Pork, Broccoli, and Green Bean Stir Fry

Remember the dead raccoon I mentioned? Luckily for you, it's still on the road and not in this stir fry.

Instead, I used pork. A lot of pork. It might have been two to three pounds, maybe four. I simply sliced some sort of pork roast into tiny slivers (well, I tried to, anyway). Marinating the meat helps flavor it and keeps it tender after cooking. To do this, I whisked corn starch, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and white pepper into egg whites and tossed it with the pork.

Also in the stir fry is farm fresh broccoli, really great green beans, and aromatics like onion, garlic, and ginger. The sauce is simply water, oyster sauce, corn starch, sesame oil, a pinch of salt and a little brown sugar, sriracha, and rice wine vinegar.

Farm fresh. The broccoli was sweet, crisp, and full of flavor. The green beans were from the local store, but purchased from local farmers.

Since stir fry is prepared over high heat (which is why a nonstick wok is the dumbest creation of all time), all your ingredients need to be assembled and placed close at hand. There is also a procedure:

1. Aromatics - First, you stir fry the aromatic ingredients, like the onion, garlic, and ginger.

2. Vegetables - Next, I add the vegetables, stir frying for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. My goal is to see a nice char on the vegetables.

3. Steaming (if the vegetables need it) - The vegetables won't be cooked thoroughly, and you don't want to continue stir frying or else they'll burn. To cook them, add 1/2 cup water and cover, allowing the steam to cook the vegetables completely. Toss it out into a large bowl, then cook the other vegetables the same way.

4. Meat - The meat is cooked until it's no longer pink. I cooked it in batches because there was so much meat.

5. Sauce -

After all the components are tossed together, they're added back to the wok along with the sauce. Once it comes to a boil it will begin to thicken. I let it boil for 30 seconds, then took the wok off the burner, letting the residual heat continue thickening the sauce.

I should also note that every process get salted just a little. This helps to flavor each portion. Add just a pinch so you don't over salt the stir fry. I like to keep a container of kosher salt mixed with white pepper for this.

That's how you make a stir fry. It's a very easy dinner to put together involving just a little prep and cooking. You can play around with vegetable and meat combinations, or use tofu instead. The sauce can be changed depending on what flavorings you add to it. So stay in and stir fry at home!

---

Print This Recipe

Pork, Broccoli, and Green Bean Stir Fry
Recipe by Christina Provo

Serves 5-6

Ingredients -

2-3 pounds pork roast, sliced thinly into 2-inch pieces
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sriracha
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of ground white pepper
1 large onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and julienned
1 head broccoli, broken into florets with 1/2 inch stem
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed, and left whole or broken in half
Vegetable oil or light olive oil
Rice, for serving

Directions -

1. Place the pork in a medium bowl. Whisk together the egg whites, cornstarch oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over the pork and toss until combined. Allow the pork to marinade for 15 minutes.


2. In 2 cup measuring cup, combine the water through the white pepper, whisking to dissolve the corn starch. Set aside.


3. Divide the onion, garlic, and ginger in half. Place a large bowl near the stove - this is where you'll put the ingredients that you've finished stir frying. Gather the remaining ingredients and place them nearby. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat. When smoking, add half of the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry for 30 seconds, stirring with a metal spatula constantly. Add broccoli and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, or until broccoli begins to char. Pour in 1/3 cup of water; cover, and steam for 1-2 minutes or until broccoli is bright green and tender when poked with a fork. Remove to bowl.


4. Repeat this process with the remaining onions, garlic, ginger, and green beans, adding more oil before stir frying.


5. Pour 2 tablespoons oil into the wok. Add half of the pork and let cook, without moving, for 30 seconds. Begin to stir fry, tossing the pork until no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Remove to the bowl, and repeat with the remaining pork. Toss everything in the bowl together.


6. Place the vegetables and pork back into the wok. Whisk the sauce and pour it in. Let it come to a boil and cook for 30 seconds, tossing the mixture. Turn off the heat and let the sauce bubble for 30 more seconds. Remove wok from heat. Serve stir fry with rice.

Split Green Pea Crab Rangoons with Sticky Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce

My sixth and final recipe for the Recipe Rivalry is finally here! It's been quite the experience, and I hope I've given you new and unique ways to cook with lentils and split peas that will please every palate.

Today, I present you with Split Pea Crab Rangoons. You know those awesome crunchy wontons filled with a gooey cheese filling at Chinese buffets? Now you can make them yourself, and a little healthier. The filling consists of neufchatel cream cheese, crab meat, green onions, garlic, and split peas that are cooked until tender and mashed. I went with traditional Chinese flavorings here of oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

It took a bit to finally figure out the petal pattern to form the rangoons. I was sort of able to figure it out from the pictures here, though I never got the hang of the one hand forming technique. Also, I decided not to brush all the edges with egg white, but dab just the middle edges where the wrapper connects in the middle to make assembly easier.

Here's a picture tutorial of how I formed the rangoons, starting with the upper left picture. Make sure you press the center firmly so the wrapper adheres together. Don't worry if the petals droop because they'll spring back up after being dropped in the oil. It's magical! I seriously had quite a bit of fun frying these edible cuties up.

Out of all the filling, I got 38 rangoons. The amount might differ based on how much filling you use. I used a tablespoon measuring spoon, but I didn't fill it all the way, aiming for about 1/2 a tablespoon to 2 teaspoons of filling. Wonton wrappers usually come 60 to a package, so you'll be set for however much you end up making.

The tray was given a quick chill in the fridge while I made the dipping sauce and heated the oil. The sauce is a super simple sticky sauce based of the sauce my mom has been making for a long time to accompany chicken. Featuring soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and fresh ginger and garlic for flavor, the sauce is boiled until reduced and thickened. The taste is incredible and goes great with the rangoons.

Frying food can be fun! When you first drop the rangoons into the hot oil, there's a bit of sizzling and bubbling going on as the petals "bloom". After 20 seconds, the rangoons begin to rise to the surface somewhat.

I opted to use a wok for the frying so the surface area would be wider and easier to remove the rangoons. Since I couldn't really keep a thermometer in to gauge the temperature of the oil, I kept an eye on the level of browning that occurred within the 50 second cooking time and adjusted the heat accordingly.

The split peas gave the filling a nice flavor without being easy to detect. Their relative neutralness gives the different ingredients a chance to come out, but they still worked together. Biting into a the crunchy outtards to the smooth filling is a treat you simply cannot deny.

Thanks for reading along during the many recipes featuring lentils! Come back tomorrow for a giveaway, and start thinking about which recipe from the six I blogged about is your favorite.

Recipe after the jump.

This recipe was created as part of my involvement with the USA Dried Peas & Lentils Recipe Rivalry. I've been blogging about recipes over the past week and a half, and now I need your help to decide which recipe I should enter into the contest! Tomorrow I'll be hosting a giveaway, courtesy of the USA Dried Pea & Lentil Council, so come back and enter. Voting begins on Thursday, June 17th. Please mark your calenders and spread the word to vote for She Runs, She Eats!

1. Lentils with Jalapeno, Cilantro, and Queso Fresco
2. Lentil Olive Salad with Fresh Mozzarella
3. Lentil Enchiladas with Homemade Ancho Chile Sauce
4. Lentil Sprout Spring Rolls with Shrimp
5. Roasted Garlic and Lentil Bechamel Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes

---

Print this recipe

Split Pea Crab Rangoons with Sticky Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce
Recipe by Christina Provo

Makes 30-45 rangoons

Split pea ingredients ~

1/4 cup dried split green peas
1 1/4 cup water

Crab filling ingredients ~

6 oz neufchatel cheese, room temperature
6 oz can crab meat, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2-1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 tsp coarse salt
pinch white pepper

For rangoon assembly ~

1 egg white
30-45 wonton wrappers

Dipping sauce ingredients ~

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed

For frying ~

1 quart vegetable (4 cups)

Directions ~

1. Rinse split peas and place in a small pot. Add water, and bring to just a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a constant simmer and cover partially with a lid. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until tender. If water hasn't completely evaporated, drain. Smash into a smooth paste. Let cool.


2. Meanwhile, mix together cream cheese, drained crab meat, green onions, and garlic until blended. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Blend in cooled split pea paste; cover and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.


3. Have a baking sheet ready nearby to place formed wontons. Onto the center edges on all four sides, dab lightly with egg white (this will help the wrapper stick to itself, sealing in the filling). Dollop 1 1/2-2 teaspoons split pea and crab filling onto center of wrapper. Fold sides to create a blossom, or fold diagonally and press to adhere. Place on baking sheet and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or a slightly damp cotton towel (this keeps the wrappers from drying out -- you don't want the towel to be wet enough to made the wrappers soggy). Repeat process until filling is used up. Place baking sheet in fridge to chill for 20 minutes.


4. In a deep pot or a wok, heat oil until it registers 350 degrees.


5. While wontons are chilling and oil is heating, place vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once sauce reaches a boil, lower to medium heat (still maintaining a rolling boil, but mixture shouldn't come close to boiling over) and continue to cook for 15 minutes to reduce sauce. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.


6. Remove baking sheet from fridge. Place a cooling wrack on a different baking sheet and line with paper towels; position near pot of oil.


7. Once oil registers 350 degrees, carefully drop in 3 rangoons at a time. Fry for 40-50 seconds, or until edges are golden brown and the rangoons lose their raw look. The overall tone will be a light-medium golden brown except for the edges. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on prepared baking sheet. (I placed the rangoons on their sides, held up in a line by another rangoon, to keep the bottoms from getting soggy.) Repeat with remaining rangoons, cooking just 3 at a time. Pay attention to how the rangoons fry, and adjust heat accordingly if they're browning too fast or too slow.

Serve with dipping sauce.

Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli Frozen Stir-Fry Review and Giveaway

Through My Blog Spark sponsored by Wanchai Ferry I was able to review Wanchai's newest flavor from their Chinese Meal for Two line, beef & broccoli.

The beef & broccoli flavor comes with beef strips, broccoli, red peppers, and water chestnuts. The brown sauce includes the flavors of soy and garlic. I felt that there was a decent amount of each main ingredients, which I look for in a frozen meal like this since usually they skimp on the pricier ingredients by loading up on cheaper ingredients. If you're a big meat fan, you probably would feel that there wasn't enough beef strips.

To complete your stay in-take out experience, the meal comes with a packet of pre-cooked jasmine rice that just needs a brief 3 minutes of microwave cooking as the stir fry finishes up. After resting for a minute, the rice comes out fluffy, tender, and ready to go. I've seen instructions for freezing your own pre-cooked rice that I haven't tried, but after this I'll probably start packing up portions of rice for future meals.

Since the entire meal takes just about 15 minutes to make, including the rice, you won't have to wait long to eat. Place the vegetables and meat in a nonstick skillet with 1/3 cup water (I accidentally used 2/3 cup), and any other thinly sliced vegetables, like onions, carrot strips (which I used), or snow peas, etc., to add to the mix. The instructions then say to cook on high for 6-8 minutes, though I felt that the vegetables only needed about 4 minutes because they were starting to overcook and wilt just a bit instead of staying vibrant. Since the contents of the sauce packets are added and allowed to cook on medium for an additional 3 minutes, I found it was plenty of time to allow the ingredients to cook thoroughly if the heat was previously at a constant boil before.
Because I accidentally thinned the sauce out too much, the flavor, while still present and therefore a sign to the quality of flavor, was a bit weak. Overall, though, I thought the flavor of the sauce was pretty good in comparison to a standard Chinese buffet, and other Chinese frozen meals. I did add 1/2 a tablespoon oyster sauce and a bit of sriracha sauce.

So overall the flavor of the sauce and the vegetables tasted really good together, and although I never used to care for water chestnuts, I liked the addition here. If I had cooked the vegetables a bit less it would have come out more fresh-like than what's typical of a frozen meal. The beef strips were good, though those were definitely the tell of it being frozen. I also appreciated that the rice was included since it really sped up the entire process instead of having to cook your own.

A few notes: While there's no added MSG, except what occurs naturally, this would be a plus for those of you staying away from it. However, the sodium content per serving rivals a burrito from a place I won't mention in this post, so in many ways it's comparable to take out, except the flavor is a bit fresher and it's definitely not as greasy.

Also, as no Chinese meal is complete without tea, included are two tea cups, tea balls, and containers of organic green tea leaves to enhance your stay in-take out experience!

---

Giveaway Info

Wanchai Ferry and My Blog Spark has also given me the opportunity to host a giveaway for your own packet of stir fry meal for two, a VIP coupon, and two tea sets. You can enter three times to improve your chances of winning, details below (giveaway open to US residents only):

1. Leave a comment telling me you'd like to enter


2. Blog about this giveaway, with a link back to this post, on your blog. Please comment again with a link to your post.


3. Follow me on Twitter if you don't already and twit this giveaway, and comment again with a link to your tweet

Giveaway ends on Saturday, June 6th, and the winner will be announced the following Monday. Good luck!

In the meantime, anyone can print a coupon for $1.60 off a pack of Wanchai Ferry Frozen Stir-Fry.

Asian Burger with Stir Fry Slaw and a Steamed Bun

There are many variations for burgers out there, but one I don't hear about often is an Asian-inspired burger. My requirements in coming up with my own version was to flavor the ground beef with the ingredients I used when I made filled steamed buns, create a simple stir fry topping that features cole slaw vegetables, and finally make steamed buns to use in place of traditional hamburger buns.

First, I mixed the ground beef mixture together and set it aside to give the flavors a chance to develop. Unfortunately, I didn't measure the amount of beef I used, but it made about 3 burgers. I definitely didn't use a pound, probably not even half a pound, but I kept the amounts for the flavorings the same.

Up next was the stir fry slaw, a mixture of shredded green cabbage, onions, garlic, a bit of green bell pepper, and sliced green onions. For the sauce I failed and didn't measure anything, but I used about 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup water, corn starch, a teaspoon of sugar, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and white pepper. I can't remember if I added any salt, but I don't think I did because the soy sauce I have seems saltier than other brands. For the vegetables, I think I chopped 1/4 of a head of cabbage since it shrinks down drastically after cooking, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, a 1/4 of a bell pepper, and however many green onions I felt like. There definitely was extra slaw left over so I know I probably made more than I needed, but stir fry tastes awesome the next day.

When it came time to make this, I used a cast iron skillet over the wok. Why? I was sick with a cold; my head was stuffy; the skillet was out and already dirty. What I forgot was how well cast iron not only heats up, but retains that heat. As you can imagine, it got to be so hot that the oil evaporated. Whoops! Fortunately, the kitchen didn't smoke up black, but windows had to be opened and fans were required to air the house out. My bad. Also fortunately, the stir fry had an incredibly smoky, charred flavor, and I managed not to burn anything. This, folks, is why I don't cook when I'm ill.

After setting the stir fry aside, the steamed buns were ready to be cooked, the dough having been kneaded and set aside to rise before I made the meat mixture, which I remembered just now and I don't feel like editing the above. I used the same recipe I used last time, though I divided the dough into eight balls, and after shaping I pressed them down flat so they wouldn't be completely like a dinner roll. I steamed them for 15 minutes. Because I could only steam 4 at a time, the burgers weren't started until after the last 4 buns were steaming.

As far as hamburgers go, these were incredible, like a stir fry-potsticker-steamed bun all in one bite! The flavor of the burgers came through very well, but the slaw was the biggest hit. I was initially concerned with how well the buns would hold up to the burger, though I needn't have since they held up fine. I really liked the chewiness of the buns.

Recipe after the jump.

---

Asian Burger with Stir Fry Slaw and a Steamed bun

This recipe will be very vague, and I truly am sorry for that. I should have written the ingredients down as I went along, but being sick I just wasn't thinking. What's here is my best attempt at remembering all I did.

For steamed buns and ground beef filling, click here

So as I said, I used a very straightforward, basic steamed bun recipe. Divide the dough into eighths, shape into balls, and flatten after you place the buns on a square of wax paper, on a baking sheet, before letting rise. Steam for 15 minutes.

For the ground beef, I used enough beef for 3 hamburgers, so maybe 1/4 pound, though I really have no idea! Everything else was kept the same.

---

Print this recipe

Stir Fry Slaw
Recipe by Christina Provo

ingredients ~

2-3 cups shredded green cabbage
1 medium onion, sliced into half moons
1/4 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces, plus additional for serving
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Vegetable oil for stir frying

directions ~

1. Mix chicken broth and water, corn starch, sugar, oyster sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, and white pepper together in a small bowl; set aside.


2. Heat skillet or wok over medium high heat until just beginning to smoke. Adjust heat as needed. Have a dish nearby to place ingredients after stir frying.


3. Add a teaspoon of oil to skillet. Drop in garlic and green onions and stir until green onions look charred; remove to dish. Add another teaspoon of oil, then add the onions and bell pepper and cook until charred marks are visible on onions. After you remove those, cook cabbage in the same way with another teaspoon of oil. Once cooked, add back the vegetables in the dish and stir to mix. Pour the sauce on top, stirring constantly; remove skillet from heat and continue to mix until sauce has thickened. Place in dish and keep covered until ready to eat.

fried rice recipe

Here, finally, is the actual recipe for how I make fried rice. I never really had a recipe so my instructions in a previous post were rather vague, but I wrote it down the other day.

Fried rice is the ultimate leftover dish, using leftover rice, and while you mainly use fresh vegetables and raw meat (or tofu, or all veggies), you can use any leftover meat you have, stir-frying it to heat it up. My favorite part of fried rice is probably the eggs, which you scramble in the pan and break up in a dish before adding to the final mix.

Before the recipe, I found a really easy way to julienne vegetables similarly shaped to carrots on a Gwyneth Paltrow cooking video, of all places. I used to dice the carrots until I decided that they added more to the dish if the pieces were larger, and when you julienne them the matchsticks remain thin and cook quickly while being larger and also easier to eat.

Start by thinly slicing the carrot on the bias.

Stack a few of the pieces together, then thinly slice the carrot, lengthwise, into matchsticks. It'll take a bit of practice before they really are thin, but it's fun to do.

And there you go. Perfect in salads, too. To see the video with the pro instructions (Gwyneth is with a chef), visit the video.

---

Print this recipe

Basic Fried Rice Recipe
The sky's the limit with fried rice; mix and match ingredients, omitting those you don't, replacing them with ones you do, or use up any vegetables that would work to clean the fridge out.

Serves 4

ingredients ~

2-3 chicken breasts, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced on the bias
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
2 eggs, beaten
4-5 cups day old rice, preferably white rice, though I've had good results using jasmine brown rice
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Chili sauce to taste
Salt and white pepper, mixed together in a small container
Vegetable oil

directions ~

1. Mix the chicken with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and white pepper. Set aside while you assemble the remaining ingredients.


2. Next to the stove, place a large bowl. Place the garlic and ginger in a small bowl, and all the other ingredients, from vegetables to rice in their own bowl; all the ingredients, once stir-fried, will be placed into the large bowl before being put back in the wok with the rice. Whisk the remaining soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili sauce together in another small bowl.


3. The method goes like this: Pour a few drops of oil (don't be heavy-handed with the oil as you are trying to avoid greasy rice) into the heated wok or skillet, add an ingredients and sprinkle with some salt and pepper (again, lightly; you can check for seasoning at the end). Stir-fry, stirring constantly, on high heat until just beginning to wilt and the vegetables have brown marks. Remove from pan and place in the large bowl. Repeat.


4. Heat a wok or a large skillet on high. Starting with the garlic and ginger, stir-fry for thirty seconds or until fragrant; remove from pan. Stir-fry the greed onions next, then the onions, followed by the carrots.


5. After adding more oil, pour the beaten eggs into the wok and mix constantly until you get softly-scrambled eggs -- large curds, but not dry. Place on the side of the large bowl and have someone smush them with a fork.


6. Stir-fry the chicken until all the pieces lose the raw look, about 3-5 minutes. Remove to bowl.


7. Finally, add the rice to the wok, following the oil-seasoning method stated above. Stir-fry until the rice begins to look charred, then dump in all the ingredients in the large bowl and any accumulated juices. Mix thoroughly. Turn off heat. Add the sauce ingredients and mix thoroughly. The Rice will no longer look white, but almost like brown rice. Add more soy sauce if needed. Check for seasonings.


8. Serve immediately, placing on a heated platter if not serving directly on plates.

Chinese steamed buns

Steamed buns might fall under the category of things people will assume you are crazy to make. Really, they are much easier than the potstickers I was planning on making, for which I would also be considered crazy by many. I didn't have it in me to form more than two dozen potstickers, so reading the recipe for steamed buns seemed like a good compromise, and also something I've been wanting to make for a while.

A Chinese steamed bun, often called baozi and other names, is a simple yeast dough encasing a savory filling and served with a dipping sauce. Other varieties have the crimped and twisted side up, but I'm not quite as skilled. They also aren't as big, some of them. Don't stop at savory fillings, though, as I've seen some with a sweet filling, and you can only imagine how endless the possibilities are, like the time I read Martin Yan's Chinatown and saw a recipe for banana wontons, or the sweet wontons at the Thai restaurant I downtown (it really isn't all that glamorous, downtown) have yet to actually order.

You have the option of either steaming or baking these buns, though I opted for steaming since I wanted the chewiness you don't necessarily get from baking; I figured it would be more on the fluffy side and I didn't want that.

After steaming, these get a bit shiny and they almost look raw, but if you press them it'll feel spongy and not like rising dough at all. In fact, these exploded and were huge, and I could have actually made twenty-four instead of a dozen, and even then I'd have spent less time prepping than it would have taken me to form dozens of potstickers.

The instructions state to place each bun, after filling and shaping, on a square piece of foil, though I used wax paper. You could also use parchment paper, which I forgot I bought more of recently. If you use either wax paper or aluminum foil, I'd spray each square lightly with cooking spray because these stuck just a bit.

Did I achieve the chewy texture for which I was hoping? Yes! And I was thrilled. It's always fun when something comes out right the first time. And I should mention that while it was chewy, it wasn't the type of chewy-rubbery where the bun slips off the plate because you can't actually cut through it.

Served with jasmine rice and an somewhat sweet-sour orange dipping sauce.

Let me talk a bit about the recipe I used, from a cookbook called Chinese Cook Book. I remember my mom having this book since I was little, and that I would thumb through the aging copy looking at the delicious recipes for delicious Chinese food from different regions. One day, we found a new copy of the same cookbook for $4, so we snapped it up. It's the book I turn to first when I'm contemplating making a Chinese meal, even if I cross-reference with Google. It's become a part of me, this Chinese Cook Book. The recipes aren't complicated unless it's just how they are intended to be, there's a section on cooking techniques, equipment and traditional ingredients. It talks about entertaining and the meals pertaining to it (i.e., family, celebratory, etc.) you might choose to make, how much to serve, and includes a few menus from which you might choose. Sections for appetizers, soup (I haven't yet made sizzling rice soup, but I can, and that's always comforting to know), different meats, rice and noodles and bread, and even a few desserts like caramel fried apples, date and sesame wontons, almond cookies and a refreshing pear compote.
In short, the "super buy" sticker on the front of book, appropriately covering the 's' in 'Chinese', sums it all up.

I will be submitting this post to YeastSpotting.

---

Steamed Buns
From Chinese Cook Book

for the buns ~
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (about 110°)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
about 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
Beef filling (directions follow)
melted butter (for baked buns)

Makes 12

directions ~

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; blend in sugar and oil. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Add salt and 3 1/4 cups of flour and mix until dough holds together. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes (I kneaded the dough for about 5 minutes, though just 1 would be fine, covered for 10 minutes, and kneaded for another 5 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, prepare pork filling; let cool and set aside.

for the ground beef filling (supposed to be pork) ~
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 medium-size onion, chopped (do not mix with beef)

stir fry sauce ~
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry, white wine, or chicken broth (water if you haven't any)
1/4 cup water


2. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl; set aside.


3. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or wide frying pan over high heat. When oil is hot, add beef and stir-fry until browned, about 5 minutes. (It will probably be necessary to drain most of the fat that came out -- simply place a colander over a pie plate, dump in the beef, and let sit there a bit). Add the onion to the empty wok and continue stir-frying until onion is limp, about 2 minutes. Stir in sauce mixture, add the beef back in, and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens. Cool.



4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute. Shape into a rectangle. With knife, cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise 6 times to make 12 equal pieces (or cut each half in half, then each half-half in three. Got it?). Toss lightly with flour and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.


5. Roll each piece into a round about 4 1/2 inches in diameter. Press outside edges of dough to make them slightly thinner than the rest of the round. Place about 2 tablespoons filling in center of each round. Pull edges of dough up and around the filling and twist to seal.
   
   
   


6. For steamed buns, place each bun, sealed side down, on a 3-inch square of foil (or wax paper, lightly sprayed with cooking oil, or parchment). Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy and light, about 30 minutes. Set in a steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. When done, tops of buns should be glazed and smooth. Serve warm; or let cool, wrap, and freeze. To reheat, steam frozen buns until hot, about 10 minutes.


7. For baked buns, place buns about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy and light, about 30 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter and bake in a 350° oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.