Best Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce

• Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup rice wine
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Steps: 

1. 1
   In a bowl, combine soy sauce, broth, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper. (See note in intro about the soy sauce).
2. 2
   Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup water.
3. 3
   Heat a pan over high heat; add the cooking oil, swirling to coat; add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
4. 4
   Add the soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil.
5. 5
   Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 minute.
6. 6
   Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.

Bacon and Chicken Carbonara Pasta

• • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 200g sliced pancetta, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/4 onion (thinly sliced)
  • 2 egg yolks (at room temperature)
  • 2 eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup thickened cream
  • 75g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 
  Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frypan over medium heat. 
  Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, pancetta and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until pancetta is crisp. Drain on paper towel.
  Whisk egg yolks, eggs, cream and three-quarters of the parmesan together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  Add egg mixture and pancetta mixture to pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Toss over low heat until well combined. Serve with remaining parmesan.

Mini Frittata Brunch Bar

INGREDIENTS

10 

large eggs

1/2 

cup cooked Mexican chorizo

1 

cup spinach, finely chopped

1 

leek, sliced lengthwise (green parts discarded) and thinly sliced into half moons

1 

cup shredded mozzarella

1 

pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 

tablespoon fresh oregano

DIRECTIONS

• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet and add the leeks. Season lightly with salt and pepper and saute until slightly browned, 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
• To the pan, add the chorizo and cook until until it's softened, 5 minutes.
• Pour the eggs into a non-stick muffin tin.
• Sprinkle the leeks evenly into each eggy mixture.
• Followed by a good dollop of the chorizo.
• Go ahead and throw that spinach in there too.
• It would be wise to sprinkle some cheese and oregano on top of each frittata.
• Throw the whole thing into an oven, preheated to 375.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, checking at the 8-minute mark. They should be puffed up and set in the middle. Let cool a few minutes and serve at your next brunch!

Peanut Butter Chicken Tortilla

2 pounds chicken thighs (skin on)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves
2 teaspoons whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
2 medium onions, sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
4 large dried Guajillo chilies (1.4 ounces)
2 large dried Ancho chilies (1.4 ounces)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1¾ cups stewed tomatoes (380 g)
1 cup water
⅓ cupThe Heat Is On peanut butter
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
½ cup Peanut Butter & Co. Honey Roasted Peanuts, roughly chopped
12 corn tortillas

Procedure

1. Generously salt and pepper the chicken. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat until very hot. Add the oil and then place the chicken, skin side down into the pot. If the chicken doesn’t all fit in a single layer, split it between two batches. Fry the chicken until the skin is golden brown and it doesn’t stick to the pot anymore. Flip the chicken over and fry until the other side is browned, then transfer it to a plate.

2. Add the cloves, coriander and cumin seed to the pot and fry until the spices are fragrant (about 1 minute).

3. Add the onions, garlic and salt and turn down the heat to medium low. Let the onions and garlic sauté, stirring regularly until the onions are soft and turning brown.

Add the bay leaves, Mexican oregano, stewed tomatoes and water, and then stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot, and then cover with a tight fitting lid. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is extremely tender and falls apart when prodded with a fork. Because stoves and pots vary in the way they cook, you may need to add some water part of the way through cooking. Just check it periodically to make sure it’s not burning. If the liquid is getting low, you can add some more water.

6. Remove the chicken from the pot let it get cool enough to handle. Use a fork to shred the chicken meat (you can discard the skins at this point or leave them in if you like). Skim off any excess oil from the braising liquid, then put the braising liquid into a food processor or blender along with the peanut butter. Puree the sauce. If you’re using a blender, start it off at low speed, as the sudden escape of steam could cause the lid to blow off, flinging hot chili sauce all over your kitchen.

7. Strain the sauce through a mesh sieve to remove bits of chili skin. You’ll need to press it through with a silicone spatula. You’ll have about double the amount of sauce you need, so put half of it in a container and refrigerate. It’s great on grilled chicken or as a condiment.

8. Add the shredded chicken to the remaining sauce and stir to combine. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

9. Serve the chicken with warmed up corn tortillas, chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Chicken Vol-au-vent Recipe

Chicken preparation
Diced chicken in cubes
Add a bit of corn starch , salt and pepper
Reserve for later

Butter and oil in casserole
Add a bit of cornstarch
Place chopped half onion, half diced celery, and 1 diced carrot
Add mushrooms,  (optional)
season with a little salt and pepper
Add chicken stock
Add potatoes (optional)
boil for 15 mins
Add chicken
Add water if necessary
Boil for 5 mins until chicken is well done
Add cream
Add salt and pepper to taste
Add cornstarch if the sauce is not thick enough
Serve on Vol-au-vent pastries

Taiwanese Vermicelli Stir Fry

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 4 servings Change 

• 1/2 pound thinly sliced pork loin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 
  
• 4 dried Chinese black mushrooms
• 1 (8 ounce) package dried rice vermicelli
• 
  

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried small shrimp
• 3 carrots, cut into matchstick strips
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 4 leaves napa cabbage, thinly sliced
• salt to taste
• 3 sprigs fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Place the pork into a mixing bowl and pour in the soy sauce and rice wine. Sprinkle with the white pepper, five-spice powder, and cornstarch. Mix well, then set aside to marinate. Soak the mushrooms in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes, then pour off the water, cut off and discard the stems of the mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms thinly and reserve. Soak the rice vermicelli in a separate bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then pour off the water and set the noodles aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs, and cook until firm, flipping once, to make a pancake. Remove the egg pancake, and allow to cool, then thinly slice and place into a large bowl. Heat 2 more tablespoons of the vegetable oil in the wok over high heat. Stir in the garlic and dried shrimp, and cook until the shrimp become aromatic, about 20 seconds. Next, add the pork along with the marinade, and cook until the pork is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots and onion, and cook until the carrots begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Finally, add the bean sprouts, napa cabbage, and sliced mushrooms; cook and stir until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes more. Scrape the pork mixture into the bowl along with the eggs, then wipe out the wok and return it to the stove over medium-high heat.
3. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the wok, then stir in the drained rice vermicelli noodles. Cook and stir for a few minutes until the noodles soften, then stir in the reserved pork mixture. Scrape the mixture in to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro to serve.

Pork Chops with caramelised onions

So what can you do to ensure you get a moist, tender, flavorful pork chop?

1. Brine it – One of my secrets to getting a flavorful juicy pork chop every time, is to brine it in a solution of salt and sugar. In the same way that it benefits lean meats like turkey, brining your pork adds flavor and moisture to the meat, lending a helping hand to even the leanest of chops.
2. Don’t overcook it – While you have to decide for yourself what temperatures you’re comfortable cooking your meat to, I tend to cook pork chops to 141 degrees and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
3. Buy heritage pork – If you can afford it, try finding pork chops that come from a heritage breed of pig such as Berkshire(a.k.a. Kurobuta) or Ibérico. Heritage breeds haven’t undergone the selective breeding aimed at reducing the fat content of pork. They’re expensive, and may not be as healthy, but they certainly taste better.
4. Use rib chops – As with most meats, tenderness in pork chops often comes at the cost of flavor. I like using pork rib chops because they have more fat than a loin chop, but less connective tissue than a blade chop, helping them strike a great balance between the two ends of the spectrum.Best Pork Chops

• 
  

Servings	Prep Time	Cook Time	Passive Time
4	5 minutes	10 minutes	240 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 1 inch thick pork rib chops
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 4 cups water
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Servings: 

Instructions

1. In a gallon size sealable freezer bag, add the sugar, salt, garlic and water. Seal the bag and swish it around to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the pork, press out as much air as you can, then seal the bag. Let this sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
2. Remove the pork chops from the brine and use paper towels to remove as much moisture from the surface of the pork chops as you can. If there's water on the surface of the pork chops, they will not brown.
3. Add the oil to the pan and heat over medium high heat. Place the pork chops in the pan while the pan is still cold. Because the pork chops are brined with sugar, they'll burn before they cook through if you put them into a hot pan.
4. Flip the pork chops over and fry the second side until well browned and an instant read thermometer reads 141 degrees F (60.5 C). Transfer them to a plate and let them rest.
5. Drain the excess oil out of the pan, and then add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft.
6. Add the wine, honey and mustard and then turn up the heat to boil off the alcohol and thicken the glaze.
7. When the glaze is nice and thick, add the pork chops back to the pan and flip them over repeatedly to coat them with the glaze. Once there is no liquid left in the pan, the pork chops are done. Top with the caramelized onions and and serve with mashed potatoes.