CRISP-FRIED TOFU AND GREENS

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Ingredients
2 cakes of tofu, frozen overnight and thawed
1/2 c. water or vegetable stock
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. cornmeal or cornstarch
Marinade: 1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1 T. finely grated gingerroot
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
dash cayenne
Sauce: 3 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. dry sherry
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. honey or brown sugar
Vegetables: 3 T. oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 c. thinly sliced onion
6 c. mix of coarsely chopped pak choi, chard, kale,
nappa cabbage or 9 c. chopped spinach

Instructions
Gently squeeze as much liquid out of thawed tofu as possible.
Cut tofu crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices, then diagonally,
to make 4 triangles.* Combine marinade ingredients and mix well.
Arrange tofu triangles in one layer in a dish and cover with
marinade. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb the
flavors. Prepare sauce mix by combining all ingredients in a
small bowl. In a separate bowl mix the water or stock and the
1 tsp. cornstarch. Dredge marinated tofu pieces in cornmeal or
cornstarch and fry over medium heat in 1/8 to 1/4 inch of oil,
for 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain and keep warm in 200F oven.
Add leftover marinade to sauce mix. Heat 3 T. oil in a wok.
Stir-fry garlic and onion until onion is tender. Add greens and
continue stir-frying until just wilted but not mushy. Add sauce
mix and cornstarch mix and stir-fry just until sauce is thickened.
Add reserved fried tofu. Serve with rice.

* I cut the tofu into many more smaller triangles.

SWEET & SOUR TOFU

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Ingredients:
1 lb. tofu
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. tamari sauce
6 T. water
1/4 c. tomato paste
2 T. honey
1 tsp. ginger
4 cloves of garlic
8 scallions, minced
1 green & 1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 lb. mushrooms
1 c. toasted cashews

Instructions
Cut tofu into small cubes; set aside. Combine lemon juice, tamari,
water, tomato paste, honey, ginger, and garlic; mix until well blended.
Add tofu to this marinade, stir gently, and let marinate for several
hours (or overnight). Stir-fry scallions, bell peppers, and mushrooms
in 2 tsp. of oil. After several minutes, add tofu with all the
marinade. Lower heat, continue to stir-fry until everything is hot
and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in cashews. Serve over rice.

BROCCOLI AND TOFU IN SPICY ALMOND SAUCE

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Ingredients
Sauce: 1/2 c. hot water
1/2 c. almond butter (original recipe was for peanut butter -
I use almond cause I'm allergic to peanut)
1/4 c. cider vinegar
2 T. tamari sauce
2 T. blackstrap molasses
1/4 c. cayenne (this is a HUGE amount - I use 1-2 tsp.)
Saute: 1 lb. broccoli
2 tsp. ginger
4 cloves garlic
1 lb. tofu, cubed
2 c. onion, thinly sliced
1 c. chopped cashews
2-3 T. tamari sauce
2 minced scallions

Instructions
Sauce: In small saucepan, whisk together almond butter and hot water
until you have a uniform mixture. Whisk in remaining sauce ingredients
and set aside. Saute: Stir-fry half the ginger and half the garlic in
1 T. oil. Add tofu chunks, stir-fry for 5-8 minutes. Mix with sauce.
Wipe wok clean, saute remaining ginger & garlic in 2 T. oil. Add onions
and fresh pepper, saute for about 5 min. Add chopped broccoli, cashews
and tamari; stir-fry until broccoli is bright green. Toss saute with
sauce, mixing in the minced scallions as you toss. Serve over rice.

SZECHUAN-STYLE STIR FRY

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Ingredients
1 lb. tofu, cubed
1/2 lb. snow peas
1/3 c. teriyaki sauce
3 T. Szechuan spicy stir-fry sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 onion, chopped
3 c. chopped bok choy
2-3 T. cooking oil
1 c. broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper
1 7-oz. can straw mushrooms
1 14-oz. can baby corn

Instructions
Combine teriyaki, stir-fry sauce and cornstarch; set aside. Cut bell
pepper in strips. Cut snow peas and baby corn in half. In wok stir-fry
onion & bok choy in 1 T. oil for 2 minutes. Add broccoli & bell pepper; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove from w Stir-fry cubed tofu in 1 T. oil for
2 minutes; add more oil if necessary. Stir sauce mixture and add to tofu;
cook until bubbly. Add all vegetables; heat through. Serve over hot rice.

Steamed Dumplings

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1 3/4 cups hot water
3 T. sugar
2 T. vegetable shortening or oil
6 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Add sugar and shortening to hot water, stir til sugar is dissolved, and allow
to cool until barely warm.

Sift remaining dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and gradually stir in
sugar mixture. Mix well and gradually draw dough together with your hands. It
should be soft, but not sticky.

On a floured board, knead dough about 5-8 minutes, or til smooth and elastic.
Return to bowl, cover with damp cloth and let rise at least 1 hour.


_Roast Pork Filling_

makes 24 buns

1 T. sugar
1 1/2 T. soy sauce
1 T. oyster sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 drop red food colouring (optional)
1 T. vegetable oil
3/4 lb. diced roast pork (recipe: 3 lbs. pork sirloin cut into 2 inch strips,
marinated in: 2 T. sherry, 2 T. sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 T.
hoisin sauce, 1/4 tsp. red food colouring; marinate 4-5 hrs in
fridge; bake 1 hour at 325, brushing with honey three times; let cool
20 min. then dice for dumpling recipe)
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 large or 2 small spring onions, chopped
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
1 recipe Silver Loaves

Mix together sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock, sesame oil,
black pepper and red food colouring. Set aside.

Stir-fry the pork, ginger, and spring onions in the vegetable oil for 2 min.
Pour in the seasoning mixture and stir for another minute. Stir the cornstarch
into the water and pour into wok. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce
is like thick custard. Remove from heat.

Knead the Silver Loaves dough for 3 minutes. Cover and let sit 10 minutes.
Divide into 24 pieces and cover again with the cloth.

Pat each piece of dough into a 4 inch in diameter circle. Place a teaspoon
of pork filling in centre and pleat edges of circle all the way around.
Bring edges up over filling, finally pinching the pleats together firmly at
the centre top. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Place each bun on a piece of wax (greaseproof) paper, and steam with 1/2 inch
of space between them, for 12 minutes. Do not open the steamer while cooking
or else the characteristic splitting of the top of the bun will not take place.

_Shrimp and Vegetable Filling_

1 T. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 spring onion, finely chopped
3/4 lb. chinese cabbage, chopped, blanched in boiling water for 1 min,
drained and squeezed dry in paper towels
1/4 cup cooked baby shrimp, minced
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 T. water

Heat the oil in a wok, fry garlic and spring onion til garlic is a light
golden colour. Stir in cabbage and shrimp, and cook one more minute. Add
sugar, soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil, stir; then add cornstarch mixed
with water. Stir again. The mixture should thicken immediately. Fill buns as
with above recipe.

_Sweet Red Bean Paste Filling_

(sweet red bean paste can be bought in the store, and used straight from the
can for filling, but this is how to make it from scratch)

1 1/2 cups red beans, washed well
4 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar

Place the beans and water in a saucepan, cover, bring to boil over medium
high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or til beans
are very soft.

Strain the water from the beans, and blend them into a puree in a blender
or food processor.

Press the puree through a sieve, discarding the skins, which will be left
in the sieve.

Place the puree in several layers of cheesecloth, and gently squeeze to
remove excess moisture.

Place the thickened puree back into the saucepan, together with the sugar and
vegetable shortening, and heat over low heat, stirring until it becomes a
thick paste. Stir and scrape vigourously so that it does not stick to
the bottom.

Remove from heat and let cool before filling buns.

Pork and Chinese Preserved Vegetable on Vermicelli

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Ingredients:
350gm lean pork.
half a 440ml can of shredded chinese perserve radish.
2 books of "vermicelli" (they are translucent when raw, very fine, and
_white_ when cooked)
2 tbsp light soy sauce.
fresh ground black pepper to taste. (we like LOTS)
2-3 tbsp of cooking oil.
a little sesame oil.

Method:
1. Shred pork into 5x5mm matchsticks.
2. Heat oil in wok, and stir-fry pork until no pink shows.
3. Add soy sauce and black pepper.
4. Cook for another 5 mins, then keep warm. (the dish, not you!)
5. Bring a pot of water to boil, then add noodles.
6. Put on kettle, about 3-4 cups.
7. When noodles are tender, drain and place in bowl.
8. Place pork and sesame oil on bed of noodles.
9. Pour boiling water from kettle over the pork to make a soup.
10. Serve, then eat with chopsticks and chinese soup spoon.

All the recipe books would say this "serves four", but we're always so
hungry that the two of us can eat all this and still want more, ie
_serves two hungry people_.

This recipe is great for taking to work or school. Stop before step 9,
and when lunch comes you can add hot water from the office urn, etc.
Then you have a nice hot lunch

Sweet-n-Sour Stir-Fry

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Yield: 2 servings

1/4 c Chopped scallions
2 Cloves garlic, mincedd
Canola oil (sesame
-oil would work well,
-too)
1 c Snow pea pods, de-stringed
1 sm Yellow zucchini squash,
-sliced
1 1/2 c Broccoli (florets and
-stems, cut into small
-pieces)
12 oz Straw mushrooms
1/2 c Bean sprouts
1/2 c Water chestnuts
1/2 c Bamboo shoots
1/4 c Chopped red bell pepper
1 sm Can pineapple chunks
-(unsweetened, be sure
-to save the juice)
1 sm Can mandarin orange slices
1 Ripe mango, peeled, seeded,
-and sliced

SAUCE:
1 1/2 c Tamari
Pineapple juice (leftover
-from the can)
3 tb Cornstarch (or enough
-to make desired thickness)
2 tb Water
2 ts Grated fresh ginger

First to go in the wok was the oil, scallions, and garlic. Use
enough oil so that it'll coat all the veggies but not make them slimy
(I'd say about 1/2 - 2/3 c.). Heat these ingredients until the
garlic starts to turn brown.

Then add the pea pods, squash, and broccoli. Cook about 3-5 min.
Then add the bean sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo, and peppers.
Cook for a few more minutes, until veggies are slightly tender but
still sort of crisp.

Then add the pineapple, oranges, and mango. Cook about a minute,
then add the sauce. When the sauce starts bubbling, the stir-fry is
done.

Serve over rice.

Lo Mein

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1/2 lb egg noodles (I use the 12 oz package)
1/2 lb flank steak

1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp. sherry

1 clove garlic, crushed

sauce mixture -
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 c. chicken stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sesame oil
1 stalk green onion,diced
2 tbsp. oil

Par boil fresh egg noodles for 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water
and drain. Slice beef into 1/8-inch strips across the grain. Marinate
for 15 minutes. Prepare sauce mixture. Have a pot of hot water ready.

Heat wok. Add 2 tbsp oil and reheat. Add garlic; brown.
Discard. Add beef and salt stir until 3/4 done. Add sauce mixture
and stir until thickened. Add green onions and sesame oil. Mix
well and keep warm. Drop noodles into hot water. Stir for a
minute to heat. Drain well. Pour meat and sauce over noodles.

General Tso's Chicken

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Sauce:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1+1/2 tsp minced garlic
1+1/2 tsp minced ginger root
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cooking wine
1+1/2 cup hot chicken broth
1 tsp monosodium glutamate (optional)

Meat:
3 lbs deboned dark chicken meat, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp white pepper
1 egg
1 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 cups sliced green onions
16 small dried hot peppers


1) Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with water. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/2 cup soy
sauce, vinegar, wine, chicken broth and MSG (if desired). Stir until sugar
dissolves. Refrigerate until needed.

2) In separate bowl, mix chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce and white pepper. Stir in
egg. Add 1 cup cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly.
Add cup of vegetable oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into
small quantities and deep-fry at 350 degrees until crispy. Drain on paper
towels.

3) Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add onions
and peppers and stir-fry briefly. Stir sauce and add to wok. Place chicken in
sauce and cook until sauce thickens.

Garlic Chicken

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CHINESE GARLIC CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon dry white wine or sherry
4 green onions
1 teaspoon minced gingerroot
3 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 6 medium cloves)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Hot cooked rice

SAUCE

1 teaspoon crushed chili paste (sambal oelek) or more to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons dry white wine or sherry
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Place chicken breasts in freezer for 1 to 2 hours or until very firm
but not frozen solid. Slice crosswise into thin shreds. In small bowl,
lightly beat egg white, then mix in 1 TBS cornstach and 1 TBS wine,
stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. Add chicken and mix well to coat
all pieces. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice green onions on the diagonal into very thin slices.
Mince gingerroot and garlic. Combine Sauce ingredients, mixing well. Heat
wok or frying pan, add oil, and stir-fry chicken until no longer pink.
Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Add onions, ginger and garlic to wok
and stirfry about 30 seconds, until ginger and garlic are fragrant but not
brown. Return chicken to wok, restir sauce ingredients and add to wok.
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well combined, hot and bubbly
and thickens slightly. Turn off heat and splash with about 1 tsp of dark
sesame oil. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.