Tempeh with Sesame Coconut Peanut Sauce

A vegetarian stir fry that really satisfies.

Sauce:
1/4 cup peanuts
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp chili paste with garlic
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup pale dry sherry

1 14-oz tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 carrot, sliced
3-4 cups broccoli, cut into coarse flowerets
1/2 large onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
toasted sesame seeds

Blend peanuts in a small food processor until smooth, like chunky peanut butter. Add remaining sauce ingredients and blend well, stirring down sides of processor.  Get together your 'miss en place' - all your ingredients in bowls and ready to go.

Heat a wok and add a tablespoon canola or peanut oil. Stir fry the tempeh for a few minutes, until the tempe is well browned. Set tempeh aside in a bowl. Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok. Stir fry the broccoli, carrot and onion, stirring briskly. Add about a tablespoon water while stirring and allow the veggies to steam a bit as the water cooks off. Add the ginger and garlic and cook another few minutes.

Return the tempeh to the wok and pour in the sauce. Heat through while gently folding the veggies with the sauce. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Serves 4.

Thai Spicy Shrimp on Rice Noodle

Quick shrimp on noodles.  Asian delicious.  Especially with lime.
Sauce:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Trader Joes Chili jam, or 1 tsp chili paste with garlic

12-18 shrimp, peeled and cut in half, about 1 lb - enough for 4 people
1/2 lb dry Thai (or vietnamese) rice noodles, frozen defrosted

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
4 green onions, diced

1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds
1 lime, cut into wedges

Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil for the noodles. Place noodles in a large bowl. When the water comes to a boil, pour over noodles. Periodically nudge noodles gently as they hydrate - about 10 minutes total. Drain noodles and gently toss with just a dash of canola oil to keep from sticking. Cover noodles to keep warm.

While the noodles hydrate, heat a wok or large skillet to high. Add a dash of canola oil and then the garlic, ginger and jalapeño and stir fry for about 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir fry for another 3-4 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked through.

Toss in the sauce and bring to a boil.

Then add the green onion and mix.

Plate the noodles as a bed on four plates. Top with the stir fry. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  This sauce and technique works well with all kinds of protein such as beef or tofu.  See Thai Spicy Beef on Rice Noodle.

Thai Spicy Beef on Rice Noodle

Chop, chop.  Stir, stir.  Done.
Sauce:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Trader Joes Chili jam, or 1 tsp chili paste with garlic

1-1/2lb chuck beef, sliced thin (freeze slightly to achieve this)
1/2 lb dry Thai (or vietnamese) rice noodles

1 red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup slivered carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds
palmful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

Toss together with the beef in a large bowl and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes.

Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil for the noodles. Place noodles in a large bowl. When the water comes to a boil, pour over noodles. Periodically nudge noodles gently as they hydrate - about 10 minutes total. Drain noodles and gently toss with just a dash of canola oil to keep from sticking. Cover noodles to keep warm.

While the noodles hydrate, heat a wok to high. Add a dash of canola oil and toss in the pepper, onion and carrot.

Stir fry for about 5 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften but are still crisp-tender. Set aside. Heat wok to high and add another dash of canola oil. Add the beef and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, just until the beef is cooked rare. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeño and cook another 2 minutes.

Toss the veggies back into the wok and mix.

Plate the noodles as a bed on four plates. Top with the stir fry. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  This sauce and technique works beautifully with shrimp and tofu, and probably other proteins as well.  See Thai Spicy Shrimp on Rice Noodles.

Ginger Bourbon Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Fresh pineapple kicks up the earthy and spicy angles of a Chinese black bean sauce, bucked up with American Bourbon and Tabasco sauce. A simple, popular stir-fry kicked up a notch.
Sauce:
2 Tbsp Chinese black bean sauce or hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp bourbon
1 Tbsp Tabasco or Texas Pete's hot sauce, or other favorite hot sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger

1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized cubes
palmful fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Lesson number one from my old Chinese cooking teacher - get everything ready first!  Cut and assemble all the vegetables in a bowl.

Cut the chicken and set in a bowl. Prepare the sauce by sautéing the ginger and garlic in a bit of canola oil in a small saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, whisk together well, and set aside.

Heat a bit of canola oil in a wok, almost to smoking. Add the veggies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, tossing often. Remove to a bowl. Add a dash more canola oil and return almost to smoking. Tip the chicken into the wok and stir fry for about 5 minutes, or just until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the sauce and return the veggies to the wok. Then tip in the pineapple and heat through, tossing gently.

Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro leaves. Serves 4.

Cook's Note: you could use most any of your favorite veggies for this, such as peppers, broccoli or cabbage.

Cajun Fried Rice

This is not your neighborhood Benihana fried rice. Instead, with all the flavors of a jambalaya of New Orleans - garlic, thyme, andouille, ham, tomatoes - this is southern Louisiana through and through.

I've taken a little liberty with the sacred 'holy trinity' of cajun cooking - the combination of onion, pepper and celery (much like the French miroepoix of onion, carrots and celery).  I've substituted Brussels sprouts and cabbage for the celery, cooked just to crisp-tender sweetness and no more.  This adds a higher veggie and lower meat and carb content, along with a slightly sweet base to offset the richness of the ham and andouille sausage.

Now if I only had one of those huge Benihana griddles so I could try that flaming onion trick for guests while assembling...
8 Brussels sprouts, sliced, about 2 cups
2 cups cabbage, diced
1 small onion, sliced, about 1 cup
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 orange pepper, diced
1-1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
2 links fresh andouille sausage, sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
3 cups leftover cooked and cooled rice

Heat a bit of canola oil in a large skillet. Tip in the Brussels sprouts and cook over high heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the sprouts begin to brown.

Remove sprouts to a bowl. Add the cabbage, onion and red pepper flakes into the same skillet and cook over medium heat until the cabbage and onions begin to soften and brown up a bit, about 10 minutes.

Tip cabbage mix into bowl with sprouts and set aside.

Now add a bit more canola oil into the skillet and add the andouille. Cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to brown. Add the ham and orange pepper and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes.

Finally add the garlic and the thyme and cumin seeds and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove chorizo mix to the bowl with the veggies and set aside.

Now heat the skillet to high and add the tomatoes into the skillet. Let them sizzle and brown up for about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.

Now assemble the dish. Tip the veggie-chorizo mix into a large non-stick skillet and toss gently over medium heat. Add the rice and heat through, tossing very gently.

Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the tomatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note: If you don't have cooked rice on hand, just cook up a cup of rice. Once done, tip out onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread out to cool and dry out. Rice for this dish should be rather dry or you will end up with a gummy result.

If you can't find fresh andouille sausage, you could use chorizo for a similar effect, though slightly different flavor.

Sesame Chili Pork Stir Fry

I love Chinese Twice Cooked Pork, and love cabbage in stir fry's.   Stir fries are not Americanized Chinese food, you can find them all over China.  But the pork they use in Twice Cooked Pork tends to be on the more marbled side than you'll find in most American Chinese restaurants - almost like a German pork belly roast.

My Chinese colleagues introduced me to a relatively authentic Chinese restaurant locally, that they rather prefer.  Once I ordered the Twice Cooked Pork, and the waiter politely ask me if I was sure I would like it.  He said the meat will be... "different".  And it was.  And delicious, though quite marbled, almost to the point of uncured bacon.  But oh boy, was that good! I'd have to say it was authentic compared to the Twice Cooked Pork I recently had in Beijing (see below) - with the same outstanding pork fat back.

You can use many cuts of pork you prefer, from lean to marbled. Here, I used boneless pork country ribs, which has light and dark meat, and is medium in the lean-marble scale. Probably more attuned to the typical American taste.  But if you can find the Chinese cut, by all means use it for this dish.
1 lb pork, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 cups coarsely cut cabbage
Toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 Tbs Gochujan Korean chili and bean paste
1/2 cup pale dry sherry
2 tsp sesame oil

Whisk together the sauce ingredients.

Heat a slug of canola oil in a really hot wok or large deep skillet. Toss in the pork and stir fry for 3-5 minutes, browning the meat well. Set the pork aside. Add the remaining veggies and stir fry, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Stir very often, just allowing the veggies to brown on the edges. When the veggies have just begun to soften, and are crisp tender, return the pork to the wok. Heat through and then add the sauce. Bring to a boil. Serve with rice and top with sesame seeds.

Serves 4-6.

Cook's note:  There are lots of ways to flavor this dish, and you can use your favorite veggies to pair with the pork.  Here I use hoisin sauce with Korean spicy bean paste.  Recently I had this dish at a restaurant on Wolfe Road, in Cupertino nestled in a group of authentic Chinese restaurants right across the street from Apple's new HQ construction site. These restaurants are famous in the area, and are going to do well with their prime location!

I knew this restaurant was authentic when I read that the menu and it had both beef and chicken entrail dishes!

I had the Twice Cooked Pork which had celery as the main veggie, and they also used that fantastic marbled pork fat back. Very delicious, with a black bean sauce base.

But cabbage and green peppers seem to be the more typical veggies for Twice Cooked Pork in the US.  In Beijing, I had it with red and green peppers and choy sum at the famous Peking Duck House, near the Olympic Village.

Twice cooked Pork (foreground), Peking Duck (background) in Beijing, China

Bird's Nest and Olympic Village, Beijing, China

Forbidden City, Beijing, China

Beef Stir Fry with Plum Sauce

This stir fry would also work well with pork, chicken or tofu.1 lb beef, thinly sliced - good tender cuts like Rib Eye or Sirloin Tips work well
3 broccoli crowns, chopped, about 2-3 cups
1/4 cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red pepper, coarsely diced
1 small onion, sliced into half moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

Sauce:
1/2 cup plum sauce
1 Tbsp black bean sauce, or soy sauce
1/2 tsp chili paste with garlic
1/4 cup pale dry sherry

Get all your ingredients read to go - 'mise-en-place'. Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a large wok and add a few tablespoons canola or peanut oil. Stir fry the broccoli, cabbage, pepper and onion for about 6-8 minutes, stirring almost continuously. When the veggies are just beginning to soften, add the garlic and ginger, and stir fry another 2 minutes. Set veggies aside in a bowl.

Add another tablespoon oil to the wok and heat to just smoking hot. Add the beef and stir fry until the beef is just cooked. Return the veggies to the wok and add the sauce. Heat everything through. Serve over steamed rice, topped with sesame seeds.

Tofu Veggie Hoisin Stir Fry

1 pkg extra firm tofu
1 red pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
3 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup snow peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
½-inch fresh ginger, minced

Sauce:
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup pale dry sherry
½ tsp chili paste with garlic

1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water

While cutting the veggies, drain the tofu and wrap in a clean tea towel. Weigh down with a large can of tomatoes to extract as much moisture as possible. Meanwhile whisk together the sauce ingredients.

Stir fry the tofu in about 2 Tbsp canola oil, shaking often, until starting to brown. Remove to a bowl with a paper towel. Salt to taste. Next in the wok, stir-fry the peppers for about 2 minutes with a bit of canola oil. Add the broccoli and continue stir frying until the broccoli begins to glisten, heat through and soften a bit – about 3 minutes. Add snow peas and stir fry another 2 minutes. Remove veggies to a bowl.

Add a small amount of canola oil to the wok and add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly for about a minute. Add sauce and heat to bubbling on high heat. In a very small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and water. With brisk stirring, drizzle in a bit of the cornstarch mixture – only enough to just thicken the sauce. Return all the veggies and tofu to the wok and reheat everything through. Serve topped with sesame seeds on steamed short grain brown rice, for example.