I grew up eating the pork version of this dish at Chinese restaurants, and every once in a while my mother made this at home from a ma po seasoning packet. Back in 2014, I decided to try a scratch recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Tofu cookbook. Over time, I tweaked her ma po tofu… Continue reading Ma po tofu with minced chicken
Tag: chinese
Chinese seaweed salad
I tried this recipe to repurpose kombu seaweed that we had simmered to flavor a vegetarian Korean soup base: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-seaweed-salad/ Our modifications: for the hot chili oil, we used 1.5 Tbsp corn oil and 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (which we ground by hand). We garnished with part of a chopped Thai bird's eye chili. This… Continue reading Chinese seaweed salad
Chinese chicken and asparagus in brown sauce
We were intrigued by a chicken and asparagus stirfry recipe that didn't feature white sauce: https://thewoksoflife.com/chicken-asparagus-stir-fry/ For the chicken breast, we used 1 1/4 medium boneless breast, sliced across the grain as thin as possible. We found this sauce delicious and satisfying. (Aug. 2022)
Chinese-style chicken meatball soup with napa cabbage
We found this soup very frustrating to make, even if it ultimately came out well: https://omnivorescookbook.com/napa-cabbage-soup/ This recipe called for only 3 cups of liquid. We ultimately had to increase to 9 cups of liquid (8 cups unsalted chicken stock plus 1 cup water). We sauteed about 2 Tbsp bacon, then added 4 cups broth.… Continue reading Chinese-style chicken meatball soup with napa cabbage
Simple fried rice with roasted cauliflower
We had 1.5 cups of leftover rice and a 1/2 head of cauliflower, so we loosely followed this recipe: https://redhousespice.com/egg-fried-rice/ Our modifications: first, we supplemented the rice with oven-roasted cauliflower (cut into 3/4" dice, tossed in 1 tsp canola, and roasted at 425 for 10 mins). We folded in the cauliflower as the same time… Continue reading Simple fried rice with roasted cauliflower
Chinese eggplant with minced chicken
We followed this recipe: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-eggplant-garlic-sauce/ We used 4 slender Japanese eggplants and 1/2 lb minced chicken (increased from 1/4 lb minced pork), and we microplaned the ginger (about 2 tsp). This was delicious, and we inhaled it. (Apr. 2022)
Sichuan napa cabbage with cellophane noodles
We tried this recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-napa-cabbage-with-glass-noodles/ Our modifications: first, we first sauteed 1/2 lb minced chicken in 1 Tbsp oil until browned, then we added only 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns (instead of 2 tsp whole) and kept them in the stirfry. We added the scallions and microplaned ginger, then proceeded with the recipe. After the… Continue reading Sichuan napa cabbage with cellophane noodles
Chinese sautéed cabbage with vinegar sauce
We tried this recipe for a quick and tasty side dish: https://omnivorescookbook.com/vinaigrette-cabbage-stir-fry/ We served this with salmon, but it probably would go great with crispy tofu (with minimal seasoning) and rice. (Jan. 2022)
Chinese chicken curry
We made this recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-curry-chicken/ We substituted the bell pepper with broccoli (cut into bite-sized florets), which we parboiled, dropped in ice water, and then drained dry. We sliced the carrot on a ¼" diagonal, and then in half. We sliced the chicken into 1/8" slices against the grain. We didn’t have S&B curry, so… Continue reading Chinese chicken curry
Chinese stirfried eggplant with minced pork
We tried this recipe: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-eggplants-with-minced-pork/ Instead of ¼ cup minced pork, we used ½ lb (approx ½ cup) and doubled the pork marinade (minced ginger and cooking wine) while leaving all other ingredients (including Pixian sauce) in the original proportion. We used Japanese eggplant, and I think that was better than the rounder western option.… Continue reading Chinese stirfried eggplant with minced pork
Cooking Adventures 