Chinese food.

thriftlady_2

There's a new cookery programme on BBC2 8.30 Mondays called Chinese Food Made Easy. It started last week and is presented by Ching-He Huang who I thought was excellent -a really good teacher and no gimmicks which most TV chefs seem to need. She's really pretty too

helenhlns

If you search the BBC website there will be a page for Chinese Food Made Easy and recipes from each of the shows. She made a lovely looking fried rice this week also sweet and sour pork which wasn't the usual bright red sauce ladened stuff you get from a takeaway. Might be worth a look.

TeaTree6

Lettuce dumplings are quite nice for a change (not sure about the fried noodles inside but they are wrapped in lettuce leaves:rotfl: ).

We (well OH actually) usually make a really basic batter for pork or chicken with just flour and some value sparkling water and and seasoning as required depending on who we are cooking for. Just dip the pork or chicken in some flour first (cornflour is best really but any will do) then in he batter and straight in to the oil. Really nice with just boiled rice and some dipping sauce!

thriftlady_2

helenhlns wrote: »

If you search the BBC website there will be a page for Chinese Food Made Easy and recipes from each of the shows. She made a lovely looking fried rice this week also sweet and sour pork which wasn't the usual bright red sauce ladened stuff you get from a takeaway. Might be worth a look.

Yes, look at the site, there are videos of the recipes and loads of other tips -you can watch the first programme on BBCi player too;)

Stephen_Leak

It's a tricky one, as Chinese food is so varied. It's a big country. I'd certainly go with the buffet idea: my local one (Ocean Pearl, The Podium, Bath) is just £6.50. You could have a very pleasant (albeit fattening) afternoon, working your way from one end to the other.

Anyway, try these two of my recipes. Note how one uses the leftover tinned stuff from the other.

STIR FRIED BEEF IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

250g of beef
½ a bunch of spring onions
112g (½ a 225g tin) of bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
120g sachet of black bean sauce

METHOD

Cut the beef into very thin strips. Wash the spring onions, cut off the root ends and leaves, peel off and discard any dried up or slimy outer leaves, then chop into 1cm (½ inch) pieces. Open the tin of bamboo shoots and drain off the liquid.

Put the oil into a frying pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the beef. Fry for about 3 minutes until cooked. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the spring onions. Continue to fry for another minute. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the bamboo shoots and black bean sauce. Continue to fry for another minute. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use pork instead of the beef. Add 112g (½ a 225g tin) of water chestnuts. Add ½ a sweet pepper, cut into slices (see below). Serve with boiled rice or noodles.

STIR FRIED VEGETABLES

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

112g (½ a 225g tin) of bamboo shoots
112g (½ a 225g tin) of water chestnuts
50g of mange tout peas
125g (½ a 250g pack) of bean sprouts
½ a bunch of spring onions
½ a red sweet pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce*

METHOD

Open the tins of bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and drain off the liquid. Wash the mange tout peas. Wash and drain the bean sprouts. Wash the spring onions, cut off the root ends and leaves, peel off and discard any dried up or slimy outer leaves, then shred them. Wash the sweet pepper and cut it into slices (see below). Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces.

Put the sunflower oil into a frying pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the garlic. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the bamboo shoots, mange tout peas, spring onion, sweet pepper and water chestnuts. Stir thoroughly, so everything gets coated in the oil, for about 30 seconds. Add the bean sprouts and stir thoroughly for another 10 seconds. Add the soy sauce and stir thoroughly for another couple of minutes.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Add ½ a teaspoon of five spice powder at the same time as the garlic. Add ½ a tablespoon of dry sherry or rice wine at the same time as the soy sauce.

You can add almost any vegetable that you happen to have around and needs using up. Baby sweet corn, broccoli, cabbage leaves, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce leaves and mushrooms are particularly suitable. Cut the carrot into matchstick-sized strips, and everything else into 1cm (½ inch) pieces. The leaves and mushrooms should be cooked for about 2 minutes, and everything else for about 3 minutes.

TIPS

This cooks very quickly, so the secret is to get all the ingredients prepared and measured out beforehand, and then put them on plates or in bowls in the order that they go into the pan or wok.

Serve as a side dish, or with boiled rice or noodles. Rice will take longer to cook than the stir fry, so put it on while you are preparing the ingredients.

HOW TO CUT A ROUND SWEET PEPPER INTO STRAIGHT SLICES

Cut the top and bottom off but don’t throw them away. Remove and discard the middle bit with the seeds. Make a cut down the pepper. Open it out. The round pepper is now a rectangular pepper. Cut into slices. Cut the stalk out of the top end and then chop it and the bottom end into tiny pieces. Add the chopped pepper to the dish.

* Dark soy sauce is mainly used for cooking, as its flavour develops with heating. Light soy sauce is mainly used for seasoning.

PS. I am currently trying to find another one that uses the leftover bean sprouts (and maybe even the pepper).

Stephen_Leak

One dish I wouldn't recommend is "Tangerine Flavoured Long Simmered Ox's P*n*s", which I found in an old Ken Hom book. Evidently, it weighs 3lb, you have to split it lengthways (this bit always makes me feel a bit _pale_ ) and you need a very big wok. OTOH, it might be absolutely delicious.

studentphil

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

It's a tricky one, as Chinese food is so varied. It's a big country. I'd certainly go with the buffet idea: my local one (Ocean Pearl, The Podium, Bath) is just £6.50. You could have a very pleasant (albeit fattening) afternoon, working your way from one end to the other.

Anyway, try these two of my recipes. Note how one uses the leftover tinned stuff from the other.

STIR FRIED BEEF IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

250g of beef
½ a bunch of spring onions
112g (½ a 225g tin) of bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
120g sachet of black bean sauce

METHOD

Cut the beef into very thin strips. Wash the spring onions, cut off the root ends and leaves, peel off and discard any dried up or slimy outer leaves, then chop into 1cm (½ inch) pieces. Open the tin of bamboo shoots and drain off the liquid.

Put the oil into a frying pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the beef. Fry for about 3 minutes until cooked. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the spring onions. Continue to fry for another minute. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the bamboo shoots and black bean sauce. Continue to fry for another minute. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use pork instead of the beef. Add 112g (½ a 225g tin) of water chestnuts. Add ½ a sweet pepper, cut into slices (see below). Serve with boiled rice or noodles.

STIR FRIED VEGETABLES

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

112g (½ a 225g tin) of bamboo shoots
112g (½ a 225g tin) of water chestnuts
50g of mange tout peas
125g (½ a 250g pack) of bean sprouts
½ a bunch of spring onions
½ a red sweet pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce*

METHOD

Open the tins of bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and drain off the liquid. Wash the mange tout peas. Wash and drain the bean sprouts. Wash the spring onions, cut off the root ends and leaves, peel off and discard any dried up or slimy outer leaves, then shred them. Wash the sweet pepper and cut it into slices (see below). Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces.

Put the sunflower oil into a frying pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the garlic. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the bamboo shoots, mange tout peas, spring onion, sweet pepper and water chestnuts. Stir thoroughly, so everything gets coated in the oil, for about 30 seconds. Add the bean sprouts and stir thoroughly for another 10 seconds. Add the soy sauce and stir thoroughly for another couple of minutes.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Add ½ a teaspoon of five spice powder at the same time as the garlic. Add ½ a tablespoon of dry sherry or rice wine at the same time as the soy sauce.

You can add almost any vegetable that you happen to have around and needs using up. Baby sweet corn, broccoli, cabbage leaves, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce leaves and mushrooms are particularly suitable. Cut the carrot into matchstick-sized strips, and everything else into 1cm (½ inch) pieces. The leaves and mushrooms should be cooked for about 2 minutes, and everything else for about 3 minutes.

TIPS

This cooks very quickly, so the secret is to get all the ingredients prepared and measured out beforehand, and then put them on plates or in bowls in the order that they go into the pan or wok.

Serve as a side dish, or with boiled rice or noodles. Rice will take longer to cook than the stir fry, so put it on while you are preparing the ingredients.

HOW TO CUT A ROUND SWEET PEPPER INTO STRAIGHT SLICES

Cut the top and bottom off but don’t throw them away. Remove and discard the middle bit with the seeds. Make a cut down the pepper. Open it out. The round pepper is now a rectangular pepper. Cut into slices. Cut the stalk out of the top end and then chop it and the bottom end into tiny pieces. Add the chopped pepper to the dish.

* Dark soy sauce is mainly used for cooking, as its flavour develops with heating. Light soy sauce is mainly used for seasoning.

PS. I am currently trying to find another one that uses the leftover bean sprouts (and maybe even the pepper).

Thanks,I will try that.out I hope it is nice.