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

Wonton folding 元宝馄饨

You will find out how interesting to fold wonton with different stuffing. The stuffing I use is the most simple style and you can be creative, shrimp+corn, chicken+mushroom, mushroom+chinese cabbage ...
There are also so many different folding way, but this one is my favorite : looks like a shoe-shaped gold ingot!
包馄饨其实特别有意思，不同的馅儿随意添加，想怎么吃就怎么吃。当然啦，大部分的中国同胞都知道怎么包馄饨，下面的步骤和食材我就不啰嗦再写中文了，大家凭着吃货的直觉看图就会啦。馅儿是可以创新的，我包的就是最简单的猪肉小白菜馅，你可以试试虾仁玉米，香菇鸡肉，或者素食的香菇白菜也不错。馄饨的包法很多，我最喜欢的就是下面这种：像元宝啊！

Ingredients:
2 cups Pak choi (or cabbage, or any other green vegetable) chopped finely, 1.5 cup ground pork, 1tsp sesame oil, 1tsp salt, 1/8 ground white pepper, 1/4 ground black pepper, 1.5 tsp ground ginger paste, 1tbsp cooking wine, 1.5 tsp starch, thin wonton wraps (sefeway, salad dressing and tofu section)

Instructions:
1: In a big bowl add pork, pak choi, salt, sesame oil, white pepper, black pepper, ginger, cooking wine and starch mixing very very well.

2: Prepare a big pan dusted with flour and a small bowl of water. Use chopsticks or spoon wrapping wonton like the pictures shows. Tip some water on the corner of the wrapper where the chopsticks top stops in the pictures to make sure the wrapper sticks together well. Place Wonton in the pan with flour.

3: Boil wonton in water or chicken broth, serve with spring onion, salt, ground white peppercorn.
Tips: If you make too much, then freeze wonton in a pan for 10 minutes before removed to a Ziplock bag so that the frozen wonton won't be sticky together and still keep the perfect shape.

Fish soup with mushroom and yam 山药鲜鱼汤

  2013 is a snake year on Chinese calendar. Wish you all have a wonderful happy snake year! And I'm sorry for not updating for 2 weeks. I will make it up with better cooking receipts in the rest of the year, healthier, more testy, fresh cooking receipts for all of you.
  Based on the Chinese herb medical books, Chinese yam is a very useful food. Good for lungs and stomach. There are so many ways to make yummy yam and cook in a soup is one of it. In this soup, Chinese red dates, gouqi berry and dragon eyes are all optional.
 2013是中国的蛇年，在这里祝大家蛇年大吉。这两个星期都没有更新，实在是太抱歉啦。不过在接下来的一年里我会带给大家更多健康美味的烹饪构思当作补偿咯。山药在食疗中真的是大将一枚，滋阴润肺，健脾。山药的美味烹饪法太多了，煮烫就是其中一种。这款汤中的红枣，枸杞和龙眼肉都是可选食材，没有也不是太大问题。

Ingredients:  1.5 lb fish (with bones and skin) lean well, 6 mushroom sliced, 1 tomato diced, a little bit cilantro, 2 tbsp chopped spring onion, 4 small Chinese red dates, 2 dried dragon eyes ( fresh is better) or 2 fresh leechee, 10-15 Gouqi berry (optional), salt, ground white pepper, 6 slice fresh ginger,  2 cups yam peel and cut into 1 inch chunks (save in water) , 7cups water, 1 tsp whole black peppercorn    

食材：带骨带皮的鱼1条，6个香菇切片，1个西红柿切钉，香菜适量，2汤匙香葱末，4颗小红枣，2颗干龙眼肉（新鲜的更好）或2颗荔枝，10－15 枸杞，盐，白胡椒粉，6片生姜，2杯切块山药，7杯水，1茶匙整颗黑胡椒

Instructions 步骤：

1: Clean the fish, put 2 slices of ginger inside of fish. Medium heat heat up 1.5 tsp oil in a pan, add fish to slightly sear both sides. Transfer the fish to a soup bowl when both sides are a little bit brown.

1：鱼清理干净后在肚内放入2片生姜。中火在平底锅内热油，将鱼的两面煎至微黄后再将鱼转移至汤锅中。

2: In the soup bowl add 7 cups of water, whole black pepper, 3 slices of ginger, 1 piece bay leaf. High heat to bring the whole thing to boil then reduce to low heat. Slow cooking for 45mins with the lid 90% partially cover the pot.

2：汤锅中加入7杯水，黑胡椒，3片姜，1片香叶。大火煮开后转小火。加盖只留一条小缝，慢煮45分钟。

3: Add the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Add 1/8 tsp ground white pepper, add salt based on your own taste. Cook for 30mins on low heat with the lid 90% partially cover the pot. Add cilantro right before you turn the stove off.

3：将剩余食材加入锅中。加入1／8茶匙白胡椒末，根据自己口味加入盐。加盖后慢煮30分钟，起锅前加入香菜。

Tips: Yam can be oxidized very easily. The beautiful white color turns to tiny brown very fast after the skin is peeled. So try to peel the skin under a running tap water, and save in a bowl with water cover the whole thing.

窍门：山药极易被氧化，去皮后很短的时间内就会变色。试试在自来水下去皮，切块后立刻泡入水中。

Blog updating notice: Feb 6th to Feb 19th

Dear all,

I won't be able to update my blog from Feb 6th to 19th, but everyday regular updating will be back on Feb 20th.

Thank you.

TT

Healthy pineapple shrimp rice with citrus juice 橙香菠萝虾仁杂粮饭

This is just a such good looking dish, very colorful with different kind of vegetable and pineapple!
这到菜可以满足“颜控”的眼欲，颜色太好看了。各种蔬菜和菠萝搭配，好看又好吃。

Ingredients 食材: 150ml brown rice, 75ml black rice, 75ml pearl barley, 0.8 Lb small bay shrimp, 3 blood oranges, 300g pineapple diced, 14 baby bella mushroom sliced, 3/4 cup green peas, 1 tomato diced, 2tbsp finely chopped ginger, 2tbsp Aji-mirin sweet cooking rice seasoning or cooking wine, sesame oil, 1.5 tsp curry  powder,  ground black pepper, salt, 3 tbsp chopped green onion 1 carrot finely chopped.
150ml 糙米，75ml 黑米，75ml 珍珠薏仁，400g 小虾仁去壳去肠，3个血橙，300g菠萝切丁，14个小蘑菇切片，3／4杯豌豆，1个西红柿切丁，2汤匙碎姜，2汤匙味淋或米酒，芝麻油，1.5茶匙咖喱粉，黑胡椒粉，盐，3汤匙碎香葱，1根胡萝卜切碎。

Instructions 步骤:

1: Marinate shrimp with 2 tbsp Aji-mirin sweet cooking rice seasoning or cooking wine, 1.5 tsp curry powder, a pinch of salt, a pinch of ground black powder, 2 tbsp chopped ginger and 3 blood orange juice. Cover it up and leave it in the fridge for 20mins.

2：腌制虾仁，用2汤匙味淋或米酒，1.5茶匙咖喱粉，1小撮盐，1小撮黑胡椒粉，2汤匙碎姜和3个血橙的鲜榨汁水与虾仁混合，放入冰箱20分钟。

2: Mix 3 kinds of rice and cook the rice in a regular way with a tiny little bit more water. After the rice is done stir it well to let the hot steam go.

2：将3种米混合后，加入比平时稍微多一点点的水，煮饭。饭熟后翻拌一下让蒸汽蒸发。

3: In a large pan heat up 2 tsp sesame oil on medium-high. Add mushroom, tomato, peas, carrots stirring for 1min. In another pan, add all the shrimp with all the marinating juice and spring onion to cook on medium heat for 2mins.

3：大锅中热2茶匙芝麻油。加入蘑菇，西红柿，豌豆，胡萝卜翻炒2分钟。另起锅，倒入虾仁和腌制的汁水，碎葱，中火煮2分钟。

4: Transfer shrimp with all the juice to the vegetable large pan , add pineapple stirring until it's well mixed.  Reduce the heat to low. Add rice and salt ( I add a bit more than 1/2 tsp) into the large pan stirring well for about 1min. Turn the stove off and enjoy.

4：将虾仁连同汁水一起倒进翻炒蔬菜的大锅里，加入菠萝后翻炒均匀。调至小火后，加入米饭和盐（我放入比1／2茶匙多一点点的盐）翻炒1分钟左右。关火开饭。

Coca-cola chicken wings 可乐鸡翅

Very easy to make! And it's even easier to use the "short cut" which is a kind of "sweet soy sauce" (find in Safeway). In the "tips" I will briefly describe how to take the "short cut".
简单易操作！特别是国内的朋友可以直接用“可乐鸡翅”调料，直接用来腌制鸡翅无需使用其它任何调料。或者使用“甜酱油”也能使步骤更简便。当然啦，我们还是要训练基本功，就从传统可乐鸡翅工艺开始吧。

Ingredients 食材:
16 chicken wings (middle), 1 can coca-cola (regular), 1/8 tsp ground aniseed, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground cumin, 2.5 or 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp cooking wine, 10 thin slices ginger, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1tsp sesame oil, 1tsp white sesame seeds.
16只鸡中翅，1听可口可乐（原味），1／8茶匙八角粉，1／8茶匙孜然粉，1／8茶匙桂皮粉，1／8茶匙小藿香粉，2.5或3汤匙酱油，2汤匙料酒，10片姜片，1／2茶匙黑胡椒粉，1茶匙芝麻油，1茶匙白芝麻。
Instructions 步骤:
1: Clean all the wings and use fork push into each piece of wing 3 times ( to make little holes for better marinating).
1：鸡翅洗净后用叉子在鸡翅是扎3次，以便腌制时更容易入味。

2: Put all the ingredients (except white sesame) in a big bowl mixing well. Add chicken wings into the ball mixing well. Transfer everything into a big ziplock bag and keep in refrigerator over 10 hours.
2：所有调料（芝麻除外）混合后与鸡翅再混合均匀，按摩几下后密封放入冰箱腌制10小时。

3: Place wings in a baking pan and cover with foil. Preheat oven to 375F.
3：将鸡翅放入烤盘并盖上锡纸，烤箱预热190摄氏度。

4: Bake the wings for 15mins under 375F. Then flip over each piece of wing and brush on some marinade sauce ( from "step 2), Spread some white sesame seeds on top the wings. Bake in the oven for another 15 minutes.
4：鸡翅入烤箱，用190摄氏度烤15分钟后取出翻面，并再次刷上一层腌制鸡翅的调料，将百芝麻少量撒上鸡翅。放入烤箱再烤15分钟。

Tips窍门:
Add some honey in the mixing if you like eating sweet stuff. With this sweet soy sauce itself you can make good wings for "lazy time". Ingredients: 16 wings, 3 sweet soy sauce, 2 cooking wine, white sesame, 1 can coca-cola. Keep the instruction the same.  And here is a picture of "sweet soy sauce"( look in Safeway).
如果喜甜的话，可在腌制时加一点蜂蜜。国内的朋友们可以直接用“可乐鸡翅”调料。或者用“甜酱油”，这时需加入可乐，芝麻和料酒，无需其它香料。