Vegetable chicken soup with organic pearl barley 蔬菜薏米鸡汤

This is so yummy! And it taste better with organic pearl barley which brings a smoother texture. What a luxury experience to have a bowl of warm yummy soup in a cold winter night.
这道汤非常鲜美。如果薏米用的是有机珍珠薏米就更好了，口感更滑润。在寒冷的冬日夜晚喝着一碗暖暖汤，是多么幸福的事啊！

Ingredients 食材:

half organic chicken breast (with bones, about 1 lb ), 4 organic chicken drumsticks, 3/4 cup organic pearl barley, 6 dried Chinese red dates (not sweetened), 1tbsp Chinese gouqi berry (also called fructus lych, sell at whole foods), 10 fresh chestnuts peeled, 2 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks,  1.5 corn cut into 2 inch, 2-3 dried shiitake mushroom (or fresh), 5-6 small slices American ginseng, 1.5 cup cabbage slice , 2 bay leaf, 1 tsb whole black peppercorn, 2 tsp sea salt, 5 slices ginger

半个带骨有机鸡胸，5个有机鸡腿，3／4杯有机珍珠薏米，6颗金丝枣，1汤匙枸杞，10个板栗剥开去皮，2根胡萝卜滚刀切，1个半玉米切成2厘米，2－3干香菇（新鲜也可），5－6片西洋参，1.5杯手丝卷心菜，2片月桂叶，1茶匙整颗黑胡椒，2茶匙海盐，5片姜

 Instructions 步骤:

1: Peel chestnuts (see tips). Wash well the dried shiitake mushroom and soak for 10mins and change the water soaking for 15mins, keep the 2nd time soaking water.

1：板栗剥开去皮。将干香菇清洗干净，用水发10分钟后换水再发15分钟并保留第二次的水。

2: Add water, shiitake mushroom soaking water, bay leaf, ginger slices and whole black peppercorn into a soup pot. Put the chicken breast in. I always only add water 1 time in the whole soap making process, so make sure you add enough. (I do 1 inch below the pot edge). Heat up high and turn to low for 30 mins after its boiling.

2：锅中加水，发泡香菇保留的水，月桂叶，姜片，黑胡椒。放入带骨架鸡胸。注意一次性加够水，中途不再加水。（我一般加至汤锅2厘米处）。大火煮开后调至小火慢炖30分钟。

3: Turn off stove taking the floating liquid fat out. Add Chinese red dates, gouqi berry, parley,ginseng, a little bit water if is necessary. Add 3-4 chicken drumsticks. Turn the stove on high and cook for 30 mins on low heat after its boiling.

3：关火后去除浮油。加入红枣，枸杞，西洋参和4个鸡腿。如果之前加水太少，此时可以补加。大火烧开后转小火炖30分钟。

4：Add the carrots, corn, chestnuts cooking for 20mins.

4： 加入胡萝卜，玉米和板栗炖20分钟。

5: Add salt, shiitake mushroom cooking for 20mins. Add cabbage for 5 mins. Add salt if its necessary since I cook really light. Sprinkle chopped spring onion and enjoy !

5：加入海盐，香菇炖煮20分钟。加入卷心菜煮5分钟。根据自己口味适量加盐，我一般做得味淡少盐。撒上小葱开动咯！

Tips: It's not easy to peel chestnuts. But of course some place sell frozen peeled chestnuts and you can use that. For the fresh one boil in boiling water for 5 mins and cool down with cold water for 2 mins. Have a small cut in the middle, peel from there. The skin inside should can be peeled easily but if not you can always peel with a knife.

技巧：剥板栗并不容易。如果超市有买剥好的就太幸运啦。新鲜的板栗先放入滚水中煮5分钟，然后立马用凉水冲刷2分钟。用刀在中间划1小刀，从这里开始剥。里面的皮也能撕掉，或者干脆就削皮也行。

Peppercorn asparagus with radish 椒麻芦笋碎萝卜

Remember the 2nd dish I updated on this blog? It is called "peppercorn chinese long beans". Today's dish is actually using the same spicy and following the same instructions as "peppercorn chinese long beans" by just switching beans and tofu to asparagus and radish. Very fast cooking dish--only 10 mins maximum. This dish is very health even there is 1.5 tbsp oil , but most of the oil will be absorbed by dried chili pepper and peppercorns which we don't eat unless you like it.
是否记得这个博客上分享的第二道菜？叫做“椒麻豇豆”。今天这道菜运用几乎相同的烹饪原理和调味品，只是将豇豆和豆干换成芦笋和小红萝卜。同理，这到菜也属于快速烹饪菜，好吃又简单，最多十分钟就搞定啦。这道菜十分健康，虽然用了1.5汤匙油，但是大部分的油都被干辣椒和干花椒吸收了，真正食用的部分是很少油的。

Ingredients 食材：one bunch of asparagus trim and cut into 3 inch long,  5-6 cherry radish finely chopped, 1tsp salt, 1.5 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp rice cooking wine, 10 Szechuan whole peppercorn (Chinese grocery store), 4 dried chili pepper halved (keep the seeds), 1.5 tsp fresh grated ginger paste, 2.5 tbsp soy sauce (chinese sea food soy sauce is the best for this dish).

芦笋洗净去底部后切成8厘米条，5－6个樱桃萝卜切碎，1茶匙盐，1汤匙食用油，2汤匙米酒，10颗四川花椒，4个干辣椒掰断（保留辣椒籽），1.5茶匙姜泥，2.5汤匙酱油（最好是蒸鱼鼓油）。

Instructions:

1: Boil 4 cups of water with salt and rice cooking wine. Add asparagus when the water is boiling and cooking for 2min. 

1：煮沸4杯水，水开时加入芦笋煮2分钟。

2: Save 3 tbsp of the water. Drain and cold down asparagus with cold water before place in a bowl.

2：留3汤匙煮芦笋的水。用凉水冷却芦笋后沥干水份再入盘。

3: Place chopped radish on the top of asparagus. Mix up 2.5 tbsp soy sauce and 3tbsp of the water boiled asparagus before. Slowly pour the mixing onto asparagus plate.

3：将碎萝卜摆放在芦笋上。将2.5汤匙酱油和3汤匙煮芦笋的水混合，在慢慢倒入芦笋盘。

4:  Place ginger on the top of radish. Heat 1.5 tbsp oil on medium high for 30 seconds in a small skillet. Add Szechuan peppercorn and dried chili pepper including the seeds until the chili peppercorn are turning a bit brown. Turn off the stove and pore the whole thing gently onto the ginger on the top of asparagus when the oil is sill hot.

4：将姜泥摆放在碎萝卜上。热1.5汤匙油30秒后放入花椒和干辣椒（连同辣椒籽），当辣椒变色时关火立刻将油缓慢地淋在姜泥上。

5: Mix well before eat.

5：拌均后食用。

Spinach rice 菠菜饭

Make this rice if you have kids don't like eating spinach. Spinach juice will make the rice bright green and it taste wonderful! For vegetarians, you can make spinach rice without ham. The ingredients picture  showed under is for 8 servings but the measurements for ingredients under is for 2 servings.
如果你有孩子不喜欢吃菠菜的话，就尝试下这道饭吧！天然菠菜汁将米粒染得绿油油的，色泽就很可口了。吃素的朋友们，只要不加火腿肉就是道斋食了。下面的配料图我是做的8人份的量，食材的说明是2人份的量。

Ingredients 食材:
1/2 lb Spinach, 1 egg, 1/4 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp pinenuts, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/8 tsp ground white pepper, 1tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots, 1/2 cup finely chopped mushroom, 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked ham, 1/2 cup minced spring onion, 2 cups cooked rice.
220克菠菜，鸡蛋1只，1／4茶匙姜泥，1茶匙松子，1茶匙海盐，1／8茶匙白胡椒粉，1汤匙芝麻油，1／2碎胡萝卜丁，1／2杯蘑菇切碎，1／2杯火腿肉切碎，1／2杯香葱末，2杯熟米饭。

Instructions 步骤:
1: Blend spinach and a egg (of course no shell) in a blend. Start with a small amount of chopped spinach and keep adding more until there is about 1 cup of spinach juice. Do not add water.
1：菠菜洗净稍微切小片，将鸡蛋打入搅拌器中与菠菜一起搅拌成汁。这个过程不容易操作，最好每次加入少量菠菜，直到打出1杯菠菜汁。过程中请勿加水。

2: Pore the spinach juice in rice and mix well.
2：将鸡蛋菠菜汁与熟米饭混合均匀。

3: Heat up sesame oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add ginger, spring onion stirring frequently for 10 seconds. Then add ham, pinenuts, carrots, mushroom and stirring on high heat for 1min. Reduce the heat to medium and add spinach mixing rice stirring frequently for 3 minutes (Add a little bit oil if the rice gets too sticky).
3：锅中烧热芝麻油。加入姜泥，葱末翻炒10秒钟。再加入火腿，松子，胡萝卜和蘑菇大火翻炒1分钟。调至中火倒入菠菜汁米饭，迅速翻炒3分钟。（太粘锅时加入少量油）。

4: Add salt, ground pepper mixing well and serve. Add more salt basted on your taste.
4：加入盐和胡椒，翻炒均匀后即可。根据个人口味再适量加盐。

Tips 技巧:
It's not easy to blend egg and spinach without water. Try chop the spinach first and start with a small amount. Add a little bit more when there is juice blended out. Do not add water to blench the juice otherwise the rice would turn out way too soft.
光用鸡蛋和菠菜搅拌成汁很不容易操作。试着将菠菜稍微切碎，搅拌时逐次少量加入。菠菜汁不能加水，不然米饭会软掉。

Spicy radish tofu 芡汁辣豆腐

I love the look of this dish-very delicate. With dried shiitake mushroom and dried shaved bonito(also called hanakatsuo) this dish could be way more delicious!! I didn't have the two ingredients by the time I made this but in the following steps I will add them into the steps just in case you get the ingredient from Japanese store.
这道菜的卖相特别好看，非常精致。如果做的时候有香菇和干柴鱼就好了，味道会美味几倍。虽然我做时没用这两种食材，不过在下面的步骤中我会注明用法的哦。

Ingredients 食材:

One box of tofu cut into 2.5 squares, 1spring onion chopped, cooing oil, 1 cup mushroom, white radish grated to paste, a pinch chili powder, 1.5 cup water, 1tbsp cooking wine, 1tbsp Aji-Mirin sweet cooking rice seasoning (Safeway, asian food), 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce,  2 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch,  a pinch sugar, shiitake mushroom (optional), dried shaved bonito/hanakatsuo (optional)

1盒豆腐切成4－6方块，1根香葱切碎，1把蟹味菇，白萝卜刷成泥，1小撮辣椒粉，1.5杯水，1汤匙米酒，1汤匙味淋，2汤匙减盐酱油，2汤匙芡粉，1小撮糖，香菇（可选），干柴鱼片（可选），食用油适量

instructions 步骤：   

1: Take tofu out from the box leaving it on a plate for 20min to let extra tofu water out.
1：从盒中取出豆腐放置20－30分钟，滤去多余水份。

2: Add 2 tbsp starch into 3 tbsp of water mixing well.
2：用3汤匙水将芡粉调溶。

3: Heat up oil (not too much but make sure enough for light frying). Coat tofu with starch mixing from step 2. Frying tofu slightly until the coating turns a bit yellow. Be very careful! Watch out the splashing oil! A fryer is perfect for this job.
3：热油（不要太多，但要足够可以轻炸豆腐）。将豆腐块裹上水芡粉，放到锅内炸至表皮芡粉变黄。特别提醒注意安全！千万注意溅油！。

4: Mix well water,  soy sauce, sugar, cooking wine, Aji-Mirin, shiitake mushroom (optional) and dried shaved bonito/hanakatsuo (optional) and bring to boil . Add mushroom and the half of the starch mixing from step 3 when the water is boiling cooking for 1min white stirring. Meanwhile grate white radish for radish paste and squeeze most of the juice out.  Add chili powder into radish paste.
4：水，酱油，糖，料酒，味淋，香菇（可选）和干柴鱼混合煮开，再加入蟹味菇和步骤2中一半剩余的芡粉，边搅拌边煮1分钟。白萝卜刷成泥并挤去多余水份，与辣椒粉混合。

5: Put tofu in a bowl and with radish paste on the top. Pour the soup from step 4 to the bowl. Serve with spring onion.
5：豆腐放入碗中，萝卜泥置于豆腐上，倒入步骤4中的汤汁。撒上香葱摆盘。

Tips: Don't worry if you can't find Aji-mirin, using rice cooking wine instead.
技巧：如果没有味淋，就用米酒代替吧。