This post is a sort of "part 2" to my last one (a restaurant review of the Chinese restaurant Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Flushing, NY). After cooking a large family-style Chinese meal for lunch this afternoon, something I do often, I decided to try to write up and share some of my favorite recipes.
Some brief background before I get started. First, my boyfriend's mom taught me how to cook most of these recipes (his parents are both from China; the city of Wuwei, in Gansu province). His mom is such an excellent and intuitive chef, the type of person who throws a bunch of ingredients into a pan seemingly at random, and thus unable to provide exact measurements or instructions to those who wish to learn them because the cooking process is so effortless for her. Despite this, I have watched her cook dozens of times over the last 3+ years and tried my best to glean her secrets and duplicate her efforts. The degree of my success ranges, but I am so happy when my boyfriend tells me that one of my dishes tastes as good as the ones he ate growing up. It is also very special to me that I can attempt to recreate foods that are hallmarks of his childhood.
Second, I am actually not very good at writing up recipes myself. I made this blog partially in effort to improve that skill, and in response to those who have asked me to provide a recipe for something I've made in the past. This is the first "recipe" post on this new blog, and I will try my best to make things as concrete as possible. However, I very much enjoy the creative and unscientific parts of cooking (not adhering to recipes 100%, and deviating when your judgement exceeds the written "rules") - so I encourage you to do the same.
In today's post, then, I provide "recipes" for all of the dishes in the picture above, in order and starting with the top-left. I have many other Chinese recipes in my portfolio, so perhaps I'll share more another day.
Tu dou si, or shredded potato with pepper
Ingredients
1-2 large white potatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp vinegar (light and dark vinegar are fine, but my boyfriend's mom actually makes this recipe with sushi vinegar. Sushi vinegar is pre-seasoned with sugar and salt, which means you don't have to buy/measure those ingredients seperately - this is the brand I often use)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (fresh garlic is also fine, but I've found it burns easily in this recipe)
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Wash and peel the potatoes completely, then shred into thin pieces of similar size. I use a mandoline slicer with a julienne insert like this to get the job done quickly and uniformly.
Wash the green bell pepper, de-seed, and then chop into thin strips, similar in size to the potato.
Soak the shredded potatoes in a bowl with clean, cold water for several minutes (do not skip this step - soaking removes extra starch, and prevents the potatoes from sticking during the cooking process). Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel.
Heat oil in a frying pan, then add the potatoes and pepper together. Fry for about a minute, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, then add vinegar and garlic powder. Cook the mixture until the potatoes are soft, mixing evenly throughout.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm, seasoning with extra salt to taste, if necessary.
Pai huang gua, or smashed cucumbers
Ingredients
1-2 large seedless cucumbers (Persian work well)
1 tsp of salt
1/4 cup vinegar (again, I use this sushi vinegar in this recipe, for the same reasons as above)
1-2 tsp sesame oil (I use this brand)
1-2 large garlic cloves, minced
red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
small handful of cilantro to garnish (optional)
small handful of sesame seeds to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Wash cucumbers, pat dry, and then cut into desired shape. Traditionally, these are sliced lengthwise into sticks, and then smashed (cut side down) using the flat surface of a knife until the flesh is broken down. Smashing helps release the seeds, but I don't mind the seeds so sometimes I skip this step.
Place cucumber into a bowl and coat evenly with salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes, or longer (up to 2 hours), to release excess moisture from the cucumbers. Drain excess liquid, and then rinse and pat dry to remove some of the salt.
Pour over vinegar and sesame oil, stirring to coat. Let marinate for at least another 30 minutes, or for several hours (even overnight) to ensure that the flavors permeate the cucumber completely.
When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any excess liquid and transfer to a serving dish. If desired, garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro, or sesame seeds.
Garlic yu choy
Ingredients
1 pound bag of Chinese yu choy (available in Chinese supermarkets, can also substitute for other leafy green vegetable), chopped into 3-inch lengths, with stems and leaves separated
3-4 large gloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Heat oil in a frying pan, and add chopped garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add a few spoonfuls of water to prevent the garlic from burning.
Add the yu choy stems to the pan, stirring to coat them in oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until they are bright green and slightly soft. Nex,t add yu choy leaves, stirring to coat and cooking until the leaves are wilted but still bright green. Season with salt to taste and stir.
Remove from heat immediately to prevent overcooking the greens - the stalks should still have a slight crunch. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm.
Cong you bing, or scallion pancake
Truth be told, I haven't made scallion pancakes from scratch yet, though this is high on my to-learn list.
Today's scallion pancakes were cooked from frozen, which was simple, easy, and yielded a delicious outcome. I simply warmed a few teaspoons of vegetable oil in my pan, added the frozen pancake, and cooked for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then I transferred to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil, and served with fresh cilantro and chili oil with fermented black beans.
Liangban tofu, or Szechuan-style cold tofu
Ingredients
1 box of extra-firm or smoked tofu (extra-firm tofu works best for this recipe, but smoked tofu like this is even better)
2 scallions, finely chopped
2-3 cilantro stems, finely chopped
1 handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp black vinegar (I use this brand)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Instructions
Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes, or desired shape and size.
Mix all of the sauces and seasonings together in a small bowl, and let sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to marinate.
Pour sauce over the tofu cubes and mix well, until all pieces are coated. Serve immediately, or let marinate in the fridge for up to 1 hour.
Serve cold, and garnish with additional cilantro leaves, scallions, and red pepper flakes if desired.
Steamed kabocha with vinegar-sesame dressing
Kabocha is one of my favorite things to eat, and my favorite way to eat it is very simply. No formal recipe needed here - I just remove the seeds, chop the pumpkin into thin slices, and then place it in a steamer basket over some boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until soft. I serve the steamed kabocha with a dipping sauce of black vinegar with a few drops of sesame oil, which imparts a tremendous amount of flavor.