Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup

Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup
Makes 8 to 10 servings

3 pounds boneless beef stew, cubed
vegetable oil
1 2 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, each smashed with flat side of knife
1 small head garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 large chopped onion
3 tablespoons chili bean paste (Sichuan hot bean paste; dou ban jiang)
8 green onions, whites and greens divided
1/2 cup (or more)
salt
6 whole star anise
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
Pepper
1 pound eggless Chinese wheat noodles (Shandong la mian)
1 medium bok choy, prepped
Chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Bean sprouts

Bring large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add beef; return water to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until beef is brown on outside, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes; drain. Rinse beef under cold water until cool; cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Wipe out pot.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté 1 minute. Add chopped onions; sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add chili bean paste; stir 30 seconds. Add 16 cups water, whole green onions, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons salt, star anise, and rock sugar. Mix in beef. Tie peppercorns in cheesecloth; add to pot. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer uncovered 1 hour, adjusting heat to avoid boiling.
Add tomatoes to pot. Continue to simmer soup until beef is very tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding more soy sauce by tablespoonfuls and more salt, if desired. Season with pepper.
Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well.
Divide noodles among large soup bowls. Add some bok choy to each, if desired. Ladle soup and meat over. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Noodles with Lamb and Cumin

Noodles with Lamb and Cumin
Serves 4

1 lbs fresh noodles
3 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp ginger, minced
3 tsp chili flakes or minced fresh chilies
1.5 lbs lamb, sliced
3-4 Tbs cumin, toasted
8oz eggplant, cubed
12oz asian greens, chopped
2 Tbs hsao sing wine
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/3c chicken stock
3 scallions, chopped
Lots of cilantro and sichuan pepper. Slurry.

Mix lamb with cumin, let sit. If not very thin-sliced, brown in a pan over very high heat.
Stir-fry the shallot, ginger, garlic, and chili for a minute. Add eggplant and cook for a few minutes. Add the greens and lamb and cook until starting to wilt.
Add the sauce ingredients and noodles and cook until everything is done. Add some slurry if it needs tightening. Finish with scallion and plenty of cilantro and sichuan peppercorns.

Chinese Cucumber Salad

Chinese Cucumber Salad
4 servings

2 english cucumbers
2 T sea salt

Dressing:
4 T red wine vinegar
4 T soy sauce
3 T sugar
4 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 tsp. Sriracha Sauce (or etc)

Peel cucumbers, leaving some of the peel on in stripes if they are fresh garden cucumbers. Cut each cucumber in half lengthwise, then use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.

Cut cucumbers in 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices. Soak 30 minutes in salted ice water. (I used 2 T sea salt in the water.)  While the cucumbers are soaking in the ice water, mix the red wine vinegar, soy sauce, sweetener of your choice, sesame oil,  and Sriracha or other hot sauce to make the dressing.

After 30 minutes, drain the cucumbers well, put them in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, and pour dressing over cucumbers. Let marinate 30 minutes in the fridge, turning the container over a few times.

After 30 minutes more, drain the cucumbers, reserving a few tablespoons of the dressing.  Put cucumbers on serving dish, drizzle over the reserved dressing, and sprinkle with black sesame seeds if desired.

Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts with Tofu and Mushrooms

Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts with Tofu and Mushrooms
Serves 4

2 tablespoons sweet chile sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
14 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1.5 pound Brussels sprouts
canola oil
3 sliced scallions
1/2 fresh red chile, stemmed, seeded, and diced
3 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
<1 br="" chopped="" cilantro="" cup="" leaves="">1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a bowl, combine the sweet chile sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and sesame oil. Add the tofu cubes and stir until combined. Set aside.

Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts, and then cut each piece into three thick slices.

In a large nonstick pan, warm four tablespoons of the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the sprouts, or as many as will fit in one layer. Season with a little salt, and let cook until very well browned, about two minutes. (Note: Only cook the sprouts on one side.) Remove the sprouts with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Add a little more oil, and repeat process with remaining sprouts. Set all the sprouts aside in a bowl when done.

Pour two tablespoons of oil into the empty skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the scallions, diced chile, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, one to two minutes. When done, scrap the contents into the bowl with the sprouts.

Place the skillet back over high heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of the tofu pieces from the marinade and add to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until browned all over, about two minutes a side. Transfer tofu to the bowl with the sprouts. Repeat process with remaining tofu pieces.

When all the tofu is cooked, add all of the contents from the bowl back into the skillet. Add the marinade and half of the cilantro. Turn off the heat, and stir well. Let cool down for a minute. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Happy Shrimp Stir Fry

Happy Shrimp Stir Fry
Serves 2-3

For the sauce (mix together in a bowl)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cub ketchup
1 Tbs chile sauce
2 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
1 pound raw shrimp, deveined
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 teaspoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves minced

1 lbs broccoli, cut up
3 cups snap peas, prepped
handful mushrooms, chopped coarsely
handful red pepper strips

Toss shrimp with cornstarch and salt and pepper and a little soy. Stir-fry until just barely done and set aside.

Stir-fry vegetables at once until a few minutes from done - maybe 5-10 minutes. Add everything to the pan, get hot and boil the ketchup down a bit, and serve topped with scallions.

Stir Fried Tofu, Eggplant, and Brussels Sprouts

Stir Fried Tofu, Eggplant, and Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2-3

1 pack extra firm tofu, cubed
1 very small eggplant, cubed and salted
1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, halved or quartered if large
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chile peppers, minced
1 tbs chile paste
1 T shoaxing wine
2 T soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
slurry
cilantro, scallion

Stir-fry shallot, garlic, chile, and paste for a minute, and add brussels sprouts. Toss for a few minutes. Add the tofu, eggplant, and liquids and braise 15-20 minutes, or until everything is done.
Thicken with cornstarch slurry if needed.
Garnish and serve.

Har Cheong Fun (Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls)

Har Cheong Fun (Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls)
Serves 2
Basically, this is impossible to make properly. Welcome to the land of messy rolls and burned fingertips.

1 16-oz. package of rice noodle sheets (DO NOT REFRIGERATE! Best to make these the same day you buy them, or else they'll start drying out and break into pieces as you try to handle them)
1 lb. medium shrimp, shelled & deveined
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Sauce:
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1 Tbs cup water
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
Toasted white sesame seeds
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Chinese sweet mustard
Asian chili sauce

1. Carefully unroll and separate the rice noodles into sheets. Cut into approximately 7-8" x 6" rectangles.
2. If shrimp is large, cut into halves or thirds (approx. 1" sections). Marinate in white pepper, sugar, salt, cornstarch & sesame oil for at least 15 minutes (cover & refrigerate if marinating longer, until ready to use).
3. Oil the bottom and sides of 2 heatproof medium glass casseroles.
4. Line a single row of shrimp down the middle of each rice noodle sheet and roll the sheet over to make a roll (make sense?). Place 3-4 rolls in a single layer in each casserole dish.
5. Steam over high heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until shrimp is just cooked through.
6. In the meantime, prepare the sauce by mixing together light soy, water, sesame oil & sugar.
7. Remove shrimp rolls to serving plate and pour soy sauce mixture over the rolls. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Chinese sweet mustard and the Chinese or Asian chili sauce of your choice on the side.

Stir Fried Tofu, Eggplant, and Brussels Sprouts

Stir Fried Tofu, Eggplant, and Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2-3

1 pack extra firm tofu, cubed
1 very small eggplant, cubed and salted
1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, halved or quartered if large
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chile peppers, minced
1 tbs chile paste
1 T shoaxing wine
2 T soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
juice of 1/2 lemon
slurry
cilantro, scallion

Stir-fry shallot, garlic, chile, and paste for a minute, and add brussels sprouts. Toss for a few minutes. Add the tofu, eggplant, and liquids and braise 15-20 minutes, or until everything is done.
Thicken with cornstarch slurry if needed.
Garnish and serve.

Sichuan Green Beans with Pork

Sichuan Green Beans with Pork
Serves 4-6

1.25 lbs ground pork
2 lbs green beans, cut into 1-1.5" sections
2 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs minced garlic
3 Tbs chile bean sauce
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs water or stock
1 tsp sichuan peppercorns, ground
4oz mushrooms, chopped
3 scallions, chopped

Stir-fry the green beans on high heat until cooked most of the way - try to get some a little burnt. Remove.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add pork and brown. Once the pork is ground, add the mushrooms, sauce ingredients, and green beans.
Cook 5-10 minutes, until green beans are just a little limp and everything is well coated. Finish with scallions.

Beef and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry

Beef and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry
Serves 4

1.5 lb beef, thin strips
pinch of ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 sweet potato, diced into 1 inch chunks (about 2.5 cups)
1 lbs asparagus, cut
1 smaller onion, thin sliced
1 can water chestnuts
Chicken stock, slurry

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, add beef, applesauce, cinnamon, cloves, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger. Toss to combine and set aside to marinate.
2. In a medium pot, add sweet potato chunks with 2 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cook for 5-7 minutes until soft but still firm. Remove sweet potato with strainer or slotted spoon; do not drain water.
3. Return water to a boil. Add green beans and boil for 4 minutes, until soft but still firm. Drain and set aside with cooked potato.
4. In a large wok or skillet, add coconut/olive oil or butter over high heat. Once hot, add beef mixture and onion, tossing quickly until done, about 3 minutes. Then toss in spinach, sweet potatoes and beans. Cook for 1- 2 more minutes and serve!

Five-spice Chicken Stir-Fry with Cabbage

Five-spice Chicken Stir-Fry with Cabbage
Serves 4

1.5 lbs chicken breasts, chunked
5-spice powder
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ginger, minced
6 long hot chiles, chopped
1 small savoy cabbage, coarse shredded
3T soy sauce
1T vinegar
1T oyster sauce
Scallions, rice

Season the chicken with salt and 5-spice and a bit of soy, let sit 30 minutes.
Brown the chicken in a wok and reserve.
Cook onion/ginger/garlic, chiles for 1 minute, and add cabbage. Once cabbage is starting to cook down a bit, add liquids and sit around until cabbage is done.
Add chicken and scallions and serve over rice.

Dan Dan Noodles (Dan Dan Mein)

Dan Dan Noodles (Dan Dan Mein)
Serves 4-6

1lb ground pork
3T soy sauce
3T rice wine
Pepper

1lb Chinese wheat noodles
vegetable oil plus extra for the noodles
1 packet/knot Sichuan preserved vegetable
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbl of Sichuan / Szechuan pepper (add more if you like it hot)
3T Chinese rice wine
4T soy sauce
1T peanut butter
1T dark soy sauce
3T red chilli oil
2 tsps brown rice vinegar or balsamic
1 can chicken stock (or less)
1T sugar
1 lbs chopped choy sum etc.
Sliced scallions and red chili

Mix the top ingredients and marinate at least 30min. Meanwhile, drain the Tianjin preserved veg. Cut into small strips. Cook noodles and mix with oil to keep from clumping.

In a wok, heat oil and stir-fry preserved veg and onion for a few minutes. Add pork and cook until no longer raw. Add the rice wine and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to develop the flavours.

Mix with noodles and garnish.

SE Asian Beef and Broccoli

SE Asian Beef and Broccoli
Serves 2

1 lbs beef, sliced for stir-fry
1 tbs cornstarch, some soy sauce, etc
1 lbs broccoli, in florets
1 small onion, thick sliced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
pinch sugar
1 tsp wine or hsao-sing
cilantro, lime, scallion

Mix the beef with cornstarch and enough liquids to make it get a little pasty. Brown the beef in the wok on high heat, and reserve.
Cook the broccoli until half done and reserve.
Add the onion and garlic and chili-garlic sauce and cook for a minute. Add the broccoli back and cook another minute or two.
Add the various liquids and sugar and water chestnuts and toss until heated through.
Mix in some lime, cilantro, and scallion, and serve with rice.

Soba Noodles with Sichuan Stuff

Soba Noodles with Sichuan Stuff
Serves 6

12oz soba, cooked
1.5 lbs stew beef, cubed
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
ginger, minced
1 Tbs sichuan peppercorns
1 Tbs chile bean paste
4 cups beef stock
1/4 soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
1 bok choy, cut up

Cook down the garlic, ginger, and onions with some chile bean paste and peppercorns. Once softened, add beef and brown.
Add stock, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and simmer 1 hour, or until beef is good.
Add bok choy and cook until the whole thing is done. Add soba and serve.

Uighur Lamb with Cumin and Chiles

Uighur Lamb with Cumin and Chiles
Serves 3-4

2 lbs lamb, cubed
Cornstarch
Soy sauce
3T cumin
6 dried red chilies
1t chile bean paste

1t chile bean paste
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1T minced ginger
1/2 small onion, cut into short, thin slices
1/4c minced red chilies
soy sauce
1 zucchini, chunks
1 napa cabbage, sliced
Most of 1 bunch scallions, sliced

1. Combine lamb, dried chilies, cornstarch, cumin, and soy sauce to make marinade. Marinate.
2. Sear the meat in a wok until well browned. A little burning is OK. Remove and reserve.
3. Add the garlic/ginger/chilies/onion and let cook a little while. Next add zucchini and cabbage and cook down. Add maybe 3T soy sauce to get it done cooking and to deglaze the sides some.
4. Add the lamb back and mix it all up. The lamb juices + soy should be enough for a sauce. Mix in scallions, maybe cilantro, and serve.

Lion's Head Meatball Soup

Lion's Head Meatball Soup
Serves 4-6

Meatballs:
<2 lb. ground pork
1 egg
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cups shiitake mushrooms, chopped very fine
1-2 Tbsp. ginger, minced
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 green onions, minced
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
1 chile, minced
sichuan peppercorn

Combine all ingredients. Form into smallish meatballs and set aside.

Soup:
2 qt. water or broth (1 each)
1 small napa cabbage, slivered
1/2 red onion, in thin slivers
2 green onions, sliced into rounds for garnish
1 Tbsp. light vinegar
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1-2 tsp. dashi granules
8oz fresh noodles
Cilantro

Bring the water or broth to a boil and add the dashi granules to make a
flavorful broth. Add the meatballs gently so that they don't break apart
or stick to the bottom of the pot and simmer them for 8-10 minutes
(smaller meatballs need less time).
Add the red onion and leafy greens and simmer for 2-3 more minutes until
the greens are just cooked. Add the vinegar, soy, and noodles and adjust
the seasoning with more salt, if necessary. Garnish with green onions and
serve.

Braised Beef with Leeks and Winter Veg

Braised Beef with Leeks and Winter Veg
Serves 6

2lbs chuck steak, trimmer and cubed.
2 tbs chile bean sauce or similar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
3 jalapeno, chopped
2 leeks, sliced
2 star anise
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans broth
3 cups sliced carrots
1 gigantic rutabaga, cubed (another 2.5-3 cups)
1 small cabbage, rough chopped
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
scallions, sichuan peppercorns

Heavily season the steak, and brown in a big pot. Reserve.
Saute the chile sauce and aromatics for a few minutes. Add back the beef, along with anise, tomatoes, and broth. Simmer 2 hours.

Add the hard veg and simmer another 20 minutes. Add the cabbage and simmer, stirring, another 15-20 minutes. Garnish and serve.

Sichuan Braised Brussels Sprouts with Chicken

Sichuan Braised Brussels Sprouts with Chicken
Serves 4

1.5lbs Chicken breast, cubed
3 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1T ginger, minced
6 dried chilies
3T Chili bean paste, divided
4oz Mushrooms, chunked
2/3c water
1.5-2 lbs brussels sprouts, halved if very large
1 can bamboo shoots
2T soy sauce
2T oyster sauce
2t Balsamic
Juice of 1 crappy lemon
Scallion, cilantro, etc.

Mainate the chicken in soy sauce and cornstarch, if possible.
Stir-fry the chicken until almost cooked, reserve.

Cook the garlic, ginger, chilies, shallot, and bean paste for a minute, until fragrant. Add the sprouts and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, then deglaze with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and braise 15 minutes, or until sprouts are almost done.

Add everything else into the wok, and mix around until everything is hot. Top with garnishes and serve over rice.

Gai Lan with Beef/Beef with (Chinese) Broccoli

Gai Lan with Beef
Serves 4-6

1 pound steak, cut against the grain into strips
black pepper
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon Shao Hsing wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
1 1/2 cube fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
1 1/2 pounds gai lan, bottoms of stalks trimmed off, thick stalks cut into bite sized pieces on the bias
1/2 teaspoon-1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 can sliced water chestnuts
3 scallion
the leaves and thin stalks of the gai lan
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
cilantro

Mix together beef, pepper, soy sauce, wine and cornstarch, and allow to
marinate at least twenty minutes–I like to do this while I prepare the
rest of the ingredients.

Heat wok until it smokes, add oil, and heat until it bubbles. Add garlic,
scallions and ginger, and stir fry until quite fragrant–about forty
seconds. Add beef, reserving any liquid marinade left in the bowl, and
spread into a single layer in the bottom of the wok. Leave the meat
undisturbed for about a minute, allowing it to brown well on the bottom,
then stir fry briskly.

When most of the red is gone from the beef, add the thick gai lan stalk
pieces and stir fry about one minute, sprinkling the sugar over all, if
you use it.

Add the water chestnuts and the scallion tops, then the gai lan leaves.
Stir to combine, then pour the broth over the leaves, and stir briskly,
letting the combination of boiling broth, steam and hot oil begin the
process of wilting the leaves. Keep stirring–and be patient–the leaves
take about two minutes to fully wilt.

After the leaves have begun wilting, add soy sauce, oyster sauce and any
reserved marinade. Stir and fry until the leaves have become tender, but
are not completely limp and yucky-looking. Remove from the heat, and stir
in the sesame oil.

Soba with Braised Chicken and Cabbage

Soba with Braised Chicken and Cabbage
Serves 4-6

12oz Soba, cooked and washed.
2lbs Chicken thighs, cut up.
2 tbs soy
2 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs hot sauce/chile sauce/sriracha/etc
Some ginger/garlic
1 small onion, chopped fine
Dried chiles
10oz mushrooms, sliced
1 small head savoy/napa cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup chicken broth
Scallions

Marinate the chicken.
Cook the aromatics for a minute, and then add the chicken. Once browned, add the mushrooms and stir-fry for a minute or two.
Add the broth and oyster sauce and braise 30 minutes. Add the cabbage and braise another 15.
Mix in with the soba and garnish with scallion and sichuan peppercorn.