Delicio Recipe List

This is one of our everyday fried dishes to eat with rice.  It makes me think of school days and laundry and cleaning and Peter and Monica and everyone crowding ravenously around the table at lunch time! 1/2 lb. pork salt pepper soy sauce corn starch 1 or 2 heads broccoli Cut the meat into thin slices.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, a good splash of soy sauce, and a heaping tsp. of corn starch.  Stir and let sit for 20-30 minutes to marinate. Cut broccoli into florets and boil or steam until tender, but not mushy.  Drain. Heat a wok over high heat and add several T. oil.  When hot, add meat and stir fry quickly until meat is almost cooked.  Add pre-boiled broccoli and stir fry until hot.  Serve with several other fried dishes and cooked rice.

This recipe reflects true Chinese home-style cooking.  When you ask for a recipe or about measurements from a Chinese cook, you invariably get a response something like, "Oh, Chinese people don't use recipes, just season it to your own tastes."  And so this recipe is just a guide to making a savory, spicy meat topping to spoon on top of a steaming bowl of freshly boiled noodles.  William came over and made this for us. 1-2 lb. ground pork (not too lean!) dark soy sauce light soy sauce oyster sauce cooking wine fresh garlic fresh ginger dried chilies numbing pepper large bunch of long beans, chopped fine ya cai (pickled vegetable from a packet) green onion wheat noodles Add 1 T. each of dark soy sauce and cooking wine to the ground pork, stir and let marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.  Finely chop desired amounts of garlic and ginger.  (Maybe 2-3 cloves garlic and the equivalent amount of ginger.) Snip dried chilies into sections and discard the se...

Cold meat dishes are easy to prepare and often served in summer when it's hot.  This dish has a lot of flavor, the literal translation is Garlic Mud White Meat!  Make this one ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to serve, that way you can devote your attention to the last minute dishes that need frying. You can also use leftover roast pork to make this.  The Sichaun cook would make this with a piece of pork that has a heavy layer of fat and the skin still attached.  This Canadian cook likes to use a leaner cut! 3/4-1 lb. pork a 1-2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, slightly crushed 2 spring onions, white part 1 English cucumber Sauce: 4 T. light soy sauce 2 T. white sugar 2-4 T. chili oil 2 tsp. crushed garlic 2 tsp. sesame oil Heat enough water to cover the pork.  When the water is boiling, add the pork.  Skim off any foam. Add the green onions and ginger.  Boil until the meat is just cooked, 30-60 min. depending on the thickness.  When po...

An easy and healthy soup to add to your Chinese meal.  It helps cut the grease of the Twice-Cooked Pork and the corn adds a bright touch to the meal.  If you can, use the water from boiling the meat for Twice-Cooked Pork or Garlic Cold Meat.  Of course, any other stock or broth you have could be used also, or use water and season as desired. water from boiling meat Chinese white radish (one long) sweet corn (two cobs) ginger (about as much as your thumb) chicken bouillon chopped green onion Cut the radish into large chunks, and cut the corn cobs into three or four pieces.  Use a strainer to remove any leftover solids from boiling meat.  Add the vegetable pieces, several chunks of crushed ginger, and if needed, water to cover.  Boil until radish is tender, about 40 min. Add a little chicken bouillon.  Pour into a large serving bowl and sprinkle green onions on top.  Everyone may help themselves to vegetables from the serving bowl with chopsticks, a...

This fried pork dish is one of Sichuan's Famous Four dishes.  Almost anytime we eat at someone's house it's on the menu, and usually shows up at banquets, too.  It gets its name from the cooking method of first boiling the meat, then frying the slices.  There are many variations of vegetables that can be used in this dish, potatoes, cabbage, peppers, salt-preserved vegetables... If your veggie of choice takes a little longer to cook, stir-fry it separately before adding to the meat.  Serve as one dish for your Chinese meal. 1/2 lb. pork belly small bunch Chinese leaf garlic (suan miao ?? or qing suan ??), or replace with baby leeks 2 T. cooking oil or lard 1 T. Sichuan chili bean paste (dou ban jiang ???) 1 tsp. sweet fermented sauce (tian mian jiang ???) 2 tsp. fermented black beans, rinsed (dou chi ??) 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce 1/2 tsp. sugar salt, to taste a few slices fresh red chili or bell pepper for color Rinse the pork, place in a saucepan and cover with water....

An incredible and  tasty one-pot-wonder that is quite versatile in that you can change it up by substituting halibut with shrimp, chicken, or pork, and so on.. . Servings: ( 8 to 10) Prep: 15 min Cook: 10 min INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided 3 eggs, lightly beaten 8 oz. fillet halibut, cut into 1" cubes 2 cups *pre-steamed carrots and sweet petite peas (See How To TIP below) 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoon dried minced onion Freshly ground pepper, to taste 5 cups cooked white rice 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar METHOD In a Dutch Oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the beaten eggs and stir fry, while breaking into large bits; remove to a plate. Wipe out pot clean, and add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add the halibut, and stir fry until opaque. Remove halibut to same plate as eggs; set aside. Wipe out the skillet, place it back on heat and add the remaining ...

Now before you say how strange this sounds, just wait a minute.  This is one of Sichuan's famous dishes, fried eggplant in a lovely fragrant sauce.  There really is no fish in it.  The name, I believe, came from originally using these flavors for cooking fish.  It is one of our restaurant favorites and this version turned tasting just like the restaurant version.  This makes one dish for your Chinese meal. 2 decent sized eggplants, or a few thin Oriental eggplants salt oil 1 1/2 T. chili bean paste (douban jiang) 1 T. finely chopped fresh ginger 1 T. finely chopped fresh garlic 2/3 cup cooking stock (use water from cooking meat or water with some chicken bullion added) 1 1/2 tsp. white sugar 1/2 tsp. light soy sauce 1 rounded teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 T. cold water 1 1/2 tsp. dark vinegar 4 green onions, green parts only, sliced into fine rings 1 tsp. sesame oil Prepare the eggplant by slicing into chunks 3" long and 1" thick or so.  Sprink...

No, this isn't only a breakfast dish.  It's usually on the restaurant menu tucked in among the rest of the fried meats and vegetables.  It's a good one when we need something familiar and comforting and non-spicy.  It's easy to make at home, too.  Here's how: 3-4 eggs 2 tomatoes salt pepper sugar chopped green onion (opt.) Beat eggs in a bowl with some salt and pepper.  Dice tomatoes.  Heat a wok and add a few tablespoons of oil.  Once it's all smoking hot add the egg.  It should puff up instantly and you can tip the wok around to spread it out more.  After a bit add the tomatoes, stir and turn gently, breaking up the eggs a little, until the egg is just cooked and the tomatoes hot.  Sprinkle with a wee bit of sugar and add green onions if you want.  Turn onto a serving plate.

Use it for dipping.  Or pour over chicken and veggies and bake.  Or do what I do when I get sick of eating fried rice made with Ayi's leftovers... make a batch of this sauce and dump all of the Chinese food leftovers into it.  Fried broccoli, fried meat, cabbage, whatever.  And then eat over more... rice!  I think this is the recipe we used back in the days when my sister and I would get together to make chicken balls and other 'Chinese' food.  And that was WAY back.  Little did I know that in the future I'd get really acquainted with Chinese food. Mix:   2/3 cup white sugar            2 T. cornstarch            1 tsp. salt Add:   2/3 cup ketchup            2/3 cup water            1/3 cup vinegar Cook until thick. If you wan...

Tonight Ken Li and Wang Xia and MaoMao came over and brought the fixings to make chao shou.  Mmmm... The restaurant ones just don't compare! 1 lb. ground pork fresh chopped ginger salt to taste 1 egg 2 lb. fresh chao shou skins (wonton wrappers) Mix first 4 ingredients.  Fold in the wrappers using about 2 tsp. in each.  I can't describe how to fold a wonton.  Just come over and I'll show you. Prepare the bowls, one for each person.  Put a little soy sauce in the bottom of each, a wee bit of sesame oil, and a sprinkle of chopped green onion.  If you want spice, go ahead and add something hot.  We used hot pepper oil, but you could use the ground chili pepper (la Jiao) too. Boil in batches in a large pot of water until they float.  You want them cooked all the way through, but not too long or they turn to mush. Spoon into prepared bowls, and add water from the pot to finish filling the bowl. Stir with your chopsticks, then scarf. ;) This w...

Use up those large cucumbers that grew past the pickle stage.  Who knew that cucumbers could be fried?  And that they could be so delicious?!  Ayi has been making this lots. cucumber oil sugar chicken bullion soy sauce Peel one or two large cucumbers, quarter and slice into thick slices.  Scrape the seedy part from the center if you want.  Heat a wok over med-low heat.  Add oil and a little sugar.  Add cucumber and stir fry briefly, being careful not to burn.  Add a splash of soy sauce, a sprinkle of chicken bullion, then enough water so it has some liquid to boil in.  Turn to low and cover.  Boil until most of the liquid is gone and the cucumbers are tender(10 min?).  Salt if needed to taste.  Makes one dish for your Chinese meal.

This is Sammi's name for these crisp, spicy morsels.  Guests always like these ones.  Ayi knows this and makes them whenever we have company.  She also knows they're not so healthy, so she doesn't make them every day for us. Peel potatoes and cut into 1" cubes.  Fry in a small amount of oil over medium-low heat in a non-stick skillet, stirring quite often.  This takes maybe 10-15 min. You want them to be cooked through and golden on the outside.  Once they're done scoop them onto a plate.  Sprinkle with plenty of la jiao, salt and a little MSG and toss to coat.  Consume while hot and crisp!

Soup is an essential part of a Chinese meal.  It's not a meal by itself, but a bowl of hot broth with veggies is considered a proper addition to a meal of fried dishes with rice.  So go ahead and make it as another dish with your Chinese meal.  You finish the meal by drinking some broth from your bowl after finishing your rice.  And on a cool winter day, the hot broth is really very nice! Wash a large bunch of pea shoots (4-6 cups) and drain. (These are the tips of the plants of your garden peas.  Yes, you can eat them, really!  Just pick off 4" tips, probably when the plants are quite young and tender.) Mix several eggs with a little water.  Whisk with chopsticks. Heat the wok with some oil until smoking hot.  Swirl to coat. Dump the egg mixture in and let it cook.  It should cook quickly and puff up.  Turn the eggs and break them up a bit. Add 3-4 cups water.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  (I added a bit of chicken...

Gong Bao Ji Ding is a very famous Sichuan dish consisting of cubes of chicken, peanuts, and dried chilies. It has a rich, spicy flavor. I'm sure there are hundreds of ways of making it.  Actually, the Western world knows this dish as Kung Pao Chicken, and can be found on many restaurant menus.  Here, you'll find it at any place that sells fried dishes.  You really need the hua jiao and dried chilies for this one! Two large chicken breasts, diced 5-6 dried chilies, coarsely chopped 1 tsp. hua jiao 3-4 cloves garlic 2  long, skinny green peppers, the spicy ones 1-2 lettuce roots, diced dark vinegar soy sauce cornstarch 1/3 c. peanuts Heat oil in wok.  Add chopped dried chilies, hua jiao, and the whole garlic cloves.  Stir-fry, not too long, or the chiles will start to burn!  Add chicken, green pepper and lettuce root.  You want these pieces to all be similar in shape and size, about a half-inch dice....

(By Wang Xia) These delectable morsels have been made a number of times in our kitchen by our friend who brings the ingredients to make them. 2 lbs. pork ribs, in 1" chunks 1/4 c. soya sauce 1/4 c. dark vinegar 1/4 c. brown sugar 1" knob of ginger, sliced 1-2 tsp. hua jiao (numbing peppercorn)   Rinse the ribs, cover with clean water in the wok and bring to a boil over high heat.   Remove ribs and discard water.   Return the ribs to the wok, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil again.   Add soya sauce, dark vinegar, brown sugar, sliced ginger, and salt to taste.  Add hua jiao if desired.   Boil covered until a lot of the liquid is gone, maybe 40-50 min.   If they seem like they're not getting tender enough add more water and keep boiling.  Uncover at the end and boil until dry, stir-frying at the end.

An easy addition to your Chinese meal.  Even a laowai like me can manage.  I'm not sure how common it is, but I think the recipe comes from Chinese home cooking. Sliced carrots garlic, chopped dou ban jiang (chili bean paste) oil Fry 1 heaping tablespoon dou ban jiang in a little oil.  Add garlic to taste.  Add sliced carrots and stir-fry on med-high heat for several minutes.  Add some water, cover and let steam for 3-5 min. until the carrots are soft.  Uncover and stir-fry until most of the water is cooked out.  Add salt if needed. Dou ban jiang is called chili bean paste in English. (I think)  You can probably find it in the Chinese import section of your grocery store.  I know Gwen found it in Roblin after bringing a jar of it from here.  If it's too chunky, just put it on the cutting board and chop it a little before frying.

 As made by Ayi. (Ah-yee)  I watched her last time and wrote down the amounts.  This is a real favorite. 1 lb. chicken breast 1 purple onion 1 or 2 green peppers 1 inch knob of ginger, chopped finely Salt Oil for frying 3 eggs 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 2 T. soy sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 2 T. vinegar 1-2 T. sugar   Slice the chicken, then cut into 1 inch pieces, or so.   Put in a bowl and add salt to taste and the chopped ginger.  Stir. Cut onion and green pepper into large chunks.   Stir-fry in a little oil several minutes.   Set aside. Mix eggs, flour, cornstarch and soy sauce.   Mix into chicken strips until the chicken is all thoroughly coated.   Heat a thin layer of oil in a non-stick frying pan.   Fry the chicken in batches until browned and cooked through.   Mix ketchup, sugar and vinegar.   In a large skillet or wok heat a little oil over medium heat.   Add chicken pieces, then onions and peppers. ...

Firstly, I am in no way qualified to write intelligently about Chinese cuisine.  There is simply a huge variety of food, ingredients, and ways of preparation.  All I can write about is the everyday food that Ayi prepares for us and the common dishes we like to eat at restaurants.  I don't think we have once eaten deep fried chicken balls.  At least not in the shape we think of.  Ayi makes us a dish with fried chicken pieces that's even better.  I'm going to post the recipe, and hopefully some more recipes will follow through the summer.  I'm planning to spend time in the kitchen with her.  Come on, let's go see what's cooking. Ayi is scurrying around, whisking this and that together, giving the wok on the stove a quick stir, then quickly chopping the last vegetables to be added.  In the dining room the rice cooker is finished cooking.  Yes, we eat lots of rice, and not the fried variety.  We set the table with rice bowls, chopsticks...