Qie Jia
Fried Egg Plant Pie
 
1lbground pork
1t sesame oil
1t ginger, diced very fine
½C onion, diced
   salt & pepper to taste
1  egg plant
C flour
¼C corn starch
   salt to taste
   water
 
Mix the ground pork, sesame oil, ginger, onion, salt and pepper.  Peel and slice the egg plant into .25" slices.  Make, like little sandwiches, a .25" layer between 2 slices of egg plant. 
  
Mix the flour, corn starch and salt, then add water until like a thick soup.  Dip the egg plant pies into the flour mixture until well covered.
 
Fry in .5" hot oil until both sides are golden brown.  This is best when eaten while still very warm.  It's best to buy egg plants that are not fat (less seeds).

Serves: 4
Keys:     Main Dish, Chinese
Shao Qiezi
Stir Fried Eggplant

1 eggplant, cut into byte size pieces
1 green onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1tsalt
1Tsugar         
1tsoy sauce
½Ccooking oil

Heat oil, add eggplant, cook on medium and with back of large spoon, press juices from eggplant, until it's soft and the color changes.  Takes about 10-12 minutes.  Add salt, garlic, onion, soy sauce and sugar.  Cook 1-2 minutes more. Northern Chinese style.

Serves: 4
Keys:     Side Dish, Chinese
Shao Dou Jia
Stir Fried Green Beans

3Cgreen beans, ends snapped
1 green onion
3 garlic cloves
1Tcooking oil
1Tsugar
1tsalt
1tsoy sauce

Heat oil, add beans, cook on high 3-4 minutes in oil while stirring.  Add salt, soy sauce, sugar, onion and garlic.  Cook 1-2 minutes more. Shanghai style.

Serves: 4
Keys:     Side Dish, Vegetable, Chinese
Gong Bao Ji Ding
Stir Fried Pepper Chicken

Cchicken breast, skinned & boned
½Cuncooked (raw) peanuts
1Cbell pepper
3 slices ginger root
2 green onions, chopped 1/2"
1tsalt
1tsoy sauce

Soak byte sized pieces of chicken in soy sauce for 5 minutes. Cook peanuts in oil over medium heat for 3 minutes while stirring.   Remove peanuts.  Add ginger, green onion, chicken, turn heat on high for 2 minutes.  Add green pepper, salt, nuts, soy sauce and green onion.  Stir for 2 minutes. Northern Chinese style.

Serves: 4
Keys:     Main Dish, Chinese
Chinese
www.chefbill.homestead.com

Mah Gu Gai Pan
Stir Fried Mushrooms & Chicken

2ealarge boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, 7-8oz

Marinade:
2T oyster sauce
1T Chinese rice wine or dry white wine
d freshly ground black or white pepper
2t cornstarch

Other:
4ozfresh mushrooms, any variety
5eacanned straw mushrooms
4ozcanned bamboo shoots
½C chicken broth 
2T chicken broth 
1T dark soy sauce
4t oyster sauce
1t granulated sugar
¼t sesame oil
1T cornstarch
5T oil for stir-frying, or as needed
2t minced ginger

Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry. Cut off any extra fat. Cut the breasts into thin strips approximately 2 1/2-inches long and 1/2-inch thick.  Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken strips, add the cornstarch last and using your fingers to mix it in.  Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables and sauce. Wipe the fresh mushrooms with a damp cloth and slice. Rinse the canned straw mushrooms, pat dry and slice. Rinse the bamboo shoots under warm running water, drain and cut into 1-inch pieces.

To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup chicken broth with the dark soy sauce, 4 teaspoons oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry until the chicken changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok.  
Add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped fresh mushrooms. Stir-fry until the water begins to come out (2 to 3 minutes). Add 2 tablespoons of the chicken broth. Continue stir-frying until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Push the fresh mushrooms up to the sides of the wok. Add 2 more tablespoons oil in the middle. Add the minced ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the straw mushrooms. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the bamboo shoots.  Move the vegetables up to the side of the wok. Give the sauce a quick re-stir and add to the middle of the wok. Stir quickly to thicken. When the sauce is thick and bubbling, add the chicken back into the pan. Mix everything together, cook for another 30 seconds, and serve hot.

Serves: 4
Keys:     Main Dish, Chinese
Authentic Chinese recipes by Yuzhen "Jane" Song
Tu Duo Si
Mongolian String Potatoes

2  eaLarge Potatoes
1/3C Vinegar
1/3C Sugar
  D salt

This is a unique and very different side dish that is an ancient Mongolian recipe and is still popular in northern China.  For centuries in Mongolia potatoes have been a staple in their diet. Since the primary ingredients are similar to cole slaw the taste will appeal to almost everyone.

Peel and thin slice the potatoes, then slice them to make long potato strings.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and then drop the potatoes into the boiling water.  When it returns to a boil again, drain the potatoes and cover with cold water for a couple of minutes.  Drain and place on a paper towel and then gentle pat dry.  Put potato strings into a bowl and add vinegar, sugar, salt and gently mix.  Do a taste test to see if you need more sugar or vinegar.  Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator until served as a cold side dish or this can be served warm.

To make this more colorful try adding a couple of these ingredients: chopped chives, green onions, peppers, pimentos or bacon bits.

Serves:  4-6
Keys:     Side Dish, Mongolian