Month: January 2013

Carrots With Curry and Cilantro

Oops…I bought too many carrots for that last party! I needed to use them up. This is an excellent side dish!!

Carrots with Curry and Cilantro

Makes 4 servings

“I’m only satisfied if my food looks as good as it tastes,” writes Mikal Altomare of Albuquerque, New Mexico. “So when I set out to make something new, I combined carrots with cilantro, curry and apricot preserves for a side dish that is fresh, colorful, sweet and spicy.”

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
  • 1 pound medium carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 3 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and curry; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in broth and preserves. Add carrots; cover and simmer until carrots are crisp-tender and coated with sauce, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in cilantro.

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Hot and Sour Soup for a COLD DAY!

Stay inside and enjoy this Chinese favourite! You can use any fresh mushrooms you might have instead of the dried ones. Be decadent and use chicken instead of the tofu! It is important to use rice noodles…

Hot and Sour Soup

  • 10 oz. chicken broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 10 grams dried sliced mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 20 grams rice stick noodles
  • 6 oz. silken tofu OR shrimp
  • 3 green onions chopped

Combine broth, water, ginger. Rinse mushrooms in cold water.
Add to broth. Stir in soy, vinegar, sugar, Tabasco and sesame oil. Bring to boil.
Break noodles into 4 inch lengths. Cover with hot water for a few minutes to soften. Add to soup. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes. Dice tofu. Slice onions. Stir tofu into soup.
Simmer until hot. Stir in onions. Taste. Add more Tabasco if desired. Serve.

Notes

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Cook time – 11 minutes
Makes 4 cups.

Stir Fried Beef with Baby Corn

I picked up this recipe years ago when I took a Chinese cooking class. It has become a standard.  Hope you will enjoy it!

Beef with Baby Corn

Serves 4

Ingredients : You should be able to find the sesame oil, 5 spice powder, oyster sauce and baby corn in most supermarkets now. If you cannot find the potato starch or water chestnut flour, just use cornstarch!

  ½ lb. flank or round steak sliced diagonally and marinated at least 15 minutes

1 can baby corn drained and cut diagonally lengthwise

2 green onions, cut into 2 inch sections

1 carrot shredded into fine strips

½ teaspoon salt

 You can add in some broccoli and/or water chestnuts, whatever you have.

Marinade: Mix together the following and pour over the meat –

 ½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. water chestnut flour (I use potato starch)

2 Tablespoons peanut oil

1 Tablespoon light soy sauce

Dash of 5 spice powder

Few drops of sesame oil

 

Sauce:

 2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon bean flour or cornstarch

½ cup water

 

Mix the sauce and set aside.

 

Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil I a wok. Add  salt and add in the carrot. Cook for awhile. Add in the baby corn and whatever vegetables you are using. Stir and cover the wok for one minute. Turn off the heat and set aside on a plate.

 

Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil on high heat and saute green onions and the beef until the beef is no longer red. Add in the carrots and baby corn. Stir well and then pour in the sauce. Stir until it thickens. Serve hot over Basmati or Jasmine rice.