I prefer to serve this with Ranch dressing and Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients:

For the batter:
2-1/2cups flour
1/2tsp. garlic powder
1/2tsp. celery salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1Tbl. chicken base
1cup carbonated water

You will also need:
12oz. frozen raw shrimp- peeled and De-veined
2cups fresh cauliflower- broken into small florets
12oz. fresh mushrooms- cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion- julienne sliced and broken apart
 oil for deep frying

Preparation:
Whisk together all ingredients for the batter except carbonated water.
Then add carbonated water. Mix only long enough to absorb all the dry mix.
Add the shrimp and vegetables. Toss to coat.
Allow excess to drip, before adding it to the hot oil
Drop clusters into a deep fryer. and fry until golden.
Shrimp cooks very fast, by the time the batter browns, they will be cooked through.

Grandpa's Chinese Noodles

                                      Grandpa's Chinese Noodles

My Grandparents were raising a family during the great depression. They told me stories about families getting together and creating soups out of whatever ingredients they could scrape together. Even entire neighborhoods would come together and cook soup to survive. There are a few that have become family traditions. This is one of those. Even the kids love this one. It tastes like wonton soup, but more filling. And that must have been the point during the great depression. Cheap, quick and filling.

Ingredients:
2lb. vermicelli
1 onion-diced
1lb. ground beef
1 bottle la-choy- type soy sauce
scallions-from about 10 green onions

Preparation:
In a 4quart pot bring 2quarts of water to boil.
Add diced onion
Pinch bite sized pieces of the ground beef and drop them into the boiling water.
Boil for a few minutes and add the vermicelli.
Cook until the pasta is cooked through, you may need to add more water to make it somewhat soup like.
Add scallions to the pot.
At this point you can add soy sauce to the pot (according to taste) or, do as I do, let everyone add it to their bowls according to taste. You really should try this, it's yummy ( as Ariel puts it)

Deb's Crab Spread And Rangoon Filling

 A versatile Crab Spread for crackers, mini egg rolls, pinwheels and Rangoons.

 Ingredients:
1 small package Imitation crab-shredded
1-8oz. package cream cheese-whipped
1/2tsp. garlic powder.
Mix all ingredients together. Chill and serve with ritz.
                 
To make into Rangoons,
Brush the edges of a wonton skin with egg wash, add filling, fold and fry until golden.
How to fold a rangoon


To make pinwheels:
Spread a flour tortilla with crab dip.
Roll, jellyroll style, and refrigerate 1 hour to soften the tortilla. Slice before serving


Take make mini crab egg rolls:
Brush the edges of a wonton skin with egg wash, add filling, fold and fry until golden.
Here's a cute tutorial How to fold an Eggroll

Thailand Fried Rice

                                            Thailand Fried Rice
Very good and not spicy at all. We use this as a main dish, or as a side dish for a get-together
It must be authentic because a sweet Thai lady gave this to me about 20 years ago.


Ingredients:
1tbl. oil.
1 lb bacon -cut into lardons    What-Are-Lardons-video
1/2lb ground pork-(optional)
1cup scallions
2tbl. fish sauce
1small onion -diced
2tbl.minced -garlic
4-6 cups instant rice
4-6 cups water
1/4 kikkomans soy sauce
1tsp. salt
1/4tsp.pepper

Preparation:
Bring water to boil. Turn off heat. Add rice,scallions,salt,pepper and soy sauce.
Stir, add a lid and set aside.
Heat oil, add garlic and onion.Stir-fry 10 seconds.
Add bacon and pork. Fry until bacon is almost crisp.
Drain all, but 2tbl. of the bacon drippings.
Stir in the rice, and fry until the rice begins to dry a bit.
Add the fish sauce. Serve.

Paul's Thai Basil Pork Curry With Shrimp Fried Rice

Paul's Thai Basil Pork Curry- Hot!
My husband doesn't cook often, but when he does, it's usually amazing.
He loves Thai food and revised this recipe one day with ingredients he had on hand. Superb.
If you haven't tried Thai basil yet , you really should. Its very mild and has a great flavor.
I plan to grow some in the garden this year.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb pork tenderloin cut into thin slices or strips
1tbl. oil
1tbl. minced garlic
3tbl. green curry paste
2cups water with 3tbl. chicken base dissolved in it
2 tbl fish sauce
2 thinly sliced red jalapeno pepper
1/4cup fresh Thai basil 

Instructions:
In a large, skillet or wok, heat oil.
Add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add curry paste and cook for 30 seconds.
Add pork and stir-fry until light browned and the meat juices have evaporated
Add water and bring to a boil. Add fish sauce and jalapenos and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in basil. Allow basil to wilt a bit. Remove from heat.
Serve with Thai Rice-(recipe below).


Paul's Thai Shrimp Fried Rice- HOT!

Ingredients:
4cups cooked rice    
1cup small shrimp -thawed
3 green onions- sliced
1tbl. garlic- minced
1 egg
2 jalapeno peppers- thinly sliced

STIR-FRY SAUCE:
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. kikkoman soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust according to how spicy or mild you want it)
oil for stir-frying

Preparation:.
Mix all stir-fry sauce ingredients together in a cup. Set aside.
Place 2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno.
Stir-fry to release the fragrance (1 minute). Add the shrimp, and stir-fry another 1-3 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked.
Push the ingredients to the side of the pan and crack in the egg. Quickly stir-fry to scramble.
Add the rice and stir-fry sauce, drizzling it over. Now quickly stir-fry everything together
The heat should be fairly high, high enough so you hear the rice crackling or popping, but not so high that the bottom of your wok will burn.
Gently stir-fry until everything is well mixed (1-2 minutes).
Add the green onion and continue stir-frying another minute.
Remove from heat. Serve.

My Pork Fried Rice

My Pork Fried Rice
I love Asian cooking and I'm always experimenting.
This is my own Asian inspired recipe. My Family loves this one.

Ingredients:
1 pork sirloin roast-Cubed
2tbl. plus 2tbl. oil
1-1/2cups broccoli-chopped fine
1/2 green bell pepper-chopped fine
1cup frozen corn-thawed
6 green onions-sliced (add whites to other veggies, set green part aside)
3tbl. plus 1tbl. chopped garlic
2tbl. plus 2tbl. kikkomans soy sauce
1tbl. sugar
1tsp. plus 1tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. plus 1/4tsp. black pepper
1/4cup rice wine
6 eggs
4 cups instant rice
4cups water

Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil. Turn off heat. Add rice,2tbl. soy sauce,green part of onions,salt,pepper.
Put a lid on the pan and set aside.
In a skillet, heat 2tbl. oil. Add 3tbl. garlic. Stir-fry for 10 second and add pork.
Stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until pork looks just done.
 Add broccoli, green pepper, corn, and white part of onion.
Stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add  2tbl soy sauce,1tsp.salt,rice wine,sugar, 1/4tsp.pepper.
Stir-fry until most of the accumulated juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes.Set aside.
In another skillet, heat 2tbl.oil. Add 1tbl. garlic and stir fry 10 seconds.
Add the eggs and stir/scramble until they are just beginning to set.
Add the cooked rice and stir-fry a few minutes, until the eggs are cooked and the rice is dryer.
Combine the rice mixture and the pork mixture and serve.

General Tso’s Favorite Chicken

My favorite too. There's just something about this gingery tangy sauce that I crave.

 Chicken Marinade/batter

    1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    1 egg white
    1 Tbsp soy sauce
    1/4 cup cornstarch
    1 lb skinless boneless chicken, trimmed and cut

In a large mixing bowl, stir together marinade ingredients. Add chicken and coat thoroughly. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. make sauce.

General Tso’s Sauce
1 cup water with 3tbl. chicken base or bullion dissolved in it.
2 tsp- Chili garlic sauce found in the Asian aisle of your grocer, or use chili-garlic-sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4 scallions, thinly sliced
In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.

Next:
2 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped, ... maybe 1/2 tbsp pureed ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 dried bird chilies
Heat a dash of  oil in a large saucepan. Add bird chilis,ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in General Tso’s sauce and cook until thick and glossy. Keep sauce warm over low heat.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of  oil until bubbly.
Add chicken, one piece at a time and fry over high heat, turning once or twice until brown and crispy, about 4 minutes.
Drain chicken on a plate lined with paper towels. Then immediately add chicken to sauce, along with scallions. Cook until just coated, about 30 seconds. Serve with steamed broccoli and rice.

Garlic Ginger Basil Salmon

Garlic Ginger Basil Salmon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bt1gK8U2No&NR=1&feature=fvwp


Ingredients:
2 center-cut salmon fillet
Oil for frying (very small amount)
salt to taste
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
hot chili sauce to taste (I used 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp chopped basil

Instructions:
In a bowl add ginger, garlic, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce,and water, mix.
Salt the salmon on both sides.
Heat a skillet, add oil, heat, add salmon, skin side down.
Fry the salmon about 4 minutes on each side, until it looks crispy and cooked through and no longer opaque in the center.
Add the sauce followed by the basil, cook to reduce the liquid.
It will become a thick syrupy sauce, spoon the sauce over the salmon to coat.
Remove from skillet and serve.

Szechuan Beef

                                              Szechuan Beef
Another of my experiments that turned out really well.

2lbs. thin sliced or finely cubed steak (I use round or sirloin)
2-3 stalks celery diced
1 green bell peppers diced
1 bag of frozen chopped broccoli
5 dried bird chillis
3Tbl. minced garlic plus 2 more Tbl. garlic
cooked rice

Sauce ingredients
1/2cup rice vinegar
1/2cup chicken stock or(3tbl.chicken base or bullion dissolved in 1/2cup water)
1/4cup rice wine
1/4cup hoisin sauce
2Tbl. soy sauce (kikkomans)
1Tbl. sesame oil
1/4cup chilli garlic sauce-or- Homemade chili garlic sauce
2Tbl. sugar
1/2tsp. pureed ginger

Preparation:
Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside
Heat wok or skillet, add 1tbl. oil, add 2Tbl.garlic and chillis all at once and toss for 10 seconds, then add beef.
Stir fry until done,(about 5 minutes)put steak in a bowl set aside.
Heat wok again, add 1tbl oil. and 2Tbl.garlic. Add celery, bell pepper and broccoli stir fry until just tender.
When done add the steak and the sauce mixture. Heat through and serve over rice.

                         I used thin sliced sirloin, cut into small cubes

                         Diced vegetables-broccoli, celery, green bell pepper

                                                Stir fry beef -set aside

                                              Stir fry vegetables

                 Add the beef and sauce to the vegetables, simmer 5 minutes