Kung pao chicken

This type of stir-fried dish is consist of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers is originated in Sichuan Province in China. This dish is named after Ding Baozhen who is a Qing Dynasty Official and the Governor of the Sichuan Province. When he was an official, he has the title of Gongbao which literally means Palace Guardian and the name "Kung Pao" is derived from this title. According to Wikipedia, the Westernized versions of this dish usually called "Kung Pao chicken" or "Kung Po", commonly consist of diced marinated chicken stir-fried with orange or orange juice, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, sugar, cooking oil, corn starch, and salt and pepper to taste. The dish is often garnished with whole roasted peanuts. Other versions of Kung Pao substitute beef, pork or seafood for chicken.

Kung Pao chicken is a very popular staple of North America schools and many recommend using it as a measure of the skills of a chef. It is recommended to serve it with rice to really taste the Kung Pao Chicken. Whereas the original Chinese version of the dish includes Sichuan peppercorns as an integral ingredient, the American version does not. From 1968 until 2005, it was illegal to import Sichuan peppercorns into the United States. They were viewed as potential carriers of citrus canker, a tree disease that can potentially harm citrus crops. The ban has now been lifted in light of new processing methods, however, the 37-year ban resulted in a distinct American version of the recipe that does not incorporate Sichuan peppercorns.

The ingredients:

250g/9oz skinless chicken
breast fillets
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 egg white
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 green pepper, seeded
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 spring onion, cut into short sections
a few small slices of fresh root ginger
5 dried red chillies, soaked, seeded
and shredded
2 tablespoons yellow bean sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine
100g/4oz roasted cashew nuts
a few drops of sesame oil

The Procedure:

Cut the chicken into small cubes about the size of sugar lumps. Put the
chicken in a small bowl, and mix with the salt and egg white. Mix a few
drops of water with the cornflour to form a paste, and add to the bowl.

Cut the green pepper into cubes, about the same size as the chicken
pieces.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the chicken, spring onion and ginger, and
stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the chillies with the yellow bean sauce and
wine. Blend well and stir-fry for another minute. Finally, stir in the roasted
cashew nuts and sesame oil.

Serve hot with boiled rice.

Onion rings

Onion Rings is a popular snack commonly found in US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Austria, Asia and so on. They are consist of breaded onions deep fried with bread crumbs. I first tried this back in High School where me and my friends ate at A&W. I thought it was silly to have an onion for a snack until I tried and tasted it. This typical food has an unknown origin but according to The New York Times Magazine, in 1933 a recipe for deep-fried onion rings are dipped in milk then dredged in flour which appeared in Crisco advertisement. The restaurant, A&W was credited for popularizing the onion rings in fast food restaurants and introduced it to its menu in the 1960s. 

So if you want to try this crunchy, yummylicious snack, the Ingredients that we will be needing are:


350ml/12fl oz plain flour
4 tablespoons cornmeal
4 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
350ml/12fl oz milk
1 large egg
8 large onions
vegetable oil for deep-frying

Procedure:

Combine the flour, cornmeal, onion
powder, salt, milk, egg and
125ml/4fl oz water in a large
bowl. Stir well until there are no
lumps and the batter is smooth.

Slice the onions across to make
rings about 1cm/1⁄2in thick.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan
until hot. Test to see whether the oil
is hot enough by dropping a little
of the batter into the oil – it should
sizzle straight away.

Dip the separated rings into the
batter. Drop the coated rings into
the oil and fry until golden brown.
Cook in batches if necessary.

Remove the onion rings with a
slotted spoon, and drain on kitchen
paper. Serve hot.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Fatty foods, it is bad for our health as it may cause hypertension specially fat from pork. But don't look at the pork meat that way, in fact pork has more nutrients compare to chicken or turkey but less compare to beef. A 100g serving of pork contains 65% of your RDA of thiamine which is needed for the metabolism of carbs into energy and also essential for the growth and repair of muscle fibers. It also has high levels of vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin) and also have phosphorus, iron, zinc and magnesium which strengthens the bones and boosts our immune system. But i should warn you, frequent eating of pork may not be good for your health since pork is know to carry some disease such as pork tapeworm and trichinosis so be sure not to undercook the pork. 

Moving on, the sweet and sour sauce is basically originated in China from the province of Hunan. Before it was used as a dip for fish or meat cutlets rather than using it as cooking. There are lots of variations of this sauce, in China sauces are made by mixing sugar or honey with a sour liquid, rice vinegar, soy sauce and spices like ginger and garlic. They also sometimes use a paste of tomatoes but this is very rare. Also in this article, we will use it as cooking in this recipe.

We will be needing:

½ kg (1lb) pork, cubed 1" pieces
(A)
1 spring onion, cleaned and cut into strips
2 tomatoes, cut in halves
1 onion, peeled and cut into 8 sections
red chillies to taste, seeds removed and cut into fine slices
1 fresh pepper, cut into bit-sized pieces

(B)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp Chinese wine
½ tbsp light soya sauce
pepper to taste
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tbsps water
1 tbsp cornflour

* Above three to be blended well

(C)
3 tbsps tomato sauce
3 tbsps sugar
3 tbsps vinegar
1tsp chilli sauce
½ tsp salt
3/4 cup water or stock
½ tsp sesame oil
1 ½ tbsps light soya sauce
½ tbsp cornflour blended with 2 tbsps water

The Procedure:

1. Marinade pork with ingredients (B) for at least ½ hour.
2. Heat oil for deep frying.
3. Coat seasoned pork pieces with cornflour.
4. Fry pork until browned (about 2 minutes) and then take out.
5. Reheat oil, then fry again until crispy.
6. Remove pork and drain off oil.
7. Heat 2 tbsps oil, fry the ingredients (A).
8. Add the ingredients (C) to make seasoning sauce, continuing to stir-fry until the sauce thickens.
9. Add in the pork, mix well, serve hot.

Chicken noodle soup

On this article, I will be presenting you the chicken noodle soup recipe. So why soup? Frankly speaking I like soup, keeps my stomach warm whenever you have a cold weather, effective food if you are sick and is eating on your bed, a great meal starter, and so on. But here are some facts to have soup every meal. 

1. SOUP is a liquid food that is prepared by boiling meat or vegetables,or both, in water and then seasoning and sometimes thickening the liquid that is produced. It is usually served as the first course of a dinner, but it is often included in a light meal, such as luncheon. While some persons regard the making of soup as difficult, nothing is easier when one knows just what is required and how to proceed. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to acquaint the housewife with the details of soup making, so that she may provide her family with appetizing and nutritious soups that make for both economy and healthfulness.

2. It is interesting to note the advancement that has been made with this food. The origin of soup, like that of many foods, dates back to practically the beginning of history. However, the first soup known was probably not made with meat. For instance, the mess of pottage for which Esau sold his birthright was soup made of red lentils. Later on meat came to be used as the basis for soup because of the agreeable and appetizing flavor it provides. Then, at one time in France a scarcity of butter and other fats that had been used to produce moistness and richness in foods, brought about such clear soups as bouillon and consommé. These, as well as other liquid foods, found much favor, for about the time they were devised it came to be considered vulgar to chew food. Thus, at various periods, and because of different emergencies, particular kinds of soup have been introduced, until now there are many kinds from which the housewife may choose when she desires a dish that will start a meal in the right way and at the same time appeal to the appetite.

3. VALUE OF SOUP IN THE MEAL.--Not all persons have the same idea regarding the value of soup as a part of a meal. Some consider it to be of no more value than so much water, claiming that it should be fed to none but children or sick persons who are unable to take solid food. On the other hand, many persons believe that soup contains the very essence of all that is nourishing and sustaining in the foods of which it is made. This difference of opinion is well demonstrated by the ideas that have been advanced concerning this food. Some one has said that soup is to a meal what a portico is to a palace or an overture to an opera, while another person, who evidently does not appreciate this food, has said that soup is the preface to a dinner and that any work really worth while is sufficient in itself and needs no preface. Such opinions, however, must be reconciled if the true value of this food is to be appreciated.

4. Probably the best way in which to come to a definite conclusion as to the importance of soup is to consider the purposes it serves in a meal. When its variety and the ingredients of which it is composed are thought of, soup serves two purposes: first, as an appetizer taken at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the appetite and aid in the flow of digestive juices in the stomach; and, secondly, as an actual part of the meal, when it must contain sufficient nutritive material to permit it to be considered as a part of the meal instead of merely an addition. Even in its first and minor purpose, the important part that soup plays in many meals is not hard to realize, for it is just what is needed to arouse the flagging appetite and create a desire for nourishing food. But in its second purpose, the real value of soup is evident. Whenever soup contains enough nutritive material for it to take the place of some dish that would otherwise be necessary, its value cannot be overestimated.

If soup is thought of in this way, the prejudice that exists against it in many households will be entirely overcome. But since much of this prejudice is due to the fact that the soup served is often unappetizing in both flavor and appearance, sufficient attention should be given to the making of soup to have this food attractive enough to appeal to the appetite rather than discourage it. Soup should not be greasy nor insipid in flavor, neither should it be served in large quantities nor without the proper accompaniment. A small quantity of well-flavored, attractively served soup cannot fail to meet the approval of any family when it is served as the first course of the meal.

5. GENERAL CLASSES OF SOUP.--Soups are named in various ways, according to material, quality, etc.; but the two purposes for which soup is used have led to the placing of the numerous kinds into two general classes. In the first class are grouped those which serve as appetizers, such as bouillon, consommé, and some other broths and clear soups. In the second class are included those eaten for their nutritive effect, such as cream soups, purées, and bisques. From these two classes of soup, the one that will correspond with the rest of the meal and make it balance properly is the one to choose. For instance, a light soup that is merely an appetizer should be served with a heavy dinner, whereas a heavy, highly nutritious soup should be used with a luncheon or a light meal.

6. ECONOMIC VALUE OF SOUP.--Besides having an important place in the meal of which it forms a part, soup is very often an economy, for it affords the housewife a splendid opportunity to utilize many left-overs. With the French people, who excel in the art of soup making chiefly because of their clever adaptation of seasoning to foods, their_pot-au-feu_ is a national institution and every kitchen has its stock pot. Persons who believe in the strictest food economy use a stock pot, since it permits left-overs to be utilized in an attractive and palatable way. In fact, there is scarcely anything in the way of fish, meat, fowl, vegetables, and cereals that cannot be used in soup making, provided such ingredients are cared for in the proper way. Very often the first glance at the large number of ingredients listed in a soup recipe creates the impression that soup must be a very complicated thing. Such, however, is not the case. In reality, most of the soup ingredients are small quantities of things used for flavoring, and it is by the proper blending of these that appetizing soups are secured.

So before eating your main course, let's prepare this delicious chicken noodle soup. 

Ingredients:

900ml/11⁄2pt chicken stock
1 bay leaf
4 spring onions, sliced
225g/8oz button mushrooms,
sliced
100g/4oz cooked skinless
chicken breast, thinly sliced
50g/2oz soup pasta such as
orzo or ditalini
150ml/5fl oz dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper

Directions: 

Put the stock and bay leaf into a
heavy pan, and bring to the boil.

Add the spring onions and
mushrooms to the simmering stock.
Add the chicken to the soup, and
season with salt and pepper. Heat
through for 2–3 minutes.

Add the pasta, cover and simmer
for 7–8 minutes.

Just before serving, add the wine
and parsley, heat the soup through
for 2–3 minutes, then check the
seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Serve hot.

Valentine`s Day Beef Tenderloin with Green Peppercorn-Brandy Sauce for Two

It's Valentines Day! Do you have plans of going out with your special someone? Or do you want to have a simple dinner at your home? Whatever what you were planning, it is important to make this day special for your special someone, your family or your friends. In this article since today is a special day of hearts, why not we try doing a steak with a special peppercorn brandy sauce. So why steak? There are lots of reasons to eat meat specially beef, here are some of the facts.

1. Meats are healthy specially beef. Beef has nutrients like zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins and half of the fat found in beef is monounsaturated, the same heart-healthy fats found in olive oil.

2. It's Easy to prepare. Using recipe websites or blogs like this blog, http://yummyliciouscuisine.blogspot.com, beef is easy addition to your balanced meal. Just fire up the grill or the slow cooker and you've got a simple meal that have meat.

3. Affordable. Calorie for calorie, beef has more nutrients compare to vegetarian protein options like tofu or peanut butter or beans.

4. It will make you feel sexy. Food without protein as the center of the diet, you will have no energy for the rest of the day. Yup, veggies and fruits are great but without protein, you feel week. And of course, being strong is being sexy.

So why don't we try this as a Valentines Dinner for today.

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz. ea) beef tenderloins
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 Tbl. green peppercorns
* 1 cup beef broth
* 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons brandy
* 2 tablespoons chopped chives for garnish

Directions:

Salt and pepper beef on both sides. Heat butter in medium skillet on medium heat. Add beef; cook 5 min; turn, cook another 5 min. Remove to platter; tent with foil to keep warm. In same skillet, add shallots and peppercorns. Cook 2 min. or until soft. Add broth, mustard, cream and brandy. Cook 5 min. or until reduced to 1/2. Place beef on serving plates. Top with sauce, garnish with chopped chives.

From Yummylicious, Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy your every meal.

Champagne Shrimp and Pasta

As Valentine's Day nearing and is about 2 days from now, I have lost my internet connection and didn't have the chance to post anything including this recipe that should have been posted 2 days early, but what's important no is this question, Have you found someone to go out with you 2 days from now? When i was on my 18, I prefer dating with someone I know. Someone special or friends or family on Valentines day, but I always forgot the most important fact about Valentines and how did it pop out of the calendar. 

The origin of this special holiday of hearts isn't really romantic at all. Saint Valentine is a roman priest who was persecuted at the church during his time because he performs wedding for soldiers who were forbidden to marry just because of the fact that soldiers who were not married can perform better that those who are married because they worry about their families if they die. He was imprisoned by the Roman Empire courtesy of Emperor Claudius the 2nd for performing marriage and was judged and stoned to death and it happened February the 14th. I didn't brought a lot of history on this article because this only part history blog and part food blog but, for a conclusion, saint Valentine did not forbid man to love as God didn't forbid as to love anyone who is someone special or someone important to us and cooking something special to our love ones this Valentine's day a yummylicious food is one way to show how important and how special they were. 

So, for this article, cooking a special shrimp pasta with a twist is definitely one way of showing how much you love them or how much you care for them. 

The main ingredients are:

8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cup champagne
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Cook and stir mushrooms in oil until tender. Remove mushrooms from pan, and set aside.

Combine shrimp, champagne, and salt in the frying pan, and cook over high heat. When liquid just begins to boil, remove shrimp from pan. Add shallots and tomatoes to champagne; boil until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup cream; boil until slightly thick, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp and mushrooms to sauce, and heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Toss hot, cooked pasta with remaining 1/4 cup cream and parsley. To serve, spoon shrimp with sauce over pasta, and top with Parmesan cheese.

Awesome Parmesan Chicken for Two

February is the month of love, the 2nd month of the year and the shortest month in the calendar. When this month comes, most of the people are celebrating specially the 14th since it is Valentine's Day. During my early age as a teen ager, I usually go on a date with girls I know or go on a blind date. I usually go on a movie or shopping or somewhere else (LOL), eat on a restaurant or whatever. But when it comes to eating, wouldn't you prefer something that you can make or prepare to make your date go special? In my opinion, I prefer to make a dinner for my special someone to make her feel more special. And that is why in this article, I wanted to help you prepare the dish for your valentine on your date this February 14th. Parmesan Chicken is the perfect dinner for two and the original dish was about 400 years ago in Bologna, Italy and is famously known as Veal Bolognese. This dish is also traces back to Parma, Italy where it was called Veal Parmigiana. Through out the years,  other meat were exchange for the Veal and become Chicken Parmesan or Pollo alla parmigiana.

Ingredients:

2 Boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup "Oven Fry" for Pork or chicken (No Substitutions)
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Olive oil

Directions for cooking:

Flatten chicken to about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch thick. in a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. in another bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture. I use a spoon to coat chicken with the crumb mixture gently pressing crumbs onto chicken. Preheat a frying pan with about a 1/2 cup of olive oil. add more when necessary. brown on medium heat until nicely browned and juices run clear.

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It is very moist and full of flavor! you can add a slice of tomato on top when chicken is done, then add some mozzarella on top of that. I sometimes serve with spaghetti and a nice loaf of fresh bread. or mashed potatoes and stuffing. The possibilities are endless.

Tonkatsu

When I was in Japan as far as I remember it was back in 2001, I have noticed restaurants and fast foods have this specific dish on their menu and do you know what it is? Yes, it is Tonkatsu. Tonkatsu is a very popular dish in Japan and as popular as Sushi, Maki and Gyudon. Tonakatsu is a dish consist of pork cutlets deep fried in a breaded coating. It is originated in 19th century and is serve as a main dish which has 2 types, the hire and rosu and is served with cabbage. Before, this typical dish is named katsuretsu or cutlets and was usually beef until the pork dish was invented in 1899 by a restaurant in Tokyo named Rengatai and later coined Tonkatsu or Pork Katsu in 1930's. There are lots of variation for this dish including sandwich filling katsu, katsudon which is served in a bowl of rice with an egg, ka-re katsu or curry katsu, Chicken Katsu, and a lot more. So if you want to have a taste of this crunchy and yummylicious Japanese dish, just follow this recipe and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Ingredients we will be needing:

Pork:
6 Pork escalopes, around .5mm thick and weighing 130-150g each
120g plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
200g dried breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying

To Serve:

shredded cabbage
boiled rice
Hot English Mustard or Japanese Mustard
(prepackaged hot English mustard)
Tonkatsu sauce or mixture of 50/50
Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce

Using a mallet or meat tenderiser flatten out the pork fillets evenly.
Season the flour with salt and pepper in a bowl.

Place the beaten eggs and breadcrumbs on separate plates or bowls.
Coat the pork in the flour then eggs and finely the breadcrumbs shaking off any excess crumbs.
Set aside until ready to cook.

Heat some oil in a deep fryer or wok to 180-190E C.
Cook 1 or 2 fillets at a time in the hot oil for around 5 minutes until they are golden brown.
Remove them from the heat and drain them on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the
remaining fillets.

Place a bed of cabbage on each plate.
Slice the pork fillets into 6-8 slices and place them on the cabbage.
Accompany each serving of pork with a bowl of rice, mustard and Tonkatsu sauce or a mixture
of Worcestershire sauce.

Paella

I am so excited to introduce to you my featured dish on this article since it is one of my favorite and definitely an all time favorite of mine because it has a lot of ingredients in it. I am a meat lover, not all kinds of meat but don't get me wrong I also love eating vegetables but on this article, I will be featuring Paella. Paella which is originated in Albufera in Valencia, is discovered in the mid 19th century. During the Spanish colonization in Philippines, most of the Spanish had influenced Filipinos their culture including food and of course that includes this recipe.  Most of the non Spaniards thought that Paella is Spain's national food but actually they (Spanish) only recognize it as Valencian's regional dish.  This dish has a lot of versions too but the traditional Paella are composed of land meat that includes rabbit, chicken, land snail and duck but in this article we will be trying to cook a mixed Paella.

The ingredients are:

12 black mussels
125ml/4fl oz white wine
11⁄2 small red onions, chopped
125ml/4fl oz olive oil
1 small skinless chicken breast
fillet, cut into bite-size pieces
12 raw prawns, peeled and
deveined
100g/4oz cleaned squid rings
100g/4oz skinless cod fillet, cut
into bite-size cubes
1 rasher smoked back bacon,
finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, seeded and finely
chopped
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
75g/3oz chorizo, thinly sliced
pinch of cayenne pepper
200g/7oz long-grain rice
1⁄4 teaspoon saffron threads
500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
75g/3oz fresh peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper

The procedure:

Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards.
Discard any broken mussels or open ones that do not close when tapped
on the work surface.

Heat the wine and onion in a large pan. Add the mussels, cover and
gently shake the pan for 4–5 minutes over a high heat. After 3 minutes,
begin removing any opened mussels and set aside. At the end of
5 minutes, discard any unopened mussels. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen
paper, then cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the
pan and set aside. Add the prawns, squid and cod to the pan, and cook
for 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Add the bacon, garlic and red
pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomato, chorizo and cayenne.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid, then
add the rice and mix well.

In a heavy saucepan, blend the saffron with the stock and mix well.
Bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for
15 minutes, without stirring.

Put the peas, chicken, prawns, squid and cod on top of the rice. Using a
wooden spoon, push pieces into the rice, cover and cook over a low
heat for 10–15 minutes until the rice is tender and seafood cooked. Add
the mussels for the last 2 minutes to heat. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Special chow mein

Chow mein is a dish from China as we all know that the main ingredients is noodles. This dish has different versions including, Yakisoba of Japan and Pancit from Philippines. The word Chow Mein or Chao Mian is actually 2 words, Chow means to fry and Mein means noodles so basically it is Fried Noodles. Cantonese style are usually boiled or soaked noodles then fried to crisp after they are wet cooked and then stir fried meats, sauce, and veggies on top of it. Here in Philippines, we call this Pancit and there are lots of version of this dish here like, Pancit Bihon, Pancit Canton, Pancit Palabok and so on. But in this article, I would like to introduce you my way of cooking this easy-to-cook dish in a special way.

We need ingredients like: 

50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh root ginger
2 fresh red chillies, seeded and
chopped
1 skinless chicken breast fillet, thinly
sliced
16 raw tiger prawns, peeled and
deveined, with tails left intact
450g/1lb egg noodles
100g/4oz green beans
225g/8oz beansprouts
50g/2oz garlic chives
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The procedure is:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large frying pan, and stir-fry the
garlic, ginger and chillies. Add the chicken, prawns and beans. Stir-fry
for 4–5 minutes over a high heat until the chicken and prawns are both
cooked. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Cook the egg noodles in a saucepan of slightly salted boiling water for
2–3 minutes until tender.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same wok used for the chicken and prawn
mixture. Add the beansprouts and garlic chives. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes.
Add the noodles and toss to mix. Next, add the soy sauce and oyster
sauce, and season with salt and pepper.

Return the prawn mixture to the wok. Reheat and mix well with the
noodles. Stir in the sesame oil, and serve immediately.

Calamari

Calamari is a plural form, from Italian word Calamaro which means squid used as food. Fried Calamari is one of the most popular restaurant food, it can be finger food or starters/appetizers depends on how you treat it. Most of the people eating calamari have no idea that they are eating squid. Why? Not so long ago, I ordered on a restaurant a calamari. I was surprised when I got my food, it actually looks like some sort of onion rings and there is no tentacle in sight. I called the waiter and insist that I ordered a calamari and not onion rings and he said that it was really a calamari but without the tentacles. So, why do we need to know that calamari is squid? That's because compare to onion rings calamari has a low fat, high in protein and is excellent source of vitamin B12. It is very important that we need to know what we are eating, and if you agree with me why don't we try cooking one for ourselves today.

The ingredients that we will be needing are:

100g/4oz plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
175ml/6fl oz soda or sparkling
mineral water
600ml/1pt vegetable oil for
deep-frying
450g/1lb cleaned and prepared
squid, cut into rings

The procedure:

Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl. Add the eggs and half the soda or 
mineral water, and whisk together until smooth. Gradually whisk in the remaining 
soda water until the batter is smooth.

Fill a deep heavy saucepan about one-third full with oil. Heat the oil until a cube 
of bread browns in 30 seconds.

Dip the squid rings into the batter, a few at a time. Carefully drop into
the hot oil. Fry for 1–2 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen
paper, and serve immediately.

Enjoy! 

Soy-braised chicken

Another popular Chinese dish is Soy-Braised Chicken. This dish is originated from Dezhou in Shandong Province in China, is a traditional dish of Dezhou which is also called Dezhou Braised Chicken or Dezhou Five Fragrant Boneless Braised Chicken. This typical dish is created by the Deshunzai Restaurant in Dezhou in the time of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. The finished product of this dish is tender, more fleshy and savory that the more chewy it gets, the more it's appealing. It became popular and nationally knowned in the past 100 years or more and this dish has become a favorite by domestic and international visitors.

The ingredients we need for cooking are:

1 chicken, about 1.4kg/3lb
1 tablespoon ground black
peppercorns
2 tablespoons minced fresh
root ginger
75ml/3fl oz light soy sauce
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
vegetable oil for deep-frying
600ml/1pt chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
25g/1oz crystallized sugar

The procedure:

Rub the chicken both inside and out with the peppercorns and ginger.
Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, rice wine and brown sugar for
at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, turning it several times.

Heat a wok until very hot. Add the oil and, when the oil is hot enough,
remove the chicken from the marinade (reserving the marinade), and
deep-fry for 6 minutes or until brown all over. Remove and drain on
kitchen paper.

Pour off any excess oil, add the marinade with the stock, salt and
crystallized sugar, and bring to the boil. Return the chicken to the pan,
cover and braise the chicken in the sauce for 35–40 minutes, turning
once or twice.

Remove the chicken from the wok and allow it cool a little before
chopping it into bite-size pieces. Pour the sauce over the chicken and
serve immediately.

Tofu with mushrooms

Tofu - This is one of my favorite meat substitute and has a lot of recipe variation to choose from. Tofu or Bean Curd is made from soy milk by pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. Tofu have different varieties such as fresh tofu and processed ones. It is originated in China which they called it "doufu" about 2000 years ago and production was introduced in Korea and Japan. It is a good source of protein and has low calorie count which is good for people who likes to slim down their waist. Also high in Iron and calcium which all of us know makes our bones stronger. One thing I like with tofu is, it blends on the taste of a certain dish that you wanted to cook that is why it is hassle-free to introduce it to people who doesn't really into vegetable dishes. The dish for this article is called Tofu with mushrooms and we will be needing the following ingredients. 

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh root ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon five-spice powder
225g/8oz firm tofu, cut into
2.5cm/1in cubes
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 teaspoon cornflour
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
6 spring onions, sliced into
2.5cm/1in lengths, white and
green parts separated


In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, garlic,
ginger and five-spice powder.

 Put the tofu in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over, toss well and
leave to marinate for about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the marinade.

Meanwhile, soak the dried Chinese mushrooms in warm water for
20–30 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving 75ml/3fl oz of the soaking
liquid. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the mushrooms, remove the
stalks and slice the caps. In a bowl, blend the cornflour with the reserved
marinade and mushroom soaking liquid.

Heat the oil in a wok or large heavy frying pan until hot. Add the tofu
and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until evenly golden. Remove from the wok
using a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and white parts of the spring onions to the wok, and
stir-fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the marinade mixture and stir for 1 minute
until thickened.

Return the tofu to the wok with the green parts of the spring onions.
Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes. Serve immediately with rice noodles.

Classic Caesar salad

When I was a kid, I used to love all fried dishes and finger food not knowing if I continue eating those kind of meals everyday, it may turn bad for my health. I don't hate eating vegetables but I love eating hotdogs, burgers and some processed meat stuff, and then I found this salad. At first I was hesitant to eat this since I always told myself that the taste is bland, sometimes bitter, but what makes the caesar's salad special is it's healthy combination of vegetables. On to its origin, the caesar's salad was created by a man named Caesar Cardini who is an immigrant from Italy and runs a restaurant in Mexico. His daughter Rosa allegedly saying that his father invented the dish when a Fourth of July in 1924 depleted their kitchen's supplies. Some of Cardini's staff are saying that they invented it. In my opinion, it won't be called as Caesar's salad if it was invented by their staff, don't you think? 

The ingredients that we will be needing:

1 small baguette
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, halved
4 back bacon rashers, trimmed
of fat
2 Cos lettuces
10 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
and halved lengthways
100g/4oz Parmesan cheese,
freghly grated
For the dressing
1 egg yolk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
175ml/6fl oz olive oil
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

To make the croûtons, cut the baguette into 15 thin slices, and brush
both sides of each slice with the oil. Spread the slices out on a baking
tray, and bake for 10–5 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool
slightly, then rub each side of each slice of bread with the cut edge of a
garlic clove. Cut each slice into small cubes.

Cook the bacon under a hot grill until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper until
cooled, then break into chunky pieces.

Tear the lettuce leaves into pieces, and put in a large serving bowl with
the bacon, anchovies, croûtons and Parmesan.

For the dressing, put the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, anchovies, vinegar
and Worcestershire sauce in a blender or food processor. Season with
salt and pepper, and process for 20 seconds or until smooth. With the
motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin stream until the dressing is
thick and creamy.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and toss very gently until well
distributed. Serve immediately.