BEST CHINESE STIR FRY SAUCE

This is the 'little black dress' of stir fry sauces – good for chicken, beef, pork, veggies and seafood.

Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped fine

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or even water

• 1 tablespoon sriracha

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or Tupperware and mix well

2. Stir fry about 2 cups any combination of diced vegetables and/or seafood, chicken or beef until protein is just cooked through

3. When just done, add 1/2 to 2/3 of sauce, mix and let thicken slightly – about a minute and serve

WATCH ME MAKE THIS

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STIR FRIED STEAK & SNOW PEAS

Not sure much is easier (and healthier) than this. 

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 lb New York steak – put in freezer 10 minutes, remove fat strip, finely slice across the grain
• 1 big handful snowpeas (remove the tough end)
• 2  1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon seasame oil
• 1'' cube fresh ginger, peeled, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1/2 orange, zest and juice
• 2 teaspoons seasame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the broth, corn starch, soy
2. Preheat wok on high, add 1 tablespoon oil and snowpeas, keep them moving, cook 1 minute, remove
3. In same hot wok, add 1 tablespoon oil and beef, break up clumps, keep it moving, cook 1 minute
4. Add snowpeas back in wok with beef
5. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds, mix well
6. Add broth mixture, add orange zest and juice, stir on high heat, cook 1 minute – until sauce thinkens
7. Sprinkle over seasame seeds and eat!

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... 

Chinese Corn Chowder

Classic ‘hot & sour’ soup. Though you can certainly add chicken, pork or whatever you like, we’ve made this with only shiitakes & tofu…but you won’t miss the meat, trust me.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup finely diced smoked ham
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• One 15 ounce can creamed corn
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 egg, beaten
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 green onions, finely diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook ham with oil in a small pan until crispy - set a side
2. In medium saucepan bring corn and chicken broth to a low simmer
3. In small bowl mix corn starch & water until smooth, and stir into the broth, let simmer about 5 minutes
4. While stirring corn broth in a circular direction, pour in the egg from several inches above the pot in a very slow stream (while stirring) to create ribbons
5. Stir in soy, sauce and salt & pepper to taste - simmer a couple minutes
6. Serve topped with ham & green onions

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... 

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Classic ‘hot & sour’ soup. Though you can certainly add chicken, pork or whatever you like, we’ve made this with only shiitakes & tofu…but you won’t miss the meat, trust me.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 8 ounces firm tofu, cubed into a medium dice
• 4 Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons chili paste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. In medium saucepan bring chicken broth to a boil
2. Add mushrooms, tofu & chili paste - let boil a couple minutes
3. Stir in soy, vinegar and pepper - mix well
4. In small bowl mix corn starch & water until smooth, and stir into the broth
5. Simmer 5 minutes until broth thickens, then turn off heat
6. While stirring broth in a circular direction (take your pic) pour in the egg from several inches above the pot in a very slow stream to create ribbons
7. Serve - Gung Hay Fat Choy!

 WATCH ME MAKE THIS

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Beef and snow peas

Serves 4

This reminds me of home (Vancouver)... Chinese food, yep! And, this dish is so amazing and so quick to knock together, the cooking time is just a few minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large Skirt Steak, leave the fat, cut bite sized pieces against the grain
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup snow peas, whole
• 2 tablespoons Chill Paste (I used Garlic Sambal)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used House Wife Soy)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons corn starch (to thicken)
• 4 Ready-cooked rice packs

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl mix the chili paste, soy, honey, sesame oil and corn starch
2. Make sure everything is prepped and ready
3. Heat carbon steel wok or large skillet to smoking hot, add 2 tablespoons oil, cook beef for 2 minutes then remove
4. Using same pan, add 2 tablespoons oil, throw in onion and snow peas, cook for 2 minutes maximum (keep it moving)
5. Add sauce and cooked beef, coat everything well, cook for one more minute
6. Heat rice in microwave
7. Eat!

Leftover Celery & Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 2

A stir fry is one of the greatest ways to use up leftovers - so use this merely as a guide, and throw in anything you have.

Ingredients

• 6 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 3 raw chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1-2 cups shredded cabbage (any kind really)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• Fresh rice for serving

Directions

1. Heat wok till almost smoking then add oil and chicken - cook about 3 minutes or until just cooked through - set chicken aside
2. Heat wok again (don't clean it) add oil and the celery and cook for 1 minute, then add cabbage, onion & stir fry about 3 minutes or until softened
3. Push veggies to the side, add the ginger and garlic to the middle with a splash of oil and wait till it gets super fragrant - about a minute
4. Then add chicken back in with the vegetables, the sesame oil and soy sauce
5. Stir well to combine everything and serve on the rice

Black Bean Salmon

Serves 4 - 6

Only three ingredients, but it tastes like fifty. The black bean & garlic sauce is available in the Asian aisle at any supermarket. Look for the Lee Kum Kee brand.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup apricot preserves (which is pretty much the same as jam)

• 1/2 cup black bean & garlic sauce

• 1 whole salmon filet, 1.5 - 2 pounds

• 1/4 green onions, finely chopped

• Toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat broiler to high

2. Mix apricot and black bean in a small bowl - stir well

3. Spread evenly over top of the salmon

4. Put in oven 4-6 below broiler coils - and cook approximately 7 minutes for every inch of thickness

5. Remove to a platter or serving plates and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds

Fridge Fried Rice

The quantities here are pretty much up to you. You will not make any mistakes - trust me.

The key is to add what you like - basically just clean out the fridge. If you love mushrooms, add a bunch. If you hate mushrooms, give 'em to the dog and add something else.

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 2 cups diced vegetables: carrot, celery, peppers, onions, green onions, mushrooms - pretty much anything you have
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 4 cups cooked rice, cold - and cold is the important rice, so preferably day old
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Diced green onions for garnish

Directions

1. Heat pan or wok on medium heat and cook bacon until just getting crispy - remove bacon and drain on paper towels but leave a couple tablespoons of grease in the pan
2. Add vegetables and stir fry until just softened, about 5 minutes
3. Add bacon and rice - stir with spatula constantly, breaking up pieces 3-5 minutes until hot
4. Beat eggs in a small bowl and stir in soy & sesame oil
5. Add egg mixture to rice and stir really well to combine and cook the eggs - 2 to 3 minutes
6. Serve topped with green onions.

Five Spice Grilled Chicken

Serves 6

So easy but so really good. You can find Five Spice seasoning in any supermarket spice aisle. And if you can't - go yell at them and tell them you want it.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice seasoning
• 1 bunch green onions, diced very fine

Directions

1. Combine brown suger and Five Spice in a bowl then stir in soy
2. Mix really well
3. Add the chicken and mix really, really well, to coat the chicken so it is all well covered
4. Let marinate an hour up to overnight if possible
5. Pre-heat grill to high
6. Cook chicken until done but not too long or it will dry out
7. Top with the diced green onions

Shrimp Foo Yung

Makes 4

Who doesn't like a good Egg Foo Yung? And this one with shrimp is...stupid good.

Ingredients

• 1 jar chicken gravy
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped (plus a little extra to add as a garnish at the end)
• 3/4 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 cup cooked baby shrimp
• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. Pour the gravy into a pot, stir in the soy sauce and heat over low heat until bubbly and hot
2. Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat
3. Beat the eggs really well in a bowl
4. Add the green onions, bean sprouts and baby shrimp to the beaten eggs and stir well
5. Add a bit of oil onto the pan and pour the egg mixture onto the hot pan making 4 pancake sized rounds
6. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes and flip to cook the other side
7. Once both sides are cooked put a pancake onto a plate and spoon some gravy over it
8. Garnish with a little chopped green onion and enjoy

Chinese BBQ Ribs

Serves 4

So good...and a little different you'll love them. If you're a beer person (and who isn't with ribs?) pick up a some Chinese beer, Tsing Tao to go along with these.

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork back ribs, about 4 pounds
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons 5 spice powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place ribs and vinegar in a large baking or casserole dish - cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 75-90 minutes or until very tender
3. Mix soy, honey, hoisin, garlic and 5 spice powder - set asideRemove from oven and carefully lift off foil - watch out for steam
4. Heat bbq to medium and place ribs meat side down without sauce - but you can baste the back with the sauce
5. Cook until they start to develop grill marks, and turn over - now baste the top
6. You could stop here after they grill a bit on this side, or you could baste them a bit more and then give them a couple more minutes meat side down
7. Give them one extra basting after they've been removed, and just before you serve them

Honey Walnut Shrimp

1 cup water

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup walnut halves, and pretty ones at that

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon canned sweetened condensed milk

1 pound peeled & deveined shrimp

Kosher salt & coarsely ground black pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup cornstarch

Neutral oil for frying

Diced green onions for garnish

• Bring water & sugar to a boil in a small pot, add walnuts and boil 2 minutes, then drain and put on parchment

• Combine mayo, honey & condensed milk - set aside

• Heat about an inch of oil in a medium pot to 350 degrees

• Dry shrimp dry well with paper towels, season with salt and pepper.

• Put eggs in one large bowl, and cornstarch in another

• In batches of 6-8, dip shrimp first into the eggs, then into the cornstarch, being sure to coat well

• Shake off excess, put into the oil and cook until just golden, 3 to 4 minutes and remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain

• When done, toss with mayo mixture and plate, topped with green onion