Grilled Scallops with Cilantro

Another invention of mine, totally NOT Chinese but using some ingredients common to Chinese cuisine and very appropriate for that ever-popular summer activity: grilling! Fish sauce, a very salty concoction made from anchovies,  is a predominantly Vietnamese ingredient but is widely available in both Asian markets and many well-stocked conventional grocery stores (in the Asian [...]

Baked Cod

Like a few other recipes on this site, this one qualifies as Chinese only because of the ingredients used – it’s really a fusion dish, a tweak of a recipe I found on the website of Lummi Island Wild. I am lucky enough to co-manage a buying club that purchases sustainably caught fish directly from [...]

Five-Spice Brined Ribs and….

I’ve become a big fan of brining (soaking an animal protein in a mixture of salt, sugar, and water before cooking), and this recipe is the result of an experiment in that arena. (You can find an excellent in-depth discussion of the basics of brining in Cook’s Illustrated.) I have made this recipe with beef [...]

Scrambled Eggs & Fish

Quick and healthy – lots of lean protein! Use the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch site to find information on how to purchase the most sustainably caught or raised small-flake mild white fish available (bass, snapper, tilapia, etc. – avoid the large-flake, oily fish such as cod). I posted this recipe earlier (see Stirfried Fish with [...]

Stirfried Broccoli with Crab

We were lucky enough to be given the gift of some delicious crab legs – thanks, Oran! – something we rarely buy but greatly enjoy. I often hesitate to buy crab for reasons of sustainability, but if you visit Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch, you will find that there are some good alternatives. Because we started with uncooked [...]

On the road again…

Wish I could claim it’s a voluntary chef’s vacation, but this week begins our family’s relocation from CA to MI, almost 2 weeks of enforced eating out, something I dread heartily. Hoping to find some healthy surprises along the way…. I’ll be posting occasionally, but new recipes are unlikely until after July 4th weekend. Thanks [...]

3 Cups Scallops

The “3 cups” style of cooking originally refers to a recips for cooking an entire chicken using 1 cup each of soy sauce, sesame oil, and wine. Obviously for lesser amounts of food, the amount of ingredients has also been reduced, but for most recipes of this style, the proportion remains the same 1:1:1. Often [...]

Stirfried Squid with Sugar Snap Peas

Squid seems to be a fairly ocean-friendly choice as far as seafood goes (see Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch), and wonder of wonders, my 5-year-old seems to like it! I found some wild-caught squid at the farmers’ market, but you could also look for it at your favorite fish vendor, either fresh or frozen. Snap [...]

Clams with Fresh Basil

I have not come across too many uses for basil in Chinese cooking, but occasionally you can find a dish on a Chinese menu that is made with something called “nine-layer pagoda,” (jiuceng ta) which is, according to the Evergreen Seeds site, also known as Thai basil. Thai basil has a stronger flavor and a [...]

Pearl Meatballs

These delightful little meatballs are coated with rice – they will look like they’re studded with pearls if you use short-grain rice, and if you choose to use longer-grain rice, they will look like little hedgehogs. A big hit with kids, and a good school lunch item if packed in a thermos. Can be made [...]