Category: Classic Chinese dishes

Because of the heat wave, I’ve been making these cold soba noodles practically every other meal. It is similar to my Sesame and peanut sauce noodles, but it is a lighter and more refreshing version of it with soba! The recipe features Meyer lemons, which we’ve gotten from my sister-in-law’s front yard in her gorgeous sf home.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 Meyer lemon juiced (or use 2)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• More water for adjusting to the consistency you like
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 2 bunches of soba noodles

Tips

• Substitute Meyer lemons with rice vinegar, lime juice, or regular lemons. But it won’t taste as good. 😛

Instructions

• Mix peanut butter, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water, soy sauce, sugar together in a bowl until ingredients completely incorporated.
• Add more water if you prefer a lighter sauce.
• Chop the green onions.
• Make the soba noodles according to the package. Rinse with cold water after cooking to prevent stickiness and to cool the noodles.
• Place the cooked, cooled soba noodles in a bowl and drizzle the sauce on top.
• Top it off with the chopped green onions.
• Ready to serve!

Cumin lamb is the best thing ever. (If you like lamb, and spicy stuff, and being punched by umami flavor. ) I guess I’ll admit that this dish is not as easy as it seems and took me many tries to perfect. Once I mastered the art of making cumin lamb, it became the dinner that my picky picky husband always requests!

Ingredients

• 1 lb of lamb, sliced (leg or shoulder work fine)
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
• 3 pinches of salt
• 2 pinches of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of shaoxing rice wine
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 or 2 jalapeno (depending on how spicy you like your lamb)
• 1 small yellow onion, julienned (larger chunks are okay)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, sliced into 1/2 centimeters
• 1 stalk of green onion, chopped into 2 inch stalks, with green and white parts separated
• 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds (optional)
• Vegetable oil s needed

Tips

• Does it have to be shaoxing rice wine? Probably not, but it really does bring out the taste that other types of rice wine doesn’t.
• When cooking the lamb first, make sure it’s cooked to the point that it’s dry and charring. You don’t want it to be saucy.
• You can substitute crushed red pepper flakes with gochugaru.
• To adjust the taste at the end, use salt to help balance out the spice if too spicy. Use cumin to add more flavor if it just tastes like soy sauce. Use more crushed red pepper flakes if it’s not spicy enough.

Instructions

• Combine lamb, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, dark soy sauce, cornstarch and shaoxing rice wine. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better.
• Heat up vegetable oil in a wok or pan.
• Place the lamb into the wok or pan and stir fry for about 10 minutes, or however long it takes for the moisture to dry out and for the lamb to start charring. Set aside when finished.
• In the same wok or pan, add the onion, garlic, ginger, the white parts of the green onion, the crushed red pepper flakes, and the whole cumin seeds and stir fry until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• Add the jalapenos and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
• Add the cooked lamb back into the wok or pan along with the 1 tablespoon of ground cumin and the green parts of the green onion. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• Taste the lamb and adjust based on your liking.
• Ready to serve!
• Serve white or brown rice, vegetables, or other family favorites.

There are very few dishes I love more than fish. My grandpa used to call me “mao-mei-zi.” I started eating whole fish since I was 5 years old. My family was impressed with my ability to separate the fish from the bone at such a young age. This is a recipe I use most frequently these days.

Ingredients

• 1 whole fish (about 1-1.5lbs)
• 1 inch ginger, julienned (separated)
• 1 big stalk of green onions, minced or chopped
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons of rice wine
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil (separated)
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• Water for steaming
• Salt

Tips

• Make sure you have a big enough wok/pot to fit the fish in
• Adjust the soy sauce and salt based on your liking

Directions

• Wash the fish and pat dry.
• Sprinkle the fish with salt on both sides.
• Put some of the julienned ginger in the cavity of the fish, and the rest of the ginger on top of the fish.
• Prepare your steamer; boil water in your pot.
• Once water is boiled, place the whole fish on a steamer into the pot and steam for 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the fish.
• In a separate bowl, pour in soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, and rice wine.
• Heat up the canola oil and the rest of the sesame oil in another separate pan.
• When your fish is done steaming, take it out of the steaming pot.
• Pour the soy sauce mixture over/around the fish.
• Place the green onions on top of the fish.
• Now the best part!!!! Pour the sizzling canola oil mixture over the ginger and green onions on top of the fish. Enjoy that heavenly smell.
• Ready to serve! Best with rice.

I’ve been craving this dish because I’ve been feeling a little homesick. Hunan (my home city) is a place of spice and flavor and it is also adjacent to Sichuan, which is where this fire-y dish originated from!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 filets of Basa Swai (you can get these at any Asian market!)
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons of rice wine
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 stalk of green onions, chopped
• 1 inch of ginger, minced
• 2.5 tablespoons of doubanjang (spicy fermented bean paste), separated into 2 and 1/2 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons of canola oil (you’ll use this separately as well)
• 2 Chinese eggplants, chopped into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoons of Sichuan peppercorns, grounded
• 5-6 dried chili peppers
• About 2 cups of water
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Tips:

• You can use any vegetables that you like, including Napa cabbage, sprouts, mushrooms, etc. I would just limit to 2 types of veggies at the most.
• The spicy level can be adjusted by adding more or less Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers and water.
• I don’t serve the dish with the Sichuan peppercorns, but you definitely can if you like the mala flavor!

How to serve:

• This dish goes best with white rice!

Directions:

• Cut the filets at an angle to make sure each piece is about 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.
• Put the filets, a pinch of salt and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well. Marinate for about 30 minutes or overnight.
• In a pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of canola oil and put in some of the Sichuan peppercorns and the dried chili peppers. Stir-fry until fragrant. Take out the peppercorns and peppers and leave the oil. (You don’t need to get all of it out).
• In the same pan with the oil that is left, place your vegetables of choice into the pan and stir-fry until soft and cooked. Place the vegetables into the serving bowl.
• In the same pan, heat up another tablespoon of canola oil and put in the garlic, ginger and green onions. Stir-fry until fragrant.
• Put in the 2 tablespoons of doubanjang and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in about 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Gently put your fish slices into the water, put the lid back onto the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil.
• The minute it boils, turn off the heat! (This ensures that you don’t overcook the fish)
• Pour the mixture on top of the vegetables in the serving bowl.
• Place the dried chili peppers and peppercorns that you had set aside on top of the dish.
• Optional: heat up another tablespoon of oil and pour it on top of the dried chili peppers and peppercorns for a nice sizzle!

My mother taught me how to make this a long time ago. I remember being very mesmerized as she did each step to accomplish this dish, thinking that all I ever wanted to do was to cook and eat. 😛

Ingredients:

• Any kind of noodles (about 3 small bunches)
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons of white sugar
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of dried crushed red peppers
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 1 stalk of green onions, chopped and separated into white and green parts
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
• 3 more cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, shredded (optional)
• 1 spicy sausage, chopped (optional)

How to serve:

• I added two sides to this meal, the cucumber and sausage, but the noodles taste great on their own without embellishments!

Directions:

• Chop and shred your optional toppings first and set them aside.
• Bake the sausage in an oven for 15 minutes on 350 degrees and set aside.
• Slice the 3 cloves of garlic and mince the other three cloves of garlic.
• In a bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, crushed red peppers together and mix well until mixture is creamy and integrated together.
• Heat up sesame oil in a shallow pan on medium heat; add in the white parts of the green onions. Stir fry until fragrant.
• Add in all of the mixture from your bowl and stir fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Boil water and cook your noodles.
• In a bowl, put the cooked noodles in first. Add the sauce and the green parts of the green onions and use tongs to mix well. Top the bowl with the shredded cucumber.
• Place the baked sausage in a plate with the sliced garlic.
• Ready to serve!

A friend of mine wanted to make the beef noodle soup recipe I had from December, but she found the number of steps/ingredients/pots and pans too intimidating. So I decided to put up a simpler version!

Disclaimer: it’s simpler but… it’s still beef noodle soup so it won’t be like making eggs.

Ingredients:

• 1 tri-tip
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 5 slices of ginger
• 2 teaspoons of chili flakes
• 3 star anises
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 stalk of green onions (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil for cooking
  2 tablespoons of doubanjan (spicy fermented bean paste)
• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• 1/2 cup rice wine (you can use red wine or any other type of cooking wine)
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• Water
• Noodles
• Garnish with chili peppers (optional)

Tips:

• Place the garlic, ginger, chili flakes, star anises, and green onions in one bowl.

Directions:

• Cut the beef into 1.5 inch cubes.
• Place the beef into water with a splash of rice wine; bring to a boil and turn the heat down to medium; cook for 2 minutes and remove the beef from the water and set aside. Dump out the water.
• In the same pot, put in the cooking oil and the doubanjan and fry until fragrant and the oil turns red.
• Put in the garlic, ginger, chili flakes, star anises, and green onions into the pot (if you had this in a bowl, then just toss it all in). Cook until fragrant.
• Place the beef into the pot and move the beef around the sauce.
• Put in the soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine and stir fry for a few minutes.
• Pour in enough water until it is about 2 inches above the beef.
• Cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours. You can taste it in the middle and add water or soy sauce to adjust the taste to your liking.
• Once the beef is almost ready, cook the noodles and place them in bowls.
• Pour the soup over the bowls and place pieces of beef on top.
• Garnish with chili peppers.
• Ready to serve!

I wanted to make something healthy and delicious tonight and I did!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of salmon, cut into little rectangles (1 by 2”)
• 1 stalk of green onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 slices of ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (divided)
• 3 tablespoons of rice wine
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (optional)
• Water as needed
• Oil for cooking

Tips:

• I marinated mine for about an hour, but you definitely don’t have to and it’ll taste just as good.
• Slow and steady really wins the race here!

How to serve:

• The salmon goes great with rice and the egg tomato stir fry I made here: https://www.chefcelia.me/2020/03/15/egg-and-tomato-stir-fry

Directions:

• In a bowl, mix the salmon with salt, half of the sugar, half of the soy sauce, and half of the rice wine. Add in the cornstarch if you have it.
• Cover and set aside for 1 hour.
• Mince the garlic.
• Chop the green onions and divide the green parts from the white parts.
• Mince the ginger.
• In a pan, heat up canola oil.
• Place the salmon skin side up into the heated pan, and cook for 2 minutes on medium high fire.
• Turn the fire down to medium low, and place the white parts of the green onions, the ginger, and the garlic into the pan.
• Pour about 1/2 cup of water over the salmon and the green onions/ginger/garlic mixture.
• Put the lid on and cook for about 3 minutes.
• Open the lid and put the rest of the sugar, soy sauce, and rice wine into the pan.
• Turn the salmon pieces over and cover with the lid to cook for another 3 minutes.
• Take the salmon out of the pan and garnish with the green parts of the green onions.
• Ready to serve.