Chinese Crab Dish

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Ingredients:
Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces fresh crab meat or canned crab meat, drained and flaked
1 teaspoon red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 green onion, finely sliced
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 package won ton wrappers
1 small bowl filled with water for wetting wontons
Oil for deep-frying

Directions:
Combine the crab and the cream cheese. Mix in the remaining filling ingredients one at a time.
On a flat surface, lay out a won ton wrapper in front of you so that it forms a diamond shape. Wet the edges of the won ton.
Add about 1 teaspoon of filling to the middle, and spread it out toward the left and right points of the diamond so that it forms a log or rectangular shape (otherwise the wrapper may break in the middle during deep-frying).
Fold over the edges of the wrapper to make a triangle. Wet the edges with water and press together to seal.
Keep the completed Crab Rangoon covered with a damp towel or paper towel to keep them from drying out while preparing the remainder.
Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready (the temperature should be between 360 - 375 degrees), carefully slide in the Crab Rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
(To make ahead of time, prepare the filling and stuff the won tons and freeze. Make sure the wontons are completed thawed before deep-frying).

Pork or Beef Chop Suey

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound pork or beef (don't use pork chops as they are too dry)
2 small bunches bok choy (can substitute broccoli if desired)
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, rinsed
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
1/2 cup water chestnuts (fresh if possible)
1 large green pepper
2 stalks celery
1 onion
1/2 pound snow peas (optional)

Seasoning for Pork
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 - 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 piece (under 1 teaspoon) Cornstarch

Sauce
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
3/4 to 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Oil for stir-frying

Directions:
Cut the pork into thin strips. Add seasonings to pork, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the pork for 10 - 15 minutes.
While pork is marinating, prepare vegetables and sauce. For sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.
For vegetables: Cut bamboo shoots into thin strips. Slice the mushrooms and water chestnuts. Cut the green pepper in half, remove the seeds and slice diagonally. For the bok choy, separate each stalk and leaves. Cut the stalk diagonally and cut the leaves across. Cut the celery diagonally. Cut the onion in half, peel, and slice thinly.
Place the vegetables on a large tray, being careful to keep each group separate (include the bok choy stalks and leaves), and set aside.
Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the pork. Stir-fry pork until redness is gone. Remove and set aside.
Reheat wok and add more oil. When oil is ready, stir-fry each of the vegetables. The order doesn't matter, but you can stir-fry the onions and celery together, (if desired you can cook these with the pork), and the green pepper and snow peas together. When cooking the bok choy, add the stalk first. Add salt to taste as desired while stir-frying each group of vegetables. Add water and cover wok while cooking bok choy, as it doesn't contain much moisture.
Reheat wok and add oil. Give the sauce a quick re-stir. Add and combine all the cooked ingredients in the wok. Make a "well" in the center and gradually add the sauce, stirring to thicken. Once it has boiled, remove the chop suey from the stove. Serve hot.

Ultimate Chicken Stir-fry

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Ultimate Chicken Stir-fry:
Ingredients:
Stir-fry Sauce:
1 teaspoon chili oil (you can substitute sesame oil)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon ginger
3 spring onions (reserve the green tops) slice the white part of the onions very thin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup water
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (this will go in at the end)

1.5 lb chicken breast (cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces) You can use beef for this one too!
1 lb mushrooms (shitake, button or whichever you prefer) stems removed, cut into large pieces
1 can whole water chestnuts
3/4 cup unsalted cashews (you can rinse salted cashews through a strainer if you can't find unsalted)
3 - 5 green tops from spring onions (cut into 2 - 3 inch strips)
1 cup carrots (slice into 2 - 3 inch strips)

4 cups white rice (cook per directions on package)

In a dry wok over medium heat, add cashews. Toast for about one minute, stirring continually until toasted slightly (do not burn). Remove cashews. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a wok. Add chicken; stir-fry until lightly browned (no pink - about 5 - 6 minutes). Remove chicken and put on plate. Stir-fry the mushrooms, carrots and water chestnuts for about 3 minutes. Add cooked chicken, cashews and stir-fry sauce. Stir well. Cover wok and let sit for about 3 minutes. Add corn starch and water mixture. Stir a bit. Remove from heat. Serve with white rice.

Kung Pao Chicken

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Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients:
1 chicken (about 2 lbs) or 1 lb of chicken breasts
8 dried red chili peppers
1/2 cup skinless roasted peanuts (unsalted)
1 slice ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp cold water
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Sauce
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil

2 - 4 cups oil for deep-frying
3 1/2 Tbsp oil for stir-frying

Directions:
Remove all the bones from the chicken and cut into 1-inch cubes. Add the soy sauce, cornstarch and water, Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Peel and slice the ginger, and remove the tips and the seeds of the dry red peppers. Cut into 1-inch chunks.
Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat wok and add 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Stir-fry the peanuts until they turn golden, remove and set aside to cool.
Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying. Carefully slide the chicken into the wok, and deep-fry the chicken for about 1 minute. Remove the chicken and drain off the oil.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in wok. Add the dry red peppers and stir-fry until they turn dark. Add the ginger and chicken, stir-frying rapidly. Give the sauce a quick re-stir and add to the wok. Stir until the sauce is thickened and mix together with other ingredients. Add the peanuts and mix just before serving.

Orange Chicken

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Serves: 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Marinade:
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Sauce
1/3 cup orange juice*
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon chile paste

1 clove garlic, minced
1 slice ginger, minced

Oil for stir-frying

Directions:
Place the cubed chicken in a bowl, and add the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce ingredients and the garlic and ginger.
Heat the wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic.
Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes color. Push up to the sides of the wok, making a well in the middle. Add the sauce.
Combine the sauce and the chicken. Stir-fry for another minute and serve hot.

Cantonese Sweet and Sour Pork

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Serves 4 - 6

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup canned pineapple chunks, well drained
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch plus 3 1/2 tablespoons dissolved in 1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon beaten egg plus enough water to make 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon canola, corn, or peanut oil
About 1/2 pound lean boneless pork chops, cut into 1-inch or smaller cubes (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper

Sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Oil for deep-frying (pork is deep-fried twice)

Directions
In a small saucepan of boiling water, parboil the carrots for 1 minute. Add the green pepper to the same water. As soon as it comes back to a boil, drain the vegetables and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Add the pineapple to the vegetables and set aside.
Combine the flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, baking powder, egg mixture, and oil in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is a smooth paste. Set aside.
In another bowl, stir the pork, sherry, salt, and pepper together. Set aside.
In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat 2 inches o foil to a temperature of 375 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip the marinated cubes of pork into the batter to coat completely. Carefully drop the pork into the hot oil, 1 piece at a time. Deep-fry until light golden brown. Remove with a wire skimmer, spread out on paper towels, and let cool. Reserve the oil in the pan. (You may deep-fry the pork to this point in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer. The oil may be strained and kept for a day or two; otherwise use fresh oil for the second frying.)
Make the sweet and sour sauce only when ready to proceed with the second frying. Combine the sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, salt, and water in a 2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the vinegar. When the liquid comes back to a boil, stir in the cornstarch solution. Cook until the sauce thickens. Add the parboiled vegetables and the pineapple to the sauce, then add 1 tablespoon of hot oil from the deep-fry pan to give the sauce a shine.
While preparing the sauce, reheat the deep-fry oil to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a second frying. Add all the pork to the oil and fry until the pieces are heated and crisped. (Frozen or refrigerated pork should be brought to room temperature before being cooked). Remove with a wire skimmer and drain on paper towels. (If not ready to serve the dish immediately, you can keep the sauce warm on the stove and the pork warm in a 325 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes, no longer. Put together just before serving.)
Put the pork in a deep plate and pour the sweet and sour sauce over. Serve immediately.

Chicken Chow Mein

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(In China, chow mein is made with soft noodles. For crispy chow mein noodles, add more oil than the recipe calls for and cook the noodles longer to dry them out. You can substitute shrimp or pork for the chicken)

Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 pound chicken meat (or pork or shrimp)
1 cup celery
1 pound bok choy or broccoli
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound dry won ton noodles
1 pound bean sprouts or snow pea pods
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green onion, diced along the diagonal
1 carrot, sliced (optional)
1 red pepper, sliced (optional)

Seasonings for Chicken
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 - 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
salt, pepper to taste
1 small piece (less than 1 teaspoon) of cornstarch
Gravy:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt, accent (if desired) and pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre-preparation: Wash the bean sprouts to give them more time to drain.
Preparation: Boil noodles in salted boiling water until they are soft, but not sticky. (Break the noodles in half if desired so they are easier to manage). Blanch the noodles in cold water and drain.*
Cut the chicken into thin strips. Add seasoning ingredients to chicken, adding cornstarch last. Marinate chicken in seasonings for 10 - 15 minutes.
While chicken is marinating, prepare vegetables. Cut the bok choy diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices, slice mushrooms. If substituting broccoli for bok choy, peel the stalks until no more strings come out, and slice thinly on the diagonal.
Heat the frying pan on high, add 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the noodles in small portions until they are golden. Use chopsticks to separate the noodles as they are frying. Remove the noodles. Add more oil and add the meat and onion to the pan. Stir-fry until the meat has no redness. Remove from wok or pan.
Cook the rest of the vegetables separately, adding a bit of salt if desired to taste. (With the bean sprouts and bok choy add a bit of sugar as well if desired). If desired, add about 1/4 cup of water and cover pan while cooking bok choy, as it doesn't contain much moisture.
Give the gravy a quick restir. Add all the ingredients back into the wok, making a "well" in the middle if the wok for the gravy. Mix well. Add green onions at this point if desired, or save them for a garnish. Pour the mixture on top of the noodles. Garnish the chow mein with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Sesame Chicken

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Ingredients:
3 whole boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking wine or dry sherry
a few drops of sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Sauce for Sesame Chicken:
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 - 3/4 cup vinegar (depending on how sweet you want the sauce; for a sweeter sauce reduce the amount of vinegar)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 TB dark soy sauce
2 TB sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste, or more if desired
1 clove garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

3 1/2 - 4 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

Directions:
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.
To prepare the sauce: mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are deep-frying the chicken.
To deep-fry the chicken: add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken.
Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil.
Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the Sesame Chicken with rice.

Peking Raviolis with Eggplant

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Ingredients:
1 package eggroll wrappers or ravioli wrappers.
1.5 lbs eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce
1/2 c scallions chopped coarsly
1/2 tsp mustard
1 tsp paprika ( the hotter the better)
1 tsp ginger

Directions:
Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and cut off stems. Place face down on a cookie sheet. Use non-stick spray if the sheet is not already non stick.
Bake for about 1 hour. The eggplant should give to the touch. Take the eggplant out of the oven and allow to cool. While they are cooling mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to make a marinade.

When the eggplant is cool, they should be a bit shriveled. With a spoon, scoop Out the insides into the marinade. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Pour the eggplant and marinade into a food processor to puree for about 30 seconds. The result should look totally inedible. :-)

Fill a large stock pan with about 1.5 inches of water and set on the stove to boil.

If you are using wonton wrappers or ravioli wrappers you can skip this step. Take out two eggroll wrappers and cut in even quarters.

Place out about 8 wrapper pieces on a flat clean surface like a cutting board. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the eggplant puree into the middle of each wrapper. Dip your fingers into a bowl of water and run along two opposite edges of a wrapper or along all four edges. Take one corner and fold it over to the opposite corner forming a triangle. Carefully press the wet edges together to form a seal. Place the triangular ravioli onto a rack to dry a bit and repeat the process with the other seven wrappers.

If you put too much filling in a wrapper, it will ooze out the edge. Just make sure you press firmly on that edge to force the filling out all the way. You want the wrapper edges touching each other so they will form a seal.

If you have a ravioli press, as sold at Chinese supply stores, follow the directions given with the press.

After filling eight raviolis, turn them over on the drying rack and repeat the process with eight more.

At this point, your water should be at a rolling boil and you can carefully add the raviolis. First stir the water in a circular motion with a slotted spoon. Place one ravioli on the spoon and carefully lower it into the water. Continue stirring until the ravioli starts to float. Add another ravioli. Don't add so many raviolis that they crowd each other in the pan. They should not touch each other while cooking or they might cook together.

The raviolis are cooked when they float easily and are somewhat transparent. The eggplant mixture will spread in the wrapper a bit but should not seep out if they were sealed well.

As they reach the floating stage, carefully lift the raviolis out of the water with the slotted spoon and move them back to the drying rack.

When the raviolis are dry again use a toothpick to connect the two opposite corners and place on a tray of lettuce or ornamental cabbage to serve.

Stuffed Crabs (Poo Cha)

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This recipe is usually made with fresh crabs; the crabs are cooked, the meat
is removed and mixed with the other ingredients, the mixture stuffed back into the
cleaned crab shells, and then fried. If you would like to make the recipe with
canned crab meat, you can stuff the mixture into crab shells if you can find
them, or any other type of seafood shells, or you can simply form the crab
mixture into cakes without any shell.

Ingredients:
Fish sauce to taste
3 tbsp Lime juice
1 tbsp Garlic chop fine
1 tbsp Palm sugar
1 tbsp Chili paste
6 Crabs, small OR
1/2 lb Crab meat
1/2 lb Ground pork
1/2 lb Shrimp or Prawns chop fine
1/4 cup Green onions chop fine
1 tbsp Coriander leaves chop fine
1 tbsp Garlic chop fine
1 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tbsp Corn starch
1 tsp Soya sauce
1/2 tsp Black pepper ground
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Chili paste
1 Egg
Peanut oil for deep frying

Directions:
Combine fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, palm sugar and chili paste in a bowl and mix to dissolve sugar. Set aside.
If using fresh crabs, steam for 30 minutes or until cooked. Remove crab meat from shell, being careful not to destroy the shells.

Mix crab meat, ground pork, shrimp or prawns, green onion, coriander leaves, garlic, fish sauce, corn starch, soya sauce, black pepper, salt, chili paste and egg.

If using crab shells, stuff shells with mixture. If not, form mixture into 6 cakes about 3/4 inch thick.

Heat oil to 350F and deep fry shells / cakes for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels and serve with sauce on the side.
Yield - 6 shells / cakes