Cantonese Beef Stew with Bean Curd

2 tablespoons oil
1/2 small onion cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic
250 g beef cut into small cubes
1/2 cup water
6 mini carrots
2 sticks dry beancurd sticks soak in warm water for 30 minutes, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
3 dashes white pepper

Heat up a claypot with the oil and add the onion and garlic, stir-fry until aromatic.

Add the beef into the claypot, followed by the carrot and beancurd sticks.

Add the water and all the seasonings, stir to combine well.
Cover the claypot, turn the heat to low, simmer and cook until the beef becomes tender.

Serve hot with steamed white rice

Beef Mussaman Curry

1 1/2 pounds cubed chuck beef or stewing beef
3 tablespoons Massaman curry paste
10 green cardamom seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
8 small shallot onions peeled
2 small cans 5.6 fl oz coconut milk
1 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce or to taste
1 medium-sized potato peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons cooking oil
A handful of fresh Thai basil leaves

Coat beef in 1 tablespoon of oil and massaman curry paste. Stir well and set aside.

In a large pot, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Stir-fry the cardamom, cinnamon and star anise for 40 seconds. Add the whole shallots and fry until golden brown.

Add the beef and brown for 1-2 minutes. Stir to mix well with the spices.

Add 1 can of coconut milk, 2 tbsp of fish sauce and 1/2 to 1 cup of water until the beef is just covered by the liquid. Stir well and then bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn heat down very low and cover. Gently simmer for 1 hour.

Add the remaining can of coconut milk, potatoes, peanuts and half the basil leaves. Stir well. Taste and add a little more fish sauce if necessary.

Turn heat up to medium-low and cover. Cook for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the curry from the heat. Stir in the palm sugar, tamarind juice and remaining basil. Stir well and serve the curry with steamed rice.

Bulgogi Beef Wraps

12 oz thinly sliced sirloin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 small onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
3 dashes chili powder
3 dashes coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped scallion
White sesame for garnishing
Kimchi sliced, for garnishing, optional
1 head butter lettuce

Marinate the sirloin with garlic, soy sauce, sugar, chili, and pepper. Stir to mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes to marinate.

Heat up a skillet with the vegetable oil. Add the onion and saute for about 10 seconds.

Add the sliced sirloin. Stir and cook until the meat is cooked. Top with the scallion and white sesame. Transfer out to a serving platter.

Tear off the leaves from the lettuce. To assemble the Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps, add 1 tablespoon of the Bulgogi onto the center of the lettuce leaf, then top with the sliced kimchi, if using. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes: For authentic Bulgogi, you will need 1/2 cup of pear juice and 1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil to marinate the meat.

Beef with Nam Prik Pao and Lime Leaves

10 oz 330 g beef tenderloin or top sirloin, sliced diagonally across the grain in ¼ in (6 mm) slices
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil divided
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove minced
1 small shallot ?nely sliced
1 fresh hot red or green chili preferably Thai (deseeded if you prefer less heat), ?nely sliced
1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce nam pla
1 tablespoon Roasted Red Chili Paste or store-bought(nam pla, optional)
2 kaf?r lime leaves cut into thin strips (optional)
2 teaspoons palm or brown sugar
3/4 cup 15 g fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves

Roasted Red Chili Paste (Nam Prik Pao) Recipe
4 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil , divided
6 garlic cloves minced
6 tablespoons ?nely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon ground red pepper cayenne
4 teaspoons fermented shrimp paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce nam pla
3 tablespoons palm or brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon water

Toss the beef with the all-purpose cornstarch, pepper, 1 teaspoon oil, and soy sauce. Cover for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Heat 1/2 of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and stir-fry until it’s brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Wash and thoroughly dry the wok or skillet.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and chili to the wok or skillet and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the reserved beef, lime juice, ?sh sauce, roasted red chili paste (if using), kaffir lime leaves (if using), and palm sugar; stir-fry for 1–2 minutes or until the beef is cooked through. Add the basil leaves and stir-fry for about 30 seconds or until wilted. Dish out and serve immediately with jasmine rice.

Roasted Red Chili Paste (Nam Prik Pao) Recipe

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet at medium high heat. Add the garlic and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer garlic and shallots to a small bowl with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Leave the remaining oil in the pan.
Combine the ground red pepper, shrimp paste, ?sh sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, tamarind concentrate, water, reserved garlic, and shallots in a small food processor. Pulse until a thick paste forms.

Return the paste to the wok or skillet and stir it into the oil over low heat. Simmer gently and continue stirring until the mixture is a smooth, oily, and shimmering paste.

Pressure Cooked Eggs

Prepare an ice bath.

Place trivet in pot.

Pour in 1 cup of water.

Place eggs on trivet.

For soft boiled “dippy” eggs, set pressure cooker to low pressure (4 psi) and quick release. Cook for 2 minutes. As soon as the pressure releases, plunge eggs into an ice bath. Peel when cool.

For jammy yolks or soy eggs, set pressure cooker to low pressure (4 psi) and quick release. Cook for 3 minutes. As soon as the pressure releases, plunge eggs into an ice bath. Peel when cool.

For slightly soft yolks, set pressure cooker to medium-low pressure (6) and quick release. Cook for 2 minutes. As soon as the pressure releases, plunge eggs into an ice bath. Peel when cool.

For set yolks, set pressure cooker to medium-low pressure (6) and quick release. Cook for 4 minutes. As soon as the pressure releases, plunge eggs into an ice bath. Peel when cool.

Mango Pie

FOR THE GRAHAM-CRACKER CRUST:
2 1/2 cups (280 grams) finely ground graham-cracker crumbs
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 large pinch sea salt
9 tablespoons (128 grams) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE MANGO CUSTARD:
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin (2 1/2 packages at 2 1/2 teaspoons per pack)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 30-ounce can Alphonso mango purée (3 1/4 cups)
1 large pinch sea salt

Stir crumbs, sugar, cardamom and salt together in a medium bowl. Add butter, and stir with a fork until evenly combined.

Pour half the crumb mixture into a 9-inch round metal pie pan, and spread evenly. Press down with fingers, a metal measuring cup or a second pie pan to compact the crumbs as much as possible across the bottom and up the sides of the pan into an even crust. (The more compressed the crust, the less it will crumble.) Repeat to form the remaining crumb mixture into a crust in a second pan.

Heat oven to 325. Transfer both crusts to freezer, and chill for 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place 3/4 cup cold water in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar with the gelatin; sprinkle mixture evenly over the surface of the cold water. Let sit a few minutes to bloom.

In the meantime, whip the cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar together until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm 1 cup of the mango purée to body temperature (stir to make sure you are just warming it and not bringing it to a boil). Pour warmed mango purée over gelatin mixture, and whisk until well combined. Gelatin should dissolve into mango completely. Gradually whisk in remaining mango purée.

Use a rubber spatula to beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until it is soft and smooth, then add to mango mixture along with a large pinch of sea salt. Use an immersion blender to blend until completely smooth, tipping the bowl to make sure you’ve incorporated everything well. Gently tap the bowl on the counter once or twice to pop any air bubbles. Use the spatula to gently fold about 1/4 of the mango mixture into the whipped cream, then fold cream into the larger amount of mixture until no streaks remain.

Divide custard between cooled crusts. Use a rubber spatula to smooth out the filling. Refrigerate 5 hours or overnight until firm and chilled. Serve chilled.

Ginger Scallion Fish

10 oz. Basa fish fillet cut into pieces
2- inch ginger skin peeled and cut into thin slices
2 stalks scallion cut into 2-inch lengths
1 1/2 tablespoons oil

Sauce:
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
3-4 tablespoons water
Salt to taste
3 dashes white pepper powder

Marinade:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

Marinate the fish for about 10 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat up the wok with cooking oil. Add ginger slices into the wok when the oil is very hot. Stir-fry the ginger until aromatic and add in the fish fillet. Stir-fry the fish until they are half cooked. Add in the sauce and continue to stir-fry until the fish is cooked through. If the sauce dries out, add in a little water. Add in the chopped scallions and do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot.

Black Pepper Beef

8 oz 250 g beef tenderloin, flank steak or flap meat, cut into pieces
2 ½ tablespoons cooking oil
1 clove garlic minced
One 1 in 2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 small green bell pepper deseeded and cut into pieces
1/2 small red bell pepper deseeded and cut into pieces
1/2 onion cut into strips
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Marinade:
1 1/2 teaspoons Maggi seasoning sauce
1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or sherry
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Marinate the beef with all the Marinade ingredients, about 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until the beef is browned on the outside but still pink inside. Dish out and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic and the ginger until aromatic, and then add the green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, and black pepper. Stir-fry until you smell the aroma from the ingredients in the wok.

Transfer the beef back into the wok or skillet. Stir-fry until the beef is cooked through and the center of the meat is no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Ginger Scallion Beef

8 oz beef flap meat beef tenderloin or beef flank steak, sliced
2 tablespoons oil
1- inch ginger peeled and thinly shredded
3 stalks scallions cut into 2-inch lengths
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Sauce:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Maggi seasoning
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoons dry Sherry or Shaoxing wine optional
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 dash white pepper powder

Marinate sliced beef with the cornstarch for 10 minutes.

Combine all the Sauce ingredients, mix well and set aside.

In a wok, heat up the oil until very high heat, stir-fry shredded ginger until fragrant. Toss in beef slices and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes, or until beef is cooked.

Add in the Sauce and stir-fry a couple of times or until the sauce thickens. All scallions, stir dish out and serve with steamed rice.

Mongolian Beef

2 tablespoons oil
12 oz beef tenderloin thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 inch peeled ginger thinly sliced
2 stalks scallions cut into 2-inch strips

Marinade:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or Shaoxing wine

Sauce:
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
3 dashes ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Marinate the beef slices with the Marinade for 30 minutes.

Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the marinated beef until they are half-done. Dish out and set aside.

Heat up the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until aromatic.

Add the beef back into the wok and then the sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the beef slices are almost done, then add the scallions. Do a few quick stirs. dish out and serve hot.

Mongolian Chicken

10 oz. boneless and skinless chicken breast cut into cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or Shaoxing rice wine , optional
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoon oils
2 cloves garlic minced
1- inch piece ginger peeled and sliced
6 stalks scallions cut into 2-inch strips
White sesame optional

Sauce:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce

Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, rice wine (if using), sesame oil and corn starch. Stir to mix well.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the Sauce together. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

Heat up a skillet or wok on high heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil and add the chicken. Toss and stir fry until the surface turns white but not completely cooked. Dish out and set aside.

Clean up the skillet or wok with paper towels, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon cooking oil. When the oil is heated, add the garlic and ginger, stir fry until aromatic. Add the chicken and do a few quick stirs before adding the Sauce. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through. Add the scallions, stir to combine well. Top the chicken with some sesame and serve immediately.

Sesame Beef

1 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic minced
8 oz flank steak sliced
1/4 red bell pepper sliced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes or more to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2 stalks green onion cut into 2-inch length
White sesame seeds for garnishing

Marinade:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce optional

Marinade the beef with all the Marinade ingredients. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat up a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the sesame oil, swirl to coat. Add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic or when they turn light brown.

Add the beef and stir continuously, for 1 minute.

Add the red bell pepper, chili flakes, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, and water. Cook until the sauce slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Add the scallion, do a few quick stirs, dish out, top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Scallion Beef

Ingredients:
10 oz beef tenderloin thinly sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 stalks scallion cut into 2-inch strips
1/2 onion sliced
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced

Marinade:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

Sauce:
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Marinate the beef slices with all the ingredients in Marinade for 10 minutes.

Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the marinated beef until they are half-done. Dish out and set aside. Drain the bloody water from the beef.

Heat up the remaining oil and stir-fry the garlic and onion until aromatic. Add the beef back into the wok and do a few quick stirs before adding the Sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the beef slices are completely cooked, then add the scallions into the wok. Do a few quick stirs, add salt and more sugar to taste, dish out and serve hot with steamed rice.

Stir-Fried Beef and Asparagus

8 oz beef cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic minced
6 oz asparagus cut into long strips
One small red bell pepper cut into long strips

Marinade:
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 heavy dashes ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fish sauce or oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Sauce:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon black/dark soy sauce for coloring purpose
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Pinch of salt

Marinate the beef with all ingredients in the Marinade, for 15 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients in the Sauce, stir and mix well, set aside.

Heat up a wok and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is fully heated, add the beef and do a few quick stirs, until the surface turns opaque and slightly charred. Transfer out and set aside.

Clean the wok and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is fully heated, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the asparagus stir a few times before adding the beef back into the wok.

Add the Sauce and stir to combine well. Stir in the bell pepper and dish out to serve

Shrimp (or Scallop) and Asparagus Sambal

12 oz. asparagus
4 oz. scallops or medium-size shrimps
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons sambal paste if you like spicy, use 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fish sauce or to taste
1 teaspoon belacan breaks into small bits
2 tablespoons oil

Sambal (Chili Paste) Recipe:
20 dried chilies seeded and soaked to soften
10 fresh red chilies seeded and sliced
8 shallots peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons cooking oil

Rinse the asparagus with water. Chop off 1 inch to 1.5 inches off the stems (depending on the toughness of the stems) and slice the stems into half. Cut the rest of the asparagus into 2-inch lengths. Set aside.

Heat up the wok with oil. Add the sambal (recipe below) and belacan. Stir well until you start smelling the pungent aroma of belacan. Add in scallops/shrimps and do a quick stir and then follow by the asparagus. Add fish sauce, sugar, and continue to stir fry until asparagus is cooked through (don’t overcook it). Dish out and serve hot.

Sambal (Chili Paste) Recipe:
Use a mortar and pestle to pound the sambal ingredients or use a mini food processor to blend well. Heat up a wok with oil. As soon as the oil is heated, transfer the sambal paste into the wok and stir-fry continuously for a few minutes or until you smell the heat from the sambal or the oil separates from the sambal. Dish out and set aside. Refrigerated for future use.

Recipe Notes
Traditionally, sambal is prepared fresh–or bought ready made from the wet market in Malaysia. It’s then used immediately to cook the dish. In the US, I always make my sambal into a chili paste so I can keep it in the refrigerator and use it on the go. I also use more dried chilies to make the sambal paste lasts longer in the refrigerator. The fresh chilies give a nice red color as dried red chilies look duller in color. I will show you the traditional way of making sambal from scratch and the proper method of making it soon!

Ideas for Egg Lunches: Malaysian Eggplant Sambal

6 oz. eggplant
1 1/2 tablespoons dried shrimps soaked in warm water and then rinsed
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons sambal paste if you like spicy, use 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon fish sauce or to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Use a mortar and pestle to pound the sambal ingredients or use a mini food processor to blend well.

Heat up a wok with oil. As soon as the oil is heated, transfer the sambal paste into the wok and stir-fry continuously for a few minutes or until you smell the heat from the sambal or the oil separates from the sambal.

Dish out and set aside. Refrigerate for future use.

Ideas for Egg Lunches: Malaysian Sambal Telur

4 hard boiled eggs
2 – 3 tablespoons sambal

Cooked Sambal:
6 oz. fresh red chilies (seeded and cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon toasted belacan Malaysian shrimp paste
4 oz. shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar/palm sugar or to taste
4 tablespoons oil
1/2 onion cut into rings

Prepare the sambal by grinding chilies, shallots, and toasted belacan in a mini food processor. Make sure the sambal paste is well blended and smooth.

Heat up a wok with oil and “tumis” (sauté) the sambal paste and onion rings until aromatic or when the oil separates from the sambal paste.

Add the seasonings: salt, sugar/palm sugar, and fish sauce and do a quick stir, dish out and set aside.

To make sambal telur, add 2-3 tablespoons of sambal back into the wok plus peeled hard boiled eggs. Make sure the eggs are nicely coated with the sambal. Dish out and serve hot.

Daging Masak Kicap (Malaysian Soy Sauce Beef)

8 oz beef flap meat cut into pieces
2 shallots sliced thinly (or 1/4 onion, sliced)
2 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons kicap/kecap manis sweet soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or to taste

Rinse the beef with water and cut it across the grain into pieces. Pat dry and set aside.

Heat up a wok with the oil. When the oil is heated, add the shallots and stir fry until aromatic or when the shallots turn light brown. Add the beef into the wok and stir for a few times. Add the sweet soy sauce and soy sauce and stir to blend well with the beef. Cook for a few minutes or until the beef is cooked through. Dish out and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes
You can add a few bird’s-eye chilies or some cut red chilies if you want it spicy. You can also add a lemongrass (white-part only, pounded) to make it extra aromatic.

Malaysian Coconut and Chili Bean Sprout Salad (Kerabu)

1/2 red onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
2 1/4 cups bean sprouts
1/2 red chili seeded and finely chopped
1 small handful mint leaves roughly chopped

FOR THE DRESSING:
4 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons sugar
1- inch piece gingerroot peeled

To make the dressing, whisk the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar together in a large bowl. Grate the gingerroot into the bowl, discarding the fibrous bits, and mix well.

Scatter the onion over the dressing and mix well, then set aside 5 to 10 minutes. This takes the rawness out of the onion.

Meanwhile, toast the coconut in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring continuously, ?30 to 40 seconds until the coconut turns a lovely golden brown. Tip it onto a plate and ?set aside.

To assemble the salad, add the red pepper, bean sprouts, red chili and mint to the ?onion mixture and toss until all the ingredients are well coated. Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter the roasted coconut over the top and serve immediately.