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 to [...]

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 [...]

Chinese Omelet

Best known as Egg Fooyung, this dish used to be on most Chinese restaurant menus, although I haven’t seen it offered recently. In Mandarin it is called furong dan, or hibiscus or lotus flower eggs. It can be made with egg whites or whole eggs and can contain a variety of ingredients, ranging from ground pork to [...]

Mooshu Vegetables (or Pork or Beef or Chicken or Shrimp or…)

“Mooshu” will never be the same after Disney’s character (voiced by the hilarious Eddie Murphy) in Mulan, but Mooshu (also spelled moo shu, moo shi, or mu xu in Mandarin) is probably found in most Chinese restaurants in America. Its name appears to come from the dish’s appearance: the ingredients are basically cut into such [...]

Stirfried Squid with Chinese Celery

If you are interested in eating sustainable seafood, squid seems to be a fairly good alternative – Montere Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch lists several good alternatives as well as a best choice (US Atlantic longfin, trawl-caught) and no flashing-light “avoid this!” The trick with squid is to avoid overcooking at all costs, or you will end up with [...]

Stirfried Fish with Eggs

This is a simple dish with an abundance of lean protein and a bright sunny color. For your most sustainable fish choice, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch.
ingredients:

4 oz white fish fillet (I like to use Pacific cod or sea bass)
4 large eggs, separated
4 scallions, minced
2 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1/4  tsp salt
2 T oil

marinade:

1 tsp ginger juice [...]

Shrimp with Edamame

This dish is a favorite with our kids as it features 2 ingredients they love – shrimp and edamame. Both are readily available in your grocer’s freezer, but if you have a chance to visit a seafood vendor at a farmers’ market or store that specializes in seafood, you will probably be able to purchase [...]