Spicy mint cucumber salad 辣味薄荷叶拌黄瓜

In a very lazy day, in a hot summer day, after days of greasy meat I always choose this crunch fresh dish to eat. Simply one vegetable dish with fresh mint goes super well with rice. It only takes 15mins maximum. Under the "Tips" there is a recipe for chili oil, this is very useful for salad, wonton and noodles. You can make a small jar and it can keep for a couple of weeks in the shade.
在懒散的日子里，热得没胃口的天里，或大鱼大肉之后，一盘简单的麻辣凉拌小黄瓜是最好不过的开胃菜了，它下饭啊！加上些新鲜的薄荷叶，那滋味太爽口了。页末的小贴士里有制作川味红油的步骤，这红油非常有用，馄饨面条凉拌都能用上，做上1小罐放在阴凉处可存放2星期左右。

Ingredients: 2-3 cloves garlic minced, 5 mini cucumber, 1 cup fresh mint leaf, 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp chili oil ( see "tips" home made chili oil recipe), 1/2 tsp ground Szechuan peppercorn, 1cup green onion chopped

食材：2－3瓣蒜切碎，5小黄瓜，1杯新鲜薄荷叶，1／2茶匙黑芝麻，2汤匙酱油，2汤匙黑醋，1／2茶匙盐，1／2茶匙糖，2茶匙油辣椒（参见页末小贴士油辣椒制作），1／2茶匙花椒粉，1杯香葱切碎

Instructions: 

1: Slice cucumber into thin pieces. Add minced garlic and salt. Mix everything very well and keep aside of 10 mins.

1：黄瓜切薄片。加入蒜蓉和盐后与黄瓜拌均。放置10分钟。

2: Mix the rest of all the ingredients with mint together and add into cucumber.  Set aside of 5mins after a well mixing.
2：将剩余食材混合均匀后，连同新鲜薄荷叶一起倒入黄瓜中。拌均后放置5分钟后即可。

Tips 小贴士: I highly recommend make a jar of this chili oil. Very useful in a lot ways such as soup noodle, dumplings, wonton, salad, dipping sauce. If it's saved in a jar then the ground chili powder is always at the bottom, so make sure stir well to have oil and chili mix before use. The following ingredients is for a small jar of chili oil. 强烈推荐做一小罐红油存着用，用处太多了，凉拌，做调料，汤面馄饨饺子都可以用到。存放在罐子里后辣椒粉都在罐底，用时记得要拌均匀了再用，辣椒粉和油混合后味道最好。下面的食材是做1小罐的量。

Ingredients: 2 tbsp ground dry chili powder with seeds, 1/2 tbsp ground Szechuan peppercorn, 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1 star anise, 1 nutmeg (cardamon), 5-6 tbsp canola oil
食材：2汤匙带籽的干辣椒粉，1／2汤匙花椒粉，1／4茶匙小茴香，1个八角，1个草果，5－6汤匙菜籽油

Instruction:
1: Heat up the oil on high. Turn the heat off when the oil is just about to have smoke. (about 30 seconds for 5 tbsp).
1：大火热油，在油快要冒烟时关火（大约30秒）。

2: Move the pot away from the stove and leave it with oil for 1.5 mins. Add all the rest ingredients into the oil. Move everything into a jar after its cool. Cover and save it in a shade.
2：连锅带油移到一边，放凉1.5分钟。将剩余所有的食材加入油中。放凉后装入罐中密封好存与阴凉处。

Boiled spicy beef with Szechuan Peppercorn 川式水煮牛肉

My husband loves this dish! Easy to make, and if you are brave enough you even can have the spicy soup for noodle next day. You can always add vegetables such as cabbage or celery in this dish, but for simple I made it quick. All the ingredients can be found in Chinese grocery store. The one I made is 4 2 serving sizes so adjust the amount in proportion based on your needs.
川式的水煮牛肉光是想想就能让我流口水，太美味了，我老公更是勇士居然能用水煮牛肉汤泡饭吃！我的这款水煮牛肉里没有加蔬菜，如果你喜欢当然可以随便加啦。各种食材在各大华人超市都有售。下面的食材是根据2人份来做的，所以根据你自己需要按比例加减咯。

Ingredients: 1.3-1.5 Beef tenderloin cut into thin slices ( cut along the meat lines),  4 tbsp rice cooking wine,  1.5 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground white peppercorn, 1/2 tsp ground black peppercorn,  1garlic powder, 1 tbsp potato starch, 2 egg white, 1 cup chopped green onion, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1.5 tbsp chopped ginger, 4-5 cups water, 4 tbsp Szechuan bean paste chili, 3 tsp soy sauce, 1tbsp Szechuan peppercorn, 2/3 tbsp crushed dry chilies, 1tsp sugar
食材：500-600克牛肉里脊切片（顺着牛肉的纹路切），4汤匙料酒，1.5茶匙盐，1/2茶匙白胡椒粉，1/2茶匙黑胡椒粉，1茶匙蒜粉，1汤匙淀粉，2个鸡蛋白，1杯葱段，3瓣蒜切碎，1.5汤匙姜末，4－5杯水，4汤匙四川郫县豆瓣酱， 2 茶匙生抽, 1汤匙花椒，2／3汤匙干辣椒， 1茶匙糖

thin beef tenderloin slice

Szechuan peppercorn with crushed dry chilies

Szechuan bean paste chili

Instructions 步骤:

1: Add salt, cooking wine, white ground peppercorn, black ground peppercorn, starch, egg white, garlic powder into the beef bowl and massage for 1 min. Put to fridge to marinate for 20-30mins.

1：将盐，料酒，白胡椒粉，黑胡椒粉，淀粉，蛋清，蒜粉加入牛肉中，按摩1分钟后放入冰箱腌制20－30分钟。

2: Heat up a little bit oil on low. Add minced garlic, green onion, ginger quickly stirring for 5 seconds. Add Szechuan bean paste chili quickly stirring for 30 seconds. Low heat is must. You don't want to have the paste chili over cooked. 

2：小火热油。加入葱姜蒜快速翻炒5秒后加入郫县豆瓣，再快速翻炒30秒。一定要小火炒豆瓣酱，不然很容易糊掉。

3: Add 4-5 cups of water, 1tsp sugar and 3tsp soy sauce into the paste chili and turn the heat to high. Use a lid cover the pot and bring the soup to boil.

3：加入4杯水和3茶匙酱油，1茶匙糖。调至大火，锅加盖煮至沸腾。

4: Reduce the heat to medium. Add beef to the boiling soup one piece by one piece quickly. Cook white the lid on for 5 mins.  Do not stir the beef in the soup for the 1st 2 minutes.

4：转至中火。将牛肉快速一片一片加入锅中，加盖煮5分钟。头2分钟不能翻搅牛肉。

5: Transfer everything in the pot to a big bowl. Heat up 2 tbsp oil on medium heat. Add Szechuan peppercorn and crushed dry chilies to the oil. Turn off the stove immediately and pore the whole thing into the bowl with beef. The noise is loud when the oil touching the soup, but don't worry, it's not dangerous.

5：将锅中牛肉连同汤水加入一个大碗中。中火热2汤匙油后，加入花椒和干辣椒。立刻关火，将花椒干辣椒连同油一起倒入乘牛肉的大碗中。倒油时油遇水会有大噪音，不要担心，不会溅油。

notes: the black thing is leftover mushroom I add